AMD vs Intel - or - How I got my first build (+little what's what on PC parts)

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

A friend of mine sent me this list of components for a new PC. Thought I ask you guys what you think about it:

• Intel Pentium G3420 2x3.2GHz
• ASRock H87M Pro4 micro-ATX
• Crucial Ballistix Sport Series 8GB DDR3 1600 CL9
• be quiet! Pure Power L8 500W ATX
• XFX Radeon R7 250X Core Edition 1GB GDDR5
• Western Digital Blue 1TB
• Windows 8 64bit
• AeroCool DS Red Edition micro-ATX

All together it would be about 580€. Do think this is okay or can I get get about the same performance for a cheaper price?

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130, 2x 3.40GHz, tray (CM8064601483615) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €93,90
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 (90-MXGPE0-A0UAYZ) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €62,89
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Windforce 2X OC, 1GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort (GV-N65TBOC-1GD) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €129,30
RAM: G.Skill Ares DIMM Kit 8GB, DDR3-1600, CL9-9-9-24 (F3-1600C9D-8GAB) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €64,90
HDD: http://geizhals.at/western-digital-wd-blue-1tb-wd10ezex-a795106.html €50,89
PSU: Sea Sonic S12II-520Bronze 520W ATX 2.2 Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €56,85
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite schwarz (S210E-001) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €50,67
OS: Microsoft: Windows 8.1 64Bit, DSP/SB (deutsch) (PC) (WN7-00619) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €79,66
TOTAL: €589,06

EDITED: Forgot the HDD addition.

This build will definitely top the one you suggested, and for only €10 more (before tax). I'll look at a Pentium build in a moment and see how that changes things.

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

It looks good, but it is without HDD ... and with increased cost for CPU and GPU ... well, it is his choice what ever

 

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Yeah, I didn't include the HDD at first, because I was thinking he could re-use his. I forgot to add it in with the OS. However, once I do, the price should be about on-par with the one he just asked about. The thing is, I don't know if there IS an increased CPU and GPU cost. He didn't give prices for his build, only a list of the parts and the total cost, which was higher for a Pentium and R7 250, which are weaker than the i3 and 650 Ti BOOST I included here.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

CPU: Intel Pentium G3420, 2x 3.20GHz, boxed (BX80646G3420) Preisvergleich | Geizhals Österreich €57,75
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 (90-MXGPE0-A0UAYZ) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €62,89
GPU: Sapphire Radeon R7 260X OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, lite retail (11222-06-20G) Preisvergleich | Geizhals Österreich €113,11
RAM: G.Skill Ares DIMM Kit 8GB, DDR3-1600, CL9-9-9-24 (F3-1600C9D-8GAB) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €64,90
HDD: Western Digital WD Blue 1TB, 64MB Cache, SATA 6Gb/s (WD10EZEX) Preisvergleich | Geizhals Österreich €50,89
PSU: Sea Sonic S12II-520Bronze 520W ATX 2.2 Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €56,85
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite schwarz (S210E-001) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €50,67
OS: Microsoft: Windows 8.1 64Bit, DSP/SB (deutsch) (PC) (WN7-00619) Preisvergleich | Geizhals ?–sterreich €79,66
TOTAL: €536.72

That gets you about €50 under the price your friend gave you, and the GPU is a couple of small steps above the one he suggested (the 250X). Going to the 250X would only save you another €5, while taking a pretty significant chunk of power from your GPU (about 15 FPS).

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

That gets you about €50 under the price your friend gave you, and the GPU is a couple of small steps above the one he suggested (the 250X). Going to the 250X would only save you another €5, while taking a pretty significant chunk of power from your GPU (about 15 FPS).

This configuration looks pretty amazing (regarding the parts AND the price). But I think I'll take a different case (not much of case modder myself but I'm kinda tired of all those black blocks).
Also I'll have to pay a bit more for the parts since not every store with cheap prices is trustworthy (or aren't nearby - I don't have a car - and don't offer a suitable option for paying - I also don't have a credit card). So for example, the RAM would be about 20€ more (and it's the biggest increase I could find among the single parts) but it adds up and will most likely be at 570-580 again :-(

But hey, I finally have a configuration I think I will be happy with for at least a year!

Thanks for the help, guys! (especially Keith Wallace, Jarip and Jan Tomsic!!!)

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

This configuration looks pretty amazing (regarding the parts AND the price). But I think I'll take a different case (not much of case modder myself but I'm kinda tired of all those black blocks).
Also I'll have to pay a bit more for the parts since not every store with cheap prices is trustworthy (or aren't nearby - I don't have a car - and don't offer a suitable option for paying - I also don't have a credit card). So for example, the RAM would be about 20€ more (and it's the biggest increase I could find among the single parts) but it adds up and will most likely be at 570-580 again :-(

But hey, I finally have a configuration I think I will be happy with for at least a year!

