New Build - Cheap Entry-Level Gaming/Productivity PC

[dylricho]

Without overclocking id say 650 at minimum. Corsair does have top end 650-850 units.

I was planning on doing some overclocking, but nothing major. I've heard the FX-8350 can go up to 5.00 GHz, but I would be more content at around 4.50-4.60 GHz. For that, would you recommend a 750 W PSU?

 

[eidairaman1]

I was planning on doing some overclocking, but nothing major. I've heard the FX-8350 can go up to 5.00 GHz, but I would be more content at around 4.50-4.60 GHz. For that, would you recommend a 750 W PSU?

yes the 8350 can but depending on luck of draw on chip,Motherboard, ram, and how beefy the psu is in build quality and the type of cpu cooler being used. Id say honestly oc in baby steps and burn in that cpu. Try for 4.2 Ghz for starters(200Mhz over turbo) then go up and see if you hit 4.3 then 4.4 then 4.5,

 

[dylricho]

yes the 8350 can but depending on luck of draw on chip,Motherboard, ram, and how beefy the psu is in build quality and the type of cpu cooler being used. Id say honestly oc in baby steps and burn in that cpu. Try for 4.2 Ghz for starters(200Mhz over turbo) then go up and see if you hit 4.3 then 4.4 then 4.5,

That makes sense, thanks! The Corsair CX750M seems like a good choice, at least according to the rating.

Since I'll be overclocking the default clock, is it also possible to overclock the turbo frequency, or will overclocking simply disable the turbo boost?

 

[RCoon]

For PSU anything between 500 and 600W is fine for a max overclocked CPU and single overclocked GPU. For future crossfire purposes, look at 800+ PSU's. A lot of people these days seem to heavily overestimate how much power a PC takes, and the answer is, not as much as you think it does. I like the EVGA PSU simply because it's Gold rated, and in terms of not cheaping out on a PSU, I'd take the gold over a corsair Bronze/Silver rated 750w, unless you're intending on using that PSU for crossfire.

Here's a PSU calculator for your troubles:
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

Since I'll be overclocking the default clock, is it also possible to overclock the turbo frequency, or will overclocking simply disable the turbo boost?

You can either set the turboboost as an overclock and edit it's perimeters. AKA If the turboboost is 4Ghz and the stock is 3.6, you can overclock the turboboost instead so your PC runs efficiently when you're not doing anything, and then boosts to your desired overclock when you're gaming. That might be intel only, I've never OC'd the turbo on an FX.
Or, you can turn off turboboost in BIOS(This is what most OC'ers do), and then overclock the stock base clock to a permanent clock, so from 3.6 to 4.2 and run at 4.2 permanently.

 

[dylricho]

For PSU anything between 500 and 600W is fine for a max overclocked CPU and single overclocked GPU. For future crossfire purposes, look at 800+ PSU's. A lot of people these days seem to heavily overestimate how much power a PC takes, and the answer is, not as much as you think it does. I like the EVGA PSU simply because it's Gold rated, and in terms of not cheaping out on a PSU, I'd take the gold over a corsair Bronze/Silver rated 750w, unless you're intending on using that PSU for crossfire.

Here's a PSU calculator for your troubles:
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp


You can either set the turboboost as an overclock and edit it's perimeters. AKA If the turboboost is 4Ghz and the stock is 3.6, you can overclock the turboboost instead so your PC runs efficiently when you're not doing anything, and then boosts to your desired overclock when you're gaming. That might be intel only, I've never OC'd the turbo on an FX.
Or, you can turn off turboboost in BIOS(This is what most OC'ers do), and then overclock the stock base clock to a permanent clock, so from 3.6 to 4.2 and run at 4.2 permanently.

Okay, in such a case, I think I'll stick with my EVGA PSU. I do plan on seeking out a second GPU, but I don't suspect it'll be something I need straight away. I was making sure that if I'm going to overclock the system, I want quality parts.

And in regards to overclocking, I might follow suit with everyone else and disable the turbo, unless there's a way to overclock the turbo frequency independently.

 

[RCoon]

Okay, in such a case, I think I'll stick with my EVGA PSU. I do plan on seeking out a second GPU, but I don't suspect it'll be something I need straight away. I was making sure that if I'm going to overclock the system, I want quality parts.

