$600 AMD/ATI gaming system - parts help

[Grackel]

Howdy,

I'm looking to build a system for a friend as a gift so he can get back on the road to gaming recovery. System wont be overclocked, crossfired, or flashy.

I have a Chieftec DX-01BD mid-tower that I can recycle into the build that is in excellent condition, but it's the size and weight of a Jersey wall. The case is plenty roomy, but I'm not sure how good the airflow is with it. If I go with this case, I'll need to replace all five 80mm fans.

I also have an Antec True430w psu that was in the case, but feel this would be a disservice to my friend due to the wattage and age (6yrs). Otherwise, a great psu and have never had an issue with it.

Lastly, I'm not sure what to do gpu wise. I'm partial to building the system sans gpu, and whatever is left over he can use to cover the cost of a card to his liking. From some of the prices I've seen, I don't think I can squeeze a 1GB 256bit DX11 gpu into the cost of the build.

I've only ever used ASUS, Mushkin, and Cooler Master products, but they're usually more expensive than other products on Newegg.

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 30 days BUDGET RANGE: 600-650 Before Rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming (BFBC2, MW2, etc), surfing the internet, music, watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS (possibly case)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com preferably, any poster recommended site is fine too (having delivery issues with PROVAPORWARE at the moment). COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US

PARTS PREFERENCES: AMD/ATI (would like to use a Phenom II X4 cpu and 1GB memory 256bit DX11 capable gpu if possible within budget)

OVERCLOCKING: No CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 at least

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Quiet if possible, no glam, no frills. 4GB of memory. HDD was kind of a guess, doesn't need to be huge, just effective for gaming. Unless there are any objections to current selections, need assistance with gpu, and memory.

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*Include a list of any parts you have already selected with descriptively labeled links for parts.*

Like above, I really have only ever used ASUS, CM and Mushkin products. I know that limits my builds, this will help expand my trusted manufacturers list.

BIOSTAR TA790GXB3 AM3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - Retail

LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD2500AAJS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

*combo special on cpu and mobo.
*combo special on the psu and dvd drive.

Current cost of build with shipping ($9.00) is $341. Any pointers appreciated.

 

[batuchka]

Hmm maybe you could reuse the case and hit that OCZ 600 + ODD combo That Biostar 790GX mobo u picked out also comes in a combo with AthlonII X3 425 for $134 IIRC

 

[hamiac]

Yea, batuchka's got the idea. I would just settle for a HD 5770 though and get a slightly better processor which will still work out cheaper and still play modern games at a good enough frame-rate.

Gigabyte is good, but I still prefer Asus
I have just bought a Asus M4A79XTD EVO - Great!

 

[Grackel]

Alright, revised build. Like hamiac, I wanted to use ASUS. The board listed doesn't have a ton of ratings, but it has everything I want it to do. I'm pretty stoked about a $45 mobo from ASUS that has everything I want in it and even supports OC'ing if it ever comes up. It's mATX, but thats cool. We can always drop it into a different case later.

Because of the voltage requirements on the cpu (.9-1.4v), I went with the G.Skill (1.35v) based off of the qvl for the board. That was probably the most expensive bullet I had to bite on the build. Shows spec'd for socket LGA 1156 Intel Core i5 & i7 CPUs, but looks like its working as expected for AMD builds.

Opted for the OCZ modular cpu with ODD combo so I could keep the case clean. Price seemed decent on the psu given the combo. I'll reuse the mid-tower and let him pick a video card. Thanks yall for the help!

 

[Grackel]

Best answer selected by Grackel.

 

[batuchka]

Though u may want to go cut corners with a cheap mobo, that is essentially an AM2 mobo merely with DDR3 DIMM slots if u ask me
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=wUHApFnERsTHwwHF

System Bus Up to 2000/1600 MT/s

So AM3/AM2+ would downgrade from 5200MT/S i.e HT 3.0 to this HT 1.0

Expansion Slots
1 x PCIe x16

Even entry level AM2+ 760G/770 has a nice juicy PCIex16 gen 2.0 at least....

 

[whitefang]

Hmm maybe you could reuse the case and hit that OCZ 600 + ODD combo That Biostar 790GX mobo u picked out also comes in a combo with AthlonII X3 425 for $134 IIRC
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q205/batuchka/ilha.jpg

^+1 superb build.