Thanks for the help, guys! (especially Keith Wallace, Jarip and Jan Tomsic!!!)

Just want say you, that do not cut GPU - chose Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB GDDR5 or Gigabyte Geforce GTX 650 Ti !!! - like Keith suggested ...

If you have to cut something, 4 Gb RAM is enough (you might save 25-30 EUR) ... well, a case is up to you, but do not pay too much for a case - even very old case make a job, you can always paint it (laugh) ....

 

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Well, you might look at some different RAM choices, if the price hike is that high to find a retailer you'd want to deal with. Look at the G.Skill Ares, G.Skill RipJaws (Z/X), Corsair Vengeance, and Crucial Ballistix. See what they offer at 1600 Mhz, CL-9, and 8 GB. Just pick the cheapest of those four, all are reputable RAM companies. Not sure if filters link properly on that site, but here's how I was searching:

Speicher mit Einzelmodulgröße: 8GB, Speichertakt ab 1600MHz, CAS Latency (CL): 9, Mindestspannung: 1.50V, Maximalspannung: 1.50V Preisvergleich | Geizhals Österreich

Without knowing the retailers to trust, I can't pick the best price. Also, for the case, I wasn't sure what, if anything, you'd care about for design. I personally can't stand white cases, but I get that a plain, black one's pretty boring. I'd suggest looking at NZXT, Corsair, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Fractal, and Antec. I personally have a Rosewill Blackhawk, but it's a pricey case, and they're not a listed brand on that site, so I imagine that they don't have their stuff sold in your country.

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

The biggest trouble will be choosing a case. I really want a case that looks nice (can be black but I don't want a block). Plus I have to keep certain measures in mind (about 20x40x40cm wide x length x depth) and it would be nice if the openings for the fans on the side were on the right side or front, back and top.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

I don't think you're going to get a ride-sided case. I don't know of any off-hand with it, because it would mean flipping the side of the case that the motherboard mounts on, then flipping the montherboard itself over, so the video card still faces the backside.

Here's the only one I could find somewhat quickly: Newegg.com - SilverStone RAVEN RV04B-W Black Reinforced plastic outer shell, steel body ATX Full Tower Computer Case

That exceeds all of the requested dimensions, though. Getting your fans on the right side is likely going to mean turning the case around. It'll probably be easier and cheaper than a case with the fans on the right.

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Yeah, the best way will probably be to choose a case where the fans are on the front an in the back.

But it seems I have to choose a different mainboard because I read that the ASRock requires an adapter to work (some 4pin to 8pin stuff or the other way around).

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Yeah, the best way will probably be to choose a case where the fans are on the front an in the back.

But it seems I have to choose a different mainboard because I read that the ASRock requires an adapter to work (some 4pin to 8pin stuff or the other way around).

If you are not overclocking, a single ordinary fan anywhere is just OK (to get air out from a case) ...

Can you explain or give a link for that Asrock adapter case ? - I do not think that there is need for any adapter ...

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

I read about it on Amazon.de in the reviews.

"Ein weiteres Ph?nomen ist der 8Pin Anschluss auf dem Mainboard. Zwar gen?gen bei der o.g. CPU die 12V auf dem 4Pin, dennoch startete das Board erst als ich einen 4Pin auf 8Pin Adapter genutz habe.
?rgerlich, weil im Handbuch deutlich stand das 4Pin ausreichend sind"

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

I read about it on Amazon.de in the reviews.

"Ein weiteres Ph?nomen ist der 8Pin Anschluss auf dem Mainboard. Zwar gen?gen bei der o.g. CPU die 12V auf dem 4Pin, dennoch startete das Board erst als ich einen 4Pin auf 8Pin Adapter genutz habe.
?rgerlich, weil im Handbuch deutlich stand das 4Pin ausreichend sind"

If I understand this right, he has had very old PSU ... but you are ordering a new PSU, so your PSU is just fine with Asrock motherboard ....

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Here's the full review + the used components this guy used. Couldn't properly copy & paste at work:

Ich nutze dieses Mainboard nun seit 2 Monaten und es l?uft nach wie vor sehr stabil.
Hier meine Konfiguration:

AsRock H87m Pro4
Intel Core i5 4570
8GB DDR3 von Corsair
GTX730 von Nvidia
Samsung EVO 256GB SSD
BeQuiet 500W

Folgendes Zubeh?r liegt dem Mainboard bei:
I/O Blende
Handbuch
2x SATA Kabel

Das Layout des Mainboards ist gut und alle Anschl?sse sind gut zu erreichen. Auch die Beschriftung auf dem Board ist deutlich zu erkennen.

