• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

Help deciding on first ever AMD rig

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.
S

Spacepiston

Member
​
Joined
Mar 11, 2001
Location
GR, MI
My last 6 systems were Intel based. I just sold the system in my sig and now I'm looking to build something new that can handle the next 2-4 years.

I was pricing out an Abit IP35-E, Q6600, 2 gigs of Ballistix, a 74gb Raptor, and a X1950Xt. On top of that I want to continue to use water cooling because it rocks IMO.

Anyway, after pricing out the cost of building this system including the water blocks necessary (keeping old pump and rad at this point) I'm starting to wonder if I'm making the best financial decision.

I keep seeing lower prices on all the AMD based components. Now I've spent all my years w/ Intel stuff and AMD stuff is really foreign to me. The Overclockers members have never steered me wrong with hardware decisions. I'm asking for a few moments of someones time to give me a few setup comparisons that might be close in performance but not necessarily price:)

I'm very loyal to Abit as far as motherboards go, and heavy overclocking is a must so please keep that in mind. Thank You in advance!
 
There is nothing on the AMD side to match the performance of the Q6600 or even the E6550/6600 chips after both are overclocked to their max.

You can get within 30% or so (of the dual core chips) with an F3 Windsor chip like the 5200+ CZBOX for $130, and a $70 motherboard like the Biostar TForce570 SLI.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138059

Abit doesn't really have any AM2 motherboards worth the money right now.
 
For a good cheap rig I would go with an:

E6750
TR Ultra-120 eXtreme
gigabyte ds3r
2 x 1GB ddr800 (4-4-4-12)
8800GTS 320mb

As much as you want AMD, it really makes no sense at this point to go that route.

P.S. This is coming from someone who has an AMD rig. BTW.
 
Sounds like you aren't going to upgrade to barcelona. In that case, just get an INTEL rig.

IMO, water cooling is great, but if it sacrifices your quad to watercool a dual, i'd just go get a quad with a decent air cooler.

Otherwise, i'd just get a 3800+ X2 and wait for barcelona to come out.
 
Spacepiston said:
My last 6 systems were Intel based. I just sold the system in my sig and now I'm looking to build something new that can handle the next 2-4 years.

I was pricing out an Abit IP35-E, Q6600, 2 gigs of Ballistix, a 74gb Raptor, and a X1950Xt. On top of that I want to continue to use water cooling because it rocks IMO.

Anyway, after pricing out the cost of building this system including the water blocks necessary (keeping old pump and rad at this point) I'm starting to wonder if I'm making the best financial decision.
Click to expand...

You do not need water cooling to OC a Q6600 G0 to 3.6GHz
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=157690

