3570K + 7870 or FX-8320 + 7950

[Bdayton94]

Hey guys, this is my first post here and i've read quite a few of the forums and I can tell everyone really does know what they're talking about here. But i'll get right to the point. I'm in the process of building my first rig and the majority of the time i've been going with an Intel 3570K and the Radeon 7870. But I just recently thought about getting a FX-8320 (with a cheaper motherboard that supports AMD obviously) and a Radeon 7950 instead. While I do know that Intel out performs AMD in gaming, I was thinking that the better GPU and the AMD processor would be more beneficial in games than the Intel CPU. So my question pretty much is which path would I be better off in for gaming? I'm open to any suggestions, even to other components if you think I would be better off. Thank you ahead of time and I look forward from hearing from you . So far this is the build I plan on buying:

MSI Z77A-G45 LGA 1155 Intel Z77

GIGABYTE GV-R787OC-2GD Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB

Intel Core i5-3570K

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB)

Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming ATX Mid Tower

Rosewill Xtreme Series RX750-S-B 750W (I don't think the 750W is really necessary but it's for the sake of future proofing)

 

[zander1983]

The 7870 and 7950 is really close in terms of performance and price, same with the 8320 and 3570k.

Bank for buck, the 8320 + 7950 would probably be the best.

The issues these days are that games and programs don't make use of the extra cores in a CPU and almost no mainstream software use the technology built in to AMD's 8 core CPUs hence the poor performance.

As for future proof, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe AMD and Intel are changing sockets with the next generation of CPUs.

As for the PSU, a decent 600w would be MORE than enough even if you decide to crossfire later. Don't go cheap on a PSU that is probably the most important component in a pc, look at Corsair, XFX and Seasonic PSUs.

[EDIT] oh, and 16Gb of RAM is overkill if you won't be doing any video / photo editing.

 

[Bdayton94]

So I would have about equal gaming performance with either combination? And thank you for the tip on the PSU, I wasn't aware it was that much of an overkill, so i'll be sure to look for lower wattage. I'm also not sure about either companies changing sockets, but it's certainly something I am interested in looking into. I also will do a bit of video/photo editing as I have a big interest in photography and own Photoshop CS6, but it won't be anything extensive. Regardless i've already purchased the ram for $70 on newegg and since it was in my price range I didn't see any harm. I'm looking to have a great overall computer but it will be mainly focused on optimizing performance in gaming. Thank you for the quick response!

 

[jaideep1337]

yep 8320 with a 7950 will be a better choice reason being that games are more GPU dependent than CPU and the 8320 and 3570k are pretty close although the 3570 does perform a little bit better.

 

[excella1221]

The 7870 and 7950 is really close in terms of performance and price, same with the 8320 and 3570k.

Bank for buck, the 8320 + 7950 would probably be the best.

The issues these days are that games and programs don't make use of the extra cores in a CPU and almost no mainstream software use the technology built in to AMD's 8 core CPUs hence the poor performance.

As for future proof, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe AMD and Intel are changing sockets with the next generation of CPUs.

As for the PSU, a decent 600w would be MORE than enough even if you decide to crossfire later. Don't go cheap on a PSU that is probably the most important component in a pc, look at Corsair, XFX and Seasonic PSUs.

[EDIT] oh, and 16Gb of RAM is overkill if you won't be doing any video / photo editing.

^+1 to everything he said, except the part about the PSU.

600w would technically power up a Crossfire'd 7870, but it would be very much on the edge, and the PSU will be under so much strain. A PSU is most efficient when it's on 60% of its maximum load imo.

Also, the quad +12v rail in that Rosewill Xtreme looks retarded. Please consider Fortress or Capstone instead of you want the brand. Otherwise, you can look at XFX, Seasonic, Antec, PC Power&Cooling, Corsair(not CX), and OCZ(only the Z- series)

 

[Outlander_04]

A number of applications and games make use of all available cores

Play BF3 on an 8 core and it uses them all .

Also worth noting that AMD are NOT changing socket for the next generation of processors . The updated steamroller will slot right in to an AM3+ motherboard

 

[Bdayton94]

Alright, so the 8320 and the 7950 sound more appealing at this point because of the increased gaming performance. I was also wondering what you guys thought of this motherboard for the AMD build?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157280

 

[excella1221]

It's okay, but I suggest getting 990FX chipset for the 1600MHz native RAM frequency.

