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[Hazaro]

I was wondering if I could get feedback on this potential build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/noFx

I don't have that much money, so I prefer cheaper items. I believe 550 to be my max. I'm in the US. I am interested in gaming, but I do not need to run them in the highest settings, I just want stable/acceptable frame rates. 30 fps is fine for me. Additionally, I would be interested in GC/wii emulation.
I wanted parts that weren't too expensive but also weren't going to quickly become obsolete.
I'm not against overclocking, but I'd prefer to use a stock cooler.

Are there any poor choices I selected or better/cheaper alternatives?

Thanks.

Build an Intel computer if you want to emulate. Nothing less than an i3, an i5 is ideal. I don't know if it's (an i5 build) possible with your budget though, perhaps mkenyon or one of gaf's other PC vets can help.

e: I don't know how that FX-6100 will handle Dolphin/PCSX2 but I've heard bad things about AMD and emus.

e2: Does anyone know how reliable 2TB HDDs typically are? I need one as Steam drive because my 1TB is filling up quickly. Is 5900 RPM a good speed? I currently have a 1TB 7200RPM drive for games, but my OS drive is only 5400RPM.

Thanks for the help. I am going to go for the fx6300.

I was wondering if I could use my TV instead of buying a new monitor. I have a 23 inch Westinghouse LCD. I could use the HDMI connection, right?

Don't go for the FX series. It uses twice the power, has no upgrade path, and AMD just can't compete in single threaded performance (Which Gaming and Dolphin needs).

Picking A Sub-$200 Gaming CPU: FX, An APU, Or A Pentium?
+

That's not so say an overclocked Phenom II or BD FX chip can't do a good job. It's just massively power hungry and there's nothing better to upgrade to. Those downsides are too large imo.
Nab an Intel (Standard) budget build from the OP. If you can stretch to an i5 3450 do that and you'll be set for a good while.

Crucial M4 128GB SSD $78.74 at Newegg w/promo code EMCYTZT2519

Linky

Jesus that's cheap.

So I took my build over to /g/ to have them critique and got some interesting feedback. The only recommendation they made that I've committed to is replacing the 212+ with the 212 Evo, since the price difference is negligible, and the Evo is full contact. Besides that, they were saying I ought to go for the 7950, which is not only cheaper than the 670, but outperforms it as well. I used to be a big ATI guy back when my parents bought me two PCs from Dell that both had ATI cards in them, but since building my nVidia system back in 2007, I've loved it as well, and I've heard nothing but talk of ATI falling by the wayside in recent years.

Another interesting tidbit of advice they gave me was to definitely wait till Black Friday for the best possible price. What do you guys think? I kind of want to wait till Cyber Monday, but that will technically be December, which could mean i'll be taking a gamble on my current discounts for Black November.

I'm going to post my current spec list as well as one that /g/ cooked up for me using a 7950 at a total of less than $1000.

me: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790465
/g/: https://pcpartpicker.com/p/no2P

7950 isn't faster, but it is the best value card for sure in the a large price range. You didn't fill out the OP sheet so I figured you wanted an nVidia card (And it's either that or a 660Ti as far as ok value goes).

As for this part list on Black Friday/Cyber Monday I personally don't believe you'll see any substantial savings. It's usually on not so great parts, or good parts that are priced too high. There can be some good deals, but you need to really know hardware and spend a lot of time looking up items, or stick on forums all day finding out what is any good or not. Not too worth it imo. Usually some nice deals on RAM/SSD/Monitors though.

Oh and replace that POS V4 with a Crucial M4 as listed above. The new SSDs are using new tech and driving costs way down, but at massive speed loses. Not looking to change SSD suggestions until they prove themselves reliable and price comes down on the higher end versions.

Oh, and lastly, they were recommending the Antec One case rather than the Rosewell Challenger:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129181&Tpk=N82E16811129181

Antec One is a solid case. I gave the Challenger as a suggestion since you picked the Red one before and it's another cheap alternative.

 

[mkenyon]

Do you think I will find a better deal on ssd on cyber monday than this 128gb crucial m4 that is currently going for 78?

newegg crucial m4 today deal

I've checked all of my sources, and the most reliable said 'Ask again later'.

With less snark: no one can answer this, but I can tell you that's a damn good deal. I just bought one myself for a test bench.

