Budget gaming / video-editing build upgrade

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
First off, I want to apologize if I have angered or upset anyone regarding my discussions of AMD vs Intel. I've got mixed up and carried away in quite a few threads. I realise that probably the best place to post concerning upgrading my current build would be here. Now that I have finally been able to find a website in my local area that can ship to me, that eases the process so here we go.

The rundown: I am selling my i3-2100, mATX B75 motherboard and 1x4GB Kingston RAM to one of my friends for the same price I purchased them. No loss in value, I am getting back my $205, which is the total cost of the bundle I'm selling.

The rest of my build consists of the following:

Sapphire HD 6850
WD Caviar Blue 500Gb 7200rpm
LiteOn DVD/RW
Corsair CX500
Thermaltake V3 Black Edition

Let's all start off fresh, I don't mean to upset anybody, especially at this special time of year. Merry Christmas to all of yee guys! :)

Approximate Purchase Date: January 2013

Budget Range: Starting at $205, which is the refund I'm getting for my parts

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and video-editing, internet browsing, Youtube, Facebook, music
Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU, motherboard and RAM

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts:

http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=common/home Shipping $10 for the whole package of parts
http://www.gltsa.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=25 Shipping $5 for the whole package of parts

Location: Saudi Arabia

Parts Preferences: No preference

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: My current monitor is 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I am specifically using this desktop for

1) Simulators: iRacing, rFactor, GSC 2012, rFactor 2, Live For Speed
2) Games: Battlefield 3, Far Cry 3, Assassins Creed 3, Skyrim, COD MW3 and Black Ops II, Batman Arkham City, Amnesia, all of these modern games.
3) Video-editing: Editing my Fraps gameplay in Sony Vegas, multiple videos overlaying each other, rendering down from 1080p to 720p for Youtube.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:

1) My friend is buying my parts off of me for full price
2) I am not really satisfied with the i3-2100's performance in video-editing and rendering
3) Since I have the chance to get a full refund on my CPU, mobo and RAM, I'd like to see what I can change / improve on.

Include a list of any parts you have already selected with descriptively labeled links for parts. Please do not post only links.

Intel build:

i3-3220
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=18_46&product_id=1466

MSI B75A-G43
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_122&product_id=1238

Thanks.
 
Considering your swapping out $200 worth of hardware for another $200, I dont think you will see any real improvement. Sure the upgrade to Ivy or to a Piledriver chip will help, but I dont think the improvement will be that significant.

If you want a good video editing machine (especially since you dealing with HD resolutions) you need an i7 and 16GB of RAM. A Core i3 or AMD equivalent and 4GB of RAM isnt going to cut it, even for gaming.
Afraid you will have to sink a bit more money into it.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780


Alright then, if I have to sink in some more then I'll do so. I did state that my budget is starting from $205... but oh well never mind for the misunderstanding.

However, an i7 is way out of reach for me. I just need something that is better than my current i3-2100 for video-editing. Gaming-wise, I'm content with the i3-2100, so as long as whatever I get is on par with it for gaming, I'm good.

To tell you the truth, the initial motive behind this upgrade was the motherboard alone. Back when I was still an amateur in the computer building department, I mistakenly got a mATX board, and the store wouldn't return or exchange. My case is the "open" type, fan mounts on top, side-window, LED fan, the thing looks ridiculously stupid inside there... now that I have the chance to get rid of it, by all means I will.
 

killerhurtalot

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2012
1,207
0
19,460
Well..... I guess the only viable option is to go with a i5 processor or go with a mid ranged AMD processor...

I'd probably suggest a AMD 8320 and a cheap 970/990 motherboard... It would cost about $60-70 or so more than than what you paid but give a huge performance boost for video editing.
 
From the looks of it you can only afford what is essentially a gaming rig.

My rig (See below) is enough for basic/~moderate video editing IMO. I'v made a couple of projects on it and while it does hold up well, its not rare to see the RAM being maxed out when rendering or in After Effects.
I never had any problems with the CPU's performance. Though I was working on a fairly small resolution (576x720, hardly HD) and the whole thing was only 3mins long. So my experience may not be typical of what your after.

