diamon423

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Aug 28, 2012
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Hello,
Hi. Im planning to build a computer very soon and would like some thoughts on it.
I made a thread about a month ago but didnt get too many answers.
I think i finshed deciding what i want but i want to know whats to say about it thanks.

Approximate Purchase Date: next week

Budget Range: about $750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming browsing movies etc.

Are you buying a monitor: No



Parts to Upgrade: all

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg tiger direct

Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada

Parts Preferences: i want a phenom processorAMD for sure

Overclocking: Yes but later on maybe a few months

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: as i said im not getting one

Additional Comments: i dont want to spend too much on case. And i need to know if my build will bottleneck.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: i need a computer.


My build

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3B1K2/8GX

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104262

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 AM3 AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131873

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100314-3L )


http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD R 8X DVD RW 12X DVD R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM

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

That should be about it. Thank you very much i highly appreciate all thoughts. Correct me please on any mistakes i made with the build its my very first build.





 

luciferano

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Sep 24, 2012
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For higher speed memory, you'd probably have to overclock the CPU/NB frequency and set the memory up in the BIOS (most memory manufacturers will help you with this) if you have a board that supports higher speeds.

Also, you should get this 7850 instead of that 6870:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121623&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

I also recommend a lower wattage PSU (overkill is almost as bad as not enough):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Well the AMD certainly allows for faster CPUs to be used later on that's for sure but if you want power I'd suggest this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 1GB Video Card ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.98 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $646.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
 

diamon423

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Aug 28, 2012
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well great build and rhanks g-unit, but would you suggest intel over AMD? And i also need an OS and could save a bit by getting 500GB. And would the 7770 play starcraft 2 maxed out at 1920x1080p? Thanks
 

luciferano

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Sep 24, 2012
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Your sacrificing a far more powerful graphics card for a better than already adequate CPU. I disagree with going that way because it's focusing too much of a budget on the CPU when a much cheaper CPU is already plenty for most games in most settings configuration.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Not maxed out but you'll get fairly good frame rates.

Your sacrificing a far more powerful graphics card for a better than already adequate CPU. I disagree with going that way because it's focusing too much of a budget on the CPU when a much cheaper CPU is already plenty for most games in most settings configuration.

What are you talking about? The i5-3450 pretty much destroys the FX-4170 and PII 965 in every way, shape, and form. The 7770 is an excellent low cost GPU. The 6870 would be better but the 7770 is no slouch, either. For top-down strategy games it will handle everything you need fine.
 

luciferano

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Destroys, not exactly. The problem is that almost all games aren't so CPU-bottlenecked that a Phenom II x4 can't get at or above 60FPS so long as the graphics can keep up and even for those that are, dropping some CPU-related settings can still get you high frame rates anyway. The i5-3450 is a much faster CPU, but it's faster in a way that is less important than the graphics which are a constant bottle-neck. The 7850 is a far superior card to the 7770 and the 6870 and that shows in any game, but the i5's advantages are far less obvious in most games.
 

diamon423

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Aug 28, 2012
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Ok so Im buying my parts next week and would like to know if my build would be decent if i did pay a little extra on a 7850 with a phenom II x4 965.
And luciferano u say i wont be able to go above 60 fps. thanks for the replies but also keep in mind i need an OS on top of the build i made on top.
 

kleinkinstein

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Aug 16, 2012
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CPU: Intel Core i3-2105, $122
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-Z68AP-D3, $80
RAM1: Samsung 8GB (2x4) 1600, $38
RAM2: G.Skill 4GB (2x2) 1333, $20
GPU: Radeon HD 7750, $90
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB, $70
PSU: CORSAIR CX430 V2 430W, $25
ODD: Samsung 22x DVD Burner Model SH-222, $14
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000, $39

$478 total for 8GB
$388 total for 8GB and iGPU

$460 total for 4GB
$370 total for 4GB and iGPU
 

luciferano

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Sep 24, 2012
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I didn't say that the graphics and CPU can't handle more than 60FPS (they can, depending on the situation). The monitor can't display more FPS than it has Hz, so unless you have a greater than 60Hz display (not likely), 60FPS is what you'd get, best case scenario, even if the hardware is pumping out more than that.

If you need to buy an OS and can't afford doing so without dropping other things, then we can make other, cheaper recommendations such as dropping the graphics down to a Radeon 7770 as needed. Do what you need to do. Also, if you know anyone in college, you could get free or highly discounted Windows copies.
 

diamon423

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Aug 28, 2012
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oh ok i understand what your saying its the monitor.
But at about $750 budget thats why i put in a radeon 6870 in my build because i still needed an OS.
The build i labled i could afford with an added $100 for OS.
But because you say depending on the Hz is my FPS do you think a 7850 is worth it?
Im also gonna use an HDMI to watch movies on my TV (32" if tht matters) maybe game on it too for the bigger screen when i play BF3.
 

luciferano

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The 7850 can play with higher AA (especially important for mainstream to lower resolutions such as 1080p and below), so its performance advantage is still useful whereas the i5's performance advantage, although useful, is not as useful, especially when it means dropping so low in graphics to the 7770 to get an i5.