Oh, and lastly, they were recommending the Antec One case rather than the Rosewell Challenger:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129181&Tpk=N82E16811129181

At that price? BitFenix Outlaw. Going to be doing an 'enhanced' build in one tonight actually for a friend. I'll post pics if you can wait a little bit before deciding.

 

[SoulClap]

Go mid tower, my R4 for reference:

That looks great. Is that an H60 or H80? I'm guessing an H60 since I only see a single fan. Is the fan acting as an exhaust?

 

[zephervack]

Do you think I will find a better deal on ssd on cyber monday than this 128gb crucial m4 that is currently going for 78?

newegg crucial m4 today deal

Damn thats a good price, I wished it worked on the canadian version of the site

 

[mkenyon]

Yeah, H60, exhaust. Spectre Pro on there. Since it's a secondary PC, only keep it at 4.5GHz. Doesn't need much in the way of cooling since it's silicon that came from Hazaro (which means it's a miracle clocker). I think it's at like 1.28V.

Some good deals from NCIX:

BitFenix Merc Alpha - $35

BitFenix Ghost - $80

BitFenix Shinobi - $60

HAF 912 - $55

Fractal Define R4 - $90

Spectre Pro 120mm - $10


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

Anyone else in this thread also have the R4 as well as mechanical drives? With the middle cage removed, mine has developed an annoying rattle when the RAID0 array (spinpoint F3's) is going full bore. It's bad enough to the point that I've reinstalled the middle cage to eliminate it.

 

[Salsa]

well those 680s sold out the day the store got them, damn.

same old waiting for the ASUS 670..

any day now..

 

[Ty4on]

That's not so say an overclocked Phenom II or BD FX chip can't do a good job. It's just massively power hungry and there's nothing better to upgrade to. Those downsides are too large imo.
Nab an Intel (Standard) budget build from the OP. If you can stretch to an i5 3450 do that and you'll be set for a good while.

Overclocking an FX would also need a good mobo. An i3/i5 would be quiet even with the stock cooler, save you money on your power bill and the stress on the mobo and PSU.
That Asrock mobo also has no mosfet cooling and what looks like a 4+1 power phase. Didn't someone here get a decent overclock on an i5 with just four pin power?

Just a stupid question that recently crossed my mind... is it possible to plug PCI-Express x1 devices into PCI-Express x16 slots? They obviously fit as they're exactly the same but shorter, but you're never sure with this stuff.

Edit: derp, just a quick google told me it works.

Did you know that the extra length on 4x-16x slots is redundant and just for extra speed? If the mobo doesn't have the plastic at the edge (or you remove it MANUALLY) you can fit even a 16x card in a 1x slot and it will work, but pretty slow
Got pretty amazed when I found out 1x slots were useless if you had 16x(es) so this blew my mind.

Linus modding his PCI-e slot. One of the few useful uses.

 

[kennah]

Damn thats a good price, I wished it worked on the canadian version of the site

89$ today only on memoryexpress.

 

[mkenyon]

Hey Scogoth:

 

[FinKL]

Here's my attempt at a Gaming SFF PC thanks to mkenyon's guide, was super lost and didn't think it was possible to throw in high end GPU's into these things.

Originally was going for the Cooler Master Elite 120, but no exhaust bothers me considering I'm getting above average parts. Getting Lian Li PC-Q08. Bitfenix is too big & Silverstone seems like more of a premium with proprietary power.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter) - There's no Microcenter where I'm at

CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro Series H60 74.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler - Exhaust config, maybe an additional 120mm for push-pull later or load temps more than I'd like.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard. Comes w/ WiDi

Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory - Important it be Low Profile since space may be an issue?

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card - Like mentioned earlier 7950 over 670 for value (GameBundle+cheaper+slightly weaker than 670). Pray for drivers.

Case: Lian-Li PC-Q08A Mini ITX Tower Case Black or Silver

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Want at least 80+Bronze

650w & 16gb RAM seems overkill? I do like a buffer with power considering MFD will recommend minimum 500w. No O/C. I don't want to change RAM out because I have no use for the old ram in the future.

Also anyone order from NCIX in the US? Was hesitant the other day considering they tack on a Foreign transaction fee.

