First Time Builder

M

MAULxx

n00b
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
58
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Alot of gaming such as Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect 2, & the upcoming 2010 games, word documents, email & web surfing of course.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$800-$1000 shipped is my target but could make some wiggle room :)

3) Where do you live?
Hickory, North Carolina.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
Wouldn't mind having one of those Nvidia GPUs with the 7.1 SS but those may be a tad out of my price range. I was looking to go Intel & Nvidia for this build but I'll go for the best for the $.
Well, I'm a first time builder, I don't have specifics in mind. Something simple but powerful :)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I won't be reusing anything except kb & mouse.

6) Will you be overclocking?
No, probably not.

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I have a 42" Panasonic PZ85U 1080p plasma & I want to run games in 1080p with AA, v-sync.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Not certain I'll build it, may stick with consoles but I want to build it. If I decide to it will be in Jan or Feb 2010. Mass Effect comes out in Jan :)

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support?
Don't need RAID, never used firewire, Crossfire or SLI...yes I'll need one of those.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
I have XP32bit I can reuse if needed. Should I go Win7 & make the jump to 64bit or wait awhile longer?

Would also like to ask....
How much will this hobby cost me?
* How often for upgrades & rebuilds to keep me running games at higher settings?
I just need an idea of cost & budget.

Thanks.
 
You're looking at an AMD Phenom II X3 or X4 build with an ATI Radeon HD 5850 with that budget. A Core i5-750 is doable also
 
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Sounds like you're building up a machine very similar to mine only you have a couple advantges. You already have a display and an OS.

I started my own thread about a week or so ago and everyone was very helpful. I'd recommend you read it.

My final build specs are:

1 x ($28.99) DVD BURNER LG | GH22NS50 BK SATA % - OEM
$28.99

1 x ($139.99) PSU SEASONIC|M12D SS-850 850W RT - Retail
$139.99

1 x ($409.99) VGA XFX|HD-587A-ZNF9 HD5870 1G RT - Retail
$409.99

1 x ($104.99) WIN HOME PREM 7 64-BIT ENG 1PK DSP - OEM
$104.99

1 x ($54.99) HD 500G|SAMSUNG HD502HJ % - OEM
$54.99

1 x ($93.99) MEM 2Gx2|GSKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Retail
$93.99

1 x ($165.00) CPU AMD|PH II X4 955 3.2G AM3 R - Retail
$165.00

1 x ($119.99) MB ASUS M4A79XTD EVO 790X AM3 RT - Retail
$119.99

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1480759

Since you already have Windows you won't need to spend the $105 like I did. That saves money for more neat stuff.
 
MAULxx said:
Would also like to ask....
How much will this hobby cost me?
* How often for upgrades & rebuilds to keep me running games at higher settings?
I just need an idea of cost & budget.
Click to expand...
That's actually a hard question to answer.

It really depends on how much of a want you have for higher settings. Those with somewhat lower wants for high settings will spend significantly less than a person who uses needs high performance all the time. We're talking a range from $1000 every 2-3 years for a decent gaming PC/upgrades to $1000 every 8 to 10 months. So basically, it's all on you and your wants for high settings.

Here's a prelim build for ya:
$195 - Intel Core i5 750 CPU
$140 - Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 Intel P55 ATX Motherboard
$94 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$300 - Sapphire 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$30 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 332 RC-332-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$90 - Corsair 650TX 650W PSU
---
Total: $954 plus tax and shipping.
 
Thanks for these builds.

Can you tell me the differences in these MBs for the AMD?
1. $99 ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

2. $140 GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

3. $110 after MIR ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard. This is the one posted by commander FAT.
 
The main differences of note are that the Asus M4A785TD-V EVO has an onboard GPU (which won't be enough for gaming, but you could connect another monitor to it), the Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 has two USB 3.0 and two SATA 6GB/s ports, and the Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 and Asus M4A79XTD EVO support dual x8 CrossFire (which you may not really need). You need to read the Specifications tab under each board's NewEgg page and determine which features that you really need.
 
Still deciding on a MB.
Here's what I got... let me know what ya think.

$195 AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

$110 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM - Retail Aren't the latency better on these than the ones posted above?

$85 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

$299 SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 GDDR5 1GB pci-e hdcp -Couldn't find this on newegg.

$30 MSI Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - Retail

$130/ $110 after MIR Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W ATX 12V 2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

$120/ $75 after MIR AZZA Solano 1000 Black/Black Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail or this one... $80/ $60 after MIR
AZZA CSAZ-910R Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

That's $987 shipped before MIRs & still need mobo.
 
