How is this $1000 build?

D

dragnandy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
198
So im looking to build a copmuter with a limit of 1000 USD. This includes mobo,ram,gpu,cpu,case,psu,dvd drive, monitor, and such. This build is also a gaming centric PC so i would like to get the best gpu affordable, too. Here are the parts im thinking about, but i would DEFINITELY like some suggestions, if not, approval of these parts.

Antec 300 Illusion Black Steel
ASRock 870 EXTREME3 AM3 AMD 870
Sapphire 5770 1gb
Corsair 650tx
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz
G.Skill Ripjaw series, 4gb DDR3 133 ram
Lite-on DVD drive
Acer X203HCbd Black 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor
Hitachi 1tb HDD

All I am missing is the keyboard and mouse, but I will exclude those for now. Is there any where i can skimp out on to get a better video card? That monitor i chose is around $130, so i tried to skimp on that. Was that a wise decision?
Also, I will be purchasing all the components off of newegg.com
Thanks for any responses and suggestions!!
 
Last edited:
Please answer the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTION FIRST!" so that we can help you better.
 
@Danny Bui, most of those questions are answered in my post above.
No OC, Crossfire, live in CA, USB 3.0, no raid. Is there any other uncovered questions?

@hahajung, I considered the hd 4890, but opted for the 5770 due to the lower power consumption, efficiency, low heat, and such. DX11 is more of a plus.
 
Well for your Graphics card i'dd check out this thread:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1542410 Before buying a 5770...(they suck)

I own one in a box that's going to a new owner next week.
I used it for exactly 2 weeks before replacing it with gtx 260/216's superclocked wich are faster than the 5770's crossfired.
I was just amazed how much these cards suck compared to a single 260/216.

If you need to go ATI then go 5800 series better than 5770 anything but that card man!
 
Last edited:
Nathalex, the 5770 only "sucks" if you're trying to play games at high resolutions (of at least 1920x1080) and with high visual settings.

Since dragnandy, the OP, is using a 20" monitor that runs at a 1600x900 resolution, the 5770 is good enough for his needs.

@dragnandy, you need to clarify your answers on #7 (specifically, do you have a monitor already, or are you buying one with this system?) and #10 (I'm curious as to which particular version of Windows you plan on using for this machine).
 
Last edited:
No, i currently do not own a monitor for my build. You are right, i will be getting the 20" 1600x900 res. monitor.
I plan on using Windows 7 64-bit.

I am more than welcome to hear any suggestions for new video cards and such. They just have to fit under the budget. I did consider the gtx 460 and other cards like the hd5850, but the budget cut me short.
If you have an idea where i can cut prices in other places, and fit a strong gpu like that in, that would be great
 
Do you live near a Micro Center or Fry's brick-and-mortar store? You could find some nice deals at one or both of those places.
 
well you can start by getting a lower clocked phenom II and do the overclocking yourself. You can get a cheaper model and get it to 3.2 without a problem. It will save you a decent amount of money. The 945 will save you 40 bucks. go lower and save more. You can get a PHII 910 and overclock it to 3.25 250x13=3250 save some money.

5770 goes for $144 now. save 40-50 bucks and get a gtx 460 for $199.

The 768mb model will be fine at your resolution.

@Tiraides : Just a question...do you use 12 gig's of ram? I've got 8 and no more need for virtual memory. Is there a benefit?
 
Last edited:
@Nathalex - I use the extra RAM as a scratch disk for GIMP (along with a RAMdisk program) and when I run virtual machines.

@dragnandy - I'll need time to get back with you. For $800 without the need of an OS, you could get a larger (resolution) monitor, a decent mid-range video card, and a system that has decent upgrading potential.
 
Nathalex, I was planning on keeping the stock cooling and not OCing. If i do opt to get a lower cpu and OC, i feel there is a need for a heatsink+fan, which will run about $35+.

Tiraides, I would like to keep the monitor >22" due to the desk space i will be having. Thanks for your help, and i appreciate everybodies responses.
 
I Would drop to a Phenom II x2 555 & hope for a unlock & then up the graphics to the GTX460..
 
I have a few more questions:

Which games do you want to play? At which level of visual quality?

Do you see yourself overclocking this system at all (over, say, the next three to five years)? Do you plan on making future upgrades during that time?

Seriously, how big is your desk? A 23" or 24" monitor doesn't take that much more space than a 20" or 22" monitor (plus, you could find a decent one for gaming for under $200 nowadays).
 
@bastage, im not too familiar with unlocking. Ive heard of it but dont know too much about it. Does it require going into BIOS and such like OCing?

Tiraides, So far, just some steam games like TF2, L4D2, also Bad Company 2, ect. I know the 5770 can easily handle them, but i would also like to prepare a bit for upcoming games. Playing on full resolution is a must, detail/quality can be around medium, depending on the game. AF is a must, AA not so much.

Just wondering, is there a problem with the monitor i mentioned? I want to keep it small, not because the desk doesnt have enough space, its just because i will be close up to the monitor. Right now i have a 20", and anything past 22" would be too much for me (btw, this monitor is going to be used elsewhere so i cant use it on this build).
 
well, im aiming for a monitor >22". i posted one on the OP, but im open for any suggestions and such, as long is its under the budget and is the right size.
 
dragnandy said:
@bastage, im not too familiar with unlocking. Ive heard of it but dont know too much about it. Does it require going into BIOS and such like OCing?
Click to expand...

Depends on the motherboard.. My Asus i can do it through the bios, with an f key at post or there is a hardware dip switch on the board itself. Most though I believe it will be a bios setting.