Q6600 G0 - L727A934 - 4Ghz P stable - PC Vapo LS - 1.425v - ASUS P5K Prem - by -------------dragonhunter
Q6600 G0 - L724A629 - 4Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.6v - EVGA 680i - by ---------------turtletrax
Q6600 G0 - L724A784 - 4Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.62v - ASUS P5K Prem - by ---------TinTin
Q6600 G0 - L723B284 - 3.9Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT - 1.52v- DFI P35-T2R - by - -----------RLM
Q6600 G0 - L726A840 - 3.9Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT - 1.54v - EVGA 680i - by --------------CraptacularOne
Q6600 G0 - L726A951 - 3.85Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.52v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by --------no_n|ck
Q6600 G0 - L726A850 - 3.85Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.537v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by -------crossg.
Q6600 G0 - L727A918 - 3.82Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT - 1.52v - ASUS Striker Extreme - by --linflas
Q6600 G0 - L723A674 - 3.81Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT- 1.54v Gigabyte DS4 - by ------------aspms*
Q6600 G0 - L726A*** - 3.8Ghz P stable - WC - 1.43v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ----------------------njkid32
Q6600 G0 - L725B057 - 3.8Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.456V - ASUS P5K-E - by ---------dj883u2
Q6600 G0 - L723B010 - 3.8Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek fuzion - 1.52v - ASUS Blitz Formula - by -----Ic3man
Q6600 G0 - L724A*** - 3.8Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT - 1.55v - DFI P35-T2R - by ------------RLM
Q6600 G0 - L719B278 - 3.8Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.6v - Abit IP35-Pro - by - ---------vkostas
Q6600 G0 - L720B023 - 3.76Ghz P stable - WC Apogee GT - 1.475v - ASUS P5K Prem - by --------cfree1012
Q6600 G0 - L726A849 - 3.76Ghz P stable - AC Noctua NH U 12 - 1.5v ASUS P5K E - by -----------sam95ta
Q6600 G0 - L720B066 - 3.73Ghz P stable - WC ApogeeGTX - 1.44v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ----------NaeKuh
Q6600 G0 - L726A951 - 3.71Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.425v - ASUS Striker Extreme - by -cliffy
Q6600 G0 - L723A963 - 3.7Ghz P stable - WC - 1.43v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ----------------------njkid32
Q6600 G0 - L719B272 - 3.7Ghz P stable - WC Storm G4 - 1.44v - Gigabyte P35 DS4 - by ---------Xiphias-Gladius
Q6600 G0 - L724A760 - 3.7Ghz (462x8) P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.45v - EVGA 680i - by -----nugzo
Q6600 G0 - L726A601 - 3.7Ghz P stable - *cooling not listed* - 1.45v - *mobo not listed* - by ---sergmann
Q6600 G0 - L719B*** - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra-120 - 1.385v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ---------rbsmontemor
Q6600 G0 - L719B271 - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC Tuniq Tower - 1.39v - Gigabyte P35 DQ6 - by -------3NZ0
Q6600 G0 - L724A786 - 3.6Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.396v - abit IP35 Pro - by ---------largon
Q6600 G0 - L726A840 - 3.6Ghz P stable - WC - 1.41v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by -----------------------njkid32
Q6600 G0 - L726A850 - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.41v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by -----------crossg
Q6600 G0 - L723A825 - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.42v - Gigabyte DS3-R - by --------[XC] 4X4N
Q6600 G0 - L727A934 - 3.63Ghz P stable - WC D-Tek Fuzion - 1.425v - ASUS P5B Dlx - by -------drynyks
Q6600 G0 - L724A900 - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.45v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by -----------sobol
Q6600 G0 - L723A963 - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC Tuniq Tower - 1.475v - ASUS P5K Prem - by --------ocZZZ
Q6600 B3 - **(ES)** - 3.6Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 eXtreme - 1.475v ASUS P5K Dlx - by ---BND|MOD
Q6600 G0 - L727A658 - 3.55Ghz P stable - AC Cooler Master Gemini II - 1.56v - Abit IP35-E - by --dragonhunter
Q6600 G0 - L720B062 - 3.51Ghz P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.45v - Gigabyte P965 - by ---------vocch
Q6600 G0 - L727A673 - 3.42Ghz P stable - AC Tuniq Tower - 1.375v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ---------timber715
Q6600 G0 - L727A934 - 3.42Ghz P stable - WC - 1.43v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ----------------------njkid32
Q6600 G0 - L720B013 - 3.4Ghz P stable - AC TR 120 Ultra - 1.375v - ASUS P5K Dlx - by ----------sobol
Q6600 G0 - L724A760 - 3.4Ghz P stable - AC Scythe Infinity - 1.4v - DFI P965S - by -------------GripS
Q6600 B3 - L645G523 - 3.4Ghz (425x8) P stable - AC TR Ultra 120 - 1.44v - EVGA 680i - by ------zodduska
Q6600 B3 - L644G135 - 3.3Ghz P stable - AC Scythe Infinity - 1.4v DFI P965S - by --------------The Nemesis
Click to expand...