And in regards to overclocking, I might follow suit with everyone else and disable the turbo, unless there's a way to overclock the turbo frequency independently.

In case you're weary of running out of power available, there's a fella on here running a 3770K OC'd and a GTX 690 all on a 550w PSU. So you're safe with your system configuration in terms of PSU requirements. I think independent turbo OC'ing might be an intel only option. As I said, I've not tried it on an FX, I just set it to the permanent running clock.

 

[ne6togadno]

I'm a subscriber of Tek Syndicate and I wish Logan would cover the AM3+ ASUS motherboards in more detail.

As I will be purchasing to keep the system future-proof, I'm going with an FX-8350. In all fairness, the budget isn't really that much of a deal, since I will be getting the parts each time I get my paycheck, and gradually, I'll have everything I need.

I was originally going to work to a budget, but then I realize that this machine must last years before an upgrade to the motherboard. So, I think buying bit-by-bit is an easier way to manage a machine cost of around £800, than to grab everything in one go. Therefore, I'm going to scrap the budget and just work with whatever money I have to spend each passing week, month or whatever - however long it takes, the end result will be amazing.

I want to thank you all once again. With your considerations and my intentions, I've came up with a configuration that I think is what I'm going for. What do you guys think?

Case - Fractal Design Define R4 with Window (Black Pearl)
Motherboard - ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0
CPU - AMD FX-8350
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Thermal Compound - Antec Formula 7 Nanodiamond (I'm using this right now with my T9300 and it's great)
RAM - 2 x 4 GB G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-2133 (I'll get another pair in the future)
SSD - Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB (for Windows, Minecraft, Photoshop and Premiere Pro)
HDD 1 - Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 7200 rpm
HDD 2 - Western Digital Black Series 1 TB 7200 rpm
GPU - Gigabyte R7 260X 2 GB (I may get another down the road and make use of Crossfire)
WLAN - TP-Link TL-WN722N 802.11 b/g/n (I rely on Wi-Fi due to no Ethernet in my room)
ODD - LG GH24NS95 CD/DVD
Monitor - ASUS VE248H 24" 1080p
PSU - EVGA SuperNOVA 650 W Gold

I have tried to stay reasonable, but at the same time, future-proof the system for many years to come.

hehe welcom to the addict club
good build but...
samsung 840 evo is best price/performance/quality rating atm
you dont need 2x 1tb hdds. it will be cheaper if you get 1x 2tb hdd
to unleash the beast 212evo wont be sufficient. it is very good for replacment of stock cooler and minor oc but for 4.5ghz you will need something better. better mb would be good too.
r7 260x is crap video for that cpu. it like you added v10 biturbo engine in your car but you have sticked it with tractor gearbox. r9 280x is minimum here.
case is good for silent performance but i doubt that it will be so silent with high oced cpu. it has too few fans which will reduce air circulation inside. this will pump up cpu fan rpms and silence will go away. it will be better if you get case with high fans slots number add all fans possible and reduce rpms of fans so they work silently. haf932 advance wold be perfect but pcpartpicker cant find it offered in uk. you can easy add insulation on side panels to reduce noise but adding additional fans when there isnt mounting points will require a lot of drilling at least
consider options to wire your pc instead of wlan. with good rooter you will get way better speeds (both in lan and wan)
and last but not least 8350. you can do it with 8320 and with saved money get better other components.
since you dont have fixed price anymore i would sugest you this http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/35AU2 and you will never need 2nd card unless you decide you want to play crysis [whatever number it is actual at that time] on 4k monitor at mega-giga-ultra settings.
but if you are too scared from price of 290 here is 280x version http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/35AU2
in few months new gen cards from nvidia is expected and there will be price changes for current graphics at the time of the purchase you may get better deals.
as for the buying keep saved cash till you find good sale deals for part you are looking at (then you can get 8350 at the current price of the 8320 i have missed such deals last year cause of lack of money )
also newegg is coming in uk at late May and most likely there will be some killer deals from them at the begging so just keep you eyes

 

[RCoon]

