1st PC BUILD ~ $900

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pumakrieg

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 1 Week - 1 Month

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Surfing the Internet, Writing papers/projects

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Open to all

PARTS PREFERENCES: Open to all reputable brands

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727&Tpk=AMD%20Phenom%20II%20X4%20965%20BE%20%28125W%29

PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V/EPS12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=Corsair%20CMPSU-750TX%20750W%20ATX12V%2fEPS12V

Mobo: MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130223&Tpk=MSI%20790FX-GD70%20AM3%20AMD%20790FX%20ATX%20AMD

HD: WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM Sata 3.0Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073&Tpk=WD%20Caviar%20Blue%20500GB%207200%20RPM%20Sata%203.0Gb%2fs

Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042&cm_re=Antec_Three_Hundred_ATX_Mid-_-11-129-042-_-Product

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2 GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277&cm_re=G.Skill_Ripjaws_Series_4GB_%282_x_2_GB%29_240-Pin_DDR3-_-20-231-277-_-Product

GPU: Radeon HD 4890 or 2x4850 Radeon HD in Crossfire

Anyhow this comes out to be a little bit above $900. Unfortunately, i just missed some deals that put this at $830 (before new years), so im probably going to wait and see if any new deals roll around come February. My #1 priority for this computer is games, and im really curious if i should be waiting for other DX11 cards to come out or buying a Radeon one now? Just seems like the low end ones are a little overpriced considering the benchmarks ive seen. I also want a computer that can easily be upgraded in the future, rather than buying an whole new one.
 
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dndhatcher

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Its hard to argue against choosing the 4890. If you dont mind replacing the graphics card in 2 years then its probably the best choice in your price range right now.

Caviar blue is a "cool & quiet" data drive. For a boot drive the Samsung F3 500GB would be much faster and cost about the same.
 
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pumakrieg

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Got it, but what about opinions on everything else. Anything better for cheaper? I really had a hard time choosing between the I5 and 965 for example, although i know that's a huge debate right there.
 
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pumakrieg

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Okay thanks, just have one more question. The Antec 200 currently doesnt have any combo offers but does have a decent rebate. How long is that rebate along for? Should i be buying it now or waiting until February? I just don't want to be screwed out of deals like the ones i missed in December.
 
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pumakrieg

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Okay i am going to purchase the Corsair PSU since it is currently $90. I was wondering if there is anything else i should buy of these right now, because they may be expected to go up in price or whether i should wait a little. For example the MSI mobo went up a little so i was going to wait a couple of weeks and see if there is a deal or it drops back down. It seems like the 965 and 4890 deal have been around for a while and i wonder if that is pretty much a constant thing or if that could be gone anytime soon. I've also decided to do as you wrote and i will buy the Antec 300 illusion due to having more fans.

So basically of everything i have here, are there any that definently should be dropping soon with competiton coming out or are there any deals you see that are huge that i should be picking up on now (like the Corsair one i believe).

Thanks
 
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pumakrieg

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Okay well i was looking around and came across the NZXT M59 case being sold for $40. How does this compare to the Antec 300 which is priced at $60? I would appreciate reviews somewhat soon as i plan to put an order in on monday.
 
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elpaletero

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Why not wait for the 5830 instead of the 4890? I would assume it would be just a little bit more with the same perfomance but you get directx11 and eyefinity and less power usage.
 
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dndhatcher

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I dont think DX11 will mean much in 2010. There just are not that many titles using it or planning to come out. Eventually it will likely be signficiant, but that wont be until 2011 at the earliest. If you are looking for a cost effective 3 year lifespan graphics card, the 4890 is not a bad deal.
 
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pumakrieg

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Okay, so i bought everything but RAM, the motherboard and the HD. I've come across some different memory sticks that i'd be curious as to how they compare to the original G.Skill i chose as far as overclocking and gaming potential.

A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211409

OCZ Obsidian 4GB 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227495

OCZ looks to have bad reviews from newegg but i really couldnt find benchmarks for either of these two
 
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pumakrieg

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Okay so i bought everything (case: Antec 300 illusion) but the Samsung F3 as i am currently using a reformatted 250 GB hard-drive. I was just curious as to my temps. Im currently hitting 55C according to the bios (would this be considered idle) and 50C if i take off the two side panels to allow more air. This seems a little high to me even for a stock CPU cooler. I have yet to update drivers as i am currently having problems with my wireless card in opensuse. The rest of the system comes in at 40-45C. Is the BIOS fairly accurate temp wise?
 
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dndhatcher

dndhatcher

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Did you overclock the CPU? If so then thats probably normal on a stock cooler. Unfortunately I am not sure what a standard operating temp is for that CPU.

One thing you can do is run prime for 10 minutes and see if the temp stabilizes below 65 or not. If it doesnt I would be concerned that something is wrong with the cooler installation.
 
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pumakrieg

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As of right now, i am running OpenSuse rather than any windows based operating system so i can't run prime 95. I believe there is a linux version of it but it isnt nearly as strenuous, perhaps because linux requires less to run? Anyhow, i plan upon buying windows 7 within this week as well as the 500GB spinpoint and a new CPU cooler. I was thinking of going overkill with the noctua nh-d14 but it is currently out of stock on newegg. I was also thinking of the Zalman CNPS10X Extreme, Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme, and the Coolermaster V8 as far as higher end coolers go. I had also came across some lower end ones such as the Coolmaster Hyper 212 plus and the Scythe Mugen 2, but im really having problems deciding as every other place out there seems to have somewhat varying results. I don't want to fork out $80 for a cooler just to find out a $65 one is only slightly worse or in some cases even better.

Thanks
 
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