Need advice on first home build

This is my first build so I'm looking for some advice. I'll follow the suggested format for noob requests...

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Aug-Sept 2009

BUDGET RANGE: ~$600CND but somewhat flexible (within reason)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: internet, movies, music, photos, other apps, maybe some light gaming

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: need everything but I will get monitor/keyboard/mouse separately

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: I will source from where ever is cheapest. I've placed links to newegg.ca below just to make things easier.

PARTS PREFERENCES: not married to anything but AMD seems to fit my budget. No Macs please.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe. I'm leaning to a yes on this but will I need more CPU cooling?

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: I don't do any heavy gaming so I will probably stick to a fairly decent onboard video.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1080p preferred

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm basically looking for a simple, cheap build that is somewhat "future proof". I like to reserve the option to upgrade at a later date.

Here's what I'm considering:

Motherboard: ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6813131366
I can get it for ~$130 CND

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6819103680
I can get it for ~$120 CND

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6820231189
I can get it for ~$75CND

Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6811119068
I can get it for ~$60CND

PSU: Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817371005
I can get it for ~$50CND

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] WD1001FALS
I can get it for ~$100CND

DVD: LIGHTSCIRBE SUPER MULTI 22X PATA - CDR-GH22LP20BLACK
(Mfg:LG Electronics, MfgPartNo:GH22LP20BLACK, SKU:10364808)
http://www.onhop.ca/Product/10364808?f=Shopbot
I can get it for ~$30CND

GRAND TOTAL ~$565CND

Please give me some feedback/comments/suggestions.

Thanks!

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Looks good, there dont seem to be any good combos on those parts for now but keep your eyes open as there are often some pretty sweet combos on AMD processors and motherboards.

If the 550 comes with the same heatsink as the 955 you shouldnt need more cooling unless you plan to do alot of overclocking.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to hunter315

At $60, this would be the better case:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6811129042

The PSU is good, but it sure doesn't leave much margin for a video card upgrade.

I would probably get this OCZ:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817341016

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

hunter315 wrote :

Looks good, there dont seem to be any good combos on those parts for now but keep your eyes open as there are often some pretty sweet combos on AMD processors and motherboards.

If the 550 comes with the same heatsink as the 955 you shouldnt need more cooling unless you plan to do alot of overclocking.

Thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know that I'm on the right track. I'm not planning any crazy overclocking or unlocking the cores so I think I should be OK. Thanks again!

Reply to carbon13

Proximon wrote :

At $60, this would be the better case:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6811129042

The PSU is good, but it sure doesn't leave much margin for a video card upgrade.

I would probably get this OCZ:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817341016

Thanks for the advice. I was actually looking at the Antec 300 originally but I liked the looks of the cooler master better (shallow...I know!). But taking a second look I think I will go with 300 (perfomance should outweigh esthetics...).

Your point on the PSU is well taken. I cut back basically to save some $$ but I think that I'll end up paying more if I have to replace the PSU when/if I decide to upgrade. I am hesitent on the OCZ you recommended because of the mixed reviews. What do you think of this one at the same price point:

Rosewill RP500-2 500W ATX12V v2.01 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817182016

Reviews are a bit better.

Let me know what you think. Thanks again for the help!

Reply to carbon13

OCZ> anything Rosewill. If memory serves, Rosewill is newegg's "namebrand". I learned the hard way, if there's anything you don't want to skimp on, its the PSU.

I wouldn't trust the reviews.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by AMDThunder on 07-15-2009 at 06:15:08 PM

------------------------------ Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.4
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P
2X2GB/ G.Skill PI Black PC6400
HD4770 XFire
Reply to AMDThunder

newegg reviews dont mean too much once you know the parts you are working with, most of the reviewers on newegg are morons unfortunately. DOA parts happen to even the best company but for PSUs OCZ, PC Power and Cooling, seasonic, antec, and corsair are some of the most reliable high quality brands out there. Rosewill parts are just like walmart specials, they buy it cheap from some OEM and slap their label on it, the quality varies from model to model.