Also try running your games in 720p, will save you having to downscale the resolution afterward and will afford better performance (more consistent FPS and such).
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780


Maybe I'm doing something differently? I record in 1080p with MSI Afterburner, mostly no drop in frames, 1 -2 at worst. The recordings would be of large 1080p size, so I use Sony Vegas to bring them down to 720p. Brings down the size considerably. Even if I record in 720p, the sizes are still very large, I have to bring them down with Sony Vegas.

The longest one took me about 40 minutes to render. 3 videos overlaying each other, the video is 10 minutes long, down from 1080p to 720p.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780


FX-8320 sounds good, but the power consumption is worrying, I doubt my Corsair CX500 (single 12V 34A) would be able to handle it, not with power consumption as high as this.

51144.png


I'm guessing the best choice would be the least expensive IB i5 paired with the least expensive B75 motherboard. How do these look?

http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_122&product_id=1238

http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=18_46&product_id=1147

If I want the K-version I have to pay another $70, another $50 for a Z77 motherboard and $60 for a CM Hyper 212 Evo... don't know if its worth forking out all that money just to allow for overclocking.
 
You can record with Afterburner?

The games you play might be fine to run at 1080p on that graphics card. Was just saying that lowering the games resolution will lead to a more stable (or at least higher FPS) if that was an issue.

Might want to check if Vegas is also changing the FPS. I know that Premiere at least defaults to 24FPS. It would explain why the file size is reduced even though its going from 720p to 720p.

EDIT: That graph shows total system load, not just the CPU. Un-overclocked that CPU will draw a max of 125W. A 500W PSU powering that CPU and a 6850 will be fine.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780


Recording is stable at 1080p, especially with MSI Afterburner. Forgot to mention that also Afterburner allows me to record my gameplay as 720p, even if I am playing along at 1080p. So I record in 1080p, my frames between 45 - 60, finish, go to the video and find it ready as 720p... but I still have to reduce the size with Vegas as it is still large. Vegas produces videos at 30 FPS. Fraps can hog down the frames a good bit, and produces .avi files that take up a crazy amount of space

Ah so that's total system load then! Ok it seems my system will be fine with that. Will the FX-8320 at least be on par with the i3-2100 for gaming? I don't want to see a drop in FPS.

How about the FX-6300 I've been hearing good things about it. Keep in mind I'll definitely be overclocking, so I'll have to factor in the $60 for a CM Hyper 212 Evo.

EDIT: I also understand that the FX six-core and 8-core require a 990FX motherboard for optimum performance, while the FX-4300 can get away with a 970 chipset + it is $45 cheaper than the FX-6300 while still beating the i3-3220 at video-editing when overclocked...
 
Huh, I always thought Afterburner was just an overclocking utility. Now that I look I can find a video capture option in it.

$60 for a 212 EVO, wow.
I can imagine the prices being higher over in Saudi Arabia, but not double what they are in the US.

Will admit I am not as knowledgeable about AMD CPU's as I am about Intel. But from what I have gathered, it seems to be AMD's answer to the Core i3's and apparently it has done so quite well.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/699?vs=677

No performance difference between the 970 and 990FX chipsets, only comes down to features supported. Again, not as well versed in AMD, but it seems to largely be whether it supports on-board USB3 and the PCI lane bandwidth.
Also I would say get at least an FX-6300 or Core i5 for the upgrade to be worth it. Because otherwise you will have spent your time and effort for what is essentially a side-grade. You can always buy the 212 EVO later.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
Looking good really, what really surprises me is how the FX-6300 can outrun the i3-3220 in Skyrim, a very CPU intensive game, even at stock! Would love to see the scaling when overclocked!

Still waiting for the stores here to stock the FX-6300, not available yet, but it seems to be a promising choice and I think I'll go for it.

Just one thing I need to make sure of... when I eventually overclock, will I be able to keep the power-saving options enabled, so I'm not constantly running on full power when just browsing, Facebook and some music? Or will I have to disable power-saving altogether?
 

killerhurtalot

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2012
1,207
0
19,460


Your PSU can handle it fine. That chart is the average SYSTEM consumption. not just the CPU...

