EggXpert

Hello about a month or so i made athread about making a amd phenom ii x4 based pc. Now reading the news that amd will discontinue phenom i would like some input as to whether or not i should still proceed with that build or switch to intels i7 ... im under the budget of atleast $500-$700 i will only be needing a Case , Mobo , RAM , PSU, vid card.. as i alrdy have a dell monitor, hard drive, dvd burner , mouse/keyboard. I will be running Win7 Ultimate

 

Also this pc will be used for occasional light gaming ( warcraft 3 ROC) and mainly used for performance i.e browsing the net / DLing movies / Viewing movies/ DLing Music /listing to music / Viewing photos / Occasional photo editing with photoshop / streaming movies to xbox360 i think thats mainly it.

Well its like this your budget does not allow for a 1366 i7 build and the 1156 i5/i7 builds will head the same wat as the Pii X4 within 1-2 years, so I would say if you have the time wait till after Xmas and see what is developing or else go on with the originial build knowing that if parts should go bad the replacements that are particular to those CPUs will be hard to find and expensive.

are you sure? i mean can someone actually really help me trying to piece together a build to see what the total will actually come out to? everything doesnt need to be bought from new egg as i see the core i7 920 its $200 at microcenter so can someone please take the time to actually help and give advice. TIA

 

 also with black friday coming up im hoping somethings will be on sale which is why i would someone help me piece things together so i know what items to look for to see if their on sale or not

I pieced one together before I made my other post and even going with cheap parts which I would not recomend put you close to the budget + S&H although the rebates if honored by those manufacturers would bring it down to just over $600 + S&H. The quality parts would carry you over budget by about $80 + S&H.

 Mobo=$145-$200

CPU=$200

VC=$125-$180

RAM=$85-$120

Case=$30-$80

Now you could cut back to a 4670 1gig VC, and go for an OCZ 550watt PSU then get a cheap case would allow you to get a fair quality mobo for the build. Other than doing stuff like this you would be better off going with the original build.

PSU=$40-$80

Ok well im also reading up that the new cpus AMD comes out with will be backwards compatible. So althought the phenom ii x4 will be discontinued due to remodelling of the cpu making more enrgey efficient one all the hardware it needs will still be compatible with future builds.

Can any1 else help me on this topic so i can future proof my build and also help get the specs down.. i mean i appreciate ur help hoghauler but im just not getting the answers i would like..something along the lines of more in detail

You can't build anything that's guaranteed future proof at this point..

If AMD's fusion is successful, we can expect AM3 to die off at the end of next year. 

If not, we might see a few more years out of AM3, and yes I've heard that there are 6-core CPUs for AM3, however AMD's roadmap still shows that AM3 will never be taken any smaller than 45nm..  Take that as you will, but that pretty much means that the 6-core CPUs that will be released for AM3 (if they're going to be released) will be clocked quite low per core, most likely much lower than the clocks on existing quad-cores.

Intel will be releasing 32nm chips *very* soon for both Socket 1156 and 1366 and they'll just reaffirm Intel's leadership in the high end market..  Which will be a significant improvement over their current lineup across the board and the i3/i5s lineup will become their entire Entry level market and you'll be seeing them in budget Wal-Mart PCs <$400 by the middle of next year.

 Keep in mind though, that Intel has a terrible tendancy to force motherboard replacements every couple of years if you want to keep in the game..It won't be long before SATA 3.0 and USB 3.0 come out, so you might want to wait for that before you make your motherboard purchase.. On the AMD side, we have the SB8850 that should be out within a month or two and pretty much the same thing on the Intel side but with Intel chipsets which are really just identical to the previous Intel chipset except they support SATA 3.0 and USB 3.0 and those should be out at pretty much the same time as Intel's new 32nm chips.. 

The current 1156 and 1366 Intel motherboards should be able to take BIOS updates to run the 32nm chips, but won't be able to run SATA 3.0 and USB 3.0 without a motherboard upgrade..

Also note that USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0 are also achievable through add-in PCI Express cards..

