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

You should spoiler tag that, it's taking up a lot of space.

On topic for my rig, I think I'm going to go with the ATI card, the spec are just a little better.
And no one has answered if my optical drives and wireless card will be compatible with my new mobo.
 
[quote name='Fatso2027']You should spoiler tag that, it's taking up a lot of space.

On topic for my rig, I think I'm going to go with the ATI card, the spec are just a little better.
And no one has answered if my optical drives and wireless card will be compatible with my new mobo.[/QUOTE]

Your Wireless Card seems fine.

not too sure about your drives, but I think the motherboard can support only one of the any drives.
 
Thanks :) I'm trying to shave any kind of cost I have off of this. I don't want a shit computer, but if I can save money off of a salvage, I would love that.
Changed my mobo again, something a little cheaper, but has everything I need, at least I think so.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131626

And just wondering on RAM, to get 4gb, would it be more beneficial to get 2x2gb of 4x1gb?

I'll post the full final setup once I find out if I need to buy a new CD drive or not, and where I'm getting my HDD from.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fatso, go with 2x2 GB so you can eventually upgrade to more RAM if you so choose.

Also: I don't understand the reasoning for paying $7,100.00 on a "super computer" when you can get a computer that can run any game out right now on insanely high settings for ~$2,000.00
 
[quote name='MiNuN']Yup, agreed. I see nothing wrong with Ultra X4 series.[/QUOTE]
They may have gotten better, but Ultra used to be the Yugo of the PSU world. And from their crappy past performance, I wouldn't trust 7 grand worth of hardware to them. Maybe it's just me. It seems to have good reviews though.

Also, with all that power, you're only getting a monitor that supports 1680 x 1050 resolution? If you want to show off the power of the rig, at least do it justice with a higher resolution monitor.
 
[quote name='Fatso2027']Thanks :) I'm trying to shave any kind of cost I have off of this. I don't want a shit computer, but if I can save money off of a salvage, I would love that.
Changed my mobo again, something a little cheaper, but has everything I need, at least I think so.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131626

And just wondering on RAM, to get 4gb, would it be more beneficial to get 2x2gb of 4x1gb?

I'll post the full final setup once I find out if I need to buy a new CD drive or not, and where I'm getting my HDD from.[/QUOTE]

well you should be fine with disc drives on that mobo.
id buy a new hdd.
you want to buy the ram in pairs to utilize dual channel. its also more cost efficient to get 2x2gb versus 1x4gb
 
So you actually think you are going to build a pc now and it will be capable of similar computing in 20 years?

your build just doesnt make sense. if you just wanted to spend a bunch of money just because itd be fun to have a crazy computer for a few years then itd be more logical. youre trying to go over the top now with the idea that doing so will net a pc youll use for 20 years. thats not only illogical its impossible.

some of the parts may work but they wont be capable of utilizing current software.

can you explain what exactly will be the difference in performance between your rig and one costing less than half the cost? this is a case where money doesnt offset logic and you will literally be wasting money.

also. you should post your build and questions at anandtech or tomshardware also.


[quote name='MiNuN']

I will make sure this will last 20 years, but I ain't going to rub it in your face:bouncy:.

I am looking for the best gaming performance, not future-proof, the products I pick just so happen to belong in the current future-proof area right now. This is how I see it, I want the best right now and if I am happy with it once i start using it, I do not see why I would not be happy in later years.

P.S. I will not regret this, in fact, I do not regret a lot of things I do, I have learned to do things without regretting so I can remain happy.
[/QUOTE]
 
I challenged myself to design an entry-level (but capable of playing any game out today, at some setting or another), 100% from-scratch (as in, assuming no component recycling at all, except for input/output devices, aka keyboard+mouse+monitor, and OS) gaming PC for $250 flat (taking advantage of time-sensitive rebates and combo offers, note). I got pretty close, but a few things, like rising prices on DDR2 RAM, pushed it to just under $300, after rebates. If even just an HDD and/or optical drive could be recycled, though, the $250 figure becomes feasible again.

