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Intel or AMD for budget build?

S

shad3dpixel

n00b
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
16
Hey, sence here was no just CPU section I figured I would ask here.

Would you guys recommend AMD or intel for a budget build?

I do some gaming, not a lot but when I do it's stuff like TF2, Portal 2, Minecraft, Flight Sim X, and Starcraft II.

I have been looking at 8 core FX line and the 3570K.

I'm trying to remain sub $650 $600 for my entire build.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Actually, there are three forums dedicated to processors. One's for AMD processors, another is for Intel, and there's one for other processors.

Answering the sticky questions would help us determine what would be the best processor for your situation. But with a $650 limit for the entire tower -- as an aside, are the costs of the operating system part of the budget? -- you shouldn't look at the Intel Core i5-3570K or any of the AMD FX octo-cores. Though some of the games (IIRC, namely Flight Sim X and StarCraft II) do benefit from a quad-core processor, most of your available funds should go toward the video card.

While we're on the subject, what resolution are we talking about here? And what level of visual quality?
 
My current monitor is 1280x1024 but I plan on buying a 1920x1080 in the future. And the OS is not part of the budget, I already have a Win 7 64bit DVD. I would like to play at least High settings on most games (not ultra).
 
Please answer the rest of the sticky so that we can help you better.
 
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, Photoshop, Some Programming, and regular web-browsing - email etc.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I'm on a student's budget, trying to remain sub $600 (shipping included, but If I really need more to pay for shipping I can purchase later on when I can spend more).

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Tucson, AZ

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU: >This thread
RAM: Preferably 8GB
Case: Just needs to fit everything, I dont really want to spend more than $50 on a case
Motherboard: Depends on the CPU I end up picking
HDD: Anything more than 250GB is fine, i already have a 1TB external a small SSD (<50GB) just for the OS is fine if its not to expensive.
Video Card: Should be able to play new games on med - high (NOT ultra) without lag
Power Supply: Any with good ratings that can power everything
I don't need a sound-card (on-board should be fine) and I don't think i should need a CD/DVD drive. I am installing Windows from a USB. I have not installed anything from a CD/DVD in a while.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Maby the DVD/CD drive from my dell if you guys really think I need it. I cant seem to find what model it is anywhere though.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Don't plan on it, to risky for me. I don't have the money to pay for water cooling or anything.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
I currently have a 1280x1024 but plan on buying a bigger one later (probably 1920x1080)

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
When I get all of this figured out :D

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Don't really need anything extra, USB 3.0 would be nice but I don't own anything that uses it yet. It should have on board sound, but I think all modern motherboards have that.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Windows 8 64bit USB, I also have a Windows 7 64bit DVD
 
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shad3dpixel said:
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
I currently have a 1280x1024 but plan on buying a bigger one later (probably 1920x1080)
Click to expand...
When do you plan on buying that larger monitor?

shad3dpixel said:
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
I plan on buying parts over time (not a long period, just a month or two) mainly to prevent me for spending the money i'm saving for it on somthing else.
Click to expand...
Sorry I don't understand: Why not just buy everything at one time? Is it really that hard for you to save and not spend money?
 
When are you buying the new monitor? That will help us determine which video card(s) to recommend.
 
You can build a nice pc with $650.00

Well, this is actually $659.00 but this is a very nice build! Since your upgrading your monitor soon, then this system would benefit you. Very powerful processor! Plenty of memory for gaming, and a good graphics card under $200, very reliable PSU, and a good case! The Intel processors do great in gaming, and also in other applications as well. I researched alot, and thats why i bought one, There are plenty of great cpu's out there though. And alot of fanboy drama. Either way you cannot go wrong with a amd or intel. Its all left down to your choice. But, if i were spending $650.00 i would build this. We all know it will run just about any game or application out there maxed out. With smooth performance. And the Z77 chipset give you a great upgrade path for the future.

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157297

Powersupply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161452

Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161406

Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
 
Apparently burned-ati didn't read the OP's answers to the sticky.

@shad3dpixel: Can you afford to spend $650 now? if not, how long will it take you to save up to $650?
 
shad3dpixel said:
Hey, sence here was no just CPU section I figured I would ask here.
Would you guys recommend AMD or intel for a budget build?
I do some gaming, not a lot but when I do it's stuff like TF2, Portal 2, Minecraft, Flight Sim X, and Starcraft II.

I have been looking at 8 core FX line and the 3570K.
I'm trying to remain sub $650 for my entire build.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

A budget gaming build doesn't typically use the 3570k unless your doing alot of transcoding video or doing something else that uses many cores. Otherwise an i3 would fit you better.

With the exception of the newer SC2, all the other games you mentioned are lightweight by current standards and could probably run ok if not great on integrated graphics. I would pick an Intel +7770 for your needs but you might prefer a Piledriver build and use the integrated graphics. The older Llano A8 seems to run sc2 quite well.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-a8-3870k_7.html
 
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How does this look?

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Mushkin Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($33.84 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/y0LL

I know the CPU is older but the fact that it is still ranking within the top 50 on the benchmarks list is great. Also seems to be powering SCII on ultra fine on this lower spec rig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6g_QXuupSQ.
 
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bendic said:
A budget gaming build doesn't typically use the 3570k unless your doing alot of transcoding video or doing something else that uses many cores. Otherwise an i3 would fit you better.

With the exception of the newer SC2, all the other games you mentioned are lightweight by current standards and could probably run ok if not great on integrated graphics. I would pick an Intel +7770 for your needs but you might prefer a Piledriver build and use the integrated graphics. The older Llano A8 seems to run sc2 quite well.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-a8-3870k_7.html
Click to expand...

Im not going to even try integrated graphics :D
 
That build can definitely be improved immensely. But waiting for your answer to my question.
 
Danny Bui said:
That build can definitely be improved immensely. But waiting for your answer to my question.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but no I do not have $650 (for spending) right now, and It would take awhile longer to save it up. Being in high school dose not have a steady income :p. I'm actually trying to remain sub $600.
 
shad3dpixel said:
Sorry, but no I do not have $650 (for spending) right now, and It would take awhile longer to save it up. Being in high school dose not have a steady income :p. I'm actually trying to remain sub $600.
Click to expand...

So you can spend $600 immediately? Or is your budget much lower than that?
 
I am sticking with Intel just because I can understand the specs I get:

2.2GHz Intel Core i3-2328M Dual-Core

instead of AMDs chip system, and how it compares to Intel's for same price.
Do I get more or less with

AMD A4-3305M 1.9GHz APU
 
No. Just save your money and buy when you have all that cash ready. It doesn't help too much buying parts piecemeal without a solid plan,the ability take advantage of deals quickly, and the ability to test parts as they come in.
 
I would slowly piece it together, I bought my cpu first. Then the next week I bought the rest.

Just go piece by piece.
 
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