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

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could check out this potential build and tell me what they think:

http://amzn.com/w/1Q52GKGRB3O2H

I've never built a pc before and have been using a mac laptop for the last six years, so I'm VERY new at this. Any input or changes would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the amazon wishlist but I have credit there and wasn't sure of neweggs tax policy. Thanks in advance.
 
its a good build, a little pricey. without looking id imagine you can cut off at least $100 or more by getting a different video card and power supply.
 
[quote name='jenksalot']Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could check out this potential build and tell me what they think:

http://amzn.com/w/1Q52GKGRB3O2H

I've never built a pc before and have been using a mac laptop for the last six years, so I'm VERY new at this. Any input or changes would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the amazon wishlist but I have credit there and wasn't sure of neweggs tax policy. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

I'd spend more on a better case w/ better wiring routing through the back.
People tend to forget that cases and PSU last the longest out of any component in a computer. You can bring both into at least 2 builds and sometimes Cases into even more.

And ditto on the Z-5500's they are very nice. Only thing I wish is that it had more optical ports and you could remove the stupid stands for mounting.
 
Very close to my system, which I think is very nice.

I have

Diamond HD5850
Logitech MX518 (also a MS Sidewinder gaming mouse)
Microsoft Natural KB 4000 (also a MS X6 KB)

rest are similar.

WD Caviar Black 750GB
Corsair PS
Cooler Master HAF 922
Gateway FHD2401 24" monitor

I went with Intel i7 920
ASUS MB
6GB OCZ Plat memory





[quote name='jenksalot']Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could check out this potential build and tell me what they think:

http://amzn.com/w/1Q52GKGRB3O2H

I've never built a pc before and have been using a mac laptop for the last six years, so I'm VERY new at this. Any input or changes would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the amazon wishlist but I have credit there and wasn't sure of neweggs tax policy. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]
 
Hey everyone my friend has a pentium 4 (2.4GHz) processor and trying to run Left 4 Dead 2. I gave him my old videocard (GeFroce 8 series ) so he could play L4D2 but he said that there wasnt a connector on the motherboard that fit the videocard . Does this mean he needs to get a new motherboard ? and if so should he go ahead and upgrade the CPU in his machine ?

I tried showing him a super cheap build that could run it decently ( around $400 ) but he laughed at it and said he was broke. so what should he do ?

P.S. He probably does not have that much money to spend so keep that in mind.

any help would be great
 
[quote name='iKilledChewbacca']Hey everyone my friend has a pentium 4 (2.4GHz) processor and trying to run Left 4 Dead 2. I gave him my old videocard (GeFroce 8 series ) so he could play L4D2 but he said that there wasnt a connector on the motherboard that fit the videocard . Does this mean he needs to get a new motherboard ? and if so should he go ahead and upgrade the CPU in his machine ?

I tried showing him a super cheap build that could run it decently ( around $400 ) but he laughed at it and said he was broke. so what should he do ?

P.S. He probably does not have that much money to spend so keep that in mind.

any help would be great[/QUOTE]

Yes, he needs a new mobo and cpu... and everything else for that matter.

What he should do if he's broke and wants to play L4D2? Use someone else's computer
 
[quote name='kilm']Yes, he needs a new mobo and cpu... and everything else for that matter.

What he should do if he's broke and wants to play L4D2? Use someone else's computer[/QUOTE]

haha as long as it isnt mine :D
 
[quote name='wasabi5858']
6GB OCZ Plat memory[/QUOTE]

i see tons of issues with ocz ddr3 ram.
you should research that specific model for complaints.
IMO there are plenty of other solid brands to go with instead of taking the risk with ocz.
 
[quote name='kilm']It's what we least suspected! =/[/QUOTE]
Yea, I wasted $40 on sending it to the shop, but I guess I'm glad I did, otherwise I would have RMA my mobo, which it turns out is just fine lol
 
Hey all, question from a PC Gaming newbie. I'm on the market to build my first low budget gaming rig and I was trying to cut costs by utilizing parts that I already own. Specifically, would I be able to use my old hard drive currently installed with Windows Vista as my booting drive in a new machine? I'm trying not to have to buy a copy of Win7 OEM ( and I want to be legit =] ) so I'd appreciate any workarounds as well. As far as I know, the main issue would be drivers not matching up with the new components/motherboard. Would an upgrade to Windows 7 prior to swap help anything?

Thanks!
 