Getting the 7870 with the 8320 isn't such a bad option either if you wanted to save some cash. It performs relatively close to the 7950, and has gotten the most performance boost since Catalyst 12.11.

 

[Heironious]

Alright, so the 8320 and the 7950 sound more appealing at this point because of the increased gaming performance. I was also wondering what you guys thought of this motherboard for the AMD build?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157280

I don't like the reviews and the price point (you get what you pay for) as the poster above me said, do that and purchase a pricier mobo. Asus if possible, also Biostar has gained my respect for fully loaded decently priced mobos.

 

[zander1983]

For the mobo any from the BIG3 will do (ASUS, MSI & GIGABYTE)
Look for a 990 chipset board as they will provide a better platform and better suited for overclocking when you decide to go down that route.

Decent boards to look at :
ASUS 990FX Sabertooth (expensive but 5yr warranty): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131877
Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514
MSI 990FXA-GD65V2:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130650

 

[Bdayton94]

Thanks for the suggestions, I actually really like the MSI board. And about what someone said about getting the 7870 as opposed to the 7950; is the performance really that similar or is the 7950 actually noticibly better? I'm pretty comfortable with my price range right now and don't really see a need to downgrade, unless it's just simply not worth the money.

 

[Heironious]

Thanks for the suggestions, I actually really like the MSI board. And about what someone said about getting the 7870 as opposed to the 7950; is the performance really that similar or is the 7950 actually noticibly better? I'm pretty comfortable with my price range right now and don't really see a need to downgrade, unless it's just simply not worth the money.

If you can afford it go for the 7950. http://www.hwcompare.com/12191/radeon-hd-7870-vs-radeon-hd-7950/

 

[zander1983]

Thanks for the suggestions, I actually really like the MSI board. And about what someone said about getting the 7870 as opposed to the 7950; is the performance really that similar or is the 7950 actually noticibly better? I'm pretty comfortable with my price range right now and don't really see a need to downgrade, unless it's just simply not worth the money.

Performance difference similar to the price difference. As mentioned above, if you can afford the go with the 7950.

 

[Bdayton94]

I figure I may be spending $20-30 more with the 7950 build, but if I'm already spending this much money the extra $30 isn't really all that bad for the extra performance. I'm very pleased with the results I've gathered now and couldn't be happier with my first post here, you guys really helped me out! I will most certainly bring any future tech. questions to this site. Also if you have any other suggestions in general for my build, just let me know! Thanks again!

 

[zander1983]

Next step will be a SSD!

 

[envy14tpe]

I wouldn't buy the 7950 if I was playing on a cheap monitor with low resolution. Only buy the 7950 if you are playing on a 1920x1080 or higher resolution monitor, or you're wasting money. Even at 1080p, the 7870 is amazing.

Get the 7870+3570k. Well, do need to know resolution first. And games you want to play.

 

[Bdayton94]

I know my moniter displays 1080p and it's 23 inches. The exact resolution has escape my mind at the moment lol but I'll be sure to check it and report back when I get home from school.

 

[Bdayton94]

Next step will be a SSD!

And yes! SSD's are quite expensive too and I have bought a 10000 RPM velociraptor HDD for the time being, but I was thinking about getting an SSD for possibly just my os? From what I understand that should help my computer boot a lot faster but I'm not sure how well it actually would work. Would that actually be a good idea/worth doing?

 

[Guest]

Simply put, 3570k and 7870......

The AMD has no legs, the Intel goes like stink, you will upgrade the 7870 around the same time in the future as the 7950, but you will need to upgrade the CPU and Mobo if you go AMD a lot sooner than the Intel system. Look at Toms Hcarts, the AMD is comparable to a i3 dual core in gaming, honestly do not make a mistake here, go with 3570k and 7870.

Hell even a 3450 that does not over-clock will be faster than the AMD clocked at its highest, and then you can fit the 7950 in as well.

Really really, from a IT Technician who builds dozens of custom rigs a year, do yourself a favour this time and go intel.