$300 for a Gaming MOBO, GPU, and CPU!

[zadereous]

You've got $300 in total to spend on a compatible MOBO, GPU, and CPU.

GO!

[mr_raider]

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116406

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128555

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150573

[DavidY]

$65 for a Pentium G630 at CC.

$90 for a Gigabyte GA-H77M-D3H mobo at NCIX.ca (no overclocking...good for future upgrade to Ivy Bridge CPU)

$145 after $30 MIR for a XFX HD-687A-ZHFC at NCIX.ca (HD 6870)....if $300 budget excludes taxes.

$110 after $15 MIR for a MSI R7770-PMD1GD5 (HD 7770)...if $300 includes 13% in taxes.

Dave

[george__]

That's not enough for decent rig for gaming OP (unless you can live with low / medium settings at low resolution)...

[game_fanatic]

Intel Core i3-2120; PM @ ME: $107.58
http://www.hookbag.ca/product/H3C06KSV9/

Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 w/ Dual DDR3 2133, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, CrossFireX / SLI; PM @ ME: $89.99 w/ $20 MIR
http://ncix.ca/products/?sku=61004&vpn=GA%2DZ68MA%2DD2H%2DB3&manufacture=Gigabyte&promoid=1145

Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 Windforce 820MHZ 1GB 4.2GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E Video Card: $139.99 w/ $10 MIR
http://ncix.ca/products/index.php?sku=58225&vpn=GV%2DR685OC%2D1GD&manufacture=Gigabyte&promoid=1145

Total: $351.44 after tax + MIR

I may be going over $300 but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better bundle!

[MkmBandit]

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67784&vpn=F1A55-M%2FCSM%2B3870&manufacture=Bundle%20Deals

AMD A8 3870 APU + ASUS F1A-55. $210 + tax. Can play every game on the market at 50+fps on ultra graphic settings. At 800x600....

[cloakster]

Intel Core i3-2120; PM @ ME: $107.58
http://www.hookbag.ca/product/H3C06KSV9/

Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 w/ Dual DDR3 2133, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, CrossFireX / SLI; PM @ ME: $89.99 w/ $20 MIR
http://ncix.ca/products/?sku=61004&vpn=GA%2DZ68MA%2DD2H%2DB3&manufacture=Gigabyte&promoid=1145

Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 Windforce 820MHZ 1GB 4.2GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E Video Card: $139.99 w/ $10 MIR
http://ncix.ca/products/index.php?sku=58225&vpn=GV%2DR685OC%2D1GD&manufacture=Gigabyte&promoid=1145

Total: $351.44 after tax + MIR

I may be going over $300 but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better bundle!

If he were to go the i3 2120 route, the combo on sale this weekend at CC would be perfect: http://www.canadacomputers.com/top20.php

The i3 2120 route makes much more sense long term, but short term putting all the money in the video card would give better gaming performance.

[zadereous]

Check out these deals:
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/AMDbundlePROMO.html
Those are insane, Phenom II X4 965 with a free compatible MOBO for $89.99!!! Ugh, unfortunate they only have local-pick up, otherwise I would have gotten it shipped to my US address!

[george__]

AMD for gaming is not good idea.

[cloakster]

AMD for gaming is not good idea.
+1

[HammerJoe]

WOW... Microcenter needs to open a store in Canada. Very nice prices.

[Master]

Does microcenter have the intel version of the promotion? I searched like crazy but can't even get to the page you posted for AMD

[george__]

There's a I5 + MSI board combo for sale for under $400 from NCIX ?? Check the hot deals section
Over $300 but still way better investment.

[zadereous]

Does microcenter have the intel version of the promotion? I searched like crazy but can't even get to the page you posted for AMD

http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/expired/0414BUNDLEpromo.html
and
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/save40_promo.html

[MkmBandit]

AMD for gaming is not good idea.

uh? This again? :razz:

Don't be so general. Not only do I game at 1080p @50+ fps with maxed out graphics, but I record full resolution (uncompressed FPS1 codec) while I do it. Without recording I'm closer to 80+ fps in most games. My HDD is the bottleneck. I'd say AMD does just fine.

Besides with gaming it's all about the GPU unless you're playing some ridiculously unoptimized mess like Bad Company 2, for example.