[quote name='seanj652']Hey all, question from a PC Gaming newbie. I'm on the market to build my first low budget gaming rig and I was trying to cut costs by utilizing parts that I already own. Specifically, would I be able to use my old hard drive currently installed with Windows Vista as my booting drive in a new machine? I'm trying not to have to buy a copy of Win7 OEM ( and I want to be legit =] ) so I'd appreciate any workarounds as well. As far as I know, the main issue would be drivers not matching up with the new components/motherboard. Would an upgrade to Windows 7 prior to swap help anything?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

You could, but you want to make sure you boot in safe mode and remove all the former device drivers and everything.

It's generally a lot easier if you just reinstall the OS when you want to transfer drives.
 
[quote name='kilm']You could, but you want to make sure you boot in safe mode and remove all the former device drivers and everything.

It's generally a lot easier if you just reinstall the OS when you want to transfer drives.[/QUOTE]

I've heard that the OEM OS that comes with the computer is tied to the specific motherboard in some way? Is that true?
 
Hi all!

I'm stuck with a socket 775 motherboard for awhile, but I want to upgrade my processor.

Go with a Core Duo E8500 ($190 on Amazon), or a comparably priced Quad Core (maybe Q9400, $200)?

Will the Quad give me more bang for my buck?
 
I'd probably go with the quad core. Paying almost $200 for a dual core just doesn't make sense anymore. With games right now the performance boost is probably going to be hit or miss, but things like encoding and multitasking will benefit more from the extra cores.
 
Hello again, so after doing some searching I put together a list of some components I plan to use for my first gaming rig. If you could, could you comment on the following parts?

Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT12864BA1339

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor ADX620WFGIBOX

Rosewill TU-155 II 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 500W Power Supply

GIGABYTE GA-880GMA-UD2H AM3 AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Keep in mind that this is my first build and I'm on a low budget. XD I mainly want to know if this motherboard will be decent to upgrade in the near to distant future so it'll last me a while. Also, no hard drive or media drives are listed as I'll be ripping them out of another machine I have lying around.

Thanks! =]

PS - Oh! And the motherboard has on onboard Rad. HD 4250. Would that be suitable for the lowest settings on most games? >
 
[quote name='seanj652']I've heard that the OEM OS that comes with the computer is tied to the specific motherboard in some way? Is that true?[/QUOTE]

yes and no. the os isnt tied to anything specifically, but if youre using a recovery disk from HP (for example), it may not be a clean OS and already have specific drivers and such installed from the get go. but in theory you can use the OS on any machine after some tinkering with the drivers.

now the license is another issue. windows is generally 1 license per PC, and theyve gotten pretty good about keeping track with that with the windows genuine advantage. so you might find that when activating vista on the new machine M$ will tell you that its already been activated. youll have to call in and explain that you replaced the motherboard, or something like that, for them to give you an activation code.



[quote name='seanj652']Hello again, so after doing some searching I put together a list of some components I plan to use for my first gaming rig. If you could, could you comment on the following parts?

Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT12864BA1339

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor ADX620WFGIBOX

Rosewill TU-155 II 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 500W Power Supply

GIGABYTE GA-880GMA-UD2H AM3 AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Keep in mind that this is my first build and I'm on a low budget. XD I mainly want to know if this motherboard will be decent to upgrade in the near to distant future so it'll last me a while. Also, no hard drive or media drives are listed as I'll be ripping them out of another machine I have lying around.

Thanks! =]

PS - Oh! And the motherboard has on onboard Rad. HD 4250. Would that be suitable for the lowest settings on most games? >
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I plan on building a new computer soon. It's been a few years since my last one, and I'm planning on building one that will last me for a few years with minimal upgrades.
I'll be running it with my 1680x1050 monitor. I already have a 1 TB hard drive I bought a few months ago that I'll be using.
As for the other parts I'm planning on using an Phenon 2 X6 and a Radeon 5870.

My current plan:
ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

XFX HD-587A-CNF9 Radeon HD 5870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Eyefinity 6 (Comes with 850 Watt PSU, though if anyone has any recommendations for a separate 5870 and PSU at around the same price please tell me)

AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7Q-8GBRM

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM


I haven't decided on a case yet, if anyone has a decent full tower case in the $100 to 150 range that can fit the 5870 please let me know.
As I said I want to build with the the 5870 and the Phenom II X6. Pretty much everything else is up in the air right now, if anyone has any better suggestions please let me know. I'm also thinking about getting a Blu Ray reader if I can get one cheap enough, if not I'll just use the DVD Drive from my old computer.
 
