4-year-old case for *new* build?!

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540
Is it reasonable to use my 4 year old Antec 2650 BQE computer case and 2 year old Antec Earthwatts 430W power supply in my new build?

Basically, I'd like to put all of my money towards go-fast components, but I'm concerned that I'd be compromising my new build in some way.

OLD CASE: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129148



INTENDED USAGE: Enough CPU and GPU power for 3-4 years of productivity and casual gaming. Will be run at stock speeds.


BUDGET: $650 for all physical parts

PARTS PREFERENCE:
-- AMD for processors
-- XFX for video card. They *twice* replaced a videocard I bought used, when each died after 1.5 - 2 yrs. They really honor their "double lifetime warranty"
-- Newegg for all parts, they've treated me well over the years


CURRENT BUILD PLANS:

-- AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor ($160)

-- GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 ATX AMD Motherboard ($140 - $25 combo deal = $115)

-- XFX Radeon HD 5770 XXX Edition HD-577A-ZNDC Video Card ($170)

--CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory ($100)
Item #:N82E16820145263

--Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($100)



REUSED PARTS:

-- Antec 2650 BQE mid-tower ATX case (4-years old) with 120mm rear fan, 80mm front fan.

-- Antec EarthWatts 430W (2 years old)




Thanks!!!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
gkay09

gkay09

Splendid
Jul 28, 2008
8,861
0
31,960
^ I dont see any problem using a 4 yr old case unless it is out of shape...
And also the 430W PSU has ebough power for the HD 5770 too...

And I would suggest this CPU over the 955 as this has a TDP of 95W compared to the 125W of the 955...And also you wont overclock so I dont think you would notice much difference between this one and the 955...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335030

And get this graphics card - This runs cooler...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161317&cm_re=hd_5770-_-14-161-317-_-Product
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540


Thanks for the advice!

Regarding your CPU recommondation: I'm shocked there's such a difference in max TDP between these two, seemingly similar processors. I'm guessing it's a part that's been binned to run at lower power? One question though, how much total system performance will I be giving up for that lower TDP? Just 2-3% or something bigger?

Regarding the GPU recommendation: How good is customer support for HIS video cards? In my experience, video cards are prone to die young. I like XFX because they actually honor their "double lifetime warranty", though I don't want a hot, loud, videocard either. XFX also has a second model of the 5770 which has a different cooler on it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150462&cm_re=hd_5770_xfx-_-14-150-462-_-Product
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540


What's the risk to my other hardware? I've had power supplies die in the past of natural causes. They never took any components with them.

Based on the eXtreme power supply calculator, even using in a 20% capacitor aging factor, it calls for a 318W minimum size power supply and I'd be running a 430Watt supply. The Antec Earthwatts powersupplies are high quality parts, as far as I can tell, not some shady low-quality powersupplies that artificially bump up their ratings...

But I've only got experience with a couple of builds, so I'm happy to learn more the folks in this forum.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540



Great link! XFX has a version of the 5770 on Newegg that uses the "egg" cooler. That's what I'll go with.


If I were to buy a new powersupply, what would you recommend? I want something that's high efficiency (80%+), reliable, but won't steal too much of my budget.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

Silvune

Splendid
Oct 17, 2009
3,204
0
21,460
Actually on second thought scratch what I said before, that EA430 would be fine, however if you are hoping to keep it for 3 or 4 years you might want to upgrade your video card or crossfire two 5770 at some point. Which it can't do because it doesn't have enough connectors. This one has enough connectors and power for two 5770s and is 80 plus certified and $65 with $6 shipping and a $25 rebate. OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W
But then by the time you might want to upgrade there might be a better card: one PCI-E power connector, seriously low power consumption, more powerful than two 5770s, cheap, etc.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540
That model looks like a great deal (~$40 after rebate) and I like that it's modular. However, I don't know anything about OCZ powersupplies. Will a 500W OCZ perform like a 500W power supply? Or do they inflate their ratings like many brands do.

Also, the 70W difference from the Earthwatts 430 doesn't seem like a big bump.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

Silvune

Splendid
Oct 17, 2009
3,204
0
21,460
Yes it will give 500W, OCZ are one of the good brands. If you're hoping to keep the option of crossfire open for the 5770 then you will need a PSU with two 6pin PCI-E connectors. Which the EA430 does not while the OCZ does. If you aren't interested in keeping that option open then keep the one you have now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
gkay09

gkay09

Splendid
Jul 28, 2008
8,861
0
31,960
@TrackSmart +1 to what Silvune said...your PSU is just fine for that setup...And also you wont be overclocking, so I dont think you would need a bigger PSU...

Maybe when you want to get a better graphics card or add 1 more 5770 in crossfire, upgrade your PSU then...and +1 to XFX too...

As for the difference in those 2 CPUs, yes it is because of the lower CPU voltage and slightly lower speed...You can also achieve the same with the 955 by undervolting...IT is a very good way to reduce the power consumption of the CPUs...
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/undervolt-cpu-phenom,2348.html
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540
You guys are really outstanding! I can't thank you enough for the expert and timely build advice. By the way, when I talked to my wife about my deliberations, she said that she'd add the Case + PSU to my budget as a gift for my upcoming birthday and that I pretty much was forced to buy it now. Great wife there.


Final Build:

-- AMD Phenom II X4 945 @ 3.0GHz and 95W
-- GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 ATX AMD Motherboard
-- XFX Radeon HD 5770 w/ "egg-shaped" revision 2 cooler
-- CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
-- Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA
-- Antec Sonata III w/ included Earthwatts 500W power supply
-- Extra 120mm Antec Tri-cool fan (for front intake)


I'm really psyched about the 95W X4 945 processor that you guys referred me to. I try to avoid power-hogging parts when possible and that 95W chip makes me feel better about this build, however silly that sounds. Plus it's still 95% as fast as the X4 955 that I originally planned for.

I went with an Antec Sonata III case for a few reasons:
1) They had a $40 off deal at Newegg
2) It comes with a nice Earthwatts 500W power supply
3) I like Antec. They replaced a failing PSU on my previous build at the 2.5 yr mark and a dying 120mm case fan a couple of months later. In both instances they did not make me ship the bad parts. Plus they upgraded me to a higher capacity Earthwatts PSU versus the 350W originally in the case.
4) I'm happy that I get to pass down the old computer, since I won't be using it's case.

Again, many thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
gkay09

gkay09

Splendid
Jul 28, 2008
8,861
0
31,960
^ That is a good choice...And just a thought - The case comes with a 500W PSU and it will not be able to handle 2x HD 5770s...So why not save money by changing the mobo to a 770 chipset with a single PCIe slot ? It still has all the options of that 790X board sans the Crossfire(you can always switch the graphics card to a more powerful one later on when you feel the need...a single powerful graphics card can easily handle casual gaming and even more...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335038

But still its your call...IF you want to stick with it, then its fine...

Or you can take a look at this Antec CASE + PSU combo, that has enough power for HD 5770 crossfire...
Antec 200 S + Antec ECO 620W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335354
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
T

TrackSmart

Distinguished
Feb 7, 2010
31
0
18,540
Excellent thoughts that make good sense, though you were a little late to the party (I had already placed my order).

That said, I'm glad I got the full-featured MB since it keeps my options open. And the Sonata is a beautiful, clean-looking case that I won't regret staring at for the next 3-4 years. I'm not a fan of the looks of the Antec 200, though it's undeniably a good case for the money.

Thanks for the thoughtful input.



 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom