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New Build...

M

m_cochran

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
167
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Moderate gaming (Diablo 3, Civ 5, Bioshock) Paint.net, streaming video
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$750 yes both included.
3) Where do you live?
Dallas, TX
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
monitor, case, hard drive, cpu, motherboard, memory, video card, psu, dvd
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
none
6) Will you be overclocking?
undecided
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
dual 19" own one already
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
within 1 - 2 weeks. Most likely around February 11
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
would like 6-core support for eventual upgrade
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
no, will need to buy one.


After doing extensive reading and research here is what I am looking at:

Case: NZXT BETA EVO $44.99

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3 $78.99

CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 445 $77.00 (would really like a quad or six-core)

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: GeIL 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 1066 $38.99

Video: GIGABYTE GV-R685D5-1GD Radeon HD 6850 $179.99

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99

DVD: Sony Optiarc $16.99

plus Windows 7, Home Premium

Grand Total: $759.80 shipped from NewEgg
 
Come back on February 5th and ask for advice again. By then we should know what Newegg February combo deals are available and thefore see if we can improve that build list some how.

If you were building that system before today (when Newegg January combo deals ends), we definitely could have crammed in a quad-core CPU in there.
 
Case: NZXT BETA EVO $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146059

Motherboard + Cpu (combo) GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3 + AMD Athlon II X4 640 3.0ghz for $168.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.581245

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Memory: GeIL 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 1066 $38.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144262

Video card + O/S: EVGA Geforce GTX 460 1GB SE + MS Windows 7 64 bit both for $254.98 ($20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.591025

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009235

DVD: Sony Optiarc $16.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039

Total: $744.90
Shipping: $6.76
Grand Total: $751.66
 
HardwareGuru said:
Case: NZXT BETA EVO $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146059

Motherboard + Cpu (combo) GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3 + AMD Athlon II X4 640 3.0ghz for $168.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.581245

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Memory: GeIL 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 1066 $38.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144262

Video card + O/S: EVGA Geforce GTX 460 1GB SE + MS Windows 7 64 bit both for $254.98 ($20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.591025

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009235

DVD: Sony Optiarc $16.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039

Total: $744.90
Shipping: $6.76
Grand Total: $751.66
Click to expand...

The motherboard / cpu combo is expired now.
 
Here's another alternative:

Antec Three Hundred -- $60
ASRock 890GX Extreme -- $118
AMD Athlon II X3 450 -- $80
Sapphire 5870 -- $220
Corsair TX650 -- $90
Corsair XMS3 4GB -- $42
Western Digital Green 1TB -- $65
LiteOn DVD burner -- $16
Windows 7 -- $100

That comes up to $791. Its a little over your budget but itll have a ton of performance. The 5870 is still a monster video card and cannot be beat at $220. The ASRock motherboard has a ton of options, great build quality and plenty of room for upgrading. When funds permit, slap in another 5870 and youll have enough GPU muscle to last a long time.

**EDIT**
Dammit, I didnt see you needed a monitor too. So youd have to save up another $150 which aint easy I know but if you could, this would be hard to beat dollar for dollar.

You could always trim some off by going with a cheaper case (although you wont get a quality one that much cheaper after shipping), the next step down 890GX ASRock board for $95 which saves $22 and a smaller hard drive like this Western Digital 500GB for $50 which is $15 saved.

You could drop down to this Diamond 5850 for $185 shipped which will save $35 and still have a crap load of gaming performance.

So that would be $720. Throw in your monitor and youre at $830. Still over the budget but still very good performance with high quality parts with room to upgrade.
 
Last edited:
Try this.. much more balanced then the above & it comes with OS & Monitor..

130 AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX
40 G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
185 XFX HD-685X-ZDFC Radeon HD 6850 1GB
40 COOLER MASTER Elite 341 RC-341C-KKN1-GP Black Steel MicroATX
60 Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W
160 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit + SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB
19 LG Black 24X DVD+R
110 Acer V193WEJb Black 19"



Shipped total of 760.67. Plus you get a 20 MIR..

