AMD Multi-Task+Light/Med gaming- need all- 1300

[Infernous]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE:Anywhere between tomorrow and a week or two BUDGET RANGE: 1000-1300

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: medium gaming at high res, CAD software on occasion, File converting ie DVD to avi etc. surfing the internet, watching movies.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I already bought a dvd drive. Could wait on keyboard/mouse but will need one eventually as i have the stock emachines garbage, I have an old PSU but i don't usually hear people say to reuse OEM PSUs, and might be able to get vista-ultimate 64 bit but won't get the free windows 7 upgrade..

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg is always good, but will shop wherever i can get a good deal with decent service

PARTS PREFERENCES: I like AMD-upgradability and ATI( crossfire seems to have less issues than SLI)

CPU/MOBO:
PII-X3-720 BE w/ Asus M47A8TE-AM3 790gx HDMI $205(-15mir)- other possiblities include the gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P

RAM:
OCZ platinum (3x2) 6gig 1600-$115 don't know if i need this high quality.. I could probly just go for these G.Skill 2x2 1333

PSU:
Antec EA650 $77

HD
WD 1TB caviar black 7.2k rpm- 32mb cache $95
Or should i just get one 640 now and another 640 later?

Video Card
HIS ICEQ 4850 512 Mb- 650Mhz-Core 2000MHz-Mem $100 (20mir)
I don't know much about GPU distributors but i have heard that the 4850 is a good mid end card.

Monitor:
ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" monitor 1920x1080 16:9 Full HD 1080P
$170
Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers: ???- Any advice, on mouse, cheap decent speakers, gaming keyboard, or pad.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes (Nothing crazy- I like super stable as i leave my computer on often. That and i don't want it to draw massive amounts of elec.. )
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Don't know whether i should wait on the 955 for this one.. I am wondering whether it's price will drop when the 965 comes out.. if it comes out.. I play WOW and Obllivion and may get into other rpg- type games.. But i don't like the GTA4 series nor do i play War-games that often. I will probably play Starcraft 2 when it comes out. I stick to mostly older games ones that are not 50-60 bucks but rather 20$. However, I would like to have a computer that I can keep for say 3-4 years without serious upgrades. I know that may be impossible but if I can drop 1-200 in it every year rather than start over in 2 years that would be good.

I got build advice from gkay09 on a previous build and his advice along with Outlander04's was great. So thanks, guys.

 

[tecmo34]

I quickly noticed you have a 3x2GB RAM listed, which is a triple channel... AMD uses dual channel. I recommend to change the RAM to either your listed G.Skill or OCZ Gold AMD Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600.

Do you have a case already since I don't think I see one listed?

Everything else looks good....

edit: Missed the other questions...

Mouse: RAZER DeathAdder RZ01-00150100-R3M1 Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Optical High Precision Gaming Mouse - Retail (I use this mouse and love it... I highly recommend it!!)
Keyboard: You don't really need a gaming keyboard. I would recommend just getting yourself a nice $15 to $20 basic keyboard.
Speakers: Logitech LS21 7 Watts RMS (FTC) 2.1 Stereo Speaker System - Black - Retail (These are pretty cheap and Logitech makes good speakers, so I find these good budget/basic speakers)

The 955 would perform better than the 720 but based on what you are doing, you can get away with the 720. I would say if the 955 would be in stock in a week... wait... if not go ahead with the 720. Your computer should last for a few or more years with GPU and CPU upgrades as need, which the AM3 board will allow you to do.

 

[Proximon]

I had typed up something similar to Techmo earlier, but lost the internet here at work. Only Thing I would add is that you could have an i7 with a stronger video card and still come in under 1300.

 

[neon neophyte]

for 1300 bucks i think AMD could build u a time machine.

 

[Infernous]

I had typed up something similar to Techmo earlier, but lost the internet here at work. Only Thing I would add is that you could have an i7 with a stronger video card and still come in under 1300.

