The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

But the i54690K or i3-4370 gets me the mobo bundle deals. And like I said I want to keep using the HP case for reasons of space.

 
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detectiveconan16 said:
But the i54690K or i3-4370 gets me the mobo bundle deals. And like I said I want to keep using the HP case for reasons of space.
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If you're not in a hurry, MC often rotates what they include in their bundles. Also, I've had luck talking to people in the store into giving a discount on non-bundle items. Not as much as the bundle, mind you, usually like $25 off mobo/cpu. There isn't anything wrong with the 4690K, but if you're not OC'ing, it just seems like wasted money/performance. Also, stop considering the i3 unless you are on a super strict budget. You sound like my grandmother when she would ask me to buy her groceries she'd never use only because she had a coupon.
 
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The thing is Neuro, if he's buying from MicroCenter, getting a non-K CPU + MoBo (no bundle) is pretty much the same price as i5-K version + MoBo (bundled).  It's basically like getting the K for free. Now if you can haggle, then whatever, but as advertised, getting the K makes sense even if no plans to overclock. 

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e097ddab#/e097ddab/33

@infiniteHorizon: You probably want to be looking at something with an Intel i5 and an nVidia 750ti or AMD R7 260 (or better).  Prebuilt, you're likely looking at ~$700.  You *could* go with an AMD CPU (it's what I have), but you'll be limited particularly in the RTS games you like to play.  You'll still be able to play them, mind you, you'll just have to tone down some of the details. Cheers.

 
If I buy NewEgg this is my build:

Gf0gFTo.jpg


The 128GB Evo 850 SSD is on sale today. Should I add it to my cart as well? I plan on getting a 2TB and the graphics card elsewhere.

 
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detectiveconan16 said:
If I buy NewEgg this is my build:

The 128GB Evo 850 SSD is on sale today. Should I add it to my cart as well? I plan on getting a 2TB and the graphics card elsewhere.
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Build looks solid and well-rounded.

I'm a little wary of that power supply. EVGA's premium models are made by Super Flower and they're excellent. However, that particular PSU is one of their cheapest models and I'm not sure who makes it. Not saying it's bad, just can't give it a positive recommendation.

Alternatives:

Corsair CXM 500w (semi-modular, 80+ Bronze) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050

Same price ($40 after rebate, if I'm reading correctly)

XFX XTR 550w (fully modular, 80+ Gold) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207032

$60 after rebate, again if I'm reading correctly (don't really understand rebates as they're not a thing in the UK (yet))

If you can stump up the extra $20, I'd do so. Fully modular power supplies make building so much easier. But, if not, I'd recommend a semi-modular PSU like the Corsair - it only has one cable hard-wired to the casing making it easier to route your cables.

Just my 2p. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, your build looks pretty solid.

 
detectiveconan16 said:
If I buy NewEgg this is my build:

Gf0gFTo.jpg


The 128GB Evo 850 SSD is on sale today. Should I add it to my cart as well? I plan on getting a 2TB and the graphics card elsewhere.
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yes, you should add the 850 ssd instead, 1tb wd blue

WD - Blue 1TB Internal SATA Hard Drive for Desktops (OEM/Bare Drive) - Black/Silver $44.99

or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005T3GRLY/ref=s9_acss_bw_hsb_PCCompSt_s3_n?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=1EJ50YXH0P0QQPE3JJTH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2073353682&pf_rd_i=193870011

$85 Seagate 3TB Desktop HDD SATA 6Gb/s 64MB

 
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Flowette said:
Build looks solid and well-rounded.

I'm a little wary of that power supply. EVGA's premium models are made by Super Flower and they're excellent. However, that particular PSU is one of their cheapest models and I'm not sure who makes it. Not saying it's bad, just can't give it a positive recommendation.

Alternatives:

Corsair CXM 500w (semi-modular, 80+ Bronze) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139050

Same price ($40 after rebate, if I'm reading correctly)

XFX XTR 550w (fully modular, 80+ Gold) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207032

$60 after rebate, again if I'm reading correctly (don't really understand rebates as they're not a thing in the UK (yet))

If you can stump up the extra $20, I'd do so. Fully modular power supplies make building so much easier. But, if not, I'd recommend a semi-modular PSU like the Corsair - it only has one cable hard-wired to the casing making it easier to route your cables.

Just my 2p. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, your build looks pretty solid.
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agree, evga lower priced / tier psu are crap.

 
Can't see prices on my mobile. You'd be fine with the CX500 if that's within budget. Just expect the cable routing to be a bit more of a hassle.

The unit itself is better than the low-end EVGA model which is the most important thing.
 
I found a lightly used CX500M on eBay by a reputable seller, and that saved me a few. Now I'm wondering about hard drives, considering I'm running a 1TB and 2TB as storage currently and they're both over half full. Should I buy a 4TB WD Green for $100 on eBay, a new 3TB from Microcenter for $110, or what? I know a 4TB external hard drive will run me $140 but it's SeaGate.