Sehr praktisch ist das UEFI. Hier lassen sich alle relevanten Einstellungen per Maus und Tastatur vornehmen.

Was zu beachten ist, ist die Arbeitsspeicher Kompatibilit?t. Hier lohnt es sich vorher auf der Hersteller Website zu pr?fen ob alles passt.

Ein weiteres Ph?nomen ist der 8Pin Anschluss auf dem Mainboard. Zwar gen?gen bei der o.g. CPU die 12V auf dem 4Pin, dennoch startete das Board erst als ich einen 4Pin auf 8Pin Adapter genutz habe.
?rgerlich, weil im Handbuch deutlich stand das 4Pin ausreichend sind.

Ich nutze den Standard Intel K?hler, gr??ere K?hler (wie zB Alpenf?n) k?nnten Probleme beim Einbau bereiten.

Alles im allem l?uft das Mainboard sehr stabil und bietet viel f?r den Preis. USB 3 Anschl?sse (R?ckseite und Front) sind ebenso ?ppig vorhanden wie USB 2, SATA, Videoanschl?sse usw.

Noch als Tipp:
Beim Einbau der CPU sollte man sich Zeit nehmen, da die Sockel-Pins sehr schnell verbiegen und das Board dann besch?digt wird.

Ich hoffe die Rezension war hilfreich.

According to a PSU watt calculator the used PSU should be sufficient.

For the non-German speaking guys here:
His problem was that he thought the 4pin 12v would be sufficient for is i5-4570 CPU but the PC wouldn't start until he put a 4pin-connector on the cable and used the 8pin.

So, is this something unusual or was it his mistake?

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Here's the full review + the used components this guy used. Couldn't properly copy & paste at work:



According to a PSU watt calculator the used PSU should be sufficient.

For the non-German speaking guys here:
His problem was that he thought the 4pin 12v would be sufficient for is i5-4570 CPU but the PC wouldn't start until he put a 4pin-connector on the cable and used the 8pin.

So, is this something unusual or was it his mistake?

A new PSU should have an 8 pin plug (or 4+4, but not just 4 pin), just like your motherboard (a socket for 8 pin CPU power) ... I have understood that it should work even if you have 4 pin CPU plug (for 8 pin connector), but not guaranteed (I have no personal experience about that) ... I am sure that Seasonic PSU has 8 pin (or 4+4) CPU plug, but I am not sure the other one, "BeQuiet" PSU - I do not know that PSU, but Seasonic is well know high quality PSU brand ....

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Here is a nice PSU too: XFX 650W Ultra Quiet 80 Plus Gold PSU (P1-650G-TS3X) - BT Shop

I just read that it is Seasonic OEM (made by Seasonic) ....

Well, I think that "Be Quiet" is OK too - review here: http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/58...80-plus-bronze-power-supply-review/index.html

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

The XFX is quite expensive in my country.

Will I be able to upgrade my gpu and the psu will still be sufficient with 500w?

 

[Keith Wallace]

Re: AMD vs Intel

What you can do is go to pcpartpicker.com and plug your parts in that you have now. It has an estimated wattage feature, and then you can swap in the new GPU in the parts list, so you can see the difference in power consumption. Without know which GPU you'd like to upgrade, I don't know for sure how much power you'd need.

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Just did the first part of my shopping tour and bought the mainboard (ASRock H87 Pro4), the SSD (Samsung 840 Evo 120GB) and the OS (Windows 8.1 x64 Home Premium).

Tomorrow I'll go and buy the rest, meaning CPU (i3-4130), PSU (most likely the SeaSonic S12II-520), the RAM (not decided yet, but most likely 2x4GB) and the GPU (just found a XFX R9 270X Double Dissipation Edition). The case will consider more research.

Regarding the GPU: will it pushmy builds performance or is it too powerful? I thought I'd choose this one over the R7 260X because I found it for 110€.

 

[Jarip]

Re: AMD vs Intel

Just did the first part of my shopping tour and bought the mainboard (ASRock H87 Pro4), the SSD (Samsung 840 Evo 120GB) and the OS (Windows 8.1 x64 Home Premium).

Tomorrow I'll go and buy the rest, meaning CPU (i3-4130), PSU (most likely the SeaSonic S12II-520), the RAM (not decided yet, but most likely 2x4GB) and the GPU (just found a XFX R9 270X Double Dissipation Edition). The case will consider more research.

Regarding the GPU: will it pushmy builds performance or is it too powerful? I thought I'd choose this one over the R7 260X because I found it for 110€.

About GPU XFX R9 270X, is it used one ? - it is too cheap to be a new one - is there any valid warranty for it ? - have you right to return it ?

There is no such thing as too powerful GPU, just too pricey ones