 

[mkenyon]

You definitely should OC that even to the 4.0 range. If you are dead set on 'never ever gonna do it', get a non-K and an H77 board to save some money. But, you really should!

The reason I suggest that Seasonic 520 Modular PSU is because it's a bit more compact as well. I really can't stress how important it is to have a modular PSU in a SFF case. 520W is plenty too. You'll be pulling about 300W in the heaviest of games.

 

[SoulClap]

Yeah, H60, exhaust. Spectre Pro on there. Since it's a secondary PC, only keep it at 4.5GHz. Doesn't need much in the way of cooling since it's silicon that came from Hazaro (which means it's a miracle clocker). I think it's at like 1.28V.

Sorry few more questions. Have you had any pump noise issues with the H60? Is it any louder than say a 212+ with a Spectre Pro? Also is there any difference between sticking the fan to the left or right side of the H60?

 

[mkenyon]

No pump noise, so the only thing that makes noise is the fan itself. There is a significant difference in push vs. pull. When you pull, there is no control over where the air goes, so it can oftentimes be spread unevenly over the fins reducing the overall cooling capacity. It's the same concept of adding in a shroud between the fan and the radiator.

 

[FinKL]

You definitely should OC that even to the 4.0 range. If you are dead set on 'never ever gonna do it', get a non-K and an H77 board to save some money. But, you really should!

The reason I suggest that Seasonic 520 Modular PSU is because it's a bit more compact as well. I really can't stress how important it is to have a modular PSU in a SFF case. 520W is plenty too. You'll be pulling about 300W in the heaviest of games.

Hmm, I did pick the 650M which is modular, but guess the text wasn't there from the pcpartpicker. I'll definitely keep an eye on the Seasonic 520 since it's cheaper. Whatever I have left over from ~$1000 will go towards a 120hz I've never OC'd so maybe I should consider i'm now using something other than a stock HSF. Seems like back then it was a lot of voltage tinkering (which was a turn off) and now a days a simple BIOS setting does it for you.

 

[Ty4on]

Same here. I want this case to take with me to LAN parties so I don't have to lug around my mid tower rig, but I don't really know if I want to spend the money on a new mITX mobo when my current mATX mobo works just fine for what it is.

Is the TJ08-e too big or ugly in your eyes? It has been a really popular mATX case for many years now.

 

[scogoth]

Hey Scogoth:

My block looks waaaaaaaaaaay cooler =P

Would honestly get the CSQ blocks before mobo.

 

[beje]

No pump noise, so the only thing that makes noise is the fan itself. There is a significant difference in push vs. pull. When you pull, there is no control over where the air goes, so it can oftentimes be spread unevenly over the fins reducing the overall cooling capacity. It's the same concept of adding in a shroud between the fan and the radiator.

I have my Antec 620 the other way round, exhaust fan towards the case then the radiator towards the inside as the manufacturer recommends in the mounting guide. Should I flip it over or add another fan for push-pull? Also, how should I do it? The provided screws go "loose" through the fan holes to be screwed directly to the radiator so I'm completely clueless.

Edit: nevermind, I just noticed there are still 4 small screws in the box. I guess I should use those to secure the radiator to the case and then use the long ones to attach the fan to the radiator from the inside. Gotta try this!

 

[Le-mo]

So my SSD died on me last night. It was recognized in the Bios, but not in Windows. Trying to load Windows 7 from it would give me the BSOD. I thought it was a bad port on my mobo but I tested it with another harddrive on the same port and same cable it worked fine. Time to start fresh I guess. Good thing my important files are on my secondary drive so I have that going for me. I also just signed up for Google drive for the 100GB storage. Planning to upload the files on my secondary drive onto that and formatting it afterwards. Will be looking out for a new SSD come black friday.

 

[zephervack]

89$ today only on memoryexpress.

Thats way more than $75, makes the deal not so sweet anymore, but good price none the less. Just not in the "impulse" buy territory.

 

[mkenyon]

Whatever I have left over from ~$1000 will go towards a 120hz

Awwww yiss! Also, yeah, do Overclock. Two settings and you're done. You don't even really need to be too anal about voltage settings with a decent cooler either.

My block looks waaaaaaaaaaay cooler =P

Would honestly get the CSQ blocks before mobo.

