Ecollegepc and this build? (Need advice!)

[alyssabelle]

I've been lurking around here because I really am wanting a computer built to my configurations. (However, buying $800 worth of parts and then messing something up and not being able to get help? I'd rather pay a little extra.)

I plan on using this machine for gaming and video editing.

What are your thoughts on this build? I know a lot of people are going to tell me that I can get cheaper if I build my own, but I can't afford to screw it up. And knowing how clumsy I am, I will screw it up.

AMD FX-4100 Quad-Core 3.6Ghz 8MB Cache AM3+
AMD Heatsink and Fan Included
ASUS M5A78L-M LX Plus (Radeon HD3000 Video, HDMI, 6xSATA, 2xDDR3)
8GB (4GBx2) PC3 10666 DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty
1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps (Major Brand)
24X LG SATA Dual Layer DVD /-RW/CDRW w/Nero
1GB GeForce GTX 560Ti GDDR5 PCI-E Dual-DVI/HDMI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Thermaltake V3 Black Edition (4 5.25, 5 3.5) Fan, Audio/USB
500watt Cooler Master Extreme Power Plus
Onboard LAN included
Onboard Sound included
2x 120mm Case Fan
Wires and Cables neatly tied up away from fans
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty

This comes to around $800 with the 5% coupon.

Thanks!

(If you have suggestions of other prebuilds with the same power or greater that are in the same price point I'd love to hear them. The only thing I'm really determined on is getting that 560 ti. It seems to get the best bang for the buck. (I wouldn't be opposed to two 550 tis if there is a site where that is cheaper.) I'm just hesitant to get a Radeon because I've heard there have been glitches with modern games.)

Also, has anybody used ecollegepc? Are they good? I've read good reviews about them and they have great reviews on ebay, but it'd be nice to hear if anybody else has used them.

 

[tsnor]

AMD FX-4100 would be fine for video editing, but is not a good gaming CPU. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html If you plan to game I'd definately skip this build in favor of a similar i3-2100 build.

MB fine (you'll change it if you go i3 instead of fx-4100)
8GB is fine
1TB good
GTX 560Ti is very nice -- it will expose the gaming weakness of the FX-4100.
Coolermaster has mixed reviews for PSU, but you usually don't get the chance of a good PSU in a prebuilt.

 

[alyssabelle]

What about a Corsair? It's more, but I'd be willing to pay the extra if it means that my computer doesn't break.

Also, would the Phenom II x4 965 be a good choice? Or is the i3 still the best recommendation?

 

[tsnor]

I'd pay more for a Corsair. If you have the model number google it for reviews. All of the corsair builder series PSUs looked good.

I really like the last page of this reference for gaming CPUs. As you can see from the table, the x4 965 is one box up from 4100 and two boxes down from i3-2100. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

Some more reading. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120.html

Finally, this neat article say a weak (even moderately strong) video card is the limiting factor so it doesn't matter what cpu you get in a surprising number of games. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-4100-core-i3-2100-gaming-benchmark,3136.html