Finally pulling the trigger, but can't without a last community inspection!

[cr3ighton]

So I made this list with the help of a couple other users back in March, and my main concern is if anything new came out these last 2 months that is worth replacing; also it will be my first build so I rely on peer review, thanks for your time!

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3b6yS

 

[Nightmare9771]

Seems fine to me

 

[cr3ighton]

Oh also since I have some extra cash to spend, anyone know any rad looking cases that will fit the build? Brother got me jealous with the case he got.

 

[RazerZ]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

 

[cr3ighton]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

 

[Nightmare9771]

SSDs are slightly cheaper than they used to be, definitely a good choice for your boot drive, would be noticeably quicker on boot up

 

[RazerZ]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

It's great for a eight second boot up and faster loading times, but real world gaming performance you will not notice a difference. I'd rather wait a couple of seconds more and be able to play on higher graphics settings, but that's my choice. It's up to you what you want to do.

 

[cr3ighton]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

It's great for a eight second boot up and faster loading times, but real world gaming performance you will not notice a difference. I'd rather wait a couple of seconds more and be able to play on higher graphics settings, but that's my choice. It's up to you what you want to do.

Couldn't of convinced me better! thanks for your time and help...now time to strain the bank account!

 

[RazerZ]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

It's great for a eight second boot up and faster loading times, but real world gaming performance you will not notice a difference. I'd rather wait a couple of seconds more and be able to play on higher graphics settings, but that's my choice. It's up to you what you want to do.

Couldn't of convinced me better! thanks for your time and help...now time to strain the bank account!

No problem. Have fun with your build

 

[cr3ighton]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

It's great for a eight second boot up and faster loading times, but real world gaming performance you will not notice a difference. I'd rather wait a couple of seconds more and be able to play on higher graphics settings, but that's my choice. It's up to you what you want to do.

Couldn't of convinced me better! thanks for your time and help...now time to strain the bank account!

No problem. Have fun with your build

one last question since this is the first time building, would you recommend trying to buy most items from the same site and fill in what they didn't have or just straight the cheapest from everysite?

 

[RazerZ]

Here's what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($134.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($86.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($259.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Chaser A31 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $860.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-28 20:35 EDT-0400)

This build is not only cheaper, but will also perform a lot better as well. I dropped the SSD and case fans since they aren't a necessity and put the money into a better GPU and CPU.

Hmm interesting, see when I first posted the build I ran it without a SSD and so many people flipped because alot of people believe SSD are very necesarry granted you can spend the cash

It's great for a eight second boot up and faster loading times, but real world gaming performance you will not notice a difference. I'd rather wait a couple of seconds more and be able to play on higher graphics settings, but that's my choice. It's up to you what you want to do.

Couldn't of convinced me better! thanks for your time and help...now time to strain the bank account!

No problem. Have fun with your build

one last question since this is the first time building, would you recommend trying to buy most items from the same site and fill in what they didn't have or just straight the cheapest from everysite?

I would order it from different sites to get the best run for your money.

 

[cr3ighton]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

 

[RazerZ]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

 

[cr3ighton]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

 

[RazerZ]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

 

[cr3ighton]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

yes one 8 pin and a 6 pin

 

[RazerZ]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

yes one 8 pin and a 6 pin

Try re installing the latest drivers for your graphics card.

 

[cr3ighton]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

yes one 8 pin and a 6 pin

Try re installing the latest drivers for your graphics card.

i've re-installed the whole AMD catalyst thing 2 times, doesn't seem to do the trick, also have slim drivers to check for other drivers. all are up to date

 

[RazerZ]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

yes one 8 pin and a 6 pin

Try re installing the latest drivers for your graphics card.

i've re-installed the whole AMD catalyst thing 2 times, doesn't seem to do the trick, also have slim drivers to check for other drivers. all are up to date

Did you update your BIOS?

 

[RazerZ]

Also are you using the PSU I posted?

 

[cr3ighton]

Hey I hate to re open this thread, but i finally built the computer and i am having FPS issues, all my drivers are up to date and my temps are not running high...very frustrating

What kind of fps are you getting and on what games? Is it always low, or does it start to slow down?

in battlefield hardline on LOW setting (so sad) i get around 40ish while playing, then randomly it will drops to 10-20 for about 5 seconds... something isn't right because i should be able to push good settings for these games..also thank you for your continued support

Are both your powercables connected to your graphics card? ( there should be two)

yes one 8 pin and a 6 pin

Try re installing the latest drivers for your graphics card.

i've re-installed the whole AMD catalyst thing 2 times, doesn't seem to do the trick, also have slim drivers to check for other drivers. all are up to date

Did you update your BIOS?

first time someone has mentioned this, i have American Megatrends Inc P2.60 you know where I can get the update...tried googling and of course found too many options; didn't want to just go with any of them.

 

[RazerZ]

Latest BIOS:

http://66.226.78.22/downloadsite/bios/AM3+/970%20Extreme4(2.60)ROM.zip


How to install:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tza9S76EJbE

 

[cr3ighton]

Latest BIOS:

http://66.226.78.22/downloadsite/bios/AM3+/970%20Extreme4(2.60)ROM.zip


How to install:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tza9S76EJbE

going to try this, you are a god of information. thank you

 

[RazerZ]

Latest BIOS:

http://66.226.78.22/downloadsite/bios/AM3+/970%20Extreme4(2.60)ROM.zip


How to install:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tza9S76EJbE

going to try this, you are a god of information. thank you

No problem, hopefully this can fix your problem.

 

[cr3ighton]

Latest BIOS:

http://66.226.78.22/downloadsite/bios/AM3+/970%20Extreme4(2.60)ROM.zip


How to install:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tza9S76EJbE

the latest bios link you posted doesn't work