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Go with the cheaper G.Skill Ripjaws CL9 kit, as you'll see no noticeable performance difference between the two kits. Though you don't really need DDR3 1600 RAM, especially if you aren't overclocking, the aforementioned kit is cheaper than many DDR3 1333 or DDR3 1066 kits once you factor in shipping.

Drop the processor and video card you're currently considering and go with this combo deal instead:

$465 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition processor and XFX HD-585A-ZNBC Radeon HD 5850 combo deal (free shipping on both)

You'll see no performance difference between the X4 955 BE and the X4 965 BE, but you'll also have a video card with a better warranty and CS. The HD5850 is more powerful than the HD5770, which is why it's more expensive. The HD5770, IIRC, performs between the level of the HD4870 (better) and the HD4890 (about on par).

For the money that you want to spend on the PSU, get a better quality one, like the Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue. If you're going to stick with one video card (which I recommend), get a lower power (but still quality) PSU like the Corsair TX650.

Since you haven't picked out a motherboard yet, tell us which features that you need. Most boards that we recommend have at least one PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot, six SATA 3GB/s ports, RAID 0/1 support, 5.1 channel HD audio, and one Gigabit Ethernet port... do you need anything else?
 
Thanks for the advice tiraides. I'm going to do what you suggest with the RAM, CPU & GPU & PSU.

To be honest, I don't know what I need on the MB other than what you mentioned.
I will be connecting to a AVR capable of DTS HD & DD MA via hdmi. Any MB that supprot this or does it have to be on GPU?
No matter what I want a good ol spidif/optical connection. I guess most boards have this?
Can't really think of anything else besides great audio atm.

Where can I get a Samsung F3 1TB HDD? Unavailable at newegg.
 
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The Samsung F3 1TB HDD is available at Amazon.

IIRC, the HD5850 has an HDMI output that's capable of both digital video and audio.

Here's a board recommendation: The Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P. Will that board suit your needs?
 
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IIRC, the HD5850 has an HDMI output that's capable of both digital video and audio.
Click to expand...

Great, sounds good.
Can you help me compare these MBs?

1. Gigabyte GA-MA770T the one you suggest.

2. $100 ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

3. $140
GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD

Besides the price differences I notice the onboard audio chipsets are different. Two different realteks & VIA VT1708S. Any major differences there?
 
Definitely go with a x3 or quad CPU. DA and MA both are heavily threaded and play great with many core cpu's.
 
MAULxx said:
Another question.

Which of these is better?
SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon™ HD 5770 860MHz, 1GB GDDR5 4800MHz, PCIe x16 CrossFire

Saphhire 100282SR Radeon HD5850 1GB PCI Express 2.0 Video Card

The HD 5770 is cheaper, just wondering why.
Click to expand...
"Better" is a very subjective term, which really relates to the individual needs and wants of particular users (screen resolution, quality settings, budget, etc.). That said, the 5850 is better. ;)

X285 >>>>>>>>>
5850 >>>>>>>>>>
5770 >>>>>>
4870 >>>>>>>
4890 >>>>>>>>
 
Well, here's what I purchased...

AZZA Solano 1000 Black/Black Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

XFX HD-585A-ZNBC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB Black Edition 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail


AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Retail

MSI Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - Retail

Samsung 1 TB Spinpoint 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.5 inch Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive HD103SJ

$981.50 shipped.

Do I need thermal paste? I'm thinking it's already on the CPU.

Thanks to all you guys, thanks tiraides for the MB choice & all the help.
Now the hard part, putting it all together :eek:
If you know any good guides that would help send them my way.
I can read but pics would be nice.

I can't believe I finally pulled the trigger. I been thinking about this for years but kept talking myself out of spending the money.
 
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Hehe, it's actually pre-applied to the stock HSF, not the CPU. ;)
 
So, is it ok to go with the pre applied thermal paste or scratch that off & add my own?

I just ordered some :)
 
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if you're using the stock cooler, the pre-applied thermal compound should be fine. If you have AS5 or MX2 and want to use that instead, by all means, go for it -- but its not a necessity as the stock paste should suffice.
 
Is the stock cooler pretty good? Will it keep the temps where they need to be?

Would you recommend this?
Thermaltake CL-P0464 DuOrb 80mm CPU Cooler
 
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No, I would not recommend that cooler. I'd go for one of the more recommended models found throughout these forums instead.

The stock CPU HSF is fine if you're not OC'ing.
 
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