Non-Gamer: Need First-Time Build Advice Based on Usage Habits...

[I like dogs]

Hello all,
This is my first build (and first post here). I'm replacing a dead-stock 2004 Dell SX280, so I'm guessing this will be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Anyway, I need to put together a system that can simultaneously handle my trading software (thinkorswim by TD Ameritrade), and 50+ open Firefox windows (w/ Youtube running hang-lessly) and some occasional movie streaming. I don't think the trading software uses much resources, but then again, I'm not sure how to check on that. I'd like it to be as responsive as possible --- loading my grid of 6 real-time streaming charts with no noticeable lag. I have to click on hundreds of symbols in an hour sometimes, so even a tiny delay is frustrating. That being said, I don't think I'd notice a difference between a 5 millisecond load-time and a 50ms load time.
I don't want to break the bank or have my computer run hotter/louder than it needs to.
So .... what do you recommend? I've looked at the logical increments page, but I have no idea how these systems behave in my non-gaming scenario. Also, I haven't used any other computer in years, so I have no frame of reference to work with. How much RAM, CPU, etc would be appropriate?
Thanks!!!!!
Fred

 

[ssddx]

how many monitors are you using at what resolution?
what would say an estimated max budget would be?


off the top of my head... i'd have to say something like..

amd fx-8350 8core cpu
am3+ 970 chipset motherboard
2x4gb 1600mhz ram
low end graphics card
1tb hdd
450w psu
nondescript good airflow case.

optional:

could go with a ssd instead of a hard drive. its much faster (really noticible) but its more cash for less space.
go with an intel build instead (+$100) intel chips are a bit faster and better performing but also have a higher cost

i looked at the software you use and it does list multi-core and a minimum of 4gb ram for power users.

 

[Oleonius]

It all depends on your budget. But the FX-8350 CPU from AMD would be great for your purpose. Since you use your PC to work, I would recommend getting a case with acoustic foam. It makes the system much quieter during use.

Take a look at these cases:

- Fractal Design Define R4

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352021

- Corsair Carbide 330R

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139023

- Corsair Obsidian 550D

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139012

For storage, I suggest you buy both an HDD and a SSD. You could put your OS, security suite and trading program on your SSD for much faster operations.

If you have questions, feel free to ask them. I can also help you to choose your components.

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks for the replies so far!!
I was hoping to spend around $400-500, but that looks a little unrealistic, I'm guessing.
Currently, I'm happy with a one-monitor setup, but I'd like to have the option to upgrade in the future if it's not too expensive.
I'm not a big data-storing guy, so I was going to try to get away with the Samsung Evo 120gb SSD ... no extra drive ... unless that is ill-advised.
I had actually considered the FX-8350 (it was on top of a performance/price chart) but I thought it was a little overkill. Admittedly, I didn't have a good reason to believe this .
Thanks for the tip on foam-lined cases Oleonius!
ssddx ... why do I need a 450W PSU? Is that just required for the 8-core processor?
I'm definitely not an expert (obviously), so I appreciate the help.
Fred

 

[Oleonius]

Yeah, 500$ is a bit unrealistic. I think that with something between 800-1000$, you would have something good for your purpose.

About the storage, I don't generally recommend getting only an SSD, but if you insist on this, I suggest you pick the 250 GB model instead of the 120 GB model. It haves more storage space and better write/read speeds.

For the PSU, you should get at least a 550W unit. With no graphics card, you might not need that much power but your unit will run cooler and quieter, with some power to spare. And if ever you want to add a GPU, you will have enough power for it.

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks again.
I don't think I'll be able to afford the ideal rig. So, where could I skimp?
I'm sure I'll be fine with one monitor, so I could scrap the two monitor upgrade option for now. Not sure if that changes anything though.
Also, I'm assuming graphics card is not important for my purposes, so do I need to purchase one at all (i.e. does rudimentary graphics come w/ mobo)?

 

[Oleonius]

I just do this build on PartPicker to show you what you could have for 1000$. Maybe wait for big sales or swap the FX-8350 CPU for a FX-8320. It's about 11% slower and this way, you will save about 50$. Buying a 1 TB HDD and a 120 GB SSD instead of a 250 GB SSD may be cheaper too.

It don't includes the monitor because I assume you already have one.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Bn0A

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks. Is basic graphics processing included in the motherboard? Sorry if that's a dumb question .

 

[Oleonius]

Thanks. Is basic graphics processing included in the motherboard? Sorry if that's a dumb question .

