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[nicjac]

So I finally managed to install my Noctua DH-14 (which is, in reality, a SE2011 model for some reason). I was running the stock Intel cooler on my 4770K as I had issues installing the Noctua when I first put the PC together. It had the wrong fittings, but their customer service was able to help me with it.

I have been running small FT in Prime95 and temperatures appeared to max out at 65C after 10 minutes in HWiNFO64 (Asus's hardware info thingie reports 41C max for some reason).

First, does that sound OK? And is it a good setup to test evaluate those temperatures? Should I use another piece of software?

 

[brickwalker0]

I'm in need of help on a case. I've asked a bit about this before (getting an HTPC case since I'll be using my PC on my HD TV). Here are the parts I have picked out so far. They follow pretty closely to the one on the spreadsheet in the OP at the $825 mark:


CPU - Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core
Motherboard - BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z87W
RAM - Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3
Graphics - EVGA GeForce GTX760
SSD - Crucial M500 240GB SATA
Power Supply - EVGA 500B 500W


So when it comes to a case, the most I have figured out is I need it to be an ATX form factor. This is a case I would like but I want to make sure it's going to be compatible with everything else:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121100

Is there a chance anyone can look at all this and do sort of a full analysis of my picked parts? I'm really wanting to buy it today but I need to make sure everything is going to be compatible and fit (this is my first custom PC).

 

[Lingitiz]

Do you guys have recommendations for a smaller full ATX case that can support a hyper 212? I move my desktop around a lot and would like something more suited for that. I'm currently using a NZXT Source 210.

I was looking at a LAN box like the Haf XB, but even that is fairly large. Still, the form factor seems pretty good, and it has handles so I can easily move it without being too worried.

 

[uomoartificiale]

I just want to thank Hazaro for this great resource. I'm building quite exactly the budget build suggested here.

Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H
Intel G3220
AMD R7 260X 2GB

the only difference is that I'm going for a RAM config of 2x4gb G.Skill 1600Mhz, and I've opted for a CoolerMaster N200 instead of the N400, because I've decided I'm done with ATX cases, they make me feel like I'm still at the office. Also no DVD for me.

I can see myself upgrading the CPU pretty soon, but I expect a massive step up in performance compared to my completely outdated Core2 + 3GB + NVIDIA 9500GT setup.

 

[ClearData]

Basic guide.

First number - series/year made basically. 5 was 4 years ago, R is current, the 7-9 are the next number below
Second number - class. 7 is entry level, 8 is gaming, 9 is enthusiast. These let you know where in the hierarchy the card sits. Generally any 8 will be better than any 7 and any 9 will be better than any 8 - GENERALLY. Check benches to ensure. Do not buy anything less than a x7xx
Third number lets you know where in its current level it sits. 50 and 70 are gaming levels. 90 often but doesn't always refer to a dual gpu card.

The 5000 and 6000 series are very close in performance. If you are on a budget/need a small card the 7790 can be passable in an htpc. The x850 is usually the price to performance winner.

All amd cards are overpriced right now because of the coin boom

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to stay in the under $300 range. I'd like to have a decently priced card that packs a bit of a punch as I am going to primarily build a Steam machine for use in my living room. I am right now leaning towards a 7870. I believe that would put me in the high mid-range?

 

[kharma45]

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to stay in the under $300 range. I'd like to have a decently priced card that packs a bit of a punch as I am going to primarily build a Steam machine for use in my living room. I am right now leaning towards a 7870. I believe that would put me in the high mid-range?

More right in the middle of the mid-range with the release of the 290 and 290X.

 

[outunderthestars]

Ordering a pc case to finally start my build. I am down to deciding between the BitFenix Shinobi and the Corsair 300R.

The 300R is $69.99 AR while the Shinobi is $59.99 so price isn't a factor. Anything I should know about the cases before ordering? I am kind of leaning towards the Corsair but Am nervous as I have never ordered a case before.

 

[LordAlu]

I'm in need of help on a case. I've asked a bit about this before (getting an HTPC case since I'll be using my PC on my HD TV). Here are the parts I have picked out so far. They follow pretty closely to the one on the spreadsheet in the OP at the $825 mark:


CPU - Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core
Motherboard - BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z87W
RAM - Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3
Graphics - EVGA GeForce GTX760
SSD - Crucial M500 240GB SATA
Power Supply - EVGA 500B 500W


So when it comes to a case, the most I have figured out is I need it to be an ATX form factor. This is a case I would like but I want to make sure it's going to be compatible with everything else:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121100

Is there a chance anyone can look at all this and do sort of a full analysis of my picked parts? I'm really wanting to buy it today but I need to make sure everything is going to be compatible and fit (this is my first custom PC).

The parts you've chosen are fine but that case definitely isn't compatible - it only supports MicroATX boards and won't support that power supply either. You'd be looking more at something like the Cooler Master Elite 361 for something that would also work on its side.

 

[kharma45]

Ordering a pc case to finally start my build. I am down to deciding between the BitFenix Shinobi and the Corsair 300R.

The 300R is $69.99 AR while the Shinobi is $59.99 so price isn't a factor. Anything I should know about the cases before ordering? I am kind of leaning towards the Corsair but Am nervous as I have never ordered a case before.

I'd lean towards the Shinobi. The 300R I've heard a lot of mixed things on and surprisingly people saying the 200R is better.

NZXT H230 is worth a look too for a quiet option.

I'm in need of help on a case. I've asked a bit about this before (getting an HTPC case since I'll be using my PC on my HD TV). Here are the parts I have picked out so far. They follow pretty closely to the one on the spreadsheet in the OP at the $825 mark:


CPU - Intel Core i5-4670K Quad-Core
Motherboard - BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z87W
RAM - Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3
Graphics - EVGA GeForce GTX760
SSD - Crucial M500 240GB SATA
Power Supply - EVGA 500B 500W


So when it comes to a case, the most I have figured out is I need it to be an ATX form factor. This is a case I would like but I want to make sure it's going to be compatible with everything else:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121100

Is there a chance anyone can look at all this and do sort of a full analysis of my picked parts? I'm really wanting to buy it today but I need to make sure everything is going to be compatible and fit (this is my first custom PC).

Yeah that case is no good, too small. What are you budgeting for it?

That RAM isn't any good either, it's laptop stuff.

How does this look to you? I added a cooler to OC your CPU as well as make it quieter.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z87W ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $869.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-26 17:10 EST-0500)

 

[mhayze]

Gotta problem with a brand new Blu-ray burner I've purchased here. I had a pretty sizable amount of data I needed to backup to bring to a new PC. Around 150GB. Bought a Blu-ray burner, ASUS bw-16d1ht, and made 6 data discs using Verbatim BD-R LTH. When I burned them everything seemed fine. Then I got rid of the old PC. I built the new one and I brought over the Blu-ray burner I had just purchased from the old PC.

When I'm trying to read the data discs I made it doesn't work. I select all the files then tell Windows7 to copy them. When it starts it seems to be able to read them but then it always stops midway and it can't read the files anymore. I can't bring over ANY files, small or big. Those data discs were made by the same drive. How could it not be able to read them? Are BD-R LTH supposed to be a problematic format? I googled for this but couldn't find anything.

Oh and I also tried the copy command of my PS3 but it also fails halfway. It seems to be the discs. The reviews on newegg for Verbatim BDR LTH are kinda bad. I'm wondering if there's anything else I can try to retrieve the data.

That burner doesn't have a very good reputation. Before we move on to topics about whether the disc is bad - how did you burn them? Did you use Windows itself, or Nero or some other tool? Has the disc been finalized?

If the disc is finalized, there is a small chance that another drive might have better luck reading the discs, like a LG BH16NS40 or something. It is not the case that a burner is better at reading its own discs vs discs from another burner.

Another thing you could try is to use a block level tool to read the BD-R to an ISO (e.g. ImgBurn), and if that's successful, then mount the ISO using built in functionality in newer version of Windows or possibly use WinRAR or something like that to extract files from the ISO. As to why that could work when Windows Explorer can't read that file - because ImgBurn has settings for the number of soft and hard retries it will do, when it runs into a bad sector.

I hope one or the other above works for you (new drive and / or ISO tool), and in either case, I also highly recommend using a burning tool with a built in verify tool, that will verify that the disc is readable (at least at that time) which provides some small level of comfort.

