Author Topic: Computer Build Help  (Read 1322 times)

Offline Serenity

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Computer Build Help
« on: June 22, 2011, 11:03:38 PM »
Well, I've decided for my birthday/christmas gift to myself, I'm going to build a nice little desktop. I've done a whole bunch of google research, and decided on the the following parts. Now I was hoping for some feedback on the system before I pull the trigger, i.e. some parts that maybe aren't compatible in some way that I haven't noticed, or some other area in which I fall short. My goal here was to build a gaming computer for around $600-700 NOW, that I could upgrade over the next three years to keep up to date. So basically, I'm looking more for a solid platform to upgrade later rather than the best there is right now. That's part of the reason I have not selected a graphics card. I knew before the build I wanted AMD/ATI. Why? Well, I heard a lot of folks say to go with that combination when I bought my last desktop, I stuck with them for my laptop, so why switch it up now. So, here's what I'm looking at:


CPU:

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 3.5 Ghz AM3 socket         $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103894

Motherboard:

ASRock 4 memory slots, 2 PCIe, onboard Radeon 4250         $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157243

PSU:

630 Watt ATX PSU, 1x135mm fan with LED            $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152035

RAM:

2GB DDR3 SDRAM                        $19.99 x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231395

DVD Drive:

DVD Drive                           $16.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

Hard Drive:

500GB 7200RPM Seagate HD                  $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701

for a case, I'm trying to decide between the following two:


Raidmax Tornado Blue                     $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156223

Xion AXP 100                           $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208027


So, any feedback right so far?

Offline ebfd11

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2011, 11:52:21 PM »
Serenity,
  Nice combo there but if I were you I would go a little more on the case and get a bottom mounted PSU case like this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103030  54.99

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144266  64.99

The reason to go bottom mount is heat rises and these have good airflow out of the top, and it will be easier to hide the wires.

LawnDart
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Offline Serenity

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2011, 12:01:14 AM »
Serenity,
  Nice combo there but if I were you I would go a little more on the case and get a bottom mounted PSU case like this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103030  54.99

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144266  64.99

The reason to go bottom mount is heat rises and these have good airflow out of the top, and it will be easier to hide the wires.

LawnDart

Alright, that works for me!

Offline 1701E

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2011, 12:06:19 AM »
I'd suggest a better brand PSU.  Corsair, OCZ, Seasonic, or if you can find them PC P&C are typically good.

HDD is a debatable topic, but personally (key word), I'd choose Western Digital over Seagate.

As for RAM, it's hardly an issue, but "officially" supported RAM from g skill for the Board is: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275&Tpk=F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM    or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231317&Tpk=F3-10666CL8D-4GBECO

Aside from that it looks fine.  The case is going to be a personal choice, but make sure it has adequate airflow (minimum of 2x 120mms or 1x 120 & 2x 80mm).
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Offline Serenity

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2011, 12:12:33 AM »
I'd suggest a better brand PSU.  Corsair, OCZ, Seasonic, or if you can find them PC P&C are typically good.

HDD is a debatable topic, but personally (key word), I'd choose Western Digital over Seagate.

As for RAM, it's hardly an issue, but "officially" supported RAM from g skill for the Board is: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275&Tpk=F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM    or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231317&Tpk=F3-10666CL8D-4GBECO

Aside from that it looks fine.  The case is going to be a personal choice, but make sure it has adequate airflow (minimum of 2x 120mms or 1x 120 & 2x 80mm).

Any particular reason on the PSU? Is it just that a better known brand is more likely to work well?

As far as the HDD, I plan on using my current Western Digital external HDD for the most part, so I was going cheap there.

Alright, I'll go with that RAM instead.

Offline guncrasher

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2011, 02:06:22 AM »
serenity the power supply will be decided by the video card you want to get now.  630w may be barely the minimum for some of what used to be higher end cards but now are selling for 200 bucks.

-get at least 4 gigs of ram.

-not sure about amd but with intel it's always better to get your own cpu fan.

-what os are you going to be using?

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Offline Bino

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2011, 05:15:47 AM »
Any particular reason on the PSU? Is it just that a better known brand is more likely to work well?
...

A solid, reliable PSU is like the foundation of the system.  All kinds of oddball behavior can happen if the power is not smooth and steady.  Based on several comments in here by Skuzzy, when I built my machine last year I went with a Seasonic 750 watt PSU. 


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Offline ebfd11

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2011, 08:58:04 AM »
Serenity

 Here is a good combo deal based on what you were looking for

1x    Thermaltake Element G VL10001W2Z Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Model:VL10001W2Z)

   $119.99
1x    ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard (Model:M4A88T-V EVO/USB3)

   $114.99
1x    RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply (Model:RX-730SS)

   $59.99
1x    AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX (Model:HDT90ZFBGRBOX)

   $179.99
1x    G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL (Model:F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL)

   $45.99
1x    Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Model:ST31000524AS)

   $59.99
1x    LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 (Model:iHAS124-04)

   $18.99

Combined Total:    $599.93
Combo Discounts:    -$53.94
Combo Price:    $545.99

Link to actual combo deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.661414

and you might be avle to get a decent vid card

SAPPHIRE 100327L Radeon HD 6750 1GB  105.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102939

total 651.98

With that set up you will be able to upgrade at a later date and it is all the standards you are looking for.

LawnDart
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InGame id: LawnDart
RIP Skullman Potzie and BentNail

Offline Noir

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2011, 09:29:10 AM »
I'm running a comparable setup with a seasonic 650W PSU with no issues. Actually with a sapphire radeon 5770 and a Noctua NH-D14 on top of the CPU, the computer is so quiet I can't even know if it's on or off  :aok
For the CPU a lower core count with a superior frequency is going to give better results in AH, so the X4 > X6.

