hey guys, new build, gaming rig

[ReconCX]

wow, so it's been like 5 years since i've been on this forum, been using a laptop for the longest time, now i need a gaming rig. I've had to play catch-up with hardware and am nowhere up-to-date on this and that details. take a look and tell me what you think, I want to keep this under $1000, and preferably, even under $900.

Another key issue is that I want this to be future proof for a bit, which is why I'm going with the Phenom II/AM3. It seems that the LGA775 is slowly but surely dying so a Q series is out, and those LGA1366 are too expensive. Other things to keep in mind is that I don't want a overheated power sucker in my room, and I'm not considering CFX and SLI a priority. I am also considering waiting for the NV 780a chipset for the Phenoms.

So here's my current build (everything currently based off of newegg):

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $74.99

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail - $245

MSI 790GX-G65 AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD Burner with LightScribe

SeaSonic M12II SS-500GM 500W ATX12V 2.2 /EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

Total cost is $864.94, or $899.72 after shipping

Thanks, let me know what u guys think.

 

[IINexusII]

youve just hit the minimum power supply for the 4870. id go with a 600w to be safe

 

[PaulieG]

Here are my thoughts:

First, buy a good quality 700w+ power supply. It will give you some room to upgrade later on.

Second, consider a gtx260 instead of the 4870. I've had both, and while some will argue this, I think the gtx is a better card, and smoother in most games.

I'd also consider a Gigabyte or Asus 790GX board. I just trust those brands more than MSI. Not to mention I hate the MSI bios.

 

[ReconCX]

Paulieg, you bring up some interesting points that i wouldn't be able to just "read off" on spec papers.

First though, I want to keep my PSU between 500-600W, so this means I'd prefer getting a 80 plus certified (bronze or silver) +/- 550W over a larger PSU, meaning I'm open to paying a premium for a lower watt PSU (although I demand modular)

second, I'm debating about the graphics card. I would actually prefer getting something like a GTX275 as I've been a loyal EVGA fan for a long time. But the the GX boards bring hybrid CFX into play. I've been wondering how much performance these motherboards give to a graphics card. So, if the GX boards don't really give much of a boost, I'm thinking about getting a FX board and just going NV with my vid card.

third, yea, the bios is a good point. I've heard bad things about MSI but i've never used one before. I've used asus and never been quite satisfied with their quality. Finally, i've heard a lot of awesomeness about gigabyte but whether or not to get one would also involve me getting an FX or GX board. In terms of quality, what companies produce the best mobos both in terms of AMD and Intel?

Thanks for your replies guys.

 

[kurosagi01]

can't go wrong with a 650w corsair
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

 

[neatfeatguy]

If you don't plan on really doing anything spectacular with your computer; like OC'ing or running Crossfire/SLI, you don't really need a 700W PSU.

You should do just fine getting by with a solid 550-650W. Like these:

OCZ 600W
Corsair 550W
Antec 650W

If you wish to run a Crossfire/SLI configuration, then you should settle for nothing less then a solid 750W+ PSU. The beefier the cards, the more power you'll need. Running two GTX 260s, you'll want a solid 750W. Running 2 GTX 295 you'd want a nice 900W....just to give you some idea.

If you plan on OC'ing your GPU and/or CPU, then be sure to get a power supply that'll give you headroom like Paulieg suggested.

 

[JrRacinFan]

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=94638

I posted this yesterday.

If you need modular go with this ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

It's also a PC P&C built psu.

 

[PlanetCyborg]

my ocz dosent glove blue

 

[fire2havoc]

Some good 500W-600W PSUS:

SeaSonic M12 SS-600HM 600W (modular)
Corsair 650TX
BFG LS-550
Antec EA650 650W
Antec Signature SG650 650W (modular)
Corsair 620HX (modular)

Also, take a look at some websites such as ewiz.com. They have had good deals on the 4890 1GB lately for about $190 after rebate. Well worth it over the 4870 1GB.

Go with the Western Digital 640GB Caviar Black AALS over the 500GB you selected. $15 more for a faster drive with 5 year warranty (versus 3 years for the AAKS).

