Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > New System Build > $700 AMD Blu-Ray and Gaming Rig

$700 AMD Blu-Ray and Gaming Rig

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - $700 AMD Blu-Ray and Gaming Rig

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Ask the community Add a reply
Word :    Username :           
 
Strouty   08-29-2009 at 05:17:55 AM

This is my first build and although I've been researching the parts that I want for a little while now, I decided it would be best to ask the community what they thought before I started buying parts.

CPU: AMD Phenom II 720 X3 - $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649

Cooler: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro for $31
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185125

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128392

GPU: Radeon HD 4770 - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121326

Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion for $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129066

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 500w Modular - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341016

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

Bluray: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM - $67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827106326

DVD: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151187

Total Price: $688

Notes:

1. I will be hooking this up to both a 24" 1080p LCD monitor and a 42" 1080p LCD HDTV, preferably through HDMI.
2. I would like to be able to play any game, but I don't necessarily need settings turned all the way up (and don't care about crossfire)
3. I plan to be backing up my blu ray collection on this computer (and eventually I'll be adding 1 or 2 more HDD's) so I'll be doing lots of ripping/encoding.
4. I'm all about "Bang for Your Buck". I want performance, but I don't need 'cutting edge'
5. I'm all about generating less heat/ consuming less power (hence DDR3 and the HD 4770)
6. I probably won't do any heavy OCing, but I think it would be considered blasphemy to get the Phenom 720 and not OC at all.

I really love aluminum cases like Lian Li's, but I heard throwing in optical drives kills the look, and they would blow my budget of $700. And the cheaper aluminum cases tend to suck with air flow. But if anyone knows of a budget aluminum case then I would definitely consider that.

I don't know about the 720's stock cooler, so I threw in the Artic Cooling Freezer. If the stock is decent enough, I could probably go without since I plan only to lightly OC.

I'll be buying parts over the next week or two (mainly via Newegg and Zipzoomfly), so if anyone has any tweaks/suggestions, I'll take all the help I can get!


Message edited by Strouty on 08-29-2009 at 05:21:51 AM
Add a reply
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-29-2009 at 05:52:09 AM
- 0 +

Well for Full HD i am worried about HD 4770 as its really in HD 4850 country and i'd be looking at GTX 260/HD 4870 for that resolution to be honest ^^ Perhaps hit a 95W TDP quad (runs cool even on stock cooler) and a HD4870?
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q205/batuchka/SepFCG2.jpg

Reply to batuchka
Strouty   08-29-2009 at 06:02:07 AM
- 0 +

Does blu-ray playback require a lot of GPU 'muscle'? I agree that 1080p gaming with the HD 4770 might be stretching it, but then again I don't need to play on the highest settings. However, if that isn't the case, then I'll definitely look at upgrading to the HD 4870 or 4890.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to Strouty
EXT64   08-29-2009 at 06:06:39 AM
- 0 +

I just made two similar range systems with the same Motherboard, PSU and DVD Drive. I've used the AC Freezer before and it is pretty good. My main differences were using a 4650, OCZ DDR3, a 500GB WD Black HD, and an Athlon II X2 250 (and a Centurion 5 case) so from my experience, barring any defective items, I'd say that should be a solid build.

------------------------------ New Build (Under Contruction): Intel Core i5 750 > Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P > 2x2GB GSkill 1600MHz CL7 1.65V > Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB > Antec 300 Illusion > Asus 4850 512MB w/AM Cooler > Corsair 650HX > Hyper 212 Plus > See other Builds in Member Config
 Reply to EXT64
Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-29-2009 at 06:17:05 AM
- 0 +

Strouty wrote :

Does blu-ray playback require a lot of GPU 'muscle'? I agree that 1080p gaming with the HD 4770 might be stretching it, but then again I don't need to play on the highest settings. However, if that isn't the case, then I'll definitely look at upgrading to the HD 4870 or 4890.



