what to do to my pc and how...

[PspKicks316]

4) Um, what? I currently have a GT 240 as my main card, until I have enough money for a GTX475 when it comes out. (Of which then this would become my PhysX card.) I can run Crysis on High settings with ~22 fps. For the price I paid for it ($60) it was absolutely worth it. And no, ATI's drivers are garbage compared to nVidia's. ATI's lack of customization options drives me nuts
5) I've always had great mobos from Gigabyte
6) Huh, I didn't know this. I'll keep that in mind when I build my i7 setup soon :P
7) [citation needed]   Jokes aside, I personally have a modular Ultra X3 550w that's been running for 3 years, it's been great. I'm not sure what the issues with modular PSUs you claim are?

Eh, for $60 that's absolutely fantastic. I was thinking more along the lines of comparing to other cards. My ATI cards are flawless and the drivers are superb...it's all a matter of opinion in this case.

Like I said, GB is iffy. I've heard good, I've heard bad. If you've had good mobos before then by all means stick with them. I've never personally used one so I can't say.

Good luck with the i7 setup. i7 is by far the best processor line I've used.

Regarding modular PSUs: If they work for you, then good. I don't know where I read it. It was a while ago when I was reading up on PSUs before I bought mine and I read that modular PSUs weren't as efficient as permanent lines. (Yeah. Efficiency, not lifespan. My bad.)

[RyanF]

ok I have redone my parts list. since amd is cheaper I may just go with an amd based system and overclock it. here is my list.

[/c]
HEC Optimus Black 0.8 mm Thickness SECC Steel / Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer CaseItem #: N82E16811121088Return Policy: Standard Return Policy-$40.00 Instant
$69.99$29.99
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare DriveItem #: N82E16822152185Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty[/][/font][/size]

[]
1 year: $9.99(remove)[/][/list][]-$15.00 Instant
$74.99$59.99
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD MotherboardItem #: N82E16813130223Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan[/]

[]
1 year: $19.99(remove)[/][/list][]$20.00 Mail-in Rebate$167.99
Open Box: ASUS PCE-N13 PCI Express Wireless AdapterItem #: N82E16833320048RReturn Policy: Open Box Refund Only Return Policy-$23.00 Instant
$39.99$16.99
SPARKLE SX84GS256D2LDPP GeForce 8400 GS 256MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video CardItem #: N82E16814187108Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy$29.99
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power SupplyItem #: N82E16817152036Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)-$20.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate$79.99$59.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7D-8GBRLItem #: N82E16820231308Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy$174.99
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOXItem #: N82E16819103727Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty[/]

[]
1 year: $19.99(remove)[/][/list][]$176.99[/]

[]Subtotal:$716.92[/]

[][/]

[]Extended Warranty Fee:$49.97[/]

[][/]

[Ennon]

ok I have redone my parts list. since amd is cheaper I may just go with an amd based system and overclock it. here is my list.

[/c]
HEC Optimus Black 0.8 mm Thickness SECC Steel / Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer CaseItem #: N82E16811121088Return Policy: Standard Return Policy-$40.00 Instant
$69.99$29.99
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare DriveItem #: N82E16822152185Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty[/][/font][/size]

[]
1 year: $9.99(remove)[/][/list][]-$15.00 Instant
$74.99$59.99
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD MotherboardItem #: N82E16813130223Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan[/]

[]
1 year: $19.99(remove)[/][/list][]$20.00 Mail-in Rebate$167.99
Open Box: ASUS PCE-N13 PCI Express Wireless AdapterItem #: N82E16833320048RReturn Policy: Open Box Refund Only Return Policy-$23.00 Instant
$39.99$16.99
SPARKLE SX84GS256D2LDPP GeForce 8400 GS 256MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video CardItem #: N82E16814187108Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy$29.99
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power SupplyItem #: N82E16817152036Return Policy: Standard Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)-$20.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate$79.99$59.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7D-8GBRLItem #: N82E16820231308Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy$174.99
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOXItem #: N82E16819103727Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return PolicyProtect Your Investment (expand for options)Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty[/]

[]
1 year: $19.99(remove)[/][/list][]$176.99[/]

[]Subtotal:$716.92[/]

[][/]

[]Extended Warranty Fee:$49.97[/]

[][/]

Whoa my god, wtf did you do to the coding?! I don't even understand how you did that. . .

