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~$1000 Build Review - How does it look?

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - ~$1000 Build Review - How does it look?

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danb_33   03-18-2009 at 02:53:58 AM

How does this newegg ~$1000 system look for gaming:

- CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 940
- MOBO: ASUS M4A79 Deluxe 790FX
- RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
- Vidcard: EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
- HD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s (WD1001FALS)
- Power supply: Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL-S 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI
- OS: MS Windows Vista Home Premium

Thank you for your review.
--danb

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fullmetall   03-18-2009 at 03:01:47 AM
- 0 +

hopefully the g.skills is pi black :)

change the 9800gtx to the gtx 250, more updated version of the 9800gtx and should be cheaper.

psu, would throw it in there air and shoot it. :)

since the gts 250 only uses 1x6-pin

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] ocz%20550w
ocz fatalty 550w


Reply to fullmetall
MykC   03-18-2009 at 03:20:21 AM
- 1 +

Lose the 790FX board, it cost more for what you'll need. The FX boards are only recommended if you want to run 4850X2 or 4870X2 in quadfire.

Personally, I'd go with this RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145184 Corsair DDR2 800 $45 - $20MIR Why pay more?
However, if you want something with better timings:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231209 G.Skill PI Black DDR2 800 $45
All in all, I don't recommend the price DDR2 1066 over DDR2 800.

The videocard you chose is nvidia on a crossfire platform. If you have no plans on running two GPUs down the road thats fine, but after you move from the 790FX to a 780GX then you can afford this upgrade.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102801 1GB 4870 $190

Motherboard solutions:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128384 Giga 790GX $90 (xfire) COMBO deal $50 saving with the 940BE chip on new egg.

Either of these PSU if you don't plan to crossfire:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341010 OCZ 600W $70 - $20MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341022 OCZ 550W $80 - $20MIR
If you do plan to crossfire:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341011 PCP&C 750W Red $110 - $15MIR 4x6pin

Cpu cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835186020 Artic MX-2 Thermal Compound $7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003 Xigma $36 - $10MIR (AMD)

Case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137 CM 690 $80


Message edited by MykC on 03-18-2009 at 03:20:42 AM
Reply to MykC
Bronze Home Brew badge Outlander_04   03-18-2009 at 03:22:39 AM
- 1 +

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.165047
1. AMD HDZ940XCGIBOX:
2. GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H
$288.89

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
$53

Vista
$99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152102
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb
[faster, quieter and cheaper than the WD]
$99.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139005
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC
$94.99


So far all that works out at $637 , which leaves $360 for a badass gfx card . Something that will chew the GTX 250 up and spit it out b4 breakfast .....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102813
SAPPHIRE 100260SR Radeon HD 4850 X2 1GB 512-bit
$244.99
[ might as well be ATI since the board can accept another ATI card in crossfire ]

which means you have a $115 to buy a case if you need one , or more beer if you dont

Reply to Outlander_04
fullmetall   03-18-2009 at 03:37:58 AM
- 0 +

Go with Mykc options,

Reply to fullmetall
Bronze Home Brew badge Outlander_04   03-18-2009 at 03:45:59 AM
- 1 +

Whatever system you go with if you are using a Phenom 940 use DDR 2 1066 MHz memory . Phenom can use the bandwidth .

Reply to Outlander_04
xthekidx   03-18-2009 at 03:48:31 AM
- 0 +

All of the above suggestions are good. Definitely lose the Rosewill PSU, I would only use it as a doorstop.

What size monitor will you be playing on? That has a large effect on the amount of GPU power you need to run your system.

------------------------------ Asus P6T & i7 920 @ 3.6ghz
GTX 260 Core 216
6gb 1443MHZ 7-7-7-18 1T OCZ Platinum
CM RC-690, CM V8 HSF
Reply to xthekidx
danb_33   03-18-2009 at 05:37:14 AM
- 0 +

For monitor, going to use my 52in 1080p sony bravia tv.

Okay, great advice, thank you.
So here is where my head is at w/ new setup based on your reviews:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.165047
AMD Phenom II X4 940 BE
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX
$288

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.161274
Saphire Radeon 4870 1GB
$195 (w/game incl: Stalkers)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
$53

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152102
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB
$99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341022
OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V
$80 w/ $20MIR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
$37 w/ $10MIR (free 15ft USB cable)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower
$80

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126174
Logitech EX 110 Black USB + PS/2 Standard Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse
$30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835186020
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound
$7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827136152
LG DVD/CD Burner
$25

Vista Premium
$99

Total w/ tax & shipping = $1100

How does this look? Quality system for the buck?

Reply to danb_33
danb_33   03-18-2009 at 06:03:09 AM
- 0 +

is a 550W power supply sufficient for this system?

Reply to danb_33
xthekidx   03-18-2009 at 06:17:36 AM
- 0 +

Yeah it will be ok for that system you have listed, but I think I would spend more on the GPU if you are going to use 1080P resolution...but again this depends on the games you play, some are more demanding than others. Crysis will run slowly I think, as will Far Cry 2. I would go for a 4850x2 I think, or maybe get 2 4830's in xfire, they scale very well and will perform better than the 4870 1gb.

------------------------------ Asus P6T & i7 920 @ 3.6ghz
GTX 260 Core 216
6gb 1443MHZ 7-7-7-18 1T OCZ Platinum
CM RC-690, CM V8 HSF
Reply to xthekidx
MykC   03-18-2009 at 01:47:58 PM
- 0 +

Depending on the settings your willing to live with, Far Cry 2 plays perfectly fine on high at 1080p on my 9800GT (min FPS 25 when action gets hot), so a 4870 is do much better even if you take the graphics to very high. With Crysis, it really didn't run well at all, medium settings with high physics was the best I could do. A 4870 will be fun as long as you can live without Very High and AA.

Reply to MykC
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