Well here is what cheap build would be.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157163 Mobo $170 + fs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811162037 Case & PSU $50

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 CPU $289

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.280035 VC & RAM $182

Grand Total = $691 + S&H

thank you for the detailed answer essentially now what i need to know is... if i decide to go with a amd phenom II x4 955 build what issues could i possibly be looking to run into further along the road as well as compatability with future products

Worse case scenario AMD's R&D could make a breakthru on something that requires a whole new mobo chipset and RAM, the more likely is they get lazy and just stick with what they have and make the 6 core CPU compatable with the AM3 mobos and RAM. Then it will just depend on what the VC and RAM companies come up with over the next few years.

thanks. well if you were in my shoes what would you do? keeping in mind Black fridays possible deals. and the AMD setup..

 

I would wait for BF fine tunning my build with combo deals and any improvements that can be made while still staying within your budget and get the AMD build with the best quality parts you can.

please refer to my original 1st post to what i will be using the PC for and what would be the difference for my uses between the phenom II x3 720 and x4 955....

 the pc i have now is fairly new bought in 06/07 its a Dell Dimension e521 AMD Athlon^TM  64 X2 dual-core and the main reason i want to build my own is for the experience as well as to just have a better smooth running faster upgradable overall machine

 

EDIT: i made this post before i saw your response thanks i will deff do that for the BF deals.. also the pc i have now is barely upgradable.

I would wait for Black friday also, and in that budget range, definitely go with AMD as you can get a 2.6 Ghz quad-core for $99. Then you can spend the money elsewhere, like on quality components, more hard drive space, and tons of low latency DDR3-1333 memory, flash memory for Windows7 ReadyBoost (it is far more flexible than Vista in that you can really pile it on). The extra money for the Phenom IIs aren't worth it if you're not an overclocker, IMO..

Yea definitely i am waiting for black Friday which is why i held off last month buildings for this month. I can agree on that i dont plan on overclocking at all.. so what would you suggest for a build for myself?I just want a fast processor...  i am going to piece together some things and would like your input.i alrdy have OS win7 ultimate, mouse/keyboard , monitor ,dvd burner and a 500 gb HDD but i might want another..

CPU - AMD Phenom II x4  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674   $175.99

 HDD - not sure

Mobo - Gigabyte GA-MA-770T-UD3P  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392

Mobo/Combo with PSU Corsair 750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 $119.99

 

RAM- I see some combo's with the CPU but im not sure what ram to get.

 

 Vid Card- Not sure what i should really look for.

 

 Case- Coolmaster Storm scout http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196  $89.99 

 or cool master Haf 922 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

 $99.98

or Antec 900 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021  $89.99 with coupon code

 

That PSU is a waste of money if you don't get an SLI/Crossfire motherboard as you'll never use anywhere near 750 watts.. Even if you fill every slot and plug on that motherboard.. In fact, going too high can kill your AC->DC efficiency, you want to keep it above 50% PSU usage for starters and that leaves you plenty of upgrade room without losing power efficiency in the PSU.. Depending on what graphics card you get, you could end up at below 200 watts which is not a good place to be on an efficiency curve of a 750 watt PSU..

 As for RAM, I'm running G.Skill, Mushkin and Corsair on AM2+ and AM3 boards and they all work fine..  Stick to dual-channel kits..

As far as the vid card, that depends on how much gaming you're going to do.. From what you explained, not very much.. So a 4770 with 512MB would be the way to go, though you might want to consider a 5750 for DX11 support..

ok well between the phenom II x3 720 and the phenom II x4 955 which way should i go? as far as the PSU what amound of watts should i reach for and for the ram this is the ram i selected not sure if its compatible as the mobo doesnt list 1600...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

I am also choosing the Antec 900 case.

Ill still keept he same Mobo.. Also i looked at the 5750 theres only 1 saphhire with ratings.. in the future i plan on using 2 monitors what Vid card would be best for handle 2 monitors..

 

I really appreciate the time your taking to give me suggestions and ur input on things i know im prolly being a pain in the a**.

 

 

any ideas?

