First build - thoughts, suggestions? - New Build

May 7, 2010 6:53:39 AM

Greetings! This is my first post here on the forums but I have been a loyal reader of tom's hardware for quite some time. I am about to pull the trigger on some components for a new build and I thought I'd share with the community. Any tips/suggestions will be very much appreciated. This is my first build!

Budget - $800-900 US

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
GPU: XFX HD-577A-ZNDC Radeon HD 5770 XXX Edition 1GB 128-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
HD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply

Total (after promo codes, discounts, rebates + shipping): $830 US

I should add that I will be reusing the dvd rw drive, keyboard, mouse, and monitor from my old system. Anyone see any potential issues with these specs? I plan on doing some casual gaming at lower resolutions (< Full HD).

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jbakerlent

May 7, 2010 7:22:30 AM

Welcome to the forum.

There's a form in my signature that could help with the final fine-tuning, but here's the bigger stuff.

I would drop in this RAM instead
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Then since you are getting a non-crossfire mobo, you could consider dropping down to a better, smaller PSU but it's not a necessity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

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Lmeow

May 7, 2010 9:45:44 AM

Mmm. I'd get the ASUS P7P55D-E LX if you're not intending to CrossFireX, the P55A-UD3's second 16x slot is bottlenecked badly, if you are then I'd get the ASUS P7P55D-E Pro. I'd also get a SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB, and the RAM that jbakerlent suggested, if you're doing more than mild overclocking though, I'd keep the current RAM.

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Emperus

May 7, 2010 6:38:14 PM

Well i'd say that the build is spot on.. You could however add an aftermarket CPU cooler such as the CM hyper 212 and overclock your CPU to some limits.. The benefits are certainly there..

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dndhatcher

May 7, 2010 7:53:07 PM

Considering the EA650 is 25% off right now, its a good PSU and a great value.

I agree that getting a good heatsink so you can run that i5 at 3.2 with turbo boost on for a safe and power efficient CPU increase.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i5-750-efficie...

A 5770 will play most new games at 1920x1080 (HD) resolution at high (but not max) settings.

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