FragMonsteR

Ok well here goes, ive been seaching the web for a new gaming rig, and its quite obivious i can save alot of money by building it myself.

Im new at building PC's but ive found some good guides and it doesent look so hard to do so.
The PC will manly be used for Gaming, photoshop and Video editing.

I was thinking a build for around 800-1000 Euros ( AMD )

Here's my list, please do post inputs as im not that much into hardware

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition ( 3.4GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 6MB L3 Cache, 45 nm, Quad Core, Socket AM3, 125W, BOX ) -


GIGABYTE GA-770TA-UD3 ( ATX, AMD 770, Socket AM3, UDMA133, SATA-300 (RAID), SATA-600 (RAID), eSATA (RAID), Gigabit Ethernet, High Definition Audio (8 Channels)


Sapphire Radeon PCI-E HD5850 TOXIC 1GB ( Radeon HD 5850, PCI Express 2.0 x16, 1 GB GDDR5, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), HDMI, DisplayPort ( HDCP )

Western Digital HDD 500GB 7200RPM 8MB

Kingston 4GB 2x2GB Kit DDR3 1333MHz

Chassis ???

CD/DVD ???

Powersupply ??


I already have Windows 7 so no need for OS.

On another note has anyone tried the Killer™ Xeno™ Pro and is it worth getting ?

LINK: Killer? Xeno? Pro

hope you guys will help me out here.

ET3D

Just hold on for the six cores (and 4 unlockable to 6), will you? Should be out soon.

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Takaharu

I won't rule out waiting for the hex-core (darn that sounds odd) processors, but here's a few pointers.

Processor: Apparently your budget's good enough for a 965. Past experience tells me that for gaming, the power of a high-speed dual-core (eg: 3GHz) will out-perform a similarly priced (eg: 2.4GHz) quad-core processor; you pay for the extra cores. Don't get me wrong, I won't knock the extra cores but if gaming in the now is all you're about, go for a high-speed quad-core over a mid-speed hex-core. If you're not all about gaming and want to do other things too, go hex-core. Whatever your decision, make sure you choose a motherboard that is compatible with both!

Motherboard: USB 3, SATA-3, gigabit LAN, choosing between Gigabyte and ASUS. If you're going for SLI/CrossfireX, try and get dual x16 if you can.

HDD: Ensure you're getting good bang for your buck. You're paying out once for your hard drive and you want it to last you a good long while. Go for a bigger one. 500GB sounds a lot now but for that extra €10 you could get an extra 100GB, rather than splashing out for an extra hard drive later.

GFX: A Sapphire 5850... you hit that one square on the head.

RAM: Check the timings of those kits. I found a 2GB kit for my gaming PC when I built it that was a pretty decent price but for an extra £1-2 I could get two 1GB sticks at a lower latency. So, I got those instead.

Chassis: It's all about the personal preference. It's your case and you're going to be stuck looking at it all the time, nobody else. You're going for a high-end gaming card so you'll want one with plenty of room. After that, go for looks.

Optical Drive: 24x DVD-RW, doesn't matter if it's retail or OEM, just get a known make. LG, for instance, sell cheap 24x DVD-RWs that provide quality. If you're after Blu-Ray that's a whole other story but if not, just stick with cheap & cheerful.

PSU: OCZ, Thermaltake, Corsair, Coolermaster, take your pick. If you're sticking with that rig and never upgrading I'd recommend the OCZ Stealth Xstream 600W -reliability, performance and silence. If you're upgrading somewhere down the line, go for a bit higher, depending on what you're intending to upgrade.

As for the Killer card, if you're really hard-core and want that extra 1-2FPS when playing against other people online for the price of a mid-range graphics card, go for it. If not, forget it and stick with the gigabit connection with a reliable ISP.

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FragMonsteR

Thanks alot that helped me out alot =D

ET3D

Regarding the hex-core vs. quad core, I'd say it's worth waiting because there will also be quad core that's potentially unlockable to hex-core. Also, the new CPU's automatically overclock when three of the cores are not in use, so you get the benefits of both a faster lower core CPU and a slower high core count one.

Regarding HDD, I agree that a little more money for a lot more space is good, but IMO don't go overboard. There's a sweet spot and it's pretty easy to add another HDD later on.

For the case, depends on how much you plan to upgrade. The 5850 is not short, but will fit in most cases. A 5870 will not. So a small case is risky if you think you'll ever go for a higher end card. If you plan to upgrade disks or cards, take a look how the case is arranged - disk cage, etc. Read some reviews. If you don't plan to upgrade much, just get something with a decent air flow. Though even the cheapest cases should work if you don't plan to overclock heavily.

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FragMonsteR

Would Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...0II%20Advanced be suffiecent enough ?

comp_ali

HDD :The price difference between 500GB and 640GB WD HDD is negligible (at least here) so I suggest you pick up the Western Digital 640GB BLACK Caviar. By the time , you could get another one and run them in raid.