But anyway, reading through that mess, rethink your graphics card. Say no to DDR2! And anything less than 512MB! lol, also you don't want a low profile card either. Go with my suggestion of a GeForce GT 240, I'm telling ya.

[RyanF]

Whoa my god, wtf did you do to the coding?! I don't even understand how you did that. . .

sorry I copied the whole thing because I was short on time.

But anyway, reading through that mess, rethink your graphics card. Say no to DDR2! And anything less than 512MB! lol, also you don't want a low profile card either. Go with my suggestion of a GeForce GT 240, I'm telling ya. 
these cards are too expensive. starting at $90 they are just over my limit for something that isnt going to be doing many hd graphics. besides, im upgrading from an old system.  anything will look better on graphics. even the old pure3d voodo 1 I have would probably be better than the old system.

btw Im thinking of a new pc mod.  anybody want to donate some old mobos? I need about sq.5 ft of circuit boards

[Ennon]

these cards are too expensive. starting at $90 they are just over my limit for something that isnt going to be doing many hd graphics. besides, im upgrading from an old system.  anything will look better on graphics. even the old pure3d voodo 1 I have would probably be better than the old system.

Lol. . . you simply don't understand. It's about equality and bottlenecking. You gotta either pick high-end or low-end. You can't have a 790FX chipset (high-end), with a Phenom II X4 065 3.4GHz (high-end), with a Geforce 8400 GS 256MB GDDR2 (low-end). You'll be bottlenecking yourself, any experienced builder knows he'll be shooting himself if he does that.

So. Either upgrade your graphics card or downgrade your CPU and mobo. Which if you're seriously that low on money, I don't understand why you picked that CPU anyway. For what you're describing, this will be plenty for you: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103809 for CPU and I found a better mobo for cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435 and then with that $45 you're saving, ffs upgrade your GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127466 which is only $70--so I don't know where you're getting your "starting at $90" from--this tells me you really aren't searching good enough.

Take my suggestion. Please. I can't stress this enough. lol.

[RyanF]

Lol. . . you simply don't understand. It's about equality and bottlenecking. You gotta either pick high-end or low-end. You can't have a 790FX chipset (high-end), with a Phenom II X4 065 3.4GHz (high-end), with a Geforce 8400 GS 256MB GDDR2 (low-end). You'll be bottlenecking yourself, any experienced builder knows he'll be shooting himself if he does that.

So. Either upgrade your graphics card or downgrade your CPU and mobo. Which if you're seriously that low on money, I don't understand why you picked that CPU anyway. For what you're describing, this will be plenty for you: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103809 for CPU and I found a better mobo for cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128435 and then with that $45 you're saving, ffs upgrade your GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127466 which is only $70--so I don't know where you're getting your "starting at $90" from--this tells me you really aren't searching good enough.

Take my suggestion. Please. I can't stress this enough. lol.

sorry this is my first build. i forgot that your system only goes as fast as your slowest module.  btw would the integrated video on the mobo work or is that a ddr2?
Post Merge: August 18, 2010, 08:20:14 AM
ok heres my new list.  still too expensive but i can wait till xmas.

HEC Optimus Black 0.8 mm Thickness SECC Steel / Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case-$40.00 Instant                                                                                            $69.99 $29.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

$74.99

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

$139.99

MSI N240GT-MD512-OC/D5 GeForce GT 240 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

$79.99  $69.99

GIFT StarCraft2 - FREE Trial Version Game coupon

$59.99  $0.00

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply  -$20.00 Instant

$79.99  $59.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Desktop Memory Model F3-8500CL7D-8GBRL                                                                                $169.99

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX

1 year: $19.99

$175.99

Thermaltake CL-W0075 Liquid Cooling System                                                                   

$89.99

Subtotal: $810.92

Extended Warranty Fee: $29.98

[jacobia jacob]

Why are you buying a liquid cooling system for a budget build? Glancing through the parts list I didn't see anything that would need extra cooling unless you plan on doing a whole lot of overclocking which I doubt you would have any need for. My advice would be to hold off on buying that right now, that's a good bit of money that could be going into something like a better gpu. Do what you want, but you won't gain any performance by throwing a water-cooling system in a build with lower end parts.