 
YBX87 said:
honestly, my honest answer is that build is trash. if you are dead set on playing games like starcraft 2. intel cpu likes pentium, i3 are enough. itshould be computers you are looking for . ati hd 3000 graphics is trash now. you are better off building a computer yourself. but since you are not comfortable doing so.

but the main question is what is your budget $?
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around $500-600 tops (though the cheaper the better for me, since I'm not trying to do too much other than play some games on it, I also have a macbook I use for recording / editing)

I suppose I could make an attempt at putting one together, if I knew what I needed/ what to get and had all the pieces, i'm usually good at assembling things with lots of parts, but I also realize computers are a whole separate beast. Cant be any worse than building a bunk bed...

 
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detectiveconan16 said:
I found a lightly used CX500M on eBay by a reputable seller, and that saved me a few. Now I'm wondering about hard drives, considering I'm running a 1TB and 2TB as storage currently and they're both over half full. Should I buy a 4TB WD Green for $100 on eBay, a new 3TB from Microcenter for $110, or what? I know a 4TB external hard drive will run me $140 but it's SeaGate.
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I'm not sure but I've been warned off Green drives, apparently they're not as reliable? I use Western Digital Blue drives at the moment. Somebody more knowledgable than me should be able to help.

infiniteHorizon said:
around $500-600 tops (though the cheaper the better for me, since I'm not trying to do too much other than play some games on it, I also have a macbook I use for recording / editing)

I suppose I could make an attempt at putting one together, if I knew what I needed/ what to get and had all the pieces, i'm usually good at assembling things with lots of parts, but I also realize computers are a whole separate beast. Cant be any worse than building a bunk bed...
Click to expand...

It's like Lego, seriously. Certain things can only go in certain places. There's great sites that help you with your budget (unlike a console where the PS4 is a set price, with a PC there's always something slightly better for a little bit more $$$) and give you a start.

I'd recommend looking at www.logicalincrements.com and www.pcpartpicker.com for starters. The former gives suggestions on what to put in your PC, the latter tells you where to get it and which prices are available.

This time last year I'd never opened up my PC. Now I've built three. It's a great experience and a whole new world of deal-whoring/part-hoarding.

I've had a crack at building for you with a $500 budget. It's do-able, and there's plenty of things we can change: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Flowette/saved/#view=8ffCmG We'd need to find a keyboard/mouse/windows key/monitor and that's where I'm no use whatsoever.

You could change the case and save a few bucks, I only listed it as I'm a big fan of it. The graphics card (GPU) is a case of either/or - you could easily switch out for an R9 280x which is similar in the perfomance stakes. I went with the 960 as it's a newer card.

People will spend the next few posts pulling this build apart but for now it's a good starting point. One thing I'll highlight is I gave you an unlocked Pentium as the CPU. Basically, you can overclock it (very easily) to such a level that it'll handle older/less demanding games very well. I use one myself at 4.3Ghz and so far it's handled nearly everything I've thrown at it at 60fps (only Far Cry 3 gave it an issue).

 
Flowette said:
I'm not sure but I've been warned off Green drives, apparently they're not as reliable? I use Western Digital Blue drives at the moment. Somebody more knowledgable than me should be able to help.
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There was a time where the firmware in the Green drives caused high failure rates. It parked the "needle" that's used to read/write in a position that can cause a lot of wear and tear. This was years ago, and it's been fixed.

However, Green drives are slow, and not really recommended for anything other than cheap storage, i.e. Steam install back-ups.

Blue's reliability isn't much different than Green's, afaik. If you're using it for installed games, I'd get a Black. If you have the patience, you can always get a smaller Black drive and keep back-up installs on the Green drive.

---

Putting together the computer after you got all the parts is extremely easy. The only part that I can imagine people being able to screw up is the CPU->Motherboard step. That's pretty much just 1) Don't bend the pins, and 2) make sure there's thermal compound and no plastic between the CPU and fan. Oh, and do plug in the CPU fan, but it's not like it'll explode if you don't. You'll just get a thermal shutdown minutes after turning on.

Everything else is pretty much keyed so well that you can't really mess anything up.

P.S. Grounding yourself to the case is pointless if it's not connected to the wall. When you wear anti-static straps, etc., they're connected to earth ground. The case grounding is just a cheaper way of doing so.

 
Crap, getting second jitters about what to get this week, when everything comes together.

I got the 120GB 850, 1TB WD Blue, 750 Ti, and Corsair CX500M, all in a mini-style case.

I aim on getting the Gigabyte B85 mobo on special with the i5-4690k, but am wondering if I should search for a better i5 mobo ram bundle. If I get what I'm planning right now, I will be spending $330 after tax when I buy 8GB of Crucial Ram with it.

 
detectiveconan16 said:
Crap, getting second jitters about what to get this week, when everything comes together.

