[CPU and other compenents] Advice of my first gaming pc build

[iamtherealwoody]

Hi everyone. I have been looking around for a little while and i've decided to build my own PC instead of buying one.

Primary Use: Gaming. Mostly TF2, L4D, CoD, and games like those.
Budget: $500-$700, but I'd like to keep it as cheap as possible while retaining upgradability.
Store of choice: New Egg, Im in USA

I've just gotten back into gaming and would like to have a system that I can have fun on for a few years while not spending too much money. I have rounded up a few components that I think would work well for me, but I do not know very much about PCs. I do however have a lot of experience with other hardware (I am a 5th year EE student) so I feel completely comfortable building a PC.

Here are the components I have so far:
CPU - AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition Kuma 2.8GHz $69
Mobo - ASRock A790GXH/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard $91.99
GPU - SAPPHIRE 100258-1GL Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 $144.99
RAM - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit $54.99
Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 $44.99
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM $74.99
Optical Drive - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW $26.99
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $94.49
Cooling - Scythe SY1225SL12M 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan $8.99

Total price = $584.43

I am completely open to your suggestions, I just would like to know that I'm getting good value for my money and that this system would last a few years by allowing me to upgrade components. I am most concerned about the mobo, because I would like to be able to get a newer CPU later, as this mobo is AM2+ socket, and would like to have to option to OC or run crossfire if I fell I need to.

Thanks for your input,
Matt

 

[jj463rd]

If you chose the new Radeon 4770 instead you could save $50 and get nearly the performance of the older Radeon 4850 (I have one).Also you could get just one stick of 2 GB of DDR2-800 RAM for around $25 saving another $30.With the $80 saved you could get the better AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor instead at new egg for $139.
Tom's had a recent review (Best Graphics Cards for the Money May 2009) and the new
Radeon 4770 was very well liked especially for it's performance vs cost.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-graphics,2296-2.html

 

[hefox]

+1 to jj463rd
Also you should buy Antec 300 instead of Coolermaster. Has a much better airflow. For the optical driver, I suggest something different but not Sony. Let say maybe Samsung.

 

[o1die]

Fry's has the latest antec sonata case with 500w ps for $79.99 this week which should power your 4770 or 4850 video nicely.

 

[Wisecracker]

Radeon HD 4830 (512Mb): $80 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102822

If you are gaming below 16x10 the 1Gb cards won't do much for yah. 2 x 4830s would be sweet . Yah probably won't find an HD 4770 - might have to wait 2-3 weeks - LOL

With all that extra cash ----->> PhII 720BE/Gigabyte 790x: $219
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.190734

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Why $144 for a 4850 when for about $10 more, you can get at a GTX 260?

 

[iamtherealwoody]

Thanks for the replies. The monitor I have is 22inch 1680x1050 its new so I dont plan on buying anything bigger any time soon. Ill switch out the coolermaster for the antec 300 and a samsung DVD burner.

As for the GPU, will the 4770 be fine for more than just source games? Ive seen some reviews on it and it does look pretty comparable to the 4850. I can afford to spend a little more though, so is it worth saving the $100 and getting the 4770 instead?

wisecracker, that combo is only about $60 more than my mobo+CPU so I could get that instead without choosing a cheaper GPU and still be within the budget. Is the triple core that much better?

Thanks again guys for the input. Im trying to learn everything i can about this stuff. So maybe get the 4770 and the triple core instead or stick with a 512MB 4850?

 

[rooseveltdon]

I agree with everyone here in your case i would go wth the 4770 and the tri core the reason for that is simple even though the 4850 is a better card the difference is not so drastic to warrant spending extra and the tri core is a much better cpu than the kuma,plus in the future u could always add an extra 4770 and run it in cross fire (the cross fired 4770 set up is amazing for the price) so i would go for the cheaper 4770 and buy the tri core

 

[Wisecracker]

Thanks for the replies. The monitor I have is 22inch 1680x1050 its new so I dont plan on buying anything bigger any time soon. Ill switch out the coolermaster for the antec 300 and a samsung DVD burner.

As for the GPU, will the 4770 be fine for more than just source games? Ive seen some reviews on it and it does look pretty comparable to the 4850. I can afford to spend a little more though, so is it worth saving the $100 and getting the 4770 instead?

wisecracker, that combo is only about $60 more than my mobo+CPU so I could get that instead without choosing a cheaper GPU and still be within the budget. Is the triple core that much better?

Thanks again guys for the input. Im trying to learn everything i can about this stuff. So maybe get the 4770 and the triple core instead or stick with a 512MB 4850?

The 4850 512Mb is down in the $100-$110 range at the Egg this weekend. It will whup the 4770 but run much warmer. At 1680x1050 in the overwhelming majority of games (ie, not Crysis - LOL) 512Mb will be just dandy - what little gain from a 1Gb card can be overcome with a slight OC.

Phenom II X3 720BE & CrossFire X Performance
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3533&p=9


For the extra $20-$30 with the PhII 720 / Gigabyte 790x and your choice of vid cards you will be in great shape. The reason I suggested the HD4830 is because it's cheap and with a CrossFire you will rule (but the same can be said for an 4850 CrossFire and the new HD 4770, fer sure)

 

[iamtherealwoody]

Im getting up in the high $650 range with the 4830 and a cheap keyboard and headset. NewEgg doesn't have any 4770's. I think the 4830 will be fine for a while, I don't see me playing crysis or anything like it for a while and then I could still run a crossfire setup if I needed to. Is there anything else I can cut prices on? I suppose I could get a cheaper PSU?

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151175
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$22.99


Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129042
Return Policy: Manufacturer Warranty
-$15.00 Instant
$69.95
$54.95


Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136319
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
$74.99


SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102822
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99
$89.99


CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$60.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$159.99
$99.99


Logitech UltraX Silver/Black USB Wired Standard Media Keyboard - OEM
Item #: N82E16823126022
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$18.99


G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231145
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$59.99
$54.99


Scythe SY1225SL12M 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan - Retail
Item #: N82E16835185058
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$8.99


Logitech Extreme 3.5mm Supra-aural PC Gaming Headset
Item #: N82E16826106931
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$12.99


AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor Model HDZ720WFGIBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103649
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128387
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$6.00 Instant
-$30.00 Combo
$254.99
$218.99

Subtotal: $657.86

 

[hefox]

Yes you can buy something cheaper like Antec or Hiper but you should take in consideration that Corsair has 5 year warranty so you can use this psu on your next pc easily.