[Ennon]

Why are you buying a liquid cooling system for a budget build? Glancing through the parts list I didn't see anything that would need extra cooling unless you plan on doing a whole lot of overclocking which I doubt you would have any need for. My advice would be to hold off on buying that right now, that's a good bit of money that could be going into something like a better gpu. Do what you want, but you won't gain any performance by throwing a water-cooling system in a build with lower end parts.

+1

You don't need liquid cooling at all, you will see absolutely no performance or temperature changes with the parts you have. You're trying to save money, remember?

Oh, btw, that mobo has no integrated video.

[RyanF]

+1

You don't need liquid cooling at all, you will see absolutely no performance or temperature changes with the parts you have. You're trying to save money, remember?

Oh, btw, that mobo has no integrated video.

ok thanks. btw i've started to make a true diy watercooling system. it will be a 5" bay drive with everything inside it.using a car heater core for radiator, copper heat sink with plastic around it for the resivoir, and a gas mask plug for the filling port.  (you know the surgical mask tubes have the rubber connector on the end.and i'm not a hoarder. lol)  the pump will be a small fountain pump fitted to be an above ground pump. bay case... eh i'm going "freestyle" with a bay cover and popsicle sticks lol. i'll have to buy a cpu waterblock because i don't have the materials for it. video cards and MOSFETs on the other hand can be taken care of with a small copper pipe with a coper plate soldered to the side of it.  btw im thinking of going with this mobo. its about the same price and has a few more features. here it is.  MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard I think I mentioned it before but the price just dropped. I especialy like the way it has an oc dial and a POST tester built in.

[lethalsquirl]

The vga card (graphics card) is the most important component of your computer. you should focus most on the then anything else. i think you should spend nothing less than $200 on one. you will be able to play pretty much any game fine.

[Ennon]

Dude, you're not hearing me. YOU DON'T NEED WATERCOOLING. I understand you want it, but it will provide NO improvements on your system, meaning you are wasting your money. You said yourself that you're trying to save money. There you go, get rid of the watercooling.

And no, go with the Gigabyte mobo I provided. It's chipset is more updated than the one you just posted.

[RyanF]

Dude, you're not hearing me. YOU DON'T NEED WATERCOOLING. I understand you want it, but it will provide NO improvements on your system, meaning you are wasting your money. You said yourself that you're trying to save money. There you go, get rid of the watercooling.

And no, go with the Gigabyte mobo I provided. It's chipset is more updated than the one you just posted.

sorry this  is my first build and im only 13.  btw even though i had the water system more than 1/2 way done my dad wont let me do it.  he says i might burn down the house with a short.  I was going to use anti conductive fluids though anyways but he still says no.  and my parents said they will add some money into it so i can stop using their laptop. im guessing their donation amount would be less than 200.  new limit 900. if i need to i can wait till my b-day and christmas.  after them i wil have about $1200

[Ennon]

Thank you.

Well if you're going to wait a little bit, prices will go down, and then you can run another (different, better) computer build with better parts. I would actually suggest waiting, seeing as the first sets of Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs (new i7) are supposedly coming in later this year, meaning that the current prices of current Intel CPUs will possibly go down by a bit when you order your system.

[RyanF]

ya il wait a little then until i get the stuff.  btw how much does a linux boot disk cost?  im thinking of doing a multi boot in the new pc.  doing xp, vista and linux on it.  if i have enough processing power i might also add 98 so i can use some older programs and parts.

[jacobia jacob]

for a beginner i'd recommend ubuntu linux. and its free, just download the .iso file from the ubuntu site and burn it to a disc. theres a special way you have to burn it but we'll get into that when the time comes. also i would not at all recommend using xp or vista for this build. use xp if you have to, dont bother with vista.

[Ennon]

Special way to burn Ubuntu? What? Lol I just stick the iso in Nero, click "burn", and im done with it.

And don't bother with Vista OR xp. get windows 7 for sure. vista is crap and xp is simply getting quite old, i dont even know anyone who uses xp anymore come to think of it. . . 

[jacobia jacob]

Special way to burn Ubuntu? What? Lol I just stick the iso in Nero, click "burn", and im done with it.

