New AMD Gaming Build need suggentions (first time builder)

[jcec92]

Hi, i decided to build a gaming pc and have bern doing research for a while now and was just wondering what people on here thought of the build, had any suggestion, improvements you could recommend. All parts are from Amazon.

Looking to spend $1000 - $1050

-CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 - 110$
-Motherboard: ASUS M5A99X Evo - 149.99
-Ram: Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB kit 2x4GB - 48.99$
-Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout -  69.99$
-Power supply: Corsair Builder series CX600 - 62.24$
-HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - 99.99$
-Optical drive: Lite-on LightScribe 24x - 24.99$
-Sound card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 - 29.99$
-GPU: SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB - 169.99
-Wireless: Medialink Wireless N USB adapter - 19.99
-Monitor: Dell ST2220L 21.5" LED - 159.99$

Total: 946.15$

 

[slomo4sho]

Are you set on sticking to AMD or are you flexible and willing to go with Intel?

 

[jcec92]

Im Sticking with AMD i have a limited budget.

 

[hacbarton]

Check out Newegg.com should be able to find quite a few of those parts cheaper.

 

[unksol]

Im Sticking with AMD i have a limited budget.

As much as I hate to say this (I have always used AMD) you can make Intel work in that budget. an i5 2500K is only 100 more and still in budget, and you can get cheaper ones that are still better for gaming than AMD. So if its a budget issue let people make Intel suggestions. If you really want AMD that's fine too, they've always been my preference, although it'd getting hard to recommend them now

 

[Zero_]

I'd suggest the $800 build in my sig plus monitor + wireless + larger hard drive.

 

[unksol]

Also the soundcard is unnecessary, what on the board is fine, and you can find bigger 1080p monitors on newegg for cheaper than that dell. Acer in particular.

I'd take that saved money and put it toward a 7850 instead of the 6870

 

[hacbarton]

I agree with unksol. Though, the phenom isn't a bad processor, you have limited upgradabilty, because AMD isn't making them anymore. They've moved on to the bulldozer, which is a bad processor. Really is.

 

[dudewitbow]

I agree with unksol. Though, the phenom isn't a bad processor, you have limited upgradabilty, because AMD isn't making them anymore. They've moved on to the bulldozer, which is a bad processor. Really is.

adding onto this, to make it even worse, the next lineup of AMD Processors(trinity) are using new mobo sockets (FMX) thus crippling upgradability.

 

[dthesleepless]

Trinity is upgrading from Llano's FM1 to FM2. The next lineup of GPU-less processors will still be on AM3+, is my understanding.

 

[unksol]

adding onto this, to make it even worse, the next lineup of AMD Processors(trinity) are using new mobo sockets (FMX) thus crippling upgradability.

Sorry but this is incorrect. Trinity is the APU line, and the APUs use different sockets. They are changing the APUs from FM1 to FM2 but that doesn't apply here.

An AM3+ board will support Phenom II, Bulldozer, and at least the next desktop generation, Piledriver, due the end of the year. Its unlikely to be competitive with Intel though, unfortunately

 

[jcec92]

As much as I hate to say this (I have always used AMD) you can make Intel work in that budget. an i5 2500K is only 100 more and still in budget, and you can get cheaper ones that are still better for gaming than AMD. So if its a budget issue let people make Intel suggestions. If you really want AMD that's fine too, they've always been my preference, although it'd getting hard to recommend them now

Here is a intel build

-CPU: intel core i5 2500k - 214.99$
-Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V LX - 124.99$
-Ram: corsair vengeance blue 8GB-48.99$
-Case: cooler master storm scout -  69.99$
-Power supply: corsair builder series CX600 - 62.24$
-HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB- 99.99$
-Optical drive: Lite-on LightScribe 24x - 24.99$
-SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB - 169.99
-Wireless: Medialink Wireless N USB adapter - 19.99
-Monitor: Dell ST2220L 21.5" LED - 159.99$

Total: 1016.15

 

[Thrin]

Just some thoughts:

Replace your current monitor choice with:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336893604&sr=1-2

$129.99 instead of 159.99 = savings of $30

Remove both the soundcard for a savings of another $30

That's $60 to add to your 259.99 budget of CPU / motherboard bringing it to $319.99

The i5-3750k is $228.99 leaving $91 for a motherboard. So close!