That's so true, just posting so you could imagine it with that motherboard

I have my Antec 620 the other way round, exhaust fan towards the case then the radiator towards the inside as the manufacturer recommends in the mounting guide. Should I flip it over or add another fan for push-pull? Also, how should I do it? The provided screws go "loose" through the fan holes to be screwed directly to the radiator so I'm completely clueless.

Edit: nevermind, I just noticed there are still 4 small screws in the box. I guess I should use those to secure the radiator to the case and then use the long ones to attach the fan to the radiator from the inside. Gotta try this!

Just one in push is fine, depending on the fan in question. The biggest benefit of push/pull is being able to spin the fans down lower without sacrificing performance.

 

[beje]

Just one in push is fine, depending on the fan in question. The biggest benefit of push/pull is being able to spin the fans down lower without sacrificing performance.

I just put it in push and the difference is around 3-4 degrees lower. Not much, but better than nothing I guess.

 

[Jharp]

7950 isn't faster, but it is the best value card for sure in the a large price range. You didn't fill out the OP sheet so I figured you wanted an nVidia card (And it's either that or a 660Ti as far as ok value goes).

As for this part list on Black Friday/Cyber Monday I personally don't believe you'll see any substantial savings. It's usually on not so great parts, or good parts that are priced too high. There can be some good deals, but you need to really know hardware and spend a lot of time looking up items, or stick on forums all day finding out what is any good or not. Not too worth it imo. Usually some nice deals on RAM/SSD/Monitors though.

Oh and replace that POS V4 with a Crucial M4 as listed above. The new SSDs are using new tech and driving costs way down, but at massive speed loses. Not looking to change SSD suggestions until they prove themselves reliable and price comes down on the higher end versions.

Antec One is a solid case. I gave the Challenger as a suggestion since you picked the Red one before and it's another cheap alternative.

Alright, I'll take your word for it as far as the video card and Black Friday/Cyber Monday go. The sooner I can build this baby, the better anyhow. So my current build doesn't use the same V4 that you saw in the /g/ build I linked. I'm currently using a Samsung 830, 128GB SSD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147163). Is that good enough? The Crucial m4 is back up to roughly the same price as the Samsung, and it's out of stock as well.

So, I think I'm damn near set to build this fucker. I will likely put the order in this very week. Last question I have is with regards to the mid tower case I'll be getting, which will either be a Rosewill Challenger or an Antec One- will either fit all my parts, specifically the 120mm heat sink? And would it be worth bumping my PSU up to 750 or 800 in case I ever want to buy a second 670 and SLi them together?

Current final build, with case and PSU pending your guys' advice: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=20790465

 

[mkenyon]

Need to make that a public list for people to see it.

 

[Jharp]

Whoops, sorry I had the wrong window open. Should link to the public one now.

 

[Jharp]

Oh! What about sound cards? I know they're not too common nowadays, but I have a Creative SB X-Fi in my current system. Would it be worth it at all to buy one or switch my current one over, or should I just use on-board sound?

 

[mkenyon]

Get this PSU instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Same price, better unit.

 

[MrCunningham]

Go mid tower, my R4 for reference:

Great cable management. For comparison sakes, here's my hap-hazzard cable system

It looks like a total disaster in comparison. But it also doesn't help that I bought a non-modular PSU. The case is a Rosewill Challenger black, I bought cheap as part of a combo package with the PSU you see there. While both are adequate enough, I am thinking about replacing that PSU with a modular one. I would like to organize the cable management better.

 

[mkenyon]

Thank you! It really does pay off more than just aesthetics. Stays cooler, less stuff for dust to collect on, and it makes any sort of work you have to do a total breeze since all that stuff is out of the way. Non modular just means a collection zip tied next to the PSU. Don't go blaming that CPU power pin on a non-modular PSU

Cable management guide in the OP.

 

[Omiee]

people help me out

2 660's in sli or 2 7950's in crossfire?

i plan on gaming on a 1440p monitor from dell.

 

[mkenyon]

7950s, no question. Just be advised you will need to create custom crossfire profiles for games you play that don't have any out. It's a 10 minute process, which isn't a big deal. For people who like to plug and play, that can get annoying.

If you play at that res and like high AA as well, it'll actually outperform the 670 too.

 

[kharma45]

people help me out

2 660's in sli or 2 7950's in crossfire?

i plan on gaming on a 1440p monitor from dell.