To be upfront, a few corners definitely had to be cut, in areas such as motherboard features, and if I could budget just ~$15 more each for the motherboard and CPU, it'd be a decent improvement, but I was pretty firmly set on the $250 figure. I wanted to show that cost doesn't have to be any more of a barrier to PC gaming, than console gaming. Put up three Benjamins, the cost of an Xbox 360 Elite, and anyone can have themselves a gaming rig. You won't be maxing out Crysis on this setup, but again, one way or another, this rig should be able to get any game on the market running totally playable, one way or another. Some clowns spend more than this on a CPU alone, but I prefer designing computers for people who actually have common sense, and who aren't blind to severely diminishing return curves.

Anyways, check it out. Sorry for linking this as an image (which isn't really an elegant way to do it), rather than the preferred method of a Newegg Wish List, but I couldn't find a way to add combo offers to a wishlist. This'll have to do for now. Comments and questions are welcome.



Parts links:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.391171
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.388283

If anybody actually wants to build something based off of this (note that I'm not building anything like this for myself, at the moment; this was just an exercise), or would like to know what upgrades I'd make if the budget were a tad higher, please, feel free to talk to me in this thread.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Awesome, you guys are life savers. I'm planning on grabbing at least a 500gb HDD, just looking around for the right price, but tigerdirect has a 1tb for $50, and that's pretty tempting. Just wanting to make sure that the mobo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131626) along with my CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681) are going to be, for 1 compatible, and that they will be sufficient for gaming. My huge huge goal from this computer is to run WoW at 60 frames on Ultra. If it does anything less than that I'm just wasting money because my laptop can almost run ultra.
 
[quote name='Fatso2027']Awesome, you guys are life savers. I'm planning on grabbing at least a 500gb HDD, just looking around for the right price, but tigerdirect has a 1tb for $50, and that's pretty tempting. Just wanting to make sure that the mobo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131626) along with my CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681) are going to be, for 1 compatible, and that they will be sufficient for gaming. My huge huge goal from this computer is to run WoW at 60 frames on Ultra. If it does anything less than that I'm just wasting money because my laptop can almost run ultra.[/QUOTE]
what resolution monitor will you be on?

the mobo and cpu are fine together.
 
[quote name='paz9x']So you actually think you are going to build a pc now and it will be capable of similar computing in 20 years?[/QUOTE]

Well, it'll play this year's games for 20 years. :lol:
 
[quote name='Fatso2027']Awesome, you guys are life savers. I'm planning on grabbing at least a 500gb HDD, just looking around for the right price, but tigerdirect has a 1tb for $50, and that's pretty tempting. Just wanting to make sure that the mobo (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131626) along with my CPU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103681) are going to be, for 1 compatible, and that they will be sufficient for gaming. My huge huge goal from this computer is to run WoW at 60 frames on Ultra. If it does anything less than that I'm just wasting money because my laptop can almost run ultra.[/QUOTE]
You can get an Athlon II X3 for like 10 bucks more, and 3 cores is right about the sweet spot for gaming according to Tom's Hardware.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103843
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']They may have gotten better, but Ultra used to be the Yugo of the PSU world. And from their crappy past performance, I wouldn't trust 7 grand worth of hardware to them. Maybe it's just me. It seems to have good reviews though.

Also, with all that power, you're only getting a monitor that supports 1680 x 1050 resolution? If you want to show off the power of the rig, at least do it justice with a higher resolution monitor.[/QUOTE]

Well its points are that it is 3D-ready and it is not that far off from true-HD. Even though I am against 3D glasses thing, I can not deny it is one way to play games (Let's go new NDS with no glasses 3D!).

anyhow, it would be great if you could recommend me some monitors without going multi.
 
[quote name='paz9x']So you actually think you are going to build a pc now and it will be capable of similar computing in 20 years?

your build just doesnt make sense. if you just wanted to spend a bunch of money just because itd be fun to have a crazy computer for a few years then itd be more logical. youre trying to go over the top now with the idea that doing so will net a pc youll use for 20 years. thats not only illogical its impossible.

some of the parts may work but they wont be capable of utilizing current software.

can you explain what exactly will be the difference in performance between your rig and one costing less than half the cost? this is a case where money doesnt offset logic and you will literally be wasting money.

also. you should post your build and questions at anandtech or tomshardware also.[/QUOTE]


I know that it will not match what computers will be in 20 years, but I meant if I am happy with it currently why wouldn't I be happy with it in the future?