A motherboard with a good sound chipset (as good as or (apparently) better than the Creative Audigy) will run $180ish at amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-NVIDIA-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD5H/dp/B007R21JK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336894577&sr=1-1



Sorry, with amazon's pricing I can't figure out a way to swing the i5-3750k. I bet you could go with another i5 and do it but the prices of the motherboards with the audio chipset (Realtek ALC898 codec) are all in the 180+ range. If you lived near a Micro Center you could do it no problems.

Otherwise, keep the AMD, and the rest of the components. I'm not sure how useful you'll find the soundcard but I haven't looked into the AMD motherboards and what their sound capabilities are.

Edit: Or go with what Jcec92 came up with. The i5-2500k is a great chip.

 

[jcec92]

Just some thoughts:

Replace your current monitor choice with:

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336893604&sr=1-2

$129.99 instead of 159.99 = savings of $30

Remove both the soundcard for a savings of another $30

That's $60 to add to your 259.99 budget of CPU / motherboard bringing it to $319.99

The i5-3750k is $228.99 leaving $91 for a motherboard. So close!

A motherboard with a good sound chipset (as good as or (apparently) better than the Creative Audigy) will run $180ish at amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-NVIDIA-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD5H/dp/B007R21JK4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336894577&sr=1-1



Sorry, with amazon's pricing I can't figure out a way to swing the i5-3750k. I bet you could go with another i5 and do it but the prices of the motherboards with the audio chipset (Realtek ALC898 codec) are all in the 180+ range. If you lived near a Micro Center you could do it no problems.

Otherwise, keep the AMD, and the rest of the components. I'm not sure how useful you'll find the soundcard but I haven't looked into the AMD motherboards and what their sound capabilities are.

Edit: Or go with what Jcec92 came up with. The i5-2500k is a great chip.

What about this Motherboard http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD3H/dp/B007R21JJK/ref=pd_cp_pc_1 ?

 

[Thrin]

What about this Motherboard http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-CrossFireX-DispayPort-Motherboard-GA-Z77X-UD3H/dp/B007R21JJK/ref=pd_cp_pc_1 ?

That's a good board. It's received a lot of great attention from reviewers including receiving awards.

The sound aspect is usually overlooked by most motherboard reviewers so I don't know how great it will be but, here's the good news, it won't be -bad- as such. So, you can get the board, plug it into your speakers and test it out. If you like what you hear (and I suspect it'll be just peachy since the audio quality differences really aren't that huge unless you're really into sound stuff) you can leave the setup. If you want to upgrade the sound for whatever reason you can get a discrete soundcard at that time.

I, personally, left soundcards behind with my previous computer build. In my current build I continued on without a soundcard and I have not missed them at all.

 

[jcec92]

Thanks guys for your advice and i did some more research and this is the build i goy so far.

Intel gaming build

-CPU: intel core i5 3550 - $209.99
-Motherboard: Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 GA-Z77-D3H - $114.99
-Ram: corsair vengeance blue 8GB-$48.99
 -Case: Cooler Master Elite 430  -  $43.72
-Power supply: Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500W - $35.67
-HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB- $99.99
-Optical drive: Lite-on LightScribe 24x - $24.99
-SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB - $169.99
-Wireless: Medialink Wireless N USB adapter - $19.99
-Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full HD LED - $129.99
-Case Fan: Cooler Master 120mm Case Fan 4-in-1 - 13.99

Total: $912.3

 

[jcec92]

Best answer selected by Jcec92.