Phenom II vs I3

[TheGrambo]

I have two different builds. I'm trying to keep it right on or around $500.

Here's the Phenom Build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1zTu

Here's the I3 build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1Bek

Just need some general pointers on which one is worth it, better parts for both, and also I can't seem to find a great reviewed motherboard for Intel. There seems to be an even number of good and bad reviews for them opposed to AMD where there are generally more good than bad reviews. Any comment is good I asked for advice on my AMD build before and got a lot of ok's. But now I want to spend up to the $500 and get as much as I can for my amount.

 

[hkpnkp]

both are good.depends on your weightage for intel or amd.

 

[Soda-88]

I have two different builds. I'm trying to keep it right on or around $500.

Here's the Phenom Build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1zTu

Here's the I3 build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1Bek

Just need some general pointers on which one is worth it, better parts for both, and also I can't seem to find a great reviewed motherboard for Intel. There seems to be an even number of good and bad reviews for them opposed to AMD where there are generally more good than bad reviews. Any comment is good I asked for advice on my AMD build before and got a lot of ok's. But now I want to spend up to the $500 and get as much as I can for my amount.

Phenom w/ 8GB RAM, 4GB is simply not enough nowadays

 

[TheGrambo]

both are good.depends on your weightage for intel or amd.

I was trying to see if the Intel build was ok, but what could I add or change to the AMD build to possibly out do the Intel build?

 

[aatje92]

Definately the PHenom II as more and more apps become multithreaded and the 2 extra cores will be alot faster than the i3. If you can get an aftermarket cooler (e.g. Scythe Mugen 3) you can easily overclock it to 3,8 / 4.0 ghz. Also as soda says, get 8GB ram to be sure.

 

[TheGrambo]

I have two different builds. I'm trying to keep it right on or around $500.

Here's the Phenom Build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1zTu

Here's the I3 build
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Grambo/saved/1Bek

Just need some general pointers on which one is worth it, better parts for both, and also I can't seem to find a great reviewed motherboard for Intel. There seems to be an even number of good and bad reviews for them opposed to AMD where there are generally more good than bad reviews. Any comment is good I asked for advice on my AMD build before and got a lot of ok's. But now I want to spend up to the $500 and get as much as I can for my amount.

Phenom w/ 8GB RAM, 4GB is simply not enough nowadays

Is it really that big of a difference? On my current build I have 8 GB of RAM and I don't see it go past 2 GB very often.

 

[TheGrambo]

Definately the PHenom II as more and more apps become multithreaded and the 2 extra cores will be alot faster than the i3. If you can get an aftermarket cooler (e.g. Scythe Mugen 3) you can easily overclock it to 3,8 / 4.0 ghz. Also as soda says, get 8GB ram to be sure.

I probably won't be overclocking it. This is a gift to my little bro for his first computer. He only tends to play strategy games. Nothing big like Crysis 3, BF3, etc.

 

[dalmvern]

Phenom and like Soda said get 8 GB RAM. Also, get rid of that Biostar motherboard, its garbage. Get an Asus or Gigabyte...maybe even AsRock, but not Biostar.

 

[TheGrambo]

Phenom and like Soda said get 8 GB RAM. Also, get rid of that Biostar motherboard, its garbage. Get an Asus or Gigabyte...maybe even AsRock, but not Biostar.

There a good budget board with those companies?

 

[aatje92]

Phenom and like Soda said get 8 GB RAM. Also, get rid of that Biostar motherboard, its garbage. Get an Asus or Gigabyte...maybe even AsRock, but not Biostar.

There a good budget board with those companies?

The Asrock 970 extreme 4 is pretty budget and pretty good.

 

[Onus]

I would not normally say this about Phenom II vs. i3, but of those two builds, the i3 will be considerably stronger. The reason is, although a Phenom II can generally be overclocked to beat an i3 (especially in better-threaded titles), the cheap Biostar board and absence of an after market cooler will severely limit any overclock. Furthermore, that board is AM3, not AM3+, so it's a dead-end.
The cheapest AM3+ board I'd probably buy is this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128521 which includes the latest interfaces including SATA 6Gb/s and USB3.0. It doesn't have heatsinks on its VRMs, but should still offer some capacity for overclocking. Add the $20 Xigmatek Gaia: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082 and then I'd take this build over the i3.

 

[n1ghtr4v3n]

hello there;

here is my recommendations for you improving the parts significantly with a similar price (below 500$);
i tried to stay as much loyal as i can to your original setups...

AMD build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-E51 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 2GB Video Card ($137.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $453.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:24 EDT-0400)

intel/nvidia build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($120.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar H77MU3 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card ($138.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $502.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:28 EDT-0400)

my personal choice would be intel/nvidia setup...

good luck. have fun

 

[Onus]

If you will not be overclocking, then get the i3. You won't need an aftermarket cooler.
Also, do not get a 5400RPM laptop drive. Get a 7200RPM Western Digital Black or Blue, or a Seagate Barricuda.
Edit:nightr4v3n's Intel build is good, his AMD build not so much; cheap MSI boards are worse than Biostar, with weak VRMs known to pop under load. The GTX650Ti is also stronger than the HD7770.
While I'm not a fan of the Corsair "CX" series (made by CWT using some inferior Samxon capacitors), these systems will put only a light load on it, so it won't heat up and stress out.
While 8GB of RAM may buy some future-resistance, on a budget 4GB is sufficient.

