Introduction

AMD introduced the Athlon II X2 and Phenom II X2 early last month. These new processor options extend the 45nm process and the updated Phenom II architecture to lower price points, which is certainly good news. However, the real impact with the top-line Phenom II X2 at $102 is in choices for budget systems with a cost below $800. Those CPUs bring tremendous power to budget systems, as you will see in our upcoming updates to our sub-$800 buyers' guide.

Intel made the world's fastest Core i7 even faster at about the same time AMD was filling in Phenom II at the bottom. The new 3.33GHz Core i7-975 is the fastest Core i7 but it comes with a $1000 price tag. The 3.06GHz Core i7-950 is a more affordable $562 and it does revise some i7 price points. However, the new changes are at the $562 and up price range, which is definitely the high-end range.

The action at the top and bottom don't have much impact on midrange systems, which is where most of our readers spend their money. Priced from around $700 to around $1700 for a complete system, there are plenty of options to from which to choose. You will mostly see refinements to previous guides, a few hot new board choices, and some best value components that have emerged since our last midrange guide.

The midrange base system has dropped a bit and now starts at $700 for the basic computer without peripherals. That has less to do with price reductions this time than with our change of the optical drive to a 32X DVD Sony burner instead of a combo Blu-Ray reader/DVD burner. Many commented BD playback was a bit pricey for a midrange value system, so we have chosen the latest Sony Optiarc 32X DVD burner for the value midrange. The BD/DVD combo is still the choice for performance midrange systems, and naturally you can mix and match optical drives depending on your personal needs and wants.

Phenom II X4 and X3 options have matured rapidly since their introduction a few months back, providing new choices for building a great Phenom II quad- or tri-core midrange system. Intel options have changed little as the market mostly prepares for a new midrange Intel socket in the next month or two. Manufacturers are gearing their Intel efforts toward new Socket 1156 motherboards, which will be home for upcoming Core i5, i3, and even a few Core i7 processors.

You can now build a decent entry level PC for around $500 - including a 1080p LCD monitor and the Vista Home Premium OS. If you already have a monitor and OS, or use one of the free operating systems like Ubuntu or another Linux variant, you can get your desktop system cost down to a bit over $300. As we discussed in our sub-$800 buyers' guide, these cheap entry systems are very capable of doing everything that many users need from a computer. Nevertheless, that $500 machine is certainly not the paragon for gaming, graphics, or raw computing power. As you move up the price scale you gain in all of those parameters. We started to beef up those areas in the bargain systems detailed at closer to $800.

Most of our readers are looking to buy in the next rung up the ladder, broadly defined as the midrange. A midrange system generally provides plenty of performance for the cost, while ensuring that the components still have some staying power in the market. That's our focus for this guide. We'll spec out two Intel systems and two AMD systems. The first value pair targets a base system price of around $700, with a complete system price of around $1100. These $1100 systems represent the best-bang-for-the buck in the midrange.

The second pair of systems target midrange performance. At about $500 to $650 more than value midrange, these $1600 to $1800 complete systems invest that extra cost in performance improvements and upgraded peripherals. The midrange performance segment builds around a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU or the fastest Phenom II you can currently buy. Both are very high performance for the money - and high performance by almost any other measure.

Intel Value Midrange

The Phenom II has made AMD competitive through the midrange while Intel still dominates the high-end with Core i7. That means you can now choose Intel or AMD midrange system based on the features of each platform or expansion capabilities, rather than CPU brand. Since Phenom II uses a 45nm process, even overclocking capabilities are now competitive with Intel's Core 2 series.

The Intel value midrange builds around a fast Intel Core 2 Duo CPU. For most applications and gaming a faster dual-core chip is normally a better performance choice than a slower quad-core alternative, not to mention they're usually less expensive. CPU intensive applications like video ripping do benefit from a quad-core CPU, which should be your choice if those applications are important to you. A few recent games are finally taking advantage of quad-core as well, although gaming performance is normally about the same whether a CPU is dual-core or quad-core.

