AMD Bulldozer VS. Intel I5

[ashford99]

Hi guys,

I'm building a new gaming rig soon and I wanted to know which is better:

AMD FX 8-Core Black Edition

OR

Intel i5 2500K processor

Which is better for high end, maxed out settings, games? Also, what is the best Video card? Is getting the AMD better for the long term for when new CPU's are released by them?

 

[esrever]

The i5 is better for gaming.

The 7970 is the best single video card. You can get 4 of them for about $2200 for the best performance.

 

[e56imfg]

This thread is screaming for a flame war.

QUADFIRE is no good. Barely any games support it and it's a pain to work with.

 

[FtsArTek]

To be honest, unless you really need lots of power for rendering and stuff, you should get the i5, no doubt.

Don't ask questions like this they just cause massive rages between intel/amd fanboys... You should really just ask what is the best gaming CPU out at the moment.

That said you'll notice very little difference between the two. You can go Crossfire 7970s for amazing GPU performance, although that will be right on the line of bottlenecking an 8150 (my 3 6950s don't quite hit the bottleneck point of my CPU, but aren't far off)

However it's the season for updates and Intel is bringing out Ivy Bridge, AMD 7000 series, and nVidia bringing out Kepler. I would say wait for Kepler and Ivy Bridge, both are destined to be amazing.

As for getting an AMD card for an AMD CPU? No difference really. There is no noticeable difference with my 6950s in my system or in my mate's i7 2600k at 4.8gHz. It's when you're going with two 6990s or GTX590s you will need the 2600.

So in the end: Get an i5 2500k.
From your profile picture thing, looks like you like Minecraft, so under NO circumstances go with an AMD GPU, because nVidia cards have a dedicated OpenGL memory cache whereas AMD cards don't. So my mate's GTX560 Ti is getting in the region of 400-500 FPS on average while I'm getting 20-60 max. I know that a GTX580 with a 2600k will get you up to 3000fps at times, as there is absolutely NO limit at all in Minecraft. even a good old GTS250 gets more than a 6950.

 

[jaguarskx]

Core i5-2500k and Radeon HD 7970.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

Core i5-2500k and Radeon HD 7970.

+1, no more needs to be said here.

 

[cbrunnem]

That said you'll notice very little difference between the two. You can go Crossfire 7970s for amazing GPU performance, although that will be right on the line of bottlenecking an 8150 (my 3 6950s don't quite hit the bottleneck point of my CPU, but aren't far off)

ill start the flamming. i agree with everything you said and even that paragraph to an extent. there are some new games were there is a noticeable and in some cases large increases for the intel. skyrim and MP BF3 being examples.

 

[grumbledook]

For most purposes, including gaming, the 2500k is the best choice. It also uses less power under load. Both overclock very well.

Ivy Bridge(Intel) got delayed, and is due in June. Piledriver(AMD) is supposed to get here late 2012. There won't be a monumental improvement with Ivy Bridge, I'd recommend getting the 2500k now unless you already have something which is good enough to max out for games.

The 7970 is the best card around, but NVIDIA are due to release cards in a few months. It's somewhat expected that AMD will cut their prices a bit when they do, so that's something to consider. Regardless, it'll be a great card and can be overclocked quite a bit.

 

[FtsArTek]

ill start the flamming. i agree with everything you said and even that paragraph to an extent. there are some new games were there is a noticeable and in some cases large increases for the intel. skyrim and MP BF3 being examples.

Yeah in BF3 there was a slight increase from my AMD, but Skyrim just fails with AMD drivers and Crossfire :/

 

[grumbledook]

Yeah in BF3 there was a slight increase from my AMD, but Skyrim just fails with AMD drivers and Crossfire :/

Patched it up to date?

 

[FtsArTek]

Patched it up to date?

Nah 12.1 and 12.2 beta just mess up everything

 

[amuffin]

+1, no more needs to be said here.

Edit: Watercooled 2500k and 7970!

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Ivy Bridge(Intel) got delayed, and is due in June. Piledriver(AMD) is supposed to get here late 2012. There won't be a monumental improvement with Ivy Bridge, I'd recommend getting the 2500k now unless you already have something which is good enough to max out for games.

Actually that's just the mobile parts - desktops are supposed to be released April 29th, although who knows when general availability will be.

For a new build, I'd wait a couple months for the reviews to come out - the OP might kick himself for not waiting a bit ..

 

[callumparker666]

BD has 4 more cores so it is clearly better for gaming then a quad core

 

[de5_Roy]

^^^ i almost decided to not post in this thread.... until i saw this post

BD has 4 more cores so it is clearly better for gaming then a quad core

it made me laugh.
anyway, on topic:
between 8 core bd and sandy bridge i5, the sandy bridge i5 is better for gaming.
best gfx card: it depends.
cards like radeon hd 6870 and geforce gtx 560ti have best fps for money.
7750 is the most powerful card that requires no extra pcie power connector.
radeon hd 6850 is the most powerful gfx card that needs only one pcie power connector.
7970 is currently the most powerful single gpu card in the market.
7950 is cheaper but performs well.
2 new southern island cards are on the way - 7850 and 7870. 'best gfx card' can change any moment.
for maxing out current games any card from gtx 560ti, 570, 580, radeon hd 6950, 6970, 7950, 7970 will do well. hell, some of these cards might be overkill for single monitor@1080p.
right now, intel is offering better long-term performance.

