AMD Gaming Build

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Hello All,

I am trying to put together an AMD gaming build that will last me a while (playing current and future games on high - ultra settings). My last AMD build lasted me 5 years, and I am trying to do the same with this build.

Here is my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J7wJ

One note, I currently have the Asus Sabertooth 99FX R2.0 as my MB as a place holder. I would like to get the Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0/GEN 3 for the PCIe 3.0.

Will my build be able to achieve this. I am trying to stay at around $2000.

Also, I do have one question, will the power supply that I have selected be enough to power my build (with a little to play around with to add LED lights/RAM cooler?

Thank you in advance for the help.

 

[stickmansam]

I would get an 1k PSU for 2 7970 OC + 8350 OC

 

[zolton33]

Any particular reason you need 16 gigs of ram? Gaming wise you will not see huge jumps in performance for quite a while with ram over 8 gigs. So i would suggest for sure to back the ram down to around 8 gigs. That be my suggestion especially if this is a gaming rig. But ultimately up to you.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

can i ask why you want to use an AMD cpu? Intel has a clear advantage with their I5 and I7 cpu's for gaming.

 

[stickmansam]

can i ask why you want to use an AMD cpu? Intel has a clear advantage with their I5 and I7 cpu's for gaming.

Steamroller in q3 2013 as well as new games like Crysis 3 where the i5 and the FX8350 are very similar in perf but 8350 is slightly cheaper

 

[zolton33]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

 

[g-unit1111]

can i ask why you want to use an AMD cpu? Intel has a clear advantage with their I5 and I7 cpu's for gaming.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing, on that budget I wouldn't bother with a 8350, go with an i5 3570K instead and dual 7970s.

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

This is the main reason I would like an AMD. My last AMD was the Phenom II x4 955 BE, and I love it. You can say AMD is my Ford ( I like Ford as well).

On the topic of the power supply, so I should go with a 1k.

I edited my previous build and this is what I have now: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jd35

Oh and one question, does PCIe 3.0 really make a big difference?

 

[g-unit1111]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

This is the main reason I would like an AMD. My last AMD was the Phenom II x4 955 BE, and I love it. You can say AMD is my Ford ( I like Ford as well).

On the topic of the power supply, so I should go with a 1k.

I edited my previous build and this is what I have now: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jd35

Oh and one question, does PCIe 3.0 really make a big difference?

Not really.

As far as that build goes it looks pretty good but that RAM is crazy expensive and yo don't really need 2133. Also the extra fans are a waste of money. Instead of getting a H80, get a D14 instead.

And then a better SSD over the Kingston drive would be the OCZ Vector or the Samsung 840 Pro.

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

This is the main reason I would like an AMD. My last AMD was the Phenom II x4 955 BE, and I love it. You can say AMD is my Ford ( I like Ford as well).

On the topic of the power supply, so I should go with a 1k.

I edited my previous build and this is what I have now: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jd35

Oh and one question, does PCIe 3.0 really make a big difference?

Not really.

As far as that build goes it looks pretty good but that RAM is crazy expensive and yo don't really need 2133. Also the extra fans are a waste of money. Instead of getting a H80, get a D14 instead.

And then a better SSD over the Kingston drive would be the OCZ Vector or the Samsung 840 Pro.

Is there a minim amount for RAM that I should go with (i.e. 1333/1600/2133)?

I was thinking of the D14, but I here that it could warp the MB due to its size. That is why I was going with the H80i.

 

[stickmansam]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

This is the main reason I would like an AMD. My last AMD was the Phenom II x4 955 BE, and I love it. You can say AMD is my Ford ( I like Ford as well).

On the topic of the power supply, so I should go with a 1k.

I edited my previous build and this is what I have now: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jd35

Oh and one question, does PCIe 3.0 really make a big difference?

Not really.

As far as that build goes it looks pretty good but that RAM is crazy expensive and yo don't really need 2133. Also the extra fans are a waste of money. Instead of getting a H80, get a D14 instead.

And then a better SSD over the Kingston drive would be the OCZ Vector or the Samsung 840 Pro.

Is there a minim amount for RAM that I should go with (i.e. 1333/1600/2133)?

I was thinking of the D14, but I here that it could warp the MB due to its size. That is why I was going with the H80i.

