• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

want to build my first

Greywolf55555

New Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
15 (0.00/day)
Ok everyone, I am about to build my first computer. I will be gaming and doing some photoshopping on it, as well as, surfing. I have always used intel no experience with AMD, but after everything I have read, i am open to anything. I would like something solid and dont have to have top of the line(expensive). I have looked at i7 intel and phenom AMD. I appreciate any and all thoughts on mobo, cpu, memory, video and audio, case, power, cooling
 

frankie827

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
541 (0.09/day)
Location
connecticut
System Name Gaming PC
Processor Core 2 Quad Q6600 B3@3.3ghz @ 1.376V | VID: 1.313V
Motherboard Evga Nvidia Nforce 680i LT SLI
Cooling 7x 12cm case fans+Xigmatek HDT-s1283 Dark Knight
Memory 4gb DDR2-800 Corsair XMS2
Video Card(s) 896mb Evga GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 (720/1515/1135)
Storage 2x 160gb Seagate Baraccudas + 1x 640gb Western Digital Caviar Green + 1x 1tb Samsung F1
Display(s) Sceptre 20.1" 1080P Widescreen
Case NZXT Zero
Audio Device(s) Creative Soundblaster Audigy SE+Creative Fatal1ty Headset/Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround
Power Supply Silverstone Zeus 750watt
Software Vista Home Premium 32-Bit
Benchmark Scores 15883 on 3dmark06 w/ windows 7 beta @ 3.3ghz 13188 on 3dmark vantage w/ windows 7 beta @ 3.2ghz
if you want to go with i7
here is what i would go with for a mid-range price

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 @ 2.66ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
CPU Cooler:COOLER MASTER RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103057
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131346
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145221
Graphics Card: EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434
Power Supply:CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009
Hard Drive:Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingItem.aspx?ItemList=N82E16822136218
Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec 900
Sound Card:ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006

or you can go ATI for the graphics card

Graphics Card:SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

Total(with GTX 260):$1,300.93 USD
Total(with 4870):$1260.93
 

Greywolf55555

New Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
15 (0.00/day)
thanks for the advice, I was missing some of the components you have listed, but its right along the lines of what I am looking for.
 

frankie827

New Member
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
541 (0.09/day)
Location
connecticut
System Name Gaming PC
Processor Core 2 Quad Q6600 B3@3.3ghz @ 1.376V | VID: 1.313V
Motherboard Evga Nvidia Nforce 680i LT SLI
Cooling 7x 12cm case fans+Xigmatek HDT-s1283 Dark Knight
Memory 4gb DDR2-800 Corsair XMS2
Video Card(s) 896mb Evga GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 (720/1515/1135)
Storage 2x 160gb Seagate Baraccudas + 1x 640gb Western Digital Caviar Green + 1x 1tb Samsung F1
Display(s) Sceptre 20.1" 1080P Widescreen
Case NZXT Zero
Audio Device(s) Creative Soundblaster Audigy SE+Creative Fatal1ty Headset/Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround
Power Supply Silverstone Zeus 750watt
Software Vista Home Premium 32-Bit
Benchmark Scores 15883 on 3dmark06 w/ windows 7 beta @ 3.3ghz 13188 on 3dmark vantage w/ windows 7 beta @ 3.2ghz
glad i could help :)
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2008
Messages
3,051 (0.52/day)
Location
Pontaic Michigan
System Name The Netbook
Processor Intel Atom n270
Memory 1GB DDR2 533mhz
Video Card(s) Intel G945
Storage 250GB
Display(s) 10.1" LCD
Software Microsoft Windows 7 Starter x86
Greywolf, what's your budget like?
Also, if you plan on gaming the only real advantage of having an i7 chip is the multi-gpu scaling. (they get up to about 25% more scalability over previous gen chips in certain games) If you're looking to just build a machine that can game with the big boys then just get a high end C2D(e8400 and up) chip and a high end graphics card.
 
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Messages
2,894 (0.50/day)
Location
South Carolina
System Name KILLER
Processor Intel Core i7 4790K
Motherboard MSI Z87 G45 Gaming
Cooling Water Cooling
Memory 2x8GB Gskill 2400mhz
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 980
Storage SSD Samsung 500GB
Display(s) 24" Asus 144hz
Case Cooler Master HAF
Audio Device(s) X-Fi Platinum
Power Supply Antec 1200 Watt Modular
Software Windows 10 64 Bit
Benchmark Scores 3DMark Vantage 51342
I have a nice E8400 for sale if you decide to go C2D route...Thats all you need for todays gaming...Check my sig for items for sale!!
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2007
Messages
750 (0.13/day)
Location
RI, USA
Processor FX 8150 4.41Ghz
Motherboard Asus Crosshair V Formula
Cooling Custom Water
Memory 16GB GSkill Ripjaws X 1600
Video Card(s) Diamond Multimedia HD7970 3GB
Storage 2x WD Black 640GB, WD Black 2TB, Samsung 830 256GB SSD
Display(s) Samsung 32" LED
Case Cooler Master Cosmos (new version)
Audio Device(s) Platronics 777
Power Supply Corsair AX1200
Software Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition x64
Benchmark Scores Geekbench: 10,136 3DMark 11: P7792
What's the budget and what are you using this for?
 

