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My PC buid plan

Rob587

Rob587

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 4, 2004
801
1
Orlando, FL
My PC build** plan. :) What do you guys think?

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W............................................................ $69.99

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core.... $99

ASUS M4A78L-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 760G HDMI Micro ATX Mobo.. $69.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM............. $47.99

HIS H467QS1GH Radeon HD 4670................................................ $79.99

Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066.................... $116.49

Sunbeam PSU-COM680-BK-US 680W Power Supply........................ $64.99

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive.................................. $31.99

Total....................................................................................... $565.43

I feel like im spending a bit much on the graphics card considering my needs, but im not sure what a good step down would be.
 
Why do you want to go for an AMD proc ? If you intend to use this as a hackintosh, wouldn't be better to use an Intel one?

Edit: @DoFoT9, you overtake me :-D

Regarding the graphic card, is this model used in Mac Pros ? Isn't the 4890 (or sthg like that) the most recommended at this time on the MacRumors forums?

Just my opinion...
 
Nooooo!

Ok, first of all, that CPU that you have doesn't have any L3 Cache if I recall correctly. It's not a top of the line CPU by any stretch. That's cool, I have a $20 CPU currently in my "gaming rig", and plan on upgrading to that CPU, but it's not one of their top of the line ones.

But your RAM should cost you about half as much. Sure it might not be OC Xtreme RAM or anything, but if you're going for a sub $1000 PC, the amount of GB's of RAM is going to be more important then the OC ability.

Your PSU is HUGE, you can probably get away with much less, also, cheeper electric bill ;)

The hard drive is very small. I have a 320gb HDD, from about 2 years ago. You could probably get 3x as much space for just a few $$ more.

Lastly, that motherboard is old tech. Super old. Besides being DDR2, the current chipset has an integrated 4550 video card or something (as opposed to a HD 3000). If you're looking for older tech, it works, but I would suggest something newer. I got a gigabyte board with about the same specs, for about the same price, about a year ago.

I'm gonna go look for some cheeper/better stuff, brb!

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

Motherboard, with integrated 4200 HD - $90

RAM - $44x2 = $88

$8 more for a few extra gigs of space...

If you want to save money, you can downgrade the case (it's a nice case btw, my roommate has it) and get one that comes with a PSU, for a LOT less. Case - $30

So to sum up, RAM prices are higher then they were this summer, you no longer need a separate video card, more ram for the same price, cheeper case and PSU, and a larger HDD, without losing much in the way of performance.
 
Angelo95210 said:
Why do you want to go for an AMD proc ? If you intend to use this as a hackintosh, wouldn't be better to use an Intel one?

Edit: @DoFoT9, you overtake me :-D

Regarding the graphic card, is this model used in Mac Pros ? Isn't the 4890 (or sthg like that) the most recommended at this time on the MacRumors forums?

Just my opinion...
Click to expand...

Well, I think I want to go AMD b/c I can get a quad processor for a lot cheaper. And their motherboards will be more useful for future upgrades than intel's. Can I not do the "hackintosh" thing with AMD?

Also, the 4890 would cost even more than the 4670 im considering.
 
Rob587 said:
Well, I think I want to go AMD b/c I can get a quad processor for a lot cheaper. And their motherboards will be more useful for future upgrades than intel's. Can I not do the "hackintosh" thing with AMD?
Click to expand...

Hackintosh with AMD is a pain in the ass to do. AMD will always equal Piracy for OSX86.

Rob587 said:
Also, the 4890 would cost even more than the 4670 im considering.
Click to expand...

Get a 550W PSU, Entry Level Kingston Ram and use the change in cash to get a 5750.
 
Thanks for the reply thejadedmonkey.

I think the processor will be good for me considering the price and the quad for multitasking.

I think your right about the ram. What do you suggest as a good 4GB of ram/motherboard combo for the processor im using?

Also, the hard drive is WAAAY more than ill ever need, so even $3 extra doesnt seem worth it to me.

And yes, I think your right about the power supply too. To be honest, I mainly liked that it had good reviews, decent price, and a blue led fan. lol Any recommendations for something different?

Let me know what you come up with.
 
Rob587 said:
And yes, I think your right about the power supply too. To be honest, I mainly liked that it had good reviews, decent price, and a blue led fan. lol Any recommendations for something different?

Let me know what you come up with.
Click to expand...

