50 month old PC's mobo is dead, building new PC for under $600 (parts ordered)

[mfenn]

By which I mean running the memory at a higher speed, in this case independent of the processor ;P

Although it's not the most accurate description, I tend to default to overclocking defined as running the computer at a higher speed than it is designed to do so. Hence: Memory Overclocking ^_^

If the OP buys the RAM that he linked, he would be adjusting the BIOS settings to match the memory's rated speed, not overclocking.

 

[Davidh373]

1. PC will be used for gaming (WoW, Starcraft 2, TF2), HD video editing and digital picture editing/viewing.
2. My budget is $500 to $600
3. Would like all parts from USA.
4. No brand preference, just want best quality/performance for the money.
5. Will use my 21" LCD, KB, mouse, 750gb HD, Lian Li 6070 case, DVD drive, dual boot with Windows 7 and WinXP
6. I have been reading all the upgrade threads I can and doing my best to get caught back up on current hardware.
7. Never want to overclock, just run it stock speeds/cooling for the life of the machine.
8. I game at 1680x1050
9. Would like to build this in the next 3 to 5 weeks.

I don’t plan on ever going SLI/Crossfire either. As for the video card, going to use my old 7900 GT for now because I don't have any games that require much more. As I stated in the title, my motherboard will no longer detect my old hard drive or even a new hard drive, etc. I have tried 3 SATA cables and all 4 SATA ports with no luck.

I have been considering these parts:

Processor ($160): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=
Mobo ($100): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=
Ram ($98): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=
PSU ($90): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

However, a friend of mine at work mentioned cyberpowerpc and I put this together:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1CK7UY



• Case: CyberPower CX-9959 (See-Thru Window)
• CPU: AMD Phenom™II X4 955 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
• Freebies: FREE 4GB MP3 Audio Player
• Cooling Fan: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
• Motherboard: GigaByte GA-770T-USB3 AMD 770 Chipset Support DDR3 Ultra Durable™3 Socket AM3 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-II, RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 4 PCIe X1, & 2 PCI
• Memory: 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1333MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
• Video Card: None, or Onboard ATI Radeon 2100 based Integrated Graphics
• Power Supply Upgrade: 600 Watts - XtremeGear Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready
• Hard Drive: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
• Optical Drive: Sony 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
• Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
• Speakers: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers
• Network: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
• Keyboard: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
• Mouse: Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
• Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
• Operating System: None - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
• Service: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• Rush Service: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS




I know that using cyberpowerpc will give me a hard drive, case, kb, mouse, etc that I don't really need but it does come with some decent freebies and extras I don't have.

Overall, I really like the processor and ram I have chosen. I have read good things on the mobo as well. Should I go lower on the PSU to save a little bit? All suggestions welcome.

I'd recommend this build. It's just under $600 with shipping included. I don't know if the parts are all made in America, but you'll be hard pressed to find any not manufactured outside the states. As opposed to your build, this one has 1600Mhz RAM, and a rather decent GPU (if you still don't think you'll need it take it out and save some more $$$, but it will help with HD video previews). As far as I can tell the processor is the same, but you have the Black Ed... which in my opinion is a waste of money. You're paying quite a bit more for them to OC it a few hundred Mhz. This also has double the HD capacity, so if you are editing High-Def video, it'll be nice to have the extra space. Also, I don't know how many RAM slots the mobo in that one has, this one has 4 for a total of 16GB supported.

Rosewill w/120mm fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147109

Corsair 650TX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

ASRock AM3 (4 out of 5 eggs)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-176-_-Product

AMD Phenom II X4 3.0Ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-809-_-Product

Gskill DDR3 1600Mhz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-193-_-Product

Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-185-_-Product

BFG 9800GT 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-187-_-Product


Total: $594.91

 

[REC]

If the OP buys the RAM that he linked, he would be adjusting the BIOS settings to match the memory's rated speed, not overclocking.

Definitely true. It's been my experience that many people don't overclock because they're afraid of messing something up in BIOS (although others don't for warranty/reliability reasons); I tend to group performance altering changes in BIOS with overclocking, although it's not accurate.

 

[mfenn]

Definitely true. It's been my experience that many people don't overclock because they're afraid of messing something up in BIOS (although others don't for warranty/reliability reasons); I tend to group performance altering changes in BIOS with overclocking, although it's not accurate.

Fair enough

 

[REC]

I'd recommend this build. It's just under $600 with shipping included. I don't know if the parts are all made in America, but you'll be hard pressed to find any not manufactured outside the states. As opposed to your build, this one has 1600Mhz RAM, and a rather decent GPU (if you still don't think you'll need it take it out and save some more $$$, but it will help with HD video previews). As far as I can tell the processor is the same, but you have the Black Ed... which in my opinion is a waste of money. You're paying quite a bit more for them to OC it a few hundred Mhz. This also has double the HD capacity, so if you are editing High-Def video, it'll be nice to have the extra space. Also, I don't know how many RAM slots the mobo in that one has, this one has 4 for a total of 16GB supported.