The CPU choice is the excellent E8400 Core 2 Duo chip at 3.0GHz with 6MB of L2 cache. The 3.00GHz speed is just two steps below the fastest Core 2 E8600 that clocks in at 3.33GHz. The E8400 also overclocks exceptionally well, reaching 4GHz and even higher with relative ease. Because of this overclocking ability and the value goal of this system build, we paired the E8400 with components that are also excellent choices for overclocking. This Intel system is ready to overclock to wherever your particular E8400 can go. The stock Intel cooler is adequate for modestly overclocking a Core 2 Duo, but it ceases to be effective before your E8400 reaches its top performance level. If extreme overclocking is your cup of tea you should replace the stock Intel HSF with a better cooler like the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle Cooler ($27 after a $10 rebate) that is featured in our AMD value midrange build on page four.

The big brother to the UD3R selected in our sub-$800 guide is the $135 GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P that has a similar feature set but adds a second x16 slot (in place of a PCI slot) for dual x8 CrossFire operation. You can currently save a few bucks with a $20 mail-in rebate. The board provides an excellent overclocking platform along with great stability. If the second x16 slot is not important to you, we suggest sticking with the UD3R. This P45 chipset motherboard has earned its reputation as an excellent overclocker while also exhibiting excellent stability. It is a good match to the selected Core 2 Duo E8400 or an alternate Quad-Core Q8200 (2.33GHz).

The memory choice for the Intel value midrange is some of the fastest memory we have tested - the OCZ Blade DDR2-1150 4GB kit. Perhaps even more important is the very low voltage needed for performance with the dual-channel Blade memory. It is rated at 5-5-5 timings at DDR2-1150 and just 1.8V. The low voltage design provides more overclocking headroom. This OCZ kit is more expensive than we normally chose for a value midrange system, but at $80 it is still a great performance value and is worth the cost.

Value Midrange Common Components

AMD and Intel architectures differ in sockets and sometimes memory configurations, but there is more in common than not between the two systems. For that reason the Intel and AMD value midrange systems share a number of components.

The video card choice is an upgrade from the last midrange guide. The choice three months ago was the ATI 4850 512MB, but today we can recommend the ATI 4870 1GB for about the same price. The HIS H487FN1GP 1GB is just $130 after a $20 rebate. That excellent value made this card the video choice for both the Intel and AMD systems. Even without the rebate you can now find a 1GB 4870 for around $150. Our recent graphics card buyers' guide recommended the 4850 512MB as the best value in the $130 to $150 price range. Now you can spend the same $130 to $150 and get a more powerful 4870 with double the video memory. You will certainly be happy with the gaming capabilities of the 4870; it is an excellent match to the true HD video resolution of the 23" monitor chosen for the value midrange systems.

On the Intel system, the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard provides a second PCI x16 slot. Video performance can be improved even further by adding a second Radeon HD 4870 1GB in CrossFire mode. You can also upgrade to the 4890 1GB for more power at higher resolutions with "eye candy" turned on. The 4890 1GB upgrade adds about $50. The motherboard choice for AMD is the GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P, which also provides multiple x16 slots for CrossFire, although the two slots each run at x8 when both are populated. The same video options apply to the AMD value midrange system.

1TB hard drives are now a routine hard drive capacity. The 1TB drives are large, fast, and stable, so it was easy to recommend the Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB drive (1000GB) at $95. There are cheaper 1TB drives available and there are many brands available with 1TB capacity. However, the Caviar Black has earned an enviable reputation for stability and performance. While there are differences between hard drives, outside of running benchmarks most people aren't likely to notice the difference in performance between Western Digital, Seagate, Samsung, Hitachi, and other major brands. All are worthy of consideration if the price per gigabyte (or terabyte) is right.

Since many readers complained that Blu-Ray playback was an unnecessary expense in a value midrange system, we downgraded the optical drive to a fast DVD burner. Fortunately, DVD burners have just seen the introduction of faster burning speeds and the Sony Optiarc 24X has emerged as a favorite in recent system builds. This Sony DVD burner is the choice for both best value midrange systems. It can burn DVDs as fast as 24x speed and it supports both single and double layer media. If you like the ability to read 25GB/50GB Blu-Ray disks you can upgrade to the LG CH08LS10 Blu-Ray/DVD combo drive used in the performance midrange systems. Adding that capability increases the cost about $100.