 

[brickwalker0]

I'd lean towards the Shinobi. The 300R I've heard a lot of mixed things on and surprisingly people saying the 200R is better.

NZXT H230 is worth a look too for a quiet option.



Yeah that case is no good, too small. What are you budgeting for it?

That RAM isn't any good either, it's laptop stuff.

How does this look to you? I added a cooler to OC your CPU as well as make it quieter.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Biostar Hi-Fi Z87W ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($98.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.25 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.98 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $869.17
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-26 17:10 EST-0500)

Holy smokes, this is looking pretty cool, I'm going to look over it in about 15-30 mins and check back, I really appreciate it; to both of you who responded.

Real quick though: can those cases linked be placed on their side, as long as the ventilation is not covered? These vertical cases won't fit in my living arrangement and that's what I was looking at HTPCs to begin with.

 

[kharma45]

The Corsair 200R is also on offer after rebate, $50 from Newegg. That's if you want a different case from the Source 210.

Edit - I'm not sure is the honest answer. I'd imagine probably. If you want something more designed for that look to mATX or mITX.

 

[clem84]

That burner doesn't have a very good reputation. Before we move on to topics about whether the disc is bad - how did you burn them? Did you use Windows itself, or Nero or some other tool? Has the disc been finalized?

If the disc is finalized, there is a small chance that another drive might have better luck reading the discs, like a LG BH16NS40 or something. It is not the case that a burner is better at reading its own discs vs discs from another burner.

Another thing you could try is to use a block level tool to read the BD-R to an ISO (e.g. ImgBurn), and if that's successful, then mount the ISO using built in functionality in newer version of Windows or possibly use WinRAR or something like that to extract files from the ISO. As to why that could work when Windows Explorer can't read that file - because ImgBurn has settings for the number of soft and hard retries it will do, when it runs into a bad sector.

I hope one or the other above works for you (new drive and / or ISO tool), and in either case, I also highly recommend using a burning tool with a built in verify tool, that will verify that the disc is readable (at least at that time) which provides some small level of comfort.

Weird about the drive's reputation. On Pcpartpicker it has a 100% feedback with, granted only 5 reivews. Thought it was probably a good burner. Oh well.

I used the software that came with the burner. Cyberlink Power2go 8. I remember that when I made the discs I did "finalize" them. I'll try them on my friend's PC who has a LG Blu-ray reader.

I will also try to create an ISO on Imgburn. Thanks for the help man. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Hazaro]

so, my two 1Tb drives have a S.M.A.R.T caution warning. should i be scared?'
here the CrystalDiskInfo screenshots of both drives:

Yup. Any SMART issues and drives have like a 40x higher chance of failing or something insane.

Then you should try the Swiftech H220. The pump alone weighs more than most asetek AIO! Very hefty and well built, comes with silent fans and really good TIM.

I know many reviews put it at around H110 level in cooling, but in my own experience, it keeps my OC 23W 3930K down really well and very silent. Most AIO reviews dont really push beyond 200W, thats where the larger tubing, powerful pump and copper rad of H220 will shine!

The Kraken X60 is dual 140mm rad and I think it's slightly better than the H220. My chip just runs hot I think.

 

[TheD]

Thanks for the reply. I'm trying to stay in the under $300 range. I'd like to have a decently priced card that packs a bit of a punch as I am going to primarily build a Steam machine for use in my living room. I am right now leaning towards a 7870. I believe that would put me in the high mid-range?

If you are going to build a Steam Machine, avoid AMD graphics cards.
Their Linux drivers suck arse.

 

[Sarcasm]

How do you install video drivers for a laptop that has switchable drivers? I tried:

1) Drivers from the laptop support company for both..one fails other makes screen go black

2) Support from video card drivers do the same thing

3) windows updates does same thing


I can't get the video drivers to install...its a intel mobile hd something and an ati mobile hd 5XXX series.

 

[Dio Brando]

Yup. Any SMART issues and drives have like a 40x higher chance of failing or something insane.

The Kraken X60 is dual 140mm rad and I think it's slightly better than the H220. My chip just runs hot I think.

