*note* You can skip down to Q1, just extra info in case you need it, questions are in bold.
After receiving much advice and recommendations on my original build, I believe that I'm coming close to finalizing my build. Also, I've decided that I'm going to overclock anything, I'm just gong to keep it simple go with factory settings. For all components to this build, I mainly used reviews from Newegg and the ratings on PCPartPicker to help with decisions.
Here is what I have so far:
Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M68MT-S2P Micro ATX AM3 Motherboard ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.84 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 6950 1GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 460W ATX12V Power Supply ($27.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7260S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ CompUSA)
Total: $579.76
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
My questions with this build pertain to the PSU and the case.
Q1: Regarding the PSU, is 460 watts sufficient for this build?
- I read a few guides from this forum on calculating the amount of wattage that a computer outputs, and I calculated that this build would run around 270-290 watts, but I'm not totally sure if I did the calculations correctly. I also used a computer wattage calculator that was linked in one of the guides and it came to about 277-280 watts. I just don't know if I've made any mistakes.
Q2: Regarding the case, I'm not sure if the GPU that I picked out would fit into the case.
Case dimensions: 18.50" x 7.48" x 17.08"
GPU dimenstions: 11.4" x 5" x 1.5"
- Based on those dimensions, I would think that it would fit, but putting consideration on whether the size of the HD/Optical drive bays are going to be a factor, I've started to look into whether or not the GPU would fit, since it's known for having a beastly size, among other things.
I chose the Rosewill Challenger case for a number of reasons, one being it has "Tom's Hardware Approved" label on Newegg. Also, it comes with 3 fans, mostly tool-less, lots of airflow, bottom mounted PSU, etc. It look great as well. As for the Gigabyte Radeon 6950, I also chose it because of the TH approval, general feedback, features, and looks.
I know there is a lot written for two simple questions, but the more info the better, right? This is also my first post on these forums, I thought I'd take an extra step to make it look decent
Also, if you happen see any potential problems with my build, feel free to address them. Anything would help this newbie learn
After receiving much advice and recommendations on my original build, I believe that I'm coming close to finalizing my build. Also, I've decided that I'm going to overclock anything, I'm just gong to keep it simple go with factory settings. For all components to this build, I mainly used reviews from Newegg and the ratings on PCPartPicker to help with decisions.
Here is what I have so far:
Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M68MT-S2P Micro ATX AM3 Motherboard ($48.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($42.84 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 6950 1GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 460W ATX12V Power Supply ($27.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7260S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ CompUSA)
Total: $579.76
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
My questions with this build pertain to the PSU and the case.
Q1: Regarding the PSU, is 460 watts sufficient for this build?
- I read a few guides from this forum on calculating the amount of wattage that a computer outputs, and I calculated that this build would run around 270-290 watts, but I'm not totally sure if I did the calculations correctly. I also used a computer wattage calculator that was linked in one of the guides and it came to about 277-280 watts. I just don't know if I've made any mistakes.
Q2: Regarding the case, I'm not sure if the GPU that I picked out would fit into the case.
Case dimensions: 18.50" x 7.48" x 17.08"
GPU dimenstions: 11.4" x 5" x 1.5"
- Based on those dimensions, I would think that it would fit, but putting consideration on whether the size of the HD/Optical drive bays are going to be a factor, I've started to look into whether or not the GPU would fit, since it's known for having a beastly size, among other things.
I chose the Rosewill Challenger case for a number of reasons, one being it has "Tom's Hardware Approved" label on Newegg. Also, it comes with 3 fans, mostly tool-less, lots of airflow, bottom mounted PSU, etc. It look great as well. As for the Gigabyte Radeon 6950, I also chose it because of the TH approval, general feedback, features, and looks.
I know there is a lot written for two simple questions, but the more info the better, right? This is also my first post on these forums, I thought I'd take an extra step to make it look decent
Also, if you happen see any potential problems with my build, feel free to address them. Anything would help this newbie learn