 

[callumparker666]

░░░░░▄▄▄▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░░░
░░░░░█░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▀▀▄░░░░
░░░░█░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒░░█░░░
░░░█░░░░░░▄██▀▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄░░░░█░░
░▄▀▒▄▄▄▒░█▀▀▀▀▄▄█░░░██▄▄█░░░░█░
█░▒█▒▄░▀▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░░█░░░▒▒▒▒▒░█
█░▒█░█▀▄▄░░░░░█▀░░░░▀▄░░▄▀▀▀▄▒█
░█░▀▄░█▄░█▀▄▄░▀░▀▀░▄▄▀░░░░█░░█░
░░█░░░▀▄▀█▄▄░█▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▀▀█▀██░█░░
░░░█░░░░██░░▀█▄▄▄█▄▄█▄████░█░░░
░░░░█░░░░▀▀▄░█░░░█░█▀██████░█░░
░░░░░▀▄░░░░░▀▀▄▄▄█▄█▄█▄█▄▀░░█░░
░░░░░░░▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒░░░█░
░░░░░░░░░░▀▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░█░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▀▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░░░░█░░

 

[amuffin]

░░░░░▄▄▄▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░░░
░░░░░█░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░▀▀▄░░░░
░░░░█░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒░░█░░░
░░░█░░░░░░▄██▀▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄░░░░█░░
░▄▀▒▄▄▄▒░█▀▀▀▀▄▄█░░░██▄▄█░░░░█░
█░▒█▒▄░▀▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░░█░░░▒▒▒▒▒░█
█░▒█░█▀▄▄░░░░░█▀░░░░▀▄░░▄▀▀▀▄▒█
░█░▀▄░█▄░█▀▄▄░▀░▀▀░▄▄▀░░░░█░░█░
░░█░░░▀▄▀█▄▄░█▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▀▀█▀██░█░░
░░░█░░░░██░░▀█▄▄▄█▄▄█▄████░█░░░
░░░░█░░░░▀▀▄░█░░░█░█▀██████░█░░
░░░░░▀▄░░░░░▀▀▄▄▄█▄█▄█▄█▄▀░░█░░
░░░░░░░▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒░░░█░
░░░░░░░░░░▀▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░█░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░▀▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░░░░█░░

Violations - It violates the Tom's Hardware Rules of Conduct if you engage in any of the following activity:
Trolling, defined as knowingly soliciting strong negative responses simply for shock value.

 

[cbrunnem]

BD has 4 more cores so it is clearly better for gaming then a quad core

this is just bad trolling. its so clearly wrong even to un knowledge that its not even good.

 

[jonpaul37]

Core i5-2500k and Radeon HD 7970.

Agreed, this is all you will need, that is, unless, you want for Kepler from Nvidia

 

[xtreme5]

bulldozers are failure against sandy bridge get 2500k and a single hd 7970 for excellent result, i'm also using 2500k with crossfire 7970 every game i ran in maxxed out with 74+ fps.....

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Agreed, this is all you will need, that is, unless, you want for Kepler from Nvidia

Not to derail the thread too much, but what's the latest news with Kepler? Is it going to be competitive against AMD's 28nm GPUs?

 

[jonpaul37]

Not to derail the thread too much, but what's the latest news with Kepler? Is it going to be competitive against AMD's 28nm GPUs?

Been trying like hell to get that same answer but nothing definite at this point, I have a few sources that i am still waiting to hear from but here's my take on it.

AMD has been doing a great job at playing catch-up to Nvidia and certainly doing well on the price aspect of things. My guess is that the ratio between AMD 79x0 and Nvidia 6x0 will be somewhat smaller than that of the last gen GPU's in terms of performance. In other words, AMD will be closer to Nvidia in performance than the last round.

More to come if i get a response from my source(s)

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The issue is that so few games can take advantage of more than 4 threads. When you match this up with how hard it is to program for additional threads this doesn't look to change any time soon. So in the end the value of IPC is still important and makes the Intel Core i5-2500K the gaming processor of choice.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[noob2222]

The issue is that so few games can take advantage of more than 4 threads. When you match this up with how hard it is to program for additional threads this doesn't look to change any time soon. So in the end the value of IPC is still important and makes the Intel Core i5-2500K the gaming processor of choice.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

Maybe you can answer my question about Havok software. Did Intel intentionally sabotoge AMD hardware in the havok software engine since Intel owns the software?

Just seems odd that the only games AMD has any problems with are only games that use this physics engine, skyrim, starcraft 2, just cause 2 .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havok_(software) Is the problem really AMD or is it Intel owned software?

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Been trying like hell to get that same answer but nothing definite at this point, I have a few sources that i am still waiting to hear from but here's my take on it.

AMD has been doing a great job at playing catch-up to Nvidia and certainly doing well on the price aspect of things. My guess is that the ratio between AMD 79x0 and Nvidia 6x0 will be somewhat smaller than that of the last gen GPU's in terms of performance. In other words, AMD will be closer to Nvidia in performance than the last round.

More to come if i get a response from my source(s)

Hopefully we'll start to get more leaks the closer to release. I'll be doing an IB build in May anyway, so if Kepler rumours look good maybe I'll subsist on HD4000 graphics for a few weeks ..