If you were building a purely HTPC for Blu Ray then well a Regor 240 would cut it but for Full HD gaming and to address multi core optimisd games down the road then if your budget allows it get a more muscular CPU :P

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to batuchka
Daggs   08-29-2009 at 06:39:07 AM
- 0 +

batuchka wrote :

If you were building a purely HTPC for Blu Ray then well a Regor 240 would cut it but for Full HD gaming and to address multi core optimisd games down the road then if your budget allows it get a more muscular CPU :P


are you sure? according to this link, using a chipset of at least 780G will play fud without any problems at all

Reply to Daggs
Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-29-2009 at 07:02:49 AM
- 0 +

Err have a look at how even a heavily OCed E8xxx series copes with a game like GTA4 and you too will conclude that more cores = more wise to address both non multi and multi core optimized games now and in future :P Yes i am aware of that 780G review but a Sempron with its small cache will be found wanting for games

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by batuchka on 08-29-2009 at 07:05:21 AM
Reply to batuchka
Daggs   08-29-2009 at 02:05:53 PM
- 0 +

batuchka wrote :

Err have a look at how even a heavily OCed E8xxx series copes with a game like GTA4 and you too will conclude that more cores = more wise to address both non multi and multi core optimized games now and in future :P Yes i am aware of that 780G review but a Sempron with its small cache will be found wanting for games


sure but wouldn't it be better to get a at least 780g chipset mb for him?

Reply to Daggs
Strouty   08-29-2009 at 02:58:08 PM
- 0 +

Why would the chipset matter anyway if I don't plan on using integrated graphics? That is why I opted for the AMD 770, although I had looked at boards with the 790x.

Another question, how is the air flow with mini tower cases like Batuchka recommended? I'm fine with a mATX mobo but I'd be concerned with air flow in a smaller case.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to Strouty
Daggs   08-29-2009 at 06:39:15 PM
- 0 +

Strouty wrote :

Why would the chipset matter anyway if I don't plan on using integrated graphics? That is why I opted for the AMD 770, although I had looked at boards with the 790x.


the integration between cpu-gpu-chipset is better with chipsets =>780g
check the link I've provided. with chipsets <780g, the strain on decoding the hd film falls on the cpu mainly, with the chips, the strain is falls on the gpu.

Reply to Daggs
Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-30-2009 at 04:05:47 AM
- 0 +

TS is spot on: strain on CPU relevant only if sticking to integrated video - the GPU discussed so far are all more than capable to offload the strain off CPU for Blu Ray ^^ Well for that shoe box case:

 

One has a 82mm height limitation for HSF and though i see abominations of hardware from peeps drilling and opening panels to accommodate a water cooling set up i would say one should not clock heavily with too much Vcore and for an mATX case the 3 x 80mm are strategically positioned to run a fairly powerful HTPC-cum-gamer

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by batuchka on 08-30-2009 at 04:10:12 AM
Reply to batuchka
Daggs   08-30-2009 at 11:50:22 AM
- 0 +

batuchka wrote :

TS is spot on: strain on CPU relevant only if sticking to integrated video - the GPU discussed so far are all more than capable to offload the strain off CPU for Blu Ray ^^ Well for that shoe box case:

One has a 82mm height limitation for HSF and though i see abominations of hardware from peeps drilling and opening panels to accommodate a water cooling set up i would say one should not clock heavily with too much Vcore and for an mATX case the 3 x 80mm are strategically positioned to run a fairly powerful HTPC-cum-gamer


I'm not sure that it is right, can you bring some relevant links?

Reply to Daggs
Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-30-2009 at 02:45:12 PM
- 0 +

Google is your best friend ^^

Reply to batuchka
Daggs   08-30-2009 at 04:49:08 PM
- 0 +

well I've asked at amd's forum, they say that dragon platform is phenom II+7 series chipset+4xxx gpu, e.g. your build is a dragon platform. thus it will not strain the cpu on hd playback

Reply to Daggs
Ask the community Add a reply
Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > New System Build > $700 AMD Blu-Ray and Gaming Rig
Go to:

There are 918 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Forum map
Bestofmedia Forum ©
2000-2009 Bestofmedia Group
Page generated in 1.237 seconds
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
Related Topics
See all relatives topics
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them