Reply to hunter315

AMDThunder wrote :

OCZ> anything Rosewill. If memory serves, Rosewill is newegg's "namebrand". I learned the hard way, if there's anything you don't want to skimp on, its the PSU.

I wouldn't trust the reviews.

Thanks for the info. I guess I didn't really put enough thought into the PSU. From the sounds of it I should maybe spend a bit more for a better 500W PSU. What do you think about this:

Antec earthwatts EA500 500W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817371007

It's a bit more (~$80CND) but seems to be a better PSU. It's also recommended on Proximon's parts list.

Do you think it's worth the extra $$ over the OCZ??

Another option is a 450W corsair but that kinda puts me back to where I started; namely not much room for upgrades.

Reply to carbon13

The one proximon suggest is a modular PSU and i would take that over the EA500 especially since your case selection has a top mounted PSU. The EA500 has 8 cables coming out of it and you only need 3 of them so thats alot of extra wires to deal with. Im quite happy with my EA500 but with the amount of cables i have sitting at the bottom of my case it would be hell with a top mounted PSU.

Reply to hunter315

I do think the Delta-built EA500 is the better PSU. It's well tested whereas most of the OCZ line gets fewer reviews... just because there are so many I expect. PSU reviews are not like video card benchmarks though Sometimes it's hard to say.

The Corsair 450VX is probably higher quality for about the same price, but delivers slightly less max 12V amps
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817139003

Either PSU is great, and will fit your needs.

Quote :

Another option is a 450W corsair but that kinda puts me back to where I started; namely not much room for upgrades.

Not really. The EA380 delivers a lot less on the 12V rail. As does the modular OCZ I originally linked. My bad.

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Either the earthwatts or the OCZ really. The 450 Corsair would work for you as well. What kind of upgrades are you worried about? If you're that worried, step up and get the Corsair 650.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817139005

A bit more expensive, but you're covered both power wise and still within budget. About $30 more, but has free shipping. Personally I prefer the single rail, but that's just me.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.4
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P
2X2GB/ G.Skill PI Black PC6400
HD4770 XFire
Reply to AMDThunder

AMDThunder wrote :

Either the earthwatts or the OCZ really. The 450 Corsair would work for you as well. What kind of upgrades are you worried about? If you're that worried, step up and get the Corsair 650.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817139005

A bit more expensive, but you're covered both power wise and still within budget. About $30 more, but has free shipping. Personally I prefer the single rail, but that's just me.

Good points to consider. So, I think the most likely upgrades in the near future would be a video card and/or a quad core CPU. With this in mind, the 450W PSU may be on the low side. The 650W is a bit more that I wanted to spend and maybe a bit more than I need.

However, there is a happy medium with this 550W PSU for ~$75:

Corsair VX550W 550W ATX 12V 41A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11180AC2518

So 2 questions: good PSU? Do you think it will adequately cover future CPU/video upgrades?

Thanks again for all the comments and help.

Reply to carbon13

I'd think the 550 will be fine for you, especially if you're using on board video. I'd go with this one from newegg. Price is about the same, but has a $30MIR.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817139004

If you don't game, I wouldn't sweat it. If you think you may in the future, and get a higher end GPU, grab the 650.

------------------------------ Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.4
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P
2X2GB/ G.Skill PI Black PC6400
HD4770 XFire
Reply to AMDThunder

So I finally built my first computer!! I fired it up last night and it actually worked (I was quite excited/relieved). When I turned on the main toggle I paniced when the CPU fan didn't fire up...then I realized I never pushed the power button (I felt like a big time newbee at that moment!!). Anyway, everything seems to be working fine but I wanted to send out a huge thank-you to Proximon, AMDThunder and hunter315 for all your help. You guys are the best!!

Here's my final build:

Motherboard: ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6813131366

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6819103680

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6820231189

Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] _-11129042

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817139004

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] WD1001FALS

DVD: LIGHTSCIRBE SUPER MULTI 22X PATA - CDR-GH22LP20BLACK

(Mfg:LG Electronics, MfgPartNo:GH22LP20BLACK, SKU:10364808)

http://www.onhop.ca/Product/10364808?f=Shopbot

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