Check out this budget build for gaming...also could use advise

ubermcnoober

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I am attempting to build my first system. With little prior knowlage, other than ive installed my own video car and power supplie in the past. Well here the jucy stuff let me know what u thinkl. The video card was purchased off of craigslist and was new in the box...what was he thinking , also this was the reason i decided to build rather than purchase a complete system. I couldnt quite afford complete systems with specs i wanted, not even from a b grade retailer like cyberpower.I built this strictly for gaming, ive always liked single gpu set ups(just my preference).Oh and i purchased everything from frys.

cpu-amd 965 black edition 198.00
gpu-saphire ati 5870 250.00 (what a deal)
mobo-msi790 gdx70 165.00
psu-theraltake tr2 rx 850w 109.00 after 20.00 mail in rebate
prestigio mid tower 49.95 (never heard of this brand but looks solid)
dvd-hp1140I 29.95 (may break soon?awefully cheap)
hd-seagate barracuda 1 tb 89.95
ram-corsair xms3 4gb 99.95 (on sale)



total-$ 991.80

Please let me know what you all think.
 

sheath

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I would build an I5 750 rig over the amd if your gonna game on it.

Defiantly change your HDD over to the Sammy F3 as posted above.

Post back if you dont mind switching to an i5 build then i can post some good items.
 

ubermcnoober

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The hdd is a seagate, 1 tb, you would choose a samsung f3 500 hdd over it, is there a speed advantage or just pricing? And as far as the i5 build , i am not the most techy guy, so i use toms forums for advise, alot of sharp people on here, and i read a poll ..cant remember where, but out of x amount of users amd came out like 70% the cpu choice for budget and gaming.
 

sheath

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staalkoppie

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Boy....your going all out! If your not to tuned in to "future-proofing" your system, the amd is a good choice, but I would go for the phenom 955 Black as i find the price vs. performance makes more sense....and you could also dabble in overclocking it later to a 965 equivalent.... just a thought :)
 

vznoobie12

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You don't need 850w for a single 5870 unless you want to crossfire. Corsair's 650w should be enough, even with overclocking. IIRC, it was $80 on newegg after MIR.

Also, AMD's budget cpus are the lower end ones. x2 550, x3 720, x4 620 even. If you are willing to spend almost $200 on a cpu, then I agree with going for an i5. With that near $1000 budget you're using on that AMD rig, you could also make a better i5 rig :).
 
A. The OP says he has already purchased his parts. Suggesting alternatives may not be relevant.
B. -1 @sheath. The i5 might smoke the AMD in benchmarks, but provides little VISIBLE difference in most games.
C. Because of (A) I'm not going to suggest different parts. I would have chosen a few different ones myself, but unless / until the OP states he would like to return things, all I'll say is the chosen parts will build a decent, workable system; no need for second-guessing at this stage. @OP, there's no need to lose sleep over what you "would've, could've, should've" done. Enjoy your build.
 

ubermcnoober

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I can return anything with there policy within 15 days. The reason i built this system, is that my old system was very laggy with current games, and i thought the old build would be good enough for most games at medium settings, but it was not. I went with phenom 4 9550, 8gb ddr2, gtx 260, and some games like assasins creed, gta4 were un playable. Oh and is there any cons to running dual hard drives? Ive always aligned myself with amd products vs intel, mainly price. Also at stock settings no oc, on my new build will i need after market cooling?
 
There aren't really any cons to using dual HDDs other than you have to remember where things were stored.

You do not need an aftermarket cooler if you're not overclocking.

Agree on the smaller PSU. Agree with the Samsung F3 suggestion. Agree that the raptors are not worth it. Either commit to a SSD or stick with the Samsung.

Agree that an i5 rig would be better for gaming, but AMD will be more future proof, as AMD has said the AM3 socket is the primary socket for a few years. Intel SAYS the new CPUs will be on an old socket, but that will change after the first couple.
 
Nothing cries out to be returned, but with a single video card you don't need an 850W PSU. If that Thermaltake has a little voltage switch on it though, return it for a modern design that doesn't. A quality 500W-550W PSU should be sufficient for any single video card (except maybe HD5970). Look for full range active PFC (no little voltage switch) and at least 80+ certification. Antec, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic, and Enermax are among the better brands.
The 9550 was not a great CPU. The 965 is a lot better. Yes, you could OC a 955 to the same level, but if you don't want to OC then that CPU is fine. The stock cooler should be sufficient with no OC.
 

ubermcnoober

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Update , im very pleased with my system and im adding a few things. I picked up a creative x-fi fatality card(used 75.00), which sounds awesome, though i cant get the front panel to work,not sure why. And i added a blu ray and soon a g19 key board. Crysis plays smooth at the highest setting aax4 i belive. Arma 2 stills seems alittle buggy. I also have some store credit with a local independent computer store, so im considering some of ur guys advise on a second hard drive, and possibly adding 4gb additionalk ram, that would bring the total to 8gb, will i notice any difference with 8 vs 4 gb ram?