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[brain_stew]

Good thing you told me that. I can't run my DDR2 6400 memory with that CPU? I have 4 gig and don't feel like buying more ram. I guess I'll have to find a 940 combo.

No, you can but be sure to get a combo with a motherboard that supports DDR2 memory. The 945 is associated with DDR3 as the 940 it replaces/matches doesn't support DDR3 memory.

Have you got an AM2 CPU already? If not make sure the motherbaord you're buying ships with support for the latest AM3 CPUs out of the box as some may require a BIOS flash. The manufacturer's website and/or Newegg reviews is the place to look.

If you're not using DDR3 memory then you might want to stick with the 940, as the unlocked multi is pretty nice, just a case of weighing up the bundle deals. Its a toughie, for sure.

Edit: Basically in the past, no one in their right mind would buy a 945 and run it with DDR2 memory, if you were buying it you were buying it to get a Phenom ii X4 with DDR3 support, and paying the premium because of it. If the price has suddenly jumped down (and if you're using one of those combos it effectively has) then things have changed and its suddenly an option for DDR2 platforms.

Still having an unlocked multi is pretty nice, will make any OCing much simpler.

 

[Tom Penny]

No, you can but be sure to get a combo with a motherboard that supports DDR2 memory. The 945 is associated with DDR3 as the 940 it replaces/matches doesn't support DDR3 memory.

Have you got an AM2 CPU already? If not make sure the motherbaord you're buying ships with support for the latest AM3 CPUs out of the box as some may require a BIOS flash. The manufacturer's website and/or Newegg reviews is the place to look.

If you're not using DDR3 memory then you might want to stick with the 940, as the unlocked multi is pretty nice, just a case of weighing up the bundle deals. Its a toughie, for sure.

Thanks.Yeah. I have an AMD Mobo but it crashed. That's why I'm looking to get something new. Maybe you can help. I get to the windows XP screen were it starts to load window but it never gets to the desktop and I get the blue screen of death. The problem is when I F8 in my bios to install from a disk ( I was going to reinstall windows) I cannot use my arrow keys so I can't select anything, even when I get that screen that says " windows crashed abnormally"

Choose. Load normally, last good config, safe mode etc...I can't use the arrows on the keyboard on that screen either to boot it up differently. I can't figure out what is wrong. I just took the hard drive out and am using in the computer I'm running right now with no problems. It's not being able to use the arrows in the bios that is really weird.

 

[brain_stew]

Thanks.Yeah. I have an AMD Mobo but it crashed. That's why I'm looking to get something new. Maybe you can help. I get to the windows XP screen were it starts to load window but it never gets to the desktop and I get the blue screen of death. The problem is when I F8 in my bios to install from a disk ( I was going to reinstall windows) I cannot use my arrow keys so I can't select anything, even when I get that screen that says " windows crashed abnormally"
Choose. Load normally, last good config, safe mode etc...I can't use the arrows on the keyboard on that screen either to boot it up differently. I can't figure out what is wrong. I just took the hard drive out and am using in the computer I'm running right now with no problems. It's not being able to use the arrows in the bios that is really weird.

You are using a PS/2 keyboard, right? Its not uncommon for a USB keyboard to have issues working properly in a BIOS page/Windows setup.

Just sounds like a messed up Windows install to me.

 

[Tom Penny]

You are using a PS/2 keyboard, right? Its not uncommon for a USB keyboard to have issues working properly in a BIOS page/Windows setup.

Just sounds like a messed up Windows install to me.

Well the strange thing is if I hit delete to go into bios options..overclocking etc...I can use the arrows in those menus. Do they have no correlation?

 

[brain_stew]

Well the strange thing is if I hit delete to go into bios options..overclocking etc...I can use the arrows in those menus. Do they have no correlation?

Not necasarily no, depends if the USB drivers have been loaded yet.

I know certain particular menus (including the safe menu selection one) won't ever work with my USB keyboard but work fine with a PS/2 keyboard.

You should be able to pick up a PS/2 keyboard for $10 or less, they're essentail things to have around at times. I learnt the hard way, had a similar problem and that's exactly what fixed it for me.

