$600-700 Gaming Build

[bwillman]

Hello everyone, looking to build a new PC in the $600 to $700 range over Christmas break (Week before or after Christmas Day) and would like some general input or advice on my components. I would like to keep it as close to $600 as possible.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Dec. 15-30 with a $600-700 budget After rebates.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, internet, school work (haha)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, tigerdirect.com COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States

PARTS PREFERENCES: AMD CPU with Gigabyte Mobo

OVERCLOCKING: Yes CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024 for now

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Want to get the most overclock-friendly components to get the frame rates at lower costs. I am basing the parts I want off of the September SBM with some minor tweaks and updates (most due to parts being discontinued). I will be overclocking a bit to maximize performance.

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1. AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103680

2. GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128398R

3. Rosewill Wind Ryder RZLS142A-P BK Dual 120mm Cooling Fans and Mesh Design Front Panel Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147114

4. OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

5. (two of these) XFX HD-485X-YDFC Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337

6. SONY Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1681S-0B - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031

7. G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193




I am debating between running the DDR3 mobo and ram combo or the DDR2 mobo and ram combo (both would be Gigabyte, would just switch mobos to use compatible ram ). The DDR2 ram speeds are faster (5 5 5 18) and will give me EVP for 2.15V which would allow me to overclock without voiding a warranty. The SBM $650 PC used DDR2, but there are some deals (like my #7 above) that are only $5 more for the DDR3 Ram. Any input in this field is appreciated as I don't know too much about overclocking efficiently (or about RAM performance from DDR2 to DDR3).

Regarding the XFX Crossfired HD 4850s, I noticed Sapphire is coming out with the HD5850X2 in a couple days on newegg for $240 which has the two GPU's on one 11 inch board... Would it be better to go for this X2 board and get a cheaper non-crossfiring board or stick with the crossfire board and the dual HD5850s? (Both performance and price factored in)

Thanks in advance!
Ben

 

[jbakerlent]

Welcome to the forum. Go for DDR3/AM3. I would think that the 5850x2 would retail for a good amount more than $240... I would recommend getting a 5770 and then adding one later on as needed. But if you decide to stick with 4850s you'll need a different PSU like the Corsair TX 650W. Also get some lower latency RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303

 

[brockh]

I wouldn't get anything less than a Phenom II X3 720 or Athlon II 435 personally especially if you're trying to do CrossFire which means you're gonna need the processing power to feed information to your GPUs quickly enough. That brings me to my next point: Don't get two 4850s. Either stick with a 4890 (and add another one later) or get a single 5850/5870 if you're trying to go for performance. Getting a 5770 and adding another one later is fine too.

As far as a 5850X2 goes, it will not be anywhere near $240. A single 5850 is $300 right now, how would it be less? Expect at least $450. Jbaker is right about dropping the power supply wattage down and then getting that lower latency memory; DDR3/AM3 is also definitely the way to go.

 

[bwillman]

Thanks for the fast response! I haven't seen any HD5770 benchmarks yet since it's pretty recent. How does it compare to the crossfired 4850s? Amazon's selling the 5770 for about $170 so that'd save me some cash (always pleasant) and the extra money for a better PSU. Thanks for the lower latency RAM advice, but does Specifically Designed to compatible with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 for Intel P55 motherboard" mean it is not compatible with the Gigabyte MOBO with AMD setup?

Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
Ben

 

[bwillman]

A single 5850 is $300 right now, how would it be less?

Yeah... I meant to type HD4850X2 which will be arriving on Newegg in a few days. My bad for the confusion!

 

[jbakerlent]

A single 5770 will outperform a 4850. The 5770s are a little overpriced, but they do have a good set of features imo. The reason I switched the PSU especially if you plan on keeping the 4850s is because it has 4 PCI-e connectors which are required for crossfire 4850s. The RAM will still work - it's actually a little better since it has lower voltages.

 

[bwillman]

A single 5770 will outperform a 4850. The 5770s are a little overpriced, but they do have a good set of features imo. The reason I switched the PSU especially if you plan on keeping the 4850s is because it has 4 PCI-e connectors which are required for crossfire 4850s. The RAM will still work - it's actually a little better since it has lower voltages.

I'm seeing single 5770's for about $180 from TigerDirect, I can get two XFX 4850s for $240 for the pair. Do you think its worth putting the $60 into the crossfire setup? Likely, if I do buy one 5770 I wouldn't be upgrading it (probably my last gaming build).

Also, taking into account what brockh is saying about the Phenom X2 550 not being powerful enough for the pair of 4850s, should I just go for the 5770?