1600 is usually the way to go

I would get an Cooler Master 812 TPC, same performance as an D14 but like $20-30 cheaper and smaller too

 

[campdude]

I have a FX-4100 @ 4.2 ghz and I did go from a single 7970 to a dual 7970.
There are small preformance increases but not enough to justify the purchase. Mostly just Minimum FPS increased. Max stayed the same.

I'd go with a new build with an intel CPU. Since i now have 3 7970's....
lol

Future proof with the fastest Processor. You can say your waiting for Steamroller, but then why buy the fastest AMD thing just to upgrade to get 15%(steamroller predicted preformance increase)... I bought the slowest so i can get a decent upgrade a few years from now. without forking so much money on the processors.
BUT i havent heard anything in the news lately about Steamroller AM3+...

ITs a gamble waiting for Steamroller. I dont reccomend this to people. Yes i dont reccomend what I do for normal people. (aka 3 vid cards)
But I'll wait. Since Im stuck with AM3+, but I really like the Motherboard just need a decent CPU.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

I would wager its the OP preference to create an amd build. The same reason some people make a choice in a chevy or a ford. You tend to go with brands you know and can trust. Which i can understand i've had nothing but bad luck with intel cpus myself in the past. They are doing well right now with their cpus but when you have been burned by a company it takes a lot to build trust back with that company. Not saying that is why the OP prefers amd. But very well could be the same reason lol

This is the main reason I would like an AMD. My last AMD was the Phenom II x4 955 BE, and I love it.

i had an athlon 64 and i loved it, but then intel came out with the much better core 2 architecture so i got that, because i buy the best thing available for my money at the time. now the i5 3570k is the best thing for your money for gaming, so why would you waste your money on an inferior product just because you liked a phenom 955. And just FYI an if you OC'd that 955 to 4ghz, you would have a cpu that is as fast, and in some cases faster for gaming than the 8350. Im not saying you shouldnt like AMD, I like them too and have had mostly positive experiences from their products (with the exclusion of crossfire), but for high end gaming they do not have the best CPU product right now and i feel you would be disappointed with the performance in quite a few games if you paired an 8350 with 2x 7970's.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

can i ask why you want to use an AMD cpu? Intel has a clear advantage with their I5 and I7 cpu's for gaming.

Steamroller in q3 2013 as well as new games like Crysis 3 where the i5 and the FX8350 are very similar in perf but 8350 is slightly cheaper

actually the 8350 dips down to 21 fps where the 3550 doesnt get below 30fps in C3. That is a large difference.

 

[Outlander_04]

can i ask why you want to use an AMD cpu? Intel has a clear advantage with their I5 and I7 cpu's for gaming.

Steamroller in q3 2013 as well as new games like Crysis 3 where the i5 and the FX8350 are very similar in perf but 8350 is slightly cheaper

actually the 8350 dips down to 21 fps where the 3550 doesnt get below 30fps in C3. That is a large difference.

Have you ever built or gamed using an FX based computer?

My guess would be that you havent .
In the real world the results are quite different to some of the online benchmarks

Take crysis 3
http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Crysis-3-PC-235317/Tests/Crysis-3-Test-CPU-Benchmark-1056578/

now why is there a big difference? And why does an FX 8350 demolish the intel quads?
Because benchmark results are only relevant to the exact machine set up and software environment

No one "needs"an intel for gaming . The AMD's are cheaper and often perform better .
Try it for yourself

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Thank you all for the replies.

I was watching a few videos and I cam across these:
Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu8Sekdb-IE&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg&index=32
Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4et7kDGSRfc&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg&index=26

I know that they still show the i5 beating (very close) the 8350, but they are very close.

Also i was doing some pricing and the 8350 is a little cheaper then the i5.

 

[Outlander_04]

Watch this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu8Sekdb-IE&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg&index=19
and the follow up using a GTX 670 graphics card

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Watch this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu8Sekdb-IE&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg&index=19
and the follow up using a GTX 670 graphics card

Yah, that is one of the videos that I watched.

 

[Outlander_04]

Watch this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu8Sekdb-IE&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg&index=19
and the follow up using a GTX 670 graphics card

Yah, that is one of the videos that I watched.

Sorry about that . I should have checked your links and didnt .
Its really interesting that the intels do so well in synthetic and artificial tests , like huge graphics card and run at low resolution , but the AMD's are the winners when the game engine can use all the cores .
My guess is that the AMD architecture may win out in the end . But the game software will have to change to make that happen .
The other thing you get from AMD is that you will be able to update to the next generation of processors in a year or so if you want to . Meanwhile intel makes all ivy bridge processor redundant in a few months when it releases haswell which wont be compatible [ bet it uses the same exact socket though ].

