Possible AMD build

[BigThumper]

I'm getting ready to build my next toy - it's been a few years and my Core2 6600 is starting to show its age. I'm on the fence for AMD vs Intel - I've seen that Sandy/Ivy Bridge seems to benchmark better in gaming - but I also do AutoCAD and other <gasp> work-type stuff. And I don't know if new drivers or Windoze 8 will make a difference in AMD performance.

My (probably flawed) thinking is while the Intel is better for legacy games using one or two cores, the 8-core AMD will do better with more modern games and non-gaming applications.

My display is a single 52" TV with 1920x1080 native. I've never done multi-display before - I may explore that if my pretty Mitsubishi LCD fails me.

I'll move my Creative Titanium HD over from the old box for the audio.

I'm trying to get the best bang-for-the-buck - I'm trying to keep the build under $1500.

So I'd appreciate any comments on my current selections from Newegg - I'm hoping this will last me a few years again. I do plan to try OC'ing as best as these components & air cooling will permit:

Case: Antec DF-35
Power: Seasonic X650
MB: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5
CPU: AMD FX-8150
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z 4x4GB 1866
GPU: XFX FX-787A-CDFC Radeon 7870
HD1: Samsung 830 256GB
HD2: WD Black 2TB
DVD: Asus DRW-24B1ST

 

[Nw333]

Youd still want an Intel processor. i5 3570K and Asrock Z77 Extreme4 will do much better than your current combo. AMD doesnt do well in modern games. Might have 8 cores but each core is twice as slow as a normal i5 core. What other kinds of "work" applications do you use? If they dont use up alot of RAM, you wont need 16GBs of it.

 

[Outlander_04]

Youd still want an Intel processor. i5 3570K and Asrock Z77 Extreme4 will do much better than your current combo. AMD doesnt do well in modern games. Might have 8 cores but each core is twice as slow as a normal i5 core. What other kinds of "work" applications do you use? If they dont use up alot of RAM, you wont need 16GBs of it.

Nonsense
AMD dont do well if you lower the resolution and turn the game details down to stupid settings ............which proves absolutely nothing since only brain dead people play games at that kind of setting after they have spent so much on a computer . In the real world the AMD is near enough identical, or even better than the intels
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1285/pg1/amd-fx-8150-black-edition-8-core-processor-vs-core-i7-2600k-review-introduction.html
And of course the FX 8150 is often faster than an i7 2600 in non gaming tasks

But I would recommend that the OP hold off for a few weeks . AMD are discounting the current FX processors because theyre about to be replaced by updated Piledriver models that use less power and are up to 20% faster .
Consider getting the FX 4100 instead and upgrading later ' or even just a $30 sempron to set everything up

 

[Nw333]

Eh. Stand corrected, lol. Always believed Intels i5 have performed better than the FX series.

 

[bryonhowley]

Well I can tell you my FX-8120 has worked very good in my rig. Alot of people on here will talk you out of the FX but all my games and app's run without any problems on my rig. I play a lot of games and am able to play them all at 1080p on ultra/high.

 

[BigThumper]

Youd still want an Intel processor. i5 3570K and Asrock Z77 Extreme4 will do much better than your current combo. AMD doesnt do well in modern games. Might have 8 cores but each core is twice as slow as a normal i5 core. What other kinds of "work" applications do you use? If they dont use up alot of RAM, you wont need 16GBs of it.

Thank you for the recommendations. I'm still on the fence - but I do appreciate the specific models given.

AutoCAD is a memory hog - and each new version gets worse. And I've seen a tendency for games to start grabbing RAM - believe it or not, I only recently started play Crysis - and my 4GB definitely appears inadequate.

The stats on the G.SKILL looked impressive, particularly for the price point - and they are low-profile, so the massive Noctua should clear them. I'm also under the (again, probably wrong) impression that spreading the memory across four slots yields better performance than using one or two.

 

[BigThumper]

Well I can tell you my FX-8120 has worked very good in my rig. Alot of people on here will talk you out of the FX but all my games and app's run without any problems on my rig. I play a lot of games and am able to play them all at 1080p on ultra/high.

Glad to hear it. I also don't know if the AMD "Scorpius" thing means anything - using a blend of AMD CPU, MB, GPU is supposed to be overclock better - or is that just AMD marketing?

 

[BigThumper]

Nonsense
AMD dont do well if you lower the resolution and turn the game details down to stupid settings ............which proves absolutely nothing since only brain dead people play games at that kind of setting after they have spent so much on a computer . In the real world the AMD is near enough identical, or even better than the intels
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1285/pg1/amd-fx-8150-black-edition-8-core-processor-vs-core-i7-2600k-review-introduction.html
And of course the FX 8150 is often faster than an i7 2600 in non gaming tasks

But I would recommend that the OP hold off for a few weeks . AMD are discounting the current FX processors because theyre about to be replaced by updated Piledriver models that use less power and are up to 20% faster .
Consider getting the FX 4100 instead and upgrading later ' or even just a $30 sempron to set everything up

That is excellent information - thank you. Are you suggesting that pricing will continue to shift for AMD, or that I should wait for the new Piledrivers and buy those at whatever price - or that the FX-4100 is sufficient with the other components I listed?

 

[Outlander_04]

I think a lot of games will run just as well with an FX 4100 as an with an 8150 . More recent games that can use all 8 cores will be better with the 8150 though

Im waiting for the relaese of the new Piledriver processors b4 I upgrade . It should only be about 6 weeks from now .
But if you have to build now then the low prices for the current FX processors make them an excellent deal