Also of note that triple core is known to unlock to a quad & that board does unlock well. So there is a chance that with just a couple keystrokes int eh bios that will become a Phenom II x4 B55 (basically same as the 955).
 
Last edited:
 
For the graphics card do I really need a 6850 to run dual 19" monitors in eyefinity or could I go with a 5770?

From what I have read on here, most of the games I am interested in are more CPU intensive than graphic intensive.


For example could I use something like this?

SAPPHIRE 100283FLEX Radeon HD 5770

Games I am interested in...

Diablo 3
Civ 5
Bioshock 1 and 2
Sacred 2
 
Last edited:
hossdaddy said:
here are few combos that add some better components and or value to Bastages build,

Combo: GIGABYTE GA-880GM-D2H AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX + CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $104.98 - $20 mir

Combo: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB + Windows 7 Home 64-bit $144.99

HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Chassis Gaming Case $39.99 - $5 coupon + free shipping

Combo: AMD Athlon II X3 445 Rana 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core + ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler $100.98 an aftermarket cooler is a good idea since you will be overclocking and or unlocking.
Click to expand...

None of those are good buys..

The CPU/ram combo populates both ram slots up front so upgrading means replacing instead of adding to. Also there is no performance or feature gains.

The OS/HDD combo uses a Seagate so I would not recommend it to anyone.

Case is half way decent in appearance, but of unknown quality & a waste of space being full ATX & MUCH MUCH larger

The CPU/HSF combo is not a good buy as just because its aftermarket does not make it better.. That cooler will be a little better then stock, but not enough to be worth it without cranking up that little 92mm fan to high speeds & high sound.

m_cochran said:
For the graphics card do I really need a 6850 to run dual 19" monitors in eyefinity or could I go with a 5770?

From what I have read on here, most of the games I am interested in are more CPU intensive than graphic intensive.


For example could I use something like this?

SAPPHIRE 100283FLEX Radeon HD 5770

Games I am interested in...

Diablo 3
Civ 5
Bioshock 1 and 2
Sacred 2
Click to expand...

1st off you CAN NOT run dual 19" lcd's in eyefinity.. eyefinity requires a 3rd.

So for dual monitors you will only be gaming on one of them so you can get by with a 5770, But I wouldn't waste my money on it. The 6850 will make sure that if you later add a 3rd lcd for eyefinity that you have the power to push it. I wouldnt try using a 5770 for any eyefinity to be honest. Its jsut a little too light.
 
bastage said:
ok I Stand corrected... I Thought it required 3.. I Still wouldn't do it with 2 since the center of what you will be looking at will be on a seem, but apparently it is possible.
Click to expand...

Didn't think about that, still want to run the two monitors just maybe not eyefinity for now. I like to use the second when I am doing web design or school work that way I am not flipping between windows or having to tile them.
 
m_cochran said:
Didn't think about that, still want to run the two monitors just maybe not eyefinity for now. I like to use the second when I am doing web design or school work that way I am not flipping between windows or having to tile them.
Click to expand...

I Agree on the 2nd monitor.. Always fun to have even if not for gaming. If you dont think your going to be getting a 3rd monitor though I would recommend coughing up an extra 30 or 40 bucks for the monitor & get something bigger for your primary. Then assuming your current 19" stand will allow it flip your current monitor to portrait.. More ideal for a 2nd display imho..
 
bastage said:
I Agree on the 2nd monitor.. Always fun to have even if not for gaming. If you dont think your going to be getting a 3rd monitor though I would recommend coughing up an extra 30 or 40 bucks for the monitor & get something bigger for your primary. Then assuming your current 19" stand will allow it flip your current monitor to portrait.. More ideal for a 2nd display imho..
Click to expand...

Might have to look into that, I really like the size of the 23" monitors.
 
bastage said:
Try this.. much more balanced then the above & it comes with OS & Monitor..

