New System Advise Intel/AMD & NVIDIA/ATI

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
D

Daphnee

Honorable
Dec 31, 2012
3
0
10,510
Hi, I'm going to be buying a new gaming system in the new year for 2013 and I just had a few questions.

My choices are as follows,

Processor & motherboard option 1 :

Intel i7 3930K Processor
Intel X79 chipset based motherboard
16GB (4x 4GB) 1600MHz quad channel DDR3 RAM

Processor & motherboard option 2 :

AMD FX8350 Black Edition
AMD 990FX chipset based motherboard
16GB (2x 8GB) 1600MHz DDR3 RAM

Graphics card option 1 :

NVIDIA GTX690 4GB GDDR5

Graphics card option 2 :

2x ATI 7970 GHz Edition 3GB GDDR5 (Crossfire configuration)

Usage scenarios : Skyrim, Dragon Age 2, Guild Wars 2, 7zip, movies, music and general usage such as web browsing.

Q1 : I already know the i7 is the much better processor but would I really notice the difference between the i7 and the AMD FX in the above scenarios especially Skyrim?

Q2 : Which would be better for the above scenarios graphics wise, the NVIDIA GTX 690 4GB or 2x ATI 7970 GHz Edition 3GB in a crossfire configuration (especially in Skyrim)?

I'm not too worried about the cost but obviously if I won't notice the difference between the i7 and the AMD FX, then I'd go with the AMD. The garphics cards on the other hand, the ATI crossfire configuration is cheaper than the GTX 690. However is a crossfire configuration a lot of hassle?

Thanks and regards, Daphy
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
L

legendkiller

Distinguished
Jun 19, 2011
1,812
0
19,960
I'd drop some of those parts with these!
i7 3770k(Not worth the extra $200 for 3930k or 2 extra core)
8GB RAM(no need 16GB unless your doing video editing or similar)
I'd get GTx 690 because it uses less power less heat and seriously great overall performance
A1: You'll see a huge gaming performance differences especially with Intel's hyperthreading technology
A2: A 690 in my opinion is a better choice and if you dont mind about money, get another 690 in SLI for an over kill! :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Emelth

Emelth

Distinguished
Jul 30, 2010
1,691
2
20,115


^+1



690 is way too overpriced 2 680 beat it for a cheaper price as well
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
D

Daphnee

Honorable
Dec 31, 2012
3
0
10,510
Ok so thanks for all the advice. I decided to go with an i7 3770K and a Z77 based motherboard. I decided to go with the i7 3770K over the i5 3570K because it's only an extra $100 for an additional 2MB L3 cache and HT. I do plan on overclocking the i7 3770K by raising the multiplier, what do you guys think I could go to frequency wise without altering default voltages?

As for the graphics card I'm still undecided. 2x SLI GTX 680 cards are slightly more exspensive than a single GTX 690 and from what I've read, a crossfire ATI 7970 GHz Edition setup would be faster than both an SLI GTX 680 setup or a single GTX 690 setup. Also the crossfire setup would be around $300-$400 cheaper. My concern with a crossfire setup is, will there be a lot of hassle involved with crossfire?

I may be crazy, but not soo crazy to drop $3000 on 2 GTX 690 cards. I already have a GTX 670m 3GB card in my laptop and as for performance in Skyrim, I'm having trouble with the fps when in open areas. As such I had thought it'd be better to just go as high as I could graphics wise. Especially with all the HD mods I run. All in all not too impressed with my GTX 670m. It's funny but my GTX 460m 1.5GB is faster in Skyrim.

With SLI or crossfire does the memory on individual cards stack (for example 2x 2GB cards in SLI or crossfire, will then 4GB of graphics memory be available to games)?

I'm going to be getting either a Thermaltake or Antec gaming case with proper cooling and a 900W power supply. Will the 900W be sufficient for a dual graphics card setup?

I'm not too concerned about cooling and power consumption. It's a gaming machine and as such high power usage is to be expected. Plus I'll only be using it 6 months of the year as I travel a lot and will be using my gaming laptop instead. Heat wise the room it'll be in will be air conditioned 24 hrs.

Thanks & happy new year, Daphy
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Emelth

Emelth

Distinguished
Jul 30, 2010
1,691
2
20,115
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.86 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.00 @ B&H)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($389.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case ($149.93 @ Mac Connection)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 950W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.34 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1853.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-01 04:49 EST-0500)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
TheBigTroll

TheBigTroll

Illustrious
Apr 15, 2012
14,099
1
42,965
-i7s are useless for games. save your money. i have a i7. i turn off hyper threading and it makes no difference in games
-no just no. at 1080p, 2 video cards make no difference in your game play. with one 670, which btw performs exactly like a 680 (save your money there), will max out your games and play them at a constant 60 fps for the most part.
-a 670m is completely different from a gtx 670. a 670m is a older rebrand of the 580m, which is a downclocked version of a 560ti, meaning a gtx 670 is around double the performance.
-dont waste your money on 690s. its even more stupid given how a single 670 can max out most games
-pick up what i suggested.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
TheBigTroll

