Urgent Build Help.

[jackpapa]

Okay...bottom line:

I was going to get this after a discussion with a very helpful person.

1.) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=899135&sku=T925-8010

2.) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1626533&sku=B69-0483

3.) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1076248&sku=P450-6792

After another discussion with some more very helpful people they said that build was rubbish. (bad components) And one suggested:

1.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

2.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102871

3.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

4.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

5.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128527

6.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078

7.) http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-Deskstar-7200RPM-Internal-0F10381/dp/B002Y5XR72/ref=sr_1_14?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1323437952&sr=1-14

8.) And an unspecified DVD drive

My main reason for a new build is for gaming and playing games like Napoleon:Total War and the like.

OS: Windows Vista/XP/7
Processor: 2.6 GHz Dual Core
CPU Memory: 2 GB RAM (XP), 4 GB RAM (Vista/Windows 7)
Graphics: 512 MB DirectX 9.0c shader model 3 compatible GPU DirectX®: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Drive: 21 GB free space

I'm not a Ultra Mega graphics person but I just wanted something that could play it without any lag.
Good graphics to me are a nice bonus not a deal breaker.

My absolute budget is $500 for a whole computer.

I don't know anything about computers and am being told different things by everyone here.

 

[thespieler]

Well for you, my advice is to not skimp on your processor, go with an i7, you wont need more than 2 gigs of ram..

 

[Onus]

Ok, I was in your other thread, and here's the build I came up with:

HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:HDS721050CLA362
Item #:N82E16822145299
$79.99 $79.99
Hard drive prices are all bad now. The only way to get cheaper is to go for used or recertified.

AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Heka 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor HDZ720WFK3DGI - OEM
Model #:HDZ720WFK3DGI
Item #:N82E16819103652
$74.99 $74.99
Doesn't come with a HSF, but may unlock to X4, and will overclock easily because it's a BE.

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Brush / Plastic” ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Model #:S210-001
Item #:N82E16811146075
$39.99 $39.99
Looks decent, and has free shipping. That alone can add $10 or more to the price of a case.

Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler, free TX-2 Thermal Paste Included Inside
Model #:CR-CCTF
Item #:N82E16835207004
$24.99 $24.99
Most any 120mm HSF should be fine. This one is inexpensive and performs well.

ASRock 870 Extreme3 R2.0 AM3+ AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Model #:870 Extreme3 R2.0
Item #:N82E16813157272
$89.99 -$10.00 Instant $79.99
I haven't used this specific one, but other ASRock boards I've bought have all performed well. It has USB3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s.

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ...
Model #:EA-430D Green
Item #:N82E16817371034
Mail in Rebate
$59.99 -$10.00 Instant $49.99
The Earthwatts PSUs are all solid, quiet, and efficient. I've mostly used the 380W ones, but there's a better deal on this one ATM.

PowerColor AX6770 1GBD5-H Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Model #:AX6770 1GBD5-H
Item #:N82E16814131434
Mail in Rebate
$114.99 -$5.00 Instant $109.99
Keeping your budget in mind, I chose this card as being strong enough to play any game. If your budget has wiggle room, this is one of the first places to improve this build, such as to a HD6850.

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Model #:F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Item #:N82E16820231394
$20.99 $20.99
I buy mostly G.Skill now because I've never had a DOA or RMA on it. Get an 8GB kit if your budget has wiggle room, but this is still enough.

Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7261S-0B LightScribe Support - OEM
Model #:AD-7261S-0B
Item #:N82E16827118040
$19.99 $19.99
One optical drive is much like another, but this one has Lightscribe.

Subtotal: $500.91
There are also a couple of rebates in there if you play that game and win. For the money, this will do well, but another $50-$100 would make a substantial difference. You might even manage a SB build, but current HDD prices don't appear to allow that on your initial budget.
Of course, this assumes you already have a license for Windows. If not, it makes a big difference.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Ok lets start with this with your budget i don't think Intel is the way to go. They may be faster than amd but still you can get a amd quad for the same price that will beat out the dual. With that said let me see if i can put something better together.


