We still need at least one modern PC at home for stuff that doesn't run on OS X, so yesterday I put together a price list for a new one. (The last one I built was an Opteron machine ~5-6 years ago.)
The parts below are based on the guides at TechReport and HardwareSecrets.
I've decided to go with an AMD FX-8150 (Bulldozer) system for a couple of reasons: 1) the recent price drop (occasionally $205 at Amazon); 2) to do my part to keep AMD around as competition for Intel.
I want a system that I can upgrade in a few years, if necessary, so that means a good case, a very high quality PS, and good accessories. I don't care much about the video card (I'm not a gamer). Lots of RAM to run VMs. Lots of fans, but quiet ones A decently-sized SSD for the OS(es), and lots of decent HD space.
Here's what I have so far:
- 256 GB Crucial M4 SSD with transfer kit: $239.99
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B004W2JL84
- CoolerMaster Storm Enforcer Mid Case: $88.41 (not in stock at Amazon)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B004WK3KKQ
- CoolerMaster additional large fan: $16.54 x 2
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B002LE8BJA
- Scythe 120 mm case/CPU fan: $11.72 x 5
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B000W7NGWK
- CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO HS/Fan: $34.95 (too nervous about liquid cooling leaks)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B005O65JXI (2 of the Scythe fans will go here)
- KingWin 850 W 80 Plus Platinum modular PSU: $185.99 (highest efficiency rating)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B00752QXOI
- Win7 Pro 64-bit System Builder DVD: $139.99 (Meh)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B004Q0T0LU
- Kingston HyperX Blu 2x4GB: $48.42 x 2 (16 GB. Too nervous to try 2x8GB.)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B004DDI0IE
- Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200 rpm 64MB: $126.41 x 2
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B005T3GRN2
- LG BluRay 12x Rewriter: $81.99 (also writes to M-DISC platters)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B00632U162
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560Ti video card: $229.99
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B004KM49WO
- Asus Sabretooth 990FX motherboard: $184.99 (reviews are all over the place...)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B00539LU3E
- AMD Sempron 145 CPU: $35.70 (ANTOnline)
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B0040BPHJO (in case BIOS needs to be flashed before FX-8150 install)
- AMD FX-8180 8-core Bulldozer CPU: $204.99
http://www.amazon.co...roduct/B005UBNLFK
Total: $1866.56 + some shipping from non-Amazon stores (we've got Amazon Prime).
I'm going to hem-and-haw about it for a few more days, then likely pull the trigger when my current credit card billing cycle ends later next week.
If I were a gamer, I'd probably go with an Intel box, but this will be a hugely fast box compared to anything I use now. I know that if at least a few people don't buy AMD stuff, then Intel will get fat and complacent again. That's no good for the industry or their customers.
I've considered waiting on a MacPro update, but it seems likely that Apple is either going to do away with the MacPro, or keep it an expensive niche. (I could see a machine similar to the above going for $5k from them.) That's not worth it to me, though we will probably continue to use Mac Minis and laptops for a long time. By swapping out the motherboard, CPU (and maybe RAM), this could be turned into a Hackintosh (via TonyMac's guides and software tools).
I'll be reusing an existing mouse, IPS screen, keyboard, speakers, etc.
Comments are welcome. Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.