Budget AMD gaming PC under $900

innerdin

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Can anyone help me for a gaming PC build under $900?

I am planning to go for the AMD and ATI combo, with probably the AMD Phenom II X4 940 (since it has a deal on zipzoomfly) and MSI's Radeon HD 4890. Other than that, I don't know what components are the best under my budget.

I am probably going to buy the parts by next week, and am not looking to overclocking it. Also, I'll be looking forward to play games such as NWN2, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Prince of Persia and COD5 on an ASUS MK241H 24" HDMI monitor.

Please help me. Thank you. :)
 

fullmetall

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Well for Gaming, Go for the x3 720be.

Get the x3 720be

4890? is just an Oc'd 4870 1gb IMO. I would think the vapor x edition 4870 2gb would be better but, still wouldn't buy it for your budget.

I'd stick with the 4870's 1gb but, if you can get a really good deal on the 4890 go ahead.


Cannot believe the price on the x3 720. $140.00

Gigabyte UD4H 790gx board.

DDR2 800mhz pi black g.skills

650tx
or
750tx for cf.

wd black 640gb.

rc-690


Look for any combo's aswell on newegg.

optical lg x22 dvd/samsung x22 dvd


 

sassan

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Hello Here is what I could come up with less then $900 for a good gaming machine

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387
$109.99
GIGABYTE GV-R485OC-1GH Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$169.99 ($20 MIR)
Combo Price: $259.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.185314

G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231219
$42.99

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471
$189.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
$74.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
$119.99 ($109.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
$79.99

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152
$24.99

Total: $792.92
MIR: $762.92
 

fullmetall

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I'd X out that combo and replace it with a UD4H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128384&Tpk=Gigabyte%20UD4H

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801
4870 1gb

Which would bring it to $851.00, Everything else is right on the Dot.

Nice find on the Ram, The Pi Black G.Skills are the same thing, mabye better heatsink on the ram.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209&Tpk=Pi%20Black%20800.


The 750tx would be for a Added 4870 Later On.

+

If you can get that 940 x4 on zipzoomfly for Cheaper, do it.

And since this is a Gaming computer, getting the x3 720 could open the option of the 4890 You wanted Aswell.

 

sassan

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Yea you are right, this is how it will look now


GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128384
$128.99
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471
$189.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.182237
Combo Price: $293.98

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801
$189.99

G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231219
$42.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
$74.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
$119.99 ($109.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
$79.99

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152
$24.99

Total: $826.92
MIR: $816.92

You should be able to play all of those games smoothly with this build
 
Everyone's been so used to suggesting Intel builds lately that we've forgotten that AMD chips actually benefit from DDR2 1066 RAM. I would take a look at these kits to take full advantage of the built-in RAM controller on your Phenom II chip:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=+1259920344&Configurator=&Subcategory=-1&description=g.skill+ddr2+1066+4gb&Ntk=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

You should also include a 64-bit OS in the build so you can use all 4GB.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 $99.99
 

innerdin

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Yeah..last time I checked on the zipzoomfly deal, the offer for the AMD X4 940 + Windows Vista 64-Bit was just $15 above off an X3 720 + Vista on Newegg..I am going to buy the processor and OS from zipzoomfly.
 

sassan

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Boot time would be faster and some games such as Crysis will benefit extra rams like 4gb. Some 64bit applications will benefit to.

Everything would be snappier.

Vista 64bit is nice, but if you want to save money for now, get the Windows 7 64bit edition the free beta version which is faster then XP and Vista in my opinion.

Then when it gets released buy it.

You will not get disappointed. The list that you have on top is amazing for an AMD&ATI.

Windows 7 cd key can be obtained here http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/Windows-7/Beta-Download.Aspx

Then just find the Windows 7 ISO file and burn it.
 

innerdin

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Hmm...just after a while, seems AMD has made another processor with socket AM3..

Is there any performance difference of AM3 over AM2+, and DDR3 over DDR2? Maybe this is a stretch, but somehow I feel like allowing my budget to be under $1k with the hopes to get AM3 stuff and DDR3 capability..

Can anyone suggest a build that has AM3 processor and DDR3 RAM under $1k?
 

fullmetall

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We can try:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378
Gigabyte AM3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227275
ocz - these have tall sinkers but, should fit. My uncle has them in a antec 900.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152
lg 22x dvd

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
rc-690

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
wd black 640gb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801
4870 1gb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
650tx, you can get a 750tx for a little more to open C.F.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674
x4 955 AM3 CPU

this runs you at $940 without the m-i-r invovled.

you can get a Heatsink under $40 and bump it up to $980ish + Arctic silver 5 thermal compound

or

use the stock cooler and buy arctic silver 5 thermal compound.
 
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674&Tpk=PHENOM%20II%20955 $245.00

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378 $139.99 - $15.00 MIR

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189 $59.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=WD6401AALS $74.99

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102825 $199.99 - $20.00 MIR

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=750TX $119.99 - $10.00 MIR

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042&Tpk=ANTEC%20300 $59.95

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model GH22LS30 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136153 $25.99

Total - $925.89 - $45.00 MIR's
 

sassan

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955 for that price since its the introduction of the cpu is not worth it.

The 940 would be better if he just overclocked it in the future and it will beat the 955 with a decent cooler.
 

The OP said "Can anyone suggest a build that has AM3 processor and DDR3 RAM under $1k?"

The above builds fit that description exactly.