Greywolf55555

New Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
15 (0.00/day)
reply

My budget is up to 1000, but being my first build and knowing there will be mistakes made, I am wanting to build something for Gaming, Photoshopping and General surfing as cheaply as possible. Right now anything would be an step up from what Im using. I am just learning all the terms and I am a complete noob. Dont quite fully understand OCing, so for now, just want to get that first build under my belt and then explore what else is out there lol. Again all thoughts are welcome and I promise not to ask which is better intel or amd.
 

Darren

New Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
1,936 (0.28/day)
System Name Cheap yet powerful gaming and entertainment rig!
Processor AMD Athlon 3800+ X2 Windsor, 1 MB L2 Cache (512k L2 Per Core), 65W Energy efficient, 2GHz @ 2.78 Ghz
Motherboard Asrock ALiveNF7G-HD720p Rev v5.0
Cooling Freezer 64, 2x120mm, 1x92mm
Memory 8 GB DDRII PC6400 @ 929 MHz OCZ (2GBx4) timing: 5-5-5-5-16-2T
Video Card(s) XFX ATI4830
Storage Seagate 320 GB SATA (16 MB Cache)
Display(s) 19' HannsG (1440x900 @ 75hz)
Case Coolermaster Elite 330 Black Case
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Meridian, Pioneer VSX-516 Receiver 7.1 with DD/DD EX/Prologic II/DTS/DTS-ES//DTS: Neo
Power Supply Cool Master eXtreme Power 460W PSU
Software Vista Ultimate X64 Corporate Edition
What is your current system specification?

Go to "Private messages" and then "Edit system specs" and input your details :)

Whether you go Intel or AMD is a personal choice, the I7 is stupidly expensive especially considering that the performance gain compared to the last generation of CPUs is small.

I'd advice you to go for an Intel Q9xxx or Phenom II build, it will cost almost 50% less and performance will be almost equivalent.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
6,862 (1.17/day)
Location
S.E. Virginia
System Name Barb's Domain
Processor i9 10850k 5.1GHz all cores
Motherboard MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI
Cooling Deep Cool Assassin III
Memory 2*16gig Corsair LPX DDR4 3200
Video Card(s) RTX 4080 FE
Storage 500gb Samsung 980 Pro M2 SSD, 500GB WD Blue SATA SSD, 2TB Seagate Hybrid SSHD
Display(s) Dell - S3222DGM 32" 2k Curved/ASUS VP28UQG 28" 4K (ran at 2k), Sanyo 75" 4k TV
Case SilverStone Fortress FT04
Audio Device(s) Bose Companion II speakers, Corsair - HS70 PRO headphones
Power Supply Corsair RM850x (2021)
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech Orion Spectrum G910
VR HMD Oculus Quest 2
Software Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
Benchmark Scores https://www.3dmark.com/spy/34962882
My suggestions are-
CPU- e8400 about $170
motherboard- DFI BI P45 chipset board about $130
RAM- 4 gigs of G-Skill, Crucial, or OZC DDR2 800 about $60
graphics- EVGA GTX260 216 shader model about $260
PSU- Corsair 650 watt about $100
HD- western digital 320 gig 16 mb cache $55

Re-use your case and CD/DVD drives

$775 before shipping on newegg and it'll play any game you want on high settings
 

Wartz

New Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
168 (0.03/day)
System Name Triton-XXXV
Processor Phenom II x4 940 3.6ghz 1.42
Motherboard Biostar TFORCE TA790GX A2+
Cooling Sunbeam CR-CCTF
Memory 2 x 2048mb G.Skill PC-6400 @ 800mhz
Video Card(s) Crossfire Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 512mb
Storage 2x Seagate 500gb Sata 3.0gb/s + Seagate 750gb Sata 3.0gb/s
Display(s) Asus 24" 2ms + Viewsonic 19" 3ms
Case Thermaltake midtower
Audio Device(s) X-fi XtremeGamer - Razer Barracuda 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic 650w
Software Windows XP/7
Benchmark Scores Vantage: P13017 3DMarks (Crossfire) 3DMark06: 15349 3DMarks (single GPU)
My budget is up to 1000, but being my first build and knowing there will be mistakes made, I am wanting to build something for Gaming, Photoshopping and General surfing as cheaply as possible. Right now anything would be an step up from what Im using. I am just learning all the terms and I am a complete noob. Dont quite fully understand OCing, so for now, just want to get that first build under my belt and then explore what else is out there lol. Again all thoughts are welcome and I promise not to ask which is better intel or amd.

If you want to build on the cheap, something like this might be a good option then.

PH II 940 quadcore + Biostar TFORCE board + HD 4870 1gb - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.150713 -$565~ shipped, $530 w/mail in rebates

add some DDR2 1066 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166 - $55 shipped

500gb WD drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073 - $65 shipped.

650w corsair PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 - $100 shipped, $79 after mail in rebates

$785 total, potentially $730. That leaves you with $220-270 to play with for other things you might need. (case? extra cooling? new monitor? new mouse?)
 
Top