Complete the build! I'm a little scared of the AMD x6 1055t

G

Guido02

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 17, 2006
Messages
224
I need a little bit more help. You guys have helped me so much already, but I just need a little bit more guidance. Let me give a quick recap of everything I have been through so far. Originally I wanted to build myself a new multitasking computer with a budget of $1000, but since then I have realized that I desperately need a new computer for work on top of a new pc for home. My first instinct was to purchase a prebuilt computer for work and still piece mine together, but it has been determined that there is very little benefit to a pc off the shelf.

During this process, the CPU for the work computer was determined to be an AMD Phenom x4 and the last we had discussed it the home PC was to be a 6 core AMD 1055t. I am quite happy about my work options, but I have been reading more and more, and I have some doubts that the x6 is still the right choice. But I still have to consider the balance of money between these 2 machines as I am still operating within a budget.

I would like to order the work PC today, and I would also like to order the personal PC right away too, but the work is definitely priority. So if there is a benefit to waiting on the personal comp let me know.




1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Personal Comp: Gaming, ebay, Microsoft Office Suite, Email and Web Browsing, and some video and photo editing (Sony Vegas Pro, Creative Suite 5)
Work Comp: Sony Vegas Pro, Creative Suite 5, Microsoft Office Suite, HD Video playback, Quickbooks, Web Based database software, email, and web browsing.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000 for both computers. I will be purchasing everything from Newegg

3) Where do you live?
Tucson Az

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Personal Comp: CPU, MoBo, Ram, Heat Sink, SATA Cables, Maybe GPU, Fans
Work Comp: CPU, MoBo, Ram, Case, Fans, PSU

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Personal Comp: Antec Neopower 650, Sony ODD Super Multi Drive, Samsung Spinpoint F3, Case (Silverstone Precision Series PS05-B).
Work Comp: Samsung Spinpoint F3, LG ODD Super Multi

6) Will you be overclocking?
Personal Comp: Definitely
Work Comp: Most likely although it won't be a focus

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Personal Comp: Acer 23" 1920x1080
Work Comp: Asus 23" 1920x1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
This Week

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Personal Comp: These would be nice although they are not required - Firewire, eSATA, USB 3.0
Work Comp: Again these would be not but not required - Wireless, Firewire, eSATA, USB 3.0

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
I have a Volume license for windows 7 64bit
 
$205 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition + Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 996781 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$100 - Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H AMD 880G HDMI mATX Motherboard
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
--------
Total: $405 plus tax and shipping

That mobo fits most of your requirements. As you wanted, there's a Phenom II 955 CPU.

For your personal build, hold off on it. New AMD GPUs are due out in 2-3 weeks and that may influence current GPU prices or offer better GPUs for the same prices as current GPUs.
 
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I have been transporting my current pc to and from work, so that is possible I guess.
 
One thing I forgot to mention is that I currently have a one month old 9800GT video card, so I was wondering if that would hald me over for a short period of time while waiting for the other parts to come out. The pc would be similar right?

How is this Ram - GSkillz 2x4GB for 139.99. Is this a good deal or should I just do 4 GB
 
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We had originally talked about doing an Athlon x4 instead of Phenom and there is a combo that seems like a decent deal, tell me what you think.

Is this a good option or should I stick with the Phenom. Or I haven't heard the option for a portable powerhouse computer.
 
Here's my gaming/portable VM rig:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1523957

Specs in my sig:

$130 MSI 890GXM-G65
$180 LAN Gear MOM (new release isn't out yet, but hopefully will be soon)

4x2048 OCZ DDR3 1600 Obsidian
Phenom II 1055T 3.8 Ghz 1.4V Batch 1015DPAW

$270 for the combo, add another $100 for 8 gigs total if you need that much
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.515742

That GSkill Ram if you buy it while it's still on sale is a really good bargain.

$65 Cogage Arrow
http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...=27217&zenid=2866e821f8cccfe61623f1962c2c33ae

$130 Silverstone SST 75F-P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...lverstone_750w_modular-_-17-256-059-_-Product

$20 short cable kit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812162010

Your 9800GT and hard drives.

No firewire on my motherboard but it does have USB3.0 and SATA 6.0. I have an add-in firewire card. You can swap out components if you see something better, but to give you a ballpark.

