Advice Request: AM3+ w/ PC 17000

[TheElusiveNerd]

Greetings All!

First I'd like to say thanks for having me. I have heard awesome things about GSkill and its community.

I am a computer techie and I have been since I got my first computer at 8 years old, at 17 I built my first custom box and I have been hooked ever since.

Currently I am designing a new system, but I want to do a few things differently than my old ones. Before I was content with standard settings using the latest hardware. I would not overclock anything since I usually want a box to last 4 years or so.

With my new system I want it to be amazing and preferably not fry it while getting there.

Specs:

Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair V Formula AM3+ AMD 990FX
CPU: AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 3.6GHz
Video Card: MSI R6970 Lightning Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit
SSD: OCZ Agility 3
Memory: Up for Debate

On the forums as well as resellers sites I have read about the difficulties of hitting the sweet spot with memory and especially when using an amd processor. I hope to avoid these by doing research before hand, and hopefully with a helping hand from fellow techies.

My memory choices right now are 2x F3-17000CL9D-8GBXM, F3-17000CL11Q-16GBXL, and 2x F3-17000CL11D-8GBXL

What I would like to know is will this combination work? and if so what would be the best memory to overclock inconjunction with the FX-8150.

Once I know which memory to go for any advice on how to overclock it and the cpu would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this ^_^


-TheElusiveNerd

[Tradesman]

First suggestion would be to check pricing vs performance vs your earlier thoughts. The 8150 is a good CPU...but the Intel 2500K costs less, outperforms it and OC's much higher. With a decent ($30 and up, i.e. Hyper 212 heatsink) the 2500K can easily run 4.8 all day long, you'd be lucky to do 4.4 with the 8150, an expensive heatsink, and still be running rather hot, opposed to 35 degrees or so idle with a 2500K. As for memory, the 8150 can run 16GB (one of the amounts mentioned) of 1866, to run 2133 w/ 16GB takes a fair amount of tweaking and additional voltage, which again means much more heat (for those 8150s that can run the sticks.

The above comes from my own experience with the 8150, I bought one when they were first released and promptly sold the system, my 2500K, Ive had since early in the year runs over 4.8 (at times right to 5.0 GHz), 16 GB of 1866 Snipers running about 2000 (at times I kick them up to 2133)...with no problem and idles at about 36, under load goes up to around 58 degrees.

If planning to stick with 8150, I'd try 2133 if only going w/ 8GB, unless you plan to downclock them, of 16 GB of 1866 or 2000 sticks.

[TheElusiveNerd]

Hi Tradesman,

Thank you for your informed response.

The maximum speed of the CPU is not my primary concern for overclocking, for me it is more the overall performance of the rig itself.

In this case (though I have not been able to test either myself) I would think that 4.8GHz x 4 would be less than 4.0GHz x 8 since the difference in total capacitance is 12.8GHz. Though I know that is not the best example.

As for the memory my ideal is 16Gb of 2000 with timings around 8 8 8 28. If that means running a 2133 at 2000 instead, or purchasing a flat 2000 speed memory than that is fine. Unfortunately the 2000 I was originally looking at for this rig is no longer offered by my reseller (newegg).

This particular rig is for gaming and I'm looking for extremely fast load times with good fps and little to no latency on my side. I am open to intel as a processor as my rig before my current was a P4, so thank you for including it in your response.


-TheElusiveNerd

[Tradesman]

Not sure what you mean by 4.8 x 4 or 4.0 x 8? but based on side by side real world testing, the 2500K performance wise runs away from the FX-8150, might look at some of the reviews and keep in mind they generally run them against the stock 3.6 of the 8150 vs the 3.3 of the 2500K....things are fairly close, but give thought to what they would then be with both at 3.6 (as the 2500K scales up better), then think both at 4.4 which pretty much maxes out the 8150, while the 2500K is just starting to stretch it's legs. Then you also have the 2500K handling your DRAM much better and more throughput than the weaker MC on the AMD.
My youngest son is a heavy gamer, and after trying both systems, claims the AMD isn't even close (he's 23)

[TheElusiveNerd]

4.8 x4 was in reference to the number of physical processors the intel has. Many of the applications I use can take advantage of multithreading which many of the benchmarks I have found indicate the AMD FX-8150 is better at.


Per your suggestion of the i5 2500k I also did further research on it, and it appears to be about the same in most respects to the FX-8150. If you happen to have any specific benchmarks that you prefer I would appreciate it if you would share those as well.


For the time being I would like to know if the following is possible.

Using the 16GB configuration with the above cpu, mb, and F3-17000CL11Q-16GBXL - Can I configure the ram to run at 7 7 7 25 at 2000MHz or would I need to down clock it to 1866Mhz?

Also, would I need to make any changes to the CPU's function to get it to preform in this configuration?


Thanks again, I know I ask a lot of questions and do not always make sense so sorry about that.


-TheElusiveNerd

[Tradesman]

Just being Elusive, I know, well if you want to try something on that order, then you'll definitely want a single set that's been tested to to work together and will downclock while allowing for much tighter timings, I'd suggest the 2133/CL9 Snipers

http://www.gskill.com/products.php?index=444

not positive you could hit 7-7-7-25, and not positive the 8150 could handle 1866 at CL7 with 16GB, but believe it would be the best choice

[TheElusiveNerd]

Thank you Tradesman

I will work with the memory and if I have any issues I'll post here, but I want to say is G.Skill support on other sites gave me high hopes of help here and they have not disappointed.

[Tradesman]

Let us know how it goes, or if you need any help