Before I get the parts to build a new computer I would appreciate advise.

[ConsAreLiars]

The one CPU intensive application I use is designed to take advantage of multiple cores, and after looking at Tom's Hardware for a while it seems that Athlon's AM3 Phenom is a bit behind both Intel families. As I understand it, The Core 2 Line is now the better buy, but further development will use the Core i7 design which will let the chip talk to DDR3 RAM more efficiently. If that is so, maybe paying an extra hundred now will make the new motherboard be "modern" and upgradable for a few more years even though the extra money buys nothing today.

But I may be completely wrong on some of that. Money is an important issue (plumber visit, other stuff) so maybe my best option is to find today's best bargain, and in 5 years or when it dies take another look at the options.

The app in question is photo editing software, so the demand on the CPU is infrequent but at 100% for short (hopefully much shorter) periods.

After that CPU decision come any recommendations for Motherboard, power supply (several drives), and a case (easy to work in, e.g. sliding new drives in through the front, not the back, no scraped hands), RAM and any other comments or advise.

[RoyGBiv]

1. Random thoughts ...

The i7 and the Phenom II for the AM3 sockets are currently cutting edge. This means a couple things that aren't published in the marketing literature. First, the motherboards out there for them right now may or may not take full advantage of all the capabilities of CPU/Memory/Graphics combos. Since I trend toward AMD anyway, I know a bit more about them at the moment, and I can say this is certainly true (and bad) with the current crop of AM3 motherboards. If you want to use the DDR3 memory -- and why would you not if you go to the expense of getting this combo -- you may have trouble finding memory that works properly with a particular setup.

This is mostly personal preference speaking, but it's served me well. I don't do cutting edge in hardware. I leave that for hardcore gamers and people with cash to burn. I need performance as well and run several things that are processor and memory intensive. But, I'm not spending a few hundred dollars more for a single-digit performance increase that will be improved substantially once the platform is better seasoned.

I'm in the process of researching for a new system myself at the moment, and I'm leaning toward the Phenom II X4 940 for a processor. This is an AM2+ socket type. Price/performance ratios have this beating the Intel *price* equivalents. Clearly Intel has some better products out there right now, but they'll cost you anywhere from $100 to $700 more. (The top of the line i7 is outrageous all by itself at about a grand, and then you have to get the motherboard and memory for all that power to mean anything.)

I'm still looking for the right motherboard. I have it narrowed down to a few from ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI.

Memory will be my last decision.

As for a case, I'd suggest roaming around TigerDirect and Newegg looking at what they have to offer. Find a few that look like something you want and then compare specs. This is both an aesthetic decision as well as one of utility. My current case is a CoolerMaster, and it's been great. Plenty of airflow, room, sturdy. I've had decent luck with some Rosewill cases for cheaper systems. Thermaltake makes some decent ones, but they often fall out of my price range. When looking for a case, don't bother with the power supply, by which I mean don't consider it as a selling point. If the case you decide you like comes with one, consider it an emergency backup. They universally suck. They'll work for budget systems, but I don't trust them at all.

[hobbit709]

2. I agree with Roy on the AMD

I've had much better luck with AMD systems. My current main computer has a Phenom 8750 Black Edition tri-core overclocked to 3 GHz with 4Gb PC6400 dual channel RAM on a MSI K9N2G Neo-FD motherboard. It rarely gets above 100°F even with all 3 cores running at 100% on the stock AMD heatsink. I run both the CPU and GPU versions of Folding@home on it plus whatever else I'm doing with no problems. The benchmark tests keep it right up there with a Core2 Duo E8400 which costs $50 more than what I paid for mine.

Like Roy, I don't particularly want to use bleeding edge until the bugs are worked out.

[ConsAreLiars]

4. Thanks Roy and Hobbit. "I knew that."

But forgot. The trouble with reading reviews is that the latest and hottest get the high-enders most excited. And thanks for pointing out that Even if the latest models for CPU's get significantly faster, I would almost certainly find the MB had become obsolete even if the Socket still matched.

I'll need to wait a a month or so, so I hope you let me know about your choices. The last two I've built have been Athlon based, and the CPU's kept on working fine, so I'm content to stay with them. The one being replaced is a socket 939 AMD3100+, so I'm sure I will not disappointed with the speed of the Phenom replacement. Past failures were MB, Power Supply, and the latest probably MB, but I'm not curious enough to pay $100 for the autopsy.

Edit to add Hobbit to the thanks. Having both of you saying the same thing brought me out of the "Oh Look Shiny!" haze brought on by too much reading of the enthusiasts' reviews.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Oh look, shiny!

I do that too ... hard to avoid it really.

I got caught by it with a multi-card reader, not because I needed it or even wanted it, but because I happened across a card reader with a front plate option that matched the brushed blue-steel look of my case trimming, and I thought, "GOTTA HAVE IT!" I don't think I've ever put a card in it except when I first installed it.

My last major upgrade, I went from a socket 939 something-other-other to an a 4400 X2 with 1MB L2 cache and was amazed with the performance increase. One of the differences between what I have now and what the Phenom IIs have is triple the number of transistors, something like 200 million to over 700 million. So, yeah, going from that 3100+ to a Phenom is going to make a huge difference for you.

I'll let you know what I figure out when I do. I'm going to start my build in about a month also.

[CK_John]

3. I think that you need to take AMD's long term existence as a company in to consideration.

[ConsAreLiars]

5. II don't think that will really matter as a practical matter.

It may be a reason to buy Athlon, to help stave off their potential failure, but no part of the computer would become obsolete or fail to work even if that happened. But it is another argument against buying the highest end AM3 MB on the assumption that newer, hotter compatible CPUs would keep coming out for several years,