Cases are often very personal choices when it comes to features, and you may already have a favorite. If you don't you should definitely look at the recommended Antec Three Hundred. The Three Hundred is a bottom-mount power supply design. Some love this configuration, others hate it, but it works well in the Three Hundred. It is definitely reasonable at the current $60 cost, but that does not mean it is a "cheap" case. It comes standard with a 120mm rear exhaust fan and a 140mm top fan, which both feature a 3-speed switch. There is also room to mount two additional front 120mm fans behind a washable dust filter, so you can effectively cool anything from a single hard drive to a large RAID array. Inside there are nine drive bays - six internal 3.5" and three external 5.25" drive bays. Front USB, headphone, and microphone jacks are also standard and they are conveniently located at the top of the front panel. That makes them usable in the common "on the floor" setup.

If you prefer a more traditional case configuration the Cooler Master Mystique, selling for $80, mounts the PS on top, provides font panel jacks, and is loaded with expansion ports and two 120mm fans.

The Editors' Choice BFG Tech LS-550 power supply has been discontinued. The new power supply choice for the value midrange systems is the excellent OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W. The ModXStream is 80 Plus certified and a modular design. That means you use only the cables you need for your system, which makes cable management a much easier task. This OCZ is also a great value right now at $60 after a $20 rebate. The PSU is also SLI certified and CrossFire Ready.

The last major component to discuss is the display, and here the tilt was toward best value at full 1080p HD (1920x1080) resolution. Six months ago we chose a "new class" of 16:9 21.5" LCD monitors that provided true 1080p resolution at the then break-through price of just $199. Now we can choose a larger Acer 23" (nominal 24") monitor for even less at $180. It is also worth mentioning that the Acer 23" is one of the few monitors in its class that comes with all three video cables. Yes, an HDMI cable is included in the Acer box. Some buyers want the cheapest monitor they can find. The ASUS 21.5" chosen in earlier Buyers' Guides is now $149 after a $10 rebate. The resolution is the same as the Acer 23". Choosing the ASUS 21.5" instead saves you about $30 for those on a tight budget, with a reduction in pixel pitch from 0.271mm to 0.248mm.

The Logitech X-540 has been a favorite of users looking for a reasonably priced but good performing, powered 5.1 computer speaker system. At $79 it will certainly not challenge the performance of a separate Dolby amplifier powering audiophile speakers, but it will provide surprisingly good sound for the price. The Creative Inspire T6100 76W 5.1 speaker system is a similar powered speaker system that is selling at about the same price as the X-540. Either speaker system is a good choice for these value midrange builds.

These are clearly desktop systems, so the keyboard and optical mouse are the basic Microsoft OEM kit. If you have specific needs or a favorite gaming mouse, you likely know exactly what you prefer. The Microsoft pair is very capable for most. For greatest compatibility we have chosen Microsoft Vista Home Premium OEM as the operating system. Unless you have specific networking and special enterprise security needs there is no real reason to pay the extra for Vista Ultimate.

AMD Value Midrange

Once again the AMD value midrange system is built around the Phenom II 720BE 2.8GHz triple-core CPU. The 720BE is a Black Edition processor, which means it has an unlocked multiplier and can be easily overclocked if you choose. The Phenom II offers better raw performance than the older AMD processors and much better overclocking. With prices as low as $99 for a Phenom II we can no longer recommend anything less for a midrange system. As has been stated many times at AnandTech, the Phenom II performance matches Intel performance through the midrange (i.e. the Core 2 family of processors). Unless you are looking for a top performing and top-priced Core i7 system then you can choose Intel or AMD in the midrange based on price and features.

The Phenom II 720BE is two steps up from the lowest priced Phenom II X2 550BE. The 3.1GHz dual-core 550BE is also an option here, particularly if your primary system use is gaming. For ripping video and intense video processing the tri-core 720BE is a better choice. For just $119 you get an unlocked multiplier, three cores each with 512KB of L2 cache, and the same 6MB L3 cache used in the X4 Phenom II processors. The rated speed is 2.8GHz, which basically makes this an unlocked 920 with a disabled core. In testing we easily reached 3.8GHz, about the same as the most expensive Phenom II, and you will only miss that fourth core in the few applications that actually take advantage of parallel processing. All in all the 720BE is a value buyers dream CPU.

For ultimate overclocking we paired the 720BE with a Xigmatek S1283 Rifle cooler. The Xigmatek cools very well and it's a bargain at $27 after the current $10 rebate. As a bonus, the S1283 also comes with the hardware for mounting on Intel socket 775. An alternative for heavy overclocks is the Tuniq Tower 120. The Tuniq can move a lot of air and it is superb at dropping temperatures in ambitious overclocks, but it can be very noisy at high fan speeds. It has been selling recently for around $50.