Spacepiston said:
I'm very loyal to Abit as far as motherboards go, and heavy overclocking is a must so please keep that in mind. Thank You in advance!
Click to expand...

Intel if you want overclockability and performance. But if you are looking to save a few bucks then an AMD rig may be good too.
 
If you get an AMD rig now then you can upgrade to a Phenom X4 when they are released. Looking at Barcelona vs Xeon prices I would expect the Phenoms to be at a very good price. This route might still be cheaper in the long run over going Intel right now.
 
I ended up purchasing an AMD system despite the suggestions above. Price made the difference... Found some good open box deals at Newegg.

Purchased:


Open Box: ABIT Fatal1ty AN9 32X AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP/SPP 190 ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813127237R

Open Box Item Return Policy
$122.99
1

Open Box: HIS Hightech H195PRQT256DDAN-R Radeon X1950PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported IceQ3 Turbo HDCP Video Card
Item #: N82E16814161068R

Open Box Item Return Policy
$109.99
1

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADX6000CZBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103773

Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$164.99
2

Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC22G6400LLK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820220144

Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
$205.98
($102.99 ea)
1

Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136033

Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$149.99
1

DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #57719
$-15.00
Subtotal $738.94
Tax $0.00
UPS 3 Days $12.02
Order Total $750.96
 
Again, I appreciated the input, but after looking at my needs I decided an AMD system would be a nice change. I'm not looking for cutting edge, just something that's noticeably better than what I have. I overclock for a hobby not for performance:)
 
it has nothing to do with what other "want" him to do, he asked for advice and got good advice but choose not to use it

i hope phenom and all that is what it is said to be when they arrive if you want this to last 2-4 years.
 
Mr.Guvernment said:
it has nothing to do with what other "want" him to do, he asked for advice and got good advice but choose not to use it
Click to expand...

How do you justify making that call? Whether advice is good or not is almost -entirely- upto the reciever of the advice. You may instantly think "jump off a cliff with nothing to save you from dying" is terrible advice, but if your needs/wants are that you want to die, it could very well be the best piece of advice that could be given. Ive read your comments lately about how intel > AMD, so its not surprising that you believe that advice of buying an intel product is good advice.

Personally, I chose a Turion X2 TL-56 laptop over an equally priced Core 2 whatever the equivalent.. I also chose Acer over Dell, and got shot down over it.

As for 'he chose not to use it', again I cant see how you can argue for that. He may very well have used the advice. He valued everyone's opinion (and even said that in his post), but he made the final judgment call.

Btw, nice setup.. let us know how it OCs :) Im rather interested to see what its going to turn out like.. tempted to upgrade to an X2 on my desktop (still sitting on a venice 3000+)
 
Careface said:
Btw, nice setup.. let us know how it OCs :) Im rather interested to see what its going to turn out like.. tempted to upgrade to an X2 on my desktop (still sitting on a venice 3000+)
Click to expand...
If you're still running a 939 and can hit a FSB of 334 buy a new Opty 165 from Newegg. They've been regularly OC'ing at 2.9-3.0 on near stock vCore and some are 3+ with a little push ... :)
 
Ive read your comments lately about how intel > AMD, so its not surprising that you believe that advice of buying an intel product is good advice.
Click to expand...

Please enlighten me? i do beleive it, when you get more performance for the money how can that be bad advice. How was any of the advice given, bad advice.

I do agree, if you wish to save a few bucks, then go AMD, $20 to me is nothing yet for others it is alot so that could of been a deciding factor.

I would buy an Acer over a Dell if it had what i wanted (i bought an apple over a dell), but i wouldnt buy a Turion over a equally priced c2d knowing the intel would perform better.. that seems more a move of someone loyal to a company and not their wallet.

i can argue he choose not to use it, obviously, as they bought AMD... the advice given was to buy Intel from all i read?

