Seeking Advice for a Budget PC build

I'm new to build your own PC. I've read just about ever thing i could find about building your own PC, and finally after hours upon hours of reading. I finally came up with a list of parts. Please tell me what you think, And perhaps areas The list could improve. I'm Using the PC mostly for gaming. I want it to be able to play some of the newer games. as well as be upgrade able. I'm trying to keep the cost bellow $1,200. thank yo for your input.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Some time in October.

BUDGET RANGE: $900 - $1,200

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Movie editing/watching movies, internet surfing.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I have a mouse and headphones already that's about it.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com or any other reliable site.

PARTS PREFERENCES: I'm just going to list the parts i'v selected here.
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128387 $109.99

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDZ550WFGIBOX - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103680 $109.99

OCZ Platinum Edition 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Quad Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P8008GQ - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820227291 $99.99

Western Digital RE3 WD7502ABYS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136316 $129.99

HIS Hightech H485QS1GP Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported IceQ4 Video Card - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161245 $139.99

XCLIO A380BK Fully Black SECC 1.0mm thickness ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811103010 $129.99

XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P4 700W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817189009 $109.99

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151173 $26.99

Acer V173 b Black 17" 5ms LCD Monitor - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009136 $119.99

Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823109043 $13.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116467 $189.99

OVERCLOCKING: Yes
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024 max resolution
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would like to keep the price under 1,200 I'm going to be using it for gaming mostly. I'd also like to future proof it a little. I want a 64 bit OS. This will be my first PC build. Any tips or advice would be appreciated. please let me know if all the parts I chose work together. or if i can get a better part for around the same price. Thank You.

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This is my suggestion - also get windows 7 Beta free instead of Vista if you can.

Gonna see of this works and you can see this:
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ [...] ChangeItem

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to nerrawg

nerrawg wrote :

This is my suggestion - also get windows 7 Beta free instead of Vista if you can.

Gonna see of this works and you can see this:
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ [...] ChangeItem

didn't work. sorry, i'm not 100% sure how to do it either.

to the OP, switch your selections with these:

i'm not real familiar with that manufacturer and i don't like the way the fans are set up but this one is great for overclocking as it has 4 fans
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129058

10 bucks more for a much better psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

this hard drive is a much better deal so unless you absolutely need 750 gigs, get the 640
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

if you can spring for it, this is 40 bucks more and is a better gpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102801

lastly, if you're going to overclock, you have to have one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233029

good luck!

i forgot to add... check the combo deals for the items you do select as you'll save some money that way. newegg has some great combos.

Message edited by msclman99 on 06-19-2009 at 01:46:56 AM

Reply to msclman99

Well first of all 8GB is overkill. You wont see much any difference between 4GB and 8GB according to this article and my own experience.

So instead of that memory go with THIS. thats the memory i am currently using and i have nothing but good to say about it.

The HDD is pretty good but i always like to have 2 HDD's (one for OS and one for data).
Try going with 2 of THESE. They are 500GB each so you'll have a terabyte instead of 750GB.

The GPU is once again good, but you should really spend $30 more and get the 4870 1GB

PSU: You can save around $10 and get more power from a more reliable company. get Corsair's 750W

If you want to splurge a bit and get some more pixels get This Monitor

If you use the parts i suggested and use the other ones you already listed, your grand total is:

$1109 (If you get the 22'' monitor)
$1069 (if you get the 19'' monitor)
Both prices include the OS

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Thefox14

Thefox14 wrote :

Well first of all 8GB is overkill. You wont see much any difference between 4GB and 8GB according to this article and my own experience.

So instead of that memory go with THIS. thats the memory i am currently using and i have nothing but good to say about it.

The HDD is pretty good but i always like to have 2 HDD's (one for OS and one for data).
Try going with 2 of THESE. They are 500GB each so you'll have a terabyte instead of 750GB.

The GPU is once again good, but you should really spend $30 more and get the 4870 1GB

PSU: You can save around $10 and get more power from a more reliable company. get Corsair's 750W

If you want to splurge a bit and get some more pixels get This Monitor

If you use the parts i suggested and use the other ones you already listed, your grand total is:

$1109 (If you get the 22'' monitor)
$1069 (if you get the 19'' monitor)
Both prices include the OS

i have that 22" monitor and i love it.

Reply to msclman99

OK my suggestion:

Case + PSU combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.201930 - $235

The best airflow Full tower gaming case and one the best PSU's around with a 5 year warranty! Never have to buy a PSU again

CPU + MOBO combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.203011 - $215

TOMS and others have shown that 3 cores is the best bang for buck in gaming - don't need 4 cores yet. This CPU is a great overclocker and also just fine stock. The mobo should be rock solid (ASUS)

MEMORY:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231189
G Skill have lifetime warranty and this is a CAS 8 latency which should give good response. great overclocking ram as well.

GP(S):
2 x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150337
4850 in CF is awesome and plays every game but crysis at max setting on 1920 x 1200 res. (perfect for that 24 inch monitor I suggest next) - $220
XFX has a double life warranty which will give a major boost in resale value when it comes time to upgrade and flog these babies on ebay!
If you don't want to go for CF right away I suggest a single 4870 1GB instead - although the 4850 CF will thoroughly trounce it for only $50 more

MONITOR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236049
great 24 inch - really good investment for gaming - $230 and free shipping

HD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136319
Great speed and capacity - better than the 500GB models due to architecture

DVD burner:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151175
all you need

OS - windows 7 beta - free! Or vista for $99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488

Total without OS: $1063
+ $55 mail-in rebate = ~$1000

You can of course play around with this, it is just a suggestion

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by nerrawg on 06-19-2009 at 03:19:13 AM

Reply to nerrawg

Also if you overclock look for an aftermarket CPU cooler - Xigmatek HdST 1283 is great and there are lots of other like the thermalright ultra 120 Ext. and the Zalman 9900 - just don't spend more than $50 if you want best bang for buck and aren't interested in 1-2* lower temps

Reply to nerrawg

Thank you. You all have been a great help.

