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Gaming+Video PC

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paresk14

n00b
Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
9
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, watching HD movies+tv shows, and web browsing.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$875 without tax and shipping, after rebates
3) Where do you live?
Maryland
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.
Case, heatsink, GPU, RAM, HDD, fans, PSU, monitor, and maybe mobo.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
CPU, DVD/CD drive, maybe mobo.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes, the CPU.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Probably between 22" and 25".
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
The next three weeks.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
I would like to be able to use my case's audio jacks...that's it. Crossfire or SLI if my GPU setup calls for it.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Pro 64bit

Monitor: ~$250 budget Posted about it here: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1528888

OS: Windows 7 64bit $30

Case: Height has to be 490mm or less. I was thinking the Antec Solo or the Antec Mini P180. I'm trying to get a quiet build. I think this will end up being based on the other components I get. ~$80-100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129044

CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition, already bought+using.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103652

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78LM-S2H, already bought+using. I have a few problems with this mobo. I'm not sure if a decent heatsink will fit on the board along with the fans in the case. Only three audio ports - does that mean I won't be able to connect the case's front audio panel in? I'm open to the idea of buying a new mobo as long as it is a good price. uATX only if I use the Mini P180, uATX or ATX if I use the Solo. ~$50 in necessary
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128408

CPU Fan/Heatsink: Not sure. First have to decide on a mobo. ~$50 if necessary

GPU: Currently GeForce 7600GT 256MB DDR3. I want to be able to play DA:O, ME2, BFBC2, etc on medium settings. ~$150, most interchangeable with monitor budget

RAM: OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P10664GK $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298

HDD: I can't afford a SSD. I was thinking a 1TB WD Caviar Blue for a mix of performance and silence. Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive ~$80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136534

Extra fans: Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E 120mm Case Fan, good deal on them atm $15 for 2, $28 for 4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185005

PSU: Nexus NX-5000 R3 530W ATX12V v2.2 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817610007

DVD/CD Drive: Re-using my Sony CRX320EE.
 
Go with the Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ instead of the Caviar Blue. It's a bit faster due to its dual-500GB drive platter design.

How are you getting four Scythe S-FLEX fans for $28? NewEgg's page drops them down to $13.99 each, for a total of around $56 for four fans. If you want cheap yet effective case fans, go with either the Scythe "Slipstream" fans or the Yate Loon D12-series fans. (Yate Loon fans can be found for around $4 per fan at Jab-Tech, among other places.)

Consider the Radeon HD 5770 as the bare minimum for a good video card for gaming. However, it's about $170, but its worth the money at that price point. For 1920x1080 (or greater) gaming with decent frame rates at medium/default graphics settings, you should consider the HD 5850 (which is around $300). But which particular monitor were you considering buying?
 
Ok, I'll go with the Spinpoint. It's a bit cheaper too.

When you add the SFF21E to your cart, it allows you to add another for free.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.430390

Currently, I can choose amongst all Dell Business monitors due to the 20% coupon. I'm not sure if I should go for an IPS screen and spend less on the GPU, or go for the TN and spend more on the GPU. I don't do graphics work, but IPS isn't exactly bad for gaming/watching HD videos.

Also,I don't know if I should go for 1680x1050 resolution or 1920x1080 (or greater). Once again, the former allows me to slack off and buy a cheaper GPU. The latter might be better for HD videos, but will need a better GPU.

The only response in the other thread at the moment suggests getting the Dell U2211H at 1920x1080. I might be able to tweak out ~$300 for the 5850... What are your thoughts on the case and the motherboard? If I don't need to get a new one, then I could use the $50 for the GPU instead.
 
At $100, that Nexus PSU isn't that good of a buy considering that the larger and better quality XFX 650W Modular PSU is the same price:
$100 - XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU

The Antec Solo won't be able to fit the HD 5850 so go with the Antec Mini P180 instead.