 

[Tom Penny]

Not necasarily no, depends if the USB drivers have been loaded yet.

I know certain particular menus (including the safe menu selection one) won't ever work with my USB keyboard but work fine with a PS/2 keyboard.

I have an old keyboard laying around. I will try it.

 

[brain_stew]

I have an old keyboard laying around. I will try it.

Or free is better! :lol

Make sure its in the keyboard specific port, might not work in the mouse one.

There's a reason they still ahve those ports on your motherboard even if no one uses them in normal use anymore.

 

[Rur0ni]

Can some one explain to my why the i7 920 is so low on this ? i thought by going up to an i7 anything I would be better off ...


http://techreport.com/r.x/june09-cpus/hl2-oc.gif[IMG]

maybe i should just stick with the Q9550 or X4 955.[/QUOTE]You'll notice, the i7 is default clocked at 2.66Ghz. Source engine games scale very well with increased cpu speed (as the chart indicates), rather than increased cores/threading. Though they have implemented multi-core rendering recently (TF2, DoD:S, L4D), clock speed trumps for now. Going by Valve's interviews, they plan to take advantage of more cores over time, since that is going to be the trend.

Fortunately, the i7 can be gotten to 3.8Ghz relatively without hassle, assuming a 3rd party cooler. I have an i7 (coming from a E8500 clocked at 4.25ghz), and I'd never go back.

 

[Tom Penny]

Or free is better! :lol

Make sure its in the keyboard specific port, might not work in the mouse one.

There's a reason they still ahve those ports on your motherboard even if no one uses them in normal use anymore.

It worked !! I'm typing this on my set up now I can't thank you enough. Granted I have to re-intall a bunch of my software but I don't have to buy a new setup....Yet. Who would have though something as simple as using and old keyboard saved my computer. Thanks again.

 

[brain_stew]

It worked !! I'm typing this on my set up now I can't thank you enough. Granted I have to re-intall a bunch of my software but I don't have to buy a new setup....Yet. Who would have though something as simple as using and old keyboard saved my computer. Thanks again.

No problem, its very often the simplest solutions that work.

 

[squicken]

Thinking of spending $150 or so on GPU and PSU. Is it worth upgrading my PC if my CPU is a Phenom-9550 Quad @ 2.2?

I am not willing to overclock btw

 

[brain_stew]

Thinking of spending $150 or so on GPU and PSU. Is it worth upgrading my PC if my CPU is a Phenom-9550 Quad @ 2.2?

I am not willing to overclock btw

Any actual well thought out reason why? There's no risk in small OC, and it'd be a huge help in your case.

What's your current PSU? Resolution?

 

[Great King Bowser]

What would I benefit more from buying first; 4gb more RAM for a total of 8gb (I do a lot of Photoshop work) or another HDD for a RAID 0?

 

[faceless007]

Quick question, is it even worth bothering to go from 2GB RAM to 3GB? I have a C2D 2.4, 2 gigs of DDR2-5300, and a GTX 275 on the way. I still have two slots empty so I'm thinking of getting another 2x512MB and bringing myself to 3 GB. (I'm only using XP-32, so there's no point going to 4GB.) It's only $20, but will I see any performance increase at all?

 

[brain_stew]

What would I benefit more from buying first; 4gb more RAM for a total of 8gb (I do a lot of Photoshop work) or another HDD for a RAID 0?

Can't say I'd recommend a RAID-0 setup tbh.

 

[Great King Bowser]

Can't say I'd recommend a RAID-0 setup tbh.

Aha. Cheers!

 

[brain_stew]

Quick question, is it even worth bothering to go from 2GB RAM to 3GB? I have a C2D 2.4, 2 gigs of DDR2-5300, and a GTX 275 on the way. I still have two slots empty so I'm thinking of getting another 2x512MB and bringing myself to 3 GB. (I'm only using XP-32, so there's no point going to 4GB.) It's only $20, but will I see any performance increase at all?

Just go to 4GB. The price will be basically the same, you'll get to use a little bit of it now and all of it when you eventually upgrade to a Windows 7 x64 (you will).