No, not the motherboard. But processors do features onboard graphics chips. But it's always a good thing to have a GPU, even the most entry-level one because it will reduce the load of your CPU.

Plus, the GTX 650 Ti is a very good card for the price.

I really insist that you should buy both an HDD and a SSD instead of a single 250 GB SSD. 120 GB would be perfect to store your OS, security suite and the program you use to work. You could just put all the rest on your HDD (videos, photos, other programs, etc.). Even if you don't store a lot of things, we never know when you will need more storage space in the future. Trust me, drives get full really fast these days. If you are worried about the speed for the hard drive, it's not an issue. For certain programs and games, you won't even see a difference (In games, the SSD may improves the loading time).

Do you like this build I made ?

Feel free to ask other questions ! As we say where I come from, there is no dumb questions, only dumb answers

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks Oleonius!!! I can't afford all of that right now, but I might buy it piece by piece and hope it isn't obsolete by the time it's fully assembled .
Thanks for the link as well. That's a good website. I have a lot of new stuff to think about!!
Fred

 

[Oleonius]

No problem. If I was you, I would wait to get all the money you need and then, ask again on the forum for a new build. Because, as you say, hardware change very fast. If you do that, you will be sure to get a PC with the most recent components.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

P.S. Don't forget to choose your best solution on the thread !

 

[ssddx]

@oleonius

remember that this is not a gaming build! i think you are way out of line with the parts you picked. while certainly very nice they are certainly not needed for a the ops needs.

i think its also a bit early to close the thread and pick best answer dont you? dont try to rush the op.

@op

you could keep your multi-monitor setup. the programs you want to use are not graphically demanding so you should be able to get by just fine on a cheaper video card.

its also not required to spend anywhere near $1000 for your needs. perhaps $500 is a bit light but not by a whole lot. let me have a look and see about putting you together something that will be more budget friendly yet still support your needs... a few minutes please so i can make a listing.

i would also suggest NOT buying things individually over time. if you get a DOA part you are totally screwed since you can only RMA parts to newegg/other e-tailers within 30-60 days. after that and you need to send it back to the manufacturer as a warranty fix. you want to buy everything at once. if you need to get a system which is cheaper in price to do this then so be it.

dont let oleo rush you. there are MANY options you can explore and many are lower cost than what he showed you. look at your options and weight cost vs what you think you need. if you dont know what you need just ask for opinions on a given scenario.

 

[ssddx]

@op

i will give you a few different options and list pro/cons for them

-------------

option#1

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Btz2) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Btz2/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Btz2/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox) | $149.99 @ TigerDirect
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1) | $26.83 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a97ler20) | $75.98 @ SuperBiiz
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a1600c9a) | $76.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-drive-st1000dm003) | $59.98 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-112011720g) | $94.98 @ SuperBiiz
**Case** | [Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cougar-case-solution) | $39.99 @ Mwave
**Power Supply** | [Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx430m) | $34.99 @ Microcenter
**Optical Drive** | [LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsb0) | $15.99 @ Microcenter
**Other**| Windows 7 64 @ Ebay (all proceeds help a charity! and free shipping)| $79.00
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $654.72
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 22:25 EST-0500 |

so whats good about it?
8350 is a strong cpu, supports multi monitor.

so whats bad about it?
970 chipset mobo may requrie a bios flashing for the FX chips. normal speed hard drive.

misc notes:
for muti-monitor for windows or simple things like the trading software you dont need a super duty video card. a 650ti as oleonius listed is a gaming level card which is far overkill for what you need. while you could definitely take a step up from what i have here, there isnt need to go to a gaming card.

------------------

option #2

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.83 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($107.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($94.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Microcenter)
Other: Windows 7 64 @ Ebay (all proceeds help a charity! and free shipping) ($79.00)
Total: $796.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 22:29 EST-0500)

so whats good about it?
added a 990x motherboard so zero flashing required. added a ssd drive for insanely quick startup and operation.

so whats bad about it?
8320 chipset is slower than the 8350 but you could always overclock it to be equal if you cared. its still more than sufficient. if you did want to overclock it i would bump up to a cx500m power supply though. if not, dont worry about it.

misc notes:
same as above.