OP, just because you have no ethernet, doesn't mean you can't have ethernet

Powerline Adapter

EDIT: Amazon links are F'd on TPU for some reason, go on Amazon and search for 200mbps Powerline Adapter. Top one for £15

I have 4 of these at home, and have 84mbps broadband, they do their job nicely.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

hehe welcom to the addict club
good build but...
samsung 840 evo is best price/performance/quality rating atm
you dont need 2x 1tb hdds. it will be cheaper if you get 1x 2tb hdd
to unleash the beast 212evo wont be sufficient. it is very good for replacment of stock cooler and minor oc but for 4.5ghz you will need something better. better mb would be good too.
r7 260x is crap video for that cpu. it like you added v10 biturbo engine in your car but you have sticked it with tractor gearbox. r9 280x is minimum here.
case is good for silent performance but i doubt that it will be so silent with high oced cpu. it has too few fans which will reduce air circulation inside. this will pump up cpu fan rpms and silence will go away. it will be better if you get case with high fans slots number add all fans possible and reduce rpms of fans so they work silently. haf932 advance wold be perfect but pcpartpicker cant find it offered in uk. you can easy add insulation on side panels to reduce noise but adding additional fans when there isnt mounting points will require a lot of drilling at least
consider options to wire your pc instead of wlan. with good rooter you will get way better speeds (both in lan and wan)
and last but not least 8350. you can do it with 8320 and with saved money get better other components.
since you dont have fixed price anymore i would sugest you this http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/35AU2 and you will never need 2nd card unless you decide you want to play crysis [whatever number it is actual at that time] on 4k monitor at mega-giga-ultra settings.
but if you are too scared from price of 290 here is 280x version http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/35AU2
in few months new gen cards from nvidia is expected and there will be price changes for current graphics at the time of the purchase you may get better deals.
as for the buying keep saved cash till you find good sale deals for part you are looking at (then you can get 8350 at the current price of the 8320 i have missed such deals last year cause of lack of money )
also newegg is coming in uk at late May and most likely there will be some killer deals from them at the begging so just keep you eyes

About your build proposals ne6togadno, to use a Noctua NH-D14, you need low profile RAM. I had to cut off the heat spreader on one of my sticks Corsair Vengence RAM to be able to mount the NH-D14 in my 2600k rig. Other than that, I approve of the proposals, and prefer the one with the R9 290.

 

[ne6togadno]

About your build proposals ne6togadno, to use a Noctua NH-D14, you need low profile RAM. I had to cut off the heat spreader on one of my sticks Corsair Vengence RAM to be able to mount the NH-D14 in my 2600k rig. Other than that, I approve of the proposals, and prefer the one with the R9 290.

amd and intel board are different. but even if we count this as problem at minimal price (or performance cost) ram can be replaced with other model.

edit:
http://www.overclock.net/t/628569/official-noctua-nh-d14-club/1410#post_13777382
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=5704.0
i dotn think there will be problems.
edit2:
http://gskill.com/en/product/f3-2400c11d-8gxm
ripjaw X is 40mm hight. there will be 4mm clearense between sink fins and ram

 

[BarbaricSoul]

that's all I was suggesting (looking at the picture of the Gigabyte board, yeah it WILL have this problem with the NH-D14), select some low profile RAM like Corsair Vengence LP and your builds are golden.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/35Emj

 

[ne6togadno]

that's all I was suggesting (looking at the picture of the Gigabyte board, yeah it WILL have this problem with the NH-D14),

there isnt problem ram to fit under cooler
http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=faqs&step=2&products_id=34&lng=en#13
unfortunately corsair doesnt give dimensions of their ram
edit:
btw at what direction you have installed cooler. it isnt simetric and if you install it so that fan is over ram then you will have more space between ram and fins then if you have installed it in the way that fan is over vrms

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Huh? Either way I mount it, the fins are over dimms 1 and 2. I have it mounted so the fans air flow is horizontal, not vertical, and have a intake fan mounted in the case blowing air straight into the first fan on the NH-D14.

excuse the dust-

 

[ne6togadno]

Huh? Either way I mount it, the fins are over dimms 1 and 2. I have it mounted so the fans air flow is horizontal, not vertical, and have a intake fan mounted in the case blowing air straight into the first fan on the NH-D14.

excuse the dust-

according to noctua the side with 62mm form center should be the side over ram. ripjawX with heat sink is 40mm tall so you should be able to fit your ram under cooler w/o collision problems. fan height is adjustable so it too isnt problem

 

[dylricho]

better mb would be good too.
r7 260x is crap video for that cpu.