GPU : you won't go wrong with Sapphire , so your choice is good.

Chassis : Something like Cooler Master 690 II is around 120 $ US. And I think it is good enough.

DVD-RW : I rarely had issues with my LG optical drives , so I recommend LG for you too.

PSU : As far as I know , Corsair is the one to stick with.

RAM : I have also Kingston 1333 (3X2) and I don't you will need more than 4GB atm, maybe later you could add another 4GB.

ET3D

The Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced got good reviews. See this one for example (the link is to the temperatures page, which shows it's a pretty good case).

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simonw

Like ET3D says, maybe worth waiting for hex-core. Here in HK, a lucky person managed to get a X6 1055T for the same price as a Core i5-750 (which is about USD200). If that is any indication of the prices in other countries, then it represents very good value.

FragMonsteR

Well im not starting on this build until sommer as im still awaiting the system requirements for Final Fantasy XIV, so ill most likely get that Hex-Core and build it from there on.

Liqourice

I'd recommend you spend a bit extra on memory. Lower latency is better for the Phenom II's, much more important than memory frequency.

Not to found of Gigabyte either but I have no good suggestion in the same price range.

Neshi

you'd better set your thoughts on hold and check a few weeks before you actually build it. 6 months is a long time in the hardware business and you have a good chance there will be other hardware out there.
The things you set your mind on now could end up going up in price or dropping depending on stock (if they're being fased out or not) and new developments.
It is a very tempting thing to do, to virtually build your computer now rather than later. But if you're gonna wait till summer, better really wait till summer.

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slvrback

Welcome FragMonsteR,
I as yourself found HHH the place for help in building a system, folks here are great!!!
I also took on building a system for the first time, the “how to” here @ HHH is well worth spending the time to read over and the reviews as well. Take a look at the post for mine if you like Comments on hardware for first build.
The case I choose was from a review Veridian3 did on HHH, the case was and as everyone says is personal choice but cooling and cable management is key as I learned, the case is as it says tooless.the only issue was in cable management, running the atx12 through the back and threading it through the frame to the corner for the mobo was tuff, lucky for me the atx separates in half and was able to pull it off.
I would have picked the ASUS mobo if I would have done my homework more intently, its just getting better reviews lately but my build was not for gaming. I also had issues with the aftermarket cpu cooler fan spacing between it and the ram.though I did like the sata conections edge side out.
Just another thing to keep in mind!
The PSU and case choice also I found is key, i,e,, where to put all the extra cables, if it was in my budget I would have gone modular. Though I had plenty of space to hide them.
I would like to toss in the cooler master hyp 212, reviews give it high marks on performance and the price is right!
Just a thought if by chance you will need to adjust the budget for some other hardware choice?
Hope I could offer some thoughts and good luck, please post your final build and when the time comes some pics.

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blibbax

I wouldn't worry to much about waiting for the sytem requirements on anything - a PC like this will be well over the requirements of any game you'll see for at least a couple of years and I would hope far beyond.

The hexa core is now here, but I wouldn't bother - see HH review and thread. PSU and case choice is indeed key, but as long as you go with a good brand it comes down largely to preference.

As far as cases are concerned, I'd say just do your research. Anything from coolermaster is, as others have mentioned, likely to be good though.

For the PSU, your choice depends largely on how far you plan to upgrade. For that system as it stands something like a Corsair 450W would be ample. Add power onto that reccomendation according to how far you are planning to upgrade :P

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Veridian3

If I were building an AMD system today with a £1000 budget this is what I would go for as it would be an awesome system... think about these components and the price they would be where you shop. Then tweak to your needs.

Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Mid Tower Case
CoolIT Eco ALC Water Cooling System
ATI HD 5850 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E OEM Graphics Card
Western Digital WD6401AALS 640GB Hard Drive 7200rpm 32MB Cache - OEM Caviar Black
Corsair 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz/PC3-12800 XMS3 i5 Memory Kit CL9(9-9-9-24) 1.65V
Asus CROSSHAIR IV FORMULA 890FX Socket AM3 8 Channel Audio ATX Motherboard
LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blu-Ray Reader & DVD±RW with LightScribe SATA Black - OEM
Corsair 650W TX Series PSU - 120mm Fan, 80+% Efficiency, Single +12V Rail
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz 9MB Cache Socket AM3 Retail Box Processor
Cart total inc vat: £1003.59

Note: I would actually use the Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 over the Asus mobo but its hard to find them anywhere at the moment.

slvrback

Any thoughts for FragmonsteR on gaming keyboard & mouse, seems these are missing from system build list?
Fragmonster is @ the top of the max budget in suggestions.
Just some thoughts,
for us first timers, one can get a little excited and miss the little stuff.
Then again it could just be my nature to be plagued with that maladie, :P

FragMonsteR

I already have Razer and Qpad gear for all that, its simply the PC build im looking into at the moment.