Hz on a TV is not the same as Hz on a monitor. Any TV pretty much only has 60Hz regardless of what it is marketed as unless it is a plasma display or a CRT TV.

If you can fit a 6870, then you should be able to fit the 7850 that I recommended. It's about the same price. If you can't fit it and can fit the 6870, then a highly factory overclocked 7770 might be the better solution if you care about power consumption where as the 6870 would then be the next best card (the 6870 beats reference 7770s considerably, but some 7770s have a more than 20% performance advantage over a reference 7770 and can give the 6870 some strong competition in performance at about half the power consumption).
 

captainkall

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Aug 10, 2011
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Your best choice is to pay a little bit more for your HD7850 personally I would pay a bit more for the sapphire brand HD7850 as they are super easy to OC and go with your PhII then get a Pildriver CPU later at say then you have spent $250 and you have a awsome 8core rig. That way down the road you have spent alittle more than now and have a rig thats good for 3 years. rather than paying $1000 more in 2 years due the fact you took the HD6870 and it doesnt seem worth saving the 3 to 4 gen old intel CPU.

Remember tho if you have got a monthor two till that $240 for you Piledriver 8 core CPU. Now your would only be spending $5 to $10 more after postage... Hardly seems worth missing out on a better card.



 

diamon423

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Aug 28, 2012
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Alright well first of all im a noob and its my first build and i dont know what AA is and i decided to go with AMD over intel for the budget and you say a OC'D 7770 would be better than a 6870 but what if i OC a 6870 but power consumption doesnt matter to me i dont care about power bill.

But when it comes to performance over power consumption it does not matter id prefer a 6870 over a OC' D 7770.
But i dont plan on OC ing the GPU as long as it works with the TV its great.
 

luciferano

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Some 7770s come highly pre-overclocked. That's what I was referring to. If you did a further overclock, they'd beat the 6870 rather than compete with it because the 6870 doesn't overclock very well and the 7770 can go further than the furthest factory overclock (pre-overclock). These 7770s are also cheaper than the 6870s despite beign better cards in almost every way.
 

jtenorj

Distinguished
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($95.99 @ Computer Valley)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($66.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Hitachi 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ NCIX)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Canada Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($95.99 @ Computer Valley)
Keyboard: Verbatim 96664 Wired Standard Keyboard ($3.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Mouse: Logitech G300 Wired Optical Mouse ($41.99 @ Computer Valley)
Total: $689.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I don't know how much shipping will cost for all this, so I left a pretty healthy margin for it. Lets take a closer look at the parts, shall we?

You should overclock this to 3.7ghz right away. You can do so on the stock cooler, and it will match 980BE. You're less likely to be bottlenecked if you do.

This is an inexpensive but feature rich mobo that will let you push the cpu a little now, and more later(if you add a decent cooler like hyper 212 evo).

Decent latency, low voltage, low profile heatspreaders(so as not to get in the way of a fan on the likes of a hyper 212 evo). Plenty for gaming.

It's a 500GB hdd. Can't say much more about it than that.

Overclock the snot out of this gpu so it'll last you a while. 2GB of vram for future proofing. You can add a cheap geforce like gt610 for physx if you want.

This case has a great feature set for the price. Fits 12.5in graphics cards, cpu cutout for easy install/removal of large cpu coolers with back plates
(like a hyper 212 evo), 9in wide to fit said coolers, built in ssd mounts(should you want to add one later), front usb 3.0 ports, a couple mid size fans
(with room for more), removable/washable dust filters in front and at bottom psu air intake, simple design easily modded, cable management features.

This psu is recommended by jonnyguru and kitguru(who along with hardocp, hardwaresecrets and hardwareheaven know how to properly evaluate a psu).
It has 1 pcie 6pin and 1 8pin/6+2pin with 44A(528w) on the +12v rail(more than enough for an OCed 965BE and OCed 7850). It will let you upgrade to
FX8350 and an hd7970 later if you want. It has been tested to deliver more than its rated wattage at higher than room temps(similar to how the vast
majority of people use a psu... in their case). It has little variance on the load delivered from the different rails and provides clean power with little ripple
(important things for the long life of all your parts). 80+ bronze certified, built by seasonic, ball bearing fan for long life(vs short lived sleeve bearing
fans), 5yr warranty. Antec can have issues, pcp&c and seasonic are overpriced, and this is a far better deal right now than any corsair available in Canada.
Not a modular supply, but that is what cable management is for.

It's a dvd burner. Pretty much commodity items anymore. You need a dvd drive to install windows and games. A few bucks more for burning is nothing.

This is the cheapest keyboard in Canada according to pcpartpicker. It also happens to have media keys(good for the watching of movies and such).

An optical mouse for use in the left or right that has several programmable buttons(like fast dpi switch for FPS games) you can set for various titles.

That's about it. I hope you enjoy this selection of parts as much as I enjoyed bringing them together for you.
 
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