New computer, amd/intel?
polycounter lvl 20
dont want to start a fanboy war, just want an unbiased perspective on the two chipsets
So i'm looking to build a new computer and i was set with intel until i got a pretty awesome deal for an AMD barebones kit in my email today. I'm just wondering if i'l have any major compatibility issues with anything, or if my system is going to require any additional monitoring that would otherwise be unnecessary.
my last AMD build was well over 8 years ago and at the time it was fairly unstable, had lots of hardware conflicts ect...
i wont be overclocking or anything, just want a stable computer for work and games.
i'd just go with the intel, but shopping on a budget has me really considering amd now
So i'm looking to build a new computer and i was set with intel until i got a pretty awesome deal for an AMD barebones kit in my email today. I'm just wondering if i'l have any major compatibility issues with anything, or if my system is going to require any additional monitoring that would otherwise be unnecessary.
my last AMD build was well over 8 years ago and at the time it was fairly unstable, had lots of hardware conflicts ect...
i wont be overclocking or anything, just want a stable computer for work and games.
i'd just go with the intel, but shopping on a budget has me really considering amd now
Replies
I hear ATI driver support hasn't gotten much better since they've been bought out and program compatibility with applications like Max, Maya and UDK are fairly common ATI issues. But there are probably people running those parts just fine, but it seems like if someone is going to have problems, they are running AMD/ATI...
AMD/ATI have pretty much lost the tech war and more than likely are kept around just to fend off monopoly lawsuits... I could be wrong but I think most of the work stations in the industry are Intel/Nvidia (that could be my personal experience/bias creeping in...)
I think you could probably go Intel/Nvidia on the cheap, you just don't go bleeding edge and you could be fine. But then I think any system around $1,000 is a good middle of the road workhorse. Going too much higher and you're just paying over inflated prices that will come down in 3mo.
CPU $219.99
Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core
MotherBoard $128.99
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
Memory $99.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133
Video Card $169.99
EVGA 01G-P3-1372-TR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) Superclocked 1GB
Case, $60-$100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007583%20600006302&IsNodeId=1&name=ATX%20Mid%20Tower
Power Supply $109.99
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W
Grand Total $800
(Depending on what you already have available, monitor, mouse, keyboard, DVD drive, windows bla bla bla).
Of course you will want to double check all of these parts for compatibility and probably research them a bit more than what I did by selecting best rated and choosing what looked like the best deal...
You could also probably take some minor dips in performance and drop the price lower.
The Power Supply would be the first piece I would look to save a bit on. Without compromising quality or quietness you probably want to run these parts thought a PSU calculator and find out exactly what your needs would be, I guessed at 650w but it could be under that.
The memory would be next to be trimmed back. You could get less ram to start with, and upgrade later. However I find its a bit of a pain in the ass to find the right kind of ram, and a bit unstable to mix and match brands when upgrading ram later. I normally dump all of the old ram and buy all new just so I don't run into conflicts. So getting enough now could be a smart move, it doesn't seem that expensive.
The CPU would be next, there are a few lower priced quad cores that would probably be more than enough power for whatever you plan to build that is game related, especially if its just props or characters.
Since i've already got my nvidia gpu i think i'l just have to stick with intel and pay a bit more.
As it is now i've got a nice 650w psu that has treated me well for the last few years so i'l just drop that in from my old system, so using those part recomendations i'm sitting around what i was going to spend on the amd system anyways, thanks again!
I don't mind paying a bit more for those two pieces if they keep things cool, quite and are durable.
Oh and one thing to note, the motherboard and cpu you stated mark don´t fit together.
The CPU is socket 1156 and the motherboard is 1155.
$320ish I7 2600K ~10,000
$220ish I5 760 ~4,500
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
Good for a quick look, these CPUs are about the same price, the 2500/2600K are the updated versions. Its not really worth getting an I5/I7 XXX unless you can get it really cheap or something, as the I5 2500K and I7 2600K are bargains for price/performance. The 2600K is even on par with the sub-$1000 I7 980 etc.
Sandybridge is where its at.
Intel/Nvidia is always my recommendation for a stable workstation build.
core i5 2500
GA-P67-DS3-B3
2x4 GB Kingston DDR3 1600
And yes from my little research looks like Intel is the way to go for the cpu if you are looking for a stable workstation.
Intel+Nvidia is going to allow you to do more than pairing up with amd+ati, Cuda is really nice to have expecailly when you need to get some AO and maps baked out right fast.
I'm looking at the 2500k and 2600k CPU's - they overclock very nicely too, with little effort and no extra parts\money spent.
Currently, I have ATI in my desktop and nVidia in my laptop and both run perfect.
Haven't tried the latest max, so can't comment on their stability with it.
I've used many cards over the years from both companies and there have been ups and downs with both.
This time around I will be grabbing an nvidia card; The swaying factor for me is stereoscopic gaming support. (to be used with Sony HMZ-T1 Visors!) :P