At $90 shipped (I don't count rebates, especially ones from OCZ), that DDR2 RAM is a bit pricey. Especially considering that the price of DDR3 RAM has dropped in the past two weeks. However since you already (prematurely and not a smart choice IMO) bought the mobo already and that $50 is not gonna get you a decent AM3 mobo, go ahead and get it. But next time: NEVER BUY A DDR2 RAM BASED SETUP!

Speaking of motherboard, if you look right underneath the audio jacks, there's a green header pinout. That's where and how all new and good case's front audio panel are now connected. So in other words, the number of audio ports do not mean ANYTHING as to whether or not you can plug in the front audio panel. Unless however you have an old old case that uses actual 3.5mm audio plugs to connect the front panel audio.

Monitor wise, it's really a matter if you can and want to afford a HD 5850 and 1920x1080 LCD monitor. If you can, go get it. If you can't, go with a cheaper 1680x1050 LCD monitor and the HD 5770.

BTW, there's a combo deal for the HD 5770, HD 5830, and HD 5850 if you go with the XFX PSU:
$245 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$370 - XFX HD-585X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5850 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
 
Don't get that Nexus NX-5000 R3 530W for $100. There are other PSU at that cost that are better and more powerful. If you get the Antec Solo case, there is combo deals Case + PSU. I would recommend these:

Antec NEO ECO 620 + Antec Solo for $144.48 ($10 MIR)

Antec Earthwatts EA650 + Antec Solo for $149.48

If you want a modular power supply. Well.. I should say Semi-modular PSU
Antec Truepower New TP-550 + Antec Solo for $159.48

The first combo is a good deal.

On the Mobo, it's a simple mobo that only offers 2 channel audio.

Pink - Mic in
Green Port - Audio out
Blue - Audio In

You will be able to connect cases front panel audio via the F_AUDIO green connector that's on the motherboard right below the 3 audo ports on the motherboard.
 
Danny Bui,

Damn...the CPU+mobo deal seemed really nice when I got it. How much would a decent mobo cost then? $100?

Alright, so 5850=>Mini P180, 5770/5830=>Either case.

Danny Bui+HardwareGuru,

How many watts do I need anyways? If I don't end up getting either deal, the less watts=less money, no?

Which 2x2gb set would you recommend?

Right now it seems like this:

OS+Fans+HDD+$50 HS+$110 RAM = $274

+

Mini P180+5770+PSU = $325; $276 to hit $875 <- Dell 2209WA - $219
or
Mini P180+5830+PSU = $375; $226 to hit $875 <- Dell U2211H - $223
or
Mini P180+5850+PSU = $450; $151 to hit $875 -< Dell U2211H - $223 preferable, but I can afford the ASUS VH242H or Samsung SyncMaster 2494LW
or or
Solo+PSU+$170 5770 = $315; $286 to hit $875 <- Dell 2209WA - $219


If I don't need all 600W+, then what's a good, reliable, and quiet PSU I should get? Basically asking because I can get the 5850 from TD for ~$275 after BCB. Along with a cheaper PSU, I could possibly get the second setup.

Is the 5850 worth the $75 price difference over the 5830? It seems like the 5830 is right between the other two cards...
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2010-gaming-graphics-charts-high-quality/Mass-Effect-2,2125.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...h-quality/Battlefield-Bad-Company-2,2113.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...rts-high-quality/Dragon-Age-Origins,2117.html


I kind of forgot one of my top reasons for building this... How would the sound be on this system? I tried keeping it to low sound producing parts earlier, but most of them have been swept aside by you guys. The case and the Scythe fans should do fine though. I'm afraid the PSU, GPU, etc might make a lot of noise.

Also, is it worth it to get a cheap sound card and/or a cheap speaker setup? Currently using on board audio and very old speakers.
 
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paresk14 said:
Danny Bui,

Damn...the CPU+mobo deal seemed really nice when I got it. How much would a decent mobo cost then? $100?
Click to expand...

Actually depends on the Newegg combo deal. Newegg has a lot of AMD + good mobo combo deals that can drop many mobos down to $75 from $130. But in general, a decent mobo costs around $100 by itself.