DAMN. Well, like i said on another post, i'll probably buy two 2tb Drives next week. are Seagate barracuda bad drives? Their prices here on Brazil are really good.

 

[Hazaro]

DAMN. Well, like i said on another post, i'll probably buy two 2tb Drives next week. are Seagate barracuda bad drives? Their prices here on Brazil are really good.

 

[Dio Brando]

Feels like lottery. Guess I'll look for WD's, although I'm not sure i can find them at a good price...
EDIT: from a little bit of price research, I guess I'll buy a 2tb and a 1tb. Better than having another drive failing.

 

[KniL]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

 

[TC McQueen]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

Intel processors are better for emulation and single thread performance (IIRC).

 

[NoRéN]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

In the OP:

NeoGAF PC Builds
Mkenyon's Small Form Factor Build Sheet - http://bit.ly/GAFBox1

 

[chaosblade]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

They don't really offer good value in terms of price/performance for gaming and general use, while using a lot more power and outputting a lot more heat.

Not to say they are never ever worth using, I used a FX6300 in the PC my brother got for Christmas, but the CPU + motherboard combined cost as much as an i3 CPU alone. On a tight budget it's hard to pass up something like that.

 

[Hazaro]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

Faster single thread performance which is still very important for gaming, has an upgrade path if you pick low end, better minimum frame times, better for emulation.
Cons are Intel are still jerks about overclocking and the motherboards are more expensive. At a pure price/performance without upgrade consideration some AMD builds are a better purchase if you are super tight on a budget, but overall I would suggest Intel for gaming.

If there was any sponsorship I'd make it known, never has been though.

 

[DarkFlow]

I was kicking myself for not having the money to spend on my PC yet. I was at Fry's on Friday and found a Open box EVGA 780 for $408. Why must you take so long tax rebate! I'll go hunt around Fry's when I get my cash before I get a card online, see what other Open box deals they have.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

Still rocking a 965BE and 8GB DDR2 here.
I wouldn't recommend one now, but the AMD solution has served me well up to now. It does ok with my 760 too, but it's kinda of like having an old man with cataracts driving a race car.

 

[Quote]

I just thought I'd pop in and vouch for the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard. This is my first ergonomic keyboard (my right wrist/hand has been giving me problems). I've been using it for about a week, and while i'm still getting used to the key placement, it seems to already have solved my soreness issue. It is really weird using a normal keyboard at work though.

If you don't want a mouse there is this SKU too, which is what I bought, but it doesn't seem to be Prime eligible at the moment.

(I didn't see a general keyboard thread so I thought this would be the best place to post)

 

[coughlanio]

Any good recommendations for a PC monitor around €250/300? Just want a good all rounder, 24+ inches.

Thanks!

 

[MogCakes]

I just got a gtx550 ti for free (completely unexpected) from a friend. How well will it perform with FFXIV ARR assuming I use the standard build for other parts from Hazaro's sheet?

 

[Aretak]

Still rocking a 965BE and 8GB DDR2 here.
I wouldn't recommend one now, but the AMD solution has served me well up to now. It does ok with my 760 too, but it's kinda of like having an old man with cataracts driving a race car.

I'm using one of those too. Well, pretty much. It's actually a 720 with the fourth core unlocked and OCed to 3.4ghz. Still handling everything I throw at it, combined with the cheap 7850 I bought last year after my 4870 blew up. I do only have a 900p monitor though.

 

[RedSwirl]

Looks like I'm not gonna be able to last for long on just a 120GB SSD. I already have an external HDD constantly connected. Eventually I'm gonna have to add something internal here that's at least 1TB. HDD or hybrid?

What's the performance difference for files vs software? I would still try to have as much software as possible installed on the SSD. What if, for instance, I installed iTunes on the SSD but kept all the actual media files on an HDD?

 

[Yusaku]

Wow my drive has a 9.8% failure rate (ST3000DM001). I better make sure nothing valuable is stored on there!

 

[mrklaw]

Looks like I'm not gonna be able to last for long on just a 120GB SSD. I already have an external HDD constantly connected. Eventually I'm gonna have to add something internal here that's at least 1TB. HDD or hybrid?

What's the performance difference for files vs software? I would still try to have as much software as possible installed on the SSD. What if, for instance, I installed iTunes on the SSD but kept all the actual media files on an HDD?

