phenom + 4890 cf vs i7 + 4890 no cf

N

Narius

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
347
Basically I just have one question, I am building a PC that is for gaming only (well besides just browsing the web) and i was wondering which setup would be better at 1900x1080?

Phenom x4 940 OC'd to 3.6-4.0
4gb ddr2
4890 crossfire

OR

i7 920 OC'd to 3.8-4.0
6gb ddr3
4890 (no CF)

Gaming on a 24" monitor would it be worth getting a phenom and an extra 4890 vs i7 920 and just one 4890? I know that I will be sacrafcing perfomance outside of gaming. Also what power suply would I need for that phenom build? I have a PSU with 32a on the 12v rail but I don't think thats going to cut it.

or maybe a lga 775 build, but I haven't looked into that much..
 
If it's just gaming you intend to mainly do on this pc, I would say the Phenom Ii X4 Quad build. I think it's a waste to get a Core i7 if your not going to utilize its power for other things such as Photoshop, media encoding etc.
 
The Phenom II setup is only better for gaming due to the video card setup it has.

But you can go with the Phenom II X3 720 to save money. The SSD will only load games and maps faster; it won't increase the games' frame rate (compared to the two HD4890s in CrossFire mode).
 
ya, I am going to go with the Phenom II X3 720 (or maybe the x4 940 or even x2 550) and 2 HD4890s in crossfire. Now I need to figure out what motherboard. I am looking to overclock to at least 3.6, hopefully 3.8.

what about a BIOSTAR TA790GX 128M?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138130

The reason I am looking at this one is because it is in a combo deal with the X3 720 for $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.200066

$200 (after MIR) for the CPU and motherboard is a pretty awesome deal.

though I have seen many recommendations for GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387

What motherboard do yall recommend? I am looking for something <$160, but preferably less.

EDIT: and I would like to unlock the 4th core in the X3 720 also
EDIT 2: looks like the 790FX is better for crossfire than 790gx and 790x
 
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IIRC, the Biostar TA790GX is poor if you're considering heavy overclocking. The Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P is a good choice, but if you want to save some money, you could also go with the Asus M4A78 Plus. It also has a combo deal with the Phenom II X3 720.

You should also get a good CPU cooler for the overclocking that you plan on conducting. One good choice is the Xigmatek Dark Knight. However, YMMV on getting a high overclock or being able to unlock the fourth core on the X3 720.
 
Between the Biostar and Gigabyte mobos you listed for $110 on NewEgg, no question the Gigabyte mobo. The BioSTAR doesn't use all solid state caps on its motherboard. Also, no Heastsink on the Mosfets. By the way, is this a build from scratch? What's your budget? What components will you be resusing? Also, what model PSU do you have?
 
HardwareGuru said:
Between the Biostar and Gigabyte mobos you listed for $110 on NewEgg, no question the Gigabyte mobo. The BioSTAR doesn't use all solid state caps on its motherboard. Also, no Heastsink on the Mosfets. By the way, is this a build from scratch? What's your budget? What components will you be resusing? Also, what model PSU do you have?
Click to expand...

originally I wanted to build it from scratch, but I decided to re use my case.

I will most likely be reusing:

Thermaltake soprano case
Western Digital 250gb SATA HD
Nec DVD burner (ide)
keyboard and mouse

my current PSU is a 470w with 32a on the 12v rail.

So ill need a new powersupply for 4890 crossfire
corsair tx 650w - is what plan on
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=corsair 650

and I want to get a 24" LCD
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VW246H-2...ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1245873568&sr=1-2

and iv'e decided on the XigmaTech darknight for

though I can't seem to find the 24" Asus with 1920x1200 resolution that doesn't have the webcam anymore...