I got the 120GB 850, 1TB WD Blue, 750 Ti, and Corsair CX500M, all in a mini-style case.

I aim on getting the Gigabyte B85 mobo on special with the i5-4690k, but am wondering if I should search for a better i5 mobo ram bundle. If I get what I'm planning right now, I will be spending $330 after tax when I buy 8GB of Crucial Ram with it.
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Can you link the motherboard? It's definitely a Mini-ITX board?

 
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detectiveconan16 said:
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Intel-6Gbps-Motherboards-GA-B85M-D3H/dp/B00D1A5OR0/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1428867905&sr=1-2&keywords=gigabyte+matx+b85

This is the one the ones that's on special. It's a micro ATX and I bought a mini ATX case. And I reiterate, I don't plan on overclocking.

These are the ones that are on special:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e097ddab#/e097ddab/33
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We may have a problem.

ATX-FORM-FACTORS.png


Micro-ATX is bigger than Mini-ITX. We need to make sure your case can hold a Micro-ATX board. Which case did you buy?

If you need a Mini-ITX board, get the ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini board. It has on-board Wi-Fi and will serve your purposes perfectly. It's only $5 more.

In fact, if you need the PC to be wireless, that board might be better for you anyways.

 
detectiveconan16 said:
I didn't say ITX, I've always said ATX.

And I bought this case:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811353036

I should've been more clear. The description says: MicroATX, mini Tower case.
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Sorry, mis-read :) The old case of seeing what you want to see. Case will be fine.

I'm just wondering if you should take that Gigabyte H81 board instead. B85 and H81 are going to offer you pretty much the same features, whereas the H81 board is $30 cheaper.

The other side of me sees the Z97 Gigabyte board and says "you're buying an overclockable CPU, you might want to utilise that in a few years' time".

Overall your build is fine and well-rounded. Any of the cheap motherboards on that page will suit you. Unless you can find a better combo (inc. RAM, like you mention above) I think you're set.

:whee:

 
Edit: Freaked out for nothing. On the Gigabyte B85, the words were facing out as usual.

It's just a crow's nest in there now. The center of the board is crammed full of cables, molex plugs are the biggest problems since the fans are hooked up to the same power as the sata power. And the biggest space sucker is the giant thick cable that hooks up to the most important part of the board. Thankfully nothing is touching the fans. But I'm holding things together with twist ties. Maybe I should've bought a bigger case.

 
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Flowette said:
I'm not sure but I've been warned off Green drives, apparently they're not as reliable? I use Western Digital Blue drives at the moment. Somebody more knowledgable than me should be able to help.

It's like Lego, seriously. Certain things can only go in certain places. There's great sites that help you with your budget (unlike a console where the PS4 is a set price, with a PC there's always something slightly better for a little bit more $$$) and give you a start.

I'd recommend looking at www.logicalincrements.com and www.pcpartpicker.com for starters. The former gives suggestions on what to put in your PC, the latter tells you where to get it and which prices are available.

This time last year I'd never opened up my PC. Now I've built three. It's a great experience and a whole new world of deal-whoring/part-hoarding.

I've had a crack at building for you with a $500 budget. It's do-able, and there's plenty of things we can change: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Flowette/saved/#view=8ffCmG We'd need to find a keyboard/mouse/windows key/monitor and that's where I'm no use whatsoever.

You could change the case and save a few bucks, I only listed it as I'm a big fan of it. The graphics card (GPU) is a case of either/or - you could easily switch out for an R9 280x which is similar in the perfomance stakes. I went with the 960 as it's a newer card.

People will spend the next few posts pulling this build apart but for now it's a good starting point. One thing I'll highlight is I gave you an unlocked Pentium as the CPU. Basically, you can overclock it (very easily) to such a level that it'll handle older/less demanding games very well. I use one myself at 4.3Ghz and so far it's handled nearly everything I've thrown at it at 60fps (only Far Cry 3 gave it an issue).
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thank you for doing that for me, anyone have a second opinion? does this seem like a good starter build?

one question i have is with the processor, people are saying it doesn't multitask well in reviews? or am i reading that wrong. i know i said i'll mostly be using it for just gaming, but some times i like to run music in the background, and maybe use the web to look things up. how much pressure can i put on it i guess

 
infiniteHorizon said:
thank you for doing that for me, anyone have a second opinion? does this seem like a good starter build?

one question i have is with the processor, people are saying it doesn't multitask well in reviews? or am i reading that wrong. i know i said i'll mostly be using it for just gaming, but some times i like to run music in the background, and maybe use the web to look things up. how much pressure can i put on it i guess
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it is a budget build, hence why you are going to be cutting corners. unless you are streaming, and recording your gameplay at the same time, as well running back ground music, and service chat program, along with other apps in the background at the ssame time. the pentium process should be more than enough for your daily routines, such as playing games like starcraft 2 rts games, browsing the web, checking email and listening to music. with occassional microsoft office work, with no video editiing/graphic desiging work

 
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Can anybody recommend me a good dust filter for my computer because the vent on the side of the case is a bit too big. If I just buy those cut up filters at the hardware store, what tape should I use?