-------------------

option #3

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BtRi) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BtRi/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BtRi/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox) | $149.99 @ TigerDirect
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1) | $26.83 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a99xevor20) | $107.99 @ NCIX US
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a1600c9a) | $76.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $59.98 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx650tioc2gd5) | $134.99 @ Microcenter
**Case** | [Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cougar-case-solution) | $39.99 @ Mwave
**Power Supply** | [Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx500m) | $49.99 @ Microcenter
**Optical Drive** | [LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsb0) | $15.99 @ Microcenter
**Other**| Windows 7 64 @ Ebay (all proceeds help a charity! and free shipping)| $79.00
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $741.74
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 22:35 EST-0500 |

so whats good about it?
better graphics card. you could stream video, have trading software up, have multiple browsers open certainly very fine. you could likely stream two shows at once. however this complete overkill for your needs. i also bumped up the power supply to go along with the better card. this one still has the 990x mobo so no flashing required for the cpu

so whats bad about it?
normal hard drive speed, 8320 instead of 8350 (but its not a big deal at all for your uses)

misc notes:
if you wanted an uprade to the graphics department this is it. not really required but your choice.

-----------------------

so what would my recommendations be?

honestly for your uses i'd just use a 8320 cpu. no need for more. you could overclock it a bit if you wanted to but i dont think its required at all.

i'd go with the 990x board. since you may not be used to doing things like a bios flash going with a 990x means you wont have to. its also better reliability/performance but thats not going to affect your needs a whole lot.

the ram i picked is good and perfectly fine for your needs. its decently fast too.

the video card (7770ghz) is perfectly fine for 3 monitors. however one thing to note is that for 3 monitors you might need to use an active adapter if using a displayport port. another option would be using two cheaper graphics cards such as two nvidia 630's for 3 monitors. if you only want two monitors or just one then the above doesnt matter. i dont think its worth upgrading from a 7770ghz unless you do gaming. you might want to use a 2gb card instead of a 1gb though however for your use i dont think its a big issue.

having a 250gb ssd for $160 is a great upgrade and will speed your system up. another option is a $60 normal hard drive and a $100 120gb ssd. that would give you high speed plus space to store files. i didnt show this option because it costs the same as the large ssd drive. basically i'd just use the hard drive i listed plus a 120gb version of the ssd i listed. you would be perfectly fine with a normal hard drive only however a ssd adds a noticible increase in responsiveness. if you hate to wait for anything its my suggestion to go for it.

the case is rather nondescript. pretty cheap, has usb3. i just built with a cougar case a few days ago and while cheap in price they are pretty sturdy.

the psu is a budget brand however the modular version is a bit better than the non modular. its also tier 3 which is within spec. i personally like using seasonic or xfx or otherwise tier 2 or above however there is nothing wrong with using the one i picked. anything better will cost more.

so you want me to put my recommendations all into one easy list you say?

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BuqI) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BuqI/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BuqI/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox) | $149.99 @ TigerDirect
**CPU Cooler** | [Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1) | $26.83 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a99xevor20) | $107.99 @ NCIX US
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a1600c9a) | $76.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te120bw) | $90.99 @ Amazon
**Storage** | [Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex) | $59.98 @ OutletPC
**Video Card** | [Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-video-card-112011720g) | $94.98 @ SuperBiiz
**Case** | [Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cougar-case-solution) | $39.99 @ Mwave
**Power Supply** | [Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx500m) | $49.99 @ Microcenter
**Optical Drive** | [LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/lg-optical-drive-gh24nsb0) | $15.99 @ Microcenter
**Other**| Windows 7 64 @ Ebay (all proceeds help a charity! and free shipping)| $79.00
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available. | $792.72
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 22:53 EST-0500 |

its more than your hopeful budget of 500 (but its not 1000 either) but has a motherboard not requiring a bios flash and has a ssd for speed which is a $100 option.

------------------------------------

let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions.

oh and if you think these builds are a bit too expensive...if you plan on using only one monitor the video card can be dropped lower (or perhaps integrated video could be used) which saves cash, you could flash a 970 chipset for use with the fx chip (or could use different motherboard if going integrated), could not use a ssd and stick with a normal hard drive...

there are ways to lower the price.

for instance the system i just built for some relatives was $413 including windows and ssd (though i admit i just had that ssd laying around the house so thats not included in the budget

amd a-10 5800k
socket fm2 motherboard
2x4gb 1866 ram
80gb ssd (not included in budget... you could get a 120 for $90 though)
430w modular psu
cougar spike matx size case
windows 7 64bit home

its fast... really fast. it would probably even work for your needs if you wanted something very budget oriented and felt our builds were just too much money.

since you want so many windows up at once though i'd still suggest a fx8320 and graphics card instead but just letting you know you could go a cheaper route if you wanted to.

anyways... that was the last thing i needed to say... give us your thoughts.

