Building new PC - AMD build vs. Intel build

[HolyfieldsEar]

Hello folks, I'm planning to upgrade my hardware for quality gaming in the coming years.

My current rig is:

Phenom II X4 970 OC'd 4.0
Gigabyte MA770T-UD3
4x2 G.Skill RAM
GTX 660 OC 2gb
2 HD total of 1TB
Antec Earthwatts 500w
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Arctic Freezer Xtreme Rev. 2 CPU cooling

I'm trying to decide between these two builds, one AMD, one Intel, one with OC potential, the other without.

But first thing first, I'll detail my needs and budget, just in case:

>It will be used for gaming.

>My budget is $1400, maybe a few dollars more.

>I live outside the U.S., I'll be ordering parts both from Amazon.com and stores in my country(already found the best prices in my country, which are still higher than in the U.S.)

>No brand preference

>I'll be using my existing case, Antec Three Hundred(should work, no?), current HDD and DVD drive.

>Overclock is a consideration

>Resolution will most likely be 1920x1080, unless I can find a 2560x1440 monitor with input lag suitable for competitive FPS gaming, for $200-500.

>Plan to build it within a month

>Already have OS

Intel build:

Intel i5-4570
Asus B85-PLUS
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
PowerColor Radeon R9 290 OC 4GB GDDR5
Corsair VS550 550W

-$1240

AMD build:

AMD FX-8320
Asus M5A99X Evo R2.0
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
PowerColor Radeon R9 290 OC 4GB GDDR5
Noctua NH-D14
Corsair CX750 750W

-$1405

My questions are, which build is more "bang for buck"? which has better performance/price, which will serve me better as a gaming machine for today's and tomorrow's games?

Do you think a CPU with 8 cores that can be overclocked is a more future proof than a stock i5 4570?

I tried to put together an Intel build with i5 3570k/i5 4670k, but it's over my budget, so it's one or the other.

Thanks.

 

[Dangman]

Antec Three Hundred(should work, no?),

Not really no. It wasn't a good choice even when it was being widely sold a few years back. I highly recommend upgrading to this case for the significantly better cable management, USB 3.0 support, and SSD support as well as better overall quality:
$50 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Case

Intel build:

Intel i5-4570
Asus B85-PLUS
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
PowerColor Radeon R9 290 OC 4GB GDDR5
Corsair VS550 550W

-$1240

AMD build:

AMD FX-8320
Asus M5A99X Evo R2.0
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
PowerColor Radeon R9 290 OC 4GB GDDR5
Noctua NH-D14
Corsair CX750 750W

-$1405

My questions are, which build is more "bang for buck"? which has better performance/price, which will serve me better as a gaming machine for today's and tomorrow's games?

Both setups are not good at all for the money. But the Intel is going to be the lesser of two evils. BUt I would not recommend either of the two builds unless those are the only parts available with zero other options.

For both systems, the PSUs aren't good choices for the money. I recommend these two PSUs instead:
$85 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU
$100 - Seasonic G Series SSR-650RM 650W Modular PSU

Alternatively, go with Corsair's HX series.

As for the CPU and GPU, I highly recommend spending more money on the CPU and an overclock capable motherboard than the GPU since it's a lot easier to upgrade a video card to keep up with newer games than it is to upgrade the whole CPU, mobo, and RAM again toi keep up with newer games. Since you're aiming for "future proof", I highly recommend going for the COre i7 4670K, Asus Z87-A, and the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ instead of going big on the GPU. Drop the GPU down to the R9 280X.

Do you think a CPU with 8 cores that can be overclocked is a more future proof than a stock i5 4570?

Based on currently available information, no in this case. Intel still holds the crown in single-threaded performance as well as IPC performance. Unless AMD's Mantle API really brings massive improvement to the multi-threaded performance in games, for the foreseeable future, Intel is your best bet.

 

[HolyfieldsEar]

Core i7 4670k? I assume you mean either the i5 4670k, or the i7 4770k?

If I go with the i5 4670k, along with a suitable motherboard for overclocking, instead of buying the R9 280X, should I throw in another GTX 660 OC 2GB in SLI? it's about half the price of an R9 280X, and with the monitor I'm thinking of buying, ASUS VG248QE, will allow me to play and watch movie in 3D.

If I go with AMD, I lose that capability, and while it's not a deal breaker I do enjoy 3D from time to time.

I believe the GTX 660 is still a pretty good card, so two of them should be up to the task, no? Is it pointless to SLI cards in this range?

Edit:

Intel Core i5-4670K
Asus Z87-A
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Seasonic G-550 550W
Corsair Carbide Series 200R

+another Gigabyte GeForce GTX660 2GB OC GDDR5 for SLI, totals at $1230, saving me $170, with the R9 280X I exceed my budget by nearly $200.

 

[Dangman]

Core i7 4670k? I assume you mean either the i5 4670k, or the i7 4770k?

Core i5 4670K.

If I go with the i5 4670k, along with a suitable motherboard for overclocking, instead of buying the R9 280X, should I throw in another GTX 660 OC 2GB in SLI? it's about half the price of a R9 280X, and with the monitor I'm thinking of buying, ASUS VG248QE, will allow me to play and watch movie in 3D.

... If both GTX 660 cards total up to half the price of the R9 280X, then yes go for it. If not, don't bother.

Just a reference: The R9 280X costs $300 here in the U.S.

 

[HolyfieldsEar]

It's $477 here, $475 if I order through Amazon, while the GTX 660 OC 2GB is $280 locally, $262 through Amazon.

Insane, I know.

 

[Dangman]

Then two GTX 660 aren't worth it then.

Meh, I've helped enough foreigners to know that they don't get good hardware deals like we do here in the U.S. So not insane to me.