 
Slightly larger than a playing card.

Well I've read that ac filters and mounting tape should work. Where should I tape the filter? On the front or inside of the plate?

 
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I need some help here. For some reason Windows 8.1 keeps resetting the display settings. After I go into personalize and change text display, I set the size to medium. But after a few days, the display size keeps resetting to small. Could CCleaner also be a cause?

 
detectiveconan16 said:
I need some help here. For some reason Windows 8.1 keeps resetting the display settings. After I go into personalize and change text display, I set the size to medium. But after a few days, the display size keeps resetting to small. Could CCleaner also be a cause?
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it doubt cc cleaner to be the cause. win8.1 is crap anyway. not optimized well. there are tons of issues with it.

 
YBX87 said:
it doubt cc cleaner to be the cause. win8.1 is crap anyway. not optimized well. there are tons of issues with it.
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Like?

Edit: I've been running WIndows 8/8.1 since preview. In all tests I've seen, 8.1 runs faster than 7.

 
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So I think I may have been tempted to the dark side sadly they don't have cookies but with the money I'm saving I can buy cookies all the cookies!  Also put it inside a spoiler to save room. Be warned I rambled while I was suppose to be taking a final lol. Clearly I'm bored and tired of school.

 
Back story:

So yeah video card is older than dirt (~9 years now) gtx 9800+ I was looking to upgrade it and people were suggesting radeon. Now I've always used intel processors and nvida videocards. However, after looking at various parts for an AMD+radeon build I'm drooling. Tempted to build a whole new computer for basically what my processor on my old computer cost me roughly lol. So I'll post the parts below I'm considering and I'd appreciate any feedback.

The build: (Links are currently not the best price will update them later for now they are examples)

Case: ~120

Corsair Graphite Series 380T Mini-ITX Portable PC Case (Leaning towards the yellow one not shown here) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LA70SKO/ref=s9_wish_gw_d3_g147_i3?ie=UTF8&colid=3FESXG28J35NT&coliid=I1QFI3CB8LFGW2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=087JE7D7FJM81NWCWXJ7&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Mother board: ~$103

MSI A88XI AC FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Mini ITX AMD Motherboard http://MSI A88XI AC FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Mini ITX AMD Motherboard

Proccesor: ~$150

AMD A10-7850K Kaveri 12 Compute Cores (4 CPU + 8 GPU) 3.7GHz Socket FM2+ 95W AD785KXBJABOX Desktop Processor AMD Radeon R7 series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113359

Memory: ~$100

PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MD16384KD3-1600-X9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178655&ignorebbr=1

Power supply: ~free from old computer

Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W ATX 12V v2.3, EPS 12V v2.91 CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153106

Video card: ~free going to use the 9800 gtx+ till the new radeon 300s come out then one of those. example though ~390

ASUS R9290X-DC2-4GD5 Radeon R9 290X 4GB 512-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121922&ignorebbr=1

Total: ~$473 before you add the video card which would bring it to roughly $800 maybe more depending on the price of the new cards. Which I might still get the example card from above if it lowers these enough and there isn't a huuuge jump in power.

Conclusion: What are your thoughts on this machine? Ideally I would like to run a 

AMD FX-9590 Vishera 4.7GHz Socket AM3+ 220W 8-Core Desktop Processor - Black Edition FD9590FHHKWOX with Liquid Cooling Kit ~$300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113351  But, there are no mother boards that are mini ITX which I don't know why I'm going with I just really like that case and how portable it is. EDIT: and before anyone asks no i don't move my computer that often. I just like the looks of the case lol reminds me of something from some video game I can't place it though.

Questions:

Would you go with a larger case and larger MOBO so you can add/change more things.. (could reuse memory if i had more slots potentiality save cash and could run crossfire with a second video card down the line)

Will everything fit/have any heat problems do you think?

Would you stick with my current build (will edit in once I get home till then I'll just post the processor below in hopes of not making this post to long) and just buy a video card?

If so would you stick with nvidia or go with radeon and why?

Comments: Okay so I past the price of my old CPU but several hundred dollars.. But, I'm impressed by how reasonably priced AMD is.

Current CPU: ~$274

Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield Quad-Core 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W BX80601950 Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211

 
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dravack said:
So I think I may have been tempted to the dark side sadly they don't have cookies but with the money I'm saving I can buy cookies all the cookies! Also put it inside a spoiler to save room. Be warned I rambled while I was suppose to be taking a final lol. Clearly I'm bored and tired of school.

