Scooby-Doo

I've been asked to build a new PC for a friend and I've always been an Intel bod. The machine will be used for gaming and surfing the net mainly with a bit of excel and word. My original system was using an intel P4 650 (3.4 Ghz 2mb on board) and a Asus P5a mobo with Corsair DDR2 low latency PC4300 memory with an ATI X850 XT PE card. After a little thought I can get an AMD 3800+ Newcastle (130 nm) and an Asus A8N mobo for similar money. If possible can you answer the following :

Is the AMD a better bet than the intel.
Is this the best AMD to go for around the £280 mark.
I always use Asus is the A8n DLX the best bet.
What memory spec do you choose on an AMD ?
Would it be better getting two 6800gt in SLI than a single 850 XT PE ?

Finally does anyone know a good low noise PSU ?

Thanks

David

Scooby-Doo

Please help

LEUVEN

My last 3 PC's have all been intel..........

My next one will be an AMD.

I dont hate intel or think AMD are the best by far, It's just that I use mine for gaming a fair bit and an AMD is the better CPU for gaming aswell as costing less.

LEUVEN

I would personally go for one of the 3000+ or 3200+'s, unless money was'nt really an issue

Graphics wise I would have thought the two 6800 gt's would be mega quick but depends on cost again,

PSu wise something like an Enermax Noisetaker.

Hope it helps

DrEvil

David,

Just picked up your PM.

Right, its not that AMD is better than Intel in general, it does however give better performance results for gaming, amongst other things. Intel has its own pros too.

But in the this example, AMD looks like the best bet.

SLI is a great idea and may well be a good buy in the future, but at the moment it is supported by all games, so some games will actually only run as fast as primary GFX card will allow. For the likes of HL2 and Doom3 it helps when running @ 1600x1200 or higher resolutions with full AA & AF, but then an X850XT PE performs brilliantly as well at those resolutions.

Currently a single top end card will do you mate just fine, and cost half as much. Also ATI are supposed to be releasing an SLI equiv mobo chipset late this year.

Anyhow, if buying now, with a reseasonable budget, and with no intention of overclocking, I would:

A8N SLI DLX - mainly for the PCI-E support not SLI, avoid the A8V-E like the plague.
1Gb Corsair TwinX 3200XLPT or 3200XL pro
X850XTPE
AMD64 3500 or £ permitting the 4000 (which is the old FX53, but with locked multis)
Enermax Noisstaker 600W SLI - they do an SLI specific one now, seems to be a good one
DVDRW - NEC 3520 or Pioneer 109

if the guy is overclocking then the memory and motherboard would change, DFI NF4 mobos are great for overclocking.

Anyhow, hope this helps, Alex

DrEvil

This might help you decided CPU wise... a HL2 breakdown of CPU performance.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...spx?i=2330&p=2

EddScott

I've just bought the following:-

A64 3000 (S939)
1GB Geil Value 3200
DFI Lanparty NF4 Ultra
Asus Extreme 6600GT
Hiper 480W PSU

Thats a smidgen under £500 for the important stuff. Don't know why but I've always gone for AMD and always with Nvidia for my own rigs.

DrEvil

Just built my Dad a PC similar to yours...

AMD64 3500
1Gb Geil Value 3200
A8N SLI DLX
XFX 6600GT
Noisetaker 470W

If you've got 140 ish to spend on a GFX card the 6600GT is by far the best
And the set-up above runs HL2 and D3 very well!