Planned build for early next year(first time builder)

[p4t5h4rp]

Hi there people of Tom's Hardware,im a new poster and have something i would like help with,i am currently planning a new build for early next year as an upgrade to my current (all be it almost useless) rig from 2008....it will be the first time i will have started from scratch on something like this as iv always bought pre built rigs....here are my guide line spec choices up to now (plenty room for change depending on the input i get from forums/friends etc.) .

Mobo:Asus M5A97 PRO 970 Socket AM3+ 8 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard
CPU:AMD FX-4 4100 Black Edition 4 Core 3.6Ghz Socket AM3+ 8MB L3 Cache Retail Boxed Processor:
CPU cooling:coolermaster Hyper TX3 Socket Intel LGA 775, 1156, 1155, AMD AM2, AM3 Processor Cooler

GFX: Gigabyte GTX 560 OC Edition 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI Mini HDMI PCI-E Graphics Card
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz CL9 1.5V Non-ECC Unbuffered
PSU: OCZ Fatal1ty Series 550W Modular PSU...or Coolermaster Silent Pro 700W Modular PSU - Single 12V Rail with 50A
Case and cooling : Casecom Shiny Black Mid Tower Case with Front 120mm Red LED Fan with 1x Xilence Red Wing 80mm Quiet Fan - 3&4pin connection rear.


As for the DVD drive and HDD i already have those parts that can be re used,please note that this is a budget gaming rig and parts listed at the moment will cost £500,and unfortunately not able to go much over this budget.....bloody wife and kids stopping me having what i want hehe.
What i am looking for realy is just advice on how good the parts are for the price and if they would work well together without "bottlenecking" which im assuming is 1 part overshooting another and gimping it....or just not working all together.
Any and all input (unless your calling me an idiot) would be a great help, thankyou for your time in reading this hum drum post

 

[striker410]

Hi there! Welcome to the forums.

First thing I'm going to ask you to do is fill out this form here and stick it in your post: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice Gives organized and relevant information that is essential to making a draft.

Secondly I'm going to tell you this. FX-4100=no go! It's not a good value. There are other processors that give more performance for less money.

I'll get back to you once you fill out the information

 

[longpig]

Only possible spanner in the works is mobo support for the FX.
This is like my current build but I don't have the CPU yet.
According to the website the mobo supports the FX at a different BIOS version. So, it won't work without bios update, which you will need an AM3 processor to do. If the supplier can confirm bios version as 0705 you're good to go. http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM3Plus/M5A97_PRO/#CPUS

I've bought this: http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/motherboards/amdam3plusallchipsetmotherboards/970extreme3.html
Which supports FX with all bios versions according to the website: http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.asp?Model=970%20Extreme3
If it doesn't, I'll be kicking some arse, while a few people on here kick mine!

OCZ psu has better reputation than coolermaster. I'd go OCZ

 

[p4t5h4rp]

Approximate Purchase Date: 30th march 2012

Budget Range: £500

System Usage from Most to Least Important:Gaming.web browsing.

Parts Not Required: Keyboard,mouse,HDD,DVD drive,monitor,speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ebuyer.com

Country: England

Parts Preferences: AMD ( for price)

Overclocking: No idea how to overclock so thats a maybe after some research

SLI or Crossfire: huh??

Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050

Additional Comments: case is subject to change depending on cooling factors.

 

[p4t5h4rp]

as i said the parts will be subject to change depending on compatability and such.

 

[striker410]

So you're planning on buying in march?

Here's my suggestion. Come back about 1-2 weeks from when you plan on buying. There is a LOT of turnover in the tech world, and everything will have changed by then. Ivy Bridge and the AMD 7000 series will probably be out which will change recommendations drastically. I would wait.

 

[p4t5h4rp]

okidoki,well the above parts were only a guideline and i was aware that there would be bigger and better by the time i buy,im just starting my research early into quality/compatability issues etc as this will be the first thing like this i will have done and have little to no knowledge of things so early research is needed...anyhoo thanks for your help

 

[striker410]

Ah I hear that! Nothing like scoping it out.

Well first of all, here's a few general tips.
-Intel is usually a leader in performance when it comes to CPUs. However that performance comes at a cost. AMD makes a killing in the budget sector.

-For GPUs, there isn't a ton of difference between the two companies (In cost, drivers, support, anything) they simply offer different hardware for different scenarios. They are pretty much even in gaming.

-PSUs. Don't skimp, ever. Spend the money and get a quality, brand name PSU. I won't go over all the available options, we can do that once you get an idea of what you're buying.

-Case. Pretty forgiving. Pick one that will accommodate your video cards/cpu cooler/mobo.

-Gigabyte, ASRock, MSI and Asus are the big 4 mobo makers. Stick with them. Look at reviews and choose which has the best featureset for your pricerange.

That's a little shortlist of tips! Feel free to PM me if you want to know more.

Cheers!

 

[longpig]

Secondly I'm going to tell you this. FX-4100=no go! It's not a good value. There are other processors that give more performance for less money.

OK, I have the mobo as posted so which AMD processors give better performance for the money?
I really need this help.

And apologies for hi-jacking the thread, but it will help me and OP

 

[striker410]

Hey longpig,

why don't you start a new thread and PM the link to me? I'd rather keep things on topic.

However I'd say the Phenom II X4 955 is the best bet right now. That and a Hyper 212 EVO cooler to keep things chilly. Overclock it to ~3.8GHz and you'll be sitting pretty.