The GA-MA790X-UD4P motherboard uses the AMD 790X chipset. The 790X is very similar to the 790GX chipset except it does not provide onboard graphics. It also supports the newest AM3 processors like Phenom II and DDR2 memory. GIGABYTE combines the 790X with the latest AMD SB750 south bridge. This combo provides one x16 slot running at x16, a second x16 slot running at x8, three PCIe x1 slots, and two PCI slots. There are eight SATA 3Gb/s ports a parallel port, along with support for SATA RAID 0/1/5/10, 2600MHz HyperTransport, and maximum memory of 16GB in four slots.

This is one of GIGABYTE's Ultra Durable 3 boards that use extra copper to lower system temps and enhance overclocking. It also features solid capacitors for long life. Memory speeds as high as 1333 are supported at standard settings, and in testing overclocking abilities were top notch. Those looking to squeeze as much performance out of their money as possible will be very pleased with the GIGABYTE at a price of just $110.

The motherboard rear panel provides eight USB 2.0 ports, two Firewire, PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, both optical and coax SPDIF out, and six audio jacks for the I-Channel onboard audio. In addition there are two USB headers for internal USB and one additional 1394a (Firewire) header. The GIGABYTE 790X board provides plenty of expansion capabilities for a performance AMD system, as well as excellent overclocking capabilities for those who plan to overclock. One caution with this board is that one PCIe card runs at x16, while with two PCIe graphics cards each slot only runs at x8 speed. For dual x16 slots you will need to run a board with the older FX chipset.

DDR2 memory is supported on this GIGABYTE, so the memory is the same OCZ Blade 4GB kit used in the Intel value midrange. If you prefer DDR3 memory then a good alternative is the GA-MA790XT-UD4P at $130. You will also need to substitute DDR3 memory for our DDR2 choice, and you can check out the Intel and AMD performance systems on p.5 and p.7 for some DDR3 recommendations. The actual DDR3 memory cost today is very close to DDR2 costs so there is little penalty for choosing DDR3 instead.

The rest of the component selections are shared between the Intel and AMD value midrange systems. You can find more information on these component choices on p.3, which details the common system components.

Comparing our $1100 systems, performance is a tossup between the AMD and Intel systems. However, just as AMD finally competes in the 45nm midrange space Intel is set to move to a new midrange architecture and the new Socket LGA-1156. Still, no matter how long or short the parity, the Phenom II competition is good for all buyers. With the prices of computer components generally trending down, both our AMD and Intel value midrange system builds give you room to grow. There are plenty of options to customize some of the components to your liking - such as a keyboard or laser gaming mouse, updated graphics, or an even larger monitor.

AMD Performance Midrange

With Phenom II, an apology is no longer needed when putting together an AMD performance midrange system. While the Phenom was an honest competitor at the price points where AMD chose to compete, the poor overclocking of the AMD Phenom compared to Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors was always a nagging reality. Phenom II changes all that, and AMD in 45nm clothes is once again a screaming overclocker. We have reached 3.9-4.0GHz in internal Phenom II testing, which places the Phenom II squarely into Intel Core 2 overclocking territory. The days when AMD meant lots of overclocking headroom have finally returned - at least through the midrange CPUs.

The Phenom II 955 Black Edition at 3.2GHz x4 is the fastest of the currently shipping AMD Phenom II processors. Recently the Phenom II 955BE has been frequently on sale, as it is right now for just $199.95. That is a great price on the flagship Phenom II and it brings tremendous value to the AMD performance midrange system. The Phenom II is very similar in L2/L3 cache configuration to the Intel Core i7, but i7 is clearly the better performer and the fact it sells for more reflects that reality.

We've paired the Phenom II 940 with the MSI 790FX-GD70 motherboard based on the 790FX chipset. While the 790FX is an older chipset than the 790X and 790GX, it still provides features like true dual x16 PCIe slots that are not available in the newer chipsets. Internal testing also shows performance is slightly better with the FX chipset than the newer chipsets, making this board an ideal match to the top 955BE Phenom II.

