BestConfigs Poll - High-End AMD Gaming PC

[jpishgar]

It's time to vote on your favorite build for this category!

Please see below for a list of the choices available.

Mjmj's $2000 Tri-Crossfire 6970's Build

CPU: http://www.amazon.com/AMD-HDZ955FBGMBOX-Phenom-3-2GHz-Retail/dp/B002TQYUAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1309487673&sr=1-1 AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 120$

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128509 Gigabyte 990fxa ud5 am3+ 190$

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428&cm_re=gskill_8gb_1600-_-20-231-428-_-Product Gskill 8GB DDR3 1600mhz 65$

GPU'S: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127554 MSI 6970 2GB x3= 960$

HDD: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1309487814&sr=1-2 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 60$

SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442 Crucial m4 128GB 215$

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517011 Azza Hurricane RED 125$

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341045 OCZ ZX 1000w 180$

CPU Cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185168 scythe mugen 3 50$

DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136236 LG Black 24X DVD Burner 19$

Total Price: $1996


Derp's "What the hay aka the Mega Rig" Build

CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 955 $115
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808
Mobo: ASUS Sabertooth 990FX $200 (was on Newegg for awhile)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131736&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Motherboards+-+AMD-_-ASUS-_-13131736
Ram: GSkill Sniper 8Gb (2x4Gb) 1333 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231417
Gpu: 3x Gigabyte Windforce GTX 570 $345/$1035 Thats 9 fans on the graphics cards alone Lolz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125365
Psu: Enermax Revolution 85+ 1020w $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194081
Case: NZXT Phantom Black/Orange $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146073
HDD: Samsung EcoGreen F2 1Tb $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152173
SSD: Crucial M4 64Gb $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
DvD: LG DvD+RW $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136216
Cooler: Tuniq Tower 120 $23
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001

Total Price: $1998


UltPokemonFan's Mega Rig
Processor: Phenom II X4 955 BE - $119.99
Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme - $299.99
RAM: CORSAIR XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 - $74.99
Graphics Cards: 3x HIS Radeon HD 6970 - $339.99x3 = $1004.97
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200RPM - $59.99
SSD: Intel 320 Series 40GB SSD - $89.99
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced - $154.48
Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 850W PSU - $164.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $89.99
DVD Burner ASUS 24X DVD Burner - $19.99

Total Price: $1959.37

 

[mjmjpfaff]

i dont think the hx 850 will rub 3 6970's. it can run id say up to 2 580's but 3 6970's no way

 

[BeCoolBro]

The p2 x4 955 will bottleneck the three 6970s or gtx 570s even at 4ghz.If anyone actually buys one of these configs,they better pray that the bulldozer arch doesn't end up being a flop or the third card will become a waste of money.
A note about the last config:

Spoiler

Also,although I don't want to sound offensive.UltPokemonFan's build shouldn't be on this list.First of all,the psu as noted is too weak.Also the 40gb intel 320 suffers from the 8mb bug and is slower than it's higher space versions.The crosshair IV also doesn't support the upcoming architecture but costs a ton of money. The Haf 932 case has serious dust issues and finally the Noctua NH-D14 performs on par with more compact coolers like the Archon while being much uglier and bulkier.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

i totally agree you also need a high resolution monitor setup to take advantage of this- http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1084/pg18/xfx-radeon-6970-and-radeon-6950-graphics-card-review-3-way-crossfire-eyefinity-vs-sli.html this also shows how tri cf'd 6970's beats tri sli 570's & 580's in bf bc2.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

derp only a 64gb ssd? for a high end amd gaming build you should be able to get a 120-128gb ssd since the processor is so cheap

 

[clonazepam]

mjmj for the sweep! ;-) gg

 

[mjmjpfaff]

mjmj for the sweep! ;-) gg

im not in the amd 1000$ build or the intel 2000$. i knew i shouldve updated my 2000$ build

 

[Evildomains]

I say they all failed at a great $2000 AMD Pc. Not that their set ups are bad, just very limited to what they could be. Only my opinion.