[quote name='Kaijufan']
I haven't decided on a case yet, if anyone has a decent full tower case in the $100 to 150 range that can fit the 5870 please let me know.
As I said I want to build with the the 5870 and the Phenom II X6. Pretty much everything else is up in the air right now, if anyone has any better suggestions please let me know. I'm also thinking about getting a Blu Ray reader if I can get one cheap enough, if not I'll just use the DVD Drive from my old computer.[/QUOTE]

I recommend the Silverstone FT02 I posted earlier. That will give you all the room you need w/ the best thermal/quiet design.

Sure it's a bit over your budget, but you really shouldn't skimp when it comes to cases. After all a case can last multiple builds.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']I recommend the Silverstone FT02 I posted earlier. That will give you all the room you need w/ the best thermal/quiet design.

Sure it's a bit over your budget, but you really shouldn't skimp when it comes to cases. After all a case can last multiple builds.[/QUOTE]

they shouldve made that case the littlest bit bigger.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']I recommend the Silverstone FT02 I posted earlier. That will give you all the room you need w/ the best thermal/quiet design.

Sure it's a bit over your budget, but you really shouldn't skimp when it comes to cases. After all a case can last multiple builds.[/QUOTE]

I'll check it out, I can afford to go a bit over budget if I have to.
 
[quote name='paz9x']they shouldve made that case the littlest bit bigger.[/QUOTE]

I think if it was slightly longer that would be preferable. Simply because the DVD slot at the very top does come near the MB. However I had no issues w/ my SLI setup. However w/ my particular board 3 way SLI would not have been possible (Not that 3 way SLI is ever worth it).

Other than that the case has more than enough room and in places where it really counts. My P180 overall wasn't that much smaller than this case and wiring/working with that thing that thing was a nightmare. (despite it being a great case)


By the way here's a pic of it w/ a 5970 which is the biggest card to date.

5970_in_FT02.jpg
 
[quote name='Zoglog']I think if it was slightly longer that would be preferable. Simply because the DVD slot at the very top does come near the MB. However I had no issues w/ my SLI setup. However w/ my particular board 3 way SLI would not have been possible (Not that 3 way SLI is ever worth it).

Other than that the case has more than enough room and in places where it really counts. My P180 overall wasn't that much smaller than this case and wiring/working with that thing that thing was a nightmare. (despite it being a great case)


By the way here's a pic of it w/ a 5970 which is the biggest card to date.

5970_in_FT02.jpg
[/QUOTE]

yeah, im talking like 1/2inch bigger. i really like the design on those besides the air rising, i think that orientation makes cable management a lot easier.

if i come across a deal on one of them ill buy one.
my haf922 cools awesome, but the filter issue is a pain and its a bit loud.
 
If you want to stay closer to your budget Kaijufan, you could look at the Silverstone Raven RV02 too. It's basically the same case as the FT02, just with a bit more plastic on the exterior.

Also you could save about $100 by just going with the 1GB version of that video card and the same power supply. If you're gaming at 1680x1050 you really aren't going to run into much need for the extra memory.
 
The Silverstone Raven RV02 looks great though it may be a bit too big for my desk, I'll have to measure it out. The Silverstone FT02 looks good to though it is a bit more, I think I would rather get a cheaper case and a blu ray drive.

And I was thinking of getting a 2GB 5870 to help it last longer before I would be able to replace it or buy a second card. If you don't think I'll need 2 GB 2-3 years down the road I may switch to the 1 GB version. I don't plan on switching monitors anytime soon, I'm still very happy with the one I have right now.
 
yes paz9x, the cable management on that thing is a dream.

Kaiju:
I don't think you'll need anything more than 1GB at the moment. Also down the road by the time that 1GB is not enough, your card will be obsolete by then anyway. Hell the cards I use are 512MB and they still run 1920x1080 BFBC2 Just fine.

The Raven is not bad since it has the same layout minus the aluminum appearance and HD cage.
HD cage is pretty stupid anyway so that's not too big an issue. But the gamerish plastic of the raven made me go for the fortress.

Btw blu-ray drives will drop in price pretty quickly in the coming months I'm sure. I've seen them go down in price pretty rapidly. I probably won't get a BD drive in a long time now that HD storage is so vast and cheap nowadays. Probably not until they start only selling games on BD for PC.
 
