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Building New PC

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Madengineer

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Ok,
I'm looking to build a new pc from the ground up...I've selected the Parts that i want to use and as far as i can tell there compatible. But i've never done this before so i'm looking for input and suggestions on what to improve.

It will be used as a Media PC, Downloading/Watching also playing games, Starcraft 2 and a few others.


Case Gigabyte GZ-X3 $ 69.10

PSU Corsair VX550W

CPU AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX $155
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808



Motherboard MSI 785GM-P45 $99
http://www.pcmarket.com.au/20790_MSI-785GM-P45-AMD-785G-Socket-AM3-DDR3-Motherboard-.php

500GB WD Primary Drive Sata II $75
2TB WD Secondary Drive Sata II $140

ATI Radeon 5450 1GB DDR3

Ram Corsair DDR3 4gb 1333 (not sure on exact type) need help



Possible Upgrade Corsair TX750 V2 Enthusiast Series 750W ATX Power Supply $180
http://www.pcmarket.com.au/11193_Corsair-TX750-V2-Enthusiast-Series-750W-ATX-Power-S.php

Possible Upgrade MSI N520GT-MD1GD3/LP nVidia GeForce GT 520 1GB PCI-Express Video Card with DVI & HDMI $98

Possible Ram Type http://www.pcmarket.com.au/24351_Corsair-Vengeance-CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9B-4GB-PC3-12800-1.php $140 (need suggestions on this)

Win 7 home premium 64bit



I know the Graphics card blows, but its what i already have, so i'll try and stick with it. But will probably have to be uploaded.

From the research in costs, i can build it for about $600


Thanks for any suggestions and help
 
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Due to Budget Constraints, i cant pay anymore then 700, but i will upgrade over time, so graphics card and Secondary drive will probably come later...While i collect more funds to make it final.
 
Black Mid Tower Case, 11x Drive Bays, 2x 120mm Fans, USB 2.0, Audio without Powersupply Gigabyte GZ-X3B-NP ( No Power ) Black Mid Tower Case, 11x Drive Bays, 2x 120mm Fans, USB 2.0, Audio without Powersupply
$48.00


750W ATX Power Supply, 140mm fan, Flat Modular Cables, Universal AC input 90~264V Corsair CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX Power Supply, 140mm fan, Flat Modular Cables, Universal AC input 90~264V
$197.00


<U><B>955</B></U> Black Phenom II X4 Quad Core Edition CPU, 3.2GHz (125W), 8MB Cache, Sockets AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD HDZ955FBGMBOX 955 Black Phenom II X4 Quad Core Edition CPU, 3.2GHz (125W), 8MB Cache, Sockets AM3/AM2+/AM2
$135.00


AM3, 785G, SB710, HT 5200, 4xDDR3-1600, 1xPCI-Ex16 v2.0, 6xSATA-II, 1xATA-133, RAID, 1xGigLAN, 8Chl-HD, VGA, HDMI, mATX MSI 785GM-P45 AM3, 785G, SB710, HT 5200, 4xDDR3-1600, 1xPCI-Ex16 v2.0, 6xSATA-II, 1xATA-133, RAID, 1xGigLAN, 8Chl-HD, VGA, HDMI, mATX
$76.00


CAVIAR BLUE, 500GB, 7200RPM, SATA3, 16MB CACHE, 3.5" Western Digital WD5000AAKX CAVIAR BLUE, 500GB, 7200RPM, SATA3, 16MB CACHE, 3.5"
$50.00


4GB kit (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz Unbuffered CL 8 DIMM Memory for AMD Phenom II DDR3 platforms Corsair CMP4GX3M2B1600C8 4GB kit (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz Unbuffered CL 8 DIMM Memory for AMD Phenom II DDR3 platforms
$93.00

TBH i'm just shootin in the dark.lol
 
Cooler Master HAF 912: 59.99 -10.00 MIR = 49.99
Intel i5 2500k: 224.99
AS Rock P67 Extreme 4(B3): 159.99
G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB 1600: 49.99
Corsair CX430W: 44.99 - 20.00 MIR = 24.99
Samsung Spintpoint F3 1TB: 64.99

Total: 604.94 - 30.00 (MIR) = 574.99

This would be a much faster build and allow for better upgrading later on, especially if you decide to OC. If you do decide to go the AMD route, make sure you get an AM3+ board to allow for upgrading to Bull Dozer later on. Also, if you wanted to go up later on to something like a 5770 that PS is more than enough. All prices came from newegg this morning (8am EST). You can also always look for a shell shocker or item in their daily deals section and save a little more.