The CPU + mobo combo deal that you bought would have been a good deal had you actually had DDR2 RAM on hand. If you didn't, then no matter what the price was, it probably wasn't that good of a deal.

paresk14 said:
Alright, so 5850=>Mini P180, 5770/5830=>Either case.
Click to expand...

Actually the HD 5830 won't fit inside the Antec Solo either due to many of them using HD 5870 PCBs or HD 5850 PCBs. Only a handful of HD 5830s are actually short cards.

However I'm not entirely 100% sure that the Antec Solo can fit even the HD 5770. Hence my recommendation for the Mini P180 since I know for sure that PSU can fit any of the video cards mentioned in this thread.

paresk14 said:
How many watts do I need anyways? If I don't end up getting either deal, the less watts=less money, no?

If I don't need all 600W+, then what's a good, reliable, and quiet PSU I should get? Basically asking because I can get the 5850 from TD for ~$275 after BCB. Along with a cheaper PSU, I could possibly get the second setup.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. While a good 550W PSU will be more than enough for a HD 5850 and X3 720, 550W PSUs do not cost that much less than a quality 650W PSU as clearly evident by the prices of the Nexus 550W PSU you chose and the XFX 650W PSU I recommended. So basically, lower wattage does not mean lower costs due to certain production/design factors of PSUs.

In addition, if you do go with the Mini P180, I highly recommend a modular PSU for that case. And it just so happens, the XFX 650W Modular PSU is the cheapest bang for the buck PSU I'm willing to recommend. So even if you have to get the PSU seperately, the XFX 650W PSU is still a good buy. It's also fairly quiet.

paresk14 said:
Which 2x2gb set would you recommend?
Click to expand...
This set:
$107 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

HSF wise, I recommend this HSF:
$40 - Thermalright Cogage TRUE Spirit HSF

paresk14 said:
Is the 5850 worth the $75 price difference over the 5830? It seems like the 5830 is right between the other two cards...
Click to expand...
The HD 5830 was positioned and developed to be the exact middle of the performance gap between the HD 5850 and HD 5830. Whether or not the HD 5850 is worth the $75 depends on the resolution of the monitor you're getting. If 1920x1080, hell yes its worth the extra $75. If 1680x1050, hell no.


paresk14 said:
I kind of forgot one of my top reasons for building this... How would the sound be on this system? I tried keeping it to low sound producing parts earlier, but most of them have been swept aside by you guys. The case and the Scythe fans should do fine though. I'm afraid the PSU, GPU, etc might make a lot of noise.
Click to expand...
I don't see any changes or recommendations that we have made so far that would be louder the parts you chose. Can you show me where we recommended a part louder than the part you chose?

paresk14 said:
Also, is it worth it to get a cheap sound card and/or a cheap speaker setup? Currently using on board audio and very old speakers.
Click to expand...
Onboard audio has advanced quite a bit in the past few years. Try the onboard audio FIRST and then decide if a sound card upgrade is needed. Though decent or good speakers can make onboard audio shine a bit.
 
Sorry, I shouldn't have made the assumption. I had been using silentpcreview's recommended lists to choose the parts and assumed that those parts produced the least amount of noise.

OS+Fans+HDD+G Skill RAM+Mini P180+HS = $331
$875-$331-$223 = $321 left

I can get the PSU for $90 shipped at TD after BCB.

What is your opinion on buying used GPU's? I just checked the For Sale subforum here and there is a person selling a used 5850 for $225. Nevermind, it was sold already. But there are cheaper used cards there.
 
paresk14 said:
Sorry, I shouldn't have made the assumption. I had been using silentpcreview's recommended lists to choose the parts and assumed that those parts produced the least amount of noise.

OS+Fans+HDD+G Skill RAM+Mini P180+HS = $331
$875-$331-$223 = $321 left

I can get the PSU for $90 shipped at TD after BCB.

What is your opinion on buying used GPU's? I just checked the For Sale subforum here and there is a person selling a used 5850 for $225. Nevermind, it was sold already. But there are cheaper used cards there.
Click to expand...

Those parts probably do produce the least amount of noise but they have a piss-poor price to performance ratio, typical of a SPCR setup.

