Source: Tom's Hardware UK – Keywords: performance, gaming, amd
Categories: Gaming, AMD/ATI
AMD Still Has Game
System Builder Marathon, September 2009: The Articles
Here are links to each of the four articles in this month’s System Builder Marathon (we’ll update them as each story is published). And remember, these systems are all being given away at the end of the marathon!
Day 1: The $650 Gaming PC
Day 2: The $1,250 Enthusiast PC
Day 3: The $2,500 Performance PC
Day 4: Performance and Value Dissected
Introduction
One thing sorely lacking from our System Builder Marathon (SBM) articles has been AMD, and that's not because we don’t like the green team. Putting most of our focus into overall system performance caused us to overlook some of the excellent value AMD offers almost exclusively in the gaming market. Thus, we’ve added a couple of titles for our game benchmark tests where AMD really shines.
But AMD’s competitive prices don’t extend only to gaming processors and graphics, as the company also has a thriving chipset business. You certainly won’t find a northbridge with 42 PCI Express (PCIe) lanes from Intel, and otherwise similarly-equipped X58 motherboards come with an approximate $100 price premium.
| $2,500 Portable Performance PC Component Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | MSI 790FX-GD70 Socket AM3 Chipset: AMD 790FX/SB750 | $168 |
| Processor | AMD Phenom II X4 955 Four Cores, 3.2 GHz, 8MB Cache | $200 |
| Graphics | 3 x MSI R4890-T2D1G OC (CrossFireX) 1GB GDDR5-3996 Per Card Radeon HD 4890 GPU at 880 MHz | $600 |
| DRAM | 8GB Crucial DDR3-1333 CAS 9 2 x P/N CT2KIT25664BA1339 Kit | $142 |
| OS/Program Drives | 2 x Intel X25-M SSDSA2MH080G1 (RAID 0) 80GB per drive, MLC, 160GB total | $460 |
| Storage Hard Drives | 2 x WD Caviar Black WD1001FALS (RAID 1) 1TB, 7,200 RPM, 32MB Cache SATA 3.0 Gb/s | $190 |
| Optical | LG GGW-H20L BD-RE / HD-DVD ROM 6x BD-R, 2x BD-RE, 16x DVD±R | $180 |
| Case | NZXT Panzerbox ATX Mid-Tower | $120 |
| Power | Corsair CMPSU-1000HX Modular 1,000W ATX12V 2.2, EPS12V 2.91, 80-Plus Certified | $240 |
| CPU Cooler | Swiftech H20-220 2 x 120mm Liquid-Cooling Kit | $140 |
| Component Cooling | Antec 0761345-75018-9 "SpotCool" LED Fan | $15 |
| SSD Tray | SNT SNT-SATA2221B Hot-Swappable Backplane | $22 |
| Bay Adapter | Vantec MRK-250FD 3.5" to 5.25" adapter | $13 |
| Total Cost | $2,490 | |
We were even able to put the money saved on the motherboard (as well as a few other areas) into storage, adding two 80GB Intel X25-M solid-state disk (SSD) drives for super-fast load times and upgrading the optical unit from a Blu-ray reader to a BD-RE writer, all in an effort to satisfy a multitude of reader requests. Let’s take a closer look at how it all went together.
- Next page CPU, Motherboard, And RAM
Best offers
- Looking for a new gaming computer
- Looking for a good pc for gaming
- NEW PC GAMING
- Alienware Auroara 7500 vs Gateway FX530XG
- which system
- SB Live! PCI 16-bit vs. current onboard audio (Realtek 88x, Via1708)
- Sound solutions for a multimedia system
- Windows 7 or Vista?
- Am i the only one ?
- Performance in low-spec PCs?
5870s next SBM? Bring it on!
I'm aware that a comparison with the last high end SB PC would be misleading as it, basically, didn't work properly, but nonetheless it would be nice to see something to put the performance into context.
Looking at the benchmarks for fallout 3 and world in conflict, the 1300$ pc from a few days ago is not that far behind. (pretty close when o.c'ed)
what really pisses me off is that tomshardware guys always seems to try to make it exactly 2500~ and they sometimes put some things that isn't needed like Antec 0761345-75018-9 "SpotCool" LED Fan and an NZXT case for such a budget ?!!! i think they should rename the title to maybe 2000$-2500$ so that they don't put unneeded things to just make it the exact price do anyone agree?
Im really suprised that all fit i personaly wuold have opted for a better case why dident they choose something like a coolermaster sniper ..... and then they wouldent have to buy that spot cooler thingy and still have 2500 XD
I am always 'concerned' by watercooling that has no reservoir. With the Panzerbox the radiator location is in the very top of the case and would surely end up as the 'reservoir' , collecting any air that built up over time ?
Would a pump and reservoir (sealable type) fixed to the case floor work for air collection (something like the Thermaltake Prowater ones) or, would air continue to migrate to the radiator regardless ?
what really pisses me off is that tomshardware guys always seems to try to make it exactly 2500~ and they sometimes put some things that isn't needed like Antec 0761345-75018-9 "SpotCool" LED Fan and an NZXT case for such a budget ?!!! i think they should rename the title to maybe 2000$-2500$ so that they don't put unneeded things to just make it the exact price do anyone agree?
I think they should just build the performance machine for raw power. LED fans and Daft cases are a matter of taste or lack of.
So the price of these machines isn't the limit. It should be the average FPS / cost. or what ever value per cost that is the focus of the test.