 

[TheGrambo]

hello there;

here is my recommendations for you improving the parts significantly with a similar price (below 500$);
i tried to stay as much loyal as i can to your original setups...

AMD build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-E51 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 2GB Video Card ($137.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $453.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:24 EDT-0400)

intel/nvidia build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($120.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar H77MU3 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card ($138.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $502.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:28 EDT-0400)

my personal choice would be intel/nvidia setup...

good luck. have fun

I'm gonna go with the Phenom build but I'm probably going to pick a different motherboard, one with some better reviews, no offense.

 

[TheGrambo]

hello there;

here is my recommendations for you improving the parts significantly with a similar price (below 500$);
i tried to stay as much loyal as i can to your original setups...

AMD build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-E51 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7770 2GB Video Card ($137.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $453.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:24 EDT-0400)

intel/nvidia build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($120.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Biostar H77MU3 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card ($138.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $502.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 08:28 EDT-0400)

my personal choice would be intel/nvidia setup...

good luck. have fun

Also is there a real difference between 2 GB on the 7770 vs 1 GB?

 

[aatje92]

Also is there a real difference between 2 GB on the 7770 vs 1 GB?

Most modern games tend to use more then 1GB, so you'll get optimal performance and are more future proof with 2GB.

 

[Onus]

FWIW, here's my take on an AMD build.

Athena Power CA-GSB01DA Black 0.8mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - OEM
Model #:CA-GSB01DA
Item #:N82E16811192289
$29.99 -$6.00 Instant $23.99
Remarkably thick steel for a cheap case.

ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Model #:970 EXTREME4
Item #:N82E16813157262
$99.99 -$15.00 Instant $84.99
Good board for overclocking. You could get a cheaper one (like the Gigabyte) if you won't overclock.

MSI N650ti-1GD5/OC BE GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Model #:N650ti-1GD5/OC BE
Item #:N82E16814127731
$154.99 $154.99
Very high bang/buck.

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ...
Model #:EA-380D Green
Item #:N82E16817371033
$59.99 -$13.00 Instant $46.99
Has been my "goto" PSU in budget builds for years, and I've never had one fail. Built by Delta.

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX
Model #:HDZ965FBGMBOX
Item #:N82E16819103727
$94.99 $94.99
Defined by the build. You might find a deal on this somewhere; I've seen them as low as $80 from time to time.

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-4GBNS
Model #:F3-10666CL9D-4GBNS
Item #:N82E16820231396
$35.49 $35.49
I've had good results from G.Skill RAM. On a budget, 4GB is enough.

Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:WD5000AAKX
Item #:N82E16822136769
$59.99 $59.99
Decent consumer drive. Other than a DOA and one with a broken connector, these have been very reliable for me (although I prefer the Blacks for my own builds).

LG 24X DVD Burner - Bare Drive Black SATA Model GH24NS95 - OEM
Model #:GH24NS95
Item #:N82E16827136259
$17.99 $17.99
Meh. One optical drive is much like another.

Subtotal: $519.42
A little over, but you can get the non-overclocking mobo and/or a slightly less expensive video card.

 

[n1ghtr4v3n]

hello there;

here is my recommendations for you improving the parts significantly with a similar price (below 500$);
i tried to stay as much loyal as i can to your original setups...

***

I'm gonna go with the Phenom build but I'm probably going to pick a different motherboard, one with some better reviews, no offense.

of course its a personal choice eventually. I was just trying to pick some cheap but operational stuff... good luck

 

[n1ghtr4v3n]

Also is there a real difference between 2 GB on the 7770 vs 1 GB?

Most modern games tend to use more then 1GB, so you'll get optimal performance and are more future proof with 2GB.

indeed. 1gb is not really enough or just stays in the dead-line already. todays graphics are more memory demanding. 2gb will be a good choice for the long run.

 

[Onus]

You don't need 2GB on a low-midrange video card. Only at 1920x1080 and above, with lots of AA and/or high res textures, will a high-end card benefit in some cases from 2GB.

 

[TheGrambo]

Good stuff everyone it'll be a bit before I get back to ya, gotta go check out the parts.

 

[unreal9400]

Get the i3
i3-55W
Phenom-125W
i3 is fast and runs cooler

 

[Onus]

Thanks; add that $20 Xigmatek cooler to get your money's worth by overclocking at least some, otherwise the i3 will be faster.

 

[TheGrambo]

Thanks; add that $20 Xigmatek cooler to get your money's worth by overclocking at least some, otherwise the i3 will be faster.

I have an extra Hyper 212 from my last build, I'll just use that.

 

[Onus]

Ok then, you're set. You & your brother will have some fun.