AMD FX-8350 or I5-4670k Gaming PC.

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kage

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Next week I will be building a gaming pc and I'm on a budget. My budget is $1300. Here are the parts that I require:
1. CPU - AMD FX-8350 or i5-4670k
2. GPU - GTX 770 or AMD 7970
3. Power supply - 750 to 850 Watt Modular
4. Memory - 8 GB
5. Motherboard Brand - Asus (I had bad luck with Gigabyte). For i5 it must have the C2 stepping. Please note I require the USB 3.0 header on the MB to have it pins facing up.
6. SSD - 120 GB for boot drive and OS
7. HD - 1 TB for games
8. CPU Cooler

I have the Corsair 400r Case and an Asus 21.5" monitor. Please recommend the parts for my build.
 
AMD cant compete against any intel cpu. Ive got the i5 4670k with a gigabyte z87x-ud4h from microcenter that when bought toghether knocks off another 40 bucks. ive never had issues with gigabyte but i had issues with asus before strange......8-16 gigs of ram ddr3 1600 or 1866 is good enough. PSU always buy moar than what you need id go 850.nvidia 770 is teh pwnage right now but amd release's new gpu in oct with bf4 so thats a tough call there.everything zounds good to me Happy Gaming :D
 
Agreed, get the Intel CPU.

I also had problems with Asus refusing RMA on a new board, Gigabytes RMA was great.
Asus try and land you with the responsibility of proving that you didnt cause the problem if they cant work out what happened, there was a terrible thread about this about a month ago.
If there is any doubt, they blame you.

Get a Corsair AX or Seasonic 760W/750W psu.
I prefer NVidia gfx cards as AMD/ATI havent impressed me in the past.
8GB ram 1600MHz or quicker. Get faster speed only if it doesnt cost much more, the ram timings matter very little with latest Intel CPUs.
If you can afford the Samsung 840 pro SSD, its great.
You may as well get a 2TB or larger hard drive as they dont cost much more than a 1TB drive.
 
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
6) Will you be overclocking?
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? UEFI? etc.

Also, which Asus 21.5" monitor do you have? Are you planning on getting a larger monitor soon? What games are you planning to play?
 
Please answer my earlier questions so that we have a better idea of what to actually recommend to you.
 
Dangman said:
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
6) Will you be overclocking?
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? UEFI? etc.

Also, which Asus 21.5" monitor do you have? Are you planning on getting a larger monitor soon? What games are you planning to play?
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1. I live in the USA. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
2. I will to some light overclocking.
3. Motherboard features - USB 3 header pins must be facing up, USB 3, SATA 6 Gb/s, giid onboard sound, and any standard features that the motherboard has.


I have the Asus VS229H-P IPS monitor. I will be playing FPS, action, and simulations.
 
Ok..here's what I'd do:
Get Biostar Hi-Fi z87x instead of hero (You said light overclocking..will be fine)More than fine actually..It's a nice board. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138380
Get better RAM..@ least 2133 kit, probably a 2x8 module one 2133-2600 ..will probably suck up the $$ saved from cheaper mobo.Here..lemme see what i see..
I see these;I like them :)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148560 clock almost like Hypers..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231621 These should be Samsungs..I hope..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226426 These will be the Hynix..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313325 also Hynix..CAS 10

That way you get much better performance-per-dollar. :)
Oh..and I vote for 7970 :D
 
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schmuckley said:
Ok..here's what I'd do:
Get Biostar Hi-Fi z87x instead of hero (You said light overclocking..will be fine)More than fine actually..It's a nice board. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138380
Get better RAM..@ least 2133 kit, probably a 2x8 module one 2133-2600 ..will probably suck up the $$ saved from cheaper mobo.Here..lemme see what i see..
I see these;I like them :)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148560 clock almost like Hypers..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231621 These should be Samsungs..I hope..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226426 These will be the Hynix..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313325 also Hynix..CAS 10

That way you get much better performance-per-dollar. :)
Oh..and I vote for 7970 :D
Click to expand...

Nothing more than DDR3 1600 is needed. It has been shown time and time again with SB/IB/ + anything more just cost more money. Doesnt really increase performance at all, especially if your rig is mostly for gaming.