Since the MSI supports dual-channel DDR3, the motherboard was populated with a 4GB kit of OCZ Platinum AMD Edition. This low-voltage memory is rated at 7-7-7 timings and DDR3-1600 at just 1.65V. It performs well at faster timings and lower voltages at slower speeds. Whether you use it as a stock DDR3 memory or overclock it to its limits, this OCZ memory should provide the headroom you need to bring out the best in this system.

The Phenom II is not the hot CPU you find in the Core i7, but it still benefits from third party cooling - particularly if you plan to overclock. We paired the Phenom II 955BE with the Xigmatek S1283 120mm Rifle that performed well in the lab. At $27 after a $10 rebate, the Xigmatek is also an excellent cooling value. It is the same cooler recommended for the AMD value system.

Other components in the AMD performance midrange system are the same used in the Intel performance midrange. You can find descriptions and thumbnail images of those common components on the next page.

Finally, you should notice that the AMD performance system, using the current top Phenom II and DDR3 memory, is around $150 cheaper than the Intel Core i7 performance midrange system. The reason for this is very simple, namely the Core i7 is a better performing system that is priced accordingly. It just means AMD and Intel are competitively priced these days and the comparative costs of an Intel or AMD CPU is now a good indicator of the relative performance. There are always exceptions to a broad statement like this, but generally pricing and performance are fairly gauged in today's market.

Performance Midrange Common Components

While AMD and Intel architectures differ in sockets and sometimes memory configurations, more is the same than not with the two systems. For that reason the Intel and AMD value midrange systems share a number of common components.

If you refer to the recent launch article on the ATI 4890 and NVIDIA GTX 275, you will find these two cards were initially the new choices for the $250 price point. Since then the very popular ATI 4890 has seen tremendous price competition among those selling the card. As a result, an overclocked 4890 can be had for $170 today after $30 rebate. While the GTX 275 performs similarly, it remains around the $250 selling price, with an occasional rebate pushing the price near $200. That is the reason the MSI 4890 OC is the video card choice for both performance midrange systems.

If you prefer NVIDIA cards or NVIDIA drivers, the GTX 275 is an easy substitute in either system. Either card will do the job well and you can shop based on price. The edge goes to the ATI 4890 in the resolutions you will likely run (1920x1200 or lower) with a 27" or smaller display. If you have a 30" monitor, the GTX 275 performs a bit better at those super high resolutions.

The case receives a significant upgrade with the selection of the unique Cooler Master Storm Scout mid-tower case. The Scout has many endearing features, but we would point out the unique rear cutout behind the CPU on the motherboard tray. That makes it possible to install many "through-the-board" aftermarket CPU heatsinks without removing the motherboard. It's a truly clever and useful design element, and we'd like to see more cases support such a feature. The top-mount handle and quiet, effective cooling are also big pluses. Some also want a unique appearance and the Storm Scout delivers with its red LED glow in a distinctive looking case.

Alternates are the Antec Nine Hundred at about the same price and the Antec 902 or Cooler Master Storm Sniper at $160. Both alternatives are very popular with system builders and buyers praise the build quality of both cases.

AnandTech and many other review sites have praised the solid construction, performance, and value of Corsair power supplies. It should come as no surprise that the Corsair 750TX is the choice to power either performance midrange system. The power supply is SLI Ready and CrossFire Ready, 80 PLUS Certified, and Core i7 ready. Power is delivered to a single 60A 12V rail for those looking for that feature and finding it hard to come by at a reasonable price. With a $20 rebate the final cost is $100, which is a great value for a PSU with these specifications, features, and performance reputation.

Most of our editors consider the onboard audio of motherboards to be more than adequate for even gaming these days. That is why we have not chosen a sound card for the performance midrange system. If you want more than onboard surround sound then we recommend the Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 for serious gaming at $140. HTPC users will find much to like in the ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim. Other good choices are the ASUS Xonar Essence STX for music, in particular for serious headphone users, or the HT Omega Claro Halo - both run about $200. If you are looking for a good general purpose onboard audio upgrade the HT Omega Striker 7.1 should fit your needs at around $90.

The optical drive for a performance midrange system needs the ability to play Blu-Ray disks. A new model was chosen here with the faster 8X BD read speeds, the LG CH08LS10 Blu-Ray/DVD combo drive. In addition to 8X BD and BD dual-layer playback, you can burn DVDs as fast as 16X single-layer or 12X DL. It cannot, however, burn 25GB/50GB Blu-Ray disks. Adding that capability increases the cost to around $200 to $250. BD burners like the $200 LITE-ON 4X BD-R SATA burner or the $230 LG GGW-H20LK 6X Blu-ray burner are good choices.