LITE-ON DVD Burner: $20.00
NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT: $$140.00
Western Digital Caviar Black WD7502AAEX 750GB x2 : $129.98
SAMSUNG S27A950D Black 27: $730.00
ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ AMD 970: $105.00 - $10.00 MIR = $95.00
2xSAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB: $490.00 - $15.00 MIR ( Can only do MIR per house) =$475.00
Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W: $115.00 - $25.00 MIR = $90.00
2xG.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB): $110.00 - $10.00 each with Promo code EMCKCHB22
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz: $120.00
COOLER MASTER GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP: $40.00

Subtotal: $1,999.87
Shipping: $24.09
Grand Total: $2,023.96 - $70.00 ( MIR and Promo Code) = $1953.96

 

[mjmjpfaff]

I say they all failed at a great $2000 AMD Pc. Not that their set ups are bad, just very limited to what they could be. Only my opinion.

LITE-ON DVD Burner: $20.00
NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT: $$140.00
Western Digital Caviar Black WD7502AAEX 750GB x2 : $129.98
SAMSUNG S27A950D Black 27: $730.00
ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ AMD 970: $105.00 - $10.00 MIR = $95.00
2xSAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB: $490.00 - $15.00 MIR ( Can only do MIR per house) =$475.00
Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W: $115.00 - $25.00 MIR = $90.00
2xG.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB): $110.00 - $10.00 each with Promo code EMCKCHB22
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz: $120.00
COOLER MASTER GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP: $40.00

Subtotal: $1,999.87
Shipping: $24.09
Grand Total: $2,023.96 - $70.00 ( MIR and Promo Code) = $1953.96

that isnt much of a gaming build with 16gb's of ram. and a black widow tr2 psu those are very good at all. and a 40$ case?? how is that going to get enough airflow?

 

[Evildomains]

$140.00 case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067

 

[mjmjpfaff]

a little better but that isnt a gaming build. i say u failed. not saying ur setup would be bad for everything.

 

[kikireeki]

I think three VGA setup is an overkill even for a high-end gaming PC. Besides, let's face it, AMD CPUs can't handle that much of horsepower.

 

[cknobman]

Good lord why do all of these builds use 3 graphics cards???????????

Performance game and compatibility are NOT WORTH THE COST!!!!!

All builds fail miserably and totally misuse their budgets!!!

 

[Evildomains]

a little better but that isnt a gaming build. i say u failed. not saying ur setup would be bad for everything.

Like a few people that has posted already. AMD doesn't have a great performance CPU yet. So ass great as it would be to have 3x high end GPU's running......whats the point if the cpu can't handle it. I will say that their builds are faster but lacking a over all great exp. You could add a monitor or 3 to their set ups but then you add to the price or have to cut prices back to fit in the 2k. I am open to your idea of a better set up.

 

[quicksilver98]

Why not go with a better Chip a Newer Board and Better Ram - There is no need for 3 GFX cards on a Phenom II Setup. Add a water cooler and pray for the 4.4Ghz OC. That's the only way this system would even hope to be competitive.

AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition Deneb 3.5GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDZ970FBGMBOX $149.99
Item #: N82E16819103894

ASUS Crosshair V Formula AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard with 3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support and ... $239.99
Item #: N82E16813131735

Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 997000 $104.99
Item #: N82E16820226203

MSI R6970-2PM2D2GD5 Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ($339.99 each) X2
Item #: N82E16814127554

Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($119.99 each) X2
Item #: N82E16820148441

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $89.99
Item #: N82E16822136533

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior $139.99
Item #: N82E16811119160

OCZ ZX Series 1000W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 ... $199.99
Item #: N82E16817341045

CORSAIR H80 (CWCH80) High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler $109.99
Item #: N82E16835181016

SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AB - OEM $18.99
Item #: N82E16827151233

Subtotal: $1,973.88


From the looks of the other builds above people aren't trying to build a best case build for an AMD rig.. I mean c'mon Derp has DDR3 1333... We all know that Tri-fire on a Phenom II is pointless. Make a case for getting a better processor and faster memory to open up the bottleneck!!!

