i5, i7, Core 2 Quad, or AMD x4?

[evantpdx]

So, it has been 12 years since I built a computer of my own, and the amount of options today astounds me. My biggest dilemma right now is choosing the right processor.

Can someone please enlighten me on the pros/cons/major differences between the Intel chips (i5, i7, and Core 2 Quad) and the AMD x4's (these are AMD's quad core chips, correct?)? Or should I look into the AMD x2's and the Core 2 Duo's?

I plan on following Rob's recommendations, though modifying them slightly. I plan to use my computer to do some gaming--Half Life 2, Starcraft 2, Dragon Age: Origins, etc--and I want the games to look good. I am aiming for the NVIDIA GTX 260 Core 216 video card (though this is in the air, as well), around 4GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Thank you again for any help! I can't wait to start building!

Edit:

I just found this link: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

Is that information valuable? If so, I think the AMD Phenom II x4 955 just won in my mind. 175.99 on Amazon.com and performed well on their benchmark tests.

[RickyTick]

Welcome to the forums. Have you checked out our recommended builds in the "Build Your Own PC" section?

[evantpdx]

I have. My biggest question is how much power do I need for my processor? The higher end build uses the i5 750. Do I need that much power? Or should/could I save some money by going with the AMD Phenom II x4 955.

[newguycb5109]

I have. My biggest question is how much power do I need for my processor? The higher end build uses the i5 750. Do I need that much power? Or should/could I save some money by going with the AMD Phenom II x4 955.

go to the corsair website, they have a good calculator for psu requirements, and it never hurts to go higher than you need.

[evantpdx]

Ah, dang, my initial question was confusing. I'm aiming for the Antec Sonata III with the 500w psu -- I've run my configuration through a power supply calculator and it was adequate.

I'll rephrase my question -- How fast do I need my processor to be? Is it worth spending the extra $100 for the i5 or i7? Or should I go with the AMD Phenom II x4 955? I'm planning on doing some gaming on it, but mostly using it for everyday tasks. I don't plan on doing any video or photo editing.

Sorry if I confused anyone!

[cophrk]

dont know much about amd but there black edition x4 is nice but in the intel im planning to build a evga classified 3 way sli socket 1366 17 processor for gaming the i5 is a minreang low watt were the i7 is the flag ship processor the lga775 is very nice cheep too i have built a few of thos and had very good resalts but as of 3 days ago intels new line up of proccesors is out witch are the i3, i5, ,7 familys i3 low power i5 mid i7 gaming i still plan to get a i7 but the price is a bit steep in some areas my rig is lookin at 1300-2000$ after built to exspectations but also the new i7 has a 6 core option and so will amd in sept. but i saw go with intel i may never go back to and and look for at lest 8mb L3 cash or my fav the 12mb L3 good luck and enjoy

be shur to tell us how ur build went and what parts u went with

[The Wise Monkey]

The Phenom II X4 is an excellent CPU, but it is definitely worth going for the extra power offered by, for example, the i5 750. The agressive turbo mode means that it hits about 3.8GHz when only one core is being used, which is excellent, and it is only $25 more.