Budget - $500 Motherboard, Intel Processor & Ram

What is the best quality intel processor, supporting motherboard and ram I can get for $500.

Looking to upgrade my gaming PC to that, as it'll run MW3 for sure.

 

Are you including the Processor and RAM in the 500$ budget?

 

Yessir.

 

Intel i5 2500k - $215
ASRock EXTREME4 GEN3 motherboard - $200
2x 8GB Corsair Vengeance (2x4GB) RAM - $50 ea

Pretty much the best price/performance at that price point. If you wanted you could grab a 2600k by dropping one set of RAM and settling for a lesser motherboard. The 2500k is basically the same as a 2600k though, like a 3% difference max.

 

At that budget, you're better off going AMD. Ram is super cheap, 8 gb of it is something like 50 bucks. AMD motherboards and processors are about 400 bucks for the mid-high end.

 

Uh no it's not, don't bother.

Look at Ivy's post.

 

Intel is $400 roughly for the high end. 2500k is better than ANYTHING AMD has and the ASRock EXTREME4 GEN3 is a really nice motherboard. Supports Ivy Bridge, has Z68 + all the features that come along with it, and it supports tri-SLI or 3-way CFX... also keep in mind this isn't the budget for the whole computer... just mobo, cpu and ram.

 

Go with Ivy, 2500k is dominating the CPU market right now and its a good socket to stay with.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.739479

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104173
x2

Wut? Six core processor, 8 GB of ram, and the crosshair V board? Thought so. Why over pay for Intel? Also, might I add, the processor runs cool naturally, especially because the power consumption is tiny compared to the Intel. 45nm logic gates? Fuck yes.

 

Haven't looked up much info on the new Bulldozer.

 

Please stop... you don't know what you're talking about. Look at this benchmark: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=434

That is the new FX-8150, which is a superior processor to the one you linked to. Take note of how many benchmarks it loses to the 2500k.... the vast majority. Number of cores has very, very little to do with performance.

My 2500k idles at 29c, load at 49c when at stock clocks. Overclocked to 4.6GHz on a shitty Corsair H60 cooler, it peaks at 65c load with 1.275vcore. My 2500k at 5GHz/1.375v and the temps were still reasonable at 73c. So your point about performing cool is moot.

Hahahaha you have no idea. The power consumption on Bulldozer is INSANE. Sandy Bridge is literally almost twice as efficient at similar clock speeds. Let it be noted, that because Sandy Bridge has higher IPC, it is also faster clock for clock. Example, a 5.0GHz Sandy chip is considerably faster than a 5.0GHz Bulldozer. This translates into Sandy Bridge being faster, arguably cooler (since most BD chips max at around 4.6-4.8 on traditional air cooling), all while being more efficient.

Take a look at this graph:


Also, what the hell are you on about 45nm logic gates? Bro, Sandy is 32nm... so is Bulldozer. The 32nm fabrication process doesn't really mean that much. In fact, Bulldozer has taken a step back from its 45nm counterparts (Deneb and Thuban) in that it is MORE power inefficient and has a lower IPC. Hell, BD is beat even by PHII's in some scenarios.

Please, I'm not saying I'm the most knowledgeable person about computers, but seriously. Don't come at me with a bunch of misinformation. Research your shit next time. Bulldozer was a complete and utter failure. Intel is the way to go, especially with their 22nm Ivy Bridge CPUs coming out in early 2012... Bulldozer won't have shit on them, not that I'm saying they have shit on Sandy Bridge.

 

TL;DR for Ivy's post.

AMD are shit, intel>amd unless in a serious budget build.

 

Sorry, but you just got DESTROYED by ivy bridge. GG fella.

 

Yeah never get an AMD.

The only people that get AMD's for gaming PC's are the people that go: "lol cores and ghz r the only ting 2 luk at duh! <3<3"

 

No, AMD are fine in budget builds. Don't make false claims.

If I had the choice between like an i5 2500k & a 6770 & a Phenom II 955 and 560ti or something I'd go the AMD build.


lol@gravedig by rawr

 

Oh crap, my bad. I was going through IDB's recent threads to work out why he got banned, didn't realise it was so old, guess I had it in a different tab and then came back to it.

 

Look I had around a 1000$ budget for my mid-gaming rig and I went with AMD. I don't regret it in all. Maybe in fact I'm missing something and if I had a Intel processor my experience would change entirely, but no at this point I'm more than satisfied with my AMD processor. It does more than the job.

I feel like people responding that AMD is trash are a bit one-sided.