I can't speak 100% for the future, but in all the reviews I've seen there isn't much to be gained from going from 1 to 2 GB in any games today especially on a 1680x1050 monitor. I really think its sort of unlikely that your video card's memory is what will hold you back in a few years if you intend on using that same monitor.

Here's part of a review that will show you the difference between the 1 and 2GB versions of the 5870 to show you how little difference you'll likely see between the two: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3621/amds-radeon-hd-5870-eyefinity-6-edition-reviewed/6
 
[quote name='Mid Boss']I can't speak 100% for the future, but in all the reviews I've seen there isn't much to be gained from going from 1 to 2 GB in any games today especially on a 1680x1050 monitor. I really think its sort of unlikely that your video card's memory is what will hold you back in a few years if you intend on using that same monitor.

Here's part of a review that will show you the difference between the 1 and 2GB versions of the 5870 to show you how little difference you'll likely see between the two: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3621/amds-radeon-hd-5870-eyefinity-6-edition-reviewed/6[/QUOTE]

Just wait till rage comes out with the SUPER ULTRA MEGA TEXTURING!
 
Hello again =] So recently I had some financial issues and I'll have to put my build on hold for a while =\ But in the meantime I wanted to ask if anyone has had any experience with the brand VIZIO? I'm looking to get a 2nd monitor for when I do actually finish my PC. Any thoughts? :]
 
heads up guys, ripped from SD from Xedap

[quote name='Xedap']EVGA 012-P3-1470-AR GeForce GTX 470 Video Card - 1280MB GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0, Dual DVI, HDMI, SLI, DirectX 11
DEAL JUST GOT HOTTER - found $20 rebate off evga

$349.99
- $30 instant savings
- $30 coupon code- UKG3685
- $45.60 BCB (15.2%)
- $20 rebate
Link for rebate: Use rebate code EGA-8790 (expires 7/16/2010)
+ Free shipping

= $234.40

TD charges tax in FL, IL, NC, TX, GA, SD and ID

I have done coupon codes + BCB through TD twice already and have not had any problems.

Warranty
All EVGA products come automatically with a one year, parts and labor, limited warranty. Upon registration within 30 days of your original purchase, this card is entitled to be upgraded to a limited lifetime warranty.
Click to expand...
[/quote]

Also They have $20 off $100 rebate if you do ebill me... I couldnt resist and caved in to replace my 9800 GTX+.... @ $214 how could I refuse.
 
[quote name='Zoglog']heads up guys, ripped from SD from Xedap



Also They have $20 off $100 rebate if you do ebill me... I couldnt resist and caved in to replace my 9800 GTX+.... @ $214 how could I refuse.[/QUOTE]

evga forums are awesome.
 
Seeing as this would be my first time making a PC I think I am going to go with...

AMD: 1) Phenom II X4 965 + 5830 Build (updated 06/06/2010)

I just have a few questions.

Any DVD burners anyone recommends?
Are the cables included with each part and if not which cables/cords do I order?

Thanks!
 
[quote name='dancrane212']Any DVD burners anyone recommends?
Are the cables included with each part and if not which cables/cords do I order?[/QUOTE]

DVD Burner: Go with a brand you're comfortable with. You can go cheap on this.

Cables: Maybe your monitor won't come with the appropriate cables. DV-I or VGA or whatever. Mine didn't.
 
I'm getting tired of console gaming, and looking to build my first pc. It would mainly be used for steam (those summer sales looked so tempting) Here's what I have been looking to get (budget is between 550-650)


cpu - AMD Athlon II x3 3.0 $75
graphics card -ASUS CuCore Series EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5 $145
motherboard board - GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 $125
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 133 $95
psu - OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W $45
case -Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $35

I was hoping to save some money by using the HDD that came w/ my viao and a dvd drive I have laying around. Assuming the hdd in the viao is pretty low end, would I notice much of a difference if I bought a newer hdd or would the old hdd suffice? Any suggestions would help, I would love to get the price down to around $500 so I can get a new monitor as well.