 

[I like dogs]

Well... I'm back. My computer had a little meltdown, probably because it knows it's being replaced.
Anyway, I got an SSD, and now I'd like to complete the project for around $500-550 additional dollars if possible.
I think I'm okay with flashing, although I've never tried it. What would I need to flash the M5A97 board to accept the FX 8320 chip?
Also, I'm not too clear on "integrated video". If I was to use a one-monitor setup (which is fine), would I be able to get up and running without a graphics card at all?

 

[Oleonius]

Well... I'm back. My computer had a little meltdown, probably because it knows it's being replaced.
Anyway, I got an SSD, and now I'd like to complete the project for around $500-550 additional dollars if possible.
I think I'm okay with flashing, although I've never tried it. What would I need to flash the M5A97 board to accept the FX 8320 chip?
Also, I'm not too clear on "integrated video". If I was to use a one-monitor setup (which is fine), would I be able to get up and running without a graphics card at all?

If you only do web browsing and run simple programs like the Office suite for example, you won't need a GPU. Otherwise, it would be a good thing to have one for more intensive tasks (other than gaming). The GTX 650 Ti from NVIDIA would be great for that purpose.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121686&clickid=QzuUMRxH0xRNQGb2HExz3Rj4UkT3gf2D0XWW0o0&iradid=97618&ircid=2106&irpid=79301&nm_mc=AFC-IR&cm_mmc=AFC-IR-_-na-_-na-_-na

 

[ssddx]

@op

honestly unless the motherboard has been sitting on the shelf for awhile you might not need to bios flash. however, its always a possibility so i listed it. on the asus board all you should really need is a usb stick and the file. i believe the manual give you instructions.

while definitely a good card the 650ti would put you far out of budget i believe.

by integrated he means that the certain cpus are capable of providing graphics processing instead of needing to buy a seperate cpu and gpu. the tradeoff is basically a weaker cpu and less cores. the amd a10-6800k is only 4 core while the fx-8320 is 8 core. whether that makes a difference would depend if all of your programs can take advantage of the additional cores or not. if it can then the fx would be superior. if not then it doesnt much matter.

the a10 would need a different motherboard since its a different socket (socket fm2). apus also need fast memory. i would get at least 1866mhz if not 2133mhz. basically it boosts the graphics performance since it doesnt have enough onboard cache (memory) to process like graphics cards do (they have memory chips on them) so it uses your system memory and the faster the mhz the faster the rate it can be accessed hence the better graphics performance.

i actually recently built a a10 system (with the 5800k i picked up for $95) and when paired with a ssd and fast ram its pretty snappy. sorry i didnt really do any load testing like having many browser windows up or running some demanding applications but it was for a general use pc for a relative and i didnt need to stress test it.

if you needed better graphics performance you could always crossfire a card in later.

the downside is that you plan to do quite a bit of multitasking including streaming/youtube + 50firefox tabs + your stock software + anything else you want to run. i really dont see it as a big issue on only a 4 core since you only plan to use one monitor and have plenty of ram but if i was making the system for myself i would probably opt for a seperate cpu+gpu.

entirely your choice though.

TLDR:
yes, integrated video (an amd apu like the a10-6800k paired with a fm2 motherboard and fast ram) should work though i'm not really sure if it will hang a bit or not given all the multi-tasking you want.

going with the 8320 however gives you a stronger cpu with more cores for multi-tasking but due to costs the gpu might be either even or slightly less. in any case since your gpu needs arent bad its fine.

sorry if that is confusing. post if you have questions

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks again.
I have a Windows XP disc. Am I correct in assuming that I can't use Windows XP and take advantage of more than 4GB RAM?
Also, I may want to add some better-quality audio connectors in the future, so I was wondering if the Asus mobos would be capable of this. (I'm assuming an audio card or something would suffice).
Oh... and will I get all the internal connecting cables I need with the case and motherboard? Will I need to add any additional cooling fans if I get the FX 8320 and the Asus m5a97 board with the cougar case? I plan on overclocking the 8320 at some point.
Dumb question ... can I use my very old HP case circa 2000?