Back story:

So yeah video card is older than dirt (~9 years now) gtx 9800+ I was looking to upgrade it and people were suggesting radeon. Now I've always used intel processors and nvida videocards. However, after looking at various parts for an AMD+radeon build I'm drooling. Tempted to build a whole new computer for basically what my processor on my old computer cost me roughly lol. So I'll post the parts below I'm considering and I'd appreciate any feedback.

The build: (Links are currently not the best price will update them later for now they are examples)

Case: ~120

Corsair Graphite Series 380T Mini-ITX Portable PC Case (Leaning towards the yellow one not shown here) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LA70SKO/ref=s9_wish_gw_d3_g147_i3?ie=UTF8&colid=3FESXG28J35NT&coliid=I1QFI3CB8LFGW2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=087JE7D7FJM81NWCWXJ7&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Mother board: ~$103

MSI A88XI AC FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Mini ITX AMD Motherboard http://MSI A88XI AC FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Mini ITX AMD Motherboard

Proccesor: ~$150

AMD A10-7850K Kaveri 12 Compute Cores (4 CPU + 8 GPU) 3.7GHz Socket FM2+ 95W AD785KXBJABOX Desktop Processor AMD Radeon R7 series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113359

Memory: ~$100

PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MD16384KD3-1600-X9 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178655&ignorebbr=1

Power supply: ~free from old computer

Thermaltake Black Widow W0319RU 850W ATX 12V v2.3, EPS 12V v2.91 CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153106

Video card: ~free going to use the 9800 gtx+ till the new radeon 300s come out then one of those. example though ~390

ASUS R9290X-DC2-4GD5 Radeon R9 290X 4GB 512-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121922&ignorebbr=1

Total: ~$473 before you add the video card which would bring it to roughly $800 maybe more depending on the price of the new cards. Which I might still get the example card from above if it lowers these enough and there isn't a huuuge jump in power.

Conclusion: What are your thoughts on this machine? Ideally I would like to run a

AMD FX-9590 Vishera 4.7GHz Socket AM3+ 220W 8-Core Desktop Processor - Black Edition FD9590FHHKWOX with Liquid Cooling Kit ~$300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113351 But, there are no mother boards that are mini ITX which I don't know why I'm going with I just really like that case and how portable it is. EDIT: and before anyone asks no i don't move my computer that often. I just like the looks of the case lol reminds me of something from some video game I can't place it though.

Questions:

Would you go with a larger case and larger MOBO so you can add/change more things.. (could reuse memory if i had more slots potentiality save cash and could run crossfire with a second video card down the line)

Will everything fit/have any heat problems do you think?

Would you stick with my current build (will edit in once I get home till then I'll just post the processor below in hopes of not making this post to long) and just buy a video card?

If so would you stick with nvidia or go with radeon and why?

Comments: Okay so I past the price of my old CPU but several hundred dollars.. But, I'm impressed by how reasonably priced AMD is.

Current CPU: ~$274

Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield Quad-Core 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W BX80601950 Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211
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larger case, and larger mobo, your current setup with a-10,is going to bottleneck the gpu. no need for fx 9590, it is overkill. fx 8350 is enough if you want to go with amd cpu,

otherwise go for intel i5 cpu. or keep your old i7 cpu, and upgrade to a atx mid case, and graphics cards. r9 290 runs hot, so you need proper proper cooling. especially if you go for amd cpu + amd gpu combo.

 
YBX87 said:
larger case, and larger mobo, your current setup with a-10,is going to bottleneck the gpu. no need for fx 9590, it is overkill. fx 8350 is enough if you want to go with amd cpu,

otherwise go for intel i5 cpu. or keep your old i7 cpu, and upgrade to a atx mid case, and graphics cards. r9 290 runs hot, so you need proper proper cooling. especially if you go for amd cpu + amd gpu combo.
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Yeah I was afraid of that. I just really like that case lol. Do you think I'll notice any difference with a newer processor/diffrent? Or just stick to upgrading the video card?

Unimportant window shopping
Also while the 9590 is over kill its only $300 that's dirt cheap compared to what I'm use to with intel. That said the fx 8350 is ~$170 so half the price which would allow funds to be allotted else where that is definitely needed. IE: new monitor. using one of these now the second one I had died. Hanns-G HL272HPB Black 27 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254093 Really it's an okay monitor but meh I hate it. I've had them since 2012. Kinda want a glossy IPS or one of those new fangled korean monitors.

leaning more towards something like this for the HDMI incase I want to game somewhere other than my tv. 2x HP Pavilion 23xw 23-in IPS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIJLF0I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3FESXG28J35NT&coliid=I3JTV5WPXDTIHS&psc=1 Apprently the korean ones don't have hdmi for whatever reason.

