Starting from Scratch

[Eudiamonia]

Ok, I'm looking to build a PC capable of playing "Final Fantasy XIV" with decent graphics. I'm not one of those people that sit there and go oooh ahh at graphics but I like to play with little video lag if you know what I mean. System Requirements for the game are as Follows.

Minimum System Requirements
Operating System: Windows XP/Vista/7.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz or AMD Athlon X2 2GHz.
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 512MB or ATI Radeon HD 2900 512MB and DirectX 9.
Memory: 2GB of RAM.
Disk Space: 15GB.

Recommended
Operating System: Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit.
Processor: Intel Core i7 2.66GHz or higher. *
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better with VRAM 768MB or more and DirectX 9.

I'm looking for a happy medium so to speak. Not Minimum and not Recommended (I7 is a bit pricey, not looking to spend 500.00+ on just board and CPU)

Ok what I'm looking for is a system board that use's DDR2 Ram (Cheaper). Not DDR3 (Bit Pricey) - Upgradeable to at least 8 Gig of Ram. A system board that I can throw a 500+ watt psu in, Dual or Quad Core. Computer case wise. I have my hearts content of a pink case. Now I'm not just throwing the question out there before doing a bit of research first. This is what I've come up with.

If you see anything that just total overkill or not compatible, or would be better for about same or lower price, and have a better suggestion I'm all ears. The price listed is the cheapest I've found it. If you see it cheaper please advise. (Side note: Video card listed may be a bit overkill so if theres one cheaper that will work together with everything else and still get good results by all means suggest.

If I left something out that really should be included please let me know. This is my very first attempt to build a system. I have a basic under standing of how to build one. General flow of system parts required ect I got off a Ebay Barebones Site and just filled in what I was thinking of.


Computer Part------------------------------------------------Item Discription---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lowest Price
AMD CPU................................................AMD Athlon II x4 Quad-Core Processor 630 (2.8ghz) AM3..............................................................$95.99

AMD CPU FANS........................................Freezer 64 Pro PWM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$24.93

ADVANCED THERMALPASTE------------------Arctic Silver MTX-2.5G Matrix Thixotropic Premium Thermal Compound.............................................$7.98

AMD DDR2 MOTHERBOARDS.....................Asus M4A785-M Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/ AMD 785G/ Hybrid CrossFireX/ HDMI/ A&V&GbE---------------$69.99

DDR2 DUAL CHANNEL MEMORY -------------4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC 8500) Dual Channel.........................................108.92

MEMORY HEAT SPREADERS......................Aluminum Heat Spreader Cooling HeatSink---------------------------------------------------------------------$6.50

HARD DRIVES 1-------------------------------320 GB 16MB Cache Sata 7200rpm................................................................................................$60.00

HARD DRIVE FANS...................................Masscool 4B02S4 Hard Disk Cooler-----------------------------------------------------------------------------$7.98

OPTICAL DRIVE 1------------------------------Sony Optiarc Black 24x DVD Drive...............................................................................................$22.99

PCI-EXPRESS VIDEO CARDS......................GeForce GTX 460 (768 MB)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$169.99

NETWORK CARDS-----------------------------Encore ENLGA-1320 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit PCI adapter..............................................................$16.00

CONTROLLER CARDS................................3-Port 1394b (800MB - TRANSFER) 64-bit PCI Host Card----------------------------------------------------$47.50

* CASES---------------------------------------Apevia X-Dreamer3-PK Pink X Dreamer 3 Metal Case w/ Side Window................................................$64.82

CASE FANS.............................................MASSCOOL SL-FD12025 Supper Silent Case fan 120X120X25MM 2 BALL BEARING with FAN GUARD------$8.99

CASE EXHAUST SYSTEM---------------------Masscool 4F01B4 System Cooler (Slot) Exhauster..............................................................................$10.84

POWER SUPPLY.......................................Logisys 550W Clear Power Supply--------------------------------------------------------------------------------$49.99

OPERATING SYSTEMS------------------------Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit......................................................................................................$95.49

Total Price: $868.90

Thank you in adcance for any information ya'll can provide.

 

[shihabyooo]

-Isn't your HDD expensive for it's capacity ? I think you could get a 1TB WD Caviar blue 32MB cache 7200RPM SATA II for around 70$.

-108 for 4GB DDR2 RAMs? I don't know about where you come from but in UK I got a 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz RAM kit for 60 Pounds. That's about 95 USD. And UK is an expensive country to get parts from. You should search for other brands. I don't know why 4gigs of DDR2 would cost a hundred.

-Spend an extra 20-30 bucks on the 1GB version of the GTX 460. You won't regret it.

Sorry I can't be more of a help

 

[bojo600]

I would suggest to save on the thermal paste, cpu and hd fans, heat spreaders, and get a case with a lot of cooling like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156241
or this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156246
also you could save a lot on your power supply, this one is my current one, 575 watt, looks great, supports both of my hd5750s, and is ULTRA CHEAP, (dont be intimidated by it's cheapness, it's an amazing power supply. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170017
also take away your case fans and exhaust system you really don't need all that cooling considering your parts.
now with all that money you have saved, get a 465 instead of a 460: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133344
i didn't really count all the money that you could have saved, so you can probably find a better card than that, but my advice is save on unnecessary stuff and get all the good stuff like graphics, processor, and ram

 

[eloric]

Welcome newcomer.

Let's get you fixed up on this build. shihabyooo is pretty much right, but let's go through it step by step. First off, it does not seem that you are using Newegg US for your prices - are you in another country? Where did you get your quotes? Do you have a preference for a site or store? Do you live near a MicroCenter or a Frys? When are you planning on purchasing? Can you order immediately(in case there are some sales that expire today or tomorrow)?