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Like a few people that has posted already. AMD doesn't have a great performance CPU yet. So ass great as it would be to have 3x high end GPU's running......whats the point if the cpu can't handle it. I will say that their builds are faster but lacking a over all great exp. You could add a monitor or 3 to their set ups but then you add to the price or have to cut prices back to fit in the 2k. I am open to your idea of a better set up.

ya i know that is why it is a am3+ board and whay i put a great cooler on there so you can oc the SH** out of it

 

[quicksilver98]

I'd still go water cooling on it. You will see much more performance under the high Vcore required. Also I would go with a PII 980 BE. Also why such high latency memory?

 

[mjmjpfaff]

cause games arent very memory intensive you wont see a difference in fps if you go up 1 cl.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

I'd still go water cooling on it. You will see much more performance under the high Vcore required. Also I would go with a PII 980 BE. Also why such high latency memory?

i wouldve gone with the h60 but the mail in rebate just ended...putting the voting at the start of the month is screwed up

 

[dalauder]

Good lord why do all of these builds use 3 graphics cards???????????

Performance game and compatibility are NOT WORTH THE COST!!!!!

We are all aware of the terrible scaling...but what else do you do with the budget? If it was a $1500 build and $750 build for the AMDs, this would be much more interesting. I think Tom's should change the gaming build prices to $400, $800, & $1600.

I'd still go water cooling on it. You will see much more performance under the high Vcore required. Also I would go with a PII 980 BE. Also why such high latency memory?

On Sandy Bridge, latency makes a big enough difference to bother with upgrading a bit: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/sandy-bridge-ddr3_7.html#sect0
Does anyone have any comparisons for K10 they could link me?

I agree with the Phenom II 980BE or 970BE at least because the performance of these AMD systems will hinge heavily on overclocking outcome. The higher end PII's might squeeze an extra 200MHz out for you. That and the best cooler, even if it's a $120 one money can buy.

 

[dalauder]

CPU: $120 Phenom II 955BE

Mobo: $190 Asus Sabertooth 990FX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131736

Ram: $65 G.Skill 1866CL9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455

Gpu: $1080 2x GTX 580 3GB

Psu: $150 950W Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, or PC Power & Cooling

Case: $100 Anything

HDD: $60 Samsung Spinpoint F3 1Tb

SSD: $150 60GB OCZ Vertex 3

DvD: $20 LG DvD+RW $20

Cooler: $55 Spire TherMax Eclipse II

TOTAL: $1990

I had to cut the SSD down to 60GB to fit this all in. Maybe I was asking a lot in my above post for this budget.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

3 6950's would be cheaper and more powerful....fyi

 

[dalauder]

Three 6950's beat two GTX 580's? Could you provide a reference? From what I recall, the tri-CF only scales to like 230% of 1 card on average and dual-sli should scale like 178% or so.

From my math (which may be based on incorrect numbers), 230/175 = 1.3...so...

GTX 580 3GB < 1.3x HD 6950 2GB?
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/293?vs=305
It's close. Keep in mind the large frame buffer of these 3GB GTX 580's.

EDIT: Upon further research, it appears it should be 230/163 = 1.4...that may actually be in favor of the 6950's as mjmjpfaff stated. But the larger frame buffer may balance it out at extreme resolutions.

EDIT 2: Based on this article, Tri scaling is great http://benchmarkextreme.com/Articles/GTX%20570/P21.html
Based on this article, Tri scaling is lousy http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-sli-3-way-scaling,2865-10.html
So all the information I can gather yields something very inconclusive.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

well at higher resolutions scaling is better and that would be the only reason why you get 3 gpu's....
i believe in extreme resolutions like with 2 or 3 2560x1600 monitors the 2 gtx 580's 3gb pull ahead but not a lot of people spend over 2k on monitors alone.

 

[dalauder]

I guess one big spender in 1,000 gamers isn't really worth doing extensive testing for--that's why there's nothing definitive.