So.. My budget for my CPU, Motherboard, RAM and Graphics Card(s) is $750 max without shipping and tax. oh and that includes the aftermarket heatsink and fan (Xigmatech Dark Knight)
 
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Consider this setup for your budget

CPU &#8211; AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE for $119 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

HSF &#8211; Xigmatek Darknight-S1238V for $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

RAM/VIDEO CARD &#8211; OZC 4GB DDR2 1066 + Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB both for $258 ($10 MIR on Video Card)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.197141

PSU/MOBO &#8211; Corsair 750TX + Gigabyte GA-MA790x-UD4P both for $225 ($20 MIR on PSU)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.201928

Total: $647 before shipping & taxes

You may want to consider upgrading your HDD for a faster WD 640GB. It will definitely outperform your current 250GB drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

LCD Monitor - ASUS VH242H 23.6in for $188 w/free shipping. $188 is a very good price for this size monitor. Plus, it's only .4 inches smaller than a 24"
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010377
 
Thanks HG, you have been a really big help! :) I just have a couple questions :

-why the corsair 750tx over the 650tx? Is the 650tx be enough for 4890 crossfire?
-is it worth spending the extra $50-$60 on a 790fx motherboard for the 16x/16x pci-e lanes vs the 8x/8x on the 790x?
-now that I think about it, is there any point in waiting until say, november, to build this setup? Besides maybing saving a little cash.
 
1. Doesn't look like the 650 has enough PCIE heads for 2 4890s. You could use molex, but this is 2009...
2. If you're doing like, 2560* resolution then yea. Google a Tweaktown article called something like x8 vs x16
3. November? Might as well just scrap this build and keep dreaming.
 
Let me ask you, what is your current build? I am assuming you are on an old Athlon 64 or P4 computer setup?

1. The Corsair 650TX PS will do, but as lowtech mentioned you will need a 4 pin molex to PCI-E adaptor. The Corsair 650TX I believe has 1 x 6 pin PCI-E connector and 1 x 6+2 pin PCI-E connector. The 6+2 pin is an 8pin connector that can be split to be used as a 6 pin PCI-E connector also. But, each Radeon HD 4890 requires 2 x 6pin PCI-E connectors per video card.
2. I don't feel it's worth doing Crossfire for only 1920x1200 or 1920x1080 resolution. 30" 2560x1600 res, then yes it would be worth it. You should just stick with 1 x Radeon HD4890 video card for now. I myself have a 24" 1920x1200 res monitor with an 8800GT video card. I can play some games at the native res. Others, I need to lower the resolution down to 1680x1050 or 1440x900. You should do pretty good on most games with the HD 4890 1GB card.
3.Why are you waiting for November to build this rig?
 
im not going to bother reading all the posts in this thread.. but crossfire 4890's on a 24" display is an utter waste of money.. a single 4890 will give the same performance on a 24"(1920x1200) as 2 4890's on the same display.. save your money and just buy a single 4890..

and all of you guys that didnt bother to say this should kick your selves in the ass.. this is why i rarely comment on these build info requests because no one uses any common sense and i have to spend more time correcting people..
 
well then I guess I wont need a new power supply or the 790fx motherboard.

The reason I say November is because that is when Modern Warfare 2 comes out, and that is really the next game I plan on playing, and the main reason for building this computer. So maybe I am better off waiting until then and see if the new hd5870 video cards are out.
 
Consider this setup for your budget

CPU &#8211; AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE for $119 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

HSF &#8211; Xigmatek Darknight-S1238V for $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

RAM &#8211; OZC 4GB DDR2 1066 for $48 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227362

MOBO - Gigabyte GA-MA790x-UD4P for $110 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387

PSU &#8211; Antec EA650 for $78 w/free shipping
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010587

VIDEO CARD - HIS H489F1GP Radeon HD 4890 1GB for $180 w/free shipping ($20 MIR)
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010252

HDD - WESTERN DIGITAL Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB for $70 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Total: $645

LCD Monitor - ASUS VH242H 23.6in for $188 w/free shipping
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010377
 
Battlefield series requires "next-gen" highest-end video cards. What!?
 
Aka. BF games don't require "next-gen" unreleased video cards of the highest denominations.
 
oh I guess you thought Modern Warefare 2 was battlefield, its actually Call of Duty. And ya I know it doesn't require a 5870
 
O COD. Well if you're only building a computer for that game then come back then.. Nov is way too soon for anything, though COD 4 and 5 didn't require the latest and greatest to top out.
 
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