That said, I would stick with DDR3 1600 and buy a better mobo.
 
If you can find Kingston DDR3 2400MHz for the same money, you may as well get that.
It may stand you in good stead for a future CPU upgrade.
 
jmilcher said:
Nothing more than DDR3 1600 is needed. It has been shown time and time again with SB/IB/ + anything more just cost more money. Doesnt really increase performance at all, especially if your rig is mostly for gaming.

That said, I would stick with DDR3 1600 and buy a better mobo.
Click to expand...

Wrong..There's an increase of 8 GFLOPS going from 1333 to 2133 RAM.
and this is Haswell;It will run higher RAM.

8 GFLOPS may not sound like much..but it IS a definite,noticeable increase in performance.It's the difference between an i7 920 and a 965 BE.
 
schmuckley said:
Wrong..There's an increase of 8 GFLOPS going from 1333 to 2133 RAM.
and this is Haswell;It will run higher RAM.

8 GFLOPS may not sound like much..but it IS a definite,noticeable increase in performance.It's the difference between an i7 920 and a 965 BE.
Click to expand...

For gaming, he's right, you don't need anything higher than 1600. To be honest, I can't tell the difference between 1600 cl8 and 2400 cl10, in any of my games.

It only makes a difference in synthetic benches.
 
Same here, I couldnt tell the difference when I changed from 1600MHz CL6 to 2400MHz CL11 when gaming.
The upgrade was a move from 4GB to 8GB btw.
 
schmuckley said:
Wrong..There's an increase of 8 GFLOPS going from 1333 to 2133 RAM.
and this is Haswell;It will run higher RAM.

8 GFLOPS may not sound like much..but it IS a definite,noticeable increase in performance.It's the difference between an i7 920 and a 965 BE.
Click to expand...
Now please provide articles Or links from a reputable site Or author that shows that higher speed RAM would actually provide a noticeable increase in real world apps and games, not synthetic benchmarks.
 
Ok..I'm thinking I can make that happen :D
I was just looking for some tests I did..
 
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LOL funny..I just ran across this :p
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7364/memory-scaling-on-haswell?fb_action_ids=10153283924195263&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210153283924195263%22%3A507494996007041}&action_type_map={%2210153283924195263%22%3A%22og.likes%22}&action_ref_map=[]

Looks like it proves me wrong.I still don't feel that way, though. :D
 
kage said:
1. I live in the USA. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Click to expand...
How far are you away from this Microcenter location?:
http://www.microcenter.com/site/stores/richardson.aspx
kage said:
2. I will to some light overclocking.
3. Motherboard features - USB 3 header pins must be facing up, USB 3, SATA 6 Gb/s, giid onboard sound, and any standard features that the motherboard has.
Click to expand...
Since you're only doing light overclocking and the fact that you haven't really stated any real feature requirements that would make getting that Asus Maximus VI Hero a good idea, you'll be fine with this cheaper Asus motherboard:
$140 - Asus Z87-A Intel Z87 Motherboard

In addition, since you haven't mentioned plans of a larger monitor OR multiple monitors OR SLI/CFX, I don't see a reason for you to get that Corsair PSU. You'll be fine with this lower wattage PSU:
$80 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU


schmuckley said:
LOL funny..I just ran across this :p
......
Looks like it proves me wrong.I still don't feel that way, though. :D
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Uh huh.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Mhhmm..Take a look @ what resolution he was doing that at :p
Who games @ 1360 X 768?
Biostar Hi-Fi Z87x =better and cheaper than Asus Z87-A

"The final discrete GPU test shows a small 5% difference from 1600 C11 to 2400 C11, although other kits perform roughly in the middle." -Ian Cutress
5% is some FPS..also would be more @ higher res and lower CAS.
 
