Seeking for expert reviews on this low-budget gaming build.

[Termen]

I'd be glad if u could google any product you are not aware of, and give me a more complete piece of advice as to whether this build is good or not, thanks in advance.
So, there goes the build :

CPU: AMD PHENOM II x4 965 Black Edition
GPU: ASUS Radeon HD6670 1GB GDDR5
PSU: XGX ProSeries 450W Core Edition Full-Wired
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4GB (2x2) 1600 Mhz
Storage: SEAGATE BARRACUDA ST500DM002
MOBO: ASUS M5A78L-M LE
CASE: ASUS TA-86
DVD-ROM: LiteOn iHAS 124

 

[Outlander_04]

If you can possibly fit it in your budget then get a mb with a 970 series chipset

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 , or LE
This will give you the best chance of upgrades in the future

I did google your case because I have never heard of it ..

A CM 430 , or 431 would be better alternatives

 

[Termen]

If you can possibly fit it in your budget then get a mb with a 970 series chipset

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 , or LE
This will give you the best chance of upgrades in the future

I did google your case because I have never heard of it ..

A CM 430 , or 431 would be better alternatives

Thanks for your quick reply and the info provided in it.
2 points to be considered.
1) I dont want to exceed the 450$
2)Prices in my country(greece) are a bit steep.

So my question, will this motherboard and PSU do for the rest build?
And second one, how about CoolerMaster Elite Knight 350, that comes in a cheaper range than the one you suggested.
Thanks in advance

 

[Outlander_04]

Your build will work .
It will only give you basic gaming though because the graphics card is fairly basic .

Without knowing your local prices its hard to know if its optimal for that price .

How much does an AMD A10-5800K + an FM2 motherboard cost?
That would probably game better without a graphics card than the phenom would when you use the 6670

 

[Termen]

Your build will work .
It will only give you basic gaming though because the graphics card is fairly basic .

Without knowing your local prices its hard to know if its optimal for that price .

How much does an AMD A10-5800K + an FM2 motherboard cost?
That would probably game better without a graphics card than the phenom would when you use the 6670

Prepare for a round of laughter
AMD A10-5800K Box : 116.15 € which is translated to 150.811$
and MSI FM2-A75MA-P33 MOBO which starts at about 53.20€ which means 69.0743$
I think such components would cost me half the money provided that i could buy from newegg or any other US sites.
I used XE.com for the conversion.

 

[marshallbradley]

How much is the ASUS M5A78L-M LE + HD 6670 + Phenom II x4 965 then, because if it's more than like €170, you're better off with the APU.

M

 

[Termen]

How much is the ASUS M5A78L-M LE + HD 6670 + Phenom II x4 965 then, because if it's more than like €170, you're better off with the APU.

M

AMD PHENOM II x4 965 BE + ASUS RADEON 6670 1GB + ASUS M5A78L-M LE = 84+79+55 = 218€ OR 282.2$

What would u suggest?

 

[marshallbradley]

Definately the A10-5800K + MSI FM2 then!

The A10 has a HD 7660D GPU (which is almost exactly the same as the HD 6670, if not better) with an FX 4300 equivalent as the CPU (slightly better the the Phenom 965). So not only do you get the same, if not slightly better gaming performance, but you save €50 or so!

Make sure you get faster RAM if possible though. 2x4gb sticks of 1866+ Mhz RAM will really help the gaming performance (but since you are spending €50 less anyway, this shouldn't be a problem).

M

 

[Termen]

Definately the A10-5800K + MSI FM2 then!

The A10 has a HD 7660D GPU (which is almost exactly the same as the HD 6670, if not better) with an FX 4300 equivalent as the CPU (slightly better the the Phenom 965). So not only do you get the same, if not slightly better gaming performance, but you save €50 or so!

Make sure you get faster RAM if possible though. 2x4gb sticks of 1866+ Mhz RAM will really help the gaming performance (but since you are spending €50 less anyway, this shouldn't be a problem).

