Can no longer wait for Bulldozer, Now it's Sandy Bridge Build

[irishred]

irishred wrote :

Hello,
I waited as long as I could for Bulldozer. My old computer is puttering now. I did do a I5-2500k build today. Please tell me if this is good and give me advice on how I can improve or save more money. Left out ram, wasn't sure which to pick. Thanks!
Approximate Purchase Date: (e.g.: this week (the closer the better)

Budget Range: (800-1000 Before Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (video editing, gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

Parts Not Required: ( keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, 128 sata 11 SSD,OS-Windows 7 Ultimate)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, tiger direct, amazon, anywhere else that has decent prices.

Country of Origin: (U.S) Don't live near Micro Center damn it.

Parts Preferences: by brand or type (Sandybridge, half tower)

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: ( 1920x1080)

Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129097

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

XFX HD-695X-CDDC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150548

CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC ..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

Open Box: ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131701R

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler bracket included I7 i5 775 1155 AMD and dual fan push pull compatible
Item #: N82E16835233082
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082

Total: $957.62 with instant discounts and no shipping cost.
I didn't include the $60 in rebates because sometimes they're not worth squat.

 

[Coastaltuba]

As soon as the new SB comes out, they will use LGA2011. You might be able to use them on 1155 by flashing bios, but they usually isn't the best idea. In my opinion, I would go the AMD Phenom II x4 965 route, and save yourself about $300, so as to have a $700 build (with that, get the most badass card out there for the Phenom build and you probably still won't hit that $700 mark). With that $300, whenever BD does come out, use it to buy BD, and enjoy the fact that you don't have to build a new system to satisfy Intel's greed.
As for 'moping the floor', that's bs. If you get a 6850 on up for GPU, then CPU isn't gonna matter. Think about it. The Phenom II x4 has been know to OC to 4.5GHz STABLE. Sure, the i5 has went 200Hz higher, but is that really worth paying $100 extra for those 200Hz? In my opinion, no.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

AMD= ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES!!!! GET THE NAME RIGHT, but as for red's question, both will work. the Intel will be more "future proof" while the AMD w/ AM3+ MoBo will be able to support the Bulldozer


EDIT: Oh, he mad

 

[Coastaltuba]

Actually, wouldn't you consider the AMD route to be more "future proof" considering that the 1155 is gonna die out? With the AMD, you will be able to drop in a new CPU which will last maybe 3 or more years.

 

[palladin9479]

I certainly did not mean to cause a which is better war here. I only wished to convey how I was a little upset at another delay of the bulldozer.Once I get the new computer, I don't upgrage every six months. So you think 1155 is dead? I would like to save money but I thought I got a good deal especially when it's intel. Granted I need to rethink mobo.

Totally understand where your coming from. I am in this exact same situation. My water rig is due for maintenance and I plan on rebuilding it while I have it apart for cleaning / refitting. I was putting off the maintenance until BD came up, but them they pushed it forward. So instead I got the Asus Sabertooth and Phenom II x4 970BE, plan on clocking it at 4.0+.

My GPU setup is dual GTX285's with full card water coolers. CPU performance does absolutely nothing for my game performance, as the above poster has illustrated.

And yeah anytime you come in with a AMD vs Intel post the fanboy flamers will come out the woodwork. My personal choice is a Sun UltraSparc T3, but that's not exactly cheap nor can I run Windows / games on it. Run's Solaris great though.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

oh, sorry, I meant: If you don't change CPUs, then the intel will be more future proof

 

[Why_Me]

As soon as the new SB comes out, they will use LGA2011. You might be able to use them on 1155 by flashing bios, but they usually isn't the best idea. In my opinion, I would go the AMD Phenom II x4 965 route, and save yourself about $300, so as to have a $700 build (with that, get the most badass card out there for the Phenom build and you probably still won't hit that $700 mark). With that $300, whenever BD does come out, use it to buy BD, and enjoy the fact that you don't have to build a new system to satisfy Intel's greed.
As for 'moping the floor', that's bs. If you get a 6850 on up for GPU, then CPU isn't gonna matter. Think about it. The Phenom II x4 has been know to OC to 4.5GHz STABLE. Sure, the i5 has went 200Hz higher, but is that really worth paying $100 extra for those 200Hz? In my opinion, no.