If it's a XFX branded GPU with a leftover lifetime warranty code, get it. If not, that's really up to you if the complete lack of a manufacturer warranty is worth the savings.
 
Ok, great. I'll wait it out for a few of the items while purchasing the good deals now.

The HS you posted is for the i7 and the RAM is DDR3.
 
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Wait a minute, what mobo will you be using? Are you going to stick with the GIGABYTE GA-MA78LM-S2H mobo? If so, you'll need the DDR2 modules not DDR3. Get the 4GB(2x2) G. Skill DDR2 800 modules for $89.99 w/free shipping These modules were like the most recommended DDR2 modules when we configured builds on Hardforum. The $295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU combo that Danny listed earlier is a good deal. Plus, you still have a $10 MIR.

You don't need 600+ watt PSU for a 5830 or 5850 graphics card but, the prices of a quality 520 or 550 watt psu is just a little cheaper than a 620 or 650 watt power supply that you might as well get a 620 or 650 watt.

On the monitors, there is also the Dell U2311H 23" 1920x1080 display.

So, the XFX Radeon 5830 + XFX 650 PSU combo and the Dell U2311H 23" 1080P monitor would be good.

If you want to go cheaper, then get the XFX Radeon 5770 + XFX 650 PSU combo and the Dell 2209WA
 
Danny,

Ok, I'll get that then. I don't think it comes with thermal compound. Is there a specific one that stands out of the crowd, or all they all equally effective?

HardwareGuru,

Shouldn't I stick with my earlier choice of RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298)? Assuming rebate goes through or not, the specs seem to say that these are better. Unless I'm mistaken...which is very possible.

Unfortunately, the U2311H isn't in the Business store so I can't use the 20% coupon.

Realistically, am I really going to see such a jump in performance from the 5830 to 5850? I think coming from a 7600GT and Dell 1703FP, anything will look good for years...
 
paresk14 said:
Shouldn't I stick with my earlier choice of RAM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298)? Assuming rebate goes through or not, the specs seem to say that these are better. Unless I'm mistaken...which is very possible.

Realistically, am I really going to see such a jump in performance from the 5830 to 5850? I think coming from a 7600GT and Dell 1703FP, anything will look good for years...
Click to expand...

Ignore what I said: Go with the G.Skill. I though that the G.Skill DDR2 RAM was at $100. The OCZ's lower timings do not matter at all in real world gaming or apps. As such, it's not worth the higher RAM voltage and therefore harder to OC. So go with the G.Skill unless you really believe that you'll get that rebate and if you're not planning on overclocking.

Yes you're gonna see a jump in performance over the HD 5830. Look man, if you have a tight budget and still want a 1920x1080 resolution, then go with the HD 5830. It's not gonna be as good as the HD 5850 but it's gonna be good enough.
 
I'd go with the G. Skills over the OCZ. Yah, the OCZ have a $20 MIR but, the G. Skill have been recommended and proven by soo many users already.

Darn, too bad you can't apply the 20% coupon on the U2311H.

The 5850 is faster than the 5830. But, it depends on the game & resolution where you will notice or not notice a performance gain. I'd personally get the 5830 then pair it with your X3 720 triple core cpu and that uATX Gigabyte mobo. If you had a faster CPU like a Phenom II X4 955 quad and maybe a standard size motherboard with an AMD 790X chipset then probably get the 5850.
 
Danny Bui said:
Yes you're gonna see a jump in performance over the HD 5830. Look man, if you have a tight budget and still want a 1920x1080 resolution, then go with the HD 5830. It's not gonna be as good as the HD 5850 but it's gonna be good enough.
Click to expand...

With the xfx PSU the xfx 5830 is 195 bucks. That is a good price for it. Also using the combo's its only 50 bucks more then then 5770 & 75 less then the 5850.. Normally the 5830 gets prepositioned within 5 bucks of dead center.


I have a 5830 & I can tell you at 1920x1200 I am consistantly at no lower then high settings in any game. Most I am pushing ultra
 
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