130 AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX
40 G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
185 XFX HD-685X-ZDFC Radeon HD 6850 1GB
40 COOLER MASTER Elite 341 RC-341C-KKN1-GP Black Steel MicroATX
60
160 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit + SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB
19 LG Black 24X DVD+R
110 Acer V193WEJb Black 19"



Shipped total of 760.67. Plus you get a 20 MIR..

Also of note that triple core is known to unlock to a quad & that board does unlock well. So there is a chance that with just a couple keystrokes int eh bios that will become a Phenom II x4 B55 (basically same as the 955).
Click to expand...

Why the XFX card instead of the Gigabyte one I had, they are both 6850's and with shipping and all the Gigabyte one is a bit cheaper?
 
m_cochran said:
Might have to look into that, I really like the size of the 23" monitors.
Click to expand...

Check out some 22" monitors. A 1680x1050, 22 incher will be taller (which I think is more important) than a 23 and almost as wide. So you get virtually the same screen real estate but the lower resolution means faster framerates with no perceivable loss in image quality. For budget gamers, 1680x1050 is the sweet spot
 
Okay, this is what I am looking at now.


Case plus OS combo: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 $154.98

Motherboard and CPU combo: AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ $129.99

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 4GB $39.99

Video: GIGABYTE GV-R685D5-1GD Radeon HD 6850 $179.99 (decided to stick with this, 3 year warranty should be more than enough, by 3 years I should be ready to upgrade anyway.)

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99

DVD: LG Black $18.99

Grand Total: $762.78 shipped from NewEgg
 
m_cochran said:
Okay, this is what I am looking at now.


Case plus OS combo: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 $154.98

Motherboard and CPU combo: AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ $129.99

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 4GB $39.99

Video: GIGABYTE GV-R685D5-1GD Radeon HD 6850 $179.99 (decided to stick with this, 3 year warranty should be more than enough, by 3 years I should be ready to upgrade anyway.)

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99

DVD: LG Black $18.99

Grand Total: $762.78 shipped from NewEgg
Click to expand...

So your spending 2 dollars more to Get a larger case & downgrade the HDD size & loose the longer warranty? The HAF looks more flashy I admit, but its a way larger case with limited expansion over the little cooler master I recommended at a higher cost.

Honestly since its a mATX mobo if your going to spend the extra 10 bucks on the case to go to the HAF 912 I would spend 10 more & go to the NZXT Vulcan. Then you get the looks & the smaller size & better cooling to boot.
 
How about this case?

COOLER MASTER Elite 430 $49.99

or

NZXT GAMMA $39.99

both look to have better cable management than the one that you posted, plus I like the black interior.

Also, I do not need the extra hard drive space. I have a 160Gb right now that is less than half full. 500, should be way more space than I need plus it saves me $15 which is not a lot I know, but every bit helps.
 
m_cochran said:
How about this case?

COOLER MASTER Elite 430 $49.99

or

NZXT GAMMA $39.99

both look to have better cable management than the one that you posted, plus I like the black interior.

Also, I do not need the extra hard drive space. I have a 160Gb right now that is less than half full. 500, should be way more space than I need plus it saves me $15 which is not a lot I know, but every bit helps.
Click to expand...

Not impressed with either.. But with the other changes you made you can go with that NZXT Vulcan & be within a few cents of what you posted above (separate OS of course). Of all the cases listed so far I believe the Vulcan to be by far the best case.
 
bastage said:
Not impressed with either.. But with the other changes you made you can go with that NZXT Vulcan & be within a few cents of what you posted above (separate OS of course). Of all the cases listed so far I believe the Vulcan to be by far the best case.
Click to expand...

Cool man, I will check it out.

Thanks for the help.
 
The NZXT Vulcan does not appeal to me at all. Looks ugly to me.

I'd rather go with the Elite 430 over that Vulcan. With that said, it's all up to you man which case to go with. 90% of a case choice is usually based on aesthetics preference anyway.
 