 

[ssddx]

xp and ram: 32bit windows xp is limited to 4gb yes. 64gb windows however is not and can use up to 128gb. the main trouble is that support for xp is over and getting drivers which work on xp might be more difficult. i'd upgrade to 7.

audio: any motherboard with a pci slot supports getting a soundcard. even if it did not you can always buy external soundcards.

cables: typically you do get enough cables. sometimes i run short on screws but honestly you should have enough to put the system together and if you need anything just order it afterwards. dont worry about it until assembly.

fans: the cougar case comes with one fan i believe (double check me here) so i would buy at least one fan if not two. fans are cheap and any of the $5-6 fans would work fine as long as you dont overclock. if you want to do some overclocking i would have at least 3 decent fans in there.

not sure what your hp case looks like but most oem cases from dell, hp, etcetera are hotboxes without much airflow and not many fans (normally its just one fan). even if your hardware fit it wouldnt be adviseable. oh and it wouldnt have usb 3.

the 970 chipset does support some overclocking. not as much as the 990 but it should be sufficient.

oh and also... keep in mind that parts lists can change daily. once you have a good idea about what you want to order... and are a day away... repost here and have us check it out. perhaps there is a deal going on that isnt on anymore in your current build.

 

[I like dogs]

I think I might go with the M5a99x board --- for an extra $20 I can overclock more and not have to worry about flashing.
But I did notice that the corsair memory is not in stock. According to Corsair's website "Corsair Vengeance Pro Series memory modules are designed for overclocking on the latest 3rd and 4th generation Intel® Core™ platforms, with eight-layer PCBs and ICs specially selected for performance potential."
So perhaps these are not perfect for me, since I'm going with the AMD FX 8320? What might be a suitable replacement? Logical increments recommends Hyper X Blue --- 1 8gb stick. Is this okay? Any reason to go with 2 x 4gb over 1 x 8gb?
I'm probably going to buy tonight, since the mobo is on sale at newegg only til the end of tonight!! (that's how they getcha!!)

 

[I like dogs]

OP here ... just bought this memory (new in sealed box) on ebay for $71 incl. shipping :
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmy8gx3m2a1866c9b
I hope it is compatible and as good (or better) than the recommended memory above (I believe it is, but just looking for confirmation)
Fred

 

[ssddx]

2x4gb is superior since you can use them in dual channel mode (since it is two sticks). 1x8 could only be used in single channel mode(since it is one stick). in fact the biggest jump is from single to dual.
take a peek at the graphs here http://www.legitreviews.com/ddr3-memory-performance-analysis-on-intel-x79_1779/3

thats a good buy on ram. i just bought some gskill ripjaws the other wek for $68 with the same specifications as that so you didnt do bad at all. you should be able to use that fine with the system. its very rare that ram wouldnt work. keep in mine that now you purchased the ram you need to really hop on buying the rest of the components.

the m5a99x board is the one i would have suggested for an FX chip given o/c or no bios updates. it was on sale for like $105 or something if i remember. it looked to be pretty solid to me at least.

i think that case is on sale for $30 and if you check "dealigg newegg" on google (just search for it and its the first link) there was a coupon code on newegg for the fx-8320. if you are getting windows 7 64 ebay is the best place and for exactly $79 you can buy it and it benefits a charity. its where i just bought one the other day for another system. worked perfectly and fast shipping. its also $7 cheaper then ncix/ whoever shows cheapest on pcpartspicker.

 

[I like dogs]

Thanks!!
Is dual channel mode the default, or do I have to change some settings to get dual-channel?
Also, can I get away with the CX500, instead of the CX500M? The non-"M" version is $20 cheaper, and I can't really tell the difference.

 

[ssddx]

if you have two sticks it will default to dual channel for you. nothing you need to worry about there.

the cx500m is the modular version. the cx500 is not. modular means you can only plug in the cables you need which means you will not end up with a rats nest inside your pc. those power supplies go on sale all the time so it will be back on sale again for $30-35 soon enough if you wait a few days to a week most likely. also i've heard the modular ones from the cx lineup are a bit higher quality than the non modulars. sometimes the cx600m goes on sale for the same price as the cx500m .... if both are the same price just grab the 600.

 

[I like dogs]

I got everything but the cooling fan today. I noticed the motherboard doesn't have any obvious monitor hookups. Do I need to buy a video card to hook up a monitor? I was planning on using my old CRT monitor for the next few weeks with a DVI connector on it. Then I was planning on buying a "modern" monitor.

 

[ssddx]

well if you are buying parts like you listed above...

yes you need a video card.

the FX cpu does not have onboard video and neither do most motherboards anymore.

it requires a video card to render graphics. were you not planning on getting a 7770ghz edition? (going by your first post) ?

only apus (a10, a8, etc) or the intel chips have onboard graphics. on intel chips its pretty pathetic though and even on the apus its not superb.