I assume that better specs is better performance which is right in most cases isn't it?
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']Well, it'll play this year's games for 20 years. :lol:[/QUOTE]

Exactly, even though it will support future games to an extent, I hardly buy computers games because I mainly game on consoles, but for games like Starcraft 2 etc etc...I believe it will last longer than what you guys make it seem like.
 
[quote name='MiNuN']Exactly, even though it will support future games to an extent, I hardly buy computers games because I mainly game on consoles, but for games like Starcraft 2 etc etc...I believe it will last longer than what you guys make it seem like.[/QUOTE]

haha seriously man. this thread is really starting to crack me up.
theres so much fail, 8gb ram on a 1366. a 1680x1050 monitor and a 5970
$300 sound card for starcraft 2 playing.

why dont you do some research on pc's from 1990, you couldnt even browse the internet with them now.

better specs means better performance in certain tasks. I can straight guarantee i could build a pc for less than $1500 that would be indistinguishable from your proposed rig in all types of gaming.

you know why people buy things like the 980x ? for benchmarking.

i dont know how to fly a helicopter, but if i applied your pc building logic i should get one to make trips to the grocery store. yeah itll work but it wouldnt be efficient.

besides the obvious issues with your build. its not a smart expenditure of money. even if it was to be used for a purpose fitting the components and price, you should be managing your money in a more mature manner.

heres the toms thread - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/286974-31-what
 
[quote name='paz9x']haha seriously man. this thread is really starting to crack me up.
theres so much fail, 8gb ram on a 1366. a 1680x1050 monitor and a 5970
$300 sound card for starcraft 2 playing.

why dont you do some research on pc's from 1990, you couldnt even browse the internet with them now.

better specs means better performance in certain tasks. I can straight guarantee i could build a pc for less than $1500 that would be indistinguishable from your proposed rig in all types of gaming.

you know why people buy things like the 980x ? for benchmarking.

i dont know how to fly a helicopter, but if i applied your pc building logic i should get one to make trips to the grocery store. yeah itll work but it wouldnt be efficient.

besides the obvious issues with your build. its not a smart expenditure of money. even if it was to be used for a purpose fitting the components and price, you should be managing your money in a more mature manner.

heres the toms thread - http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/286974-31-what[/QUOTE]

Why is 8GB a fail?

Another plus of the monitor is its 120Hz refresh rate. But, because you are making resolutions just a big deal, can you explain it to me why it is so important?

5970s has the best specs, you can not deny that.

The sound card is for the speakers.

I am interested could you elaborate more on "indistinguishable"

I agree with you on the last sentence, but my goal is the best performance for gaming which is usually the best specs is it not?
 
[quote name='MiNuN']I agree with you on the last sentence, but my goal is the best performance for gaming which is usually the best specs is it not?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but there comes a point where you're just spending money for absurdly small performance gains. You likely won't notice a difference between like 4 and 8 GB of memory unless you're performing research for NASA or something.

Honestly, a $2000 or $2500 rig will likely perform single-digit percentages behind your monster $8000 rig in terms of gaming. Is 5% performance worth $5000 or $6000 to you?

And, no matter how monster you make your rig, it'll be outdated in a year. There will be bigger-better-faster parts, and you've suddenly got a middle of the road computer that you've paid $8000 for.

Unless you just like spending money. Then go monster on everything and let it be.

As for the monitor, if you are set on building the monster rig, go with a 30" with at least 1920x1200 resolution. If you want your games to look beautiful, higher resolution is better IMO than refresh rate.
 
[quote name='MiNuN']I am interested could you elaborate more on "indistinguishable"

I agree with you on the last sentence, but my goal is the best performance for gaming which is usually the best specs is it not?[/QUOTE]

What he means by indistinguishable are things like frame rates. This computer might get x amount of frames per second on a game like Crysis at a particular resolution and a $1500 dollar computer might have the exact same frames per second at the same resolution. Or you might see your build doing a game at 60 fps and a lower build at 58 fps. 2 frames? Most people can't tell, but props to you if you can. Things like the sound card is also dependent on the speakers and most people won't be able to distinguish the minute details of high and low frequencies that a super high end card would produce over a mid range.

