Welcome to the first edition of AMD Gaming PC Builds by a new author / contributor to Newb Computer Build – Obit. In the recent months, Obit and I have been conversing about specific PC builds and because of Obit’s lust for AMD and my recent lack of AMD inclusion, I asked Obit to submit an AMD builds article. These builds are a side to the usual Gaming PC Builds of the Month posted every month here at Newb Computer Build, so enjoy and give a warm welcome to Obit!
As a gamer myself, I don’t really worry about the benchmark scores particularly in the CPU department, many if not all benchmark tests, test one core of the CPU rather than all the cores (it test 1/4 cores in a quad core). I look at the Frames per second I can get instead. As seen in the results below, Corey’s August 2012 build beats this build in graphics test 1, 2 & 3. But they aren’t the test I’m worried about, rather I worry about the physics test and the combined test which the AMD build beats Corey’s build in. The results are shown below. They can also be seen here: http://www.3dmark.com/compare/3dm11/2910766/3dm11/3914870.
For the price this CPU is a decent buy. If you are one of those people who like to do many things at once, then this is the CPU for you. I opted for this CPU because of the fact that it is 4.2 GHz and it is roughly the same price is the i3-2120. What other processor on the market can you buy that has a factory clock of 4.2 GHZ? None!
This has to be one of the best value-for-money motherboards on the market. It has a whopping 16 USB ports as well as crossfire capability. You may have to flash the bios in order to use FX series CPU’s though (the CPU in this build is a FX series CPU).
I opted for this graphics card over the Radeon 6850 due to Radeon 7770 being newer technology, and the particular 7770 I’ve chosen has a higher clock speed then that of the 6850. This is a very quiet card as well, so those who want an ultra-silent gaming pc, this is the graphics card for you. This card is also energy efficient; hence, this build has a 500w PSU.
I opted for this Hard Drive because it is outrageously cheap and the Caviar Black Hard drives are designed for speed, perfect for gaming. And it comes with a 5 year warranty.
I opted for this PSU over the 430w version because you can never have too much power and your better safe than sorry. It has shot up $20 over the past month so it is sure to go down in price as well.
I choose this Optical drive over the Sony one in Corey’s build because I have had no problems with the ASUS branded optical drives since I started using them many years ago. These are a lot cheaper when I bought my one of these (mine cost $50).
Total Price: $529.67 after rebates (17th of August Prices)
Like I said in the $500 build, I don’t really worry about the benchmark scores particularly in the CPU department, many if not all benchmark tests, test one core of the CPU rather than all the cores (it test 1/8 cores in a octo-core). I look at the Frames per second instead. As seen in the results below, this build and Corey’s August 2012 build have very similar scores, although this build would be better due to it having a 7970 rather than a 7950. Oh and don’t forget the fact it has an octo-core. The results are shown below. They can also be seen here: http://www.3dmark.com/compare/3dm11/3623947/3dm11/4114695
This is the top of the range AMD CPU and is about $30 cheaper than the 3570K. Unlike the 3570K, this CPU is an octo-core (8-core CPU) so this CPU is better designed for multi-tasking. And this CPU is super easy to overclock.
I choose this motherboard because it is super cheap and has everything you need. It can take 32GB of ram, plenty of USB ports and supports 2-way SLI and 2-way crossfire (which is the norm on today’s boards). What more could you want?
When I was choosing the memory, I was looking at the Corsair 4x4GB kit and this kit. I opted for this one because it leaves 2 spare slots for future upgrades. In the long run, it saves you having to buy 4 modules later.
This 7970 may only have an engine clock of 925MHz, but if you spend about $100 more, you could get the 1GHz edition or even the Gigabyte Super Overclock Edition.
Like the $500 build, I opted for this Hard Drive because it is outrageously cheap and the Caviar Black Hard drives are designed for speed, perfect for gaming. And it comes with a 5 year warranty.
Like the $500 build, I choose this because I have had no problems with the ASUS branded optical drives since I started using them many years ago. These are a lot cheaper when I bought my one of these (mine cost $50).
Total: $1065.84 after rebates $1025.84 (20th of August Prices)
I’m going to say what I said in the other builds, I don’t really worry about the benchmark scores particularly in the CPU department, many if not all benchmark tests, test one core of the CPU rather than all the cores (it test 1/8 cores in a octo-core). I look at the Frames per second instead. As seen in the results below, this build and Corey’s August 2012 build have very similar scores. There results can also be seen here: http://www.3dmark.com/compare/3dm11/3075268/3dm11/4019295
This is the top of the range AMD CPU and is about $30 cheaper than the 3570K. Unlike the 3570K, this CPU is an octo-core (8-core CPU) so this CPU is better designed for multi-tasking. And this CPU is super easy to overclock.
Originally, I had the Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 pencilled in for the motherboard spot, but I choose this board instead. This board has basically everything the UD7 has, and is over $50 cheaper. Overall it is a good board and is excellent value for money.
In this build, I had a choice 32 GB of ram or water-cooling. I chose 16 or ram because 32GB isn’t really required. Water Cooling also gives you the option to Overclock without the CPU getting too hot.
I was considering putting the Gigabyte GTX680 SOC edition, but in this price I couldn’t do it. Doesn’t really matter though, this still provides enough power for all your gaming needs.
This PSU has enough power to run everything with power to spare, if need be you could throw the 1200W Corsair professional Series PSU in but you shouldn’t need that much power.
Like I said in the other builds, I choose this because I have had no problems with the ASUS branded optical drives since I started using them many years ago. These are a lot cheaper when I bought my one of these (mine cost $50).
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ $142.85 after rebate $132.85.
