Contemplating building a Gaming PC. Advice?

lvluffinz · 07-03-12 at 04:28 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by billes

AMD can have some amazing deals. If i had to pay retail for both processor and mobo, there no doubt about it, throw down the extra cash and go with the i5 2500k. If you could still find a Phenom II x6 1100t, that be another choice, but good luck finding those new. The FX line may have been a disappointment in performance, but that doesn't mean its bad value. And honestly, really determines what application or game your running. The FX-8000 series had a big problem with steam and mobo bios. The problem has been fixed, just remember to update your bios if you have an early revision board.

I'm thinking I may just get the i5 2500K... But then I was seeing things about the Ivy Bridge processors... Would it be better to get an Ivy Bridge one over the 2500k? I may just up my budget to roughly $700-750.

Quote: Originally Posted by abcdefghijklmnop

Both of the gaming desktops at my house have AMD CPUs. One of which is the Phenom II X6, the other is the processor in the build I did (Phenom II X4). (And both computers have AMD GPUs.) Never have I had any discernible performance issues with my games, at least when I'm running them on settings appropriate for my specs - which is still high to very high.Maybe, but I think an 8-core processor is overkill for his budget/stated needs. No reason to spend an extra $50+ when it's not entirely necessary, especially when the $700 build I made was over budget already (and still would be with a $50 savings on a bundle). The Phenom II X4 965 is fast, inexpensive, and performs well.

And true, bundles can save you money. :) I didn't take bundles into account when I listed those parts.

ETA: Regarding the Rosewill Challenger case, I do have a couple of issues with it - first, the LED lights (not a fan of those in general, but the build was for a family member, not me, and they didn't care), and second, cable management was difficult because the space between the side panel and the side panel cover was too small to fit the thicker PSU cables. But if you don't mind that, then it's a good case for the price. I simply suggested it because it's what I used in my build, and I didn't have any problems with it seeming cheap.

I'm just so doubtful of AMD's... I've had plenty bad experience with them already. My laptop from ages ago had an AMD processor and it just gave me a tough time. Eventually got rid of that laptop. I honestly prefer Intel for CPU's, it's just my opinion. Like billes stated, I was thinking about just getting the 2500k.

All I'm asking for is a PC build that can be upgraded in the future. I'll raise my budget to ~700-750.

billes · 07-04-12 at 11:47 AM

Ivy Bridge i5-3550k Is only slightly fast than the 2500k, and runs hotter as well. The real competitor to the 2500k is the new i5-3570k, natively faster and it can surpass it in terms of OC. However if you do plan on OCing, the 2500k still has better potential in terms of OCing under air cooling. If your looking just for stock performance, then grab the 3570k as its the same price as the 2500k on newegg $219.99. Probably sounding supper pushy about MicroCenter right now, but its honestly one of the best places to go cpu/mobo shopping. the 3570k is $190 and the 2500k $170.

Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge i5's use the same 1155 socket. You could essentially mix match the two generations technologies. Ex. mobo and cpu mix match. But there are specific gains and disadvantages to each generation. For example the "Z77/Z75/H77" Ivy bridge motherboards support PCI-E 3.0; Sandy Bridge i5-2500 doesn't. The combination will work, but at the 2500k's native PCI-E 2.0 Then the Sandy Bridge motherboards "Z68/P67/H67" are typically 2.0, but newer boards do support 3.0 with new ivy bridge processors. This could be a hindrance with future GPU's. The only current graphics card that exceeds the bandwidth of PCI-E 2.0 is the GTX 680 and HD 7970 when overclocking. Only reason to consider the older 1155 boards, is price.

Here is a decent write up about the major differences between the two generations

Code: Select All

http://www.pugetsystems.com/blog/2012/04/12/z68-z77-and-h77-whats-the-difference/

07-04-12 at 11:47 AM	#30
billes Apprentice Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 252	Ivy Bridge i5-3550k Is only slightly fast than the 2500k, and runs hotter as well. The real competitor to the 2500k is the new i5-3570k, natively faster and it can surpass it in terms of OC. However if you do plan on OCing, the 2500k still has better potential in terms of OCing under air cooling. If your looking just for stock performance, then grab the 3570k as its the same price as the 2500k on newegg $219.99. Probably sounding supper pushy about MicroCenter right now, but its honestly one of the best places to go cpu/mobo shopping. the 3570k is $190 and the 2500k $170. Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge i5's use the same 1155 socket. You could essentially mix match the two generations technologies. Ex. mobo and cpu mix match. But there are specific gains and disadvantages to each generation. For example the "Z77/Z75/H77" Ivy bridge motherboards support PCI-E 3.0; Sandy Bridge i5-2500 doesn't. The combination will work, but at the 2500k's native PCI-E 2.0 Then the Sandy Bridge motherboards "Z68/P67/H67" are typically 2.0, but newer boards do support 3.0 with new ivy bridge processors. This could be a hindrance with future GPU's. The only current graphics card that exceeds the bandwidth of PCI-E 2.0 is the GTX 680 and HD 7970 when overclocking. Only reason to consider the older 1155 boards, is price. Here is a decent write up about the major differences between the two generations Code: Select All http://www.pugetsystems.com/blog/2012/04/12/z68-z77-and-h77-whats-the-difference/

07-03-12 at 04:28 PM	#29
lvluffinz Newcomer Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Wherever life takes me! Posts: 71	Quote: Originally Posted by billes AMD can have some amazing deals. If i had to pay retail for both processor and mobo, there no doubt about it, throw down the extra cash and go with the i5 2500k. If you could still find a Phenom II x6 1100t, that be another choice, but good luck finding those new. The FX line may have been a disappointment in performance, but that doesn't mean its bad value. And honestly, really determines what application or game your running. The FX-8000 series had a big problem with steam and mobo bios. The problem has been fixed, just remember to update your bios if you have an early revision board. I'm thinking I may just get the i5 2500K... But then I was seeing things about the Ivy Bridge processors... Would it be better to get an Ivy Bridge one over the 2500k? I may just up my budget to roughly $700-750. Quote: Originally Posted by abcdefghijklmnop Both of the gaming desktops at my house have AMD CPUs. One of which is the Phenom II X6, the other is the processor in the build I did (Phenom II X4). (And both computers have AMD GPUs.) Never have I had any discernible performance issues with my games, at least when I'm running them on settings appropriate for my specs - which is still high to very high.Maybe, but I think an 8-core processor is overkill for his budget/stated needs. No reason to spend an extra $50+ when it's not entirely necessary, especially when the $700 build I made was over budget already (and still would be with a $50 savings on a bundle). The Phenom II X4 965 is fast, inexpensive, and performs well. And true, bundles can save you money. :) I didn't take bundles into account when I listed those parts. ETA: Regarding the Rosewill Challenger case, I do have a couple of issues with it - first, the LED lights (not a fan of those in general, but the build was for a family member, not me, and they didn't care), and second, cable management was difficult because the space between the side panel and the side panel cover was too small to fit the thicker PSU cables. But if you don't mind that, then it's a good case for the price. I simply suggested it because it's what I used in my build, and I didn't have any problems with it seeming cheap. I'm just so doubtful of AMD's... I've had plenty bad experience with them already. My laptop from ages ago had an AMD processor and it just gave me a tough time. Eventually got rid of that laptop. I honestly prefer Intel for CPU's, it's just my opinion. Like billes stated, I was thinking about just getting the 2500k. All I'm asking for is a PC build that can be upgraded in the future. I'll raise my budget to ~700-750.