First Time Gaming Build, $800 Max

jayxl14

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Today, Tomorrow Latest

BUDGET RANGE:
$800 Max including tax + shipping

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Daily Computing (surfing web, Office documents, videos, downloading), pretty hardcore Gaming, occasional video converting.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Mouse, Speakers, OS (Getting Windows 7 64-bit)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, Amazon, wherever cheap + reasonable shipping.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States

PARTS PREFERENCES: No real preferences, anything that works well. AMD + ATI only preference.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes (Safely though. Will not do it to point of occasional crashes, I want none, or very few)
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Not now but maybe in two years when off to college. Possibly adding same card or simply replacing with one better one. Will see when two years comes.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Currently have a 19" LCD Monitor. If I can find a 1080p LCD Widescreen monitor for >$150, I will use that.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Currently sophomore in high school, will probably be keeping this computer until I go to college. Then, I will probably upgrade CPU + GPU. I will also probably purchase a netbook at that time.

Games I will play:
- Left 4 Dead & Left 4 Dead 2 (campaign and online, will play often)
- Counter Strike: Source (online often)
- Basically any "new" game. Will beat campaign and move on. My friend buys lots of games and I will beat them for campaign such as:
- Assassin's Creed 1 & 2
- Fallout 3, GTA IV (maybe), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Bioshock

A quiet PC and one that doesn't waste lots of electricity or anything would also be nice.

On to the build:

1. PSU - Antec EarthWatts EA750 750W Continuous Power
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371026&Tpk=ea750

2. Mobo - ASRock M3A785GXH/128M AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157167

3. CPU - AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649&Tpk=720%20amd

4. HDD - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181&cm_re=f3_samsung-_-22-152-181-_-Product
[WAITING ON NEWEGG TO STOCK]

5. CD/DVD - SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Internal-Height-Supermulti-Lightscribe/dp/B002HFWBIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261935052&sr=8-1

-- I believe this CD/DVD is the same as this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151188

6. Cooler - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

7. Case - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&Tpk=antec%20300%20illusion

8. RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275

9. GPU - Radeon 5770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=48&Description=&Type=&N=2010380048&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&PropertyCodeValue=679%3A50041

Which 5770 do you recommend?
- I saw a thread where the Sapphire Vapor-X was recommended and one where the XFX Juniper-XT was recommended.. What do you guys think?

10. Keyboard - Logitech Access Keyboard 600
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000021-Access-Keyboard-600/dp/B000O656FE/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1261935209&sr=8-25

Is everything compatible? Are there any improvements you would make? Try to keep the budget relatively the same.

Does anyone know how fast Newegg shipping is? (I am using cheapest option). Also, does everything come in one box?

Any comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks

Also, can anyone find a 1080p, Widescreen, LCD 22" + Monitor for $150 or less?
 
Solution
The Neo Eco PSU is Antec, so it is probably good, but I haven't seen any reviews of it. I know from competent technical reviews that the 750W Earthwatts IS good. The Neo Eco also doesn't include a power cord, in case that matters. Finally, it isn't modular, so a neat wiring job will be a little more difficult.
I've seen positive comments on the Vapor-X also, but as I said in your other thread, I've only had good experiences with HIS. This is a decision you can probably make based on price.
I've got a 500GB 7200.12 in one of my rigs and it has given no grief since I got it maybe a year ago. I'd buy another one, in fact I probably will in February when I upgrade my wife's PC from the three year old 120GB drive she has now.

newbuilder_92

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I would check out this case/psu combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.304809 you get the 900 plus a 620watt psu, which is more than enough for your build and is even enough if you choose to crossfire down the road because a 600watt psu is all that is needed for the 5770 in crossfire.

As far as which 5770 to I went with the cheapest one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161317&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL122609&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL122609-_-VideoCards-_-LC6B-_-14161317 just enter this code in at checkout EMCMNNT82 and its 152.99

As far as newegg shipping goes I was impressed I ordered my parts the 17th of december and recieved everything on the 22.

And for a harddrive the seagate 7200.12 is a good alternative to the never in stock samsung http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395
 

magruder13

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From personal experience ide go with the VaporX, it is quieter and cooler (i did alot of reading up about it) and i am VERY ANTI XFX They are cheaply made and just terrible cards.

Ive gone through alot of their cards ATI and Nvidia.
 
The Neo Eco PSU is Antec, so it is probably good, but I haven't seen any reviews of it. I know from competent technical reviews that the 750W Earthwatts IS good. The Neo Eco also doesn't include a power cord, in case that matters. Finally, it isn't modular, so a neat wiring job will be a little more difficult.
I've seen positive comments on the Vapor-X also, but as I said in your other thread, I've only had good experiences with HIS. This is a decision you can probably make based on price.
I've got a 500GB 7200.12 in one of my rigs and it has given no grief since I got it maybe a year ago. I'd buy another one, in fact I probably will in February when I upgrade my wife's PC from the three year old 120GB drive she has now.

 
Solution

jayxl14

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One last question.. I have two 250GB Western Digital Harddrives.

Model Number - WD2500BS - 55RPB1

http://www.buy.com/prod/western-digital-wd2500bs-250gb-sata-150-7200rpm-2mb-hdd/q/loc/101/208129176.html

They are both the same model, both SATA, but if you look at the link, only 2MB cache..