Keep the case that's a good deal. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138283

Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103995

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822016

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

CD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Graphics: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131440

Well that's what i got total is about $500. not including rebates.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Well for you, my advice is to not skimp on your processor, go with an i7, you wont need more than 2 gigs of ram..

A i7 on a $500 budget? Ya right that's crazy

 

[thespieler]

For the game hes talking about, he should skimp more on graphics than on his processor. A phenom x3 wont cut it

 

[jackpapa]

Ah! Thank you Jtt283.

I have Windows XP Pro if that is enough.

I appreciate your help but I noticed that some of those components are not as high as others I posted. (2.8ghz processor and 430W PSU instead of 500W psu and 3.0ghz.) Although I believe others have told me that their not really that powerful.

But is your build the best? Could I play the above game specs without lag?

Sorry I've just been researching and discussing for months now. And everyone's advice is contradicting each other.

 

[nutmanmatt]

For the game hes talking about, he should skimp more on graphics than on his processor. A phenom x3 wont cut it

A i7 is way more than needed for total war and that would take up to much of his budget a Phenom x4 or even a x3 will be fine. I played total war on a dual just fine

 

[jackpapa]

Oh! Take me a while to reply to everyone.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Ah! Thank you Jtt283.

I have Windows XP Pro if that is enough.

I appreciate your help but I noticed that some of those components are not as high as others I posted. (2.8ghz processor and 430W PSU instead of 500W psu and 3.0ghz.) Although I believe others have told me that their not really that powerful.

But is your build the best? Could I play the above game specs without lag?

Sorry I've just been researching and discussing for months now. And everyone's advice is contradicting each other.

Every one has their own idea on a good computer build. for example my build has a better cpu and jt has a better graphics card. Both would play total war it just comes down to what you want.

 

[jackpapa]

Do I need a i7? Is is good to skimp on graphics? Or which is more important? Graphics or processor?

 

[nutmanmatt]

Do I need a i7? Is is good to skimp on graphics? Or which is more important? Graphics or processor?

No you don't need a i7 it is way out of your budget. For gaming you usually want better graphics however with total war it is hard on the cpu to so you have to balance them.

 

[jackpapa]

Oh! Okay well....Like I said I would rather it was a lagless experience than just Ultra mega graphics. Good graphics are a nice bonus, not a deal breaker.

By lagless in total war I mean when you pan the camera left/right etc....to survey things without freezing or slowing down.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Oh! Okay well....Like I said I would rather it was a lagless experience than just Ultra mega graphics. Good graphics are a nice bonus, not a deal breaker.

By lagless in total war I mean when you pan the camera left/right etc....to survey things without freezing or slowing down.

Ya both mine and jts build should give you a lag free experience it just comes down to what you want. jts will be able to do better graphics while mine will have a faster cpu. That means that if you ever want to do more graphically advanced games like mw3 or what not jts is the way to go. However mine will be faster with everyday tasks and games like total war or games similar to it that deal with lots of units at the same time.

 

[Onus]

Do NOT buy a Diablotek PSU-shaped object! If you want fireworks, you should be able to find them for a lot less. More seriously, a Diablotek "500W" PSU "may" be capable of half that, for a while. A real PSU, such as an Earthwatts, will be capable of more than what is on its label (although I'm certainly not recommending they be run that hard).
Considering that a miserable little Athlon II X2 can play any game (though some new ones like Skyrim not very well), to say a Phenom II X3 cannot handle an older game like Napolean: Total War makes no sense.

 

[jackpapa]

Ya both mine and jts build should give you a lag free experience it just comes down to what you want. jts will be able to do better graphics while mine will have a faster cpu. That means that if you ever want to do more graphically advanced games like mw3 or what not jts is the way to go. However mine will be faster with everyday tasks and games like total war or games similar to it that deal with lots of units at the same time.