TheBigTroll

Illustrious
Apr 15, 2012
14,099
1
42,965


-its a gaming rig, not a workstation. a i7 would be a total waste
-at this budget he could get a better board, but then a extreme4 is pretty much all you need
-there are cheaper ram options that are better
-there are much faster SSDs out there. the m4 is rather old
-sapphire has a 7970 that is cheaper and performs better from what i know.
-do not recommend a 650D. my friends brother had one and hated it ever since due to high noise profile (can hear accross the room using stock fans) and high heat
-get him a modular unit that is more efficient. he will suffer from the extra cables
-windows 8? seriously?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Emelth

Emelth

Distinguished
Jul 30, 2010
1,691
2
20,115



Read the OP first post he clearly stated that he already knew the difference between the i7 and i5 and said he doesnt care he still wants it, Im a Veteran at TH I know the difference between an i5 and i7.

So now lets tear your comments apart

-Yes he can get a better MoBo, BUT like u said the Extreme 4 is all he needs and it the same for most the people that come here so why even bring it up?
-RAM Good for you find it for him, the RAM I found is the standard of what everyone should get for a gaming PC. If there is a better deal going on somewhere else, like i said earlier find it for him.
-Crucial M4 is one of the most reliable SSDs since the beginning and I have one so I trust them more than others, sorry if my preference is difference from yours but this will still perform great for him.Another SSD I would trust is the OCZ Vertex 4
-7970 price, you go find it I didnt see it
-650D horseshit this case is hands down one of the greatest Cases in its class (http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/corsair_obsidian_650d_review,9.html)
-Modular unit doesnt matter for this Case those cables will be easily hidden and not in the way...
-WINDOWS 8! OMG no something new has come out that people dont know much about be afraid be afraid and run for your lives. I bet you didnt know that windows 8 can be tweaked with to make it look like windows 7 so you dont have to deal with the touchscreen bullshit and there is no difference in gaming and he saves a couple extra dollars (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-8-review,3334-20.html)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
D

Daphnee

Honorable
Dec 31, 2012
3
0
10,510
Ok, I've revised my decision on the processor from an i7 3770K to an i5 3570K. As for the graphics card, I've had a look and I can get the ATI 7970 GHz edition 3GB GDDR5 slightly cheaper than a GTX 670 2GB GDDR5. So I think I'll go with the ATI 7970 as it is cheaper and faster. I won't do the SLI/crossfire thing if you guys think it's a waste. I had just thought it a good idea as I wanted to play my current and future 2013 titles at their highest settings. Preferably without having to bother to tweak my games just to do so. I know the NVIDIA drivers quite well and as such configuration would be fast and easy. ATI Catalyst though, is it much of a hassle and is it stable as in does the drivers have problems?

I haven't used Catalyst for quite some time since my 9600XT. I hated Catalyst back then but that was a long time ago. I expect much has changed since then. If Catalyst is going to be much of an issue I'll just go with a GTX 670. I do want not to have to worry about upgrading my graphics card for at least 12 months and I only play games at their highest quality or not at all. So my choice of card has to be able to meet such needs. I currently play at a resolution of 1920x1080 with 16x AA & AF. I know people say 16x AA is a waste but it's my personal preference. Waste or not that is what I'll be setting. I'm a quality nut. Currently in Skyrim my GTX 670m uses 2GB of GDDR in Skyrim so any card I choose will have to have 3GB+ GDDR. That's one of the reasons why too I was looking at the crossfire setup and whether the GDDR memory was stackable in such a configuration as it would potentially mean 6GB of GDDR.

RAM wise I'll be going with a Corsair 16GB Kit (2x 8GB) 1600MHz C9 DDR3 RAM. I'm going 16GB because I do run a VM from time to time and I just simply don't want to worry about RAM. I've got currently systems with 8GB, 16GB and 24GB configurations. 8GB I've found to be more than enough for general usage. 16GB is comfortable for me especially with a VM. 24GB is simply over kill but you don't know till you try.

SSD wise I'll probably go with a Corsair SSD as I do love Corsair's memory products. HDD wise as a second drive I'll go with a Seagate 2TB SATA3 HDD.

As for Windows 8, tried it and hated it. Yes Windows 8 can be tweaked to look like Windows 7 (I've done it) but it's still not the same. Windows 8 is just simply annoying. No I'll be running Windows 7 Ultimate instead.

Thanks for all the input, Daphy.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
TheBigTroll

TheBigTroll

Illustrious
Apr 15, 2012
14,099
1
42,965
catalyst is pretty good now. still a tad under nvidia for support but pretty good.

there is no reason to get corsair ram when others perform the same and are the same for cheaper

crossfire does not get you 6gb of usable memory. 16x aa is a waste if you cant tell the difference between 8x and 16x

corsair SSDs are pretty bad in terms of pricing. better options for cheaper. alot cheaper

there is no reason to get windows 7 ultimate if you can read english.


therefore get this
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vjty
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom