Top Notch AMD Gaming Computer. 1500 or less

Ive decided its time to get up to date with my gaming addiction and buy a real gaming computer.

Here is what I have picked out so far. But I honestly know nothing about compatibility or performance between different parts. So take what I got here and upgrade it by either getting the same effectiveness at a lower price or bring up the performance.

Case - I perfer cooling over looks so if there is a case with better ventilation id be interested
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6811103010

Hard Drive - I honestly dont need 1.5 TB but its a damn good deal. I prefer hard drive speed and am willing to go as low as 500 gb.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6822152175

Mother Board - I know nothing about this but i heard gigabyte was good and this came in a package deal with the phenom II 965 so i figured they were compatible.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6813128392

Processor - I am pretty sold on this processor, unless i can buy a 955 and overclock it to 3.8GHz with the same power consumption and heat as the 965 at 3.8GHz
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6819103692

Graphics/Video card - Will reduce to 5850 if you can convince me it will have the same performance.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 4&Tpk=5870

Ram/Memory - I want it as fast as possible. If more will improve performance significantly ill go with 4.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6820231278

Power Supply - I have no idea what I need but I plan on overclocking so i guessed a 700+ would be good
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6817121045

I dont need anything other then what I have listed.

I do like saving money so the cheaper it is without sacrificing performance the better.

Im interested to see what some of the pros can make out of this.

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Those Ecogreen drives run slower so if you want performance I would something different. Something like a Samsung F1 or F3 or WD Caviar Black or Intel SSD.

Reply to masterasia

I tell you this, 1500 budget = NO AMD
1500 budget = i5 750 or i7 920 build
i5 750 owns every amd cpu on the market at a LOWER price than x4 965

I figured you are canadian because of newegg.ca

Please post in this format as it answers a lot of questions:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ild-advice

Get antec 900 case instead. It's way better than the one you've picked

You don't need the 5870 unless you are planning to run a 30" monitor. Or 1920x1200 MAX settings in crysis, which is still not able to be in decent frames. 5850 is more suitable for you.

Message edited by overshocks on 10-26-2009 at 05:38:27 AM

------------------------------ You can select me as Best Answer
e6400 oc'd 3.2ghz,CCF cooler
3870x2, p5k/epu
750watts psu, antec 900
Reply to overshocks

+1^ intel recommendation

For hard drive, you definitely want to swap that out for a Samsung Spinpoint F3. They come in 500 GB and 1 TB sizes, both of which use 500 GB platter(s) for superior areal density. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6822152181

PSU: I haven't heard of Kingwin, and I'm not sure it's a reliable Power Supply brand. Also, that PSU is rated at 72% efficiency. Go with a high quality unit like a corsair.

This one is 80 Plus certified and a better brand: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] sair%20750

Message edited by mortonww on 10-26-2009 at 05:32:09 AM

------------------------------ i7 920 @ 3.2 GHz w/Cooler Master V8,
OCZ Platinum DDR3 1600 MHz 8-8-8-24, Sapphire Radeon HD 4870X2,
Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB, Corsair HX1000 Watt PSU,
Intel DX58SO, Cooler Master Storm Sniper mid-tower, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Reply to mortonww

Case - Up to you

Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] -_-Product - Since you don't need 1.5tb, this would probably be big enough, and its a LOT faster.

Motherboard / Cpu combo - Stay with this, It's not a bad deal - But that motherboard is not crossfire or sli ready so you won't be able to add a second card in the future.

Graphics card - Stay with your 5870, it will be enough for pretty much any game you want for a while.

Ram - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] -_-Product - Your motherboard supports 1600, but.. Its if you OC it, I wouldn't recommend doing so. Stay with 1333 It will be just as good if it has low timings.

Power supply - You don't need a 730w for that 5870. Besides that power supply has fairly low amperage. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] -_-Product much higher amps perfect for that 5870.