M

So you suggest me go with the AMD A10-5800K and MSI FM2-A75MA-P33 MOBO, or a different MOBO?
Could u check it and inform me?
Btw, i've got 1 more question, i recently(7 months ago) bought an MSI R6450 1GB for my current old-build but i know it's not that strong for gaming, is it possible in anyway to be used in my new build and actually boost any gaming experience or not?

 

[marshallbradley]

If that's the best priced FM2 motherboard you can find, then I'm sure it will be fine for your uses. It's a pretty standard FM2 motherboard, nothing flashy, but I don't think you'll be wanting any super expensive features on your budget anyway .

No I don't think that will be of much use to you at all, the gaming performance is absolutely abysmal, compared with the APU/HD 6670.

M

 

[Termen]

If that's the best priced FM2 motherboard you can find, then I'm sure it will be fine for your uses. It's a pretty standard FM2 motherboard, nothing flashy, but I don't think you'll be wanting any super expensive features on your budget anyway .

No I don't think that will be of much use to you at all, the gaming performance is absolutely abysmal, compared with the APU/HD 6670.

M

Well, thanks for your help so far..
Something that really concerns me is the use of a built-in GPU, shall i trust this HD 7660D GPU that comes with the CPU?
I don't mind playing games at medium/low graphics, as long as i am able to play them in some way..
So, my last question is whether i'll be able to go with it for a while on a normal FPS before i make some cash and buy an individual GPU.
Thanks in advance.

 

[marshallbradley]

If the HD 6670 is good enough for you, so is the 7660D. They are almost exactly the same.

If it helps to comfort you, why not just check out some game-play videos on YouTube? They'll give you a good idea of what it is capable of. Just search for A10-5800K game-play. Here's Far Cry 3 for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7fQH3gvu8g

Like you said, you can always add on a GPU at a later date when you save up enough. As long as you don't need to run everything at 1080p on highest settings though, I'm sure the APU will be more than enough to last you.

Just to reiterate MAKE SURE YOU GET FAST RAM THOUGH. So many people get slow RAM or only 1 stick of RAM and then complain when their APU performance is bad. It's very important to have good quality RAM since it acts as the graphics memory as well as the RAM. If you link me the site you are buying from, I'm sure I can find some good stuff.

EDIT: You might also want to wait a bit, since the A10-6800K is due to be released quite soon (4th June), which features the 8670D as it's GPU.

M

 

[Termen]

Alrighty, the site im browsing from is this one , it is basically alike to pcpartpicker, but the prices are in euro, if u could make a draft with a final build-components selection i would much appreciate it..
Remember, dont go above 350-370€..
Thanks in advance.

 

[Outlander_04]

Looks like the APU saves you money and gives you the same performance

It will also let you add a graphics card later too . Some lower end cards can crossfire with the APU ,or if you want you can add a much more powerful card when you have the money

 

[Termen]

EDIT: You might also want to wait a bit, since the A10-6800K is due to be released quite soon (4th June), which features the 8670D as it's GPU.

Will it be available worldwide by 4-5 of June? or just US?
P.S:The game i mostly like playing is Lineage2 and Call of Duty/Battlefield series..

 

[marshallbradley]

That remains to be seen I guess. It's up to you if you want to wait. A week is not such a long time though .

M

 

[Termen]

Looks like the APU saves you money and gives you the same performance

It will also let you add a graphics card later too . Some lower end cards can crossfire with the APU ,or if you want you can add a much more powerful card when you have the money

Yeah, im more into this, if you have some spare time, check www.skroutz.gr and suggest me a good RAM for it as well as a good MOBO..(my build cant exceed the 360€)
Thanks in advance.

 

[Termen]

That remains to be seen I guess. It's up to you if you want to wait. A week is not such a long time though .

M

Heh, yeah i guess so

Did u check the site i provided you?