Lan Gear bag I'm guessing will be around 50-80 bucks. You can get a Sugo Carrying bag for about $50 and houses it quite nicely.

If you keep the MOSFETS cool, you can OC safely to about 3.8 Ghz.
 
Guido02 said:
One thing I forgot to mention is that I currently have a one month old 9800GT video card, so I was wondering if that would hald me over for a short period of time while waiting for the other parts to come out. The pc would be similar right?
Click to expand...

You're talking about the personal PC right? If so, then yes, the CPU+mobo+RAM specs for the personal PC and the work PC would be the same. Yes you can use your 9800GT in the mean time for the personal PC. The work PC already has onboard video.

Guido02 said:
How is this Ram - GSkillz 2x4GB for 139.99. Is this a good deal or should I just do 4 GB
Click to expand...
Good deal but it's seriously gonna eat into your GPU budget for the personal PC. You will have to increase your $1000 budget.
Guido02 said:
We had originally talked about doing an Athlon x4 instead of Phenom and there is a combo that seems like a decent deal, tell me what you think.

Is this a good option or should I stick with the Phenom. Or I haven't heard the option for a portable powerhouse computer.
Click to expand...
Stick with the Phenom. That combo deal is crap mainly due to the shitty PSU and the relatively slow drive.
 
What is the issue with the 1055T that scares you?

Is it the cost? Do you think you get more bang for the buck from the quad core?

Or is there another issue with the 1055T?

I don't see a disadvantage other than cost of going with a hexcore over a quadcore of similar speed.

My 1055T has been very reliable and very cool-running and very fast, although I'm not sure if I really need the extra 2 cores.
 
As I am reading recommendations that other people are given, it seems that people say the i5 750 outperforms the 1055t. So Im a bit worried that it may not be the best option. But I do trust your opinions as well. Just so you guys know, I dont usually upgrade my computers, I usually use them until its time for me to get a new one. I dont know if that will have any influence on the situation either.

Do you guys think building one computer and transporting back and forth to work everyday is a good idea? I know that would cause my wife to still use our Dual Core as a home pc when she needs to go on, but she uses her laptop most the time.
 
Guido02 said:
Do you guys think building one computer and transporting back and forth to work everyday is a good idea? I know that would cause my wife to still use our Dual Core as a home pc when she needs to go on, but she uses her laptop most the time.
Click to expand...

Here's my thoughts:

Pros:
- Lets you get more RAM which means better performance for the apps you've mentioned
- Lets you have more money leftover for a future GPU upgrade

Cons:
- You're screwed if that PC gets stolen. Now you have no PC for work or personal
- If the PC starts developing issues, you're pretty much out of action for both work and personal.
- You're gonna have to wait until the Langear MOM case comes out. The other mATX cases aren't really that good for the money IMO.

Decide if the pros outweign the cons.
 
So what kind of specs are we thinking for both situations.

If I build 2 computers and leave them at home/work, and if I build one computer that I transport back and forth. Also, it was said that I would have to wait for parts to become available, how long are we talking about waiting?

What if I am able to increase my budget a bit, what would it take to have two seperate computers that I can be happy with their performance. Obviously I don't want to lug a computer back and forth to work everyday, and whats even more of a pain is constantly unplugging and plugging everything in. This is a tough decision for me, and I guess it would definitely be easier if the computer that would be transported back and forth was quite good.
 
Guido02 said:
So what kind of specs are we thinking for both situations.

If I build 2 computers and leave them at home/work, and if I build one computer that I transport back and forth. Also, it was said that I would have to wait for parts to become available, how long are we talking about waiting?

What if I am able to increase my budget a bit, what would it take to have two seperate computers that I can be happy with their performance. Obviously I don't want to lug a computer back and forth to work everyday, and whats even more of a pain is constantly unplugging and plugging everything in. This is a tough decision for me, and I guess it would definitely be easier if the computer that would be transported back and forth was quite good.
Click to expand...

There are some Lan Gear boxes in the classifieds.........check the SFF forum for added visibility. If you get a powered USB hub, that will help eliminate having to re-plug some of the devices. There's always a laptop. I just bought an Alienware M11X R2 so I can have my cake and eat it too (well I can't play punkbusted games online until Nvidia releases their next set of Optimus drivers).
 