Just wondering if it is necessary to upgrade to:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395

Will the MB cache make a significant impact? Does a faster harddrive mean faster games and stuff? I thought harddrives were just for storage, but obviously speed makes some difference.

Let me know if you think it is necessary. These are both brand new.
 
No, it is not "necessary." They are slow drives compared to the 7200.12 model, but since you have them and are trying to keep costs down, don't worry about it. Windows will load more slowly, as will all of your programs (not just games), and levels within games, but they will work in your new rig. If you find them too slow, there's your first cheap (<$60) upgrade.
 

jayxl14

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Hey jtt283, you will be happy to know I just ordered. SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!

Got the HIS GPU with coupon code. Still have to order Keyboard + CD/DVD from Amazon. Did NOT buy HDD.

Oh yeah, and I got the 955 BE.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
 
Cool beans. Have fun with your build. As always, there's a community to help if you need it. I would suggest reading the sticky topics on building a PC, or finding a Youtube video of someone building one to avoid common first-time mistakes like not using the standoffs between the case and motherboard (you need those!) or forgetting to plug in the CPU power, etc.
 

jayxl14

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One of my seven parts I ordered was the computer case, which was located in New Jersey. Delievered today.

The other six parts were located in California, but it's in Philadelphia right now. Should be here tomorrow!!

Also, my dad had other spare drives, which turned out to be:
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073&Tpk=WD5000AAKS
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136149&cm_re=WD5000AACS-_-22-136-149-_-Product

Which do you recommend I use? The WD5000AACS(green) or the WD5000AAKS (blue)? Both are SATA and 16MB cache.. Yay I don't have to use my 2MB cache 250GB HDD's lol

Just let me know which is better.. Probably don't need both since I also have an external HDD.

----


Also, I ordered this from Amazon..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HFWBIA/ref=oss_T15_product

However, my dad has a LG DVD Drive. Model #GCC-4482B

Do you recommend that I cancel my order on the Samsung and just use the LG or just get the Samsung?
If the speed difference is minimal between IDE and SATA, then just please recommend I keep the IDE one.

I noticed the LG is IDE, what is the difference between IDE and SATA?

Thank you, and please reply fast so I have enough time to cancel my order if needed.

EDIT: Now reading aboyut the GCC-4482B, I don't think it burns DVD, which would be nice. Please let me know what you think though
 
The WD Blue will be faster than the WD Green. And no, the LG drive is not a DVD burner, so you probably want to keep the Samsung.
SATA is faster than IDE, although you won't notice much (if any) difference with optical drives. SATA also uses a very thin cable, and IDE cables are those 2" wide ribbon cables. SATA cables promote better airflow in your case.
Should you have your drive out of the case (e.g. for testing), stumble, and step on the cable, an IDE cable will pull out of the drive, and 'maybe" the cable itself will be damaged. A SATA cable's connector will snap off at the drive, rendering it useless (and no, drive manufacturers won't sell you a replacement circuit board). Yes, I've done this. I have not yet tried to solder a SATA cable directly to the drive, but that might work.

 

jayxl14

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lol I cannot return it anyway anymore, but glad I made a good decision and kept it. I will also probably use the Blue drive..

I am so happy because I ordered late Sunday night (technically Monday around 1AM), and it's already out for delivery to me.. From California. I definitely love Newegg and will shop there again. Thanks for your help.

Also, yeah I will take a look at the stickies, but my friend will be assembling the PC. He knows a thing or two about it.

Do you have links for every page you recommend we take a look at?
 
Sorry, I don't have links. I think I started building PCs (not just replacing parts) in the late '80s, so I didn't have the luxury of Internet references. Other than the stickies on this forum, I'm pretty sure that in this case, Google is your friend. Also search Youtube for videos of people assembling their PCs.
 

jayxl14

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Yeah, I received my computer in three days and my father and friend came over to build it. We are near completion, and I wondering about certain things.

1. Each fan (four of them) on my Antec 300 Illusion has a setting for Low, Medium, or High. What do you recommend I set them as?

2. Overclocking:
- I would like to do a "safe" overclock, if that is possible, so my computer does not crash or anything but that it works perfectly. Just want to see even better performance from games.

Does anyone have links I could look at or anything to see how to overclock as well as what is a good setting?
Note I have the 955BE, 5770, and apparently, the motherboard you chose is good overclocking.

Thanks, and have a Happy New Year Everyone!

EDIT: The motherboard came with some overclocking options as well in the BIOS, probably makes it easier..
 
Get the machine working at stock settings first. Setting all the fans on "Low" should be fine. Once you do some overclocking, you may wish to turn them up to Medium, or High if you're having heat problems.
See how performance is at stock before you arbitrarily overclock. With its unlocked multiplier, your 955BE should be able to overclock just by increasing that one setting, and possibly giving it just a little bit more voltage (but not too much). The Catalyst Control Center can do some basic overclocking on your video card too, but again make sure everything works at stock first.
There is a PDF guide to overclocking on the AMD web site. Sorry I don't have the link here, I downloaded it at work and emailed it to myself at home.