 

[marshallbradley]

Here's a good set of memory: http://www.skroutz.gr/s/2534208/Crucial-Intel-Extreme-Masters-Memory-Limited-Edition-1866MHz-8GB-2x4096.html If you want to go for 4GB instead, this kit isn't bad: http://www.skroutz.gr/s/385858/Kingston-KHX1866C9D3K2-4GX-4GB-1866MHz-DDR3-Non-ECC-CL9-DIMM-Kit-of-2-XMP.html

The motherboard you've already chosen is also the best option (the only reasonably priced A75 one).

M

 

[Outlander_04]

I did look but navigating was a problem ..... LOL

APU's need the fastest RAM for best graphics performance . The RAM also needs to be less than 1.5 volts

Sometimes you see 1.25 , or 1.35 volt 1600 Mhz RAM . This would be my choice since you it will almost always run at 1866 MHz when you up the voltage to 1.5
http://www.skroutz.gr/s/296692/Kingston-HyperX-LoVo-4GB-DDR3-1600MHz-KHX1600C9D3LK2-4GX.html
would be my choice if its in the budget
Set to 1.5 volts this should always run at 1866 Mhz ,no problem

 

[Termen]

Here's a good set of memory: http://www.skroutz.gr/s/2534208/Crucial-Intel-Extreme-Masters-Memory-Limited-Edition-1866MHz-8GB-2x4096.html If you want to go for 4GB instead, this kit isn't bad: http://www.skroutz.gr/s/385858/Kingston-KHX1866C9D3K2-4GX-4GB-1866MHz-DDR3-Non-ECC-CL9-DIMM-Kit-of-2-XMP.html

The motherboard you've already chosen is also the best option (the only reasonably priced A75 one).

M

Hmm, i checked 'em, im more about the 4GB of ram u suggested, okay, i dont want to bother anymore,
but will this PSU do the job, and also am i going to be in the need of an aftermarket FAN cause i heard AMD heats fast
I swear, it's the last thing im asking

 

[Outlander_04]

You can run the APU at stock speeds and even a little bit of an overclokc with the stock fan . I'd use that for now .
If it frees money for a 2 x4 gig kit of RAM then get 8 gig

The XFX power supply in your list should easily run this computer . Its a decent quality 80+ unit .

 

[marshallbradley]

@Outlander_04 1.65V is fine for AMD, it's only the newest Intel platform that doesn't support above 1.5v for memory voltages.

I'd go with the 4GB 1866 Mhz Kingston Hyper-X Genesis since it's only 70 cents more than Outlander's link, and it is guaranteed to run at 1866 Mhz, whereas the kit Outlander_04 may or may not. It's only rated for 1600 Mhz, so if it doesn't run at the higher speed, you can't return it or anything, since it's still functioning within specification. It is quite likely that it would run at 1866 Mhz, but I prefer stuff to be guaranteed rather than quite likely, esp. when it's only 70 cents difference lol.

And yes, you have plenty of power as Outlander_04 says. APUs are extremely power efficient. The stock fan will also be fine.

M

 

[Termen]

Alright pals, thanks for all this useful insight
So, will it blend?

My final choice is :

CPU: AMD A10-5800K
PSU: XFX PROSeries 450W Core Edition Full-Wired
RAM: Kingston KHX1866C9D3K2/4GX 4GB 1866MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (Kit of 2) XMP
CASE: COOLERMASTER ELITEKNIGHT 350
STORAGE: ST500DM002 (SEAGATE BARRACUDA)
MOBO: ASUS M5A78L-M LE

Actually the MOBO is AM3+ and the card FM2, i think i got to change the MOBO, right? How about this one

GPU will be added in the future, or even not; provided that the built-in does the job.
That accounts for about 360-365 and im very pleased about it, so could re-check and tell me if it's going to work in the end?
Thanks in advance buds

 

[marshallbradley]

Yes, it has to be FM2, otherwise it won't work at all! This motherboard is slightly better and cheaper (it has a better chipset): http://www.skroutz.gr/s/2843881/MSI-FM2-A75MA-P33.html

Otherwise great build!

All the best,

M