Most of what Lawyers Guns N Money says is also true. Most of your parts you are considering are for super enthusiasts who can tweak the settings like crazy and go "Hey, look what I can do!" and the might be able to get 10% (more or less) performance gains from stock. In theory, you could get a $1500 computer to perform similarly to the stock build you have.

I wouldn't say the build would be middle of the road a year from now. It'll still be high end, just not highest end. Some people I know who build their computers ~4 years ago can still run all the newest games well, with a few upgrades here and there like HDs and RAM.

As for the monitor, I saw it was 3D capable, so I thought you just wanted to prepare for that. Otherwise, you'd want the highest resolution and the biggest available.
 
[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']Yeah, but there comes a point where you're just spending money for absurdly small performance gains. You likely won't notice a difference between like 4 and 8 GB of memory unless you're performing research for NASA or something.

Honestly, a $2000 or $2500 rig will likely perform single-digit percentages behind your monster $8000 rig in terms of gaming. Is 5% performance worth $5000 or $6000 to you?

And, no matter how monster you make your rig, it'll be outdated in a year. There will be bigger-better-faster parts, and you've suddenly got a middle of the road computer that you've paid $8000 for.

Unless you just like spending money. Then go monster on everything and let it be.

As for the monitor, if you are set on building the monster rig, go with a 30" with at least 1920x1200 resolution. If you want your games to look beautiful, higher resolution is better IMO than refresh rate.[/QUOTE]

I won't notice the difference but I want to know there is a difference.

Yes it does matter to me.

I am willing to accept that, I'll be super happy for about 1-2 years, after that I will just love this pc till about 10 years, 10 years + I will be like eh, but your still my baby.

I planned to go monsterous from the start!

Refresh rates plays a big difference in FPS, but in other games it is true to what you have said. As much as I love to put the games to HD...(and cheaper too...really arguing with myself here) I am going with 3D.

Thank you kilm, yes, with the way that 3D is going (even though I am against the glasses and totally love the new NDS idea) I can not deny the fact that 3D gaming is one way of gaming and who knows, I might buy a pair of glasses one day, so I just want to have it 3D ready to be just in case when I want to experience that way of video gaming.

Aside from the absurdly of the price, I say that my Rig is pretty much ready to go eh? I know a lot of you guys (if not everybody ha ha ha) disagree with me, but this is something that I want.

I just want to say it now, it was a very fun experience for me, as I have never went in to so much depth of computers, and I am sure that I have only learned 1.5% about computers and their hardware. I am also looking forward to putting everything together as well.

If there is any more comments, please feel free, as of now, I am also gathering feedback from other websites but I love C.A.G. the best!

P.S. I still do not get why 8GB is a fail...
 
Goddamn, Minun, you just don't get it. Go find a top-of-the-line computer from 2000, and see what it's like, using it now. Tell me how much you "love it."

You could take that amount of money you are going to waste on this thing, all with the naive notion that you will use it happily for 10 years, and instead take that same amount of money and build a new just-under-the-top-of-the-line machine now, and then upgrade it every 3.3 years for the next decade, and still run everything 90% as well (and hey, you could recycle old core parts into backup machines, or a spare machine for people to come plan LAN or something), except you'll be at 80-90% for that entire decade straight, rather than bottoming out to under 50%, if that, after 5 years.

So, you could spend $4000 now, and be completely, painfully obsolete within 5 years, or you could, say, spend $1500 now (extra for the case and cooling, which is another waste, IMO, but you seem pretty fixated), and then $800 each to upgrade in 2014, 2017, and 2020, and have uninterrupted kick-ass performance for the next decade straight.

So, consider this idea. Why would you go through with this thing? You can be a performance laughing stock in 5 years, or you can stay 90%-of-the-top-of-the-line for an entire decade, for the same amount of money, and then you'd be the one laughing.

Don't be stupid, man.
 
