AMD Performance Midrange
The introduction of Phenom II has made putting together an AMD Performance Midrange a joy again. 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 dual/quad-core processors was always a nagging reality. Phenom II changes all that, and AMD in 45nm clothes is once again a screaming overclocker. We reached 3.9GHz in our testing for the Phenom II launch with a Phenom II 940 CPU. That same CPU is the starting point for our AMD Performance Midrange PC.
| AMD Performance Midrange PC | ||
| Hardware | Component | Price |
| Processor | Phenom II x4 940 Black Edition (3.0GHzx4 125W 4x512KB L2, 6MB L3) |
$275 |
| Cooling | Tuniq Tower 120 | $46 |
| Video | SAPPHIRE 100251SR Radeon HD 4870 X2 | $400 |
| Motherboard | ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe | $189 |
| Memory | G Skill DDR2-1100 (PC2-8800) 4GB Memory Kit F2-8800CL5D-4GBPI | $90 |
| Hard Drive | Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST310000333AS 1TB | $110 |
| Optical Drive | LG BD/HD DVD / 16x DVD+/- RW GGC-H20LK | $99 |
| Audio | Creative 7.1 Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium | $90 |
| Case | Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower | $100 |
| Power Supply | SILVERSTONE ST70F 700W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply | $100 |
| Display | ASUS VW246H Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor (1920x1080) | $290 |
| Speakers | Logitech G51 155 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers | $90 |
| Input | Microsoft CA9-00001 Black PS/2 Standard Keyboard and Optical USB/PS2 Mouse - OEM | $16 |
| Operating System | Microsoft Vista Home Premium OEM | $99 |
| Bottom Line | $1994 | |
 |
You can read our review of the Phenom II X4 for additional information. The Phenom II 940 X4 at 3.0GHz is the fastest of the currently shipping AMD Phenom II processors. The Phenom II is very similar in L2/L3 cache configuration to the recently introduced Intel Core i7. Performance is also comparable to the best Intel chips. As the first 45nm AMD processors the Phenom II also overclocks very well, finally approaching the overclocking levels enjoyed by Intel since the introduction of the Core 2 Duo.
 |
We've paired the Phenom II 940 with the superb ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe. At $190 the ASUS is not cheap or even a great value for a 790FX/SB750 setup, but it is one of the most loaded and best performing AMD boards we have used this year. ASUS loads the board with Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394 support, four PCI-E x16 slots (dual x16, tri x16/x8/x8, or quad x8), two PCI slots, a single eSATA port, and six 3Gb/s SATA ports featuring RAID 0/1/10/5. The M3A79-T Deluxe also works very well with Phenom II and end-users will not be disappointed in performance or overclocking capabilities.
The ASUS also includes superb onboard sound with the ADI AD2000B 8-channel HD audio. This is probably the best onboard sound solution we have tested so far. A Creative 7.1 Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium audio card was included in the components mostly for game compatibility. You can save $90 and use the onboard ADI sound without sacrificing much if anything in sound quality.
 |
The GPU choice is the top-performing Sapphire 100251SR Radeon HD 4870X2. This dual-GPU card is an exceptional performer on the 790FX chipset, as you would expect. The selling price has been around $500, but with current promotions you can buy this Sapphire 4870X2 for just $400. That is an exceptional buy that delivers top performance at a very fair price, and if you ever want more gaming power a quad-GPU (two 4870X2 cards) is an option, albeit one we don't really recommend unless you have a 30" LCD.
