Check out my build, might need your help.

Hi guys, I've been chatting with a few of my buddies, and this is what I cam up with.

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within next week or 2, budget is under $900 CAD.


SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Fun and games, movies, etc mostly.


PARTS NOT REQUIRED: I should be able to get the O/S for free.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Mainly Canada Computers (www.canadacomputers.com)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CANADA

PARTS PREFERENCES: This is what I have down so far:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition - [214.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=CPU.907


Motherboard: Asus M4A77TD Pro Socket AM3 AMD - [104.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=MBD.486


RAM: G.SKILL NQ Series DDR3 1333MHz (PC3-10666) 4GB - [95.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] AM.346.983


GRAPHICS: Sapphire ATI RADEON HD 4870 1024MB (1GB) - [183.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] DC.243.272


HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda (ST3500418AS) 7200.12 SATA 3.0Gb/s 500GB - [58.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] DD.443.877


CASE: Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case ATX 3/0/(6) 2xUSB Audio No PS - [59.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=CAS.664


DVD Drive: LG GH22LS50 Lightscribe Black SATA DVD - [37.99]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=MDD.184


OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would like a quiet PC.



So the total price right now is $756.93, with tax is $855.33. Probably need a monitor.

I was also looking at this: CORSAIR DDR3 4GB

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] u=C13-8220


And as everyone knows, times are hard right now, want to save more $$. Should I consider this CPU instead?

AMD Phenom II X4 810 (95W) Quad-Core Socket AM3

http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=CPU.907


I'd appreciate it if anyone can give me any feedback or insights. Thanks.

Yeah... a PSU is needed... LOL

I would pick up a 550w PSU from Corsair, Antec or PC Power&Cooling. I would switch out your hard drive for a Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB hard drive. It is faster than the Seagate hard drive. Stick with everything else on your build.... the parts are okay.

Thanks for all your recommendations, guys. It's my first time building a PC, so it's extremely helpful to get recommendations.

Rokez, what kind of other retailers do you recommend? I am open to any others, anyone can feel free to drop some names. Thanks! I know Newegg is a popular choice, but a part of me feels safer when picking up the parts in person at a store. Then again, gas isn't cheap either, lol. Again, this is my first time building a comp, so if Newegg shipping is fast, reliable, and guaranteed, then I'm all for it.

Oh, and any recommendations for cases? Flashy futuristic cases with bright lights seem pretty cool, lol. Just as long as it's sturdy, reliable and cheap, heh.

I've also read a review for the Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P mobo, and it says, "..."We recommend that you enhance heat dissipation for the CPU VRM area if an AMD Black Edition CPU is installed and the Advanced Clock Calibration is enabled." Unfortunately, that leaves the consumer with the hassle of trying to find a heatsink that fits."

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any reviews on my [Asus M4A77TD Pro Socket AM3]. Oh, and how does the [ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3] compare to the Gigabyte one? I think I'm leaning towards the ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO.

As for the Power Supply, I was recommended to go 650-700W. I'm currently looking at the OCZ ModXStream-Pro 600W, and the Antec TP3-650 A2. Is OCZ a reliable brand? Or can I find something better for around $100?

Here's the review for the Gigabyte board
:
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index. [...] mitstart=4


About the Triple Core, I'm not someone who updates their comps regularly, I want this to last a pretty long time, lol. I'm going quad in hopes my machine will stay relevant in the next few years, afterall, I heard I can overclock it from 3.2GHZ to 4.1.

K, thanks for the info.


Also, what do you guys think of refurbished PSUs? I found a irresistable deal here:

OCZ GameXStream 700-Watt Power Supply - Refurbished

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] eviewStart

I have bought from NCIX (usa site) before with no problems. They are actually a Canadian company. Also, as Shadow703793 mentioned, Newegg.ca.

Thanks for the help guys. Rokez, I've decided to go with your Gigabyte MoBo now. Here's what I plan on getting tomrrow:

CPU AMD Phenom II X4 945 (125W) Quad Core Socket AM3 , 3.0GHz
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=CPU.907

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P Socket AM3
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=MBD.486

RAM G.SKILL NQ Series DDR3 1600MHz (PC3-12800) 4GB (F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ)
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] AM.346.539

GRAPHICS Sapphire ATI RADEON HD 4870 1024MB (1GB)
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] DC.243.272

HARD DRIVE Western Digital Caviar Blue (WD5000AAKS) 500GB SATAII 7200RPM
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] DD.443.877

Case Antec Two Hundred Mid Tower Gaming Case
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=CAS.664

PSU OCZ GameXStream 600W Power Supply
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=PSU.532

DVD Drive Samsung SH-S223L/BEBS SATA Black 22X Lightscribe
http://www.canadacomputers.com/ind [...] id=MDD.184


I have a question about the PSU. What's the bare minimum for my build? My buddy recommended 650-700W, but I went 600W. All you guys say 550W. Can anyone elaborate? Thanks. The Corsair 550W is a pretty sweet deal.


EDIT: Update, I found a PSU Calculator of sorts:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

Based on this, I got 575W for [Mobo: Regular Desktop], a maxed out [12 USB devices], a fan controller, and a Power Supply with 50% Capacitor Aging. And my western digital is a Regular SATA, right?

When I went 100% peak load for my PSU, it when to 622W. That was with 2 SATA HDDs and a full 12 USB (which I doubt I'll be using all 12 at once, lol), so I think 600W is good.

Hmmm...the 512 HD4870 is all out of stock. Anyway, to make the most out of the 1GB card, I should be going for a monitor with a native resolution of 1680x1050 minimum?

Also, should I go LCD or CRT? CRT is cheaper, lol, but it's gonna burn my eyes.

OK, I have two monitors that seem like a good deal.

Which one is better? I'm thinking of going with ASUS.

Asus VK222H 22"

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] F12-722001


Sceptre X22HG-Naga 22"

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicat [...] =S197-2204


What do you think?