Depends how often you access the same files, so the drive can smartly cache those to the SSD part. Software vs files shouldn't matter - number and regularity of uses is what counts.

 

[kiyomi]

Trying to figure out if I can get anything noticeably better over the R9 270X (£144) at around ~£180.

Anandtech's Bench tool already gives me the impression the GTX 760 is not really worth a look? Not unless I go over £180 which I don't want to do.

 

[michaelius]

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

Because AMD cpus suck donkey balls and shouldn't be used outside of HTPC and dedicated for encoding your whole blu-ray collection machines.

Any good recommendations for a PC monitor around €250/300? Just want a good all rounder, 24+ inches.

Thanks!

Benq 2760HS , Asus VN279Q, Samsung S27C350P, Aoc i2757Fm

First 3 MVA, last IPS

 

[kharma45]

Trying to figure out if I can get anything noticeably better over the R9 270X (£144) at around ~£180.

Anandtech's Bench tool already gives me the impression the GTX 760 is not really worth a look? Not unless I go over £180 which I don't want to do.

You're talking 10-15% better performance as well as the Nvidia niceties.

Don't discount the regular R9 270. Cheaper than the R9 270 even though it's the same GPU. Only difference is clock speed and at stock it's a 5% performance difference.

This one is clocked 25MHz below the 270X at stock so you'd be talking almost identical performance

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/2gb-...-900mhz-boost-975mhz-1280-streams-dp-dvi-hdmi

£127.55 before delivery. It'll possibly not overclock as far as the R9 270X has dual 6 pin connectors over the single 6 pin of the 270.

 

[Discusguy]

This is awesome OP!! I want to try to get back into building a PC. This will definitely help.

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

I've asked this question before, and while I've gotten answers the explanation was a bit to technical for me. But because, Im really thinking about buying a new CPU, I feel the need to ask again. Can I take the CPU that Im using right now, out of the motherboard and replace it with a another CPU? I know CPUs have different generations (Ivy bridge, Sandy Bridge, etc). I also know that motherboards are limited by this, so if it was possible I would have to get a CPU from the same gen as the one I have now. I just dont know if its acutally doable

 

[chaosblade]

I've asked this question before, and while I've gotten answers the explanation was a bit to technical for me. But because, Im really thinking about buying a new CPU, I feel the need to ask again. Can I take the CPU that Im using right now, out of the motherboard and replace it with a another CPU? I know CPUs have different generations (Ivy bridge, Sandy Bridge, etc). I also know that motherboards are limited by this, so if it was possible I would have to get a CPU from the same gen as the one I have now. I just dont know if its acutally doable

If you aren't using a OEM PC, then yes, you can. If you're using a Dell/HP/whatever then no, changing it will probably cause problems unless you also buy a copy of Windows to go along with it. (And depending on how close they cut it with the PSU you might not have much headroom for a CPU that uses more power).

Depending on what CPU socket you're on it might not be worth investing in a new CPU for it though.

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

If you aren't using a OEM PC, then yes, you can. If you're using a Dell/HP/whatever then no, changing it will probably cause problems unless you also buy a copy of Windows to go along with it.

Depending on what CPU socket you're on it might not be worth investing in a new CPU for it though.

I actually had maingear build this PC.....I think they use all OEM parts. I'll give their support center a call and find out. My CPU is Haswell, I want to up grade because its 4 cores/4 threads. It also doesnt have the K attached to it, so I assume I cant make it go any faster. With all of these games calling for I7s I feel the need to upgrade

 

[kennah]

I actually had maingear build this PC.....I think they use all OEM parts. I'll give their support center a call and find out. My CPU is Haswell, I want to up grade because its 4 cores/4 threads. It also doesnt have the K attached to it, so I assume I cant make it go any faster. With all of these games calling for I7s I feel the need to upgrade

A k cpu won't do any good unless you also have a Z87 motherboard.

And what games are calling for i7s now? We would enable to help out better if you gave us specific model numbers for what you currently have.

