[frogsot]

i plan on doing my first build for gaming. however im unsure if i should get the quad fx or the hex fx cpu. which would be better for gaming? also can anyone list the top 3 motherboard manufacturers? and recommend a motherboard for ether cpu? i heard that the fx 6200 needs a b.i.o.s. upgrade is this hard to preform? i need at lest space for 4 ram sticks with a total of 16gb. on board video not needed. sata 3. also i would also like to upgrade this machine in the future so a motherboard with a long life would be nice.

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I would wait a short while if possible on a build with the fx for gaming. Amd is set to release its new cpu line to replace the current fx line. So why wait? Price drops plus some of the lower end new cpu's may be a lot better then the current ones.

http://www.tomshardw...ock,3106-5.html

That is a current chart tomshardware recently did and show cases where the cpu's fit in regards to gaming at the moment. While not the end all beat all answer it is a good place to start while waiting for an answer to your questions.

[Zolton33]

I would wait a short while if possible on a build with the fx for gaming. Amd is set to release its new cpu line to replace the current fx line. So why wait? Price drops plus some of the lower end new cpu's may be a lot better then the current ones.

http://www.tomshardw...ock,3106-5.html

That is a current chart tomshardware recently did and show cases where the cpu's fit in regards to gaming at the moment. While not the end all beat all answer it is a good place to start while waiting for an answer to your questions.

[frogsot]

my over all plan was to wait till November to grab all that i needed but i still need to know if a 4 or 6 core is what i should get

[phillpower2]

frogsot

If I may offer some input for you;

The average user will for the most not even use all four of a quad core even when gaming, this may change over time as software progresses, look at the system requirements for any games that you intend playing and see how many if any require a Hex core CPU as a minimum requirement.

Users who will use 6 or 8 core - HyperThreading CPUs include games programmers and CAD or 3D designers.

What are the top 3 brand of MBs is a matter of personal preference and the budget available.

Certain MBs do need a BIOS upgrade before they will work with the FX-6200 CPU, this is a problem when these MBs are new as you need a working CPU in the MB to be able to upgrade the BIOS so that the board will recognize the FX-6200.

8GB of Ram is the so called sweet spot for Windows 7 64-bit and again the average user will not use more than this, as mentioned above games programmers and CAD or 3D designers however should have 16GB of Ram as a minimum, likewise this will change in years to come as software advances and becomes more demanding.

I would suggest choosing a MB that does not need a BIOS update, has a Ram capacity of at least 15GB and is crossfire/Sli capable - has two video card slots.

[frogsot]

i thank you for your input. i have now decided on the quad core as i thought before most programs wouldn't use all 6. i like using more then 8gb of ram cause i set up my pc once to out put to 2 screens and ran 2 users at once so my friend and i could play the same pc game without the need of another pc. it ate up my ram and my cpu power but it worked without lag. most importantly thanks for this tip (crossfire/Sli capable - has two video card slots) but why 2 video card slots? can 2 be used to split the load?

[frogsot]

also i did not know about needing a cpu just to upgrade the motherboard. this would of been a very bad situation if i tried to upgrade with out a worked cpu

[phillpower2]

You are welcome frogsot

has two video card slots) but why 2 video card slots? can 2 be used to split the load?

Power users such as heavy high end gamers may have 3 or more screens working at any one time and this is where having two cards working in unison may be required, they can only display the same data but yes as you have suggested they share the load, for the average user including gamers a single quality video card is adequate when it is complimented by the CPU, good spec of Ram, a quality brand of PSU that has an adequate output + a minimum 80% efficiency rating and finally something that is often overlooked an effective cooling system.

also i did not know about needing a cpu just to upgrade the motherboard. this would of been a very bad situation if i tried to upgrade with out a worked cpu

I helped a member with this very issue recently and if I can find the topic I will provide the link for yourself and others who may read this.

Research is the key when planning a new build or upgrading, if you see a MB that you would like before you purchase go to the manufacturers website and download the manual and this will help avoid problems such as this, it also has the added bonus that you are already familiar with the layout of the MB before it arrives and this will help with a smoother build.

[frogsot]

im not a person that really cares about perfect picture gaming, but can i use 2 different kinds of graphics cards?
this way if i wanted to run a few more screens i can just use a new card with my almost 2 year old one old one. also should i get a motherboard with a max tdp thats higher then the cpu listed tdp just to be sure? also i heard asus is a good mb brand but what about gigabyte? iv got mixed reviews. so far iv have 5 choice for what i need.
one more thing, isent liquid cooling expansiveness, more then likely not needed for me though.

[frogsot]

never mind i know how crossfirex works

[phillpower2]

ASUS and Gigabyte are both very good brands but you get what you pay for, both provide budget, mid range and high end MBs.

Setting up liquid cooling can be expensive, is not needed unless you are overclocking, requires regular maintenance and to coin a phrase will hose your system if it leaks.