Help understanding ATI/AMD

It seems PC gamers prefer ATI/AMD over nVidia/Intel or so I heard so I thought about making my own gaming PC and using ATI/AMD. But I was wonder what ATI cards to buy and what AMD processors to get. They don't have a simple naming structure like nVidia and Intel has so I was confused on what each card and processor offered.TheBlackKnightX

The problem with i7 is cost. You cpu, mobo, ram are needed. Now that can be REAALLLLY expansive for an i7 rig. So if you chose that route be prepared to spend :P Arent the new Phenoms just as fast clock for clock as C2D now? And it is quite cheap atm. Your choice though =PDr_Brocoli

AMD is much better if you are on a budget for the price of the cheapest Intel Quad Core (around $200) you can get a AMD Phenom X4($99), motherboard($70-$80 or less if you go micro atx), and RAM($30 or less).nVidiaGaMer

[QUOTE="TheBlackKnightX"]It seems PC gamers prefer ATI/AMD over nVidia/Intel or so I heard so I thought about making my own gaming PC and using ATI/AMD. But I was wonder what ATI cards to buy and what AMD processors to get. They don't have a simple naming structure like nVidia and Intel has so I was confused on what each card and processor offered.Marfoo

It seems PC gamers prefer ATI/AMD over nVidia/Intel or so I heard so I thought about making my own gaming PC and using ATI/AMD. But I was wonder what ATI cards to buy and what AMD processors to get. They don't have a simple naming structure like nVidia and Intel has so I was confused on what each card and processor offered.TheBlackKnightX

[QUOTE="Marfoo"][QUOTE="TheBlackKnightX"] LOL, yeah go ahead and do that...lets see, the cheapest I7 is $300, then the cheapest mobo that supports it is $200, and 4gb of the cheapest DDR3 ram is $200...dam that was expensive! I could've gotten an amd pehenom 2 940 for $250, a $125 mobo (K9A2), and 4gb of Corsair dominator DDR2 1066mhz ram for $80....and OC'd the CPU to 4ghz easily with the aftermarket cooler I already own... so what I didnt get an extra 5 fps in Crysis, but I saved $245...maybe I can get a new ATI HIS 4870 1GB ICEQ4 Turbo with all that money I just saved!LTZH

[QUOTE="TheBlackKnightX"]It seems PC gamers prefer ATI/AMD over nVidia/Intel or so I heard so I thought about making my own gaming PC and using ATI/AMD. But I was wonder what ATI cards to buy and what AMD processors to get. They don't have a simple naming structure like nVidia and Intel has so I was confused on what each card and processor offered.Beaglesniffer

all of the above is true, but Core 2 duo are the same price as phenom ii, so with future proofing in mind, would it not be better to go for more cores?

EDIT: just looking on aria it is a direct toss ip between:

AMD Phenom Quad 9850 Black Edition 2.5GHz

and

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz 95W G0 Stepping

They are basically the same, but for some reason, i kinda like AMD more, is this me being wierd, or could it be better?

all of the above is true, but Core 2 duo are the same price as phenom ii, so with future proofing in mind, would it not be better to go for more cores?

EDIT: just looking on aria it is a direct toss ip between:

AMD Phenom Quad 9850 Black Edition 2.5GHz

and

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz 95W G0 Stepping

They are basically the same, but for some reason, i kinda like AMD more, is this me being wierd, or could it be better?

nattydreadlocks

Edit: (the Phenom 9850 isn't a Phenom II either.)

[QUOTE="Dr_Brocoli"]The problem with i7 is cost. You cpu, mobo, ram are needed. Now that can be REAALLLLY expansive for an i7 rig. So if you chose that route be prepared to spend :P Arent the new Phenoms just as fast clock for clock as C2D now? And it is quite cheap atm. Your choice though =PMarfoo

i dont know where you read that but the reviews i read say the opposite, and for the most part the core 2 quads are the ones coming close to phenom 2 but its right behind i7 when the test isnt just number crunching which i know i7 is very good at. they do overclock very well if you get the 940 with its unlocked multiplyer on a board with the SB750 southbridge they can overclock as good as the core 2 duos with lower temps aswell

It seems PC gamers prefer ATI/AMD over nVidia/Intel or so I heard so I thought about making my own gaming PC and using ATI/AMD. But I was wonder what ATI cards to buy and what AMD processors to get. They don't have a simple naming structure like nVidia and Intel has so I was confused on what each card and processor offered.TheBlackKnightX

basically its very simple higher number is more powerful. 9950 phenom is better than 9550 phenom, same for the ati cards 4870 is better that 4850. the first number in the ati cards is the series number 4000 is the 4000 series is the current series and the 4870 is the top card, the X870 cards are usually the top cards in a series.

also this isnt really the right place to ask about building an AMD system people here for the most part only buy intel right now and will tell you to buy intel, theres a few of us who understand the current AMD lineup and can help you if you want an AMD system, if you do just ignore everyone else, me and beefdog are the only 2 i can think of right now but theres a few others