8GB of RAM is fail because you're robbing yourself of some performance by only using a dual channel memory kit with that system. The socket 1366 i7 processors can run memory in a triple channel configuration which gives a performance boost over a standard dual channel setup. You're much better off going with a 6GB (3x2GB) kit right now, especially considering the current price premium for 4GB sticks and that you just are not going to notice much of a difference past that 6 anyway.

Also, if you're really going to go for 3D, you'll want to go for an Nvidia card instead. I don't think ATI really supports the 3D monitor stuff for gaming right now. That setup is still going to be kind of a waste on a monitor with a lower resolution like that.

Honestly Minun though, take the advice others have given you and cut it back a bit. There's absolutely no reason to spend anywhere near what you plan to, not when you can spend less than half of what you currently plan to and get almost the same performance.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well, like I have said before, if I am happy with the way the PC is, I do not see why I would not be happy in the future, sure technology gets better, but it does not mean I can not run it. CoffeeEdge, I get it, I really do, so thank you for your concern.

I am planning to go with 4x4GB (Since the 4GBs only comes in packs of 2x4GB=8GB) for a total of 16GB now, to make use of the Triple Channel Memory. I would really like to stick to 4GB a stick. Mid Boss, I also thank you for your concern.

Anyhow, it finally took Mid Boss to convince me to change my Monitor, I hate and really hate this 3D technology with glasses! I want touch-screen but the colours are too dull for Computer Video Gaming. I am currently looking in to monitors again.

P.S. The PC I am currently using right now...is at least 8 years old...from 2002, I think I might have actually gotten it in 2000?! I need to check BIOS for the correct date.
 
You still aren't quite getting the memory thing. To take advantage of the triple channel architecture of i7s you need to be running your memory in sets of 3. So you need either 3 or 6 RAM sticks, otherwise it they won't be running in triple channel mode and you lose some performance.
 
[quote name='Mid Boss']You still aren't quite getting the memory thing. To take advantage of the triple channel architecture of i7s you need to be running your memory in sets of 3. So you need either 3 or 6 RAM sticks, otherwise it they won't be running in triple channel mode and you lose some performance.[/QUOTE]

Oh, is that so, I thought because there are 4 it will still use the Triple Channel, thank you for correcting me, I will look at R.A.M. alternatives as well.
 
[quote name='MiNuN']Oh, is that so, I thought because there are 4 it will still use the Triple Channel, thank you for correcting me, I will look at R.A.M. alternatives as well.[/QUOTE]

"Triple" means "three," ya know.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']"Triple" means "three," ya know.[/QUOTE]

Well yes, but I assumed that the 3 will be in Triple Channel while the left-over RAM will in single channel, but I did not know exceeding 3 would make them all single channel.
 
[quote name='MiNuN']OMG Guys...I have just discovered the..."Prometeia Mach II GT":booty:[/QUOTE]
You don't understand how triple channel memory works, but you're going to buy a phase change cooler, which is only worth it if you're going to overclock?

You'll end up with a worthless pile of $8000 silicon within a week. :applause:
 
[quote name='MiNuN']I won't notice the difference but I want to know there is a difference. [/QUOTE]
I'm starting to think you have an inferiority complex, like those guys who need their trucks 3 feet off the ground with monster tires.
 
[quote name='MiNuN']Anyhow, it finally took Mid Boss to convince me to change my Monitor, I hate and really hate this 3D technology with glasses! I want touch-screen but the colours are too dull for Computer Video Gaming. I am currently looking in to monitors again.[/QUOTE]

I would agree with not investing in 3D just yet. The technology for home use is still in its infancy, you really do want to wait for the technology to become developed so it will actually look good.
 
I still can't fathom spending $8000 on a computer that will be almost useless in a few years. 8 grand can buy you a very nice CAR. To each his own I suppose, but it seems like an awful waste to me.
Anyways, I'll stick with my $400 update rig that will be able to run anything I want, and be very happy.

Are there any websites that I should look into for cheaper parts?
 
[quote name='Fatso2027']I still can't fathom spending $8000 on a computer that will be almost useless in a few years. 8 grand can buy you a very nice CAR. To each his own I suppose, but it seems like an awful waste to me.
Anyways, I'll stick with my $400 update rig that will be able to run anything I want, and be very happy.

