AMD Performance Midrange
With Phenom II, an apology is no longer needed when putting together an AMD performance midrange system. While the Phenom was an honest competitor at the price points where AMD chose to compete, the poor overclocking of the AMD Phenom compared to Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors was always a nagging reality. Phenom II changes all that, and AMD in 45nm clothes is once again a screaming overclocker. We have reached 3.9-4.0GHz in internal Phenom II testing, which places the Phenom II squarely into Intel Core 2 overclocking territory. The days when AMD meant lots of overclocking headroom have finally returned - at least through the midrange CPUs.
| AMD Performance Midrange PC | ||
| Hardware | Component | Price |
| Processor | Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition (3.2GHzx4 125W 4x512KB L2, 6MB L3) | $200 |
| Cooling | Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail (after $10 Rebate) | $27 |
| Motherboard | MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 DDR3-2000+ | $170 |
| Video | MSI Radeon HD 4890 1GB OC Edition (After $30 Rebate) | $170 |
| Memory | OCZ Platinum AMD Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 14400) Low Voltage Model OCZ3P1600LVAMGK 7-7-7-24 | $87 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB WD1001FALS | $95 |
| Optical Drive | LG BD/HD DVD 8X BD read/16x DVD read/write CH08LS10 - Retail | $130 |
| Audio | On-Board | $ - |
| Case | Cooler Master Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Mid-Tower | $100 |
| Power Supply | Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750w 80 PLUS Certified SLI/Crossfire Ready Core i7 Power (after $20 Rebate) | $100 |
| Base System Total | $1079 | |
| Display | ASUS VW266H Black 25.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor (1920x1200) (after $30 Rebate) | $300 |
| Speakers | Logitech G51 155 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - Retail | $120 |
| Input | Microsoft CA9-00001 Black PS/2 Standard Keyboard and Optical USB/PS2 Mouse - OEM | $16 |
| Operating System | Microsoft Vista Home Premium OEM | $99 |
| Complete System Bottom Line | $1614 | |
| SSD (Optional) | OCZ Vertex OCZSSD2-1VTX120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Disk | $339 |
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The Phenom II 955 Black Edition at 3.2GHz x4 is the fastest of the currently shipping AMD Phenom II processors. Recently the Phenom II 955BE has been frequently on sale, as it is right now for just $199.95. That is a great price on the flagship Phenom II and it brings tremendous value to the AMD performance midrange system. The Phenom II is very similar in L2/L3 cache configuration to the Intel Core i7, but i7 is clearly the better performer and the fact it sells for more reflects that reality.
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We've paired the Phenom II 940 with the MSI 790FX-GD70 motherboard based on the 790FX chipset. While the 790FX is an older chipset than the 790X and 790GX, it still provides features like true dual x16 PCIe slots that are not available in the newer chipsets. Internal testing also shows performance is slightly better with the FX chipset than the newer chipsets, making this board an ideal match to the top 955BE Phenom II.
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Since the MSI supports dual-channel DDR3, the motherboard was populated with a 4GB kit of OCZ Platinum AMD Edition. This low-voltage memory is rated at 7-7-7 timings and DDR3-1600 at just 1.65V. It performs well at faster timings and lower voltages at slower speeds. Whether you use it as a stock DDR3 memory or overclock it to its limits, this OCZ memory should provide the headroom you need to bring out the best in this system.
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The Phenom II is not the hot CPU you find in the Core i7, but it still benefits from third party cooling - particularly if you plan to overclock. We paired the Phenom II 955BE with the Xigmatek S1283 120mm Rifle that performed well in the lab. At $27 after a $10 rebate, the Xigmatek is also an excellent cooling value. It is the same cooler recommended for the AMD value system.
Other components in the AMD performance midrange system are the same used in the Intel performance midrange. You can find descriptions and thumbnail images of those common components on the next page.
Finally, you should notice that the AMD performance system, using the current top Phenom II and DDR3 memory, is around $150 cheaper than the Intel Core i7 performance midrange system. The reason for this is very simple, namely the Core i7 is a better performing system that is priced accordingly. It just means AMD and Intel are competitively priced these days and the comparative costs of an Intel or AMD CPU is now a good indicator of the relative performance. There are always exceptions to a broad statement like this, but generally pricing and performance are fairly gauged in today's market.
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GuruX - Thursday, July 30, 2009 - link
The OCZ Blade 1150 2x2gb for the Intel value setup doesn't seem to be avalible in sweden. What would be a good replacement?Cepak - Saturday, August 1, 2009 - link
Any suggestions on a performance oriented mid-ranged system with a smaller form factor (mATX)? A system that can still accommodate all the goodies like the Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition, MSI Radeon HD 4890 1GB OC Edition, a ASUS VW266H Black 25.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor, maybe with an external SATA port to connect the LG BD/HD DVD 8X BD read/16x DVD read/write via a external SATA case. It only need two internal SATA HDD bays. I don't care how the case appears because I'm going to tuck it out of sight (space is a premium for me).sebudes - Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - link
What'll be the benefits of stepping up one notch in the motherboard departement and go with DD3 memory and a "real" AM3 slot? As I understand it, right now there's litte, but will you be happy you did when maybe upgrading CPU or GPU in the future?glenster - Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - link
I've read the LG W2486L, which has been released, is a better monitor yet for less money. And the Silverstone Raven RV02 case has just been released (with a Fortress 2 on the way). Please write reviews of them.zshift - Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - link
I absolutely have to agree with choosing the Logitch X-540 speakers for the midrange. These speakers are amazing for the price. They also sound much better when paired with a good dedicated sound card (for all the nonbelievers out there, I used to think dedicated sound was stupid; then I tried a creative x-fi with these and I don't wanna go back to onboard. Sound is MUCH clearer). These speakers also get VERY loud If you want them to, past 50% volume and I can hear them clearly from outside my house. And the base is excellent, explosions in fps games have a nice deep feel to then, and crashes and engine revs in burnout are amazingly realistic.jpk - Monday, July 27, 2009 - link
I have that board and it takes DDR3 not DDR2 as stated in the write up. Funny, you can put an AM3 CPU in an AM2+ mobo but you can't put an AM2+ CPU in an AM3 board. Fabulous mobo by the way. Love mine.Wesley Fink - Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - link
Yes we still need an Edit function."The Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P is indeed DDR3 memory, but when you drop the T in the name to Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P you are describing a Gigabyte motherboard that uses DDR2 memory."
just4U - Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - link
I've been recommending the MA790X-UD4P for two months now. It's a solid board that comes in at a attractive price point. One of Amd's strong points..Another consideration (since it seems Asus finally noticed..) is the ..Asus M4A78-E which either has come down alot in price or is a new release (not sure which). It's priced in line with the UD4P but comes with the 790GX chipset so onboard 3300 graphics.
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - link
The information in the Buyers Guide is correct. The problem is there are two different Gigabyte motherboards with just one letter difference in the name. The Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P is indeed DDR3 memory, but when you drop the T in the name to Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P you are describing a Gigabyte motherboard that uses DDR3 memory.This naming scheme has created more than a little confusion for buyers and reviewers.
vol7ron - Monday, July 27, 2009 - link
I'd like to start seeing numbers with these configurations; something to quantify the performance.Usual stuff:
FPS
Encoding Times
Super Pi
Load times
I know benchmarks are created for each individual component, but it'd be nice to see the synergistic effects and then make a decision on value per dollar.