You have the CPU just fine - a quad core AMD is quite acceptable for most gaming. If you want to take a chance and have some fun, get a triple core and try to unlock it - saves another $22.

Any reason to pick the Freezer 64 pro? There are 50 models that are cooler/quieter than this one, although it is cheap. Suggest the Cooler master Hyper 212 +, for $30. It comes with its own Thermal paste, so you can save on that.

The motherboard should be AM3, and you should spend a bit more. All of your attention to cooling leads me to believe (hope) that you will be overclocking. Select a mobo that has some OC features, probably around $110 to $140. Confirm that and the nice readers here will give you some suggestions. It will have the network connectivityand other stuff built in, so no extra cards should be needed.

DDR3 RAM is not really expensive, and by the time you may want to upgrade, DDR2 will might be hard to find. 4GB of RAM will run you at least $20 to $30 less than what you have quoted, if US prices. Here is an example: Patriot G Series DDR3 1600 4GB for $73 after rebate.

Memory heat spreaders are not needed - they are included on the Patriot above.

As for the hard drive, here is an example of a good deal that ends soon: WD Caviar Black 750 GB for $60 after promo code. The promo code ends on 9/29. This hard drive is over twice the size of the one you selected, with superior performance, all for the same price.

Did you look at the Newegg feedback for the case? Basically it said to buy it only if you must have pink. It was over priced, flimsy, required tools for assembly, and may cut you. If you do need to have pink, I understand. If not, there are better choices. Enough said.

The most important factor for gaming is the best possible graphics for your budget. You should be able to afford a 1 GB GTX 460 for the amount of money you are spending. Lowest prices are around $200 on Newegg, after discounts and rebates.

Network and controller cards seem unnecessary. This should be included in the functionality of the motherboard, unless I am missing something else you are trying to accomplish.

Power supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W for $50 after rebate. More watts and acceptable reviews - should not fry your system when it fails. Logisys has no reviews to speak of, and one reference on jonnyGURU called it utter crap. Darn, was hoping otherwise, because it sure is pretty.

Win7 Home Premium - right product, good price.

So that covers it, I think. Hopefully the savings on the unneeded and cheaper parts is greater than the extra I suggested on the motherboard and the graphics cards.

 

[Eudiamonia]

I live in texas, about 30 mins away from Fry's and Microcenter. I got my prices via Google Search under shopping. The HD price was a general ballpark figure since there are so many to choose from I didn't know which one I'd want lol. As in funds. I'm comming up with the configuration first then saving up for the parts. Money wise I only have 500.00 saved up for it so far. Before actually purchasing any parts, I planned on checking Fry's prices first, and I'll check microcenter as well since you mentioned it. Quiet a few of my price quotes was from newegg actually .

The purpose of all the cooling was for overclocking. I read that not enough ventilation will burn up your board ect.

What board would be decent for what I'm looking for that would support the (Patriot G Series DDR3 1600 4GB). Pink case is not a requirements. It's a like to have but not required. I liked how the case looked and they offered it in pink lol. Any good suggestions for a case that would be better to use than the one I posted or the one the 2nd poster posted?

I'll post another msg in a few. I can only see what "Eloric" posted from clicking reply, and can't remebner what was all said.

 

[4745454b]

An AMD quad with 4GBs of DDR3, 780 or 880 chipset motherboard and the GTX460 should do fine. Thats actually rather close to the recommended specs other then the CPU. Avoid that "575W" PSU that was suggested, its total junk. Has the voltage selector switch so its based on an old inefficient design. Its also really a 450W PSU according to the label on the side. Last, it has a small 25A 12V rail. Listen to eloric and myself.

If you need to save some money its safe to get DDR3-1333 ram. 1600MHz will only help if your OCing. I've seen 1333 ram go for ~$75 with no rebates sometimes.

 

[Eudiamonia]

Ok after taking everything that was said into consideration I've come up with this setup. (I have not checked prices at Fry's or Microcenter yet. Some prices include Tax & Shipping) And several quotes are from newegg.

Computer Part........................................................Item Discription............................................................................................Lowest Price
AMD CPU--------------------------------AMD Athlon II x4 Quad-Core Processor 630 (2.8ghz) AM3----------------------------------------------$95.99
AMD CPU FANS...............................Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler - RR-B10-212P-GP......................................................$29.58
AMD DDR3 MOTHERBOARDS----------ASUS M4A79T Deluxe AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard-----------------------------------$162.98
DDR3 DUAL CHANNEL MEMORY .........Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)....$92.99
HARD DRIVES 1..............................Undecided Atm - Fry's Based Probably
OPTICAL DRIVE 1----------------------Sony Optiarc Black 24x DVD Drive--------------------------------------------------------------------------$22.99
PCI-EXPRESS VIDEO CARDS.............Gigabyte GV-N460OC-1GI GeForce GTX460 1GB DDR5 PCIE2 256B 2DVI-I HDMI...........................$226.34
* CASES--------------------------------RAIDMAX Quantum ATX-798WB Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case----------------------------$59.99
POWER SUPPLY..............................OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W..................................................................................$69.99
OPERATING SYSTEMS-----------------Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit----------------------------------------------------------------------------$95.49
Total Price: $856.34

Now as in the suggestion for the GTX465 video card, I think the 460 will do what I need. It's still an High End video card.

Ok now what do ya'll think of this setup? Will this configuration work together? I'm pretty sure the System Board I've picked will work with my CPU, but I'm not 100% Sure.

 

[4745454b]

Should be fine, but the board seems expensive. $163 for a 790 board? I'm out of the loop on what boards cost so I could be wrong about that. Does it come with some feature that you MUST have?