AMD VS INTEL (Ultimate Gaming PC)

Please don't double post.

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Believe me you could go a good bit cheaper and still get an ultimate gaming system!

Here are my suggestions
-Chieftec Server case with acrylic window (4case fans) led fans look sweet in this case.
-Enermax 433w power supply with active pfc
-P4 2.4B (533mhz) processor c1 stepping
-Swiftech mcx4000 heatsink & thermaltake smartfanII
-Abit IT7-Max2 rev2 motherboard
-Sapphire radeon 9700pro
-512mb corsair xms pc 3500 cas2

I have this same system overclocked to 2.88ghz (160fsb & memory at cas2 running over 400mhz). I get around 16000 3dmarks, which is more than plenty for games today =]..This is probably the best intel system for the money you can build right now.

If you opt for amd, look no further than the epox 8RDA+ (nforce2 chipset) for motherboard,
-I would go with an amd 2600+ cpu because the performance difference just isnt there for the price you pay!
-Thermal Slk-800 heatsink & thermaltake smartfanII
-2 256mb sticks of pc3500 corsair xms cas2 modules(this motherboard is capable of running 200fsb!)
-Sapphire Radeon 9700Pro
-same case suggestion from up above

To sum it up I would like to say ....BUILD THIS SYSTEM YOURSELF AND DO NOT BUY FROM FALCON WHOEVER...it will save you a ton of money and you will learn alot about your system in the process if you do not already do this as a hobby :smile: .....also cooling for a gaming system is a biggy so do not go cheap on cpu cooling etc because if you are a true hardcore gamer yuo will eventually want to overclock :smile: ...and good luck!

Well from my experince I would have to go with a few diffrent things to get an ultimate Gaming PC.

AMD 2400+ XP (Overclocks hella good 2800 speeds easy  (166 FBS x13.5)

Volcano 7+ heat sink (nice little cooler with manual speed controler)

Asus A7N8X Deluxe is a good OC board (nforce2 is the best right now)

FIC R9700 Pro (its cheaper then the Sapphire and it OCs better)

2x256 PC 2700 (need the dual DDR)

And all this is probly only around $800 if that.

Going the other way is easier (no OCing) but it costs way to much.

Remember what your fighting for, Remember why you even started fighting, and Remember who you are

To build the <b>ULTIMATE GAMING PC</b> I would buy the fastest parts I could and then overclock. Or maybe not overclock at all. Overclocking is a personal decision. I wouldn't buy slower parts and then try to overclock them to get up to the speeds of the fastest parts.

For example if I were getting an AMD system I would get the 2800+. I wouldn't get the 2600+ and try to overclock it to 2800+ speeds. I definitely wouldn't get the 2400+ and try to overclock it. Th 2400+ runs on a 133MHz fsb. The 2600+ and greater run at 166MHz fsb naturally. You have to do a heap of overclocking to get to 2800+ speeds. There is nothing wrong with the 2400+ or the 2600+ but when I see someone say <b>ULTIMATE</b> I think "Get the best I can. This guy isn't concerned about price as much as speed and power."

If you go Athlon I would get 3200 DDR SDRAM also. The cost isn't that much more than 2700 and if you increase the fsb you can still run the RAM aggressively and be under spec.

To be honest I am not sure if the Intel/RDRAM setup would be faster than the Athlon/nForce2 system. Both would be killer systems. They do have different futures though.

What games do you play?

<font color=red>The solution may be obvious, but I can't see it for the smoke coming off my processor.</font color=red>

My point was the performance difference seen for the price difference between the two processors is just not worth it. But if that is what you want then spend away :smile: ...at least you arent a retard buying a 6000 dell   ....when you buy parts for a new computer a good rule of thumb is not to buy the very fastest because you will know how dumb of a decision it was when you look a month later and see the price of the fastest has dropped 30 percent. Especially when that processor that was just as fast was a much better buy.
here is a link to a really good nforce motherboard review....read the review and make your decision....you will see the epox smokes the competition as far as overclocking is concerned....

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.html?i=1759" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.html?i=1759&lt;/A>

I would not get pc3200 I would get pc3500...most pc3200 is just overclocked pc2700 and most will not even run ddr400 stably at cas2 settings...

I don't disagree with you on anything you said. It just depends on what Raestlinhc means when he says <b>ULTIMATE PC</b>. To me that means no budget. Give me the best you have. I don't care what it costs. To you it meant that budget plays a role. You used some common sense. But I think you would agree that using the 2400+ doesn't make sense. You have to overclock it just to get to 166MHz fsb.

And I didn't know about the 3200 being overclocked 2700. I would guess that they are taking the better sticks of 2700 to do so. Is that across the board (all memory manufacturers)? Do you have a reference article? I would be interested to read up more on this. I will have to test my system once I get the bios fixed. :smile: But that is another story. lol. By the way have you ever used BIOS Savior?

The Epox board doesn't smoke the competition but if I were to build a system today I would seriously consider the Epox. I have the Asus A7N8X Deluxe currently. The Epox doesn't have a second ethernet port or the digital out on the sound, but most people don't need these items anyway.

<font color=red>The solution may be obvious, but I can't see it for the smoke coming off my processor.</font color=red>

Yes I didnt mean to come across like I was bashing your suggestions because you made good ones and yea he might want the best you never know. I do agree about the 2400+...I wouldnt even consider it. I have read alot of people in these THG forums complaining about their pc3200 not being entirely stable at cas 2 ddr400 settings...and I remember reading some saying that the pc3200 being overclocked pc2700....which you really never know and I do not have anything to back this sorry. If I can find somethign I will send it ur way. I personally use pc3200 myself and it runs cas2 @ ddr426 on my pe mobo like a charm. I guess it is luck of the draw. Going with pc3500 would just assure you of the upmost stability and I just try to make suggestions to people I know will work for sure. I agree I might have went overboard saying epox smokes the asus board. It doesnt "smoke" it anywhere except in the overclocking department. besides that both boards are at par with each other according to reviews. Later

Yes the Epox does look good and affordable.

<font color=red>The solution may be obvious, but I can't see it for the smoke coming off my processor.</font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by paulj on 01/28/03 02:46 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

Humm here is a review showing that even some pc3500 wouldnt run ddr400 at cas 2 speeds which is interesting...the review was done yesterday so it is pretty new :smile: ....although my pc3200 will run cas 2-2-6-2 at ddr426 without a hitch until I try to run something in a 3d enviroment. I would like to try another video card other than my radeon9700 pro before I said it wouldnt...the driver set for the ol radeon still lacks luster of the det's

<A HREF="http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=pushingd..." target="_new">http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=pushingd...;/A>

If I want fast timings on my RAM I use Corsair. I have heard other brands giving people trouble with fast settings even 3500. I don't recall anyone having trouble with Corsair.

<font color=red>The solution may be obvious, but I can't see it for the smoke coming off my processor.</font color=red>

That's a very good article. Thanks.

<font color=red>The solution may be obvious, but I can't see it for the smoke coming off my processor.</font color=red>

I was kinda disappointed they didnt test the EL version of the OCZ ram which is much better than the regular pc3500 modules they supply...if I find anymore I will post