I haven't done much research into the i7 line, the lowest end would be the 920 Nehalem for ~$220 and the mobos go for 200 also.. So if you or someone could advise me on it that would be great.. ie what kind of speeds can you get stable on air cooling, what kind of cpu cooler would i want to use.. etc. {BTW I made many decisions based off of your recommendations and guides, so thanks man. }


(I don't know how to do multiple quotes, but....) @tecmo34: The case I am going to buy is the Thermaltake V9 most likely the black edition. I like the look, the way things are organized and the top mounted cluster. it's about 100 bucks and included in the 1300.
About the keyboard, i guess i could stick with OEM one, however I really like the circular gamepad clusters. It's arranged nicely. Speakers look good too.
Only problem is with the mouse, specs look great but two things aesthetically: I am not big on the blue lights. I prefer red as it goes better with my style and my case. But the other issue is size.. it's slim and flat and I have large hands ~8"x5" and OEM mice are usually uncomfortable. I was looking at these what do you guys think? ideazon 3200dpi Reaper or the wolfking 2200 dpi

and @neon Time Machine? is that saying that you could build a kick @$$ rig for 1300 w/ AMD or something else?

 

[Proximon]

An i7 920 is faster than any AMD CPU at stock speeds, and it's a better overclocker than ANY CPU except maybe the new i7 975. Given that your usage includes CAD and other quad friendly apps, I think you would be better off.

You can actually pay less than 200 for a motherboard that will do well. This recent review of the Gigabyte UD3R should lay any fears to rest:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/07/22/gigabyte_ex58ud3r_motherboard_review
If you aren't familiar with them, Hardocp is one of the serious review sites. They do good work.

You might need to cut a few corners to start, but not many, to get a great platform that will last you longer:
Gigabyte UD3R and OCZ platinum 1600 6GB combo -288
i7 920 and Xigmatek Dark Knight Combo -315
--
Antec 300 Illusion and TP-750
Nice modular PSU and great case. -180
--
XFX 4870 1GB -150
I can't call 4850 a good mid card any more. This is more like mid these days, and you have enough space and PSU in this build to add a second one of these later.
--
Caviar Black 640 GB -75
DVD burner -27
--
TX-2 thermal paste -5

This all comes to under 1100, leaving you cash to go get a monitor locally. Best to avoid shipping charges and return hassles on monitor purchases if you can.

On the mouse, I favor my G5, which you can still get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104076
At that price, you need to grab it NOW! I paid closer to 80 bucks for mine, and it's been worth every penny.

 

[Infernous]

Thanks, for the quick response. One thing I should probably mention is that I don't use CAD too often only once in a while since at my lab we have Dell Xeon computers and I don't have enough money to buy the licenses for the heavy hitting programs.

I will almost definitely scoop up that g5 mouse. Too bad that leather-ish pattern isn't red and black but it's nice nonetheless.

I don't really like the Antec 300, for some reason doesn't do it for me. Is the Thermaltake V9 BE not good? ( this one has a psu-combo don't know if it's any good)
I know it's a little more expensive.. but i like that one. previously i kind of liked the Aerocool aeroengine plus but heard bad reviews.

On the GPU I'll up it to the 4870.. XFX i hear is pretty darn good.
And i can downgrade to 640 on the WDCB no problem. (If it's not too much trouble, does anyone know of a good post or article on partitioning drives for better performance?)

Does that gigabyte work well in X-fire? I have read that the PCI slots are a little close.

Now onto my real question. I know you would probably know how to explain it or at least point me to an article, but I am not sure i understand why or how the i7 is faster at 2.66 than say the 955 at 3.2? And i know they OC up to about 3.8-4.2 on air. But then power consumption goes up big time when you oc and I don't want to use that much electricity (house of 6 people in cali.)

And would the prices on an i7 drop drastically in sept/oct when the i5 comes out?

 

[Proximon]

The Seventeam PSU is probably good. It doesn't have the track record or support that you would get from Antec, Corsair, or PC P&C.