[george__]

AMD vs Intel. The Intel, even a I3, is a better bang for buck!

If you need a PC that is more than gaming like you need AES-NI instruction set etc etc. A AMD BULLDOZER FX-4100 is as cheap as you can go.

[MkmBandit]

AMD vs Intel. The Intel, even a I3, is a better bang for buck!

If you need a PC that is more than gaming like you need AES-NI instruction set etc etc. A AMD BULLDOZER FX-4100 is as cheap as you can go.

Not in multi-threaded apps it's not, not even close. The gap is even wider if you want to record your gameplay with any sort of smoothness. Take benchmarks with a grain of salt. You're almost never running the exact setup that's being tested.

It's such a facepalm when people say 'Intel is good, AMD is bad'. Not that you did, exactly.. But it's more accurate to say 'Intel is fantastic, AMD is good'. I defy you to play a game, any game, I recommend the Witcher 2, on my rig and say it wasn't a good idea to go AMD. :rolleyes:

I get why people are hating on AMD, but we're still a long ways away from when modern games push AMD CPU's into obsolescence.

[game_fanatic]

If he were to go the i3 2120 route, the combo on sale this weekend at CC would be perfect: http://www.canadacomputers.com/top20.php

The i3 2120 route makes much more sense long term, but short term putting all the money in the video card would give better gaming performance.

Actually, the way I've priced it out makes it cheaper than the CC bundle! CC = $189.99 after IR + MIR, whereas PMing the items separately at ME is $177.57 after IR + MIR!

[george__]

But this thread is for gaming. Obviously multi-threading AMD wins but what game supports that??

The AMD Bulldozers are pretty good deals for the features you get :D. Like I mentioned you get AES-NI on a FX-4100 whereas you need at least a I5 to get AES-NI instruction set. The difference for CPU cost is $100+. And you can use the older AM3+ boards, so if you have a AM3+ rig you are set :D!

[mr_raider]

But this thread is for gaming. Obviously multi-threading AMD wins but what game supports that??

The AMD Bulldozers are pretty good deals for the features you get :D. Like I mentioned you get AES-NI on a FX-4100 whereas you need at least a I5 to get AES-NI instruction set. The difference for CPU cost is $100+. And you can use the older AM3+ boards, so if you have a AM3+ rig you are set :D!

At 300$ price point, I wouldn't go with bulldozer. If you want AMD for gaming, get aN x3 450 at 3.2 Ghz.

[ed116]

Check out these deals:
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/AMDbundlePROMO.html
Those are insane, Phenom II X4 965 with a free compatible MOBO for $89.99!!! Ugh, unfortunate they only have local-pick up, otherwise I would have gotten it shipped to my US address!
thanks so much !! :p gonna get my freind to buy it and ship it to me LOL and i was about to spend 150$ on a q6600 rig :p

[mysticalinfluence]

AMD for gaming is not good idea.

You need to tell my AMD Radeon HD 7850 this because it doesn't seem know and plays games just fine.

[george__]

@mystical - LOL. That's a graphics card.

[mysticalinfluence]

@mystical - LOL. That's a graphics card.

You where speaking of AMD as a whole. Yes, I realize it's a graphics card what did you think I thought it was a goat?

[george__]

You where speaking of AMD as a whole. Yes, I realize it's a graphics card what did you think I thought it was a goat?

-_-". AMD drivers still stinky compared to Nvidia :D SO HA!

[mysticalinfluence]

-_-". AMD drivers still stinky compared to Nvidia :D SO HA!

:facepalm::facepalm:

[george__]

:facepalm::facepalm:

*** true be told, I'm having more issues with my nvidia driver with dual display at the moment :P. It keeps crashing -_-". Especially when I start adding three monitors.

[MkmBandit]

*** true be told, I'm having more issues with my nvidia driver with dual display at the moment :P. It keeps crashing -_-". Especially when I start adding three monitors.

Yeah nVidia is in it's first generation of triple-display capabilities or.. 'surround'. Eyefinity is in it's 3rd generation. One more point to AMD. :cool:

[george__]

Yeah nVidia is in it's first generation of triple-display capabilities or.. 'surround'. Eyefinity is in it's 3rd generation. One more point to AMD. :cool:

I'm not using it for that stuff though. I just need 3 browsers sometimes for school and often, damn drivers crashing.