Building one for my dad, any thoughts??

[archer7282]

Hello All;

Am planning to put together the following build for dad in the next day or so.


was originally going to order parts from newegg but due to time constraints (parents are driving to visit) we have decided instead to go with a relatively close micro center. I know that i could probably shave a few dollars off the order by going thru the egg and looking for combo's but thats not a huge issue.

My dad loves to game, As a matter of fact that is pretty much all he does with the computer..... But the games he loves are all of the style of Civilization, Might & Magic, Kings Bounty....etc...... I am pretty sure he will enjoy games like Dragon Age Origins after he has the computer to properly play it, but it will be a cold day in H E double hockey sticks before you see him playing Crysis or Wow or anything like that..

He will be playing at 1680 x 1050 resolution

my thoughts behind what i have put together so far are it will be a capable rig, with room for upgrading in the future. I intend to try to unlock the latent cores on the PII X2 560 as well as do a mild overclock (all using the features on the asus mobo)

Here's what i have so far.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0334891 Asus Mobo

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317772 4GB OCZ ram (checked on asus site says its supported for this mobo)

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0252592 500GB wd caviar blue

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0347369 AMD Calisto Phenom II X2 560 (unfortunately my local micro's is sold out of the 555 version so have to go with the more expensive version here .... worth it... ??? am hoping to get the free quad core out of the deal.. and these seem to be unlocking for everyone.... hmmmm

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317308 cooler master gladiator 600 case.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0301545 OCZ 500 watt modular power supply

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0312368 cooler master hyper tx3 to cover the additional heat of the hopeful core unlock and a mild overclock.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0321834 XFX 5750 1gb GPU


in addition going to add an additional 120 mm fan to the case as well as a basic run of the mill dvd burner.

Are there any glaring conflicts with any of the items i have picked? Should i take money out of the cpu area and put it into a better gpu?

Thanks much for any comments / thoughts.

 

[gkay09]

^ Microcenter has good AMD combo promo deals...This would save good money...
http://www.microcenter.com/specials/promotions/AMDbundlePROMO.html
And for gaming, you dont have to go with a very powerful CPU,...The II X2 would suffice, also not to forget, you can try unlocking the cores...
So get the bundle with the MSI 870A-G54 Socket AM3 870 ATX...

HDD - Maybe this one ? Lot faster and lot of space for $10 more -
Samsung F3 1TB
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0340562

Video card -
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0328873

CASE - Check this new Elite 430
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0339423

 

[batuchka]

Unlocking + stable is a bonus not a given so i would just do the pragmatic thing and hit the cheaper but safer AthlonII X3
So we could help ya out better:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

 

[geofelt]

I think I can help you here, based on my age and experience with Civilization.

1) You make no mention of what monitor you have, or will use, but 1680 suggests a smallish one. I would plan on a 1920 x 1200 capable monitor if at all possible. If you already have a smaller monitor, use it as a second monitor to keep e-mail, and other such apps open while playing. With civ, it is very good to be able to see more of the map without having to scroll.
2) Video capability is not that important. You can play with integrated graphics. Your FPS will not be high, but it does not seem to matter . You might consider trying the integrated graphics first, THEN deciding on a graphics card if needed.
3) Do not bother with more than two cores, they are not used.
4) Consider using a SSD for the OS and a few games. It makes everything feel so much snappier.

There is nothing wrong with your list, but I have some different suggestions:

Your motherboard and cpu cost $260 for a 3.3 dual core.

Consider a Intel i3-540 3.06 at $99 It has dual cores PLUS hyperthreading. Even though the clock rate is a bit less, the intel chips are faster than AMD on a clock for clock basis. If you can splurge a bit, go for the i5-655K @ 3.2 at $150. It adds turbo boost and an unlocked multiplier. The faster processor will reduce the time between turns on a huge map.

Get any H55 motherboard that suits you. They will be <$100. I like Asus, Gigabyte, and EVGA. Look for one with 6gb sata, and usb3.0. A micro-atx or even a mini-itx would be fine, unless you need many added add-in cards.

When you visit microcenter, look at your case choices and decide then. I think the Antec 300 would be a better case for the same amount of $.

If you will get a discrete video card now, the 5670 or GTS450 will be fine. It would let you try more fast paced games. I would, however, get one with direct exhaust cooling like the HIS version: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331612 Direct exhaust will keep both your vga card AND your cpu about 5c. cooler.

Speaking of coolers, I would get one with a 120mm or larger fan, not 92mm. A larger fan runs cooler, and more importantly, quieter. Any will do.

Caviar blue is not the fastest of drives. In addition to a SSD, it will do for storage and backups. Otherwise, the black is better. Use one of the samsung 1tb drives if you do not get a SSD. Once you use a SSD, though, you will never go back.

--good luck to you both---

 

[archer7282]

Best answer selected by archer7282.

 

[archer7282]

Thanks for the help! wish i could have given multiple best answers. going to go with a tweaked version of what i originally picked, thanks for pointing out that their combo specials.