Need help choosing

[draucia]

My budged is around $600. Here are my 2 builds:

AMD - http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=27463308

$600

Intel - http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=27489888

$677 - 50 = $627 (will by buying i5 2500k from microcenter)



Now I have a few questions. First, should I just go with the cheaper AMD build? I just need 50+ FPS on BF3 and other games on MAX settings (or ultra, whatever). Will the phenom II x4 965 Black Edition achieve this?

Secondly, since I will be going for h61 chipset, should I just go for 2400? I don't think I can overclock with h61 anyways. How much of a difference is this 2400 and 2500k without overclocking (at default).

So I need help deciding between the two. I prefer to only spend $600 (because this will go up too after shipping costs). Will Phenom II x4 BE run at 50FPS+?

 

[Proximon]

Those links will not work.

I'll need more data please

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

 

[Merueth]

You have to make the wish list public.

Also, to max out BF3 at 50 FPS, you need at least an overclocked 7870, so good luck with that on a $600 build.

 

[draucia]

Sorry fixed.

You have to make the wish list public.

Also, to max out BF3 at 50 FPS, you need at least an overclocked 7870, so good luck with that on a $600 build.

What FPS do you think I would get at max on each one of those builds?

 

[Proximon]

At that budget range you might be better served by an i3 paired with the H61 board. There are several corners you might cut that would get you into a stronger GPU. Since you haven't yet listed what your monitor resolution will be, it's not possible to say how much GPU you need.....

See now why we made the form? A lot easier than me dragging bits of data out of you one post at a time.

 

[draucia]

At that budget range you might be better served by an i3 paired with the H61 board. There are several corners you might cut that would get you into a stronger GPU. Since you haven't yet listed what your monitor resolution will be, it's not possible to say how much GPU you need.....

See now why we made the form? A lot easier than me dragging bits of data out of you one post at a time.

So I should get a i3 over a phenom II x4 BE? I just think I should have a quad core so I have better performance in other things besides just gaming (even though it is a gaming build, it is also my everyday PC).








Approximate Purchase Date: (e.g.: this week (the closer the better)): Around July 1st

Budget Range: (e.g.: 600-800) Before / After Rebates: 600 after rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (e.g.: Folding@Home, gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies) : gaming, movies, surfing, folding@home

Parts Not Required: (e.g.: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using** : keyboard, mouse, speakers, OS (Power supply in wishlist)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: (e.g.: newegg.com, ncix.com -- to show us selection & pricing) - newegg, but site that's cheap

Country: (e.g.: India) we need to know where these parts are being assembled: USA

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (e.g.: I would like to use an AMD CPU & Biostar mobo with a 24" LCD and full tower case) : A motherboard that's nicely labeled and has a nice manual since it will by my first build.

Overclocking: Yes / No / Maybe : Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Yes / No / Maybe :No

Monitor Resolution: (e.g.: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200): Umm like a 20" screen so.. 1600x1200?

Additional Comments: (e.g.: Need to have a window and lots of bling, I would like a quiet PC)

 

[Proximon]

The i3 will outperform the AMD quad in most apps, even with the quad overclocked.

The i3 is a hyperhtreaded dual core... so it can run 4 simultaneous threads.

Yes, there are a few applications where an overclocked Phenom will beat out the i3... but in a general way, averaged out, the i3 is stronger. I wish it weren't so, I like the AMD chipsets.

You might want to look specifically at folding, but I think the i3 wins there.

Short on time right now. Look at the rosewill Challenger case (USB 3 version) in combo with Rosewill Green 530W PSU.

A 20" monitor is usually 1600x900 or possibly 1680x1050.

 

[draucia]

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=27490568

-$30 (i3 2100 is $90 at microcenter)

So I replaced i5 with i3 2100. I managed to get a 6870 in there now. Will the 6870 be bottle necked at all by the i3 2100? And also I have a newbie question. Am I going to be using the hdmi out on the video card or my motherboard IO? And lastly, is everything compatible in the build? I think I'm settling for this one.

 

[Proximon]

Challenger case $40 with promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147060

Combo with PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.976591
and I think you can still use the code, making the case and PSU $80.

Then if you can upgrade to a 2120 or 2130.

No, I have used an overclocked i7 2600K and an i3 2120 in the same system, with a 5870, and the only difference was in Civ V, and that was minor large map stuff attributable to the CPU. The 5870 is roughly equivalent to a 6950.

Yes, everything looks compatible.

 

[draucia]

Challenger case $40 with promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147060

Combo with PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.976591
and I think you can still use the code, making the case and PSU $80.

Then if you can upgrade to a 2120 or 2130.

No, I have used an overclocked i7 2600K and an i3 2120 in the same system, with a 5870, and the only difference was in Civ V, and that was minor large map stuff attributable to the CPU. The 5870 is roughly equivalent to a 6950.

Yes, everything looks compatible.

I think I'll stick to this case. Has nice reviews and is the best looking case I've ever seen (for the price). I'll probably buy a slightly better CPU. But could someone answer my question about HDMI? Am I supposed to use the HDMI out on the motherboard or the video card?

 

[Proximon]

An HDMI cable is just another way to attach a video source to a monitor or TV.

Normally you would use the DVI port and cable. This is the normal way to connect a single modern monitor.

You might use an HDMI cable to connect your video card to a second source, say a TV.

 

[draucia]

And will I be able connect both fan's in my case (NZXT Apollo Black)? My case says:


1 x 120mm Rear Fan
1 x 120mm Blue LED Side Fan

While my motherboard only says:


- CPU/Chassis/Power FAN connector

at H61M/U3S3

Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[Proximon]

I'm sorry I never really explained about the case thing. The design of that case is 6 years old. It has no front intake fan at all and very few places for fans. It has no USB 3 front ports, something you will miss.

Your hardware will probably run about 5C hotter in that case.

I suspect the thing that is attracting you to the case is in fact it's biggest flaw... the sleek front, with no air flow.

Here's a few cases with better air flow and similar looks, but no USB 3 and a bit pricier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146070
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146060

Browse some other threads. You'll see that fans get promoted a lot, and that a front intake fan is very much standard.

When these guys reviewed the Apollo, the compared it to the Sonata... a quiet case for office use and such. Not a gaming case. And that was 6 years ago:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nzxt_apollocase/4.htm

To further criticize the Apollo, it has a big window and no cable management. You will be confronted with a big mess of cables once your build is done, and there will be no way to hide them. They will be be running across the board to the CPU power for instance... a connection that did not even exist in 2006

 

[Proximon]

You do not have to power all your fans from the MB. They can and will be powered directly by the PSU. It's usually desirable to power the CPU fan and one case fan from the board.

I see the CPU fan header as well as one chassis fan header on the board.

 

[draucia]

You do not have to power all your fans from the MB. They can and will be powered directly by the PSU. It's usually desirable to power the CPU fan and one case fan from the board.

I see the CPU fan header as well as one chassis fan header on the board.

Thanks so much for all the help. This will be my first build, so I hope everything goes well.

 

[draucia]

Best answer selected by Draucia.