Again, here's the work setup:
$205 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition + Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 996781 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$100 - Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H AMD 880G HDMI mATX Motherboard
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
--------
Total: $405 plus tax and shipping

For personal:
$306 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX ATX Motherboard
$70 - G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156
------
Total: $406 plus tax and shipping.

Save the rest of the cash towards a newer card in about 2-4 weeks from now. The 9800GT will suffice. If you want 8GB of RAM for the personal setup, then get the set you listed earlier:
$150 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM.
 
What would the build look like if I did one setup that I would take back and forth to work everyday. The only components I have seen is if I do two seperate computers.

So my original concerns wtih the 1055t are not an issue? You guys think I should go that way over an intel chip even knowing that I will not be upgrading parts, but instead I will do a whole new computer in a year or two?
 
Guido02 said:
What would the build look like if I did one setup that I would take back and forth to work everyday. The only components I have seen is if I do two seperate computers.
Click to expand...
$195 - Intel Core i5 750 CPU
$110 - Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 Intel H55 mATX Motherboard
$150 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$60 - Noctua NH-U9 SE2 92mm HSF
$150 - Lian Li PC-V354B Black mATX Case
----
Total: $665 plus tax and shipping.

Reuse your hard drives, the 9800GT, and the Antec Neopower 650W and the DVD drive.

Leaves you $335 out your $1000 budget for a future faster GPU.
Guido02 said:
So my original concerns wtih the 1055t are not an issue? You guys think I should go that way over an intel chip even knowing that I will not be upgrading parts, but instead I will do a whole new computer in a year or two?
Click to expand...

Again, it depends on what your primary usage is:
If gaming, go for the i5 750
If Video editing, photoshop, and the like, go for the X6 1055T.
If heavy duty overclocking, go for the i5 750.
 
The work side of this setup will be doing more video and photo editing and graphic design, the personal use of this computer needs to fill my gaming desires. That makes this even more difficult. I will do alot of photo editing and only a little video stuff with the home pc, but I would also like my work pc to be able to handle playing games even though I understand there wont be crazy high settings.

Another side not is that if I hold off on a video card for a month or so, then I can get more computer now with my current 1000 budget because that will give me time to get some $$$ together to get a new card.

Best case scenario is I order a computer right now. I want to have my work computer going this week, and if they are one in the same then I need to decide everything in terms of compnents and order it.

Like I said a few mins ago, I think my best bet is to hold off on video card and get all the pc/ 2 pcs I can with the $1000, not only do I have the 9800GT, I also have a GT240 with a gig of memeroy just hanging out which can hold the second computer over for the time being.

Sorry I am rambling, but I'm typing as I am thinking
 
Ok, now you have to decide: one or two PC? That's gonna determine what parts you should get. You understand?

You as well as myself have already said that you're better off with holding off on the GPU for the gaming PC. That's not in debate AT ALL. What is in debate is which route you want:: One or two PCs? Once you figure that out, then you can start on the Core i5 VS Phenom II 1055T route.

Though if you do go the two PC route, the answer is extremely simple: Phenom II 1055T for the the Work PC and the Core i5 750 for the gaming. And that's assuming that you can bump up your budget.
 
Go for the Phenom X6. Yeah, the i7 is going to be better in games and less-heavily threaded apps, but the Phenom isn't going to be a real bottleneck and is going to really help in what you're doing at work.

I went from an i7 @ 4.0 Ghz and SLI'd GTX 275's to my Phenom II X6 at 3.8 Ghz with a single Asus 5850 and I'm really not missing the older heat-power monger. I mostly play BF2142 and both rigs min framerate with that game is 100FPS with max settings. It all depends on what you play. Your video card is going to determine your gaming experience, not the CPU as this level. If you go with top-of-the line SLI/Crossfire or even better, yeah your CPU may be a bottleneck in the sense that your synthetic benchmarks won't be as high, but I seriously doubt it's going to hurt your gaming experience unless your boss throws a nice 30" Dell at ya.

Right now 4-gig sticks/(sets of 4 gig sticks) of RAM are at the lowest price I've ever seen. 6 month ago you would have paid $400 for a single 4 gig stick. If you're doing Photoshop/video editing NOW is the time to jump on memory.