Thanks alot for the help though everyone =D

slvrback

Hey FragMonster, Could you post your revised build list?
Also are you still on budget?

FragMonsteR

Well ive changed a few things around, could use some hints.

Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Mid Tower Case.
ATI HD 5850 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI Display Port PCI-E OEM Graphics Card.
Samsung 750GB Harddrive.
Samsung DVD RW 22x
Kingston Hyperx 4GB 1333Mhz
Asrock 890GX Extreme3
Corsair CMPSU-650TXEU Powersupply.
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz 9MB Cache Socket AM3 Retail Box Processor
Scythe Shuriken SCSK-1100 CPU Cooler.

Is kinda hvad i had in mind ?

Takaharu

In order:
Yes
Go for Sapphire
You might want to consider WD Black 750GB if you can
For an extra quid or two you could get DL and Lightscribe. Probably not needed but something to keep in mind
Yes
Not my preference - would've said ASUS but it should suffice
Yes
Yes
Yes

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FragMonsteR

Well ive decided to upgrade on things and i could use a hand with the SSD driver ?

Corsair SSD Extreme X32 2,5" 32gb is what i was thinking of getting, or would the Seagate Momentus XT be a better choice instead ?

MOBO: ASUS Crosshair IV Formula Republic of Gamers
CPU: Phenom II X6 1090T 6 MB 3,2 Ghz
GFX: XFX Radeon HD 5870 (1 GB)
HDD: WD Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500 GB
RAM: Mushkin Blackline DDR3 Dual Kit 2 x 2 GB ( 9-9-9-24 ) 1600 Mhz
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro Series H50
PSU: CoolerMaster Silent Pro M850 850W
Cabinet: Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced.
DVD/Blueray: LG CH08LS10 Super Multi Blu-Ray Reader & DVD±RW with LightScribe SATA Black - OEM

Thoughts on the build ?

OldBuzzard

Why the move from CORSAIR to Cooler Master for the PSU?

Looking at your proposed specs, I'd recommend going with the Corsair 650HX.

It's modular, and will power your proposed system quite nicely, with enough extra capacity to run a 2nd video card in Crossfire if you want to do that in the future. Look at my specs. The 620HX I have runs it with ease.

If you want a LOT of extra capacity, the go with the 750TX, but it really would be overkill for your proposed system.

As for the MB, I thought you were on the right track with the ASRock 890GX Extreme3. However, since you seem to have 'room in the budget' for the Crosshair IV, you might want to take a look at the ASRock 890FX Deluxe3. It's getting VERY good reviews.

It won't be as 'overclocking friendly' as the Crosshair IV, but it gives you 4x USB 3.0 vs 1x for the Crosshair, and 8x SATA3 vs 6X for the Crosshair. Plus it's a whole lot cheaper.

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temeteus82

if you can find 2x4GB RAM kits that would be plus if you are going to use 64-bit OS and do remember that there are some games like Just Cause 2 that are 64-bit

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Liqourice

I'd suggest some memory with lower latency as well. You can find 1600 MHz memory with 7-7-7-20 that your Phenom will just love!

FragMonsteR

@ Old buzzard

Well this is my first PC build, so i have been getting my information from friends, internet ect, and i was recommended the Coolermaster PSU but i can see that your right about the Corsair being sufficient enough.

For the MB my original idea was to go with the Asrock MB, but when i started asking around, people had nothing positive to say about this brand, so it came down to the ASUS Crosshair IV Formula Republic of Gamers vs Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 ( people said the Asus board was good for OC, so i decided on that ) Ill be checking up on the Asrock after ive posted this though.

@ Tementeus82

Anything you could recommend, Ram is really not my thing, and im having a hard time finding the right ones, i will be going with Windows 7 64-Bit.

OldBuzzard

That was probably from folks that have no experience with the newer ASRock boards. They have come a LONG way in the last 2 years in terms of quality.

I've built four systems for friends in the last 2 years using ASRock boards, with either Ph IIs or A IIs, and they have all been rock solid. My MB which is an OLD AM2 ASRock board is still going strongs as well, even after upgrading from an old 4200+ the the PH II 940.

Just read a few reviews oh ANY of the later ASRock boards, and you will see that for price/performance they are really hard to beat.

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Veridian3

"Today we tested 7 different 800 series boards which all offer something different for the consumer. Looking at each in turn we start with the ASRock 880G Extreme3. When looking at the model name most people would expect a low specification product but that is not the case with the 880G Extreme 3. ASRock have packed a huge amount of value into their entry level board, so much so that the only significant difference between it and the 890GX Extreme 3 is the speed of the on-board GPU. Both boards offer great value thanks to their features such as SATA 6GB/s, USB 3.0 and the ability to unlock hidden CPU cores."

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/review...roduction.html