Rosewill w/120mm fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811147109

Corsair 650TX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

ASRock AM3 (4 out of 5 eggs)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-176-_-Product

AMD Phenom II X4 3.0Ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-809-_-Product

Gskill DDR3 1600Mhz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-193-_-Product

Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-185-_-Product

BFG 9800GT 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-187-_-Product


Total: $594.91

I would HIGHLY recommend against a Rosewill case. Or Rosewill in general. I've used many of their parts in the past, and the construction is cheap and pathetic. Chances are with this case, the front bezel will either not latch in on one side, or fall off entirely.

If you can afford it I'd recommend the Antec Three/Nine/Twelve Hundred line, as they are extremely well designed and manufactured. I personally own a Nine Hundred case, and have NEVER been more satisfied. It's beautiful, has amazing airflow, and is (oddly enough) modular.

There are a lot of good brands out there, but Rosewill is not one of them.


This build does not include a CD/DVD combo drive (~$25), or an operating system ($100-140).

To the OP: When I think about it, the new Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft will probably stress the hell out of your 7900. It most definitely still run (on lower settings), so if cost is a problem keep the card for now, but know that you will soon be wanting to replace it.

 

[Davidh373]

I would HIGHLY recommend against a Rosewill case. Or Rosewill in general. I've used many of their parts in the past, and the construction is cheap and pathetic. Chances are with this case, the front bezel will either not latch in on one side, or fall off entirely.

If you can afford it I'd recommend the Antec Three/Nine/Twelve Hundred line, as they are extremely well designed and manufactured. I personally own a Nine Hundred case, and have NEVER been more satisfied. It's beautiful, has amazing airflow, and is (oddly enough) modular.

There are a lot of good brands out there, but Rosewill is not one of them.


This build does not include a CD/DVD combo drive (~$25), or an operating system ($100-140).

To the OP: When I think about it, the new Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft will probably stress the hell out of your 7900. It most definitely still run (on lower settings), so if cost is a problem keep the card for now, but know that you will soon be wanting to replace it.

I would recommend a better case as well but he only has $600... What can he expect? An Antec 300 would be alright but with my build would send him barely over his budget. If he is ok with this, great, if not, he's going to have to deal with a sub-par case. It matters more to me to have a great computer inside, whether or not it looks shiny and pretty is of secondary importance (if I happen to have money to wipe my butt with lol). The OP also said he was reusing his DVD drive... so maybe a decent slow read-through of the post would be beneficial... He also said he was reusing his Lian-Li Case, so I guess my post has some redundancy as well...

 

[REC]

It matters more to me to have a great computer inside, whether or not it looks shiny and pretty is of secondary importance (if I happen to have money to wipe my butt with lol).

Yes and no. A good case has 3 functions:

Correct form factor and room for expansion.
Sturdy construction to protect interior parts.
Good airflow, "A hot rig is a laggy rig."

I'd like to point out the second one again. Imagine picking up your case to take it to a LAN party, but having the front bezel twist away from the case causing you to lose your grip. Your case falls to the ground, and the cheap aluminum twists and torques on impact. Hardware damage probable.

I actually HAD THIS HAPPEN. Only worse, it was on a rig I built for a client with the very first Rosewill case I ever used. Luckily, I was able to pin the case between my legs and a nearby wall before it hit the ground. The front bezel did not snap in like it was designed to, so when I used it as a handle and it ripped off, I was instantly regretting being that cheap on a case. This is a very common problem with Rosewill cases btw.

Since he's re-using his old case it's a moot point, but I just want to stress the importance of a reliable case; it does have functionality that is often overlooked.

 

[Davidh373]

Again, I would absolutely agree, but when you have this low of a budget it's hard. I haven't used a Rosewill case before, but it had 4 eggs and most of the reviews were on 5 and 4.

 

[darkewaffle]

It's probably going to be fine if it's a PC that doesn't move much and isn't actively upgraded, since you only have to deal with it once pretty much. That does probably fit OP, admittedly. On a budget machine, a case is one of those things you have to have but it doesn't really deserve a very big piece of the pie.

 

[Davidh373]

It's probably going to be fine if it's a PC that doesn't move much and isn't actively upgraded, since you only have to deal with it once pretty much. That does probably fit OP, admittedly. On a budget machine, a case is one of those things you have to have but it doesn't really deserve a very big piece of the pie.

That's how I look at it, but I will probably recommend at least an Antec 300 to people wanting to build on a budget.

 

[FluxCap]

Thank you for the new information. Sorry I have been off this thread for a while, been super busy with work. My hope is to have my order placed by the end of next week. The whole ram speed discussion made me sit back and think for a while and consider adjusting my budget somewhat. I still think I will try and stick to $600 or less.

I am fine continuing to use my Lian Li case. I also have a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate so I am set on case and OS.

 

[FluxCap]

So, tax free weekend. I want to pull the trigger in the next 24 hours. With that said,

I am looking to get just:

Power Supply
Mobo
Processor
Ram
Video Card

All for $600ish (give or take $50)

I would like a mobo and ram that goes at 1600 speed by default as well.