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 $49.99

Motherboard and CPU combo: AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ $129.99

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 4GB $39.99

Video: GIGABYTE GV-R685D5-1GD Radeon HD 6850 $179.99 (decided to stick with this, 3 year warranty should be more than enough, by 3 years I should be ready to upgrade anyway.)

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99

DVD: LG Black $18.99

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212+ $29.99

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium $99.99

Grand Total: $784.09 shipped from NewEgg

Little more than I wanted to spend, but I figure if I am going to overlock and/or unlock that tri-core I need an aftermarket cooler, and the 212+ seems to be the one of choice around here.
 
m_cochran said:
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 $49.99

Motherboard and CPU combo: AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ $129.99

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 4GB $39.99

Video: GIGABYTE GV-R685D5-1GD Radeon HD 6850 $179.99 (decided to stick with this, 3 year warranty should be more than enough, by 3 years I should be ready to upgrade anyway.)

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $109.99

DVD: LG Black $18.99

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212+ $29.99

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium $99.99

Grand Total: $784.09 shipped from NewEgg

Little more than I wanted to spend, but I figure if I am going to overlock and/or unlock that tri-core I need an aftermarket cooler, and the 212+ seems to be the one of choice around here.
Click to expand...

the 212 is probably the best value cooler right now & it should do you well..

As for the rest of the build it will do you fine..
 
bastage said:
None of those are good buys..

The CPU/ram combo populates both ram slots up front so upgrading means replacing instead of adding to. Also there is no performance or feature gains.

The OS/HDD combo uses a Seagate so I would not recommend it to anyone.

Case is half way decent in appearance, but of unknown quality & a waste of space being full ATX & MUCH MUCH larger

The CPU/HSF combo is not a good buy as just because its aftermarket does not make it better.. That cooler will be a little better then stock, but not enough to be worth it without cranking up that little 92mm fan to high speeds & high sound.



1st off you CAN NOT run dual 19" lcd's in eyefinity.. eyefinity requires a 3rd.

So for dual monitors you will only be gaming on one of them so you can get by with a 5770, But I wouldn't waste my money on it. The 6850 will make sure that if you later add a 3rd lcd for eyefinity that you have the power to push it. I wouldnt try using a 5770 for any eyefinity to be honest. Its jsut a little too light.
Click to expand...

I do not agree with you here. 95% of all users do not require more than 4 gb of ram, he stated what the machine is being used for. Gigabyte is #1 if not #2 board maker, so getting that with a set of Corsair ram for less than a Biostar board is definitely worth it. I personally tried a Biostar board last month and was completely unimpressed.

As for the hd/os combo, all companies have bad batches every now and then. I have not had any issue with the 2 seagates I have used in the last 3 yrs.

What do you mean by unknown quality? I have seen this case @ my local shop. It was very well built, and heavy. Many cases under $50 are not well constructed and this one is.

As for the artic cooling hsf, it is one of the better ones out there. Look at the reviews 4,580 reviews. I also have this hsf and it is silent regardless of the load. The temps stay low as well.
 
lmao.. you make me lol..

hossdaddy said:
I do not agree with you here. 95% of all users do not require more than 4 gb of ram, he stated what the machine is being used for. Gigabyte is #1 if not #2 board maker, so getting that with a set of Corsair ram for less than a Biostar board is definitely worth it. I personally tried a Biostar board last month and was completely unimpressed.
Click to expand...
Right 95% of users dont... & Who is ever going to need more then 512k ram??? If you miss my point there then you should study up on computer history.. As far as the motherboard goes, I Built a system with nearly this exact same combo last month, except I snagged the same board when it was pair with 4gb of patriot ram & the ram worked out to be like 20 bucks & then got a Rana 455 instead of the 450.. All I Could think is about how impressed I was with this board given the cost..

