A new computer for me? Please comment on these parts.

[raildogg]

Hi, I have not upgraded since November 2005 and haven't really followed the computer industry since, but I believe this is the time. I plan to spend no more than $750 and I plan to use some parts from my old computer. I will game a little and have a 23" monitor.

I lack current knowledge in the best value for your buck parts. After a quick reading, I have assembled the following parts:

- Intel Core i3-540 Clarkdale 3.06GHz

- Intel BOXDH55TC LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

- Crucial 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT3KIT25664BA1067

- SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5

- Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB

- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full

- LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58 Black CECC Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case


All of these parts are from Newegg.


I will use the following parts from my old computer:

- Seasonic 500W Power Supply

- DVD and DVD RW drives

So basically, this is more of a question as to weather all of these parts will work well together than a "rate my rig". My main concern is weather the memory and the motherboard will function properly together.

Here's a link to the motherboard:
http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/DH55TC/DH55TC-overview.htm

Thanks for reading.

 

[Sp12]

I think you should be considering an AMD Athlon 2 X4 system with a 460 1GB. It would deliver a better game experience, as well as a likely better desktop experience.

Additionally, that ram is a triple channel kit, while only X58 is triple channel. Using that would force your mem. controller to work in 2+1 mode, which is bad for performance. I'd be looking at a 4GB kit with 2x2gb.

Do you plan to OC?

 

[lambchops511]

drop the tripple channel memory. go for the GTX 460 .. its only a few bux more and well worth it from all the benchmarks i can see =)

 

[raildogg]

Thank you for the replies.

Will the Athlon X2 deliver more performance for the buck? I think I should look up some reviews to consider purchasing it.

I will need a value priced motherboard to go along with that processor.

I will drop the triple thread and go for 2x2GB.

I don't plan to OC. I just want stable performance.

Yes, I've read the reviews on the 460 and it looks very tempting. That was one of my choices but I felt that since I am not that hardcore of a gamer, the Radeon 5770 would suffice. Are the sizes of the 5770 and Geforce 460 similar? But I am leaning towards the 460 right now.

Also, do you think the Seasonic 500W power supply I have from my 5 year old system capable of running this computer with either the 5770 or 460?

Are the rest of the components decent?

Thanks again.

 

[lambchops511]

+1 to GTX 460

 

[mfenn]

Thank you for the replies.

Will the Athlon X2 deliver more performance for the buck? I think I should look up some reviews to consider purchasing it.

I will need a value priced motherboard to go along with that processor.

I will drop the triple thread and go for 2x2GB.

I don't plan to OC. I just want stable performance.

Yes, I've read the reviews on the 460 and it looks very tempting. That was one of my choices but I felt that since I am not that hardcore of a gamer, the Radeon 5770 would suffice. Are the sizes of the 5770 and Geforce 460 similar? But I am leaning towards the 460 right now.

Also, do you think the Seasonic 500W power supply I have from my 5 year old system capable of running this computer with either the 5770 or 460?

Are the rest of the components decent?

Thanks again.

Athlon II X4, not Athlon X2.

A 5 year old Seasonic 500W might be OK, but it's power distribution is probably biased towards the 3.3V and 5V. This is a problem because modern GPUs draw mostly off of the 12V. A modern 500W will be biased towards the 12V and thus be OK.

Look at the sticker and tell us how many amps it puts out on each rail. That'll give us a better idea of how it's providing power.

 

[Davidh373]

Go with the Athlon II x4, 4GB ram, and the 460. AM3 boards are fairly cheap as well. My grandma's computer has an Athlon II X4 (much more than she'll ever use but it's fast and it was a bargain). Her's runs off the 500w psu that came with her Apevia. You however are going to have a dedicated graphics card, which will draw more power. I think you may want to replace it because of it's age, but not because of it's output. (Kinda an echo of everyone else, but hey...)

 

[heyheybooboo]

Phenom 955BE / Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H: $275

Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333: $94

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB: $155 (before $15 rebate)

Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB: $55


With your case & OS should come out right at $750 before rebate. Re-using your PSU should probably be looked as a 'temporary' solution -- you don't want a problem to leap up and bite you. The Corsair 650TX is $64 w/promo code EMCYWYP25 after $20 rebate.




--

 

[Sp12]

I'd rather have the Athlon X4 and a 460 than the Phenom X4 and a 5770.

If you're going to go overboard with the CPU, then this X6 combo is only 30$ and therefore a better value than the Phenom X4, but still behind the Athlon x4.

 

[raildogg]

Thanks for the replies.

I am leaning towards the Intel i3 series because of the following article but not sure about whether the 540 is worth the price over the 530.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-core-i3-athlon-ii,2666.html

I understand that posting the above mentioned website might get me in some kind of trouble

If anyone feels strongly that I should get the Athlon II X4 over the i3 please let me know. I haven't found a price advantage for the Athlon II X4 either. I would love to know the reason why the Athlon is being strongly recommended, though.