Wow! Both seem really awesome, but I think I like yours better nutmanmatt.

I prefer faster tasks and more units. So If I understand correctly if I go with your build than I'll be able to play Total War games like Napoleon?

And maybe a few years down the line could I upgrade the video card for better graphics?

And/or could I go with your build but use jts video card?

So confusing...

 

[jackpapa]

Do NOT buy a Diablotek PSU-shaped object! If you want fireworks, you should be able to find them for a lot less. More seriously, a Diablotek "500W" PSU "may" be capable of half that, for a while. A real PSU, such as an Earthwatts, will be capable of more than what is on its label (although I'm certainly not recommending they be run that hard).
Considering that a miserable little Athlon II X2 can play any game (though some new ones like Skyrim not very well), to say a Phenom II X3 cannot handle an older game like Napolean: Total War makes no sense.

Could I use nutmanmatt's build with an earthwatts PSU? Is it more expensive and/or compatible with his build?
Do you have a link?
Hmm....

 

[nutmanmatt]

Wow! Both seem really awesome, but I think I like yours better nutmanmatt.

I prefer faster tasks and more units. So If I understand correctly if I go with your build than I'll be able to play Total War games like Napoleon?

And maybe a few years down the line could I upgrade the video card for better graphics?

And/or could I go with your build but use jts video card?

So confusing...

Haha ya it is confusing at first.

Yes if you can afford to put jts graphics card in my build it would be a pretty good computer. Or you can just put a new graphics card in later.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Do NOT buy a Diablotek PSU-shaped object! If you want fireworks, you should be able to find them for a lot less. More seriously, a Diablotek "500W" PSU "may" be capable of half that, for a while. A real PSU, such as an Earthwatts, will be capable of more than what is on its label (although I'm certainly not recommending they be run that hard).
Considering that a miserable little Athlon II X2 can play any game (though some new ones like Skyrim not very well), to say a Phenom II X3 cannot handle an older game like Napolean: Total War makes no sense.

I have never had any problems with Diablotek i don't know if you have had problems with them but they run fine with me. Yes i would put something better in but im trying to stick to the $500 budget.

 

[jackpapa]

Haha ya it is confusing at first.

Yes if you can afford to put jts graphics card in my build it would be a pretty good computer. Or you can just put a new graphics card in later.

Ah! Okay thanx! So that just leaves the PSU then...

Is Diablotek really as bad as jtts says it is?

 

[Onus]

The older Biostar A780L3B does not include Zosma on its CPU Support list: http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=536
Even though it is 95W, it may or may not work. Check first before you go that way.

 

[Onus]

Yes, Diablotek is that bad. Jonnyguru and HardwareSecrets have both reviewed some. They tend to blow up, well under their rating. Jonnyguru had some expensive test equipment damaged by one of them.
A quality modern PSU has full range active PFC (no little voltage switch) and some level of 80+ certification for efficiency. Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, and Enermax/LEPA are among the better brands. Diablotek, Apevia, Logisys, and anything else with "max" in its name are all junk. OCZ is hit or miss, but generally not bad. Except at the extreme high end, Coolermaster ranges from "polished turd in a box" (per HardOCP) to a notch or two above junk.

 

[nutmanmatt]

The older Biostar A780L3B does not include Zosma on its CPU Support list: http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=536
Even though it is 95W, it may or may not work. Check first before you go that way.

I don't think that will be a issue im pretty sure it will work

But just to be safe ill switch it to this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138283

 

[jackpapa]

Hmm Well what would you recommend as a substitute?
I"m wanting this build but I guess It would do me no good to get a psu that catches on fire.

 

[nutmanmatt]

Hmm Well what would you recommend as a substitute?
I"m wanting this build but I guess It would do me no good to get a psu that catches on fire.

Haha as i said i have never had problems.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371048

This is a good one but as you can see we are going past your $500 budget little by little.