Are there any websites that I should look into for cheaper parts?[/QUOTE]

www.pricewatch.com

Nothing beats the prices at computer shows though.
 
i was compelled to make a new HTPC (slow day at work) because of this really slick case i saw on new egg.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13113205

theres the build, this is the case.

11-204-039-S01


quick run down

i5 2.66
4gb ram
blu ray
500gb hdd
nvidia gts 250 (w/hdmi out)


edit: if you didnt plan on doing heavy gaming you could find a much cheaper video card with hdmi out to bring the price down. also its a quad core processor, you could get a dual core and save money too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A friend directed me to CAG when I had said I was looking for guidance on what to purchase in building a new PC. In my meager research I've come up with a list of components I'm considering and was hoping someone would be so kind as to glance them over and answer a few questions.

A little personal background: I've been on computers most my life and have at least a vague understanding of how the various internal bits interact. I've only ever watched a computer be built when I was ~8, but hope that my current abilities to read directions, match shapes, and contact the local engineering undergraduate will be enough to put together a new rig. I'm looking for a computer that will run 'older' games (WoW-esq) on high and newer games (BC2) on pretty and playable. That said, I still have a few queries:

1. Given the other components below, will a 550W PSU be adequate? I find it unlikely that I upgrade to an SLI/Crossfire setup in the near future.
2. A friend strongly suggested buying third party cooling components (thermal compound, extra fans). Are such things only necessary if I overclock my CPU/RAM?
3. What sort of knowledge is required to safely overclock CPU/RAM? I've never dabbled in such things, but if it isn't that hard to do so conservatively I'd love to eek out 'free' speed.
4. Am I creating any particular performance bottleneck with this selection of CPU/GPU/RAM?
5. I selected this particular case due to price. As best I can eyeball, it should be able to contain all of my components. Am I correct in this thinking?
6. I will need to connect to the network wirelessly. Does anyone know of a good PCI/USB (N) adapter? I'm hoping to minimize the impact of not being wired.
7. If I buy an OEM copy of Windows I can still upgrade every component of my computer and reuse the OS, right?

If there are any other obvious deficiencies in my choices please call me out. Some selections were due to certain rebates/promo codes/sales and I don't have a ton of wiggle in the budget since I also have to shell out for the OS/Monitor/Input devices.

Thanks!

Mobo:ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard

CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 440 Rana 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor Model ADX440WFGIBOX

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL

GPU: MSI R5750-MD1G Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

PSU: OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Case: NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

DVD: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
 
[quote name='Teodoro']1. Given the other components below, will a 550W PSU be adequate? I find it unlikely that I upgrade to an SLI/Crossfire setup in the near future.
2. A friend strongly suggested buying third party cooling components (thermal compound, extra fans). Are such things only necessary if I overclock my CPU/RAM?
3. What sort of knowledge is required to safely overclock CPU/RAM? I've never dabbled in such things, but if it isn't that hard to do so conservatively I'd love to eek out 'free' speed.
4. Am I creating any particular performance bottleneck with this selection of CPU/GPU/RAM?
5. I selected this particular case due to price. As best I can eyeball, it should be able to contain all of my components. Am I correct in this thinking?
6. I will need to connect to the network wirelessly. Does anyone know of a good PCI/USB (N) adapter? I'm hoping to minimize the impact of not being wired.
7. If I buy an OEM copy of Windows I can still upgrade every component of my computer and reuse the OS, right?

If there are any other obvious deficiencies in my choices please call me out. Some selections were due to certain rebates/promo codes/sales and I don't have a ton of wiggle in the budget since I also have to shell out for the OS/Monitor/Input devices.

Thanks!

Mobo:ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard

CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 440 Rana 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor Model ADX440WFGIBOX

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL

GPU: MSI R5750-MD1G Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

PSU: OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Case: NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

DVD: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
[/QUOTE]

1. You can find a general answer here http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html
You should be fine with this PSU
2. No. Generally you want good cooling regardless of overclocking to preserve performance.
3. Going through the BIOS, knowing voltages, capacities, limits. If you know your stuff, it's easy, but if you're new, you might want to mess around with expendable parts.
4. Probably not. Maybe GPU? but not a big deal.
5. Case looks fine. Maybe shop around some more, find a better deal, better case, maybe.
6. Network cards can be hit or miss, try to find one that has the least problems. D-Link is a popular brand
7. Yes, I believe so.