Yes, there's pretty damn huge benefits as far as I'm concerned, especially in Vista/7.

 

[squicken]

Any actual well thought out reason why? There's no risk in small OC, and it'd be a huge help in your case.

What's your current PSU? Resolution?

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...11&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3856272&lang=en

My PC is off the shelf (I had to buy it after my previous one died in a flood-didn't have time to custom build). PSU is only 300w. I have the PC hooked up to a 1080p TV, but am not sure I want to spend the money to get into 1080p gaming. I just want to have the same thing I'm getting from my 360, only with better textures/AA/framerate/v-sync.

I know I need a new GPU and PSU, but I'm trying to figure out if it is even worth it. If I have a huge bottleneck at my CPU then I'll have to consider whether I want to build a whole machine.

As far as OCing, my previous attempts at it met with all sorts of issues with stability.

Thanks for your help brain_stew. Cool to see people actually helping out others.

 

[Askia47]

Im looking to play games like Half Life 2, TF2, SF4 and possibly Crysis. I think i need to look at mother boards and cpus first to get a good base. How does this combo deal look?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211675

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

I just wanted to say thanks to the original OP. I finished building my PC based off the specs in the original post. Everything ran smoothly building the PC and it runs great. I'm able to run all my games full blown without much effort.

 

[RaySpencer]

i7 only really comes into its own in heavy multithreaded aplications or once you OC the thing and unleash its true potential. It currently doesn't really offer much at all to a gamer, heck in most games my cheap as chips E5200 will perform just as well as a stock i7 920 after spending 5 minutes to OC it.

The vast majority of single GPU gaming rigs are still CPU bottlenecked in most games. Excess CPU grunt just isn't needed atm.

You'll notice, the i7 is default clocked at 2.66Ghz. Source engine games scale very well with increased cpu speed (as the chart indicates), rather than increased cores/threading. Though they have implemented multi-core rendering recently (TF2, DoD:S, L4D), clock speed trumps for now. Going by Valve's interviews, they plan to take advantage of more cores over time, since that is going to be the trend.

Fortunately, the i7 can be gotten to 3.8Ghz relatively without hassle, assuming a 3rd party cooler. I have an i7 (coming from a E8500 clocked at 4.25ghz), and I'd never go back.

So for a gaming rig, should I still go for an i7 920? or should I go to something else? or if i go with the i7 920, should I OC it to make it usefull? and what cooling system would you recomend I go with to keep it running well?

 

[brain_stew]

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...11&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3856272&lang=en

My PC is off the shelf (I had to buy it after my previous one died in a flood-didn't have time to custom build). PSU is only 300w. I have the PC hooked up to a 1080p TV, but am not sure I want to spend the money to get into 1080p gaming. I just want to have the same thing I'm getting from my 360, only with better textures/AA/framerate/v-sync.

I know I need a new GPU and PSU, but I'm trying to figure out if it is even worth it. If I have a huge bottleneck at my CPU then I'll have to consider whether I want to build a whole machine.

As far as OCing, my previous attempts at it met with all sorts of issues with stability.

Thanks for your help brain_stew. Cool to see people actually helping out others.

If its a HP PC, then yeah OCing is out pf the question, that's fine, just thought I'd check. A lot of people have an irrational fear about it, and its a myth I like to dispel, OCing is much,. much safer and easier than most think.

Since its a modern HDTV, it'll scale 720p pretty damn well, so if you're happy with 60fps multiplats with better AA/AF/effects at 720p then you should be able to do that for $100 and without splashing out for a new PSU.

HP and Dell's PSUs are reasonably solid, I'd say something like the 9800GT green edition would be a great shout. No external power required, and it still packs a mighty punch, it'd be a decent match for you rig and would lap up 720p in any game, and allow 1080p play in the less demanding/older games.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133279

No expensive new PSU required.

So for a gaming rig, should I still go for an i7 920? or should I go to something else? or if i go with the i7 920, should I OC it to make it usefull? and what cooling system would you recomend I go with to keep it running well?