Maybe it might limit the overclocking potential but it should still perform similar (within 5-10%) of a 3570k at stock speeds while outperforming it on certain video/photo editing tasks...
 
It should downthrottle itself when its not in use or under light load (unless you force a constant frequency) to save power.
Of course, because your overclocking, when you under load power consumption will go up vs if you hadn't of overclocked. If you want to figure out how much the TDP (Power Draw) will go up, there's a formula somewhere for it.

EDIT: Here it is
OC Wattage = TDP * ( OC MHz / Stock MHz) * ( OC Vcore / Stock Vcore )^2
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
I plan to keep voltage on stock if possible, to ensure longevity of the CPU, same goes to my Sapphire 6850 + voltage increase means even more heat, not sure if the CM Hyper 212 Evo will handle it.

I understand the biggest jump in power consumption comes from increasing the voltage. By the given formula, I can cancel out the 2nd part since no voltage increase, so 125 * (4000 / 3500) = 143W, not bad at all!

I am not concerned about load power consumption (as long as it doesn't exceed the limits of my PSU), since the CPU will only be under load for very short time intervals a day, which won't affect my electricity bills. If it was to run under load 24/7, that would have been a problem.
 

songoku619

Distinguished
Jun 24, 2011
180
1
18,715
If you cut out the overclocking:

A good budget CPU is the i5-3470. Performs as well as the higher end CPU's at stock speeds while saving quite a bit of money. Check out for a nice H77 motherboard if you can the prices are quite good at the moment (if you go mATX the MSI H77MA-G43 is a good option). As for your RAM, the corsair Vengeance 1600MHz is very cheap currently. Absolute Minimum you'd need is 8Gb and 16Gb is preferable for your video editing.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
I think to stop confusion, I'm going to state in my signature "I'm in Saudi Arabia. No Newegg, no MicroCenter, double the prices... got that? Help at your own risk! ;( "

From what I've got so far of the prices... chances seem pretty bleak for AMD once again... I was planning on getting an ASRock 970 Extreme3, which is $70 on Newegg... found out the price here is $120, and that's the cheapest 9-series chipset motherboard on the market. And with the FX-6300 at $175? Not forgetting the CM Hyper 212 Evo at $60? :(

Its starting to make no sense for me going the AMD route, at least here anyway with their unreasonable prices :(

I'm looking once again at either an i3-3220 or i5-3450 along with the MSI B75A-G43 for $88. I'll most likely get the i3-3220. If I get the i5, I'll always be banging my head against the wall for not being able to get the K version with a Z77.
 

songoku619

Distinguished
Jun 24, 2011
180
1
18,715


LoL and I live in South Africa with similar restrictions. the i5-3450 is being phased out in favour of the i5-3470 and are usually very closely priced. If however the 3450 is much cheaper then by all means go with it (very slight difference in performance). The i3's are all Dual cores..Not so friendly for your work.

If you don't plan on OC'ing then you won't need an extra cooler for the CPU (providing you're in a room that isn't boiling as Saudi's temps usually are. Thank 'Allah' for airconditioning :p)

The B75's will perform the same as H77's but the B75 lacks Intel RST/SRT and RAID (If you use any of those). Also if you have More than one SSD then you won't be able to take advantage of the extra SATA 3 port on the H77 (The B75 has 5xSATA2 + 1xSATA3). If they're priced close I'd lean towards the H77 unless your budget restricts you.

For more info on the differences: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_1155
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
Thanks, I just had a look at the differences between H77 and B75. Not interested in any of the extras the H77 has to offer. SSD's are not cheap either here. The least expensive is a 60GB Corsair for $100... is 60GB worth considering? I mean if I install only the OS on it, will it make my desktop experience a lot snappier and faster?

Good thing you brought up the temps. Yes that would be another issue. Currently now in winter, I would leave the desktop to idle all night downloading updates. Realtemp records my i3-2100 going as low as 15 C!!! However, in summer when I bought the parts, it was a different story, with idle temps at 35 - 40C :( So I'd imagine summer would be a terrible time for overclocked CPUs here.
 

songoku619

Distinguished
Jun 24, 2011
180
1
18,715
I'd consider the SSD IF you have a bit of spare cash (and nothing to do with it). The SSD's drastically reduce boot times for whatever is installed on the SSD but once you're up and running the difference is negligible. The money would be spent better elsewhere (CPU etc.) seeing as we are on a tighter budget already.