If your budget permits stick with the 955 if noy there are several ways to unlock the 4th core on that 720 as for the RAM yes it is compatable but with CAS timings of 9 you could do better. Sidicas is right about the PSU if you stick with the single PCIe X16 2.0 slot 550-650 is more than enough.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227297 RAM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010090058&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=1314%3A14179%2C1314%3A14178%2C1315%3A9966%2C2954%3A18939%2C2954%3A18938&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=False&CompareItemList=N82E16817341022%2CN82E16817341001%2CN82E16817341010%2CN82E16817341017 PSUs

any other RAM with better ratings those have not been rated so well. and ok ill stay within that PSU range .. also ill see what the total comes out 2 around black friday and i will purcahse either the 955 or the 720 prolly the 955 tho. Also is OCZ a good brand? i was also looking at corsair PSU's

 

also if you can advise what type of graphics card would be able to handle 2 monitors at once.

As long as the ram is listed on the QVL there should be no problems, the lower the CAS timings the better it is for the rigg. Yes OCZ is a good brand though some models are better than others and Corsair is a very good brand PSU.

It would depend on what monitors you are using and their resolution, the newer VCs need a minimum of 1920 X 1080 resolution to take advantage of the VC's abilities although some of the 1680 X 1050 will work but only to a point.

http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/FileList/MemorySupport/mb_memory_ga-ma770t-ud3p.pdf

Ok so i picked a corsair psu.. and i will give the specs for my current monitor a little later wen i get home . but  i will prolly get a identical monitor i dont really want 2 diff monitors with 2 diff specs and 2 diff compatibility issues...

Would getting a SSD hard drive and only installing the Win 7 OS files on it increase speed and performance? And just use the 500gb that i have for installing programs and all other stuff. i will also look for some ram and post it later.

No the way that works is you put the OS and programs on the SSD and use the 500gig HDD for storage such as music, pictures, videos, backup and your paging files. Be careful with the RAM a lot of the DDR3 RAM is being made for the P55 mobos and may not be compatable with any others and watch out for the timings a CAS latency of 7 is better than 8 or 9.

yea gotcha thats what i ment i guess i just got a little confused .. hhm any tips on a good SSD?

 as for my monitor its a Dell SE198WFP(analog) and can reach 1440 x 900 which is my current resolution setting. so im looking for a monitor with similiar settings .. What vid card would you suggest that can handle 2 monitors with these type of settings.

 this is the PSU i selected. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

 For the ram im going to go ahead and keep the one you chose for me as per the others they need some manual configuration i would like to avoid as much hassle as possible.. plus it comes with a free 4gb flash drive.

This is my cart so far without the SSD and vid card..  total with tax $589.55 hoping i can maybe lower that when black friday comes.

 

	quantity of item 1	GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813128392Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Protect Your Investment (expand for options13-128-392|hide options13-128-392) Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info13-128-392.0.18) 1 year: $10.99 2 year: $16.99	-$5.00 Instant $10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card13-128-392	$84.99$79.99
select item 2	quantity of item 2	CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail Item #: N82E16817139005Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Protect Your Investment (expand for options17-139-005|hide options17-139-005) Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info17-139-005.0.18) 1 year: $10.99 2 year: $16.99	-$60.00 Instant $20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card17-139-005	$159.99$99.99
select item 3	quantity of item 3	OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P16004GK - Retail Item #: N82E16820227297Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy		$115.99
	1	OCZ Diesel 4GB Single Channel Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model OCZUSBDSL4G - Retail Item #: N82E16820227331Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy	-$13.99 Saving	$13.99$0.00
select item 5	quantity of item 5	AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail Item #: N82E16819103674Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811129021Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy

The main tip is you want those with the fastest read and write speeds and a minimum of 60gigs of space that should cover all the basics and these start around $200 and up.

That resolution will not cut it with the newer VCs you could almost drop back to the HD2900XT series or a low 3450 series and still that resolution would limit you. You would be far better off cutting your loses and get at least a 1920 X 1080 resolution monitor they start at $150 and 21.5".

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150636%201421541071%201421330854&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=N82E16820227461%2CN82E16820233092%2CN82E16820148318 SSDs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=2010190020&OEMMark=0&PropertyCodeValue=1099%3A17843&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=False&CompareItemList=N82E16824005123%2CN82E16824236053%2CN82E16824236067%2CN82E16824009157%2CN82E16824009175 Monitors

ok ill hold off on the SSD's now as for my monitor i mean nothing will be compatible cards wont even work on my monitor? its a flat panel and it still works really well nice and clear for my pc right now atleast i dont just want to get rid of it..