If you want bang for buck, then go with a Phenom ii X4 instead (940/945). If you've got a lot of cash to blow ad are interested in dual GPUs, by all means go Core i7 and buy a hefty aftermarket cooler and OC.

Im looking to play games like Half Life 2, TF2, SF4 and possibly Crysis. I think i need to look at mother boards and cpus first to get a good base. How does this combo deal look?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211675

Pretty shitty really, you can get an X4 combo with a more suitable motherboard for a tiny bit more.

I plan to update the OP soon, so keep a lookout for that.

 

[brain_stew]

I just wanted to say thanks to the original OP. I finished building my PC based off the specs in the original post. Everything ran smoothly building the PC and it runs great. I'm able to run all my games full blown without much effort.

Excellent, great to here, another happy customer! I should start charging for this advice! :lol

What was your config in the end, as I've changed that op so many times already, its bloody hard keeping up with the ever changing prices in the PC market.

 

[Zaphyr]

Also a happy camper here, got my rig running after having RMA'ed my faulty memory.

Final setup:

Motherboard: ASUS M4A78
CPU:AMD Black Edition Phenom 2 XII 550
RAM:OCZ Titanium 4GB DDR2 800
GPU:XFX Radeon 4870 775 512MB DDR5 DUAL DVI TV PCI-E XXX
DVD:Samsung SH-S223B
Case:Cooler Master Elite 334 ATX
PSU:Cooler Master Real Power M520 Modular PSU
HDD:Samsung Spinpoint 1000GB 3.5" SATA-300 7200rpm 32Mb

Running Windows 7 RC now, pretty darn sweet coming from XP pro.

Many thanks for the help, now I can thoroughly enjoy Anno 1404!

 

[RaySpencer]

If you want bang for buck, then go with a Phenom ii X4 instead (940/945). If you've got a lot of cash to blow ad are interested in dual GPUs, by all means go Core i7 and buy a hefty aftermarket cooler and OC.

It seems the i7 920 will only run me around 40 bucks more than the Phenom ii X4 945 (not including the bump in motherboard price of course, and ram price, heh) so I guess I will go with the i7 then, not planning on dual GPU's at the moment, but I do like the idea of being able to easily if I want.

Any recomendations for an aftermarket cooler?

 

[brain_stew]

It seems the i7 920 will only run me around 40 bucks more than the Phenom ii X4 945 (not including the bump in motherboard price of course, and ram price, heh) so I guess I will go with the i7 then, not planning on dual GPU's at the moment, but I do like the idea of being able to easily if I want.

Any recomendations for an aftermarket cooler?

Well that's the thing, you can't just discount them. You can get an X4 940/945 and a nice motherboard in a combo deal for around $200, that's MOBO/CPU/RAM sorted for $250 or less. An i7 920 would cost you more than them three components. You could be talking double the price once all is said and done.

Look at something like this, you're getting the 945, a really nice motherboardand a 4890 GPU FOR $344 after rebate, if that's not a shit hot deal, then I don't know what is. Add 4 gigs of DDR2 and a DVDRW drive and you've got most of your rig sorted for $400.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216270

As for aftermarket i7 coolers, Noctua's seems to be the choice of most enthusiasts, excellent cooling and whisper quiet.


This is a nice deal if you don't want the GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211665

So is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211661

 

[Rur0ni]

So for a gaming rig, should I still go for an i7 920? or should I go to something else? or if i go with the i7 920, should I OC it to make it usefull? and what cooling system would you recomend I go with to keep it running well?

I'd say if you're willing to spend just a bit more, yeah the i7. And yes OC. On a high end cooler you'll make 3.8Ghz+ easy, despite chip lottery.

Noctua as brain_stew mentioned would be good. Corsair's single fan water cooling unit does well also, and costs very similar to high end air.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608007
$71.99 Noctua 1366

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181009
Think it was $69.99, it's deactivated at the moment, NewEgg does that a lot but it'll be back.

I have no definitive answer either way.