If you find you need more storage later on you can always get an extra HDD. I would suggest saving a little money up front on storage to allow for a little bit better CPU/Mobo/RAM combination. In the long run it will last you longer that way.
 
Cooler Master HAF 912: 59.99 -10.00 MIR = 49.99
Intel i5 2500k: 224.99
AS Rock P67 Extreme 4(B3): 159.99
G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB 1600: 49.99
Corsair CX430W: 44.99 - 20.00 MIR = 24.99
Samsung Spintpoint F3 1TB: 64.99

Total: 604.94 - 30.00 (MIR) = 574.99

This would be a much faster build and allow for better upgrading later on, especially if you decide to OC. If you do decide to go the AMD route, make sure you get an AM3+ board to allow for upgrading to Bull Dozer later on. Also, if you wanted to go up later on to something like a 5770 that PS is more than enough. All prices came from newegg this morning (8am EST). You can also always look for a shell shocker or item in their daily deals section and save a little more.

If you find you need more storage later on you can always get an extra HDD. I would suggest saving a little money up front on storage to allow for a little bit better CPU/Mobo/RAM combination. In the long run it will last you longer that way.



Thanks for the help! i'm going to look into this build now. Hopefully i can get the parts cheap enough in aus.

After looking at the website i plan to buy everything from....Just with the case and PCU....Its already 370$ They didnt have the Extreme4 mobo, but they had the extreme6 for 230...Couldnt find the hdd.

Would have been a great build, but i dont think my budget can take it :(
 
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Sorry you updated as I posted. Modular is a nice perk, but unneccesary. And 750W is WAY overkill. You're build is looking at pulling maybe 350W.

Cases are largely personal. As long as there is good airflow and has the features you're looking for you're fine. The CoolerMaster I recommended has good airflow, as well as some nice features to include better cable management than alot of mid tower cases around the same price.

If you do decide to go AMD, then make sure you get the AM3+ socket to allow for upgrading to a Bull Dozer chip in the future. However, right now the best way to go is Intel SB chips. Bull Dozer is only rumors performance wise still, and even through the best rumor I haven't heard anything saying it is better than SB. An i5 2500k will last you a long time. And if you ever decide to OC it will be a beast!

The samsung drive I put up is just as reliable as the WD drives and its also faster. I highly recommend them. I have 2 WD Caviar Blacks and love them. But I've used the samsungs in several builds for other people, and wish I had have known about them prior to my builds.

As for heat sink, whether you go with the Intel build or the AMD build, you won't need one unless you're OCing. If you are, and aren't looking to get every last ounce of power out of your CPU, then I would recommend at Cooler Master Hyper 212+. However, if you're running stock, I don't recommend wasting the extra $30.
 
Sorry you updated as I posted. Modular is a nice perk, but unneccesary. And 750W is WAY overkill. You're build is looking at pulling maybe 350W.

Cases are largely personal. As long as there is good airflow and has the features you're looking for you're fine. The CoolerMaster I recommended has good airflow, as well as some nice features to include better cable management than alot of mid tower cases around the same price.

If you do decide to go AMD, then make sure you get the AM3+ socket to allow for upgrading to a Bull Dozer chip in the future. However, right now the best way to go is Intel SB chips. Bull Dozer is only rumors performance wise still, and even through the best rumor I haven't heard anything saying it is better than SB. An i5 2500k will last you a long time. And if you ever decide to OC it will be a beast!

The samsung drive I put up is just as reliable as the WD drives and its also faster. I highly recommend them. I have 2 WD Caviar Blacks and love them. But I've used the samsungs in several builds for other people, and wish I had have known about them prior to my builds.

As for heat sink, whether you go with the Intel build or the AMD build, you won't need one unless you're OCing. If you are, and aren't looking to get every last ounce of power out of your CPU, then I would recommend at Cooler Master Hyper 212+. However, if you're running stock, I don't recommend wasting the extra $30.


KK right now i'm looking at the AMD build due to it being cheaper, and a load better then my current Intel build.lol and i thought the PCU i selected was AMD3 :S

I dont plan on overclocking. but i do plan on adding extra HDD's in the future along with a decent GPU, so will a 350wat psu be enough still?
 
The 955 is an AM3 socket. Bull Dozer,when it comes out, will be an AM3+ socket. The current AM3+ boards are backwards compatible, but will allow you to throw a BD chip in when you're ready to upgrade.