Don't expect to be able to upgrade the CPU tho.

now posting as SirNuke

Offline Krusty

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2011, 09:31:23 AM »
Guncrasher, Intel has been running cooler and overclocking better on stock air cooling than AMD has for many years now.

If you want to go all-out custom cooling is fine, but there's nothing wrong with Intel stock heatsinks. I've been using them for a while, personally.


EDIT: Serenity, if you're looking to upgrade down the road, I think maybe Intel is the way to go. These new sandy bridge cores are awesomely powerful for very cheap and are only going to get better as the prices drop in a couple years. Get an LGA 1155 socket motherboard and you can get a dual-core G620T for $80 USD (as a placeholder until upgrade) or you can go i5 2300 quad-core for a mere $184 USD.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2011, 09:39:46 AM by Krusty »

Offline Noir

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2011, 10:00:24 AM »

EDIT: Serenity, if you're looking to upgrade down the road, I think maybe Intel is the way to go. These new sandy bridge cores are awesomely powerful for very cheap and are only going to get better as the prices drop in a couple years. Get an LGA 1155 socket motherboard and you can get a dual-core G620T for $80 USD (as a placeholder until upgrade) or you can go i5 2300 quad-core for a mere $184 USD.

Sounds like a plan but the G620T is 50% slower than a X4 970 on average. If you want a cpu upgrade it may be the only choice tho.
now posting as SirNuke

Offline Serenity

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2011, 12:37:27 PM »
Serenity

 Here is a good combo deal based on what you were looking for

1x    Thermaltake Element G VL10001W2Z Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Model:VL10001W2Z)

   $119.99
1x    ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard (Model:M4A88T-V EVO/USB3)

   $114.99
1x    RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply (Model:RX-730SS)

   $59.99
1x    AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX (Model:HDT90ZFBGRBOX)

   $179.99
1x    G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL (Model:F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL)

   $45.99
1x    Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Model:ST31000524AS)

   $59.99
1x    LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 (Model:iHAS124-04)

   $18.99

Combined Total:    $599.93
Combo Discounts:    -$53.94
Combo Price:    $545.99

Link to actual combo deal http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.661414

and you might be avle to get a decent vid card

SAPPHIRE 100327L Radeon HD 6750 1GB  105.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102939

total 651.98

With that set up you will be able to upgrade at a later date and it is all the standards you are looking for.

LawnDart

Hmm... I feel like that's a lot more money spent on the case, HDD, and PSU than I really want to be spending. This is a budget gaming build at the moment, to the point where I am choosing between getting a new computer and eating next month, lol. What is the real gain between what you posted and my original choices?

serenity the power supply will be decided by the video card you want to get now.  630w may be barely the minimum for some of what used to be higher end cards but now are selling for 200 bucks.

-get at least 4 gigs of ram.

-not sure about amd but with intel it's always better to get your own cpu fan.

-what os are you going to be using?

semp

So what should I be looking for in wattage nowadays? I went for the 630 because the last time I bought a PSU 600W was "plenty".

Yeah, I'm getting 4GB as a minimum.

OS will be Windows 7 as I already have a copy.


Offline Spikes

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #12 on: June 23, 2011, 12:44:52 PM »
Guncrasher, Intel has been running cooler and overclocking better on stock air cooling than AMD has for many years now.

If you want to go all-out custom cooling is fine, but there's nothing wrong with Intel stock heatsinks. I've been using them for a while, personally.


EDIT: Serenity, if you're looking to upgrade down the road, I think maybe Intel is the way to go. These new sandy bridge cores are awesomely powerful for very cheap and are only going to get better as the prices drop in a couple years. Get an LGA 1155 socket motherboard and you can get a dual-core G620T for $80 USD (as a placeholder until upgrade) or you can go i5 2300 quad-core for a mere $184 USD.
All out custom cooling? An aftermarket CPU H/S is always better than Intels, and it's not "all out".
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Offline Krusty

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #13 on: June 23, 2011, 12:58:41 PM »
Not arguing "better" but you're not even close to pushing it with the stock. Intel's 2 more recent generations of CPUs have put out surprisingly minimal amounts of heat, to the point of pushing 3.8GHz overclocks on stock heatsinks with no problems.

It's like saying a Lamborghini is better than a Ferrari, when the speed limits mean neither one will make a difference. Only reason to get custom heatsinks on Intel Conroe or later CPUs is if you're doing full-out overclocking rigs. Otherwise you'll never overheat anyways, so why bother?

Offline Krusty

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Re: Computer Build Help
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2011, 01:08:37 PM »
Hmm... I feel like that's a lot more money spent on the case, HDD, and PSU than I really want to be spending. This is a budget gaming build at the moment,

I ran into the same problem. You can skimp on the case, definitely. I bought a cheap ATX for about $30 new. It worked okay. It had no LEDs, no PSU, no side window (it did have a side vent though), and it lasted me quite a long time.

However your HDD price there is a bit of a steal, doubt you'll find much better but definitely shop around. I'm running a Samsung 1TB and it's a champ so far.

Then there's the PSU. The problem here is there's a minimum amount you want to spend. You CAN get a $5 PSU. I did it before. Once. Never again. The PSU regulates spikes to your system, prevents damage to components, keeps the voltage at prescribed levels. Even a small drop can have big underlying issues. I recall once some years back my $5 PSU was undervolting the motherboard, meaning I was disconnected from Aces High every 30 minutes because the onboard LAN didn't have enough power to keep going. You really don't want to drop below $70-$80, and generally you spend about $100. I don't think your choice there is too bad, personally. I don't think you can get too much of a better deal. If you want to save, though, look for the same model but without modular cables. They're usually more expensive by about $15 or so, from memory.