I tend to build a new computer for myself every couple of years and I alternated between intel and AMD for so long I decided I might as well continue . I ducked building with the first gen FX 6100 and waited for piledriver . In the end I built using a 6300 , Asrock 970 extreme4 mb , 8 gig of RAM and a 7870 .
Works really well

 

[iam2thecrowe]

i know i read an article on toms about this exact scenario, comparing both intel and fx8350 with 2 x 7970's. they did use an i7, but everyone knows the i5 3570 performs the same in gaming scenarios:
"Intel Bias is in the (AMD) Cards?

Our benchmark results have long shown that ATI's graphics architectures are more dependent on a strong processor than Nvidia's. As a result, we usually arm our test beds with high-end Intel CPUs when it comes time to benchmark high-end GPUs, sidestepping platform issues that might adversely affect results designed to isolate graphics performance.

We were hoping that AMD's Piledriver update would break that trend, but even a handful of impressive advancements aren't enough to match the effectiveness of AMD's graphics team. Might Steamroller be the evolutionary step forward needed to unleash the GCN architecture's peak performance?"

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8350-core-i7-3770k-gaming-bottleneck,3407-9.html

 

[DarthBobo]

I think for the most part it's really a coin toss. I've bought and built both Intel and AMD over the years. Lately I've been more AMD mostly due to the following reasons:

• 
  ■ Bang for the buck performance
  ■ Ability to keep motherboards longer because AMD supports their sockets longer than Intel does for theirs
  ■ Helping the little guy out to keep a competitor to Intel in business so pricing may be low for all

That said, the price differences between the CPUs is marginal.

MicroCenter is selling :

• 
  ■ AMD FX 8350 for $170.
  ■ Ivy Bridge 3470 for $150
  ■ Ivy Bridge 3570 for $190.

Another thing to consider (if you're looking to futureproof your system) is you can commonly get PCI Express 3.0 on Intel-based boards. Not so for AMD-based boards, but Asus is launching a 3rd Generation 990FX Sabertooth this month with the keyword "Gen3" which will feature PCI Express 3.0.

Also are I/O ports an issue for you?

The GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD4H offers:

• 
  ■ Six external USB 3.0 ports
  ■ Two e-SATA ports
  ■ Eight SATA ports
  ■ PCI Express 3.0

The Asus Sabertooth 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 (comes out later this month) offers:

• 
  ■ Four external USB 3.0 ports
  ■ Two e-SATA ports
  ■ Eight SATA ports
  ■ PCI Express 3.0

Truth be told, if I were buying for right here and now, I'd probably go with the Core i5. But given the reasons why I've lately bought AMD, I'd say it won't hurt to buy a Piledriver. You're helping the little guy out and performance will be okay on a budget. Besides that, the Piledrivers seem to do very well against the Intel products when it comes to video transcoding. So if you're more into video, then there's at least a little more reason to tip things towards AMD.

But regardless, you won't go wrong with either.

 

[DarthBobo]

Hello All,

I am trying to put together an AMD gaming build that will last me a while (playing current and future games on high - ultra settings). My last AMD build lasted me 5 years, and I am trying to do the same with this build.

Here is my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J7wJ

One note, I currently have the Asus Sabertooth 99FX R2.0 as my MB as a place holder. I would like to get the Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0/GEN 3 for the PCIe 3.0.

Will my build be able to achieve this. I am trying to stay at around $2000.

Also, I do have one question, will the power supply that I have selected be enough to power my build (with a little to play around with to add LED lights/RAM cooler?

Thank you in advance for the help.

So it seems you're specifically asking if building a computer system around an Asus Sabertooth 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 will last you for a while (i.e. 5 years). If so, I can't think of a better AM3+ motherboard to pick than the one you're holding out for. It's got the one feature that no other AM3+ motherboard offers and that is PCI Express 3.0 (as I'm sure you already know). Some may say a Republic of Gamer mobo is the way to go, but I don't think it's that big of a deal nor do I think the extra cost is worth it.

I wouldn't bother going over 8GB of RAM and I would try to buy a 2 x 4GB kit. That said, I think you should invest in a high efficiency PSU. Platinum if possible. Modular is nice, but not necessary. But a good PSU will cost you. Brands of PSUs I've bought in the past and have been very happy with all of them: Enermax, Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling. The only thing I would tell you is you can skimp on a lot of things but as a rule of thumb, I don't skimp on the motherboard or the PSU.

