New build - Help choosing

[Seemund]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- 70% Web Browsing/Im, 20% Games, 10% Photoshop.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- $400 (see question 4)

3) Where do you live?
- USA

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very
specific.
- Case, CPU, Mobo, Memory, DVD-RW, PSU. (I already have a HD and monitor)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- Re-using SATAII drives.

6) Will you be overclocking?
- Probably not.

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- I have a 22" Samsung 226BW.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- THIS WEEK, preferably today.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
- Nothing, RAID would be great, but not really needed.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
- Yes, I have legit copies of WIN VISTA/7, both 32 and 64 bit.

 

[HardwareGuru]

I personally feel this is your best option to go for $400 20% gaming is not much considering 80% is consisting of web browsing and photoshop. You can always get a video card later. The Radeon HD 3300 integrated video on the Gigabyte 790GX mobo is pretty good. It's faster than the 785G with the Radeon HD 4200 graphics due to its higher graphics clock of 700mhz vs 500mhz. Also, the Athlon II X3 435 Rana Triple core gives you the best price/performance when it comes to games/photoshop application.

PSU/OPTICAL - Corsair 400CX + Sony Optiarc 24X both for $73.98 ($15 MIR) w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.341056

CPU/MOBO - AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9Ghz + Gigabyte GA-MA790GPT-UD3H both for $164.98 ($15 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335013

RAM - G. Skill Ripjaws 4GB DDR3 1600 for $104.99 w/free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231274

CASE - Coolermaster Elite 335 for $49.99 ($10 MIR) w/free shipping
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?Submit=view

Total: $393.94 + $7.87(shipping) = $401.81 ($40 total in MIR)

 

[Sikkyu]

solid build. I would like to add that you should check out the phenom II x2 550 BE as it can be unlocked to a quad core very easily. (single bios option)

either way the phenom 550 is about on par or slightly slower then the athlon 435 but the 550 has a higher clock and when unlocked will smoke the althon.

 

[Seemund]

Sikkyu,
I was looking at some reviews, and seems like the 550BE "can" be unlocked to a quad core, but a lot of people are having problems doing so...


Thanks guys, I'm having problems with Newegg Preferred Account.
I purchased something just to test it (I haven't used it in 2 years), and it was DECLINED, even know the Preferred account page says my Credit Limit is 2,000 and balance is 0.

 

[Sikkyu]

Sikkyu,
I was looking at some reviews, and seems like the 550BE "can" be unlocked to a quad core, but a lot of people are having problems doing so...


Thanks guys, I'm having problems with Newegg Preferred Account.
I purchased something just to test it (I haven't used it in 2 years), and it was DECLINED, even know the Preferred account page says my Credit Limit is 2,000 and balance is 0.

it depends on the motherboard. If you get a cheap biostar or something it can be hard. asus or gigabyte should work just fine. My friend used an Asus with a 785G chipset and all he did was enable ACC and that was it, 4 cores prime 95 stable.