7950's would be my recommendation, although part of me would be inclined just to get say one 7970 instead. Whilst not as powerful I prefer a single card setup and if you really needed it you could add another later.

 

[mkenyon]

I agree with that too. Single 7970 or 4GB 670 would be my pick.

 

[Trojita]

Updated Build list

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.91 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($178.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1297.83

I replaced the Crucial M4 with the Samsung as recommended. I put the Noctua back on there in place of the cooler master budget cooler. Not sure if I really need it, but it would be nice to have.

 

[MrCunningham]

Thank you! It really does pay off more than just aesthetics. Stays cooler, less stuff for dust to collect on, and it makes any sort of work you have to do a total breeze since all that stuff is out of the way. Non modular just means a collection zip tied next to the PSU. Don't go blaming that CPU power pin on a non-modular PSU

Cable management guide in the OP.

Haha yeah, I guess you are right. But still, the thick 24pin and 6 pin connectors are to bulky to sit under the motherboard tray. So they have to hang overtop of things sadly. But I will take a look at your management guide and strip apart my PC later today and try and clean up my mess

7950's would be my recommendation, although part of me would be inclined just to get say one 7970 instead. Whilst not as powerful I prefer a single card setup and if you really needed it you could add another later.

Two 7870's could be another alternative. I do have a Gigabyte Windforce 660 (non ti) as you can see in the photo I posted above, and while it is an alright performer, I kinda wish I went for the AMD equivalent instead. But oh well.

 

[Omiee]

7950s, no question. Just be advised you will need to create custom crossfire profiles for games you play that don't have any out. It's a 10 minute process, which isn't a big deal. For people who like to plug and play, that can get annoying.

If you play at that res and like high AA as well, it'll actually outperform the 670 too.

Hmm thats weird because i have two 6950's from asus direct cu 2 and i never had to set up custom crossfire profiles. Is this something new?

7950's would be my recommendation, although part of me would be inclined just to get say one 7970 instead. Whilst not as powerful I prefer a single card setup and if you really needed it you could add another later.

Yeah i was thinking of either getting two 7950's or 660's i rather have two videocars with more power. i always used sli or crossfire, not that many problems with them.

But your right i could get a 7970 for 400 euro instead of two 7950's for 600 and wait for the 7970 to drop a bit.

Any card that is the best? I was thinking of either the direct cu version again or something that is overclocked.

another questions could this http://www.msi.com/product/vga/R7950-Twin-Frozr-3GD5-OC.html#?div=Overview card support two dell monitors and a samsung tv via hdmi?

because currently i have two dell monitors via dvi connected to my top 6950 but when ever i put in a hdmi from my tv it only supports two monitors.

 

[mkenyon]

Updated Build list

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.91 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($178.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($179.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1297.83

I replaced the Crucial M4 with the Samsung as recommended. I put the Noctua back on there in place of the cooler master budget cooler. Not sure if I really need it, but it would be nice to have.

Looks phenomenal! I don't see a motherboard listed though.

Is there a further discount on that PSU that I'm not seeing? I'd go for this, this, or this instead.

Hmm thats weird because i have two 6950's from asus direct cu 2 and i never had to set up custom crossfire profiles. Is this something new?

Some games are probably not running properly, and getting half the performance you should in others. In games where AMD has added crossfire profiles, it'll be working as intended. It's the ones that don't have profiles you need to create custom ones for.

 

[xJavonta]

Is the TJ08-e too big or ugly in your eyes? It has been a really popular mATX case for many years now.

I was looking at that too, and I like the way it looks. Very simple and clean, but for some reason I find the Q08-B more appealing. I'm not entirely decided on what case I want yet, but that's definitely up there if I decide not to get the Lian-Li. Thanks!

 

[Trojita]

Looks phenomenal! I don't see a motherboard listed though.

lol no wonder it was cheaper than I thought it would be. Thanks!

I'll check those power supplies out..

 

[sixghost]

What's the difference between these two cards?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150604
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150605

The only thing I can see if that the second one has two fans, and a lifetime warranty. Is that worth the extra $17?

 

[LQX]

What's the difference between these two cards?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150604
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150605

The only thing I can see if that the second one has two fans, and a lifetime warranty. Is that worth the extra $17?

