AMD for GPUs/CPUs or Intel and Nvidia? So confused...........

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MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Ok, so I've been doing TONS of reading/research, and it seems Intel and Nvidia dominate in the gaming area, however, the Intel I5 4670K CPU (the one I want) is of the Haswell architecture, and seems to have heat issues.

I ended speaking to a friend from work who has built PCs in the past, for gaming, and he swears by AMD, he believes it is magnitudes superior to the alternative. He also believes the quality and "life" of the AMD hardware is better, and that they are better at managing heat.

I'm looking to put anywhere from $1000-1800 (maybe even $2000) into a gaming desktop PC that can play all manner of strategy games well, and future strategy games. I will also play games like Planetside 2, Far Cry 3, maybe BF4, maybe Watch Dogs, and probably upcoming demanding games (like the new Civilization). I should also mention, my budget also must cover a monitor (at purchase date, even a cheap one for $99 is fine), might need a new copy of an OS, keyboard (nothing special), and anti-virus (probably Bit Defender or something not too expensive or resource intensive).

So my question is, are AMD processors generally superior or inferior to Intel and Nvidia GPUs and CPUs? Who do you like more, and why? I'm dying to know what the right hardware is for me. I'm leaning towards an Intel I5 4670K OR I7 4770K and an Nvidia GTX 770 or GTX 780, but now I'm not sure those are what I should pump money into.

Thank you for your time.
 
Gam3r01

Gam3r01

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AMD CPUs are the cheaper more budget alternatives in gaming, for pure power go for intel, because they have stronger single core performance. Neither really out live eachother, nor does one have heat issues. Investing in a 30 dollar cooler is more than enough for both AMD and Intel (Flagship CPUs such as the 9xxx series, or 49xx series excluded)
For gaming I recommend the 4670k, and for the graphics, depending on budget, from a 760-780Ti.
 
logainofhades

logainofhades

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.64 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card ($559.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750B BRONZE 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($145.88 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($145.88 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($32.98 @ Newegg)
Speakers: Cyber Acoustics CA3550RB 68W 2.1ch Speakers ($43.51 @ Amazon)
Total: $1790.27
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-16 15:00 EDT-0400)
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Wow! That's amazing! Thank you for doing that for me :)! I would have to convert it to Canadian dollars, but otherwise, it looks like a sweet build. The AMD GPU looks amazing, but I always thought Nvidia was the gamer's choice in most cases? It seems to be better than even the GTX 780. I could live without speakers, and only need one monitor,
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Thank you, at the time of asking this question, I didn't realize that this topic had been asked a crazy amount of times already, so thank you to you both for taking the time to answer my questions.

I am leaning towards the 4670k, however, I'm totally up for any alternatives. I feel more comfortable with Nvidia and Intel, because, from what I've read, they are more noob friendly, and I am very nooby. The AMD R9 290X the other user recommended looks amazing, with the 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM and the 512 bit bus..... Looks better than the GTX 770 and 780 by a crazy amount. Is it better? The price is high, but so is the GTX 780's price.
 
logainofhades

logainofhades

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Here you go.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($267.33 @ Newegg Canada)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($16.79 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock B85 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($95.48 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($136.00 @ Vuugo)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($114.95 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card ($655.35 @ TigerDirect Canada)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($55.75 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750B BRONZE 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ Memory Express)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Canada Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($103.52 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor: Dell S2340M 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($211.57 @ Newegg Canada)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($31.00 @ Vuugo)
Total: $1898.72
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-17 11:49 EDT-0400)
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Thank you again, the only thing that concerns me about those two builds, are the motherboards.... I'm starting to read/hear about the importance of "high quality" expensive motherboards, around $150-$300 range. The ones in your builds are less than $100, is that ok?
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Hmmm... I don't know much about overclocking or SLI yet, however, I plan on going with an intel k model, just in case I decide later on to try overclocking. I have read about more expensive motherboards having decent sound cards and better wireless things.
If I go with a cheaper board, will I need a separate sound card and wireless adapter card (or whatever the wireless stuff is).?
 