------------------------------

http://www.speedtest.net/result/638783794.png

Reply to stevensl2

There's another Canuck who made a thread here just a couple days ago! You might be able to glean a couple ideas off this one, because he gets an AMD 945 System, with a 5850 for about a grand. Check it out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] e-included

His prices aren't from newegg.ca, but it should help you out. Also, be sure to check NCIX.com because they often have better prices than Canada's Newegg, and they'll even match prices of competitors in many cases. DirectCanada is also another good place to check.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to DokkRokken

DokkRokken wrote :

There's another Canuck who made a thread here just a couple days ago! You might be able to glean a couple ideas off this one, because he gets an AMD 945 System, with a 5850 for about a grand. Check it out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] e-included

His prices aren't from newegg.ca, but it should help you out. Also, be sure to check NCIX.com because they often have better prices than Canada's Newegg, and they'll even match prices of competitors in many cases. DirectCanada is also another good place to check.

agree with the price matching, but not with the build. as it sucks big time.

also to people who are ignorant just don't comment

Message edited by overshocks on 10-26-2009 at 05:37:41 AM

------------------------------ You can select me as Best Answer
e6400 oc'd 3.2ghz,CCF cooler
3870x2, p5k/epu
750watts psu, antec 900
Reply to overshocks

Western Digital caviar Black that stevensl2 has spec'd uses 250 GB platters, making it slower than both the Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB and the Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB.

Samsung Spinpoint F3 > WD Caviar Black 1 TB > WD Caviar Black 640 GB > Western Digital Caviar Black 750 GB

speed wise.

------------------------------ i7 920 @ 3.2 GHz w/Cooler Master V8,
OCZ Platinum DDR3 1600 MHz 8-8-8-24, Sapphire Radeon HD 4870X2,
Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB, Corsair HX1000 Watt PSU,
Intel DX58SO, Cooler Master Storm Sniper mid-tower, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Reply to mortonww

I would also agree that for $1500, it wouldn't be wise to do an AMD build.
X58 and P55 rule the gaming world right now. Gigabyte will be releasing their
revised P55 boards in Novemeber that come with USB 3.0 and SATA 3 (6 gb/s) and new socket that fixes the Foxconn Socket Problem.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to masterasia

masterasia wrote :

I would also agree that for $1500, it wouldn't be wise to do an AMD build.
X58 and P55 rule the gaming world right now. Gigabyte will be releasing their
revised P55 boards in Novemeber that come with USB 3.0 and SATA 3 (6 gb/s) and new socket that fixes the Foxconn Socket Problem.

can't agree more, basically what i've said above
do you have a link on gigabyte releasing usb 3.0?

Message edited by overshocks on 10-26-2009 at 05:46:48 AM

------------------------------ You can select me as Best Answer
e6400 oc'd 3.2ghz,CCF cooler
3870x2, p5k/epu
750watts psu, antec 900
Reply to overshocks

the 965 is an overclocked 955, just save the extra money, buy a 955 and oc it to the same speed

Reply to Daggs

To those wondering. I am interested in the phenom II series simply because (from what ive read) they overclock nicely and have the edge when it comes to higher resolutions. I currently have a 28 inch monitor.

i also though high cpu Ghz was important for gaming simply because games demand a minimum ghz and I want to meet those minimums in the future when the requirements rise.

I may be interested in i7 920 builds if they can prove to be significantly better. 1500 is my max budget but that doesnt mean i want to spend 1500. it just means ill go there if its awesome enough.

Reply to Flawed

you heard wrong - the i7 owns any AMD out there

8 threads doesnt show up in benchmarks but does when your using the thing

you also get more channels for more memory (easily 50% more memory total then AMD etc), and atleast a 6 core upgrade path where that tri-channel memory architecture will pay off

ghz factor is bs and doesnt matter - do you see a Pentium D 3.73ghz EE take on anything these days? Hell no - it gets its ass handed to it with a chip running at 2ghz from the Core 2 range or AMD etc - ignore the specs.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ Q6600@3510/1560 + TT BigTyphoon+Mod
8gb Kingston 800mhz
Gigabyte EP35-DS3P
XFX 8800GT/512
Reply to apache_lives

New Revised Gigabyte Boards

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/1335 [...] index.html

Reply to masterasia

apache_lives wrote :

you heard wrong - the i7 owns any AMD out there

8 threads doesnt show up in benchmarks but does when your using the thing

you also get more channels for more memory (easily 50% more memory total then AMD etc), and atleast a 6 core upgrade path where that tri-channel memory architecture will pay off

ghz factor is bs and doesnt matter - do you see a Pentium D 3.73ghz EE take on anything these days? Hell no - it gets its ass handed to it with a chip running at 2ghz from the Core 2 range or AMD etc - ignore the specs.

^+big props.

summarized what i was gonna say

------------------------------ You can select me as Best Answer
e6400 oc'd 3.2ghz,CCF cooler
3870x2, p5k/epu
750watts psu, antec 900
Reply to overshocks

Focus On

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