A 6850 on up eh? Um ya right.

And what if BD is a total flop? Your telling this guy to wait on something that has yet to be bench marked. That's called a gamble...gambling with money. Anyone here rich? I know I'm not.

It all matters...gpu, cpu, even RAM. It all matters. If it didn't, 6850's along with AMD cpu's would be selling like there's no tomorrow and nobody would bench mark anymore seeing how frame rates mean nothing...but they do mean something, sans the reason people bench mark and better technology wins out time and again. The day a 6850 paired up with a AMD beats out something like a gtx 560 ti paired up with a 2500K is the day h*ll freezes over. If you play something like Crysis, Metro3, even the upcoming BF3...well then it helps to be able to play them without stuttering, and nobody likes to have to turn their settings on low just to get by.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859.html <----- good read btw

 

[palladin9479]

Actually, wouldn't you consider the AMD route to be more "future proof" considering that the 1155 is gonna die out? With the AMD, you will be able to drop in a new CPU which will last maybe 3 or more years.

Basically that was my point. That the ~current~ intel socket will be phased into the "value" segment next year once LGA2011 comes out. Intel has a history of doing this, we all know it will happen.

And I'm laughing inside, the AMD Phenom II X4 970BE is "only" 60~70 FPS with the super Intel CPU being 90FPS. And considering the I7's are double the price of the Phenom II's, well that speaks for itself. And here is the kicker, on my GTX285 x 2 setup with a Phenom II x4 940BE (clocked at 3.5) I get 60+ on Metro 2033 at 1920x1080. So as I said, both the AMD and Intel route will give the same user experience, so go with what you feel comfortable with. The OP doesn't come off as the type to use his "fps" as some sort of geek cred and thus his experience and future options are more important then getting 80FPS.

 

[Why_Me]

oh, sorry, I meant: If you don't change CPUs, then the intel will be more future proof

FUTURE PROOF is a word that's laughed at on here by most. Future proof in the world of PC technology... A lot of these guys rebuild their rigs every 3-4 years. 55

I could get an LGA 775 Q9550 and still be competitive. How future proof is that?

 

[palladin9479]

oh, sorry, I meant: If you don't change CPUs, then the intel will be more future proof

Well if the OP doesn't plan on upgrading the CPU anytime in the next two to three years, then I'd go with the Intel platform now. A mid range build will get you a great machine, your upgrade options will be limited but if you plan on rebuilding again in a few years then it's not an issue.

 

[internetlad]

lol hay guise wut is going on in this thread!?

 

[irishred]

I'm not into hardcore gaming. The current computer is intel 755. I wanted to go AMD mainly because Intel's practice of dirty tricks. Namely of not able to upgrade to new cpu unless a mobo is required. I wonder if anyone here had trouble with their computer when they do exchange the cpu.

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

I'm not into hardcore gaming. The current computer is intel 755. I wanted to go AMD mainly because Intel's practice of dirty tricks. Namely of not able to upgrade to new cpu unless a mobo is required. I wonder if anyone here had trouble with their computer when they do exchange the cpu.

But if you switch to intel then you will be sure the CPU is "Better than the competitive AMD series CPU.
But anyways...to Why_me : TROLOLOLOLOLOL

 

[irishred]

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Enforcer-Interior-SGC-1000-KWN1/dp/B004WK3KKQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1309650281&sr=1-6 $79.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer USB 3.0 Mid Tower ATX Case with Window and Black Interior (SGC-1000-KWN1)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049 $99.99 - $69.99 after mail-in rebate FREE SHIPPING
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-P67X4B3&title=ASRock-P67-EXTREME4-B3-LGA1155-Intel-P67-B3-DDR3-Quad-SLI-Quad-CrossFireX-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-Motherboard $154.99 Free Shipping
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 B3 LGA1155/ Intel P67 B3/ DDR3/ Quad SLI & Quad CrossFireX/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.662487 $454.98 $20.00 Mail-In Rebate Card Price After Mail-In Rebate(s): $434.98 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER $29.51 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler, RR-B10-212P-G1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144&cm_sp=Cat_Memory-_-Daily_Deal-_-20-233-144 $59.99 FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1309660529&sr=1-1 $59.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Samsung Desktop Class Spinpoint F3 1 TB SATA 3.0 Gb-s 32 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare-OEM Drives, HD103SJ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204 $19.99 FREE SHIPPING
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM

Total: $959.43 *not including mail in rebates

Here's an additional case fan for the top of that case.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Computer-Cooling-R4-LUS-07AR-GP/dp/B002LE8BJA/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b $14.31 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Cooler Master Computer Case Cooling R4-LUS-07AR-GP 200mm Red LED Case Fan

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?category_id=19&product_id=3038 <----- CM Storm Enforcer w/pics, specs, and professional reviews

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2011/01/27/msi-geforce-gtx-560-ti-1gb-review/1 <------ MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II/OC Review / Benchmarks

http://www.madshrimps.be/articles/article/1000116#axzz1EqpvWFEN <---Review on that Asrock motherboard

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=P67%20Extreme4 <----- ASRock P67 Extreme4 Motherboard

Just curios, why pick different case and the video card?

 

[Why_Me]

Just curios, why pick different case and the video card?

The CM case is wider and leaves the option to add another one of thoe 200mm fans. Large fans put out a lot of air and they are quiet.

As far as the vid card...Nvidea's run cooler and over clock more ...especially thoe 560's. They are o/c monsters so your getting more bang for your buck. Now if someone was planning on running multiple monitors then the 69502GB would be the way to go seeing how they have the advantage in that dept.

You can't go wrong with either card or case imo.

 

[irishred]

I have a 750 WD Black edition HDD and 128gb sata11 SDD. I don't know anything about raid yet but would like to set one up. So could I buy a samsung spinpoint and will it work?

 

[Randomacts]

I guess I started that flame war... sorry about that..

 

[palladin9479]

I guess I started that flame war... sorry about that..

Yeah you were kinda over-generalizing there and thus the fan boys jump in.

I'm not into hardcore gaming. The current computer is intel 755. I wanted to go AMD mainly because Intel's practice of dirty tricks. Namely of not able to upgrade to new cpu unless a mobo is required. I wonder if anyone here had trouble with their computer when they do exchange the cpu.

Similar reason so why I tend to prefer AMD CPU's. Intel has amazing engineers but their marketing / legal team is downright evil. Every few years Intel hatch's some scheme or other to push all competition out of the market so they can go back to minor-updates every 3~6 months rather then having to spend the money on major releases. Lookup the whole Rambus patent debacle and Intel's secret deal to give Rambus millions for it all.

What Intel tends to do is release a "Flagship" series of CPU's for their latest socket and place the older socket types as "value" segment. Everyone goes out and buys new mobo / CPU. Within 12 ~ 24 months Intel releases another socket type and a new series of "flagship" CPU's, the previous flagship socket is termed "value" and the even older sockets are "legacy". And again everyone goes out and buys new CPU's and Mobo's. It's Intel's way of keeping people buying new products rather then upgrading old ones.

 

[irishred]

AMD have allowed their customers to use their old mobo when upgrading cpu. The Bulldozer is the first to require new mobo in a long time. I don't change computers often, my current one lasted 7 years and I never upgraded except windows 7. So if I were to buy a cheap amd cpu, buy a bulldozer mobo and buy bulldozer cpu next year, will the mobo be compatible with future AMD cpu or will they pulled an intel? With every new cpu, you had to buy a new mobo. I have another question. For video editing, will it be better if I buy 1090t instead of 965? I also have HD readon 6950 2gb listed above in my build, is that an overkill? Which mobo is best suited for the bulldozer. Thanks

 

[r0aringdrag0n]

the only MoBo that supports the coming Bulldozer (if it is coming) CPUs are the AM3+, chances are, they won't pull an "Intel" but they might...we never will know until they do it. I would recommend the 1090t for video editing, but if you are gaming, then the 955 is better.

 

[palladin9479]

And while AMD might put out a new socket, they've always built performance CPU's for at least one generation back. Their pretty good about trying to maintain socket compatibility across their produce line for a few years. Sometimes you really have to just buy new due to memory / chipset changes. Actually I don't know if BD will require a new mobo, socket AM3 supports DDR3 so the memory controllers will be compatible. The current 990FX AM3+ boards are just re-badged 890 AM3's.