I'd rather spend the extra money on a high efficiency PSU instead of a light show or RAM coolers. Besides, some RAM modules already have heat spreaders on them.

 

[Jonathon Thorpe]

Hello All,

I am trying to put together an AMD gaming build that will last me a while (playing current and future games on high - ultra settings). My last AMD build lasted me 5 years, and I am trying to do the same with this build.

Here is my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J7wJ

One note, I currently have the Asus Sabertooth 99FX R2.0 as my MB as a place holder. I would like to get the Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0/GEN 3 for the PCIe 3.0.

Will my build be able to achieve this. I am trying to stay at around $2000.

Also, I do have one question, will the power supply that I have selected be enough to power my build (with a little to play around with to add LED lights/RAM cooler?

Thank you in advance for the help.

So it seems you're specifically asking if building a computer system around an Asus Sabertooth 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 will last you for a while (i.e. 5 years). If so, I can't think of a better AM3+ motherboard to pick than the one you're holding out for. It's got the one feature that no other AM3+ motherboard offers and that is PCI Express 3.0 (as I'm sure you already know). Some may say a Republic of Gamer mobo is the way to go, but I don't think it's that big of a deal nor do I think the extra cost is worth it.

I wouldn't bother going over 8GB of RAM and I would try to buy a 2 x 4GB kit. That said, I think you should invest in a high efficiency PSU. Platinum if possible. Modular is nice, but not necessary. But a good PSU will cost you. Brands of PSUs I've bought in the past and have been very happy with all of them: Enermax, Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling. The only thing I would tell you is you can skimp on a lot of things but as a rule of thumb, I don't skimp on the motherboard or the PSU.

I'd rather spend the extra money on a high efficiency PSU instead of a light show or RAM coolers. Besides, some RAM modules already have heat spreaders on them.

So i heard that the Sabertooth GEN 3.0 only be a x16/x8 when in crossfire. If that is true should i look at a different Mb. I was thinking of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130649&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[Outlander_04]

All intel Z77 motherboards are 8x/ 8x in crossfire or SLI

If they are pci-e 3.0
this is the exact same bandwidth as a current gen AMD motherboard with a 990 FX chipset using pci-e 2.0 in crossfire or SLI @
16x/16x

 

[iam2thecrowe]

Hello All,

I am trying to put together an AMD gaming build that will last me a while (playing current and future games on high - ultra settings). My last AMD build lasted me 5 years, and I am trying to do the same with this build.

Here is my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/J7wJ

One note, I currently have the Asus Sabertooth 99FX R2.0 as my MB as a place holder. I would like to get the Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0/GEN 3 for the PCIe 3.0.

Will my build be able to achieve this. I am trying to stay at around $2000.

Also, I do have one question, will the power supply that I have selected be enough to power my build (with a little to play around with to add LED lights/RAM cooler?

Thank you in advance for the help.

So it seems you're specifically asking if building a computer system around an Asus Sabertooth 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 will last you for a while (i.e. 5 years). If so, I can't think of a better AM3+ motherboard to pick than the one you're holding out for. It's got the one feature that no other AM3+ motherboard offers and that is PCI Express 3.0 (as I'm sure you already know). Some may say a Republic of Gamer mobo is the way to go, but I don't think it's that big of a deal nor do I think the extra cost is worth it.

I wouldn't bother going over 8GB of RAM and I would try to buy a 2 x 4GB kit. That said, I think you should invest in a high efficiency PSU. Platinum if possible. Modular is nice, but not necessary. But a good PSU will cost you. Brands of PSUs I've bought in the past and have been very happy with all of them: Enermax, Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling. The only thing I would tell you is you can skimp on a lot of things but as a rule of thumb, I don't skimp on the motherboard or the PSU.

I'd rather spend the extra money on a high efficiency PSU instead of a light show or RAM coolers. Besides, some RAM modules already have heat spreaders on them.

So i heard that the Sabertooth GEN 3.0 only be a x16/x8 when in crossfire. If that is true should i look at a different Mb. I was thinking of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130649&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

you will not lose any performance from running a card at 8x pcie3. 8x pcie3 = 16x pcie2, and no card around maxes the bandwidth of that yet, even if future cards do it would probably be a 5% performance hit at most.