Thanks in advance
 
[quote name='Zoglog']heads up guys, ripped from SD from Xedap



Also They have $20 off $100 rebate if you do ebill me... I couldnt resist and caved in to replace my 9800 GTX+.... @ $214 how could I refuse.[/QUOTE]


Would this be my best bang for my buck if i was looking to buy a card for around that price? I've been considering building my own pc for some time now. I'm looking to build a pc in the 800-1000 dollar range, and would love to get a great card for really cheap. Would the GTX 470 be a great deal at that price?
 
if you got it, yes the GTX 470 would be the best bang for your buck period at that price. It's dead now so I hope you got on it.

it's basically $130 off a relatively new card that was $350 retail.
 
Ok I posted a while back and it's been awhile so I was wanting suggestions on a computer again. Is this a good set up to be around the $600 mark? I'm wanting to build a computer for gaming (Team Fortress 2, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3) and video editing. Other than that I plan to use it to store music.

I was thinking it would be smarter to go with an Phenom II X4 processor and maybe a bigger HDD, but wasn't sure.

I also already have a DVD RW drive, so that's why I don't have one picked out on my parts list.

11-129-074-11.jpg

Antec TWO HUNDRED S Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Item #: N82E16811129074Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$59.99$44.99 select item 2 quantity of item 2
22-136-073-07.jpg

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive Item #: N82E16822136073Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options22-136-073|hide options22-136-073)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info22-136-073.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99


$55.99 select item 3 quantity of item 3
13-131-402-02.jpg

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard Item #: N82E16813131402Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options13-131-402|hide options13-131-402)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info13-131-402.0.120)

  • 1 year: $16.99
  • 2 year: $25.99

$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card13-131-402 $118.99 select item 4 quantity of item 4
14-150-448-03.jpg

XFX HD-575X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card Item #: N82E16814150448Return Policy: VGA Replacement Only Return Policy

$139.99 select item 5 quantity of item 5
17-371-016-20.jpg

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC Power Supply Item #: N82E16817371016Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options17-371-016|hide options17-371-016)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info17-371-016.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99

-$20.00 Instant
$79.99$59.99 select item 6 quantity of item 6
20-211-409-06.jpg

A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G Item #: N82E16820211409Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy

$97.99 select item 7 quantity of item 7
19-103-846-02.jpg

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX Item #: N82E16819103846Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info19-103-846.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99


$99.00 Subtotal: $616.94
 
38143_413304519141_533879141_4736319_2363244_n.jpg

back to 1 card.... too bad these fermis have a bug where they idle hot when you use dual monitors. Mine is idling at 70C lol

maxed out at 91 in furmark
 
[quote name='homeland']I'm getting tired of console gaming, and looking to build my first pc. It would mainly be used for steam (those summer sales looked so tempting) Here's what I have been looking to get (budget is between 550-650)


cpu - AMD Athlon II x3 3.0 $75
graphics card -ASUS CuCore Series EAH5770 CuCore/2DI/1GD5 $145
motherboard board - GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 $125
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 133 $95
psu - OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W $45
case -Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $35

I was hoping to save some money by using the HDD that came w/ my viao and a dvd drive I have laying around. Assuming the hdd in the viao is pretty low end, would I notice much of a difference if I bought a newer hdd or would the old hdd suffice? Any suggestions would help, I would love to get the price down to around $500 so I can get a new monitor as well.

Thanks in advance[/QUOTE]

using the old HDD most likely wont be a problem. make sure its sata. is this hdd from a laptop? many laptop HDDs are smaller in size and have slower RPM than desktop HDDs (5400 vs 7200), but would you notice a significant dip in performance? probably not, but it would be a little slower. honestly, you can probably get a bigger & faster hdd for $50 or less. but other than that i think youre good...

edit: also if its a laptop hdd youll likely have to buy some brackets to mount it in your case securely. but those can be found for under $10.

heres a 500gb hdd, 7200 rpm, its $55 normally, theres a coupon that expires (click the link to see it) on 7/26 to knock the price down to $40. considering you would have to buy a bracket for a laptop hdd, for a $30 or so more youre going to (most likely) have a faster, bigger hdd.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395


[quote name='Pure Apathy']Ok I posted a while back and it's been awhile so I was wanting suggestions on a computer again. Is this a good set up to be around the $600 mark? I'm wanting to build a computer for gaming (Team Fortress 2, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3) and video editing. Other than that I plan to use it to store music.

I was thinking it would be smarter to go with an Phenom II X4 processor and maybe a bigger HDD, but wasn't sure.

I also already have a DVD RW drive, so that's why I don't have one picked out on my parts list.