Edit:

Some i7 combos.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216527
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.213960

 

[RaySpencer]

Well that's the thing, you can't just discount them. You can get an X4 940/945 and a nice motherboard in a combo deal for around $200, that's MOBO/CPU/RAM sorted for $250 or less. An i7 920 would cost you more than them three components. You could be talking double the price once all is said and done.

Look at something like this, you're getting the 945, a really nice motherboardand a 4890 GPU FOR $344 after rebate, if that's not a shit hot deal, then I don't know what is. Add 4 gigs of DDR2 and a DVDRW drive and you've got most of your rig sorted for $400.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216270

As for aftermarket i7 coolers, Noctua's seems to be the choice of most enthusiasts, excellent cooling and whisper quiet.


This is a nice deal if you don't want the GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211665

So is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211661

Ok you convinced me, after seeing that link, and then checking newegg.ca and finding this link full of sweet CPU's for such a nice price, like you said, I can get CPU/MOBO/RAM for LESS than the i7 alone? I dunno, Ive just been caught up on getting the best stuff for some reason, but for a HUGE drop in price I can get something nearly as good.

I wonder if memory express will price match combo deals?

 

[brain_stew]

Ok you convinced me, after seeing that link, and then checking newegg.ca and finding this link full of sweet CPU's for such a nice price, like you said, I can get CPU/MOBO/RAM for LESS than the i7 alone? I dunno, Ive just been caught up on getting the best stuff for some reason, but for a HUGE drop in price I can get something nearly as good.

I wonder if memory express will price match combo deals?

The Phenom iis are pretty good OCers as well so you're going to have more than enough CPU power to last you a long time there. They'll take any AM2 socket cooler so there's a huge range of cheap but effective coolers for them unlike the i7s, another bonus.

The i7 is defintely a great CPU, but for a gaming rig, its just not economical enough imo. Better off spending that money on a GPU upgrade.

 

[RaySpencer]

The Phenom iis are pretty good OCers as well so you're going to have more than enough CPU power to last you a long time there. They'll take any AM2 socket cooler so there's a huge range of cheap but effective coolers for them unlike the i7s, another bonus.

The i7 is defintely a great CPU, but for a gaming rig, its just not economical enough imo. Better off spending that money on a GPU upgrade.

Yeah, I do wish the newegg.ca had as many nice options as the .com though, I dont see any ASUS boards, just MSI, Foxconn and ASrock, and to be honest I know nothing about how good Foxconn and ASrock are.

 

[squicken]

If its a HP PC, then yeah OCing is out pf the question, that's fine, just thought I'd check. A lot of people have an irrational fear about it, and its a myth I like to dispel, OCing is much,. much safer and easier than most think.

Since its a modern HDTV, it'll scale 720p pretty damn well, so if you're happy with 60fps multiplats with better AA/AF/effects at 720p then you should be able to do that for $100 and without splashing out for a new PSU.

HP and Dell's PSUs are reasonably solid, I'd say something like the 9800GT green edition would be a great shout. No external power required, and it still packs a mighty punch, it'd be a decent match for you rig and would lap up 720p in any game, and allow 1080p play in the less demanding/older games.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133279

Should I trust user reviews on that? People complain it runs hot and fan doesn't compensate.

It sounds exactly like what I want. I've just got to decide if I want to run Vista or Win7 now.

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

Excellent, great to here, another happy customer! I should start charging for this advice! :lol

What was your config in the end, as I've changed that op so many times already, its bloody hard keeping up with the ever changing prices in the PC market.

- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor 3.00 GHz (I was never a big AMD fan in the past, but checking out your suggestion, various performance testing and comments on other sites of the internets, I am definitely glad I got this.)
- 2x2GB (Total of 4GB) of Kingston DDR2 800 RAM
- Gigabyte MA700-UD3 Motherboard (was a combo deal with processor)
- 1TB 7200 RPM Samsung HDD
- Radeon HD 4870
- LG DVD Reader/Writer
- OCZ 500 W power supply
- Coolmaster case

 

[Askia47]

Well that's the thing, you can't just discount them. You can get an X4 940/945 and a nice motherboard in a combo deal for around $200, that's MOBO/CPU/RAM sorted for $250 or less. An i7 920 would cost you more than them three components. You could be talking double the price once all is said and done.

