Originally posted by: dealshock
Hello, need some help here on picking out a Processor and a Motherboard...
I'm looking to build a system, and not sure which processor to use, Intel or AMD. By checking the forums it seem most the people use AMD.
Now, since I'm using it for gaming not sure if it will be better to use Intel or AMD? And will be a reliable motherboard to use?
And tips will be great! Also, if there is a Pros and Cons using either Intel or AMD.
Thanks,
If you value gaming above all, I'd go with AMD for a better price/performance setup. Intel is good at stuff like video encoding/editing, and the hyperthreaded Intel processors are a bit smoother for more pleasant multitasking.
Which processor and motherboard you should get will in part depend on how much you're willing to spend and how long you plan to keep the system before upgrading parts of it or entirely.
If you're on a tight budget and want the most bang for your buck, primarily for gaming, I'd go with a Sempron/NForce3/Socket 754 setup and put the savings into a better video card and more RAM.
SOCKET 754
-----------------
PROS:
1. Cheaper. Here's a breakdown of the lowest priced setups I've been able to
put together for 939 and 754:
A) - Chaintech VNF4-Ultra 939 Motherboard $ 80
- Athlon 64 3000+ OEM (Venice) $ 117
- Decent Heatsink & Fan $ 12
-------
$ 209
B) - Chaintech VNF3-250 754 Motherboard $ 58
- Sempron 2800+ w/ HSF Retail $ 64 (got one new off eBay)
(or 2600+ off Newegg for $72) --------
$ 122
2. When overclocked, can get very respectable benchmarks against
the more expensive processors.
3. Reasonably Upgradeable. You'll still have the option of upgrading to a
64-bit Athlon 64 or Sempron 64 (socket 754) chip in the future (new Semprons
with 64-bit support are going to show up soon.)
4. You buy the power and features you will actually use today without paying
extra for "future-proofing" that may make less economical sense by the time
you feel it's necessary to upgrade again. Depending on exactly when that is,
it could be cheaper or not much more to just sell your existing setup and pay
the difference for a complete new CPU and motherboard altogether, rather than
just swap processors. There will be new sockets, new "must-have" on-board
features, new CPU's unsupported by your current motherboard because the
manufacturer has moved on to focus on new products, and etc.
CONS:
1. You have to overclock to get the most value out of this setup, and some folks
aren't comfortable doing that.
2. Won't be able to use dual-core processors with this setup.
3. The more expensive processors, when overclocked, will be even faster.
4. Only the newest Semprons are coming with SSE3 and 64-bit support..
As for Socket 939 pros and cons, it's more likely to support any new Athlon 64 chip that may come out, plus the dual-core chips already out (at the very least) and perhaps future dual-core chips as well. Plus the 939 motherboards will be more current and therefore support more of the latest features, like nvidia firewall, gigabit lan, and etc. Only cons I can think of are it's more expensive and soon there will be a new kid on the block that's even bigger and badder.
My own opinion: 64-bit Windows still isn't quite worth moving to yet. I'd wait
until the devices I plan to use (like TV tuner cards and printers) are better supported, and more applications start to support and take advantage of it.
Similar opinion about SSE3.
As for "future-proofing"... I don't think it's worth it to pay extra if you're on a budget and don't plan to take advantage of the extra benefits the more expensive platform comes with until like 1-2 years later. If you upgrade alot over the course of 1-1.5 years or so, then it might be worth it.
If you're not on a budget, and just want the best performance and most flexibility in the future, go straight to Socket 939 for an extra $90 or so and be done with it.
Might as well go with a PCI-E video card and maybe even replace the power supply with something more powerful that comes with a 24-pin connector if you decide to go that route though.