But with the x2 555 worst case scenario & you cant unlock it you have a SMOKING fast dual core. Best case you have a Phenom II x4 B55 (same specs as a 955). Its always a gamble to unlock, but the sucess rate is fairly high with the 555 going to quads.
 
bastage said:
But with the x2 555 worst case scenario & you cant unlock it you have a SMOKING fast dual core. Best case you have a Phenom II x4 B55 (same specs as a 955). Its always a gamble to unlock, but the sucess rate is fairly high with the 555 going to quads.
Click to expand...

Success rate is apparently 75%.
 
It's relatively easy 2 do aswel.
It's say's how in your mobo install guide.
Just make sure your mobo supports unlocking.

Realy good way to save some money.
It's a gamble but if it pays of.....

triple core is not bad either.

And I know that you're not into overclocking but a dual core ( if it doesn't unlock ) overclocks good with low temps.
So no need for a aftermarket cooler.
 
I recommend that you instead go with the following:

$218 - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition & G.Skill 2x2GB DDR3 1333 combo
$114 - Asus M4A87TD/USB3 & Sony Optiarc AD-7260S-0B combo
$60 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB HDD
$230 - EVGA 01G-P3-1370-TR GeForce GTX 460 1GB video card
$70 - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W PSU
$70 - Cooler Master CM690-II Basic ATX mid-tower case
$160 - Asus VW225T 22" 1680x1050 monitor
=====
$922 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

I chose a 22" monitor for you but kept the resolution at 1680x1050. The long story short is that one GTX 460, while better than one HD 5770, struggles at a 1920x1080 resolution and most inexpensive AM3-based boards don't support SLI (which would allow you to use a second GTX 460 in the future). I also chose a cheaper PSU in the Antec NEO ECO 620C but a better case (in terms of space and features) in the CM690-II Basic. However, you'll need additional fans; I recommend picking up a couple of Yate Loons from Jab-Tech.
 
Thanks for your responses guys. It does seem like a smart idea to get the x2 and unlock it. If i unlock it, do i need to get an aftermarket cooler? What temps would this be running at?

@tirides, I like that CM690, so ill get that. Do you know how many fans it comes with? I think ill go for the Phenom x2 and unlock to save more money. Can i ask why you opted for that mobo? Is it because its in that combo?

Also, for that mobo i posted in the first post, it says it can have 2x PCI express 2.0 running at x8. Whats the difference when running at x16 and x8? Can i run SLI with this in the future?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0_EXTREME3_AM3_AMD_870-_-13-157-198-_-Product
 
Last edited:
Only certain boards can unlock the unused two cores on the X2 555; you'll need to search either Google or Bing to find out which boards can.

I opted for the Asus M4A87TD/USB3 mainly because you didn't mention that you needed anything in particular. It uses one of AMD's more recent chipset and supports USB 3.0 and SATA III, which are good long-term options to have.

Dual x16 CF/SLI is slightly faster in some games than dual x8, but the performance difference is not a deal-breaker. Right now, only AMD's 890FX and Intel's X58 chipsets support dual x16 CF/SLI. The ASRock 870 Extreme3 only supports dual x8 CrossFire... but you don't really need CF or SLI for a 1680x1050 resolution. Besides, the GTX 460 should be more than good enough for that resolution.
 
Perhaps ill get the ASRock 870 for now, and perhaps upgrade in the far future when needed. Thanks for the gtx460 suggestion. And thanks everyone for the Phenom x2 suggestion, but if i am unsuccessful in unlocking the cpu, would it bottleneck the TX460?

I think i stead of getting the hd5850 or gtx470, i will opt for the gtx460 because of its bang-for-the-buck kind of deal. Ill use the rest of the money for a mouse/keyboard, and other stuff. Does this sound like a good plan?

Do you know how many fans newegg includes in the CM690? So i know how many more to get.
 
Last edited:
Get at least two 120mm fans; three would be ideal.

You don't need an HD 5850 or GTX 470 for a 1680x1050 resolution. If you're gaming on a 1920x1080 resolution, however, don't expect high visual settings with the GTX 460.

Why, again, are you considering the ASRock 870? If you aren't pursuing CF or SLI, you need to find a board that is capable of unlocking the other two cores on the X2 555.
 
Does the ASRock 870 not unlock 2 cores? It says in the features that it supports unlocking of the cpu.
It seems to be just as good as the mobo u mentioned, with some more stuff, for almost the same price. i saw no reason to chose it over the ASRock. I would like to keep the opportunity to go SLI in the future.

@Shiro, thanks for the verification.
 
ASRock is jsut not a top brand.. if it meets your needs though then by all means go for it
 
dragnandy said:
Does the ASRock 870 not unlock 2 cores? It says in the features that it supports unlocking of the cpu.
It seems to be just as good as the mobo u mentioned, with some more stuff, for almost the same price. i saw no reason to chose it over the ASRock. I would like to keep the opportunity to go SLI in the future.

@Shiro, thanks for the verification.
Click to expand...

Actually, the board that I chose for you earlier can unlock cores. But it's your choice.
 
Oh one more thing, what is a good amount of watts i will need to run SLI in the future with a gtx460? Would the corsair 650tx be enough?
 
Maybe I got lucky but I recently built a new system (specs should be in
my sig now) with an x4 965 be and a gtx 460 (oc'd slightly mind you) and sc2 runs on ultra settings and ultra textures quite smoothly. Built my system for < $800 without monitor
 
latinadonis said:
Maybe I got lucky but I recently built a new system (specs should be in
my sig now) with an x4 965 be and a gtx 460 (oc'd slightly mind you) and sc2 runs on ultra settings and ultra textures quite smoothly. Built my system for < $800 without monitor
Click to expand...

SC2 is a pretty lax game in terms of hardware requirements. Nowhere near the requirements of GTA 4 or BC2.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top