I will get the 2x2GB as recommended.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the replies.

I am leaning towards the Intel i3 series because of the following article but not sure about whether the 540 is worth the price over the 530.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-core-i3-athlon-ii,2666.html

I understand that posting the above mentioned website might get me in some kind of trouble

If anyone feels strongly that I should get the Athlon II X4 over the i3 please let me know. I haven't found a price advantage for the Athlon II X4 either. I would love to know the reason why the Athlon is being strongly recommended, though.

I will get the 2x2GB as recommended.

Huh? The Athlon II X4 635 goes for $100 whereas the 530 is $109 and the 540 is $125. The total platform cost of the Athlon II is also cheaper.

I looked at the charts in the review and except for WiC, the Athlon II X4 is pretty much even with the 530. They're close enough that any advantage given by the 530 would be erased by GPU-limitation on a 5770 or GTX 460 at 1080P.

Add the equivalent performance in games, better multitasking performance of the Athlon II X4, and the lower total cost of the AMD platform, and it's a no-brainer IMHO.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I'd rather have the Athlon X4 and a 460 than the Phenom X4 and a 5770.

But with that said the Phenomn II X4 combined with the 470 is a better choice than the Athlon II X4 and the 470.....

 

[Davidh373]

Thanks for the replies.

I am leaning towards the Intel i3 series because of the following article but not sure about whether the 540 is worth the price over the 530.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-core-i3-athlon-ii,2666.html

I understand that posting the above mentioned website might get me in some kind of trouble

If anyone feels strongly that I should get the Athlon II X4 over the i3 please let me know. I haven't found a price advantage for the Athlon II X4 either. I would love to know the reason why the Athlon is being strongly recommended, though.

I will get the 2x2GB as recommended.

I feel quite strongly that the i3 is a dual core, whether it emulates 4 cores or not doesn't matter. It physically has two cores, and it's at the lowest end of intels current line (excluding the outrageously priced 1156 pentium D). Quad core (like mfenn said) will multi-task much more smoothly than your alternative. Benchmarks also put the two fairly close in performance for games. Dual core is on it's way out. Sure, you may see on occasion people wanting to save cash so they'll overclock a dual to like 5 or 6Ghz so they can play current games, but this is a rarity, and is also very hot and unstable.

 

[raildogg]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I have come to the conclusion that the AMD Athlon II X4 offers very good performance for the price. I also have been considering the Phenom II X4 but I can't justify the price.

I need some advice as to which RAM might be sufficient.

The graphics card that I'm leaning toward right now is the Geforce 460 as was suggested but I'm not a hardcore gamer so the Radeon 5770 is also an option. Since I'm not a huge gamer, I would rather not get a big graphics card that consumes a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.

I am probably not going to go with the Lian Li case which I mentioned in the OP. I like the Antec Sonata - the design and the included power supply. What do you think about it?

Also, this seems to be a new case from Antec with a included 450W power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129089

Looks like an alternative to the Sonata.

As for the motherboard, the Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H costs almost $140, which is a bit much for a mainstream motherboard that I need.

I have found this combo deal on Newegg and it looks very tempting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103882

AMD Athlon II X4 635 Propus 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

BIOSTAR A770E AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

Total price of $143.98

I have not really read much about this motherboard. What are the cons do you see about it?

What do you guys feel about the changes?

 

[heyheybooboo]

The deal with the 890GX-sb850 chipset is the likelihood that Gigabyte will release a BIOS update to support BD Zambezi. Sorry about the 'premium' in cost but it's worth it for the potential upgrade path (and it's an AM3 mobo).

The Biostar requires DDR2 (AM2+) BUT it so happens that AMD AM3 CPUs have both DDR2/DDR3 memory controllers. A BIOS update ain't gonna happen with the Biostar AM2+ 770/sb710, and BD Zambezi will only have a DDR3 controller at 1866MHz (which the GB 890GX just so happens to have qualified).

There are no guarantees, of course, but the Magic 8-Ball sez, "Chances are Good!"



-

 

[mfenn]

Thanks everyone for the help.

I have come to the conclusion that the AMD Athlon II X4 offers very good performance for the price. I also have been considering the Phenom II X4 but I can't justify the price.

I need some advice as to which RAM might be sufficient.

The graphics card that I'm leaning toward right now is the Geforce 460 as was suggested but I'm not a hardcore gamer so the Radeon 5770 is also an option. Since I'm not a huge gamer, I would rather not get a big graphics card that consumes a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.

I am probably not going to go with the Lian Li case which I mentioned in the OP. I like the Antec Sonata - the design and the included power supply. What do you think about it?

Also, this seems to be a new case from Antec with a included 450W power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129089

Looks like an alternative to the Sonata.

As for the motherboard, the Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H costs almost $140, which is a bit much for a mainstream motherboard that I need.

I have found this combo deal on Newegg and it looks very tempting:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103882

AMD Athlon II X4 635 Propus 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

BIOSTAR A770E AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

Total price of $143.98

I have not really read much about this motherboard. What are the cons do you see about it?

