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Intel or AMD - help!

Scrubydoo

Scrubydoo

Scrubydoo

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6 Sep 2008
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31
Up until recently I was considering upgrading (or rather rebuilding) my games-only computer with an intel C2D8500 (or 8400),4Gb DDR2 6400 memory and a Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 mobo.

However - maybe I've overlooked the AMD route.

I can see that the socket 775 is about to become obsolete with the i7 - no upgrade path without new CPU/mobo/memory.

But would a re-build with something like an Athlon x2 black edition 6500 cpu and Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DQ6 be better? Would this be better as a more easily upgradeable setup?

I think that AMD is about to launch some new cpu's which might be a better buy than the 6500 - so I might wait for them to emerge before buying stuff.

As I mentioned before, this is for a games-only computer - it won't be used for anything else.
 
socket 775 will still be on the market for some time yet, so you don`t need to worry, as they will still be good for at least a year or two.
 
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The chances are - unless I win the lottery - that I'll be using this comp. for the next 3-4 years at most. A cheaper method of upgrading ( new cpu's as opposed to new cpu/mobo/memory) is important since money is really tight and little is left to save up for upgrades.

I used to think that, with the release of core 2, AMD cpu's were considered crap and I've only looked at intel setups up to now.

I've got no real leanings about intel or AMD - although I've always gone AMD in the past (intel has been 'on the dark side' until now)
 
intel will be my choice. e8x00 will still be a good cpu for some time to come and core i7 should be ignored by those with a tight budget for now as it is too expensive unless you have a huge budget and patience to wait for its release and long enough to see that its worth getting. do not rely on review sites for this as they can be bias towards a company.

with regards to the MB choice (for the intel route) unless you are goign to crossfire get a p45 chipset based MB.

for the RAM, go for PC2-8500 stuff, this will allow you to get even more out of your e8x00 when and if you should decide to overclock it
 
I probably will go crossfire - I won't be able to afford a high-end graphics card immediately, so I intend to get a 1Gb ATi 4850 and possibly get another some time in the future (when I can afford it that is).:D
 
Intel all the way at the moment. My Q6600 destroys anything thrown at it, and that's at only 3240Mhz!
 
The one thing that makes me favour going the AMD route more than anything is it's much cheaper than intel - the cost of an AMD 6500 cpu and mobo is almost the same as the cost of just a C2D 8500.

Since it's a games-only rig, the only sacrifice would be a few fps (in a few games) - plus I'd have the extra moolah to get a more powerful graphics card (1Gb 4870 instead of a 1Gb 4850) and higher spec memory.

The only downside - no decent mobos with the 750 southbridge at present (I think most people regard the SB600 as really cr*p).

Is there a site where I can find out about AM3 chips that are soon to be released?
 
either is good, either intel quad or AMD quad, theres really not much of a difference, IMO dual-core is still perfectly acceptable with the current programs available, but phenom vs. core the difference isn't all that big, certainly not as big as some make it out to be, read some reviews and decide which is for you :)
 
With the i7 due out soon, I doubt that there'll be any more socket 775 cpu's coming out.

AM+ gives the option of future upgrades at least, with the denebs due out reasonably soon.
 
AMD are bringing out shanghai cores soon, apparently these are built to bridge the gap intel have over amd at the moment.
You might want to wait for these, i have no idea of the price. i7 components are expensive to say the least, i'd imagine amd will be cheaper, as they've always been more bang for buck.
You could always get a 2nd hand q6600, these will clock nicely to 3.3-3.5 with a decent cooler.(true/noctua)
 
metamorphpwner said:
go for intels, AMD are great but just not as good as Intel. well, it really depends what it's for.
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I find Intel are very good for tasks where you're drumming your fingers waiting for the machine to finish - video encoding, compiling code and the like. But for real-time stuff like gaming, web/office work, running VMs, etc, Phenoms tend to feel quicker and more responsive than the equivalent Intel, even if the benchmarks say they are a bit slower.
 
Not heard anything about the shanghai cpu's - and little about the deneb.

Since it's for a games-only rig (and my present rig is dreadfully slow with Age of Conan) I might have to go for the intel route, since there are precious few stable mobos with the 750 southbridge - and there's no precise date for the denebs.

If a decent SB750 mobo comes out within the next month, then I might go for an X2 650 and get a deneb when the prices settle down.

Otherwise it's probably the X48/C2D8400 - before the jerky frame rates drive me nuts:D
 
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