 

[ReconCX]

thanks, i'm looking at the OCZ/PC P&C 700W PSU right now for $99 on newegg, it's a pretty good deal cause of the free shipping, and it's modular. I'm really against antec's now because at my work place, we deployed 350 machines with antec psu's and we've had to replace so many of them it's not even funny.

I also decided to cut back on the mobo, instead of getting a 790GX/X/FX, i'm specing out the 770. The reasoning behind this is that I'm just a big sucker for NV and EVGA, so getting those fancier mobo's wouldn't do me any good. I think it would do me just fine until NV gets their act together for a good SLI board, which i would upgrade to (when I can afford a new mobo+SLI card). The cost savings would allow me to get a really high end GTX 260, or maybe even a GTX275 if the price is right. What geforce manufacturers would u guys recommend?

f2h, how much faster is that drive, although the 5 year warranty is really nice.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Good nVidia Manuf's: eVGA BFG Palit Galaxy Xpertvision MSI

 

[Paintface]

get a 4890 / 650w psu and you have the perfect setup

 

[Mussels]

my ocz dosent glove blue

because i told OCZ off for using nasty noisy fans in the gameXstreams, so the future stealthXstreme models use yate loons be glad, you got a quieter one.

 

[PlanetCyborg]

thats good do know

 

[fire2havoc]

thanks, i'm looking at the OCZ/PC P&C 700W PSU right now for $99 on newegg, it's a pretty good deal cause of the free shipping, and it's modular. I'm really against antec's now because at my work place, we deployed 350 machines with antec psu's and we've had to replace so many of them it's not even funny.

I wouldn't recommend the OCZ. There are better power supplies out there. You don't want to skimp on the PSU and save a few $ here since this is the most critical component in your computer.

 

[Mussels]

I wouldn't recommend the OCZ. There are better power supplies out there. You don't want to skimp on the PSU and save a few $ here since this is the most critical component in your computer.

theres nothing wrong with OCZ. They arent quite as good as PC&C or corsair, but their price is a fair bit lower too. my PC as it is now, ran on a 600W OCZ stealthXstream for a week.

 

[fire2havoc]

theres nothing wrong with OCZ. They arent quite as good as PC&C or corsair, but their price is a fair bit lower too. my PC as it is now, ran on a 600W OCZ stealthXstream for a week.

Many OCZ units tend to have out-of-spec ripple when approaching 80% load. While they are certainly capable of powering a system (I had a 700W unit myself), I wouldn't recommend them when there are other units out there. As I had mentioned previously, the PSU is not something you want to save money on as its the most critical component.

 

[ReconCX]

i'm a bit confused, didn't ocz buy out pc p&c? i'll look into other power supplies.

 

[LittleLizard]

i'm a bit confused, didn't ocz buy out pc p&c? i'll look into other power supplies.

yep but not all ocz psu are pcp&c

 

[denice25]

thanks for the info guys..

 

[mlee49]

If you want a true future proof setup, then you should be considering a Crossfire/SLI board. Even if you only go with a single VGA card, another two years from now a cheap upgrade will help boost preformance all around.
Other than that I would say you have a decent parts list and a beefier psu to consider. to a new build

 

[fire2havoc]

i'm a bit confused, didn't ocz buy out pc p&c? i'll look into other power supplies.

AFAIK, they bought them out but the two are still separate. OCZ PSUs are not made by PC P&C.

 

[Mussels]

AFAIK, they bought them out but the two are still separate. OCZ PSUs are not made by PC P&C.

PCP&C wasnt changed by the merger, OCZ's stuff got better tho.

 

[phanbuey]

+1 to the NO OCZ PSU's had a few of them, including a 750W Xtreem whatever fail and take out 2 ramsticks and their respective slots. PC just shut off during a game of oblivion one day and wouldn't turn back on (grrr)

I gave one of the good ones away to power a lower end system, no way would i put that back in my rig.

 

[fire2havoc]

PCP&C wasnt changed by the merger, OCZ's stuff got better tho.

Any evidence of that? I haven't heard of any improvements on OCZ's part.