hossdaddy said:
As for the hd/os combo, all companies have bad batches every now and then. I have not had any issue with the 2 seagates I have used in the last 3 yrs.
Click to expand...
Int he last 3 years I have RMA'd 3 out of 3 Seagates. & While I am aware that every company will eventually have a bad batch, Seagate just seems to have a hell of alot more then anyone else & I haven't heard anything major being wrong with a Samsung drive ever (and this is coming from someone who still has a working IBM 75gxp).

hossdaddy said:
What do you mean by unknown quality? I have seen this case @ my local shop. It was very well built, and heavy. Many cases under $50 are not well constructed and this one is.
Click to expand...
Ok, where is it reviewed at online showing the quality you speak of? Unless my Google Fu fails me all I can find is user reviews that are a very mixed bag.. Even reading through the newegg reviews there are alot that talk about the cheap flimsy steel used. Bottom line is this case sells on price. & For 35 bucks its probably a decent deal, but I wouldnt spend my money on it.

hossdaddy said:
As for the artic cooling hsf, it is one of the better ones out there. Look at the reviews 4,580 reviews. I also have this hsf and it is silent regardless of the load. The temps stay low as well.
Click to expand...
Yes newegg reviews are so smurt.. Try reading a real review like maybe the [H] Budget Cooler Roundup (that did inclued the HSF in question).. Let me go ahead & quote the 1st part of the conclusion

We originally set out to see if those expensive $65+ coolers were the only choice to cool your power overclocked CPU. The answer to that question is a resounding "sort of." Out of the coolers tested here today only the Cooler Master N520 is able to offer solid performance. The other coolers tested today just did not warrant purchasing over the stock Intel cooler. Of course, if you recall the COGAGE TRUE Spirit is a sub $40 cooler then things start looking a little brighter. So it seems that you don’t always have to spend a huge sum of money to get great performance, you just have to spend it wisely.
Click to expand...

I Stand by all of my original responses 100%..
 
bastage said:
lmao.. you make me lol..


Right 95% of users dont... & Who is ever going to need more then 512k ram??? If you miss my point there then you should study up on computer history.. As far as the motherboard goes, I Built a system with nearly this exact same combo last month, except I snagged the same board when it was pair with 4gb of patriot ram & the ram worked out to be like 20 bucks & then got a Rana 455 instead of the 450.. All I Could think is about how impressed I was with this board given the cost..


Int he last 3 years I have RMA'd 3 out of 3 Seagates. & While I am aware that every company will eventually have a bad batch, Seagate just seems to have a hell of alot more then anyone else & I haven't heard anything major being wrong with a Samsung drive ever (and this is coming from someone who still has a working IBM 75gxp).


Ok, where is it reviewed at online showing the quality you speak of? Unless my Google Fu fails me all I can find is user reviews that are a very mixed bag.. Even reading through the newegg reviews there are alot that talk about the cheap flimsy steel used. Bottom line is this case sells on price. & For 35 bucks its probably a decent deal, but I wouldnt spend my money on it.


Yes newegg reviews are so smurt.. Try reading a real review like maybe the [H] Budget Cooler Roundup (that did inclued the HSF in question).. Let me go ahead & quote the 1st part of the conclusion



I Stand by all of my original responses 100%..
Click to expand...

Well we are all entitled to our opinions aren't we.
 
One last double check before I purchase everything tonight...

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 $49.99

Motherboard and CPU combo: AMD Athlon II X3 450 Rana 3.2GHz + BIOSTAR A880G+ $129.99

Harddrive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $49.99

Memory: G.SKILL Value Series 4GB $39.99

Video: XFX HD-685X-ZDFC Radeon HD 6850 $184.99

Power Supply: Antec NEO ECO 520C $59.99

Monitor: Acer V193WEJb $99.99

DVD: LG Black $16.99

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212+ $29.99

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium $99.99

Grand Total: $761.53 shipped from NewEgg

Any last minute suggestions?
 
Last edited:
looks solid to me. Given the budget the only thing I would do differently is a smaller case, but thats because I am OCD about wasted space.
 
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