Which CPU

[Ciara]

Just looking at two Barebone Bundles and I'm wondering what would be the better CPU / Motherboard for normal PC use plus some gaming ? any advice very much appreciated

1. Intel Core i5 2400 Processor, Intel H67 Chipset Motherboard

2. AMD Phenom II X6 1090T, AMD 880G + SB710 Motherboard

 

[Solarstarshines]

Both are good chipsets but most will recommend Intel over amd

 

[Ciara]

Thanks Solarstarshines

This is the i5 Bundle just need to add fans, HDDs, Optical drive and OS

Sorry Forum wont let me rep you

 

[DeanP]

Both good CPU and good motherboard. I would go for the AMD, but cost more than the Intel.
I'm no gaming enthusiast or hardware guru, but from what I heard, the AMD is much better than the Intel...

Sent from my iPhone

Edit: Computer looks good... There's seem to be a bug in rep system. Won't let me rep anyone at all.

 

[Ciara]

Thanks DeanP

 

[yowanvista]

AMD is much better than the Intel...

It depends, Intel CPUs perform generally better in gaming

 

[DeanP]

AMD is much better than the Intel...

It depends, Intel CPUs perform generally better in gaming

I couldn't be stuff typing long sentences on a small keyboard on an iPhone 4 around midnight..

 

[Wishmaster]

I would go with the Intel.
Typically, Clock for Clock Intels are faster.

The extra cores the AMD CPU offers will only be a benefit if you use specific applications often, that can use all of the cores efficently.
Although it may not be that much of a benefit over the faster Intel.

For everything else, including Gaming, the Intel will be a good deal faster.


More cores are not alweays better, unless you have the specific need and applications that benefit from them.
Many do not.



It may be worth shopping around just a bit.

Sometimes you may be able to find a CPU+MOBO combo, and then pick up other combo deals for the RAM,case, HDs etc and come out cheaper than the bundle packages.
Not always ... but sometimes you get lucky depending what deals they have going.

 

[Ciara]

Thanks Wishmaster, this is the Bundle price >

 

[DeanP]

What about the graphics card? Or is it using onboard graphics?

 

[Ciara]

For GPU I like this >

 

[DeanP]

GPU looks good. It will probably be blazing fast when playing games and watching vids...

 

[Ciara]

The HIS ATI Radeon 5670 IceQ has some good reviews ... and I like ATI (cant get my head around calling it AMD ... yet )

 

[GeneO]

Price seems high to me. It is the lower end chipset (H67 vs P67), off-brand minimal wattage PSU - if you want to upgrade your graphics card to a more powerful one, you would need to replace the PSU, and no graphics card. The PSU wattage is the minimum for the graphics card you specified.

What brand Motherboard, do you know?

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Ciara,
I would think long and hard at the bang for the buck of the AMD six core and mated with it's 880/710 chip set and a strong GPU like the R5770 Hawk or even the 6 series ATi GPU's this to me will be the start of a great system, but please don't skimp on the PSU !

 

[Ciara]

GeneO & linnemeyerhere thanks for the info

 

[pparks1]

From everything I have read, the Intel Sandy Bridge CPU is going to outperform just about everything better...the only exception would be a serious mutiple core coded application that would take advantage of those extra two cores.

This just doesn't even seem like a question to me, based on my reading. It's the Sandy Bridge all the way right now.

 

[Ciara]

From everything I have read, the Intel Sandy Bridge CPU is going to outperform just about everything better...the only exception would be a serious mutiple core coded application that would take advantage of those extra two cores.

This just doesn't even seem like a question to me, based on my reading. It's the Sandy Bridge all the way right now.

Thank you pparks1 ... info noted

 

[bobkn]

Thanks Solarstarshines

This is the i5 Bundle just need to add fans, HDDs, Optical drive and OS

(snip)

Sorry Forum wont let me rep you

I'm unconvinced that it's a bargain.

I'd suggest a P67 board, rather than an H67:

MSI P67A-C45 Intel P67 (Socket 1155) Motherboard

(About £100),

An overclockable I5-2500k CPU:

Intel Core i5 2500K 3.30GHz (Sandy Bridge) Socket LGA1155 - Retail.

(£180),

plus a relatively robust power supply for its price:

Corsair CX 600W ATX2.2 Power Supply

(£56). For the RAM, maybe:

Corsair XMS3 TwinX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit

(£42) The total so far is £378, including VAT.

Not sure what to recommend for a case, but this one looks serviceable, although it lacks a lot of gamer flash:

CoolerMaster Elite 334 Case

(£31). Total would be £409.

For your extra £69 you'd get a good PSU, an overclockable CPU, and a name-brand motherboard and RAM. I believe that it'd be a considerably more powerful PC, particularly if you were willing to clock the CPU up a little. (4.2 GHz should be easy.) The case that I list includes one 120 mm fan (rear exhaust), but you might want a second (front intake).

You'd have the additional labor of installing the CPU to the motherboard, and the motherboard to the case.

This is a hastily-prepared list, but I hope that it represents a fair representation of a good, relatively inexpensive, Intel based system. I admit that the "Sandy Bridge" CPUs and motherboards seem to be undergoing some teething problems at the moment, but once they are sorted I think they'll offer the best price/performance at the moment.

 

[Ciara]

Thanks for the list/links bobkn, I will be looking close at your recommendations. I can install the CPU and Motherboard, and for case I like > Antec Dark Fleet Series DF10 Gaming Enclosure - Black £66.37