First pc build need help

[bjm100]

ok so i have a old emachines micro atx case im planning on using, i assume it will work fine.
i also have a visiontek ati radeon 2gb 5670, my brother gave it to me, he never even opened it.
i have an pata cd-rw drive and 160 gb pata HDD i can use as well.
my budget for the mobo,processor,Ram, and psu is about $250, can i do it.

PS. I Prefer AMD. The PC will use ubuntu linux, and be used for some games in wine. So i suppose a dual core would work fine.

 

[clutchc]

There are many combinations you can come up with and not exceed $250 for board, RAM, and CPU. Here's just one combo...
Board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130601
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134792

You can browse around the site and pick and chose your preference. You may want to spend less on the processor and more on memory, or less on both and more on motherboard, etc...

 

[bjm100]

I just purchased a motherboard
BIOSTAR A780L3L AM3 AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138290

 

[clutchc]

At $50, that leaves you with plenty left to spend on other components. May I ask what your main purpose for the machine will be? Gaming? Browsing?

 

[bjm100]

a mixture id say 60% gaming 40% browsing

 

[bjm100]

is 2gb of ddr3 at 1333 Mhz enough or should i get 4?
What do you guys think of the athlon ii X2 270?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103953

 

[clutchc]

I'm not familiar with Linux, but if it were Windows 7x64 I would recommend no less than 4GB. The more you tend to multi-task, the more RAM you need to keep from using the HDD as virtual memory.
The AMD Athlon II X2 270 Regor 3.4GHz you mention is sufficient for your system you have in mind. Since you are going with the less powerful HD 5670 for your gaming, the processor will be more than enough.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-gaming-performance,3007-5.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997-7.html

 

[bjm100]

just asking before i order, you guys think this is okay?
Athlon II x2 270
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103953
4Gb Crucial ddr3-1333 ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148262
APEX 500w PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817154026

 

[clutchc]

For a first build that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, it will do nicely. I would normally advise on a better name PSU, but the reviewers at Newegg seem to like that one. It got many good reviews. But don't expect it to be a 'real 500W' PSU. With 2 18A rails, it is apparently over-rated @ 500W. Nevertheless, you won't be over-stressing it with the build you have in mind. So, unless you get a lemon, it should be fine.
In case you're interested, I've used this PSU in several budget builds with no failures. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030 But you have to act today if you want to take advantage of the $10 off discount.
Either way, good luck and I hope you have a fun build.

 

[bjm100]

thank you, you've been alot of help. I have no doubt this pc will serve me well

 

[bjm100]

Best answer selected by bjm100.