Overclock.net banner
Cancel

i7 860 or AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition

11782 Views 37 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  MrAlex, 
M
5
I have a very bad system right now and I am upgrading it


There are two processors that really stand out to me:

I7 860- $229

AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE- $195

I have to buy a new board (Intel and AMD board both $100), but if I get the intel I would have to get new RAM because it does not support DDR2 memory ($100 for the RAM).

If I get intel:
I7 860- $229
Motherboard- $100
RAM- $100
----------------------------
TOTAL: $429

If I get AMD:
AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE- $195
Motherboard- $100
----------------------------
TOTAL: $295

As you guys an see there is a significant difference between the two costs. What I am asking you guys is, "Is it worth it?"
I will be using the computer 96% gaming and 4% web surfing.

I would much rather have an Intel processor and motherboard (Intel owns!
) but unfortunately the significant cost difference is a problem for me. My parents told me that they will pay $300 of the parts, but I will have to pay for the rest. I currently have $600 (I worked hard for it!
) and I would prefer not to dip out of my savings. I WILL if there is a significant difference in performance. Enough of my story
, so now I ask you, "Which is better the i7 860 or the AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE"?

UPDATE: For those of you that are curious what motherboards I'm getting:

Intel- Biostar TP55 Socket 1156 P55 ATX Motherboard

AMD- Biostar TA790GXB A2+ 790GX AM2+ ATX Motherboard
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
LemonSlice
2
There really is no advantage for getting the i7 860 over the i5 750, unless you need hyperthreading. The significance hyperthreading on an already blazing fast quad is nonexistent in gaming, unless you got something that takes advantage of 8 cores
. Check this out, i5 750 with OCZ Gold 4GB DDR3 set for $233. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the i5 overclocks better too
. Total with the motherboard you picked it will come to $333 + shipping.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
INFAMYBLADE
i'm considering switching to the amd just because of how hard it's been for me to find a bloodrage at all.
Reply
Save
Like
M
3
Quote:

Originally Posted by LemonSlice View Post
There really is no advantage for getting the i7 860 over the i5 750, unless you need hyperthreading. Check this out, i5 750 with OCZ Gold 4GB DDR3 set for $233. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the i5 overclocks better too
.
Yes, but I mainly chose the i7 860 over the i5 750 because of the clock speed (2.8 vs 2.66) would this increase of clock speed make a difference
?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M3T4LM4N222
Quote:

Originally Posted by CrysisForever View Post
i'm considering switching to the amd just because of how hard it's been for me to find a bloodrage at all.
I'm thinking foxconn is getting ready for a revised bloodrage, not sure though, maybe there just selling out quick.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
greydor
I'm a big fan of the i5/i7, but I'm going to ask that you not purchase either due to the fact that the i7 you want is on the 1156 boards. That socket is not going to last long at all. I can't figure out why they did that.

Article on this exact point.

The link is to the point.
Reply
Save
Like
M
2
Quote:

Originally Posted by skitzogreg View Post
I'm a big fan of the i5/i7, but I'm going to ask that you not purchase either due to the fact that the i7 you want is on the 1156 boards. That socket is not going to last long at all. I can't figure out why they did that.
Really? I didn't know that (Sry I don't have much computer hardware knowledge compared to the others on overclock.net
), so should I get the AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
LemonSlice
Do you intend to overclock? I believe it would be a walk down 2 stairs to overclock 2.66 up to 2.8.
Reply
Save
Like
ericeod
OP, also post the motherboards you are looking at buying. The MB is thw backbone of your system, and is a critical component which should be researched. Can you give any more info other then $100 boards?
Reply
Save
Like
greydor
2
Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnabbmc View Post
Really? I didn't know that (Sry I don't have much computer hardware knowledge compared to the others on overclock.net
), so should I get the AMD Phenom II x4 965 BE?
I just added a link to back up my claim. The 965 is a great choice, but if you have a bit extra (I know you have a budget), go 1366 on the i7.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
Quote:

Originally Posted by LemonSlice View Post
Do you intend to overclock? I believe it would be a walk down 2 stairs to overclock 2.66 up to 2.8.
Good point, I WILL be overclocking (not very good at it so I'll be overclocking it slightly), but wouldn't I be better off with AMD if I was focusing on clock speed?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
M
Quote:

Originally Posted by ericeod View Post
OP, also post the motherboards you are looking at buying. The MB is thw backbone of your system, and is a critical component which should be researched. Can you give any more info other then $100 boards?
just updated the post
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
LemonSlice
Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnabbmc View Post
Good point, I WILL be overclocking (not very good at it so I'll be overclocking it slightly), but wouldn't I be better off with AMD if I was focusing on clock speed?
Don't quote me on this but Intel chips are faster clock for clock (faster per mhz) and get higher clocks (with the right cooling).
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
sLowEnd
Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnabbmc View Post
UPDATE: For those of you that are curious what motherboards I'm getting:

Intel- Biostar TP55 Socket 1156 P55 ATX Motherboard

AMD- Biostar TA790GXB A2+ 790GX AM2+ ATX Motherboard

The LGA1156 board you are considering does not look very good.

The AM2+ board you are considering isn't the best one you can get for the price. This board is better.
http://microcenter.com/single_produc...uct_id=0315788
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
greydor
Do NOT go with Biostar.
Reply
Save
Like
ericeod
OP, I dont know if you can order from newegg, but this board would be a great choice for an i5 build:

ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard $129

If you plan to only run 1 video card, check out this one:
ASUS P7P55-M LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $81
Reply
Save
Like
M
Quote:

Originally Posted by skitzogreg View Post
Do NOT go with Biostar.
Why?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
greydor
Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnabbmc View Post
Why?
I know it's quite cliché, but you really do get what you pay for. Their customer service/warranty/quality is junk. You'd be way better spending a tiny bit extra for a known brand.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
J
2
Quote:


Originally Posted by mcnabbmc
View Post

Yes, but I mainly chose the i7 860 over the i5 750 because of the clock speed (2.8 vs 2.66) would this increase of clock speed make a difference
?

dood ever heard of overclocking?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
C
Quote:

Originally Posted by skitzogreg View Post
I'm a big fan of the i5/i7, but I'm going to ask that you not purchase either due to the fact that the i7 you want is on the 1156 boards. That socket is not going to last long at all. I can't figure out why they did that.

Article on this exact point.

The link is to the point.
I understand where you are coming from, but for most of us here this really wouldn't be an issue would it? To be clear, it really isn't an issue for me personally, while I could see it as an issue for someone else. Then again, when I do new builds, I tend to completely change platform anyway (see the AMD in my sig, and now I'm planning on going to the i5 750).

I think the i5 750 is a FANTASTIC chip for a gaming machine given it's ability to hit 4.0 ghz, and the chip's price point. Especially at Micro Center (I know, not everyone lives near one, but it's worth mentioning) where it's only $149! At a price point CHEAPER than the 955/965, it outperforms either of those in games because of turbo mode in most instances I've seen online so far.

For people who are going to build the machine, and not worry about a platform change for another couple of years, this platform is perfect for gaming. If you can live with the 8x/8x PCIex16 lanes, and the difference here is highly negligible, then why NOT consider this chip?

This chip is my hands down choice currently for my upgrade.
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 38 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Overclock.net
A forum community dedicated to overclocking enthusiasts and testing the limits of computing. Come join the discussion about computing, builds, collections, displays, models, styles, scales, specifications, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Hardware News Intel CPUs PC Gaming NVIDIA Water Cooling
Top