I think you took my post far too personally, i did not see how people's suggestions were "bad advice" so i stated "good advice", nor was i trying to put down the OP by saying he choose not to use it, was more defending them in that they didnt do what other's told them too as someone else suggested, or posting comments like "why spend $750 on AMD??" so perhaps your attack should be aimed elsewhere.
 
Mr.Guvernment said:
Please enlighten me? i do beleive it, when you get more performance for the money how can that be bad advice. How was any of the advice given, bad advice.
Click to expand...

I didnt say it was bad advice, I said you cant make the claim that its good advice, OR bad advice. You are not in a position to judge, as you have different opinions to whomever else. 'good' and 'bad' are opinionated.

I do agree, if you wish to save a few bucks, then go AMD, $20 to me is nothing yet for others it is alot so that could of been a deciding factor.
Click to expand...

Fair enough.

I would buy an Acer over a Dell if it had what i wanted (i bought an apple over a dell), but i wouldnt buy a Turion over a equally priced c2d knowing the intel would perform better.. that seems more a move of someone loyal to a company and not their wallet.
Click to expand...

And what is wrong with a person loyal to their company of choice? Burger king probably makes better burgers than mcdonalds, yet mcd is far more popular.

Intel are holding an illegal monopoly, so I support AMD because I believe with my money fuelling their business, they will be able to make things that out perform Intel.

i can argue he choose not to use it, obviously, as they bought AMD... the advice given was to buy Intel from all i read?
Click to expand...

No, you cant argue that at all. He may well have used it, just not in the way you think. If he even CONSIDERED the advice, he is using the advice.

I think you took my post far too personally, i did not see how people's suggestions were "bad advice" so i stated "good advice", nor was i trying to put down the OP by saying he choose not to use it, was more defending them in that they didnt do what other's told them too as someone else suggested, or posting comments like "why spend $750 on AMD??" so perhaps your attack should be aimed elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Actually, Im not attacking you. I just had a problem with what you said about good advice and how he didnt choose it. Nothing more.

Good day <3
 
M-m-m-m-multi quote! :)

Anyway, I loved all my AMD's, but I still would have chosen an e6550 (1333mhz fsb) for about 10 bucks more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115030

Paired with this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127031

You would have paid the same price for a P35 based Conroe system. Or you would have paid less if you saw the open box e6400 for the same price as the athlon.

Not saying you made a bad choice, but for the reason you gave (price), you could have gotten a better performing system. Not to mention the p35 chipset would have complimented your beautiful ATI graphics card if you ever wanted to go Crossfire.

Again, going AMD isn't bad at all, and it isn't wrong to want to try new things.
 
Careface said:
Btw, nice setup.. let us know how it OCs :) Im rather interested to see what its going to turn out like.. tempted to upgrade to an X2 on my desktop (still sitting on a venice 3000+)
Click to expand...
I'm very interested in seeing how this works too, I was considering that same exact motherboard in place of my current one. It's between that Abit and the Foxconn or eVga N590 boards. Let me know how well that board OCs, I'll be here waiting!! emot-munch.gif

funnyperson1 said:
You can get within 30% or so (of the dual core chips) with an F3 Windsor chip like the 5200+ CZBOX for $130, and a $70 motherboard like the Biostar TForce570 SLI.
Click to expand...
This may have been a deciding factor, considering the performance loss isn't enough to warrant spending the extra money for an Intel system. He really didn't spend that much on the "core" components (except the RAM seems a bit pricey to me?)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Silver_Pharaoh
Where to go from 6700K?
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
freeagent
freeagent
T
New config. advice
2
Replies
30
Views
746
shalena20
S
M
DTT3500 - Liquid Damage - Help Fixing
Replies
2
Views
2K
don256us
don256us
Voodoo Rufus
Project Donnager, main rig upgrade
2 3 4 5
Replies
80
Views
4K
Voodoo Rufus
Voodoo Rufus
Zerileous
Lenovo Flex 5 5700U First Impressions
Replies
0
Views
714
Zerileous
Zerileous
Back