This changes strategy a little. I would have suggested an X58 motherboard and socket 1366 CPU simply for the fact that you have 6 DDR3 slots to populate with cheap 2-gig sticks of RAM. If you jump on RAM prices now, you can get 16 gigs of RAM for under $300, which is a freakin bargain and will go a long way for video editing/development/photshop, and lets you go with cheaper 4-DDR3 slot motherboards.
 
I would much rather do 2 pc's. I don't want to transport a computer back and forth to work. Thats what I am doing now and obviously I am trying to change that, its just a pain in the butt.

So lets see how things pan out with 2 seperate PC's.

Thanks Danny

To Massive Overkill - I do have a 30" Dell monitor, which is one reason why the video card thing is a bit of a difficult situation. I was expecting to have it shipped to Tucson in November, but I won't be getting it until January now. Thats one of the reasons I am waiting for the new vid cards. I just didn't say that in this thread, but in a previous thread.
 
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So I think the two computers is the best options for me, I just need to get the specs of each together. I would love to order this stuff today. And one thing I need to know about is Fans for the computers. One thing I don't like is loud fans. I understand if its necessary for overclocking, but just to be loud for no other reason is annoying, especially for my home computer, the work computer will be drowned out with lots of noise, so it doesn't have to be quite.

Work computer is going to be:
$306 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX ATX Motherboard
$70 - G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

or

$205 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition + Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 996781 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$100 - Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H AMD 880G HDMI mATX Motherboard
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
Power Supply - I have an OCZ 600SXS, would that be enough for this build? That could save a lil $$$
??? - I still need a heat sink since I will be overclocking thisas well.

Home PC

$195 - Intel Core i5 750 CPU
$110 - Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 Intel H55 mATX Motherboard
$150 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$60 - Noctua NH-U9 SE2 92mm HSF
$150 - Lian Li PC-V354B Black mATX Case

Now I still have the Silverstone case that I will be using, originally I was wanting to use it for my personal build.

Is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 out? Or is it only for the AMD?

I think this is looking good for now. We are planning on going wth the 1055t right? I would like to order this stuff today, so I need to iron the last few things out. Will I need SATA cables? I know I will need some thermal compound, can someone recommend some to me please.

Thanks guys


P.S. The i5 750 is on sale right now for 185. So I want to make sure I get that deal, I need to buy this stuff right away
 
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For the work PC, for the umpteenth time, definitly go for the Phenom II 1055T route. No I would not trust your OCZ 600SXS with that setup. The Coolermaster Hyper 212 HSF is a good choice for that setup.

For the gaming PC, drop the case and HSF that you listed. Those parts were only chosen by me for the small portable build. I would not recommend the same parts`for your two seperate build plan. You can reuse your case and the same Coolermaster Hyper 212 HSF from the AMD build in the Intel build.

You don't need SATA cables. The motherboard comes with them. AS for the thermal paste, the tried and true Arctic Cooling MX-2 thermal paste is a good choice.
 
How does the Cooler Master 341 compare to the 335? I see one is ATX and one is mATX, but it appears the the 341 would have alot better airflow, is this true or does the 335 have good airflow?

What Ram am I using for each build? I am a bit unclear because I wasn't sure if we decided to go with 8gb for the personal pc and only 4 gb for the work pc. Or should we go with 4 gb on each. Should the work PC get better ram than the gskills recommended?

Am I getting the Antec 400w psu for the 1055t? The reason I ask is because we had it with the AMD x4 955 build, not the x6.
 
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Guido02 said:
How does the Cooler Master 341 compare to the 335? I see one is ATX and one is mATX, but it appears the the 341 would have alot better airflow, is this true or does the 335 have good airflow?
Click to expand...
Both have the same level of airflow. They're both good cases.

Guido02 said:
What Ram am I using for each build? I am a bit unclear because I wasn't sure if we decided to go with 8gb for the personal pc and only 4 gb for the work pc. Or should we go with 4 gb on each. Should the work PC get better ram than the gskills recommended?
Click to expand...
8GB of RAM for the Work. Same 8GB G.Skill RAM we've been recommendeding here.
4GB of RAM for the Personal. Same 4GB G.Skill RAM we've been recommendeding here.

