I7 or am3 new system build

[john_smarty]

i am trying to decide on my build whether its going to be am3 or i7

heres what i would go with with am3

p2 940 B.E
790gx chipset
4 gb of 800 mhz ddr2
4870x2

for i7

i7 920
p6t (non deluxe)
6 gb of g.skill 1600
gtx 295


i want fast as i am probally going to be keeping the system a long time (2 years). but i also would like the budget low as possible the i7 is very expensive and i cant find a way to pull the price down a bit. 3 gb is not a option. i will probally be ordering march 1st
thanks

 

[xthekidx]

What is your budget? Are you open to going for Core 2? BTW, that PII 940 isn't on the AM3 Platform.

Do you absolutely need DDR3 memory? It isn't that much better than DDR2 and if you go for DDR2 you can save around $300 which you can put into a better GPU. You could go for the Q9650 which is very close in performance to the i7, and it doesn't need to have DDR3 memory, which saves you lots of cash. Look at this build, it sort of shoots for the middle of those two builds you were looking at. This gives you the best Price/Performance ratio available IMO, you can't do better for the price:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=14822027
Combo CPU and Mobo $20 off
Free Stalker Game with GPU
$45 MIR

 

[john_smarty]

i think i might stick to i7
where could i cut down on the i7 build?

 

[xthekidx]

i think i might stick to i7
where could i cut down on the i7 build?

Difficult for me to say since you only put 4 of the components up there. Right now the only place you could really cut back is the GPU, but that will hurt gaming performance, and I assume that is the primary use of this rig. If you want better advice say what case, psu, HDD, DVD drive, OS, monitor, CPU cooler ect you are thinking of using, as well as the purpose of this computer (gaming, movies, web, CAD, Photoshop, Video editing ect).

 

[john_smarty]

well i am going with a
cm-690
wd-640gb
lg dvd burner
and i already have the monitor

 

[xthekidx]

Yes but what size is the monitor? The resolution you play at is important for picking a GPU, that GTX 295 may be way overkill if you only play at 1650x1080 resolution and a GTX 280 would be enough for a monitor that size.

I don't see much fat to trim off the rest of the build, so I would say the GPU is the only place.

 

[Chronobodi]

Why i7? sure it may be hot $hit in benchmarks, but in real-world applications, you won't really notice that much of a difference, and its not like i7 is 200% better than am3...

as for DDR3, they go for around $75 for a 4 (2x2) pack), which is 25 bucks more, and might be a better choice to leave yourself open for upgrades, rather than being at a dead end.

as for am3, processors can be the Phenom II x3 Black edition, which is awesome for the money you pay for it ($145)