Components look fine, everything looks compatible.
 
Just to add to kilm's answers:

2. The stock cooling should be fine if you're not overclocking. At stock speeds, with stock cooling the processor shouldn't get hot enough to really affect the life of the processor (provided you blow the dust out of the case from time to time)
5. The case will hold everything fine. However, as someone who actually owns that case, I might suggest looking at something else. Its not that there's anything THAT wrong with it, but the door on the front is kind of annoying and there isn't a lot of room to hide cables. Maybe look at this one instead: NZXT M59. Costs a little less, no annoying door, and holes for hiding cables behind the motherboard.
7. You should be able to upgrade just about every component except the motherboard without much trouble with an OEM version of Windows. If you would want to be able to transfer Windows over to a new machine sometime down the line you might want the full retail version instead.
 
Thanks for the quick response. I'll likely steer away from overclocking until I do some more research on how it works and play with an old machine. The NZXT M59 does look like a better choice all around and it even retains the same 20% off and free S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game, thanks for finding that. Now all I've left to do is overthink if I actually want to spend all of this money. Your guidance has been much appreciated.
 
@Lawyers Guns N Money I do understand how it works, but of course...not fully, or else I would not be asking questions, it would helpful if you gave me answers instead of commenting on them. I was kidding about the phase-cooler, duh. I don't mind what you judge me, so think whatever you want to, your free to do so anyways.

[quote name='kilm']I would agree with not investing in 3D just yet. The technology for home use is still in its infancy, you really do want to wait for the technology to become developed so it will actually look good.[/QUOTE]

Thank you. I am not sure if you know, but your words mean a lot to me in this situation.

Sorry guys, I was gone for the weekend, I will be tweaking my rig once again tonight.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']i was compelled to make a new HTPC (slow day at work) because of this really slick case i saw on new egg.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13113205

theres the build, this is the case.

11-204-039-S01


quick run down

i5 2.66
4gb ram
blu ray
500gb hdd
nvidia gts 250 (w/hdmi out)


edit: if you didnt plan on doing heavy gaming you could find a much cheaper video card with hdmi out to bring the price down. also its a quad core processor, you could get a dual core and save money too.[/QUOTE]

Hubba hubba hubba. That's a DAMN fine case, if I do say so myself. I might have to pick one of those up for myself. Won't match anything else in my living room, but it'll be the classiest thing in it.
 
Can someone help me out here?
im thinking of getting this OEM CPU that comes in a bundle.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103725

But i've only installed retail cpus that came with stock fan/heatsink. Help me pick a fan for this cpu.
probably need thermal paste aswell right? i dont know if the fan will come with some on it. I've never used that too.
the lower price the better as long as its not crap that will break.
Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='letmeinnow']Can someone help me out here?
im thinking of getting this CPU that comes in a bundle.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103725

But i've only installed retail cpus that came with stock fan/heatsink. Help me pick a fan for this cpu.
probably need thermal paste aswell right? i dont know if the fan will come with some on it. I've never used that too.
the lower price the better as long as its not crap that will break.
Thanks[/QUOTE]

is the bundle that youre getting OEM? if its a new product it should include a fan. if youre not over clocking there is no reason to spend the extra money on thermal compound or a new fan/heatsink.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']is the bundle that youre getting OEM? if its a new product it should include a fan. if youre not over clocking there is no reason to spend the extra money on thermal compound or a new fan/heatsink.[/QUOTE]

yes its OEM no fan included and i wont be overclocking or anything with it.
 
[quote name='letmeinnow']yes its OEM no fan included and i wont be overclocking or anything with it.[/QUOTE]

anything on this link should be acceptable for the CPU. you can double check by clicking the item > specifications> socket type > am3. as long as it says am3 youre good to go.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...sc=AM3&page=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

and since youre not over clocking i dont see any reason why you should spend more than $20.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top