Guido02 said:
Am I getting the Antec 400w psu for the 1055t? The reason I ask is because we had it with the AMD x4 955 build, not the x6.
Click to expand...

Yes the Antec 400W for the 1055T.
 
Thanks Danny, I am almost done with the order and then I will be out of your guys hair for a while, I promise.

What fans should I get?

I am looking at the cases for my work build, but my home pc will be in the silverstone case, so that way you know exactly the size fins. But I want good fans that are quite.
 
Quiet, good cooling, and cheap:
$3.60 - 120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12 Case Fan

Before you buy, make another post with your build list.
 
Here is my cart on Newegg. I am having alot of trouble with which case to get. And I am also wondering if I should get a full ATX board with the 750. I haven't added any fans or the thermal compound(I dont know how may fans I'll need)


COOLER MASTER Elite 341 RC-341C-KKN1-GP Black Steel MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119193
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$39.99

Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W Continuous Power ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817371029
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$49.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231277
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$86.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
Item #: N82E16820231311
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$139.99

GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128429
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card13-128-429
$109.99

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I5750
Item #: N82E16819115215
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$184.99

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ...
Item #: N82E16835103065
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$59.98
($29.99 each)

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX
Item #: N82E16819103851
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128435
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$309.98

Subtotal $981.90
Shipping $30.74
Total Price $1012.64
 
Guido02 said:
Here is my cart on Newegg. I am having alot of trouble with which case to get. And I am also wondering if I should get a full ATX board with the 750. I haven't added any fans or the thermal compound(I dont know how may fans I'll need)
Click to expand...

Do you actually need all of the expansion slots of a ATX mobo? Why exactly are you wondering that you should get a full ATX mobo for the i5 750?

Case wise, that's all you. I can't help you with that.
 
I was just wondering if there were any other sacrifices with the mobo being mATX. Do I have SLI/Crossfire opportunities with either of these setups? Just wondering, its not a big deal.

Are there any other cases that could be recommended? Is there anything cheaper that is also a good case? We are a bit over the budget not including fans or thermal compound. One of the issues I am having with these cases are that they are quite different. What I mean is that the mATX case allows for more fans which are bigger as well. On the other hand, it only has a few bays for any expansions, while the other case has free shipping which is great, and it has a slew of expansion slots but not many fans. I also am not the biggest fan of the lights.

There is a wrench possibly being thrown into the mix too. I have to fly to Michigan unexpectadly, which means that I will have access to my old computer and I plan to bring it back to Tucson. The components are as follows:

CPU - e8400(I think this is the model, it is one of the first Core 2 Duo's that came out. Maybe it is e6400, but it is definitely the x400 that I have overclocked to about 3.4GHz0
Mobo - Asus P5.... Deluxe (Can't remember exactly)
GPU - nVidia 8800GTS 768mb (When these cards first came out)
Memory - Its either 2x1GB or 2x2 GB of Gskill
HDD - WD 74GB Raptor 10000RPM
Monitor - Dell 3007
Keyboard - Logitech G15
Mouse - Razer Lachesis

Is any of this stuff any good anymore or should we move ahead as planned with this order
 
Newegg just listed waht appears to be some decent deals in the [H]ot Deals section. There is a GTX460 that is 213.89 - 10MIR = 203.89 + 1.99 shipping

There is also some Gskillz Ripjaws ram which is a bit different than the ram I have listed, is it anygood or should I stick with what I've got.

Lastly there is a Scorpio Black laptop HDD which I was looking to upgrade my Macbook Pro from 320GB and I was deciding between the scorpio black and the hitachi travelstar 7200 rpm. any thought
 
Guido02 said:
I was just wondering if there were any other sacrifices with the mobo being mATX. Do I have SLI/Crossfire opportunities with either of these setups? Just wondering, its not a big deal.
Click to expand...
Both setups have Crossfire capability. You're not really sacrificing anything with that mATX mobo besides expansion slots.