What's wrong with the motherboard?

And like I said, I don't want to go overboard. I'd be much happier waiting for the R9 270X to go down in price.

OP, just because you have no ethernet, doesn't mean you can't have ethernet

Powerline Adapter

EDIT: Amazon links are F'd on TPU for some reason, go on Amazon and search for 200mbps Powerline Adapter. Top one for £15

I have 4 of these at home, and have 84mbps broadband, they do their job nicely.

Pointless for me. We only have 20 Mb/s broadband in our area; no fiber. And I get 20 Mb/s through Wi-Fi easily enough.

 

[eidairaman1]

Asoka now have 200 Mbps units now.

trust me youd want adapters with 100Mbps atleast on ethernet. Ethernet is the best out of connectivity.

OP, just because you have no ethernet, doesn't mean you can't have ethernet

Powerline Adapter

EDIT: Amazon links are F'd on TPU for some reason, go on Amazon and search for 200mbps Powerline Adapter. Top one for £15

I have 4 of these at home, and have 84mbps broadband, they do their job nicely.

 

[dylricho]

Ethernet is the best, agreed but like I said, my area only has 20 Mb/s broadband with no sign of future upgrades.

I can achieve my full connection using Wi-Fi.

The motherboard supports Gigabit Ethernet so it's future-proof, should my area get an upgrade in the coming years.

 

[dylricho]

Hello guys,

I was just reading this thread about VRM, and happened to notice another motherboard almost identical to my current choice. Out of the two, which should I go for, as I'm not sure exactly what the difference is, other than the PCI slot section.

And would either of them have sufficient PCI x16 slots for two GPUs?

- M5A99FX PRO R2.0
- M5A99X EVO R2.0

 

[RCoon]

M5A99FX PRO R2.0

2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (dual x16)

- M5A99X EVO R2.0

2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)

The first would "technically" be a better choice, as it has the higher lane bandwidth, which makes almost no difference. There is a small percentage improvement with x16, but it's in the single percentile.

 

[dylricho]

I see, thank you. Do you have any gripes with either board?

 

[RCoon]

I see, thank you. Do you have any gripes with either board?

None at all, I believe the PRO is a better board, but I actually used to run a PII X6 1055t @ 4Ghz on an EVO board a few years back and it handled it alright.

 

[Melvis]

I see, so there would be no point in buying from the US?

- A88XM-A = $78.40
- A88XM-PLUS = $93 / £61

- A10-5800K = $110 / £85.54
- A10-7850K = $185 / £146.43

I was under the impression that the A88XM-A board didn't support the FM2+ (from Amazon listing), but according to ASUS, it does.

Also, what sort of performance advantages will I get from the 7850K w/ Radeon R7, as opposed to the 5800K w/ Radeon HD 7660D?

The 7850K is almost the same price as the FX 8350 here in Australia So i went with the 7700K


http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_345&products_id=26649

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_1512&products_id=21806

 

[dylricho]

None at all, I believe the PRO is a better board, but I actually used to run a PII X6 1055t @ 4Ghz on an EVO board a few years back and it handled it alright.

Awesome. I'm going to go with the PRO. How many HDDs/SSDs can this motherboard support? My case has 8 bays. It also supports up to 6 fans; will I be able to use them all with this board?

 

[eidairaman1]

to help ya better go to Asus.com and look up the motherboard your looking at, there are manuals you can download for it

 

[RCoon]

Awesome. I'm going to go with the PRO. How many HDDs/SSDs can this motherboard support? My case has 8 bays. It also supports up to 6 fans; will I be able to use them all with this board?

AMD SB950 controller :
5 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray
1 x eSATA port(s), red
ASMedia® PCIe SATA controller :
2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), navy blue

It will support 5 drives, plus an extra 2 via the PCIe controller (which I tend not to use), and one eSATA, which you probably won't be able to use unless you have a specific type of drive.