The intel build can be a bit cheaper. You can get a feature full board for cheaper than the one I posted. I was just going off the $600 mark you had put up. But then again was basing it off USD. Where are u ordering from?
 
The 955 is an AM3 socket. Bull Dozer,when it comes out, will be an AM3+ socket. The current AM3+ boards are backwards compatible, but will allow you to throw a BD chip in when you're ready to upgrade.

The intel build can be a bit cheaper. You can get a feature full board for cheaper than the one I posted. I was just going off the $600 mark you had put up. But then again was basing it off USD. Where are u ordering from?

Australia.lol
Around here. We have some of the most expencive systems.lol

And dont know where i'm going to buy from just yet.
 
Reasonable?



<U><B>3.20</B></U> GHz, PHENOM II X4 Quad Core 840, 2MB L2 Cache, , Sockets AM3/AM2+/AM2*, 95W AMD HDX840WFGMBOX 3.20 GHz, PHENOM II X4 Quad Core 840, 2MB L2 Cache, , Sockets AM3/AM2+/AM2*, 95W
$129.00

AMD 880G + AMD SB850, 4xDDR3, Integrated VGA, Hybrid Crossfire, 8 CH Audio, GbLAN, 5x SATA3, RAID, USB3,0, Micro ATX Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H AMD 880G + AMD SB850, 4xDDR3, Integrated VGA, Hybrid Crossfire, 8 CH Audio, GbLAN, 5x SATA3, RAID, USB3,0, Micro ATX
$142.00

4GB ( 2 X 2GB ) 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 Kingston KVR1333D3N9K2/4G 4GB ( 2 X 2GB ) 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9
$52.00

3.5" 1TB BARRACUDA, 7200RPM, 32M SATA III 6GB/S Seagate ST31000524AS 3.5" 1TB BARRACUDA, 7200RPM, 32M SATA III 6GB/S
$67.00

GLADIATOR BLACK W/O PSU CoolerMaster RC-600-KKN1 GLADIATOR BLACK W/O PSU
$81.00

600W GS-600 ATX Power Supply, 80 PLUS Certified, 140mm Blue LED fan, 2x PCI-E, 6x SATA, 8x Molex, Corsair CMPSU-600GS 600W GS-600 ATX Power Supply, 80 PLUS Certified, 140mm Blue LED fan, 2x PCI-E, 6x SATA, 8x Molex,
$116.00
 
I did a little research. It seems like mWave is a pretty decent place to order from in Australia. For the most part solid reviews. Obviously, as with anything, there were negative ones, and they were valid complaints. But, largely positive reviews on them. Using that I went to their site www.mwave.com.au . I used the guidelines you have and came up with this:

CPU: AMD PhenomIIx4 955
The price was the same as the 840 you had chosen, and will give you better performance. Plus being a BE, although you say you don't want to now, it will give you better OC results if you ever catch the fever. If you absolutely don't want to ever consider OC, the 840 is about $20 cheaper.

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3
It has a few more perks from the UD2H, again at the same price, although either would be fine, especially if you don't plan on OCing

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB 1333
It should be fast enough, and can always be bumped up a bit. The timings are also decent on it. G.Skill is just as good as Corsair or Kingston and costs a little less.

Case: Cooler Master Gladiator 600 or Antec 300
Either will be more than enough ventilation. The Antec 300 will run a little cheaper (~$25), however is missing some of the nicer features of the Gladiator. One being asthetics. The biggest, IMO, being wire management.

HDD: Samsung Spintpoint F3 1TB 7200RPM
Cheaper, faster, more reliable than the Barracuda line or even WD Caviar Black. These are my drives of choice for an HDD.

PSU: Corsair Builders Series 500W
Its a good manufacturer, solid product, and more than enough for what you're looking for. You can easily upgrade to a high-end GPU and still be have enough juice.

Once again, just some suggestions. You can easily come in under the $600 mark you're looking for, especially if you shop around. Whether you take some or all of my suggestions, you'll be happy with the build.

Also, if you want to save a bit more, you can always go with the AthlonIIx4. For basic gaming and day to day tasks, you won't notice much of a difference. However, I always recommend putting the big bucks into the CPU/Mobo because these should be the parts you replace last.
 
I did a little research. It seems like mWave is a pretty decent place to order from in Australia. For the most part solid reviews. Obviously, as with anything, there were negative ones, and they were valid complaints. But, largely positive reviews on them. Using that I went to their site www.mwave.com.au . I used the guidelines you have and came up with this:

CPU: AMD PhenomIIx4 955
The price was the same as the 840 you had chosen, and will give you better performance. Plus being a BE, although you say you don't want to now, it will give you better OC results if you ever catch the fever. If you absolutely don't want to ever consider OC, the 840 is about $20 cheaper.

