Help needed to cut cost on new midrange rig

dontcrygg

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Jun 11, 2009
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18,510
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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: in 1 week or less

BUDGET RANGE: $600-700

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT:
from most to least: web browsing, HD video playback, gaming.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED:
WD 640Gb Caviar 7K 16M WD6400AAKS
Dell 22' monitor

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com and if the shipping cost for the case is too high, I'll buy it from the local Microcomputer store.

PARTS PREFERENCES: Going with an AMD build for the first time. Prefer a mid-range ATI card.

OVERCLOCKING: I am going to overclock the CPU (trying for the first time)

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: native resolution for 22' monitor

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The comp will be used as my main computer and I'll be using it for mainly: web browsing, video playback, and gaming (once Starcraft 2 comes out). I want to hook it up to my HDTV so I can watch videos on there but my monitor will be main display.

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I currently have these parts picked out:

AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103650 --- $169.00
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378 --- $140.00
G.SKILL 4GB DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193 --- $65.00
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801 --- $180.00
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 --- $100.00
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW ATX Mid
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077 --- $60.00
LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner SATA OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 --- $24.00
Scythe SCKTN-3000 92mm Sleeve "KATANA3" 3Heat Pipes
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185096 --- $24.00

Total $764.93

There are actually mail-in rebates for a couple of my items and they reduce the total amount by $30. I'm choosing the PhenomII X4 810 because the ability to use DDR3 with it. I was deciding between Asus and Gb boards and decided to go with Gb. I picked HD4870 single card thinking it would suffice my future gaming needs for Starcraft 2, and I don't plan on playing FPS with max settings. I'm not exactly sure on the case and psu, maybe there's room to cut price there? Also I wonder if the Scythe HSF will be much better than the stock fan... Thanks for the help in advance!
 

fpoama

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May 17, 2009
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Since you say you are waiting for Starcraft 2 as am I, is there any other games that would require a 4870. Personally I think that would be overkill if all you plan on is playing games such as Starcraft 2, etc. Myself personally will be buying a 4770 or something similar as I am not a hardcore gamer. Since the 4770 is OOS, you could go with a 4850 and save almost $100, and then down the road get a DX11 card when they come out in the fall.

Also I think you could get away with a Corsair 550W instead of the 650W....but it is only $10 cheaper on Newegg so I think it would be worth it for $10 more to stay with the 650W.
 

dontcrygg

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Jun 11, 2009
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18,510
Thanks for the feedbacks. I've decided to drop the video card down to a HD4850 1GB card. The deals on newegg look to be around $120 shipped. I'm looking at either the XFX or the HIS card. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161275
I'm also changing the PSU to Antec 650W. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
Do I even need that much power for my rig? I heard from a friend that I can prolly do 500W or less with my setup if I don't plan on ugprading. Is having more power capability a bad thing? Because the prices for PSU at 500W or 600W range are similar. I'm sticking with the AMD cpu and AM3 mobo. I like the idea of going to a newer technology DDR3.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to add a bluRay drive to my original build. I'm looking at the LG one -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136133
So it's going to be +$86 for the drive. Doing the math: +86 (bluRay) - $60 (HD4850) - $35 (PSU) = -$9 from original build.
 

dontcrygg

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Jun 11, 2009
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18,510
The XFX HD4870 looks nice. I'm going to get that. I'm also going to get the Antec PSU + case combo however there's a $15 shipping cost so I'm going to shop around at the local computer store tmr to check prices for cases + PSU and see if they have similar priced deals.

Edit: one last question is that do I need a HSF for the PhenomII X4 cpu? or does the included fan do the job? The one I picked in the original build is kind of random...
 
That's a great deal for that Antec EA-650, with or without the case combo. If you get the Antec case, you also won't have the quality issues that seem to plague every low-end Coolermaster case I ever bought. All were minor, like untapped screw holes, but still a nuisance. Low-end Rosewill cases are similar internally but don't have tool-free drive mounting. They are cheaper but don't have the quality problems.