The B75 seems to serve your purposes and at a lower cost: I'd go with it.

You may want to invest in a better cooling environment and lay off the OC'ing or perhaps do your component-intensive work at night. Higher temps decrease the lifespan of components.

Also I would seriously consider whether the amounts you are spending is actually worth what you're getting out of your PC. If it's just a hobby then you may want to lay off the "I need a commercial-like video processing PC" as they actually make money out of it. :p
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
You're probably right, as long as I can get my videos done, no matter how long it takes, that's all that matters. My priority goes to the gaming. And yes I believe the OC'd components will take quite a beating when summer comes due to the crazy hot temps here.

As for SSDs, if its only boot time then naah, I leave my computer on most of the time. If its not on its either in sleep or hibernation mode.

On a different note concerning temps, thought I'd ask you this question. My Sapphire 6850 seems to be managing heat well, overclocked to 890Mhz Core clock, 1090Mhz Memory Clock. Never over 60 C when gaming. However, a couple of times when playing through a game, I got some strange artifacts. Fuzzing of the screen, they look something like this. Please see "GPU artifacts" and "Bus artifacts"

http://www.playtool.com/pages/artifacts/artifacts.html

Restarted the computer and they're gone. I suppose this means I just have to reduce my overclock settings a bit? Its strange because I tested these settings in Furmark for half an hour on Xtreme Burn-in, nothing unusual happened.

EDIT: These overclocks are on stock voltage
 

songoku619

Distinguished
Jun 24, 2011
180
1
18,715
It's nice to be able to show off with your speeds but we've always got to remain economical :)

As for your artifact issue, I would firstly make sure that your drivers are upto date as there was an issue a while back which has been fixed. Also, perhaps back down on your OC a little. Reduce your Core Clock to about 850MHz and adjust from there. I've found that 850/1150MHz are usually acceptable at stock voltages on these cards.

Hope it helps :)
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
Thanks, yes I agree with you on the matter. High clock speeds sounds classy and all, but its not needed.

I'm suspecting its the latest drivers I downloaded. 12.11 drivers, I think its still in Beta according to the AMD support website, that might be my problem... as I only started experiencing it after that update. 12.10 was fine.

Reduced speeds now to 850Mhz, I'll keep it that way.

What's your say on the following? There's an icon on the top-right that will change the currency to dollars.

i3-3220
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=18_46&product_id=1466

MSI B75A-G43
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_122&product_id=1238

Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=24_62&product_id=1173
PS: Love the white tigers! :D
 
With overclocking your graphics cards.
Furmark is a good stress tool to figure out how hot your running, not for testing stability. I myself made a quite unstable overclock (couldnt run games, 3DMark11 would fail instantly) and not a single artifact in Furmark.
Shame about the 12.11 drivers not working for you, they are quite a big performance boost.

Swap out the Corsair RAM with this.
http://www.softland.com.sa/index.php?route=product/product&path=24_62&product_id=1478
Low Profile so you can stick as large a heatsink as you want on later. Still fits the colour scheme as well.
 

Forde3654Eire

Distinguished
Aug 11, 2011
314
0
18,780
Alright good, I figured out those bulky edges would stick out a lot... I've started calling the Corsair Vengeance RAM a hairbrush, it looks a lot like one :lol:

I'll keep the 12.11 drivers as I'm not sure yet. I could play for hours on end and nothing happens... once or twice I fired up a game and within a minute or so I get these artifacts.
 

songoku619

Distinguished
Jun 24, 2011
180
1
18,715
The bulky edges are heat sinks, there are also low profile modules for the Corsair Vengeance although I see they're the same price as those G skill's suggested (and the G.Skill's look better :p).

If the artifacts aren't game killers for you currently then it'd be okay. (Would be a major cause of rage for me :p)

PS. They aren't so friendly in real life ;)