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schmuckley said:
Biostar Hi-Fi Z87x =better and cheaper than Asus Z87-A.
Click to expand...
Where's your proof?
schmuckley said:
"The final discrete GPU test shows a small 5% difference from 1600 C11 to 2400 C11, although other kits perform roughly in the middle." -Ian Cutress
5% is some FPS..also would be more @ higher res and lower CAS.
Click to expand...
Again, show proof of that. If you can't show proof, don't recommend parts.
 
schmuckley said:
Okay? Do you have any benchmarks with a z-87-a?
..cuz I definitely have some with Hi-Fi z87x
Here's your proof: http://www.hwbot.org/submission/2419404_schmuckley_cpu_frequency_core_i5_4670k_6215.55_mhz
http://www.hwbot.org/submission/2424633_schmuckley_pcmark_2005_core_i5_4670k_56311_marks

Show me some HWbot subs that are good with Asus z87-a

It's a full-featured-with-more-phases board for cheaper;It is what it is
Click to expand...
Synthetic Benchmarks, really? That's all you have? That's basically all useless.

EDIT: Here's why I'm recommending the Asus Z87-A:
http://hardocp.com/article/2013/06/03/asus_z87a_lga_1150_motherboard_review/1
 
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Dangman said:
Synthetic Benchmarks, really? That's all you have? That's basically all useless.

EDIT: Here's why I'm recommending the Asus Z87-A:
http://hardocp.com/article/2013/06/03/asus_z87a_lga_1150_motherboard_review/1
Click to expand...

Useless? Let's see it done with a z87-A
The reason I say the Biostar is because it is a 12-phase board with quality components.
Z87-A is 6+2 phase.It might would pop if overclocked heavily.

Probably not;I'm not saying it's a bad board;just that there are better options for cheaper.

z87-A is a low-tier Asus product for more money
HiFi Z87x is a top-tier product for cheaper.
 
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All you've mentioned so far are the phases. Do you actually have articles or reviews showing emphatically that the Biostar mobo is actually of higher or equal quality to the Asus I linked? Or showing that it will arrive just as stable as HardOCP showed with their reivew of the Asus Z87-A? Or that its UEFI interface is as responsive as the Asus Z87-A as shown in the HardOCP review?

There's not even a single user review on Newegg for that mobo.
 
What do you know about motherboards,dude? seriously?
I could get you the datasheets;Somehow I don't think you would understand them.
Biostar uses superior components for the chokes/VRMs.It also has more of them.This=more overclocking headroom and stability.
The UEFI is not as lush as Asus's, but it IS adequate.Everything is there.
It has everything one would need to push a chip to its limits,and nice sound, too.
PS:Stop trolling me,bai.
Here's something you might should read: http://www.overclock.net/t/943109/about-vrms-mosfets-motherboard-safety-with-125w-tdp-processors/0_100
It applies to all motherboards.
http://www.overclock.net/t/943109/a...erboard-safety-with-125w-tdp-processors/0_100
 
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schmuckley said:
What do you know about motherboards,dude? seriously?
I could get you the datasheets;Somehow I don't think you would understand them.
Biostar uses superior components for the chokes/VRMs.It also has more of them.This=more overclocking headroom and stability.
Click to expand...
Again, do you actually have actual proof that shows specifically the Biostar HiFi Z87x being a good motherboard? I've read enough datasheets to know that actually well done reviews still trumps theoretical or unproven statements. I have already provided one well written review about the Asus. You have yet to provide a review or article showing that the Biostar specifically is better than the Asus. You did say this:

schmuckley said:
Biostar Hi-Fi Z87x =better and cheaper than Asus Z87-A
Click to expand...
Now show that the Biostar is better than the Asus. Show that the Biostar is just as or better stable and reliable (both in non-overclocked and overclocked manners) than the Asus. The difference is $20. I have clearly shown that the Asus Z87-A motherboard is a solid motherboard. Not only have you not shown that the Biostar HiFi Z87x is a solid motherboard, you have also not shown that it is better than the Asus Z87-A outside of cost.

schmuckley said:
PS:Stop trolling me,bai.
Click to expand...
I didn't know asking people to back up their statements with actual facts, data, and articles was considered trolling nowadays. :D
 
schmuckley said:
I've shown you facts;However you are oblivious to them.
Click to expand...
I have already addressed those "facts" and why they're invalid to this. "Oblivious" is the wrong word to use here if I have actually noted and addressed those "facts". Clearly, I am aware of those "facts". Otherwise, how could I have addressed them?
 
