First time builder - Let me know if this is good value

[dtych]

Time for an upgrade, have always went the easy way before and just buy, bring home, plug in and go. I want the challenge and the knowledge of building my own system. I pieced some things together from newegg and want to know if I am missing something, some components aren't very good or overkill. I don't game but am on the computer for about 3 hours a day and have zero patience which is why I want a faster machine.

[Arrakis+9]

you can try uploading a larger image so we can actually read it

techpowerup.org

edit: welcome to tech power up !

[joeyck]

what i would change :

PSU : Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...

RAM ddr3 : G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333...

u save already a 80 - 90$ with these and plus 1600 mhz vs 1333mhz? like .9999999999999 of a fps? does it really matter?

nice motherboard and nice everything else.

if i were you for the extra 80 u save by getting a antec 650W PSU and i guess "lesser" RAM (lol if u can call it that) get a 5850 / 6850 / 6870

with that u can upgrade to a 200$+ Graphics card up to u man

and ur CPU is very nice

[DannibusX]

Welcome to TPU!

There's a lot of useful information here to help you build your first system. I'm sorry to say that it will become an addiction at some point, but it's a rewarding experience.

My advice is to triple check everything that you're going to buy. Some things that you may not think are important really are. Making sure you buy a quality power supply is one of the most important parts of your build. You'll also want to make sure that the CPU matches the socket of your motherboard and that your memory spec is supported by the CPU and motherboard.

Most importantly, read your manuals and familiarize yourself with the components. Be patient and you'll see how easy it is to get your machine up and running. If you're unsure about anything, don't be afraid to ask. Most members are more than happy to help.

And that brings me to humbly ask for a larger image than what you posted, because it's too small for me to read.

[dtych]

I have changed the picture so it is much easier to read now.

[DannibusX]

Ok, I see a problem. You have a Micro ATX case selected and an ATX sized motherboard. You might want to shop for a bigger case.

[joeyck]

Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid T...

30$ more...

[DannibusX]

Originally Posted by joeyck

Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid T...

30$ more...

I just came back to post that for a suggestion, lol. Pretty good deal on that case.

[joeyck]

yes very!

[MxPhenom 216]

Ditch that seagate drive and get a Samsung F3 1TB drive. its much faster and more reliable

[erocker]

Originally Posted by nvidiaintelftw

Ditch that seagate drive and get a Samsung F3 1TB drive. its much faster and more reliable

BS. Show me proof. The F3 may be a little faster, but reliable? Lol, I know a few people here that will tell you otherwise.

[Arrakis+9]

if your really not gaming like you said, ditch the graphics card and save yourself some $$$

[joeyck]

oh wow i thought he was gaming lmfao, yea just ditch the GPU all in all and get a x6 and why have a motherboard that supports crossfire? get a single slot one = cheaper most the times.

[JrRacinFan]

Originally Posted by Arrakis+9

if your really not gaming like you said, ditch the graphics card and save yourself some $$$

Or go with a gtx460 at that price. Whole build looks fine to me.

[dtych]

Im thinking maybe I should buy the i7 950 instead of the AMD 965. With the money I will save on the cheaper ram and cheaper video card this chip should be a better performer.

Thoughts? Is the i7 that much better?

[hellrazor]

The point is to try to kill bottlenecks. Unless you are doing some gaming, switching to an i7 isn't going to help you much. Hell, you might want to switch down to a 2 core instead of a 4 core (although you haven't given us much info about what you do, just that it isn't gaming), that would save you more $$. BUT if you do that you might want to stick with a video card, but one that's CHEAP (say, this).

[JrRacinFan]

I agree.

@dtych
before I can answer those questions, what will the PC be mainly used for? Oh and sorry about the previous post. It was rather short, sweet, & gives no information. My thinking abotu a bnib 5770 is unbiased just not worth it anymore when you can get a BNIB 460 that performs nearly 30-50% better in gaming.

[dtych]

I stream lots of online sports. Mainly I subscrive to MLB.TV. And now that I think about it I currently have and HDMI cable hooked up to my TV to watch the games on my big screen so I think I will be needing a video card.

[hellrazor]

I'm assuming HD? If so, forget anything I said.

[dtych]

Yes HD

[hellrazor]

Well, you still might want to go with a cheaper video card nonetheless.

Maybe an nVidia GT240, but I'm sure there's something cheaper that'll suit your needs.

EDIT: Chances are you'll probably want to boot faster, a quick Google turned up this, but I don't run Win7 so I don't guaruntee anything.

[JrRacinFan]

Originally Posted by dtych

I stream lots of online sports. Mainly I subscrive to MLB.TV. And now that I think about it I currently have and HDMI cable hooked up to my TV to watch the games on my big screen so I think I will be needing a video card.

Pre-built:
CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2054 Athlon II X2 255(3.1...

DIY:
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...

[DannibusX]

The DIY kit that Jr linked is a pretty nice deal. The onboard should be more than enough for HD streaming.

[Solaris17]

Originally Posted by erocker

BS. Show me proof. The F3 may be a little faster, but reliable? Lol, I know a few people here that will tell you otherwise.

+1 Agreed

[Rule-R]

Originally Posted by erocker

BS. Show me proof. The F3 may be a little faster, but reliable? Lol, I know a few people here that will tell you otherwise.

Here is a dutch hardware site which compared 58 hdd's. If you really want to go pro (on almost every level) either use a WD Velociraptor or a WD Caviar Black 2TB.