Which CPU?

[stilla-killa]

Well most of you know that I am on a budget when it comes to building a new PC but I have decided to use some of my exsiting pc parts and just upgrade the motherboard, CPU and memory. Which CPU should I go with?

AMD Phenom II X4 970

or

Intel Core i5-2500K

Also I will be using my exsiting power supply which is 550W. Will that be enough?

Also I will be going with a Geforce GTS 450 which I just bought this past weekend until I can get a newer one?

Will I notice really that much difference between the two processors?

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

Wow what a great tech center we have here at CS-Nation.

[Anarchy1]

Re: Which CPU?

The i5 2500k. The AMD isn't even close as far as I can tell. I believe the 2500k is the best CPU for gaming on the market. There are better CPUs for other things, but if you are focusing on gaming, get the 2500k.

Not sure about the PSU. I can't find a definite wattage for your graphics card, but I think it is 400W from a quick Google search. The CPU needs about 100W I believe. So I believe a 550W would work, but there is little room for overclocking.

[Vreki]

Re: Which CPU?

PSUs are tricky business. A low quality PSU might boast a high wattage, but have it broken up over several connections so it cant actually deliver what your card needs.
My corsair PSU is only 650 W, but it can deliver 52A through the PCI-e power connectors

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Which CPU?

Wow what a great tech center we have here at CS-Nation.

Your post has been up for one day and you are asking for advice on stuff that if not setup correctly, wont work at all. Be patient. Some of us have jobs.

Crunch

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

Your post has been up for one day and you are asking for advice on stuff that if not setup correctly, wont work at all. Be patient. Some of us have jobs.

Crunch

I just figured that was better than a bump.

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

I doubt if I will ever overclock but I just might get a higher wattage psu in case I want to upgrade my videocard at a later time because I saw where the minimum wattage for the 580 is 700.

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Which CPU?

I ran what you gave as well as guessed on most the rest and using this calculator:

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

You need about 500W, rounding up, to run what you want. So you are pushing it pretty close.

Crunch

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

Thanks Crunch. I will probably go with the i5 and a psu with more wattage. I still have over a month to get this all together. I will be saving $500 doing it this way.

[Anarchy1]

Re: Which CPU?

It's better to have more wattage than cutting it close. Just make sure you don't go over your motherboard's maximum wattage.

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

Ok instead of starting a new thread I thought I would bump this one. These are the parts I have picked out. I will use parts from my old computer to go along with these. Please let me know what you think. Is Biostar and G.Skill good brands? I just usually go with customer reviews when picking out parts.

MB: BIOSTAR TP67XE (B3)

PSU: COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M700

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Which CPU?

A lot of people like Biostar. I worked with their very early models and they werent the greatest, but I am sure theyve changed since then

G.Skill is good RAM. Somtimes I think they are a little overpriced, but thats just me.p

Crunch

[stilla-killa]

Re: Which CPU?

Just been thinking. Will I see that much noticeable difference between the i5 2500k and AMD Phenom 970 while I am in game with BF3 that it is worth spending the extra money on?

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Which CPU?

My opinion is biased.

With that said, I think the iSeries is the better processor and I also think you will see the difference in BF3.

/end biased opinion.

Crunch

[Anarchy1]

Re: Which CPU?

Yes, there is probably a noticeable difference.

The 2500k is the best processor for gaming ATM, and Phenom is not. I wouldn't even consider it to be close.