 

[chaosblade]

If you already have a quad core Haswell CPU, even with a Z87 motherboard, I'd still say wait until Broadwell hits. Current CPU should be fine for now, and even if Broadwell sucks prices on 4670Ks should drop at least a little with the new CPUs out.

i7s aren't really necessary for gaming. Overclocking an i5 would do you a lot more good than the hyperthreading on a 4C/8T i7.

 

[terrdactycalsrock]

You're right, I just get anxious when I see I7s in the recommendation lists for games. But, yeah, I can still run games the way I want to. I guess you should only upgrade when your hardware wont run like it use to. Plus, the 4670K will just get cheaper if I wait for the next cycle of CPUs. Thanks for the advice!

 

[TC McQueen]

Newegg is really riding this coin mining thing. They have $2000+ dollar PC build kits on sale today, which is really ridiculous.

But they also have 4GB GTX760s for ~$290, so that's something.

 

[kennah]

If you already have a quad core Haswell CPU, even with a Z87 motherboard, I'd still say wait until Broadwell hits. Current CPU should be fine for now, and even if Broadwell sucks prices on 4670Ks should drop at least a little with the new CPUs out.

i7s aren't really necessary for gaming. Overclocking an i5 would do you a lot more good than the hyperthreading on a 4C/8T i7.

Cpu prices never go down when the new ones are released.

 

[Diablos]

Because AMD cpus suck donkey balls and shouldn't be used outside of HTPC and dedicated for encoding your whole blu-ray collection machines.

That's just a bit disingenuous. The FX line, particularly 6300 and above, do not 'suck donkey balls' but I will admit even Haswell i3 are starting to make them sweat in gaming benchmarks. They still aren't horrible CPU's by any means.

Kaveri thus far is underwhelming, but there's perhaps some hope yet for later models.

 

[kharma45]

That's just a bit disingenuous. The FX line, particularly 6300 and above, do not 'suck donkey balls' but I will admit even Haswell i3 are starting to make them sweat in gaming benchmarks. They still aren't horrible CPU's by any means.

i3s kick the ass of the FX line in almost every situation. They're poor CPUs outside of say sitting rendering stuff in Sony Vegas all day long.

Kaveri thus far is underwhelming, but there's perhaps some hope yet for later models.

Kaveri is underwhelming yes but what later models do you expect to move the game on? The Excavator architecture which is another year away at least?

 

[chaosblade]

Cpu prices never go down when the new ones are released.

For some reason I thought the 3570k had dropped to $210-220, but apparently not. Also thought the 2500k dropped a little when Ivy Bridge hit.

It would be extremely disappointing if the Broadwell i5 k CPU hits at $250-$260. Makes AMD's irrelevance that much more frustrating.

 

[Diablos]

i3s kick the ass of the FX line in almost every situation. They're poor CPUs outside of say sitting rendering stuff in Sony Vegas all day long.

That is a bunch of hyperbole. I don't use Sony Vegas 'all day long', in fact I don't use it at all. My 6300 will, as much as I hate this phrase since it is overused, 'handle everything I throw at it' -- from gaming to encoding/media server (which isn't as uncommon as some people in this thread believe) to virtualization. Also great for multitasking. I can launch apps while playing stuff like FFXIV in the background and it doesn't lag at all.

With all of that being said, if you are in the market for a budget gaming PC today you might very well want to consider a Haswell i3, absolutely. The benchmarks are pretty clear about that.

But to say that FX series are "poor" CPU's is just absolutely overblown. I'm not going to run out and get an i3 proc+mobo even though I just put together my 6300 build in June. It handles 1080p gaming with my 660 like a champ and I find myself more GPU limited than anything else (i.e. could really benefit from having a 760 or higher in games like FFXIV). The hostility towards anything AMD in this thread is a bit crazy at times.

Kaveri is underwhelming yes but what later models do you expect to move the game on? The Excavator architecture which is another year away at least?

I have no idea. Does anyone? I doubt it. It's too early to write off Kaveri though, but I'll admit I am not too confident in them right now. Give them a year.

Why there aren't builds with AMD processors? Is this thread sponsored by Intel or something?

That was my first impression, too. But no.

 

[kharma45]

It no doubt can handle what you throw at it, but that doesn't mean it's a good buy for people coming into this thread looking for the best equipment for their budget.

No one is hostile to AMD here, we just tell it like it is.