Advice for first time new build

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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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Hello,

This is my sons first build. We're looking to build a gaming machine. Just looking for some feedback based on my selected components.

Do you see any compatibility issues based on the components listed?

Are any of the components more than needed? Is there anything I'm missing?

Gigabyte GA-F2A85XM-D3H AMD Socket FM2 A85X (Hudson D4) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard

AMD A10-5800K APU 3.8Ghz Processor AD580KWOHJBOX

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive - WD5000AAKX

Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB (2X4 GB) PC3-12800 1600mHz DDR3 240-Pin SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B

Corsair Builder Series CX 500 Watt ATX/EPS 80 PLUS (CX500)

Windows 8 System Builder OEM DVD 64-Bit

NZXT Technologies Source 210 Computer Case (White)

What wireless 5GHz card would you recommend?


Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Be gentle. This is our first build and we're on a tight budget.

JW
 
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Sakkura

Sakkura

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Aug 22, 2011
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With APU graphics, you should go for faster RAM. 1866 minimum, and 2133 if at all possible without breaking the budget. The motherboard looks okay but you might perhaps go for something a little cheaper. After all, low price is one of the main advantages of an APU build.

Unfortunately I'm not too well versed in WiFi cards, so I can't really make a recommendation there.
 
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V

vinhn

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Jun 15, 2013
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What is your budget? Toms could pick out something better if possible. From what you stated - "gaming pc" you would need a discrete graphics card. Without it, you won't be able to play AAA titles at satisfactory settings.
 
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Sakkura

Sakkura

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Depends on resolution and how high settings you require. The A10s are no slouches, they can more or less keep up with budget gaming graphics cards.
 
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M

mc962

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Jul 18, 2013
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what exactly is your budget?

in regards to the hard drive: it might not be caviar ( i dont really know what caviar specifically entails but i dont see anything that jumps out at me as better) but you can get 1 tb for $10 more (on amazon)

since this is a desktop..do you really need a wireless card? i would think the ethernet cord would be a bit quicker and more stable

since its a gaming build, i would think you would want a dedicated GPU? i know less about AMD and integrated graphics, so i dont know for sure, but i might advise a dedicated graphics card, depending on the games

the motherboard says it supports crossfire. while i dont know whether or not you planned on using it, i believe you would need a stronger psu if you ever planned to do it
 
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Sakkura

Sakkura

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Aug 22, 2011
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Caviar Blue is the mainstream brand of hard drives from WD. Cheapest good 1 TB drive I can find is also a WD Caviar Blue.

The integrated GPU in the A10-5800K is a bit slower than a Radeon HD 6670. It can do some gaming, at least with fast memory, but it has its limitations of course.
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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Mar 8, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 1GB Video Card ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($45.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $508.06
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-28 01:57 EDT-0400)

Med-high on most games.

I don't know much about wireless cards, but go with a PCI-E one with dual antennae. USB has pretty bad performance.
 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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That is great, but we will need an Operating System (Windows 8) and $500 is a little steep without it. Is there any way we can lower the price, but keep it reasonably powerful?
 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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My budget is $500 including Windows 8. Is there anyway we can make a powerful build on the cheap?

 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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It isn't a priority. I have a monitor, but if there is a good deal you can find that would help a lot. I would like a HD monitor. I have a mouse and a keyboard.
 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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Yes. Just the Hardware. OS included though. What is the best build for a total of $500?
 
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V

vinhn

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Jun 15, 2013
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Depends on what games your son is playing on and at what resolution. I know the A10 are good but if you are on a 1080p on Far Cry 3, this would be highly impossible to play for a regular gamer. If you are on a budget right now, I would go with your original build. Discrete graphics are easy to upgrade later compare to other hardware such as a CPU or Motherboard. Just add a good GPU when you feels like you need one or have enough for a discrete one.
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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Mar 8, 2013
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($90.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.13 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($69.00 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($45.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.73 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $507.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-28 02:52 EDT-0400)

Low-Medium settings.
 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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Will this support DirectX 11? Is it unlocked and easily overclockable?
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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Yes and yes, but if you want oc, you'll want to get a new cpu cooler too.
 
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J

Joe Walker

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Jul 27, 2013
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This is a good build, but before all of the rebates it costs $570. We dont have that kind of money plus rebates are a pain. Is this the best build for the budget?
 
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Thanatos Telos

Thanatos Telos

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Chances are, yes. Rebates are a pain, yes, but the 70$ will be enough of a reward.
NOTE: Turn the rebates over to your son if he's older than 12. My dad did the same to me and I got all of the rebates back withing a month with my money.
 
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ps3hacker12

ps3hacker12

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Feb 12, 2011
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Here is a slightly modified version of this build with a FX-6300 instead of the 965 BE:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($69.00 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.73 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $508.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-28 20:00 EDT-0400)
 
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