 

[mfenn]

Here ya go:
Phenom II X4 955 and ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 combo $235
4GB G.Skill DDR3 1600 $98
Corsair 650TX $60 AR Apromo
GTX 460 1GB $230
Total: $623

 

[FluxCap]

I like the way you think mfenn, thanks! Looks like that fits my needs really well.

Are you running something similar?

 

[mfenn]

I like the way you think mfenn, thanks! Looks like that fits my needs really well.

Are you running something similar?

Thanks, glad you like it.

I don't personally run a Phenom II X4, but I've put many rigs together based on it for others. They are solid performers in the sub-$200 space.

 

[Sp12]

Thanks, glad you like it.

I don't personally run a Phenom II X4, but I've put many rigs together based on it for others. They are solid performers in the sub-$200 space.

Not to hijack a thread, but what do you run right now mfenn?

 

[mfenn]

Not to hijack a thread, but what do you run right now mfenn?

i7 860 @ stock (undervolted)
Hyper TX3+ with a Xilence PWM fan
GA-P55A-UD4P (use the dual nics to run a testing network separated from my main)
8GB Ripjaws 1600
GTX 260 Core 216
OCZ Agility 120GB
2X Samsung F3EG 2TB
Antec TruePower Trio 650W
Antec P182 with 3 Noctua 120mm fans
Dell U2410

As you can see, I like things quiet, yet powerful. The component that is the most underpowered compared to the newest stuff is the GTX 260, but I mostly play RTS and TBS, so it is fine for now.

 

[FluxCap]

After further consideration on what mfenn just posted (and discovering that the 460 is incredible), I want to make sure I am not going overkill on this thing. Based on comments earlier in this thread and in other threads, the 460 almost seems like too much for my needs. Explanation:

The PC games that I will be playing in the next several years: WoW, Starcraft 2, HL2 EP3, Civ 5. Nothing too ground breaking or spectacular and all at 1680x1050. I remember being told that a 1gb card, also one that fast, is more than I can take advantage of with a 1680x1050 display. Is that not mostly true?

So, with that said, if I went back to considering something like a 5770, could I not take the extra money and get a 6 core processor and a lower PSU? Just asking to be sure!

 

[Sp12]

After further consideration on what mfenn just posted (and discovering that the 460 is incredible), I want to make sure I am not going overkill on this thing. Based on comments earlier in this thread and in other threads, the 460 almost seems like too much for my needs. Explanation:

The PC games that I will be playing in the next several years: WoW, Starcraft 2, HL2 EP3, Civ 5. Nothing too ground breaking or spectacular and all at 1680x1050. I remember being told that a 1gb card, also one that fast, is more than I can take advantage of with a 1680x1050 display. Is that not mostly true?

So, with that said, if I went back to considering something like a 5770, could I not take the extra money and get a 6 core processor and a lower PSU? Just asking to be sure!

Interesting consideration. All of the games you listed are CPU limited, but not well multithreaded (well, Hl2/Civ 5 will be). A hexacore might actually be a decent investment as there's one combo'd with the same motherboard as that x4, but for ~40$ more, and would certainly move past the x4 as software becomes more multithreaded.

1GB is definitely the minimum you would want for a card to last you another year at 1680*1050, as the Vram is also used for the actual graphical calculations. I think the 460 is a good card for longevity at 1680, as in you'll be able to play games well for another year or so (probably). The 5770 handles it pretty well now, and it's not like you have any FPSs listed. I do think the 460 is probably a better card in general, but the 5770 is close, especially when you take power/heat into consideration.

 

[mfenn]

Sure, you could. I was just trying to build the most well-balanced system for the budget. If you do decide to go for the 5770, the 400CX should be plenty of PSU.

 

[hondaf17]

If he buys a 1600 speed ram he should be able to just change the BIOS settings to get it to read at that speed (even if intial read is 1333), as mfenn said. It's a super easy change and will be very visibile once you get into bios.

 

[FluxCap]

OK, I think I am going to go with mfenn's first suggestion. So, that definitely sounds like the best setup for around $600?

I am excited to get this done....this thing is going to make my old dead PC feel like a commodore 64.

 

[Sp12]

OK, I think I am going to go with mfenn's first suggestion. So, that definitely sounds like the best setup for around $600?

I am excited to get this done....this thing is going to make my old dead PC feel like a commodore 64.

That or something very similiar.

Just for fun, is your HD video editing multithreaded, and if so, how intense is it.

I'll spec the 5770 system as well, but if the primary purpose is gaming the 460 system is probably better (but 100$ more expensive). Hmmm.... The smaller PSU with the 5770 pays for the X4-->x6 upgrade, but then you're down in game performance from the 460.

Edit: spec'd.

5770 135 AR
4GB G.Skill DDR3 1600 $98
Corsair 400 30$ AR
955+asus mobo OR 1055t+asus mobo 235/270

471/506 AR

 

[FluxCap]

Not sure how intense it will be to be honest, sorry. I am not doing any professional editing for a job or anything, just family videos. I am still waiting on my HD video camera to arrive after ordering.

 

[FluxCap]

Just so I understand either option, I will need to make a small bios change to overclock the ram to 1600?