logainofhades

logainofhades

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If you get a k series, you have to go with a more expensive motherboard. I really don't think it is worth the added cost. The money saved for a gaming rig is better spent on GPU. In a gaming rig the GPU is more important than the CPU.
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Awwww.... How much more expensive? Would the Asus Gryphon be sufficient or insufficient for the k series? The reason I want to go with it, is because, if I understand correctly, strategy games like Civ 5 are very CPU intensive..... Those are some of my favorite games of all, and my favorite genre.
I would like the GTX 780, but as of right now, the most demanding games I can think of that I want are Planetside 2, Dayz Standalone, and possibly BF4 (although I was unimpressed with the 360 version, I dunno 64 players will redeem it for me).
 
logainofhades

logainofhades

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Civ 5 doesn't require a very powerful CPU. The requirements are old core 2 and Athlon 64 x2's. A 1230 v3, or 4770k, would be overkill for sure. A 1230 v3 is enough for any of the other games you listed as well. The added cost of overclocking just isn't worth it, considering it would cost you about $180 more to do so. That is enough for a nice 240gb SSD and possibly a 2tb hdd drive.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Asus GRYPHON Z87 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($157.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $497.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-22 09:45 EDT-0400)


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $314.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-22 09:46 EDT-0400)

 
WoodenSaucer

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And remember, the Xeon E3-1230v3 that logainofhades keeps pushing is pretty much an i7 4770K without the ability to overclock. In my opinion, it's a much more superior processor than the i5-4670K, especially when more games and apps start taking advantage of hyperthreading. And I believe they will in the very near future.
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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It seems like a sweet deal, and overclock capability is the only loss with Xeon? Also, does the fact that the Xeon is designed for servers a con for gaming?

You threw the Asus Gryphon MOBO in there, I've been considering that to be my MOBO and am almost set on it. You like it? You find it good?
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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So basically, you recommend the Xeon then? Is it good for "single core" tasks that people say current games use?
Hyperthreading options would be nice, and I don't know if I would ever overclock. I would definitely consider it, but I don't know much about overclocking.
 
WoodenSaucer

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It should be excellent for single core tasks. Honestly, if you're not going to overclock or have need for integrated graphics, it seems like this is a gold mine.
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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But a decent motherboard should last up to 5 years or so, right? So, if I wanted to upgrade down the road possibly to an overclockable CPU, would the Z87 be a better call?
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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That's very tempting haha. The only thing that seems odd about it is that the Xeon is designed for severs right? Is it ready to handle high end gaming? Not that most of my gaming will be high end.
 
logainofhades

logainofhades

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The Xeon 1230v3 is just an i7 without IGP and extra features you won't use, and costs less. It will perform nearly identical to an i7 4770. In 5yrs, you are better off just getting new anyway. Intel will have already moved on to another socket or 2 by that time.
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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I'm beginning to lean towards the Xeon now lmao, thank you for the help/advice! I am considering maybe getting a Z97 in a few months instead, do you think the Xeon 1230v3 will be compatible with Z97s?

Argh, you can never win as a consumer.......
 
MrCanEHdian

MrCanEHdian

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Oh ok so the Xeon is a Haswell CPU? And the architecture means that it will be on par with most other Haswells?
 
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Yes, but I think you are worrying too much. It can get to the point where you are always hanging out for the 'next big thing'. There are decent builds in this thread, perfect for your needs. If I were you, I wouldn't worry any longer, just get your gear.
 
WoodenSaucer

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Exactly. Broadwell next year will use a different socket. It's always going to be like that. You pretty much just need to plan on buying a new motherboard in 5 years when you upgrade your CPU. There's no point in waiting because there will always be something better on the horizon to wait for. From what I'm hearing, Broadwell isn't going to be that huge of a jump from Haswell. The best way to do it is to just go with the best you can right now, and don't worry about it.

And about Xeons being for servers, like others have said, the 1230v3 is exactly the same as the i7 4770. There is no difference, other than the small differences we have mentioned, being no IGP, slightly lower clockspeed (200mhz), locked from overclocking, and added support for trusted computing. Other than that, it's exactly the same. The E3 Xeons are the low end Xeons for people like us. If you're working with servers, you're probably going to go with the more high end Xeons. When I first heard about this, I was confused about Xeons being for servers, too. But these E3 Xeons are perfect for people like us.
 
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