 
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dravack said:
Yeah I was afraid of that. I just really like that case lol. Do you think I'll notice any difference with a newer processor/diffrent? Or just stick to upgrading the video card?

Unimportant window shopping
Also while the 9590 is over kill its only $300 that's dirt cheap compared to what I'm use to with intel. That said the fx 8350 is ~$170 so half the price which would allow funds to be allotted else where that is definitely needed. IE: new monitor. using one of these now the second one I had died. Hanns-G HL272HPB Black 27 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254093 Really it's an okay monitor but meh I hate it. I've had them since 2012. Kinda want a glossy IPS or one of those new fangled korean monitors.

leaning more towards something like this for the HDMI incase I want to game somewhere other than my tv. 2x HP Pavilion 23xw 23-in IPS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIJLF0I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3FESXG28J35NT&coliid=I3JTV5WPXDTIHS&psc=1 Apprently the korean ones don't have hdmi for whatever reason.
Click to expand...
the only point is amd cpu are inferior compare to their intel counterparts, because they are not true cores. plus, with most benchmarks tests of fx9590 vs fx 8350, there were no significant improvements found with fx 9590 over fx 8350. plus 9590 runs extremely hot, and with that mini-itx case, you will have issues with cooling

if you are using an i7, i would just maybe upgrade the motherboard, power supplies, and graphics card, and ram, and get a new atx mid case. you can get a cheap one for under $50. i would not use that power supply to power an r9 290x power hungry graphic card.

 
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dravack said:
Yeah I was afraid of that. I just really like that case lol. Do you think I'll notice any difference with a newer processor/diffrent? Or just stick to upgrading the video card?

Unimportant window shopping
Also while the 9590 is over kill its only $300 that's dirt cheap compared to what I'm use to with intel. That said the fx 8350 is ~$170 so half the price which would allow funds to be allotted else where that is definitely needed. IE: new monitor. using one of these now the second one I had died. Hanns-G HL272HPB Black 27 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254093 Really it's an okay monitor but meh I hate it. I've had them since 2012. Kinda want a glossy IPS or one of those new fangled korean monitors.

leaning more towards something like this for the HDMI incase I want to game somewhere other than my tv. 2x HP Pavilion 23xw 23-in IPS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIJLF0I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3FESXG28J35NT&coliid=I3JTV5WPXDTIHS&psc=1 Apprently the korean ones don't have hdmi for whatever reason.
Click to expand...
you should check the hp website, they sometimes have great deals on the hp monitors you want.

 
YBX87 said:
the only point is amd cpu are inferior compare to their intel counterparts, because they are not true cores. plus, with most benchmarks tests of fx9590 vs fx 8350, there were no significant improvements found with fx 9590 over fx 8350. plus 9590 runs extremely hot, and with that mini-itx case, you will have issues with cooling

if you are using an i7, i would just maybe upgrade the motherboard, power supplies, and graphics card, and ram, and get a new atx mid case. you can get a cheap one for under $50
Click to expand...
Yeah. I'll probably go with the 8350 was just saying. But, if you think the i7 I have is fine which by all means it seems to be doing fine still. I'll probably just buy a video card and maybe some better ram. When i bought it back in the day it was what was on sale and not the greatest.

YBX87 said:
you should check the hp website, they sometimes have great deals on the hp monitors you want.
Click to expand...
yeah that's how I found that style which I kinda like. Dude on slickdeals posted a deal for it for like 20% off or something. Sadly sold out before I could pull the trigger.

EDIT: on the subject of cases any thoughts on either of these? I'm leaning more towards the R5 for the "quiet" but the phantom sure looks flashy.

NZXT Phantom 410 Mid Tower USB 3.0 Gaming Case http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006I2H08E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2FYT30XLXDEQR&coliid=I36UQMU9UBBAHN&psc=1
Fractal Design Define R5 Gaming Case Cases FDCADEFR5BK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q380LDY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2FYT30XLXDEQR&coliid=I2WHJJ3VX58R79

Really wanted this sexy beast but my bluray drive is black and throws the whole look off.. Guess I could paint it or something. Corsair Vengeance Series Military Green C70 Mid http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007S02GLQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2FYT30XLXDEQR&coliid=IHQ6DTJKYG3HK&psc=1

 
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dravack said:
Yeah. I'll probably go with the 8350 was just saying. But, if you think the i7 I have is fine which by all means it seems to be doing fine still. I'll probably just buy a video card and maybe some better ram. When i bought it back in the day it was what was on sale and not the greatest.


yeah that's how I found that style which I kinda like. Dude on slickdeals posted a deal for it for like 20% off or something. Sadly sold out before I could pull the trigger.

EDIT: on the subject of cases any thoughts on either of these? I'm leaning more towards the R5 for the "quiet" but the phantom sure looks flashy.