Reply to peldrick

nerrawg wrote :

OK my suggestion:

Case + PSU combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.201930 - $235

The best airflow Full tower gaming case and one the best PSU's around with a 5 year warranty! Never have to buy a PSU again

CPU + MOBO combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.203011 - $215

TOMS and others have shown that 3 cores is the best bang for buck in gaming - don't need 4 cores yet. This CPU is a great overclocker and also just fine stock. The mobo should be rock solid (ASUS)

MEMORY:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231189
G Skill have lifetime warranty and this is a CAS 8 latency which should give good response. great overclocking ram as well.

GP(S):
2 x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150337
4850 in CF is awesome and plays every game but crysis at max setting on 1920 x 1200 res. (perfect for that 24 inch monitor I suggest next) - $220
XFX has a double life warranty which will give a major boost in resale value when it comes time to upgrade and flog these babies on ebay!
If you don't want to go for CF right away I suggest a single 4870 1GB instead - although the 4850 CF will thoroughly trounce it for only $50 more

MONITOR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824236049
great 24 inch - really good investment for gaming - $230 and free shipping

HD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136319
Great speed and capacity - better than the 500GB models due to architecture

DVD burner:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151175
all you need

OS - windows 7 beta - free! Or vista for $99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488

Total without OS: $1063
+ $55 mail-in rebate = ~$1000

You can of course play around with this, it is just a suggestion

Nice build by the Dane !

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
Reply to Why_Me

I was looking for a build that would be very similar to this, but a little cheaper. I'd like to start off with just a single middle of the road GPU for now and add another later. I'd also want a PSU that can handle the additional GPU when its added. Would the 4850 be a good idea for this? My requirements for now to be able to use dual monitors (for productivity) and some light to medium gaming. Then if necessary I could add in another 4850 to improve later on. I'm currently using a 22" Samsung monitor at 1680 x1050 which I like a lot. I'd also like to be able to overclock the CPU as well, so if additional things are necessary for that please include them. I have yet to do any overclocking if that has any importance on what should be purchased.

Would all of these components fit into a nice build?

Antec Three Hundred:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Power Supply:
(I need help here)

CPU + Motherboard: listed above by nerrawg
Memory: listed above by nerrawg
GPU: listed above by nerrawg
Monitor: Purchased later, most likely 23"-24" (will adding another impact which GPU's I should use?)
HD: listed above by nerrawg
Burner: listed above by nerrawg
OS: Win 7

If this should have been placed in a new thread just say so and I'll clean this up and create a new one. Thanks!

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to pointy

pointy wrote :

I was looking for a build that would be very similar to this, but a little cheaper. I'd like to start off with just a single middle of the road GPU for now and add another later. I'd also want a PSU that can handle the additional GPU when its added. Would the 4850 be a good idea for this? My requirements for now to be able to use dual monitors (for productivity) and some light to medium gaming. Then if necessary I could add in another 4850 to improve later on. I'm currently using a 22" Samsung monitor at 1680 x1050 which I like a lot. I'd also like to be able to overclock the CPU as well, so if additional things are necessary for that please include them. I have yet to do any overclocking if that has any importance on what should be purchased.

Would all of these components fit into a nice build?

Antec Three Hundred:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Power Supply:
(I need help here)

CPU + Motherboard: listed above by nerrawg
Memory: listed above by nerrawg
GPU: listed above by nerrawg
Monitor: Purchased later, most likely 23"-24" (will adding another impact which GPU's I should use?)
HD: listed above by nerrawg
Burner: listed above by nerrawg
OS: Win 7

If this should have been placed in a new thread just say so and I'll clean this up and create a new one. Thanks!

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] e=10006382 $109.99 ($79.99 after MIR) Free Shipping
PC Power and Cooling SILENCER 750W QUAD S75CF Power Supply Retail

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
Reply to Why_Me

Why_Me wrote :

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] e=10006382 $109.99 ($79.99 after MIR) Free Shipping
PC Power and Cooling SILENCER 750W QUAD S75CF Power Supply Retail

I haven't heard of this brand before... I've only seen a couple brands on these forums as getting the thumbs up. This one is still good? Also will this be everything I need to build the computer (as far as what goes in the case I mean).

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by pointy on 06-20-2009 at 03:40:36 AM

Reply to pointy

pointy wrote :

I haven't heard of this brand before... I've only seen a couple brands on these forums as getting the thumbs up. This one is still good? Also will this be everything I need to build the computer (as far as what goes in the case I mean).

I would say next to the Corsair 750w, the PC Power & Cooling 750w psu is the most recommended on here. Usually peeps buy whatever is cheaper atm when it comes down to the Corsiar 750w and the PC & P 750w. Both are single rail psu's and both are quality components.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341011 <--- that's the same psu on newegg... 300 reviews of that psu to browse...and specs, pics, etc..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] %20Cooling <--- that's the complete line of PC Power & Cooling on newegg to take a look at. There's an identical 750w psu but it's black instead of red.

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
Reply to Why_Me

Thanks for pointing that out Why_Me. I checked out the ZZF page and the link to their mail in rebate is goofed I think. I'll check with the site to see whats going on with it. Otherwise that looks like a good deal. Thanks!

Reply to pointy

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