Fact 1:There are ZERO examples of z87-a handling anything more than very basic overclocking.
Here's an example from the [h] review:
1370264146brlwfrVoWi_7_1_l.gif
There aren't any examples
of that board being able to push a chip past air/water clocks.
Fact 2 : There ARE examples Hi-Fi Z87x handling extreme overclocking and voltage.

2834384.png

show_oc.php

http://www.hwbot.org/submission/2390950_namegt_pifast_core_i5_4670k_10.98_sec
http://www.hwbot.org/submission/2390586_namegt_cpu_frequency_core_i7_4770k_6635.24_mhz
http://www.hwbot.org/submission/2419411_schmuckley_superpi___1m_core_i5_4670k_6sec_47ms
Fact 3:Biostar board has more phases than the z87-a:

bFVkBDY.jpg


Gbw75Uo.jpg

Fact 4: The Hi-fi z87x costs less than Asus z87-a by more than $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138380
 
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Fact 1: 4.6Ghz is still a respectable overclock from an Haswell CPU. Not to mention that the OP has not mentioned any plans to do any heavy overclocking. So 4.6Ghz is fine.

Fact 2: Not relevent since the OP is not going to be using Liquid nitrogen to overclock.

Fact 3: Yes it has more phases. But you still haven't shown that the motherboard will actually be more stable under regular usage than the Asus. As I have said earlier, I've seen plenty of motherboards in the past with more phases than other motherboards out there yet are significantly more unstable. eVGA mobos being a good example of that.

Fact 4: Let's do some math: Newegg has the Asus Z87-A for $139.99. The Biostar Hi-Fi Z87X is $119.99. $139.99 minus 119.99 equals $20 exactly. So no, the Biostar Hi-Fi is not more than $20 cheaper than Asus Z87-A
 
You know..It's plenty stable on high water clocks..
whatever man... It ran my chip @ 4.7 stable n nice :p
and the sound was very nice :D
no..I don't have any screenshots cuz I wiped the ssd and no longer have the board
..and can't find some stuff I posted somewhere..
btw..What are you running, Dangman?
 
schmuckley said:
You know..It's plenty stable on high water clocks..
whatever man... It ran my chip @ 4.7 stable n nice :p
and the sound was very nice :D
no..I don't have any screenshots cuz I wiped the ssd and no longer have the board
..and can't find some stuff I posted somewhere..
Click to expand...
Uh huh. So nothing besides your word then?
schmuckley said:
btw..What are you running, Dangman?
Click to expand...
One, why does it matter?
Two, you should look at people's sigs more.
 
schmuckley said:
http://www.madshrimps.be/articles/a...Fi-Z87X-3D-Motherboard-Review/0#axzz2gIKenowu
Click to expand...
Good review. It does show that the Biostar Hi-Fi Z87X 3D is a decent motherboard. However, it does not show conclusively that it is better than the Asus Z87-A, one of your original claims. Biostar's UEFI is clearly inferior to Asus' UEFI.
schmuckley said:
So..Guy who runs B93 cpu knows mucho about 1150,aye?Any first-hand experience,guy?
Click to expand...
So rather than argue with facts and data, you're going for the ad hominem attack?
 
schmuckley said:
You know no firsthand knowledge,whereas;I do.
Click to expand...

Not going to play your game. The fact that you resorted to that line of argument clearly shows that you do not have interest in a reasonable and honest debate.
 
Dood, but teh FAZES!!!1

For real though, is the Biostar board better than the Asus? Maybe, maybe not, but I think you've both shown that either motherboard would be a fine choice.
 
eurosport0322 said:
A word on Phases:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hawthorn-farm-motherboard,2963.html
Click to expand...


On [H]..links to Tom's Hardware? :confused:

[H] and OCN have wayyy more reliable info.

The Biostar board isn't multiplexed to hell.

This is much better than anything Tom's has to offer on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDxFbAhu4Bo

It's Sin0822 in his element :D

Intel motherboard team? Intel motherboards suck..'nuff said.
Some are almost adequate,But offerings from the likes of : Gigabyte,Asus,MSI,Biostar, and AsRock are almost always better.
 
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