$700 budget

[uberpwnzorz]

Hi All,

Friend asked me to put together a system for him for under $700 including OS, no monitor/mouse/keyboard/CD drive. I pieced one together quick on NewEgg, but it's been about a year since I put a system together. Last few systems I put together were Intel systems but I'm trying AMD for this one, I'd like like a 2nd opinion to make sure I'm not missing anything.

AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4ghz + ASUS EVO AM3 Motherboard Combo ($245)
Cooler Master case + 500w PSU combo ($110)
XFX Radeon HD 5750 1GB ($115)
1TB Hitachi HD ($55)
4GB Corsair Memory Kit 2x2GB ($50) (for now, might upgrade to more)
Windows 7 Home 64-bit ($100)
==================
Total ~$675 + $25 shipping, - $45 in mail-ins

So did I miss anything? Or are there any suggestions to swap things out? Main thing I'm told he wants to play is the new DC Universe game and then normal internet/word processing.

 

[MadAdmiral]

That's a pretty crappy build. In fact, the only thing I would keep is the RAM, because you can't beat 4 GB of 1600 mhz CAS Latency 9 DDR3 for $40 (after rebate).

CPU: Drop to the X4 955. It's the same chip. Just up the multiplier by one in the BIOS, and there is no difference. You don't even need an aftermarket cooler.

Mobo: ASRock 870 Extreme3. The 955/ASRock pair is only $6 more, yet you pick up USB 3/SATA III support, making it a lot more future proof. You don't lose any performance.

GPU: No. Just no. The 5770 is only $5 more (counting rebates), and is easily 20-25% faster. The 5750 made sense when it was $50 cheaper (at release), but never since then. I've got a 5750, and was regretting it within months. A year later, I'm already looking to buy a second one.

HDD: Hitachi's HDD philosophy is to make slower drives and sell them cheap. Step up to the Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB for $15 more. It's a lot faster, and I can personally attest to the quality.

Case/PSU: Again, a horrible choice. Coolermaster's PSUs aren't that great. And you should almost never consider a PSU that comes with the case (Antec's are the only exception). You're also getting a lower end case with very little cooling. Instead, spend that $130 (counting shipping) on a Rosewill Challenger ($55) and Antec Earthwatts 650W ($75 plus $2 shipping). For the extra $2 (shipping), you're getting a better case, a better PSU, and the ability to add a second 5770 in Crossfire later.

I didn't check any combos. There might be some additional savings.

EDIT: You don't really need Crossfire, so you could save some money by dropping the board to the ASRock 770 Extreme3 (currently sold out) and the PSU to a Corsair 550W. I think that'll save you around $25.

 

[Why_Me]

The PSU in this combo down below did get good reviews and will push two of those 5770's Xfired.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.585954 Combo Discount: -$20.00 Combo Price: $99.98 $10.00 Mail-In Rebate Price After Mail-In Rebate(s): $89.98
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001U3S5S0/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-5&pf_rd_r=0WTZP6BVYETKEAAD5S00&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470939291&pf_rd_i=507846 $59.99 this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Samsung 1 TB Spinpoint 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.5 inch Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive HD103SJ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106335 $21.99 FREE SHIPPING
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer LightScribe Support

 

[MadAdmiral]

Again, I find Coolermaster PSUs tend to be a lot lower quality than simliar units from Antec, Corsair, SeaSonic, XFX and Silverstone. I wouldn't want to stray from the more proven brands if at all possible.

The HAF 912 is a good choice, but with shipping it's more expensive than the Rosewill. Both are great cases though, so go with whichever one you like better.