Speakers have been upgraded to the Logitech G51 155W RMS 5.1 surround sound speakers. The Logitech rebate has ended, but you can still find the G51 for as little as $120 if you shop, which makes the G51 an excellent value.

The LCD display resolution maintains the 1920 horizontal pixels of 1080p displays but moves to a 26" WUXGA display with a 1200 pixel height. Whatever the minor resolution differences the size of the monitor is increased to a nominal 26" so everything on screen is a little larger (0.292mm pixel pitch). The ASUS VW266H 25.5" HDMI widescreen provides the preferred HDMI input, as well as DVI and an analog VGA port. Panel speed is rated at an incredible 2ms, but we have found most current LCD panels perform similarly and the speed rating does not really guarantee very much. The ASUS monitor provides a large sharp image, good colors, and fast panel speed at a very good price of $300 after rebate. It comes with DVI and VGA cables, but if you plan to connect with HDMI you will need to buy an HDMI cable.

As most readers are aware, LCD panels have been going to cheaper panel technologies and generally declining in image quality. Despite that fact, most buyers are reporting that they are pleased with current LCD screens. It you have a need for exceptional color or yours is a mission-critical graphics task, you may want to look at the HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 monitor. This HP monitor is likely the best quality 24" monitor you can buy today, with superior panel technology (S-IPS) and image quality likely to satisfy graphics professionals.

The remaining components are the same as our value systems. The hard drive remains a 1TB WD. The Microsoft OEM keyboard and optical mouse provide input and Vista Home Premium OEM runs the system. For more information on these components you can refer to descriptions on p.3.

In response to those who have asked for SSD recommendations, it is possible to do so based on the months of research and testing performed on SSD drives at AnandTech. For more information on SSD test results please see our SSD Anthology and our SSD update. As we recently reported, you should be on the lookout for further price reductions expected in the next few weeks. The short summary is that the new Intel X25-M G2 SSDs are the top performers, but the price-reduced Indilinx options like the OCZ Vertex and OCZ Agility are viable competitors.

Intel Performance Midrange

In recent months, AMD is finally effectively competing in midrange computer systems. With the AMD Phenom II line, Intel and AMD enjoy rough parity in the price ranges and processor speeds where they compete. Of course, the top AMD still cannot compete with Intel Core i7, which remains the performance leader. We could have chosen an Intel CPU for our performance midrange that would have competed very well with the AMD Phenom II 955BE used in the AMD performance midrange setup. The problem with that is we would not make that choice ourselves. If we were spending $1600 or more a system, we would definitely stretch the extra $150 to buy a Core i7-920 system. That is exactly what we did for the Intel performance midrange system. (You can of course trim down other component choices to get into a Core i7 system for less money, but we're going with the type of system we would like to build.)

The reasoning was very simple. It was difficult to recommend another Intel system at anywhere close to the price point of the i7-920, and socket 1366 components have been dropping in price over the past three months. For those reasons if you plan to spend over $1000 on a base Intel box you should definitely consider a Core i7-920 system. That will likely change with the coming i5 release providing additional Intel midrange choices.

The i7-920 is the lowest priced Intel Core i7 you can currently buy. The other choices, even after the recent i7-975 and i7-950 introductions, are in the $562 to $1000 range. Don't assume, however, that the 920 isn't a powerful processor. The i7-920 is capable of reaching the performance levels of the top i7 CPUs, because it has also proven to be a dynamite overclocker for those who care about that - provided they are also willing to provide decent cooling to the i7-920.

The Core i7-920 is 30% faster in some parameters than a Core 2, and you can overclock this 2.66GHz CPU to 3.8GHz to 4GHz with careful tweaking and better cooling. As shown in the Phenom II launch, the 920 reached as high as 3.8GHz at stock voltage and 4.0GHz when overvolted to 1.35V. That is a 50% overclock without a ton of effort on air-cooling. You will certainly be very happy with Core i7 base performance, but if you are interested in overclocking you will be extremely pleased with this CPU.

The GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R remains the X58 board of choice for the Core i7-920. It is one of the least expensive X58 chipset motherboards currently available. Others have joined that +/-$200 X58 club in recent months, but the GIGABYTE still provides excellent value and is now selling with a rebate that reduces the price to $180. Test results and user reports for the GIGABYTE EX58-UD3R are very favorable. This low-priced X58 board also excels in overclocking, which is why it remained the motherboard choice for the performance midrange Intel system. Other good choices are the MSI X58 Pro LGA 1366 and the ASRock X58 Deluxe LGA 1366.

Super Talent introduced an excellent 6GB triple-channel memory kit in their Chrome DDR3-1600. This Super Talent 6GB kit is another low-voltage memory kit preferred in AnandTech memory testing. Specifications are 8-8-8-18 timings at DDR3-1600 and 1.65V. This triple-channel memory kit provides excellent value in a 6GB kit and overclocking headroom to spare with its low voltage design. Six months ago in our last midrange guide, a slower 6GB kit set you back $145 where the Super Talent DDR3-1600 is now $96. DDR3 prices just continue to drop. You can select from a number of quality memory suppliers, but make sure to include their warranty and customer service reputation in your decision-making.

Unfortunately, the Core i7 CPU runs hot and eats lots of power. In fact, the stock Intel HSF is barely adequate for the CPU, which is a change in philosophy from lower Intel processors. For those reasons we almost always recommend a third party CPU cooler for an i7 system - particularly if you plan to overclock at all. Our cooler choice to mate with the GIGABYTE X58 board is the Vigor Monsoon III LT at $55. This Monsoon is a standard vertical heatpipe air-cooler, with effective and quiet push-pull cooling. The Monsoon appears a good match to the OC capabilities of the i7-920. Another excellent option is the Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme with the 1366 mounting kit. You pay a bit more for the Thermalright cooler, but this top Core 2 cooler also works very well when paired with a Core i7.

Final Words

Most users that email questions about building a computer system are planning to build a midrange computer system. With a price range of $700 to $1700, this covers a huge number of potential choices. AMD's Phenom II has certainly leveled the competitive playing field in the midrange in recent months. With Phenom II AMD can now effectively compete throughout the midrange, at least to just under the price point of the Intel i7-920 at about $285. Core i7 still wins over any AMD CPU, but all the Core i7 parts have really been high-end up to now.

Looking at the current AMD and Intel CPU prices it easy to say with confidence that you can pick a price where both AMD and Intel compete and find roughly comparable performance from either manufacturer. Even the old "overclocking exception" no longer applies, as the 45nm AMD Phenom II parts are just as overclockable as the best Intel processors. That is very good news for potential AMD buyers.

So far so good, but then comes the $64,000 dollar question: with Intel LGA-1156 due to be announced next month should you buy one of the recommended midrange systems or wait for i5? Unfortunately, we don't have a clear answer for this question, and the answers we do have will not be satisfying to all readers.

If past experience is anything to go by, an announcement of i5 next month may mean it is still months before the new socket 1156 chips and boards are readily available in the market. In addition, early versions of new socket boards like the upcoming socket 1156 often take a while to mature; there are often issues with early boards with a new socket and chipset that take some time - and a few BIOS updates - to resolve. Prices for early adopters are also normally higher than where prices settle once the market pipelines are filled. Early adopters pay more, and since midrange buyers are not normally early adopters they should be less inclined to wait.

Finally, we don't yet have hard performance numbers to truly judge whether i5 is a large performance step forward or merely a technology refresh with a minor impact on performance. We have seen both from Intel in the past and we are still not far enough from the Pentium 4 to blindly trust that new Intel technology will push the performance envelope. We will have answers to the performance question in a few weeks, but that may or may not be a clear-cut answer. All of which leads to our conclusion.

If you are in the market for a new midrange system now you should buy it now. This is particularly true if you are planning to buy an AMD midrange system. Values are at an all-time high and i5 will not likely change the value equation much since Intel already controls the top performance spots. Intel does not have a history of "giving away" performance; they adjust prices when competitive pressures force them to.

History has proven that technology is always evolving and performance is always improving. Those who wait for the latest and greatest usually gain nothing and merely lose the waiting time for the newer technology. Whatever you buy today is almost always improved upon soon after you buy it. If value is good, as it is now, you have no real reason to wait and little to gain. If you have to have the latest then nothing we can write here will likely dissuade you from waiting for LGA-1156, but all indications are that socket 1366 will continue to be the performance king for a while yet.