NZXT Phantom 410 Mid Tower USB 3.0 Gaming Case http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006I2H08E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2FYT30XLXDEQR&coliid=I36UQMU9UBBAHN&psc=1
Fractal Design Define R5 Gaming Case Cases FDCADEFR5BK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q380LDY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2FYT30XLXDEQR&coliid=I2WHJJ3VX58R79
Click to expand...
unless you can give me a clear budget of how much you are willing to spend, and what you are using your computer for. it is really hard to give suggestions, are you planning to build it this week, or can you afford to wait. because amd is planning to release a recent patch of graphics card , which is the 300 series this month

like i also said before if your current cpu is i7-970 . it is on par with fx 9350/ fx 8xxx series in most performance. so you are not really getting much upgrade by going amd with cpu. you might as well save that money, get a gtx 980/970 since nvidia is running a promo right now with two free games: witcher 3 + arkham knight with the purchases of gtx 970/980, which ends 6/1/2015. if you really want to go with the r9 290x, i would really advise getting a more reputatable branded power supply like seasonic. especially if you had that psu for 9 years, i would really be worry about the power efficiency.

i would go with fractal design define, it is one of the most recommended cases out there. especially if you value noise level, and r9 290x can get loud, depending on the brand you are buying from.

regarding reusing memory, is your ram ddr3 1600? if it is . you can hold off from upgrading for now

 
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YBX87 said:
unless you can give me a clear budget of how much you are willing to spend, and what you are using your computer for. it is really hard to give suggestions, are you planning to build it this week, or can you afford to wait. because amd is planning to release a recent patch of graphics card , which is the 300 series this month

like i also said before if your current cpu is i7-970 . it is on par with fx 9350/ fx 8xxx series in most performance. so you are not really getting much upgrade by going amd with cpu. you might as well save that money, get a gtx 980/970 since nvidia is running a promo right now with two free games: witcher 3 + arkham knight with the purchases of gtx 970/980, which ends 6/1/2015. if you really want to go with the r9 290x, i would really advise getting a more reputatable branded power supply like seasonic. especially if you had that psu for 9 years, i would really be worry about the power efficiency.

i would go with fractal design define, it is one of the most recommended cases out there. especially if you value noise level, and r9 290x can get loud, depending on the brand you are buying from.

regarding reusing memory, is your ram ddr3 1600? if it is . you can hold off from upgrading for now
Click to expand...
Yeah it is but it's really cheap crappy memory I bought because it was on sale and I planned on updating it but never got around to it.


elessar123 said:
What is your current build? It really just sounds like you have an underpowered video card.
Click to expand...
The video card is decent... but doesn't let me play stuff like tropico 5 because it doesn't support direct x 11 or whatever it is now (per the tropico launcher) and besides I kinda want to play elite dangerous on max or near to max. I was originally just going to buy a new card but the price of a new system is tempting with amd being so cheap. Besides I'm about to graduate again and could make it a gift to myself XD

Here's a basic breakdown.

Operating System: Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit (6.3, Build 9600) (9600.winblue_r9.150322-1500)

Language: English (Regional Setting: English)

System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

System Model: X58A-UD3R

BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz (8 CPUs), ~3.1GHz

Memory: 10240MB RAM

Available OS Memory: 10238MB RAM

Page File: 8756MB used, 11722MB available

Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS

DirectX Version: DirectX 11

DX Setup Parameters: Not found

User DPI Setting: Using System DPI

System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)

DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled

DxDiag Version: 6.03.9600.17415 64bit Unicode

---------------

Display Devices

---------------

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+

Manufacturer: NVIDIA

Chip type: GeForce 9800 GTX+

DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC

Device Type: Full Device

Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0613&SUBSYS_0592196E&REV_A2

Display Memory: 4064 MB

Dedicated Memory: 480 MB

Shared Memory: 3583 MB

Current Mode: 1600 x 1200 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor

Monitor Model: HL272HPB

Monitor Id: HSD6537

Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)

Output Type: HDMI

Here's a slightly better version but I can't remember how I created it a few months back. Note the diffrence in memory one was slightly unseated and I fixed it now as displayed above.

Item Value
OS Name Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro
Version 6.3.9600 Build 9600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model X58A-UD3R
System Type x64-based PC
System SKU
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz, 2927 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. FB, 8/24/2010
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Embedded Controller Version 255.255
BIOS Mode Legacy
BaseBoard Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
BaseBoard Model Not Available
BaseBoard Name Base Board
Platform Role Desktop
Secure Boot State Unsupported
PCR7 Configuration Binding Not Possible
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.3.9600.17196"
User Name (deleted)
Time Zone Central Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 8.00 GB
Available Physical Memory 4.65 GB
Total Virtual Memory 11.8 GB
Available Virtual Memory 6.58 GB
Page File Space 3.76 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions Yes
Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions Yes
Hyper-V - Virtualization Enabled in Firmware Yes
Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection Yes


(skipped some to make smaller)

[Display]

Item Value
Name NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0613&SUBSYS_0592196E&REV_A2\4&2ABA1BF6&0&0018
Adapter Type GeForce 9800 GTX+, NVIDIA compatible
Adapter Description NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+
Adapter RAM 512.00 MB (536,870,912 bytes)
Installed Drivers nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver Version 9.18.13.4052
INF File oem5.inf (Section016 section)
Color Planes Not Available
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1920 x 1080 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32
 
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Honestly, your system is fine. Just get a new video card (GTX 970ish) and maybe a new PSU, and you'll be on par or better than with what you want to buy, for less than half the money you would have spent.