The Tuniq Tower 120 cooler was also used on the AMD Value Midrange System described on page 4. The rest of the components are the same as the Intel Performance Midrange PC. This includes the Seagate 1TB hard drive, the LG GGC-H20LK BD/HD reader and 16X DVD burner, the Antec Nine Hundred case, the Silverstone 700W PSU, the Logitech G51 powered speakers, the ASUS 1080p 24" 1920x1080 LCD Monitor, the Microsoft OEM keyboard/optical mouse, and Microsoft Vista Home Premium OEM. You can find more information on these choices on the previous Intel Performance Midrange page or on page 3.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
77 Comments
View All Comments
Wesley Fink - Saturday, January 17, 2009 - link
There have been several articles ar AnandTech evaluating the effectiveness of SSDs. The biggest issue in adding an SSD to a System Guide recommendation is the state of Windows Vista, which does not really support SSDs as they need to be supported.Windows 7 DOES support SSD technology. With the release of that OS we will all be even more excited about the capability of Solid State Drives. Until then it is diffiuclt to recommend an SSD in a typical entry or mid-range build.
However, the prices of capable SSD drives are dropping fast. There are several current generation 64GB SSD drives selling for less than $150 and a large number of 16GB SSDs for under $100. At those prices it is hard to ignore the potential of the SSD to improve system performance.
Wesley Fink - Thursday, January 15, 2009 - link
An SSD with the 1TB drive is certainly an option worth considering. It is fairly easy to add that SSD to any of these system builds and the cost is much lower today with memory chips selling for bargain prices. We will talk a bit more about SSD options in a future System Buyers Guide.vol7ron - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
Fail to see why when I add up all the Intel Performance Midrange, I get $2024 and not $1999Wesley Fink - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
The Gigabyte motherboard price reduction and rebate we were expecting have now kicked in, reducing the Gigabyte 1366 motherboard cost from $210 to $200 and $185 after $15 rebate. That change makes the total system price $1999, so we have revised both the Motherboard price and grand total price.Wesley Fink - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
There were many last minute changes to the guides and prices as the prices are very fluid. Our web editor checked prices when he posted and I made some final corrections and checked totals in Excel. One of the changes was overlooked on the system you mentioned. Your $2024 total is correct and the total has been changed.vol7ron - Thursday, January 15, 2009 - link
Ahh okay. I understand that prices change as this system will be 3/4 the price 7 months from now. Just wanted to let you know that the total should still add up. Can't wait to see what will happen with the Intel/Jmicron SSD market.just4U - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
You know, I'd really like to see a followup article here with benchmarks of these systems against the best intel has to offer. Not overclocked mind you .. just stock straight on performance difference. It would give people a very good idea of what their spending their money on and the differences those dollars make. For kicks throwing in last years Midrange system would be nice to.Just a thought. Hopefully it's taken under consideration.
just4U - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
Grr didn't have it all typed out before I hit the post button. The thing is .. You have these buyer guides right? The logical next step would be to test them and give people a idea of what their buying. One would think since these items do make it into your buyers guide then perhaps the manufactuer's would be generous enough to supply the parts for the test(s) since they would be in the spotlight and all. :)Please consider it. If not now then for future buyer guide articles. I know it's alot of work and all but it's a logical next step to a fuller more complete article.
Thanks for reading both comments.
7Enigma - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 - link
While possibly not practical (sounds like the Anand team is quite spread out around the world), it would be very helpful to see what you are mentioning. Putting a real world head to head comparison would show exactly what price premium is put on the systems, which would allow us system builders to justify an upgrade or feel better about saving some money with a lesser part.I'm just willing to bet all the parts aren't in the same room just waiting to be pieced together...
v12v12 - Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - link
As a current Intel fan, and soon to be Intel Upgrader: Typing on a Turion X2, and gaming on an OLD ass XP2500@2.41.... THANK GOD for AMD's new awakening. A hand out of the grave, reaching for something to pull itself from Hades!Though AMD isn't quite "competitive" in reality, it's a damn good start and gives me HOPE for CHEAP PRICES!!! The better AMD does, the BETTER for ALL of us! It's hard rooting for the "loser," but when that loser is going to strike a blow to Goliath and cause another potential price war? COME ON DOWN!!! You're a contestant on the PRICE IS RIGHT!!!