YES!

 

[mkenyon]

Both of those run fairly loud and hot. Go for this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418

YES!

The Double D cooler is one of the few instances where it's not a good way to go. Actually runs louder than reference.

 

[sixghost]

YES!

lol, ok. I've never done this before.

Both of those run fairly loud and hot. Go for this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418

The Double D cooler is one of the few instances where it's not a good way to go. Actually runs louder than reference.

Alright, thanks. Did you just know that from experience, or should I be looking be looking at reviews of video cards to learn that kind of stuff?

 

[mkenyon]

Computer hardware is my second favorite hobby after games. I just read this stuff and remember it. I do get a lot of first hand experience, but the XFX cooler issue is one I've read in reviews.

 

[Jharp]

Get this PSU instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Same price, better unit.

That's a full 100W less than the one I'm getting... are you certain of that recommendation?

 

[CatPee]

That's a full 100W less than the one I'm getting... are you certain of that recommendation?

Unless you absolutely intend on going SLI/CF anywhere in the near future, 520W is quite plenty. The ~600W range kinda sucks since it's more than necessary for one card and not quite enough for two with higher-end cards.

 

[mkenyon]

Pretty much. You can run two Kepler cards on a 650 ezpz though.

Seasonic > Everything pretty much though. XFX Core, Corsair AX660/760/860, and some of Corsair's other offerings are rebadged Seasonics.

 

[RumblingRosco]

When building a small form factor desktop, are there reasons I should consider Mini-ITX vs Micro-ATX vs ATX-mini cases? I'm not sure I understand the difference between the three and am having difficulty finding a definitive answer on the differences. Any insight would be helpful!

Additional question; is there a benefit to running 2 x 2 GB as compared to 1 x 4 GB for dual-channel improvements?

 

[LifEndz]

Hey Gaf, thinking about getting my first gaming PC and if anyone can tell me if this is a good deal or not it'd be much appreciated.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227397

A520APU Desktop PC A8-Series APU A8-3870K(3.0GHz) 16GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6450 1GB Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

729.99 total USD

 

[scogoth]

Hey Gaf, thinking about getting my first gaming PC and if anyone can tell me if this is a good deal or not it'd be much appreciated.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227397

A520APU Desktop PC A8-Series APU A8-3870K(3.0GHz) 16GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6450 1GB Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

729.99 total USD

Nope not at all. Definitely don't need 16Gb for gaming and the GPU is woefully underpowered for a $300 machine let alone $700 (like 5 year old GPU could do better). Read OP, build your own PC (really not hard, like advanced lego) or pay someone like NCIX $50 to assemble it for you.

 

[mkenyon]

If you have $1k, the Alienware X51 is a good buy. Outside of that, you're just going to get screwed in one place or another in optimization of good parts. Or you'll pay a stupid premium to get what you need.

When building a small form factor desktop, are there reasons I should consider Mini-ITX vs Micro-ATX vs ATX-mini cases? I'm not sure I understand the difference between the three and am having difficulty finding a definitive answer on the differences. Any insight would be helpful!

Additional question; is there a benefit to running 2 x 2 GB as compared to 1 x 4 GB for dual-channel improvements?

They fit different motherboards. ATX = standard size, mATX = ATX board with less expansion slots, ITX = entirely different form factor with a single expansion slot. There's a Small Form Factor Guide in the OP. Let me know if this clears it up, otherwise I can dig up the exact dimensions and some pictures to go along with it.

Yes, you want two sticks of RAM.

*edit*
After re-reading your post -

If you are planning on using more than one expansion slot, then ITX is a bad choice. ITX is good for a huge majority of people building a gaming PC as they'll likely only be using a single expansion slot. Instances where you would want more than one expansion slot are like a soundcard and videocard, two videocards, a RAID card and a videocard, capture device and a videocard, or some less-likely requirement. The only issue with ITX motherboards is that their onboard sound is just okay. If sound is important to you, then you'll want to look into an external DAC/Amplifier, which I built in to the SFF Guide spreadsheets.

ITX is the smallest though, and definitely the way to go for small form factor. I'd argue it's the best choice for most people, and I think we're going to definitely be seeing some more movements towards it in the coming years. We're already getting enthusiast class ITX boards which was something that was previously unheard of.