How exactly was it, that a discussion about a gaming rig, descended into a discussion about Linux as the OS?

Yeah, I'm suffering "acute esoterica overdose"...:rolleyes:

As light, or as shallow...?

Here; something on a lighter note; http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic156003.html

haha alright I'll get some money together and go for that quadcore AMD and that case looks fine. that plus windows 7 should get the job done

Well, I see that by the time the recommended Antec (mid-tower) is added,
and a copy of OEM /System Builder's edition of Win7 Pro-64bit
The total is right near $810 plus shipping.
For my own purposes... would really rather keep it about $100 less...
Looking at getting a cheap graphix card, and making a gaming card upgrade later.

Don't forget about potential student discounts for Win7 if possible...It's like $15 or $30 USD.

I think thats the best choice. By the end of the year (tax return time ish), intel should be releasing sandy bridge anyway. Most likely, you'll need a new motherboard for it.
With AMD, you can probably keep the same AM3 motherboard for years and it will still be compatible; it makes it easier to upgrade.


This thread is becoming capricious...

Gaming and office apps right?
I'd consider simply going with an 880G motherboard with an integrated 4250, then you could just get a 6850 later.

Otherwise, you could instead use these:
SAPPHIRE 100284L Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card A 5770 is also viable here.
ntec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX245OCGQBOX

Not meant to be frivolous/capricious.
I could start my own thread, I guess.
I thought my interests were similar enough to relate here rather than starting a new one.
Sorry to have intruded.

I'm an AMD guy but it's getting hard to make the "bang for the buck" argument in the quad core department. Considering Intel's dominance in all around computing those prices are pretty competitive.The MB's aren't as out of line as they used to be either. Dual or triple core, I'd say AMD but once you hit quads then Intel has to be given some serious consideration. Nice recommendations Captain.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/88?vs=109
Performance is pretty close.
Price? $130 USD v $200 USD. Not only that, but the nicer intel motherboards tend to ask bit for USB 3.0 and Sata 6gb/s; though the H55's and H57's are very budget friendly.
The cheapest X58 is about $170. and the cheapest i7 is about $280. Let's look at some more benches.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/147?vs=107
Again, pretty even, the i7 870 has an obvious edge in gaming, but the X6 stays close in raw processing benches.
Prices you say? $180 and $280!
On top of that, intel is expecting you to get a new motherboard to use the latest and greatest(?) CPU's.

Naw, AMD's got better price/performance even with quads and beyond; the fact is that none of their quads coast as much as the cheapest intel quadcores.

I don't agree. I think an i5 system can deliver more raw computing power at a similar price point. The i7's are on a whole different level than anything from AMD unless you factor in the 6 core CPU's. It all depends on the intended use for the system. In day to day activities and gaming my Phenom II 955 feels just as snappy as my friend's i7-950 build but there's no doubt he can lay waste to me in certain situations. I couldn't justify the cost of building a machine like that, he could. Lot's of variables to be taken into consideration. Not to mention I'm a huge AMD fan so there may have been a little bias in my build.

And they're off........

There are no AMD and intel quads competing.
I already mentioned that the cheapest quad-core nehalem is the i5 at just under $200, while the most expensive AMD quad core is even less. That's why AMD wins the price/performance battle.
Price wise, the i5 v X6 debate is basically inconclusive. I remember off the top of my head that the X6 beats the i5 in Cinebench's multithreaded test. I just like AMD motherboards more.

The Xclio case I have is HUGE, I'm not sure if they are all like this, just some food for thought. Its the biggest case I have ever seen, but then again I haven't seen a shitload of cases or anything. Have fun with your new rig and spend 4-6$ here and there where you can add small fans to any extra fan spots and if you have a lot of fans you can get a cheap speed regulator(also 4-6$) to keep down the noise if they do not come with one or the one they come with sucks.

Wow there's a second page, as cranky mentioned about the 4 cores in the past, are there even any games out atm that utilize x6 or x8?