 
YBX87 said:
if you are still interest in r9 290x, here is a decent deal for it

Sapphire R9 290X 4GB GDDR5 DUAL DVI-D/HDMI/DP TRI-X OC Version PCI-Express Graphics Card 11226-00-40G $269.99 after mail in rebate
Click to expand...
I was using the 290 as a price point/place holder. Since the 300 models are suppose to come out next month. That said I also assume when the 300s come out the 290s are going to drop some in prince. Depending on what performance they are claiming I might get the 290 if the price difference between the 290 and 300 is great. That or I guess stick with nvidia as the guy on the previous post said. I'm not really brand loyal just whoever has the better deal at the end of the day.

That said I think the best deal is for the gtx 970 right now. At a price point of ~$300 + 2 games (vauled at -$100 so the card is $200). Which makes me sad because I was really looking forward to trying out a radeon build.. Which I might still do but use it as a htpc.

 
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dravack said:
I was using the 290 as a price point/place holder. Since the 300 models are suppose to come out next month. That said I also assume when the 300s come out the 290s are going to drop some in prince. Depending on what performance they are claiming I might get the 290 if the price difference between the 290 and 300 is great. That or I guess stick with nvidia as the guy on the previous post said. I'm not really brand loyal just whoever has the better deal at the end of the day.

That said I think the best deal is for the gtx 970 right now. At a price point of ~$300 + 2 games (vauled at -$100 so the card is $200). Which makes me sad because I was really looking forward to trying out a radeon build.. Which I might still do but use it as a htpc
Click to expand...
i am not sure where you are seeing gtx 970 for $300, they average from $330- $350 for non-reference cooler design

 
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YBX87 said:
i am not sure where you are seeing gtx 970 for $300, they average from $330- $350 for non-reference cooler design
Click to expand...
Kinda cheating. I moved recently and have a movers coupon from bestbuy. Newegg has the MSI GTX 970 for $329.99 PM that to bb and add the 10% movers coupon - $10 rebate as posted on newegg it says its good for any retailer (i have not read the fine print yet) totals the card out at $287+tax + 2 free games (batman and witcher3)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL050515&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL050515&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL050515-_-EMC-050515-Index-_-DesktopGraphicsCards-_-14127832-S0I

I don't know much about msi other than they have been around for awhile I'm more of an evga/pny fan but eh I think they must be alright to still be kicking around and 398 people on newegg seem to like the card.

Edit: This is all assuming I can get the phone rep to PM and let me use the coupon since its online only.

 
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dravack said:
Kinda cheating. I moved recently and have a movers coupon from bestbuy. Newegg has the MSI GTX 970 for $329.99 PM that to bb and add the 10% movers coupon - $10 rebate as posted on newegg it says its good for any retailer (i have not read the fine print yet) totals the card out at $287+tax + 2 free games (batman and witcher3)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127832&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=IGNEFL050515&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL050515&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL050515-_-EMC-050515-Index-_-DesktopGraphicsCards-_-14127832-S0I

I don't know much about msi other than they have been around for awhile I'm more of an evga fan but eh I think they must be alright to still be kicking around and 398 people on newegg seem to like the card.

Edit: This is all assuming I can get the phone rep to PM and let me use the coupon since its online only.
Click to expand...
i highly doubt it will work

 
YBX87 said:
i highly doubt it will work
Click to expand...
In-Store let me get a macbook air the other day for my mom for like $500 after points was like $650 before. Was on sale for $799.99 - 10% -$50 .edu coupon. So there's a chance.

Edit: I guess what I'm trying to say it's no skin off my teeth if it doesn't work. Lol it's worth a shot. Also where i there world does that saying come from.. who has skin on their teeth >.> lol

 
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dravack said:
In-Store let me get a macbook air the other day for my mom for like $500 after points was like $650 before. Was on sale for $799.99 - 10% -$50 .edu coupon. So there's a chance.

Edit: I guess what I'm trying to say it's no skin off my teeth if it doesn't work. Lol it's worth a shot. Also where i there world does that saying come from.. who has skin on their teeth >.> lol
Click to expand...
if you are pming newegg to bb, nvm. i guess they do sell non-evga brand gtx 970

 
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