Another case that I would favor over the Thermaltake would be this Cooler master, that might suit your aesthetic tastes more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

That's pretty much the standard PCI-E layout. You do have to be careful with airflow when running CF, and the big fan on the V9 might be a help there.

 

[Infernous]

Ill probably wait and see about the scout, i just bought it for my dad's comp (grphx designer). And i will probly up the psu to an antec.

I don't know if you saw it but could you maybe point me to an article/forum about this or explain it:
". I know you would probably know how to explain it or at least point me to an article, but I am not sure i understand why or how the i7 is faster at 2.66 than say the 955 at 3.2? And i know they OC up to about 3.8-4.2 on air. But then power consumption goes up big time when you oc and I don't want to use that much electricity (house of 6 people in cali.)"

 

[Proximon]

I could link you to articles, but they are a bit technical....

Maybe I can break it down a bit.

Judging a CPU by just the frequency is a bit like judging a car by maximum RPMs. The speed the engine spins at does not really indicate how much work it can do.

There is a thing called Hyper-threading built into Intel CPUs, that enables a single core to do more work per clock cycle.

Here's one link
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3492&p=4

Clock for clock, Intel has the advantage across the board. It gets very close between Phenom II and Penryn (Q9650) under Cinebench, but 3dsmax 9 shows a wider gap of 11% between the two. Gaming also looks pretty close if you look at Left 4 Dead; however, Far Cry 2 (a newer engine and much more heavily threaded game) is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The take away point is that compared to Penryn, Phenom II is slower clock-for-clock. The gap grows with Nehalem; Phenom II only gets close in older game engines, while the rest of the time Nehalem is 30-60% faster at the same clock speed.

Have a look at the link though, it has a chart. It was written for X4 940, but still applies to 955.

 

[Infernous]

Hey proximon,
As always I value your advice and guidance as well as all the other TH forum-ers. Thanks for the info on the hyperthreading i7 4core=> 8 logix cores.!! I ordered that mouse, and i went to check it out at fry's it looks and feels awesome. Oh and btw I saw the light and decided to change cases (My petty color scheme issue was easily over ridden by advice) So i am going with the g5 as well as the antec 900....
Questions at the bottom...

Anyways, here is my final build (unless you guys have any advice): Total=$1480 after tax+ship
CPU: i7 920-2.66 Ghz $514 (20 MIR)
Mobo: GA-EX58-UD4P

GPU: XFX 4870 1Gb + Vista 64 prem $255

PSU: Antec 900 + TP750-Blue $193
Extention: 1ST PC CORP. 12" 8-pin EPS extension cable $8
Case:-^

HD: WD Cav Blk 640Gb $75 (one for now more later)

HS: CM v8 and Tuniq TX-2 $63+$5

Disp: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009179] Acer X233Hbid Black 23" $180- don't know if i should step down to a 21.5 for like 30$ less..

Spkr: Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 $21
Mous: G-5 G-5
Keyb: OEM from my old comp

Selected that mobo due to reports that the PSU and UD3R have conflicts.
Will buying Vista in the combo still get me W7 ( I know i should ask newegg.. just a thought)
Will theHS fit in the in the 900?
Monitor any good?
Finally, does the\is look like a solid build that will last me a couple years? Thank you in advance..

 

[Proximon]

Will buying Vista in the combo still get me W7

Looks like it's a Windows 7 upgrade version to me.

Will theHS fit in the in the 900?

Yes.

The monitor is good for the price. I would say it's all you need for "medium gaming." I would not call it a serious gaming monitor.

It's a good build. You should plan on adding a second 4870 1GB before they disappear, say within two months. That will maximize your purchases.

 

[Infernous]

Tnks for everything, man.. Will my PSU be pushing 90% of 750 W with that second GPU or will i be within that middle third of the PSU's output like people reccomend?

 

[Proximon]

Shouldn't be more than 550W total load. Factor in margin and capacitor aging and efficiency and it's just right. You'll get some folks that say 650TX would be enough, but they are horribly wrong and should be shunned :lol: