New Build comments

[Guest]

hi,
the veteran home PC that I've been torturing with HD video and new(ish) games finally joined the great spirit in the dumpster and it is now time for a new system. I am not looking to spend any significant money, just enough for comfortable HD playback and gaming with reasonable quality (RPGs mostly, not the latest video card junkie FPSs) and some future-proofing. It's possible that I might overclock a little, but just a bit as I don't want to sacrifice the system's stability or longevity.

Anyway, here is where I stand at the moment:

MB ASUS P5QL PRO CPUSocket LGA775, supporting Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Extreme / Pentium Dual-core / Celeron processors, 05B/05A/06 processors• Front Side Bus (FSB)1600/1333/1066/800 MHz• Chipset Intel P43 + ICH10R, supports Intel FMAT• Memory4 DDR DIMM slots, supports Dual-channel DDR2 1200/1066/800/667, Max. 16GB• Expansion Slots1 x PCI-E x162 x PCI-E x13 x PCI 2.2• Connectors6 x SerialATA II (3.0Gb/s)1 x ATA 133/Ultra DMA Mode 63 x USB 2.0 headers1 x COM port header1 x S/PDIF connector• AudioRealtek ALC1200 High Definition Audio 8-channel CODEC, Support Multi-streaming, Jack-sensing and Jack-retasking functions, S/PDIF out interface• LANPCIe Gb LAN controller featuring AI NET2• Rear Panel I/O Ports1 x Keyboard PS21 x Mouse PS26 x USB 2.01 x RJ451 x S/PDIF out (coaxial)1 x Audio 8ch• BIOS8 Mb AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI 2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0a, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3• Form FactorATX• Dimensions30.5x19.3 cm• PackageBox
CPU Pentium C2 QUAD Q8200/2.33/1333/BOX
RAM A-DATA KIT 2X2GB DDR2 800+
HDD SAMSUNG 1TB SATA3.0 Spinpoint F3 7200rpm 32MB cache
DVD-RW Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7240S SATA BLACK
VideoCard HD5770 1GB GDDR5 DUAL DVI, HDMI, DP
Case DANDY, F4, DANDY 450W, 20+4pin, 12cm, 2xSATA, black PSU, LCD panel, USB, black
Additional Fan TITAN 120x120x25 mm, Z-bearing, 1300rpm
Monitor LG 19 WIDE LG W1934S /5MS/BLCK

It's nothing special, but I am looking for basic functionality and it has that. Quad core and DX11 video add a bit of future-proofing. Any advice/comments would be welcome and appreciated

 

[dndhatcher]

The 4870 wont satisfy the DX11 requirement. You pay a bit more for DX11 with the 5770 but it is also a quiet, low power usage card (which cannot be said for the 4870). A 5770 plays almost ultra high on most RPGs on a 1380x1050 monitor. If I am not mistaken, it will also do better with HD playback than the 4870 (sound over HDMI?) and is a great HTPC card.


Reliable, stable power is crucial or your system will have constant inexeplicable problems (or even become damaged by really bad power supplies). The Fatal1ty is a good value right now, but I would stick with the 550W model if you are going with the 5770 as it only needs one PCIE adapter and 550W will even handle two in crossfire.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022


I would not buy a socket 775 system anymore. They are overpriced and dead-end. DDR2 RAM is even becoming more expensive than DDR3. Get an AM3 motherboard with a Phenom IIx3 720 or AthlonIIx4 630 and a 2x2GB DDR3-1333 RAM kit.

ASUS mobo that will allow adding a second 5770 later.
AthlonII x4 630 (2.8GHz)
OCZ Obsidian DDR3-1333 RAM (2x2GB kit)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103704
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227495

 

[masterasia]

If you're going budget route, then I would agree that the Q8200 route is not the right one to take. Take the AMD AM3 / Athlon II X4 620 or 630 route. Price will be about the same, maybe even less. You'll have a better system with the faster ram and faster processor. All your other components look good.