Athlon II x3 435 Gaming Build $600-750
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This Week BUDGET RANGE: $600-750 Before Rebates
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Bittorrent/Downloads, Music/Movies/Web
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, speakers, OS, GPU (already purchased an HD 4850, debating on getting a 2nd)
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com looks like the best, but I'm open to anything COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA, East Coast
PARTS PREFERENCES: I've been thinking about the Athlon II x3 435; it looks like a great value.
OVERCLOCKING: Yes, I'd like to try to unlock the 4th core, but ive never Overclocked before. SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, Im debating on getting an additional 4850 or waiting and getting it cheaper some time in the future (im not sure if this is sound reasoning, as prices could go up, or the cards could disapear).
MONITOR RESOLUTION: Right now, I'm running my ~19 inch dell monitor at 1280x1024. Im not quite sure how resolution works, but that is the max resolution I can set. Not sure if its due to my monitor or my ancient GPU (Geforce FX 5200, oh yeah).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is my first build. I really appreciate any advice. $750 is the max, after everything, incl. mouse, KB, and shipping. TH is an amazing site, and I've been trying to learn as much as I can. The community here is also amazing, and I'm excited to see what you all have to say. Finally, I'm trying to save money on this build by passing on the newer parts/features like 5xxx GPU's and Quad cores as well as utilizing combos from newegg. I was also considering DDR2, but it looks like DDR3 is the best value? If you see any places where I can cut a little cost, let me know. thanks.
CPU:
AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor - Retail
MOBO:
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Part of a combo with the cpu.
Honestly, I'm not sure which Mobo to choose. I was looking at 790X because I dont need the integrated graphics. Also, I connect wirelessly to the internet. Are there motherboards that meet my requirements and have a built in wireless card? Or am I better off getting something separately?
CPU Cooling:
XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
This is the one they used in the March SBM $750 Build.
Case/PSU:
I saw this combo. Will the PSU be enough for two HD4850s? Should I look for a cheaper case?
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
+
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
I was also looking at this PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
GPU (Already Purchased One):
SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
I'm really debating on getting a second one. I think I want to stick with just one for now, and then get a new screen and second 4850 a year or two from now. Thoughts? Also, will the dual-4850's be severely bottlenecked by the CPU?
RAM:
A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-AG - Retail
Looks like a good value. Should I get something faster? Should I get something cheaper?
HardDrive:
HITACHI Deskstar HD31000 IDK/7K (0S00163) 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Retail
10 bucks more than a WD 750gb and it has good reviews. I dont really need 1 TB, because I have a 1 TB external drive, but it looks like a good value.
DVD:
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM
Keyboard:
I need something Cheap but Effective and Comfortable
Mouse:
I need something wireless, comfy and fine for gaming/extensive use.
Am I forgetting anything? Again, this is my first build. Do i need a static wrist strap? anyhting else? Thanks for the advice!
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This Week BUDGET RANGE: $600-750 Before Rebates
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Bittorrent/Downloads, Music/Movies/Web
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, speakers, OS, GPU (already purchased an HD 4850, debating on getting a 2nd)
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com looks like the best, but I'm open to anything COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA, East Coast
PARTS PREFERENCES: I've been thinking about the Athlon II x3 435; it looks like a great value.
OVERCLOCKING: Yes, I'd like to try to unlock the 4th core, but ive never Overclocked before. SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, Im debating on getting an additional 4850 or waiting and getting it cheaper some time in the future (im not sure if this is sound reasoning, as prices could go up, or the cards could disapear).
MONITOR RESOLUTION: Right now, I'm running my ~19 inch dell monitor at 1280x1024. Im not quite sure how resolution works, but that is the max resolution I can set. Not sure if its due to my monitor or my ancient GPU (Geforce FX 5200, oh yeah).
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is my first build. I really appreciate any advice. $750 is the max, after everything, incl. mouse, KB, and shipping. TH is an amazing site, and I've been trying to learn as much as I can. The community here is also amazing, and I'm excited to see what you all have to say. Finally, I'm trying to save money on this build by passing on the newer parts/features like 5xxx GPU's and Quad cores as well as utilizing combos from newegg. I was also considering DDR2, but it looks like DDR3 is the best value? If you see any places where I can cut a little cost, let me know. thanks.
CPU:
AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor - Retail
MOBO:
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Part of a combo with the cpu.
Honestly, I'm not sure which Mobo to choose. I was looking at 790X because I dont need the integrated graphics. Also, I connect wirelessly to the internet. Are there motherboards that meet my requirements and have a built in wireless card? Or am I better off getting something separately?
CPU Cooling:
XIGMATEK HDT-SD964 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
This is the one they used in the March SBM $750 Build.
Case/PSU:
I saw this combo. Will the PSU be enough for two HD4850s? Should I look for a cheaper case?
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
+
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
I was also looking at this PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
GPU (Already Purchased One):
SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
I'm really debating on getting a second one. I think I want to stick with just one for now, and then get a new screen and second 4850 a year or two from now. Thoughts? Also, will the dual-4850's be severely bottlenecked by the CPU?
RAM:
A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-AG - Retail
Looks like a good value. Should I get something faster? Should I get something cheaper?
HardDrive:
HITACHI Deskstar HD31000 IDK/7K (0S00163) 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Retail
10 bucks more than a WD 750gb and it has good reviews. I dont really need 1 TB, because I have a 1 TB external drive, but it looks like a good value.
DVD:
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM
Keyboard:
I need something Cheap but Effective and Comfortable
Mouse:
I need something wireless, comfy and fine for gaming/extensive use.
Am I forgetting anything? Again, this is my first build. Do i need a static wrist strap? anyhting else? Thanks for the advice!