Look upwards for recommendations^^^^ ;)

As far as cases go, it's a personal preference. I used this case, and I'm very happy with it. I also tend to like plain, minimalist cases (hence I like my mac). Other people like cases with flashing lights everywhere, and my one friend spend more on his case then he spend on his motherboard and processor, combined! I just got the feeling that you're not looking for a computer that's an e-penis, but were looking for best bang for buck.

Ultimately, I spent $40 on my CPU fan, and only $20 on my CPU, since I care more about noise level then raw horsepower. If your case is important, by all means get a nice one as it'll last for a few PC's if you want it to, plus it'll be what you see all the time.

P.S. if you wanna use a motherboard with an integrated GPU, you might want to put the money you're saving towards more RAM, and then in a year when you genuinely do need a better video card, upgrade to a 5000 or 6000 series for about the same price as the 4700 series goes for now, but then you'll have 6gb of RAM :)

P.P.S. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight!
 
thejadedmonkey said:
As far as cases go, it's a personal preference. I used this case, and I'm very happy with it. I also tend to like plain, minimalist cases (hence I like my mac). Other people like cases with flashing lights everywhere, and my one friend spend more on his case then he spend on his motherboard and processor, combined! I just got the feeling that you're not looking for a computer that's an e-penis, but were looking for best bang for buck.

Ultimately, I spent $40 on my CPU fan, and only $20 on my CPU, since I care more about noise level then raw horsepower. If your case is important, by all means get a nice one as it'll last for a few PC's if you want it to, plus it'll be what you see all the time.
Click to expand...

And with this in mind, here's what I suggest.

They're right about DDR2 going out of style. It will soon become harder for you to find memory for that. The board is okay, but they also have a point about it and DDR2. So unless you have your heart set on ASUS. I'd say..

-ASUS M4A78L-M
+Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3 89.99

This will be going on sale on Friday, dropping about $10. It will be $12 more than you're looking for..

-2x2GB DDR2 1066 Kingstons
+OCZ 2x2GB DDR3 1066 72.99

You'll save a good $40 on the memory here. OCZ isn't bad (the Corsairs aren't on sale, but that might change on Friday; Frys has them on sale for $89), and there is better, but they're still a bit pricey.

-Lian Li
-Sunbeam PSU
+Antech Sonata III Case w/Antec Earthwatts 500 PSU $110

The 500w PSU should be enough, but the PSU and this case are QUIET. In all honesty, you would hear the video card fan over the PSU and CPU fan in this board, if not the HD itself. If you'd like, you could drop down to the Antec Sonata Elite (the same case, no PSU), and bump up the PSU to the Earthwatts 650W.

But this should give you stability, and a lot less current pull. I'd say with this rig, you should be pulling around 300 - 320W. with the Antecs onboard, you'll drop to 250 - 270 easily.

BL.
 
Due to some good suggestions, here is my new and improved PC build plan:

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W............................................................ $69.99

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core.... $99

GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H mobo.............................................. $89.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM............. $55.99

PQI POWER Series 2GBx2 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800.............. $87.98

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W Power Supply........................ $49.98

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive.................................. $31.99

Windows 7............................................................................... $104.99

Total....................................................................................... $589.91

Any other suggestions?
 
Gigabyte is alright, but I'd go with an MSI board and a higher end CPU. Even if you only get a dual core, you can get a AMD Phenom X3 720 (that's a triple core) for 20 bucks more than what you have listed. The board I will be getting soon is an MSI board with OC and really easy to raid. Jsut as well, Lian Li makes very nice cases.

This'll be my setup very soon:
MIS Board http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...re=msi_am3_motherboard-_-13-130-223-_-Product

AMD 965 Quad Core CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103692

Lian-Li case (this has the drive bays on the SIDE of the tower, so slick!) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...187&cm_re=lian-li_case-_-11-112-187-_-Product

The PSU I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018&cm_re=OCZ_psu-_-17-341-018-_-Product

As far as other comments go, Antec makes decent airflow cases, but they're not high end by any means. They have zero options for smaller drives to be installed in the front panels, and all of their stuff is either cheaply made or looks like a "gamer's box." I have an Antec 300 sitting next to me as we speak, and it's ok, but it's no Lian-li.

And AMD is where it's at. Cheaper price per performance over Intel by far. No reason a Processor should cost more than 300 bucks. As well, Upgrade your video card. The 4670 is good (I have on now), but the 4890 will make a HUGE difference and be around a lot longer than the 4670 as the 4670 is pretty low end. AMD/ATI just released the 5000 series cards and they are phenomenal.
 