Look at something like this, you're getting the 945, a really nice motherboardand a 4890 GPU FOR $344 after rebate, if that's not a shit hot deal, then I don't know what is. Add 4 gigs of DDR2 and a DVDRW drive and you've got most of your rig sorted for $400.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216270

As for aftermarket i7 coolers, Noctua's seems to be the choice of most enthusiasts, excellent cooling and whisper quiet.


This is a nice deal if you don't want the GPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211665

So is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211661

Wow, these look significantly better than the combo i posted before. I like these combos, however what does the X4 do that that the X2 doesn't?

 

[brain_stew]

Should I trust user reviews on that? People complain it runs hot and fan doesn't compensate.

It sounds exactly like what I want. I've just got to decide if I want to run Vista or Win7 now.

Well I've always found the average user doesn't have a clue what they're talking about when they complain a GPU runs "hot". GPU are designed to run hot, the G92 core that the card uses is specified to run fine at temperatures above 100C. As long as its within specification and isn't crashing, its not something you should be worrying about. If it starts crashing, then its broken and you can get it replaced under warranty.

Hot running GPUs are only really an issue if you want to OC them, as it can limit your OCs, but since you're going for a low power GPU and don't have a high end PSU, that isn't relevant to you anyway.

If you're really paranoid, the download Rivatuner and setup your own custom fan profile. Job done. Its perfect for you as far as I'm concerned.

 

[brain_stew]

Wow, these look significantly better than the combo i posted before. I like these combos, however what does the X4 do that that the X2 doesn't?

Its got twice as many cores.

Not a huge help in games at the minute (though GTA4 and ARMA 2 will see a very nice boost), but great for encoding, 3D modelling or any other CPU intensive task. The industry is also moving to multicore very fast, having a fast quad should last you a lot longer than a similarly clocked dual in theory. Not a huge issue for gamers when there's a $100+ saving to be made (you can always upgrade later) but when there's so little in it, you'd be daft not to get the quad.

That you can be literally top of the gaming tree for $344 is just beyong incredible. That's what a midrange CPU would cost you 3 years ago, now you get a high end CPU, GPU and motherboard for the same price. Not bad, not bad at all.

 

[Askia47]

Its got twice as many cores.

Not a huge help in games at the minute (though GTA4 and ARMA 2 will see a very nice boost), but great for encoding, 3D modelling or any other CPU intensive task. The industry is also moving to multicore very fast, having a fast quad should last you a lot longer than a similarly clocked dual in theory. Not a huge issue for gamers when there's a $100+ saving to be made (you can always upgrade later) but when there's so little in it, you'd be daft not to get the quad.

That you can be literally top of the gaming tree for $344 is just beyong incredible. That's what a midrange CPU would cost you 3 years ago, now you get a high end CPU, GPU and motherboard for the same price. Not bad, not bad at all.

Yeah I like that combo, it looks really strong for a low price. My current PC is a 3 year old MacBook Pro with boot Camp on it, but the laptop seems to weak to handle games these. It cant even run and basic games any more with out issues. I think this is exactly what i need.

 

[drakesfortune]

Look at something like this, you're getting the 945, a really nice motherboardand a 4890 GPU FOR $344 after rebate, if that's not a shit hot deal, then I don't know what is. Add 4 gigs of DDR2 and a DVDRW drive and you've got most of your rig sorted for $400.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216270

Wow, this is a very tempting deal. It seems like a lot of reviewers knock it for being outdated. As a noob to this stuff, what effect will that have on me? I love these damn comb deals, but hate them at the same time. I'd be happy with the 4890, the 945, but would LOVE to pay a little more for a more feature packed MoBo.

 

[Firestorm]

It took developers years to start using dual core processors. Most still aren't taking advantage of quads. The advantage of the i7 is more threads right? I haven't read up too much on them.

The i7 to me seems more like a video/graphics thing than anything else. And even there I couldn't fully justify the price increase.

