AMD or Intel

[craigyboytaz]

Been trying to spec a new PC for xmas, but cant deciede whether to go AMD or intel. Right now I am thinking on AMD 5000+ BE because:

*With CrossfireX motherboard I can have 4 gfx cards and given games are GPU limited this would be a safe bet i think for future cheap upgrades

*Easy upgrade toi X4 after phenom has matured

*Latest 790FX chipset

With intel I would have to go X38, which is ~£50 more, with a ~£40 more expensive chip, and without the option of crossfireX and then have to upgrade the mobo chip and ram soon-ish for the new socket.

So why would I choose intel right now apart from good benchmark scores?!

 

[craigyboytaz]

I understand the the new southbridge only gives some extra USB's and 2 SATA Ports, hardly anything worth waiting for.

I know the X38 supports Xfire, but not XfireX.

On a bit of a budget, which basically means is Intel + X38 worth £100 more than AMD+790FX?

Bios updates have cured a lot of problems thus far for 790FX and I would hope they would continue to.

Still swaying to AMD for cheap-ish 3870 upgrade in XfireX and a 5000+ BE with MSI K9A2 Platinum.

The intel setup would be like a QuadGT +E2180(for now) but i dont know if it warrants the extra expense.

Oh and P35 + 8800GT = hard to upgrade, given that i cannot easliy add a gfx card, and all games are gfx limited just now

 

[craigyboytaz]

yeah i am on a budegt, not talking about getting 4 gfx cards right away, would be a long term upgrade path.

With Intel, I get P35/X38 +8800GT, then in < 1 yr a new socket comes out so my upgrade path comes to a halt and i have to go new prob+mobo+ram(Probably)

In games, surely AMD + 3870(s) = better performance than Intel +8800GT(single) given that CPU will never hit 100% on either.

Should also ask for a recommended 'bang for buck' intel sysetm. was thinking a e2180 overclcoked as interim to q6600, with a 3870 foor a cheap xfire upgrade.

thanks