Suggestion for an AMD Phenom X4 9650

[SeanBest]

Got this chip from work out of a dead motherboard machine. Building my brother a budget gaming machine (Source games like CS). Got the processor and a SATA HDD. Need recommendations for a decent board (probably not going to OC). Haven't decided on form factor so I can go either way. Just I'm an Intel guy so AMD is kinda throwing me as to what boards will work with an AM2+. Also a solid budget video recommendation wouldn't hurt.

TIA

 

[RGone]

None of the amd boards that are n0t using the newer APU, cpu/video within one chip do not game super well. So you are going to use a video card for video?

Do you need more than 2 slots for ram? You will go DDR3 ram?

You have no desire to be able to run a much later type cpu on the board?

You truly are n0t going to overclock? That 9650 is not a very fast 4 core processor.

Not a lot of sense in doing a bunch of heavy duty searching for recommned without a better understanding of where you want to go in the 'long run'.

 

[trents]

The X4 9650 is a Phenom I CPU and will not work with an AM3/AM3+ motherboard or DDR3 ram. You will need to find an AM2+ motherboard and DDR2 ram. Make sure you get one with more than a 95W TDP rating as those Phenom I CPUs sucked a lot of juice and made a lot of heat. For the most part that would mean going with a board that has a 770 chipset or better (770, 780, 785, 790) and they will probably be boards that have four ram slots. You don't need to use all four, however.

 

[SeanBest]

My brother just wants a cheap budget gaming rig. Going to get a PCIE video card. Probably just 4GB of RAM. May OC some, but he just wants to play CS:S and CS:GO. Only reason I'm using this CPU is because I got it free. If it's really that bad I'll pass. But he wants a desktop under $400. Figured a free CPU would help that happen.

 

[trents]

Actually, I did some research and that CPU is only 95W TDP so you could get by with a lesser board as long as you don't intend to overclock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157274
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

Do you already have the other stuff? Case, PSU, CPU cooler, Hard drive, DVD burner, OS?

 

[SeanBest]

Actually, I did some research and that CPU is only 95W TDP so you could get by with a lesser board as long as you don't intend to overclock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157274
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

Do you already have the other stuff? Case, PSU, CPU cooler, Hard drive, DVD burner, OS?

Appreciate it. That's the board I was looking at. Think that's what we'll go with. Thanks for the help. Should have it ordered tonight for him.

Really nothing special. He's on a low budget and just needs Office for school (which we have already) and wants to play CS:S, CS:GO, Minecraft, and maybe Borderlands 2 when it comes out. I think this should play it, on lower settings OK.