11-129-074-11.jpg

Antec TWO HUNDRED S Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Item #: N82E16811129074Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$59.99$44.99 select item 2 quantity of item 2
22-136-073-07.jpg

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive Item #: N82E16822136073Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options22-136-073|hide options22-136-073)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info22-136-073.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99


$55.99 select item 3 quantity of item 3
13-131-402-02.jpg

ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard Item #: N82E16813131402Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options13-131-402|hide options13-131-402)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info13-131-402.0.120)

  • 1 year: $16.99
  • 2 year: $25.99

$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card13-131-402 $118.99 select item 4 quantity of item 4
14-150-448-03.jpg

XFX HD-575X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card Item #: N82E16814150448Return Policy: VGA Replacement Only Return Policy

$139.99 select item 5 quantity of item 5
17-371-016-20.jpg

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC Power Supply Item #: N82E16817371016Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options17-371-016|hide options17-371-016)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info17-371-016.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99

-$20.00 Instant
$79.99$59.99 select item 6 quantity of item 6
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A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-2G Item #: N82E16820211409Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy

$97.99 select item 7 quantity of item 7
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AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Desktop Processor - C3 Revision HDZ555WFGMBOX Item #: N82E16819103846Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options19-103-846|hide options19-103-846)

Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info19-103-846.0.120)

  • 1 year: $9.99
  • 2 year: $16.99


$99.00 Subtotal: $616.94
[/QUOTE]

that should be able to play all those games no problem. you could probably shed a little cost on the ram and power supply without affecting performance noticeably, but it wouldnt be significant savings, maybe $40-$50.
 
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[quote name='Zoglog']heads up guys, ripped from SD from Xedap



Also They have $20 off $100 rebate if you do ebill me... I couldnt resist and caved in to replace my 9800 GTX+.... @ $214 how could I refuse.[/QUOTE]

Wow, what a great deal! Thanks for pointing that out to me. By the way that deal is still up minus the instant coupon code. It just goes like this now:

$359.99
-$30 instant
-$20 mail in rebate (new rebate that expires on 8/2)
-$20 ebillme rebate
-$49.50 bing cash back
=$240.49

Now I can finally play Crysis... at 30 frames per second.
 
Hello guys-

I thought since I always find good game deals here on CAG, I might ask everybody for some hardware buying advice.

I've just started shopping around for components to put together a mid range ($800 - $900) PC that I plan to connect to my HDTV. Here's my wishlist of features:

-DVR functionality - this can be achieved with running some flavor of Linux, I believe. I guess I'll probably need a good capture card - I haven't figured out everything I'll need to pull this off, so any advice is appreciated.
-PC gaming - I'm thinking this would probably require dual booting, unless I can get really good at tweaking/running Ubuntu or something.
-HDMI output - I would be willing to use onboard video at first to save some money, but down the line I will probably upgrade to a decent video card, because I would like:
-Dual monitor support. I want to be able to run video and/or a game on my TV, while doing something else on a separate monitor. Thus that's why I will be upgrading the video card.
-Case - there are so many choices for cases, and I don't necessarily need one that looks like a HTPC, but I thought I'd ask for recommendations. I looked at quite a few of them today at Fry's, and boy a lot of them are ugly and cheap looking.

That's a pretty long list, I know, and in the end I might end up spending more than $900, but I can take my time and buy the best parts available, and hopefully I'll end up with a rig I'm happy with. Just the thought of playing Starcraft 2 on my 47" screen makes me giddy. lol

So- thoughts? Suggestions? insults? I look forward to hearing from you, and if anybody's interested, I'll link to the stuff I'm considering. Thanks.
 
If I buy an OEM hard drive and a retail motherboard, will the motherboard include any and all cables I need to connect the hard drive or do I need to buy that separate? I'm buying an OEM Western Digital HD and an Asus P6T Mobo. Thanks.
 
[quote name='jenksalot']If I buy an OEM hard drive and a retail motherboard, will the motherboard include any and all cables I need to connect the hard drive or do I need to buy that separate? I'm buying an OEM Western Digital HD and an Asus P6T Mobo. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

generally speaking a retail motherboard is going to come with the cables you need for at least one HDD. so you should be just fine.
 
[quote name='RAMSTORIA']generally speaking a retail motherboard is going to come with the cables you need for at least one HDD. so you should be just fine.[/QUOTE]

Cool thank you sir!
 
One more question - What do I need to get wireless internet? I mean I already have wireless set up in the house for my laptop, but what would I need to get it on a desktop? Thanks in advance.
 
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