And yes that Gigabyte mobo is a good overclocker as shown in this HardOCP review:
http://hardocp.com/article/2010/05/03/gigabyte_h55musb3_motherboard_review/

Guido02 said:
Are there any other cases that could be recommended? Is there anything cheaper that is also a good case? We are a bit over the budget not including fans or thermal compound. One of the issues I am having with these cases are that they are quite different. What I mean is that the mATX case allows for more fans which are bigger as well. On the other hand, it only has a few bays for any expansions, while the other case has free shipping which is great, and it has a slew of expansion slots but not many fans. I also am not the biggest fan of the lights.
Click to expand...
Cheaper? Dude, the Eite 341 and 335 are the cheapest yet decent cases out there. Any cheaper and you're gonna start getting crap cases.

Your assessment of the two cases are pretty bad. The Elite 341 mATX case uses 120mm fans, the same size as fans that comes with the Elite 335. In addition, both cases have the same amount of fans and placement: One fan up front and another fan in the rear. Both cases comes with one 120mm rear fan.

Other good cases:
$60 - NZXT M59 ATX Case
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56 ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master CM690 II Basic ATX Case

Guido02 said:
There is a wrench possibly being thrown into the mix too. I have to fly to Michigan unexpectadly, which means that I will have access to my old computer and I plan to bring it back to Tucson. The components are as follows:

CPU - e8400(I think this is the model, it is one of the first Core 2 Duo's that came out. Maybe it is e6400, but it is definitely the x400 that I have overclocked to about 3.4GHz0
Mobo - Asus P5.... Deluxe (Can't remember exactly)
GPU - nVidia 8800GTS 768mb (When these cards first came out)
Memory - Its either 2x1GB or 2x2 GB of Gskill
HDD - WD 74GB Raptor 10000RPM
Monitor - Dell 3007
Keyboard - Logitech G15
Mouse - Razer Lachesis

Is any of this stuff any good anymore or should we move ahead as planned with this order
Click to expand...
Besides the keyboard, monitor, and mouse, none of that setetup is good anymore. Even that Raptor drive is outdated by the newer 500GB drives out now.

Guido02 said:
Newegg just listed waht appears to be some decent deals in the [H]ot Deals section. There is a GTX460 that is 213.89 - 10MIR = 203.89 + 1.99 shipping
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That card only has a two year warranty. It's also widly regarded as a loud setup.
Guido02 said:
There is also some Gskillz Ripjaws ram which is a bit different than the ram I have listed, is it anygood or should I stick with what I've got.
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Stick with what you've got. Those particular Ripjaws are still overpriced.
Guido02 said:
Lastly there is a Scorpio Black laptop HDD which I was looking to upgrade my Macbook Pro from 320GB and I was deciding between the scorpio black and the hitachi travelstar 7200 rpm. any thought
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Can't help you there. Out of date on laptops drives myself.
 
Ok so this purchase is about to happen although there are a few last minutes questions and then click submit. First of all, a build was ust recommended for someone else that included the i5 750 and a mobo combo which is a bit cheaper than my setup, but maybe it wasn't told to me because the board was lacking something, but here is the link. Intel Core i5 750 CPU + Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 mATX Motherboard Combo. As a matter of fact Danny, you recommended it, should I stick with my build?

Also, all of the video editing that I do is the AVCHD format which E4g1e said the i7 would outperform the 750, how will the 1055t compare to these? I'm just wondering, I won't be changing anything.

Also, should I do the 8GB with the 1055t since that will be what I am doing the video rendering and encrypting, and the photo editing with, or am I keeping that with the i5 750?

About the cases, we are a bit over budget, so I am wondering if we can shave things down a bit because there are still some things that I need to get. But it does appear the the 335 only has 2 120mm fans, 1 in front and 1 in rear, and it may be able to hold one fan on the side panel. Where as the 341 will hold 4 120mm fans, 1 front - 1 rear - 2 on side panel.


EDIT: I forgot about my older PC's power supply, it is a corsair 650w that is the same age as everything else. Is this anygood?
 
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The mobo in that combo link does not have SATA 6Gb/s or USB 3.0, features that you stated in your first post that you may want. If you don't need USB 3.0 or SATA 6Gb/s, then yes go for that combo link. Otherwise, stick with what you have so far.

The 1055T would be probably be comparable to the i5 750 due to the extra cores.

Again, 8GB for the 1055T, 4GB for the i5.

Ok, let me get this straight: So despite mentioned earlier, you're not actually increasing your $1000 budget? I thought you were increasing your $1000 budget. Otherwise I would have never have recommneded the Core i5 route in the first place or the 8GB RAM for the 1055T route.