And don't bother with Vista OR xp. get windows 7 for sure. vista is crap and xp is simply getting quite old, i dont even know anyone who uses xp anymore come to think of it. . .

what i meant was a lot of people will be in windows xp and think they can just copy the file over to the cd and click burn.

[RyanF]

ya my xps mouse broke a while ago so i have to use a mac.

[Ennon]

what i meant was a lot of people will be in windows xp and think they can just copy the file over to the cd and click burn.

Ohh, I didn't realize people actually used the Windows burner utility haha. Yeah that won't work. . .

ya my xps mouse broke a while ago so i have to use a mac.

5-Button USB Mouse. $15. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826782027

And yes, I wholeheartedly recommend a 5-button mouse, 3 is not enough for the programs I use.

[RyanF]

Ohh, I didn't realize people actually used the Windows burner utility haha. Yeah that won't work. . .

5-Button USB Mouse. $15. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826782027

And yes, I wholeheartedly recommend a 5-button mouse, 3 is not enough for the programs I use.

hey thanks but i think i will try one of the ps2 mice and a good keyboard.  my mouse and keyboard were conected to the same receiver so neither work.

[Ennon]

hey thanks but i think i will try one of the ps2 mice and a good keyboard.  my mouse and keyboard were conected to the same receiver so neither work.

 

ok? if you have a PS/2 mouse and keyboard already, sure go ahead. but if you're ordering something I would recommend USB. and a 5 button mouse.

[RyanF]

ok? if you have a PS/2 mouse and keyboard already, sure go ahead. but if you're ordering something I would recommend USB. and a 5 button mouse.

k thanks but i read that sometimes a motherboard wont support a usb mouse or keyboard when you install them with the included drivers.  I could get a ps2 keyboard and a good mouse?

[Ennon]

k thanks but i read that sometimes a motherboard wont support a usb mouse or keyboard when you install them with the included drivers.

Hm, I've never had a USB keyboard/mouse that doesn't work. Hell, most of the time they don't even need additional drivers. Just plug them in, Windows finds a driver, and they work in seconds.

I could get a ps2 keyboard and a good mouse?

If you want. I mean, I'm not going to stop you, but there's no reason not to use USB.

[jacobia jacob]

you can get usb to ps/2 adapters for less than $1. i use usb keyboards and mice simply because thats what the keyboard and mouse i bought used. it really doesn't matter either way, any halfway decent product will work.

[RyanF]

ok thanks. i think i will go with usb based stuff.  also im planning on a dual monitor setup.  whatever video card i get has to be dual screen compatible.

[Ennon]

ok thanks. i think i will go with usb based stuff.  also im planning on a dual monitor setup.  whatever video card i get has to be dual screen compatible.

Yup, the GeForce GT 240 i suggested can do that. It has a DVI, HDMI, and VGA port on the back, meaning you can hook up to 3 monitors to it. (Look at the pictures on NewEgg)

[jacobia jacob]

there aren't many modern cards that don't support multiple monitors. multiple monitors is the way to go 

also, if you aren't getting  a liquid cooling system, spend that money on a better gpu. if you plan on doing any gaming you'll appreciate it when your gpu makes things look good instead of causing you problems.

[Ennon]

there aren't many modern cards that don't support multiple monitors. multiple monitors is the way to go 

also, if you aren't getting  a liquid cooling system, spend that money on a better gpu. if you plan on doing any gaming you'll appreciate it when your gpu makes things look good instead of causing you problems.

Oh yeah if you have the money, get a GeForce GTX 460. It's $200 though, being the cheapest from the GeForce 400 family :/

I wouldn't really suggest anything else from the GeForce 200 family other than the GT 240. Especially don't get the GTS 250.

[bozoy]

I was the only person to vote on accessories.....lol, but thats just me.

[HiddenVenom]

If you're doing a first/budget build AVOID INTEL AND NVIDIA LIKE THE PLAGUE. AMD Processors and ATI cards are 90% Performance 60% Price. Go for a 5000 series DX11 card because that is what you'll need for gaming.

Don't buy Gigabyte or Asrock. ASUS is a good brand (M4A87TD is one of them). Don't worry too much about RAM branding.

Windows 7 definitely.

OCZ Coolers are good for air-cooling.