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3
It has a few more perks from the UD2H, again at the same price, although either would be fine, especially if you don't plan on OCing

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB 1333
It should be fast enough, and can always be bumped up a bit. The timings are also decent on it. G.Skill is just as good as Corsair or Kingston and costs a little less.

Case: Cooler Master Gladiator 600 or Antec 300
Either will be more than enough ventilation. The Antec 300 will run a little cheaper (~$25), however is missing some of the nicer features of the Gladiator. One being asthetics. The biggest, IMO, being wire management.

HDD: Samsung Spintpoint F3 1TB 7200RPM
Cheaper, faster, more reliable than the Barracuda line or even WD Caviar Black. These are my drives of choice for an HDD.

PSU: Corsair Builders Series 500W
Its a good manufacturer, solid product, and more than enough for what you're looking for. You can easily upgrade to a high-end GPU and still be have enough juice.

Once again, just some suggestions. You can easily come in under the $600 mark you're looking for, especially if you shop around. Whether you take some or all of my suggestions, you'll be happy with the build.

Also, if you want to save a bit more, you can always go with the AthlonIIx4. For basic gaming and day to day tasks, you won't notice much of a difference. However, I always recommend putting the big bucks into the CPU/Mobo because these should be the parts you replace last.


Thanks dude! That builds awesome!
Is there anything else i need to worry about? IE Cooling and such.
Also the motherboard doesnt have onboard graphics. so i will need to put a card in it, luckily for me i have a 5450 in my current computer :D although i want a significant upgrade.lol
 
Thanks dude! That builds awesome!
Is there anything else i need to worry about? IE Cooling and such.
Also the motherboard doesnt have onboard graphics. so i will need to put a card in it, luckily for me i have a 5450 in my current computer :D although i want a significant upgrade.lol


I was under the assumption you were going to use your 5450. I'd save up a bit for the GPU. There are some decent budget cards, but I'm a fan of waiting a little longer and making one large upgrade vs on]]

As long as you are not OCing you won't need any additional cooling. The case and the stock heatsink will be adequate.
 
I was under the assumption you were going to use your 5450. I'd save up a bit for the GPU. There are some decent budget cards, but I'm a fan of waiting a little longer and making one large upgrade vs on]]

As long as you are not OCing you won't need any additional cooling. The case and the stock heatsink will be adequate.

Ok thats excellent, and to begin with yes, but a 5450 is extremely budget.lol i'd like to get something a little more capable.lol
 
Hmm Decided, the coolermaster is more fancy, but i think the Antec would be more practical for me. and i dont really need a Case with an LED light.lol
And i wont have that many cables running through it for the wire management to be worth it. and the antec looks simpler to clean.
 
Since being informed of AMD's bulldozer being released in june sometime. i've been looking for an AM3+ Mobo

This board i dont particularly like, because it only has 2 Dimm slots, plus its a micro board, would somebody be able to look through the other boards Gigabyte offer that would atleast match the AM3 i selected but as an AM3+, It doesnt have to be Gigabyte, but i really dont know the different too much. Thanks!
http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-2801070..._AMD_AM3+__AM3_-_AMD_760G_amp_SB710_Chipset_-
 
Don't get a am3+ board. Just wait as when the other am3+ boards come out then itll lower prices make for competition and all in all save you money,
 
+1 for waiting.

If it is coming out in June, and you can wait a couple weeks, there will be a TON of boards that come out with the release. Gigabyte WILL have an equivalent board with the AM3+ socket. They don't vary too much. Asus, MSI, AsRock, all of them will probably have many selections the day Bulldozer is released. And in all honesty, if you're sticking with AMD, Bulldozer will most likely be the way to go. If it were months away I'd say go for the PhenomII, but its definitely worth a couple weeks IMO.
 
+1 for waiting.

If it is coming out in June, and you can wait a couple weeks, there will be a TON of boards that come out with the release. Gigabyte WILL have an equivalent board with the AM3+ socket. They don't vary too much. Asus, MSI, AsRock, all of them will probably have many selections the day Bulldozer is released. And in all honesty, if you're sticking with AMD, Bulldozer will most likely be the way to go. If it were months away I'd say go for the PhenomII, but its definitely worth a couple weeks IMO.

It wont be till end of june that i'll have everything anyway. There are some really cheap AM3+ boards already, like the one above i posted would only cost 80ish dollars.
 
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