Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and I would just like some advice / suggestions / opinions on my gaming PC build I am planning to do. I'm planning to stick to a budget of around $700, but I have most parts sorted.
However, I was just wondering if the AMD FX 4100 CPU would be an alright, if not good, combination with the AMD Radeon HD 7870. I'm worried about major bottleneck problems, mostly due to the CPU not being good enough. If there will be any bottleneck issues, how significant?
No bottlenecking issues with that combination of parts, do you have any parts already(monitor case OS etc)? For the price you are paying for the FX4100 you can get a FX4300 for a bit more money($10-15), performance would be quite an improvement.
In this build, I put in a FX 6300, which I think is the sweet spot for AMD CPUs. It is extremely overclockable (as a first time overclocker, I got 4.5Ghz stable with barely any effort). I can also attest to the motherboard, considering it is the one I have now.You can get a cheaper case, maybe the Zalman Z11, or the Bitfenix Shinobi.
For $700 you only have a monitor, it will be a tough one. Here : http://pcpartpicker.com/p/wnyd
I left the case blank and the keyboard and mouse as well, that is all on you to choose. The 965BE is a solid CPU especially when you put it with a 7870, the system will do some solid gaming. There is roughly $70 for a case and keyboard and mouse, which is not a lot but you want that 7870 something needs to be sacrificed.
Others will definitely throw in their spin on what you should get, so keep on eye out on your thread for more answers ;)
The one I'm considering of swapping with the 4100, is the Intel i3 3220, it is around the same price range but I've heard the i3 is better, but I'm not sure
Do you like overclocking or even care for it? If not the i3 is definitely a option, if you want to have the option of OC for your budget while keeping that card, AMD is the best option.
I'm not too experienced with overclocking, nor experienced with building my own PC either, haha.. but would the OCed 4100 out perform the or match the i3? If so, then I would just stay with it, plus is overclocking it easy? cause like I said, I have no experience whatsoever..
I would also recommend a FX 6300, so long as you have the money. I purchased one with my new build during the holidays, and easily overclocked it to 4.0GHz (which is low by almost every account). If a 6300 is definitely out of your price range, be sure to get at least a 4300.
The new piledriver architecture used in FX-X300 series processors is worth the extra money over the older Bulldozers.
Sorry, I missed your previous reply John, and I apologise for not mentioning but I live in Australia, so I would most likely rule out the option of purchasing from websites overseas, in this case, the USA.. and I've been seeing positive things about the Phenom II, but I can't seem to find it over here in Australian websites..
OC is definitely fairly easy if you want to learn how to do it, there are tons of guides out there showing you how. It is always good to have the option to OC even if you really do not care for it now, in the future you may decide to go for it and it is nice to have it already waiting.
As for the FX4100 and the i3, man everytime i recomend an i3 folks rip my head off like im comitting a crime. Even though my Sandy i3 games just as well as my 6 core AMD, the price for the i3 just does not match. FOr the price of a i3 you can get a fx6300 which gives you OC capability, more cores for rendering and it should do well in gaming.
That is true, having the option to OC is handy.. but again, dodes an overclocked 4100 match, or even out perform the i3?
I am most likely purchasing my products through this website - http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php ( Australian Website )
The prices for the 4100 ($110) and the i3 ($120) are a $10 difference, making it very difficult, however, the 6300 is $150, so I would most likely leave that one out for now..
The price of the 4300 is $135, around $25 more than the 4100, and $15 more then the i3.. From someone like me with no experience with OC, I wouldn't want to overclock it too much cause I understand it will strain the CPU, damaging it..
Fair enough, but its getting through my head, because I've been researching around, through forums, reviews etc. and the Intel i3 is more recommended.. plus I've been hearing that AMD CPUs aren't that great as compared to Intels..
Good sir, the i3 is a proper good processor, i have one and i have yet to find a game that makes it poop the bed. The AMD processors are also proper good, my 6 core isn't even OC anymore as it does not need it to play any games currently out. Clock for clock the intel processor destroy AMD processors, but you also pay a premium for that performance.
If intel came out with a unlocked i3, there would be zero reason to get a AMD processor unless your main goal was to render and you needed the cores. I own cpu's from both sides of the fence, the i3 is wonderful it really is a snappy cpu and it does the job very well. The AMD will be the same way, it will do the job very well for less.
You can not go wrong with either, in the end it is up to you if you want a OC capable processor or if you want a locked processor with very solid performance.
Hmm, I understand, I am leaning towards the Intel i3, because if it performs just as well as the 4100 overclocked, then I would see no reason to have to do the extra work to OC it to match the i3. Plus overclocking the 4100 would most likely mean I would need to add a cooler along with it, killing my budget :(
But overall, thank you so much for the help you have given me, it is greatly appreciated !