Onizuka said:
Gigabyte is alright, but I'd go with an MSI board and a higher end CPU. Even if you only get a dual core, you can get a AMD Phenom X3 720 (that's a triple core) for 20 bucks more than what you have listed. The board I will be getting soon is an MSI board with OC and really easy to raid. Jsut as well, Lian Li makes very nice cases.
Click to expand...

I think the quadcore will perform better for my needs, and is less expensive.

Also, I dont really need OC mobo or ram right now.

windels said:
well, I recently stumbled upon this. I don't know if you find it interesting, but I did. maybe some people here have experience with it :


http://www.art-studios.net/goods/87
Click to expand...

Not sure what this thing has to do with my thread, or what it does?? Looks scamish.
 
A higher clocked Athlon II X3 435 + 785G would be more well rounded. I'd live off the 785G until the HD 5600 Series is out. The 785G overclocks quite nicely as well.
 
some other poster mentioned a hackintosh. and this could be helpfull for that. but, if you are just going to instal linux or windows, than, indeed, my point was useless. but I don't think it's a scam. you can find some youtube clips and all.. + it already exists a few years.
 
Due to some good suggestions, here is my latest improved PC build plan.(changes are ram and mobo):

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W............................................................ $69.99

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core.... $99

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GMT-UD2H AM3 AMD 785G Mobo.................... $89.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM............. $55.99

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600................ $93.99

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W Power Supply........................ $49.98

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive.................................. $31.99

Windows 7............................................................................... $104.99

Total....................................................................................... $595.92
 
Eidorian said:
A higher clocked Athlon II X3 435 + 785G would be more well rounded. I'd live off the 785G until the HD 5600 Series is out. The 785G overclocks quite nicely as well.
Click to expand...

I still just dont see the need for a higher clocked with less cores. I really think if anything I will need more on the side of multitasking. But everyone keeps recommending that for some reason?

windels said:
some other poster mentioned a hackintosh. and this could be helpfull for that. but, if you are just going to instal linux or windows, than, indeed, my point was useless. but I don't think it's a scam. you can find some youtube clips and all.. + it already exists a few years.
Click to expand...

Oh ok. Yeah, I was thinking about hackintosh, but if it doesnt work with AMD, im fine not doing it.
 
Rob587 said:
I still just dont see the need for a higher clocked with less cores. I really think if anything I will need more on the side of multitasking. But everyone keeps recommending that for some reason?
Click to expand...
It's a better value overall with the additional base stock clock speed. Also the majority of X4 parts are being sold as X3 ones due to the popularity. Unlocking the fourth core isn't that hard. The ASUS board I suggested excels are core unlocking and has a highly overclockable IGP with 128 MB of DDR3 sideport RAM.
 
Eidorian said:
It's a better value overall with the additional base stock clock speed. Also the majority of X4 parts are being sold as X3 ones due to the popularity. Unlocking the fourth core isn't that hard. The ASUS board I suggested excels are core unlocking and has a highly overclockable IGP with 128 MB of DDR3 sideport RAM.
Click to expand...

hmmm.... now your really making me think about the x3 2.9ghz. :confused:
 
Your hard drive and DVD drives are a tad bit expensive.

Wait till Black Friday, and I'm sure you can get a WD 1TB for around $60, that would make the 500GB around $45 at most.

The DVD drive..shouldn't really be more than $25 at most.
 
wywern209 said:
i would go fora coolermaster case, the storm scout has plenty of airflow if that is what your looking for.
Click to expand...

I really like the Lancool k58 and think im gonna stick with it.

But im still having trouble deciding between the AMD Triple Core 2.9Ghz or the AMD Quad core 2.5Ghz. Everyone on here seems to be recommending the Triple Core, but its benchmarks are lower and it costs about $10 less. So to me it still seems like the inferior chip.

fireshot91 said:
Your hard drive and DVD drives are a tad bit expensive.

Wait till Black Friday, and I'm sure you can get a WD 1TB for around $60, that would make the 500GB around $45 at most.

The DVD drive..shouldn't really be more than $25 at most.
Click to expand...

Yea, great advice. Im going to be all over it on Friday. Thanks.
 
Actually, now that I think about it, would it not be cheaper to get a refurb HP or Dell or something? Better bang for your buck. Those Windows installation CDs really get you:eek:
 
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