Building a system:

[BlueWonder]

Imagine you had 2k to blow on a system... what would you get. I've worked in a computer store, building, repairing, selling systems for a while now and still I'm torn between hardware choices. Using www.pccasegear.com as a pricing guide what would you get? I want to OC my new toy but in the same token it will be used as a 24/7 system. My biggest conundrum is whether to buy now, or wait till bulldozer launches and decide then. I know it's not far off, but I've got an itchy trigger finger. I don't mind having an Intel system, but it blows my budget way out. So far the items sitting in my cart are...

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3
Corsair CMT4GX3M2A2000C8 4GB
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
HIS Radeon HD6970 2GB
Enermax Revolution85+ 1020W
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64bit OEM
Thermaltake Level 10 GT Case
Thermaltake Frio CPU Cooler


Note that the CPU cooler, chassis, PSU, and OS are pretty much already decided. Not to mention they take up $817 out of my budget. So with around $1200 left to spend on Mobo, CPU, GPU, RAM, what would you do?

[AlleyViper]

Waiting would really be the best option. For two reasons, the first, and maybe right now for the best performance/$, a 2500k would be in your budget, and corrected p67 should start arriving next month.
And then, reminding myself that were are in the AMD sub-forum, even if bulldozers aren't out, am3+ 990fx boards are around the corner and you could have some cheap athlon x2 or x3 fun while the new cpus don't arrive, or even with the x6 you're planning on a newer (albeit non-mature) platform. On both ways there *should* be an upgrade path for the CPU in the future, while AM3/Leo is a dead end right now.

[crazydiamond]

im not usually the kind of guy to tell people to wait cause you can always wait for something better but right now i agree w/ alleyviper. you should wait for 8c bulldozer in 3 months unless you get stuff now & upgrade cpu + mobo for bulldozer/990fx when it comes out

[BlueWonder]

Thanks guys, I agree. It's just so tough having to wait it out when you've got a 5 yr old system and finally have the finances to do something about it. I'm really keen on owning an AMD system again which is why this thread ended up where it did. It's just kind of hard to justify spending the money when you know improvements are so close at hand. Thanks for the replies.

And now I play the waiting game...

[stangracin3]

just think of it this way

you have survived 5 years, 3 months wont kill you

[Daveburt714]

Even though it's good advice, I completely understand the part about hating to wait...

You could always just buy the main parts you know you want, and then pick up a BioStar 890FX board and a PHII 555 (which may unlock to x4 )
for a couple hundred bucks to hold you over...

Thats what I would do! Then again, I'm a candidate for Hardware Annonymous

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103846

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138193