 

[drakesfortune]

I just found another combo that looks a bit more interesting to me, for less than my last build on the previous page, I can get into DDR3 ram over DDR2, a 945 over a 944, and a 1TB drive over a 640gb and an extra HDMI cable to boot. Plus, this mother board has 4 ram slots, so I can add more DDR3 down the road for Windows 7.

Would someone please do me an enormous favor and take a look at this to make sure there's nothing that'll trip me up. I'd really appreciate it, and the help from this forum on this has just been awesome, I really appreciate what you're doing in this thread. This is my first build. I think I've got everything I need here, and it seems like this should be a pretty rocking setup:

1. PROCESSOR: AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model
2. MOTHERBOARD: ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
3. RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1600C9DHX - Retail
4. HARD DRIVE: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.213770

Cost for this combo is: $368.98 - $30 in mail in rebates

5. CASE: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119068

6. PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

7. DVDRW: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223B - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151187

8. GPU: GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Includes Far Cry 2, Call of Duty WaW, and Terminator Salvation too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150387



Total with shipping: $748.70- $55 in rebates = $693.70

So I'm saving about $12 and going up to the 945, gaining 400gb in HD space, and jumping up to DDR3 RAM.

I'm ready to pull the trigger on this, am I in good shape? Do I need anything besides a keyboard, monitor, mouse, and speakers?

 

[brain_stew]

Wow, this is a very tempting deal. It seems like a lot of reviewers knock it for being outdated. As a noob to this stuff, what effect will that have on me? I love these damn comb deals, but hate them at the same time. I'd be happy with the 4890, the 945, but would LOVE to pay a little more for a more feature packed MoBo.

The 790X is still a pretty high tier chipset really. It may not be ideal for a monster OC, but you really can't argue when you're getting the thing for free.

Edit: I was eyeing that other combo as well and its a pretty nice deal I reckon. I have that 1TB Samsung F1 and can confirm its excellent HDD.

That motherboard is also pretty damn excellent as well, seems a good deal to me.

Looks to be exactly what you're looking for, getting a much better and more modern motherboard and some really good DDR3 memory out of the deal is a nice sweetener. Should hold you in good stead for future upgrades them two components.

 

[Yazus]

Is safe to Overclock a Phenom II X4 940 BE from 3.0 to around 3.8 and having it stable with a small case (Coolermaster elite 360) and a Scythe Ninja Mini RevB. (the case is at full capacity of fans: 2 fans of 120mm and three 80mm fans).

I dont want it to overheat

 

[drakesfortune]

The 790X is still a pretty high tier chipset really. It may not be ideal for a monster OC, but you really can't argue when you're getting the thing for free.

Edit: I was eyeing that other combo as well and its a pretty nice deal I reckon. I have that 1TB Samsung F1 and can confirm its excellent HDD.

That motherboard is also pretty damn excellent as well, seems a good deal to me.

Looks to be exactly what you're looking for, getting a much better and more modern motherboard and some really good DDR3 memory out of the deal is a nice sweetener. Should hold you in good stead for future upgrades them two components.

Awesome, thanks for looking it over. I'm going to pull the trigger on it.

Now I just need to find a good $300ish monitor.

 

[Firestorm]

Awesome, thanks for looking it over. I'm going to pull the trigger on it.

Now I just need to find a good $300ish monitor.

If you don't need an IPS or SVA, it's easy to find a 1920x1080 monitor for that price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052

Only non-TN Panel around that price I know of: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001332

And I'm not too sure how good it is. Really new.

 

[brain_stew]

Is safe to Overclock a Phenom II X4 940 BE from 3.0 to around 3.8 and having it stable with a small case (Coolermaster elite 360) and a Scythe Ninja Mini RevB. (the case is at full capacity of fans: 2 fans of 120mm and three 80mm fans).

I dont want it to overheat

Look up the the thermal and voltage specification of your CPU and make sure you keep within them bounds. Be sure to stability test with OCCT, it'll automatically flag an error if your CPU gets too hot and its much better than Prime95 with finding errors.