And to get another thing straight: Does that $1000 budget also have to cover the costs of the new GPU you're gonna buy in a 3-4 weeks from now?

You can reuse the Corsair 650W in any of the two builds. AS for the case fans, I see that you're right about the number of fans possible in the cases.
 
How much are we talking about of an increase to the budget. We are just a few dollars over it now, so I thought we were doing ok. I was just wondering about cutting back a bit and if it was feasable, but I am definitely doing both of these computers. But like I said there are still some things that I need, so I want to make sure I stay as close to budget as possible.

The budget does not include any GPU's that will be purchased in the near future. Right now I am trying to get the most out of the 2 computers as possible.

For the work computer I need some form of wireless internet that is reliable. We have a business class wireless N router that is 300mbps and is also range extended, but I need to be able to access the internet, and my office is about 75ft from the router. What is available that isn't going to go down often?

I am going to pass on the Antec PSU now because of my Corsair.

What is required on the MoBo to hook up an eSATA port for the front of a case? Does it just plug into a SATA port on the motherboard?
 
Guido02 said:
How much are we talking about of an increase to the budget. We are just a few dollars over it now, so I thought we were doing ok. I was just wondering about cutting back a bit and if it was feasable, but I am definitely doing both of these computers. But like I said there are still some things that I need, so I want to make sure I stay as close to budget as possible.
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Sorry, thought you were whining about the over budget part.

To cut back, drop the gaming setup down to a Phenom II 955 BE setup.
Guido02 said:
For the work computer I need some form of wireless internet that is reliable. We have a business class wireless N router that is 300mbps and is also range extended, but I need to be able to access the internet, and my office is about 75ft from the router. What is available that isn't going to go down often?
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Seems to be a popular adapter:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320048
Guido02 said:
What is required on the MoBo to hook up an eSATA port for the front of a case? Does it just plug into a SATA port on the motherboard?
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Pretty much that and you have to enable AHCI in the BIOs.
 
Are there any good combo deals for the i5 750 that will shave a few bucks? I am looking right now, but I'm not sure what I am looking for. I don't know how good these motherboards are and if they compare to the one we have selected. There is also a bunch of ram that if we don't want to change the mobo we can save a bit with a ram combo.
 
Guido02 said:
Are there any good combo deals for the i5 750 that will shave a few bucks? I am looking right now, but I'm not sure what I am looking for. I don't know how good these motherboards are and if they compare to the one we have selected. There is also a bunch of ram that if we don't want to change the mobo we can save a bit with a ram combo.
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The i5 750 + Gigabyte P55 mATX mobo combo that you listed earlier is the cheapest combo available BUT it lacks USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s or good overclock capability.. It's $20 cheaper than your planned setup right now. That's the best you can do. So if you just need a barebones motherboard, go for that $285 combo. Otherwise, stick to the planned setup.

If you do stick with that Gigabyte H55 mobo and the i5 750, you can shave off by getting the HSF and CPU as part of this combo deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.374030

As for the RAM combo, if those are OCZ RAM combos, you're on your own there: I don't recommend OCZ RAM much these days. If other RAM combos, you're gonna have to do the legwork on that.
 
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Guido02 said:
Lastly there is a Scorpio Black laptop HDD which I was looking to upgrade my Macbook Pro from 320GB and I was deciding between the scorpio black and the hitachi travelstar 7200 rpm. any thought
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The Western Digital Scorpio Black trades blows (in benchmarks) with the Hitachi Travelstar, but it has a five-year warranty versus the Travelstar's three. You can't go wrong with either one, but the Scorpio Black looks better due to the warranty (even if, like Seagate, WD uses refurbished drives for RMA replacements).

And now, back to "Listen to Danny Bui; he knows what he's talking about." ;)
 
Newegg just posted some deals that look pretty good.

Deal one is the Gskills 2x2gb ram has dropped another $10, which I was able to get adjusted, so that ended up being $75.

The other deal may not be that good but it has the i5 760 + ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $314. I have already placed the order for everything, but should I concern myself with this deal, or is the mobo and 750 that I got good enough.

PS I bought the i5 750 for $175 through newegg.
 
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