My First PC Build

[suju89]

Hi everyone,

I am currently planning my first PC build.
My objective is to have something running as cheaply as possible, while at the same time leaving plenty of room for future upgrades as higher end parts become cheaper and more funds become available.

With the un-upgraded set-up i only plan on using it for normal computer usage, however once upgraded i will be using it for gaming, image/video/audio editing, HD TV viewing/recording.
This is what i have so far:

CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 Dual Core 240
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=AMD%20Athlon%20II%20X2%20Dual%20Core%20240&products_id=39863

MOBO: Asus M4A785TD-V-EVO AMD Mainboard
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=Asus%20M4A785TD-V-EVO%20AMD%20Mainbo&products_id=39980

RAM: Corsair DDR3 2GB PC-10600/1333 Value Select Ram
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=Corsair%20DDR3%202GB%20PC-10600%2F1333&products_id=39455

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200RPM 16MB SATA 3Gbs
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=Seagate%20Barracuda%20500GB%207200RP&products_id=37086

Optical Drive:
LG GH22NP20 IDE DVD Re-Writer
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=49&products_id=32376

PSU: Thermaltake Litepower 700W ATX Power Supply Unit
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=Thermaltake%20Litepower%20700W%20ATX&products_id=41654

CASE: Antec Three Hundred - Black ATX Gaming Case (No PSU)
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?keywords=Antec%20Three%20Hundred&products_id=30263

I realise that i am being tight with the CPU and RAM and totally neglecting GPU, however this is just to get me started as i need a pc asap for normal use such as web browsing, word processing etc.

I intend on later upgrading the CPU to a top line PhenomII quad, the GPU to a 9800 series nVidia and tripling the RAM to 3x2gb(6gb). I will also be adding a dual HDTV-card, a 1TB HDD and a 150GB 10k HDD.

Does the first set-up provid reasonable future upgrade potential?

and will the upgraded set-up be a decent set up for my aforemetnioned uses?

anyhelp would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS GUYS!!!!

 

[masterasia]

having one stick of ram isnt recommended. you should at least have 2 for dual channel. having 3 sticks is also not recommended because the channels will be uneven. Go for 2 sticks now and add 2 later.

 

[suju89]

having one stick of ram isnt recommended. you should at least have 2 for dual channel. having 3 sticks is also not recommended because the channels will be uneven. Go for 2 sticks now and add 2 later.

Thanks for that information! The reason i went that way was because you see alot of 6GB (3x2gb) RAM packages available, but im glad you let me know!

as for the rest of the build? do you think that the build-cheap-now-upgrade-later idea is worth pursuing?

 

[jbakerlent]

Switch out the PSU for something by Antec (Earthwatts, True Power New, etc.) or Corsair (TX, HX, etc.). Also, to clear things up, triple channel RAM is only for socket 1366 builds.

 

[geofelt]

6gb is a very good ram size, but you are realistically limited to 4 or 8gb if you have only 4 ram slots. For starters, a single 2gb stick would be OK, but 4gb kits are often priced better, and you are guaranteed a ram stick match. Be aware that the manufacturing composition of the identical ram sticks can change at any time. Such a difference may be important to some motherboards. Get your 2x2gb kit up front. Don't pay more for better timings or faster speeds. It rarely gives sufficient value in FPS or real application performance.

I think you will be better served with a basic motherboard without integrated graphics. If you have any inclination to overclock, then it is usually difficult with integrated graphics. The cpu could overclock fine, but the graphics chip does not, and will limit your cpu overclock capability.

I would suggest that you get a cheaper motherboard, and initially install a basic graphics card which you can sell later when you get a strong gaming card.

For the PSU, consider what your maximum graphics configuration might be, and initially get a psu of sufficient capability. In a simple sizing estimate, count the number of pcie power connectors your grapnic card/s might use. If you total 2, then get a quality psu with two such connectors. That would likely be a 400-550w unit. If you might need 4, then you are looking at a 750w unit.

Quality units come from Corsair, PC P&C, seasonic, and Antec for starters. Here is a list of tiered psu's to consider:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

I would suggest that you download and read the manual for your motherboard and case in advance.

---good luck---

 

[dndhatcher]

You probably will never want a 10K HDD, they are fading away. The denser platters on the 7.2K drives have caught up in throughput and SSDs will always be faster as high speed boot drives.

The 9800 is at end of lifespan. For about the same price right now you can get a much faster, lower power consumption, DX11 compatible ATI 5770. By the time you upgrade Nvidia may have new DX11 graphics cards also. You will need to re-evaluate when you are ready to buy.