No two chips are created equal, you'll only know what your is capable of once you start OCing it, just read up beforehand and be sure to take your time.

 

[drakesfortune]

I ordered it. I decided to get 2 of the Asus monitors Firestorm linked to (checked out a bunch of reviews and it looked like exactly what I needed). I went with dual monitors at the last minute, sounded fun, why not, I'm saving a fortune building my own PC. Total cost for the computer and 2 Asus 24" monitors was $1100 after rebates. I decided to go with the 700 watt power supply too.

Here's the final order tally:

1 Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM FREE
1 Nvidia Gift - Terminator Salvation - OEM FREE
1 COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
1 Rosewill RC-6-HDMI-MM-BK-2 6 ft. HDMI Cable - Retail FREE
1 ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
1 XFX GX275XAHFF GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
1 OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC
1 AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX945FBGIBOX
1 CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1600C9DHX - Retail
1 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
2 ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
1 SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223B - OEM

Thanks again guys, I'll let you know how it turns out. I can't wait to see what this setup can do with games.

 

[squicken]

Well I've always found the average user doesn't have a clue what they're talking about when they complain a GPU runs "hot". GPU are designed to run hot, the G92 core that the card uses is specified to run fine at temperatures above 100C. As long as its within specification and isn't crashing, its not something you should be worrying about. If it starts crashing, then its broken and you can get it replaced under warranty.

Hot running GPUs are only really an issue if you want to OC them, as it can limit your OCs, but since you're going for a low power GPU and don't have a high end PSU, that isn't relevant to you anyway.

If you're really paranoid, the download Rivatuner and setup your own custom fan profile. Job done. Its perfect for you as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks again. Bought along with Crysis Ultimate or whatever that has both original and expansion.

 

[Truespeed]

Finally put my system together:

AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition and Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 $199 (AR)
EVGA GTX 260 216 Cores $150 (AR)
Corsair 750W Power Supply $102 (AR)
Corsair 4GB memory $57
Antec 300 $49
Seagate 1TB HDD $89
LG DVD R/W $22

Final price after rebates: $668

I went big on the power supply because I plan to upgrade to an Intel i5 or i7 and SLI / Crossfire during my next upgrade cycle.

 

[brain_stew]

Thanks again. Bought along with Crysis Ultimate or whatever that has both original and expansion.

Be sure to download a custom config, this would be a good one to start with:

http://www.incrysis.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=23117

Be sure to force DX9 and triple buffering in your config for maximum performance. Should play beatifully at 720p with those tweaks. You should be able to use Level 5 (which looks as good as very high or better) and get a steady 30fps.

 

[brain_stew]

Finally put my system together:

AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition and Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 $199 (AR)
EVGA GTX 260 216 Cores $150 (AR)
Corsair 750W Power Supply $102 (AR)
Corsair 4GB memory $57
Antec 300 $49
Seagate 1TB HDD $89
LG DVD R/W $22

Final price after rebates: $668

I went big on the power supply because I plan to upgrade to an Intel i5 or i7 and SLI / Crossfire during my next upgrade cycle.

You sure that RAM is in the right slots? I'd download CPU-Z to check its running in dual channel mode, to be safe.

 

[gragy10]

Right, been lurking in and around this thread since the OP and have been planing my first system build ever since, in time for the Windows 7 launch.
General concept is a living room PC (tho NOT an HTPC) for use as an all in one 1080p gaming box, (Emulators, PC native stuff and multi format stuff) and music/movies system (Blu Ray eventually).
Needs to be relatively quiet, aesthetically unobtrusive, have plenty of upgrade potential and come in under £700.
This little lot comes in almost dead on £700 (via ebuyer) - any feedback much appreciated!

Antec P183 Case & Antec CP-850 850W Modular PSU
AMD Phenom X2 550 Black Edition 3.1GHz
ASUS M4A78 770 Socket AM2+
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800MHz
Western Digital 640GB Caviar Black HD
XFX GTX275 XXX Edition 896MB
Asus Xonar D2X Soundcard
(already got spare SATA DVD writer, wireless keyboard and mouse and will be viewing on a Sony 40W4500)