What do you guys feel about the changes?

I don't really like Biostar unless you're really digging under the couch for pennies. They just cut some corners that should not be cut WRT to the electrical components on the board.

Something like this combo is only a bit more and gets you a better build quality, the newer chipset (for the reasons booboo mentioned), USB 3.0, and SATA 6Gb/s.

The power supply that comes with that Antec should be sufficient for a 5770. Here's a pretty good deal (AR) on a 5770.

 

[raildogg]

You guys are again right and I am once again going to change my position and will not consider the Biostar. The processor I am set on - the Athlon II X4 635 but I'm having difficulty with a motherboard.

The key question is whether the 880 series of motherboards will serve me well or do I really need to go with the newer 890 series. The motherboard suggested by mfenn looks like a solid Asus board. I have found this Gigabyte with the 880 series model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128444


I just don't want to spend $140 for a motherboard since I'm not what is generally considered a hardcore computer user. The price range for a motherboard I would like is generally around $90-$115. I am an average gamer and internet user who wants a stable computer.

I know a few years ago you had to have the right RAM for the right motherboard but I'm not so sure now. Can I just grab any DD3 RAM and stick it in the motherboard? What would you recommend.

Sorry for being difficult.

 

[Davidh373]

You guys are again right and I am once again going to change my position and will not consider the Biostar. The processor I am set on - the Athlon II X4 635 but I'm having difficulty with a motherboard.

The key question is whether the 880 series of motherboards will serve me well or do I really need to go with the newer 890 series. The motherboard suggested by mfenn looks like a solid Asus board. I have found this Gigabyte with the 880 series model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128444


I just don't want to spend $140 for a motherboard since I'm not what is generally considered a hardcore computer user. The price range for a motherboard I would like is generally around $90-$115. I am an average gamer and internet user who wants a stable computer.

I know a few years ago you had to have the right RAM for the right motherboard but I'm not so sure now. Can I just grab any DD3 RAM and stick it in the motherboard? What would you recommend.

Sorry for being difficult.

You're not at all as difficult as some. You will need to match memory speed to the board. DDR3 1333 works with most of the new AM3 boards. If you don't feel up to posting the board you choose to have it checked you can always click the "Specifications" tab on newegg and see "Memory Supported".

 

[heyheybooboo]

You guys are again right and I am once again going to change my position and will not consider the Biostar. The processor I am set on - the Athlon II X4 635 but I'm having difficulty with a motherboard.

The key question is whether the 880 series of motherboards will serve me well or do I really need to go with the newer 890 series. The motherboard suggested by mfenn looks like a solid Asus board. I have found this Gigabyte with the 880 series model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128444


I just don't want to spend $140 for a motherboard since I'm not what is generally considered a hardcore computer user. The price range for a motherboard I would like is generally around $90-$115. I am an average gamer and internet user who wants a stable computer.

I know a few years ago you had to have the right RAM for the right motherboard but I'm not so sure now. Can I just grab any DD3 RAM and stick it in the motherboard? What would you recommend.

Sorry for being difficult.

No worries, mate. Hope we helped get your mind around everything.

The 880 chipset will be dandy and Gigabyte makes solid stuff. It is possible that the 880 will be qualified by GB for BD Zambezi - they've been great with BIOS updates for compatibility in the past (they updated my AM2+ 785g for the x6 Thuban as an example).

I believe this Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 is on the GB QVL list for that 880 mobo.




--

 

[mfenn]

You guys are again right and I am once again going to change my position and will not consider the Biostar. The processor I am set on - the Athlon II X4 635 but I'm having difficulty with a motherboard.

The key question is whether the 880 series of motherboards will serve me well or do I really need to go with the newer 890 series. The motherboard suggested by mfenn looks like a solid Asus board. I have found this Gigabyte with the 880 series model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128444


I just don't want to spend $140 for a motherboard since I'm not what is generally considered a hardcore computer user. The price range for a motherboard I would like is generally around $90-$115. I am an average gamer and internet user who wants a stable computer.

I know a few years ago you had to have the right RAM for the right motherboard but I'm not so sure now. Can I just grab any DD3 RAM and stick it in the motherboard? What would you recommend.

Sorry for being difficult.

You're not being difficult at all.

That Gigabyte board is fine, but it is pretty much equivalent to the ASUS that I suggested, only without the combo discount. After the combo discount, you're really only paying $88 for the mobo. The 880G will work just fine. In fact, the 870 would probably be better (cheaper), but I didn't see any good combo deals on an 870 board.

As for RAM, yes pretty much any (non-OCZ) DDR3 will work, but you can always play it safe by looking up the memory QVL and picking a kit from it.

 

[raildogg]

So I think it is getting closer to order time, guys

There was a combo deal with the Gigabyte 890GX motherboard and Crucial RAM - so I guess it looks like I will be getting this motherboard after all . Here is the link to the RAM. Do you guys like it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.453742

I will post what I have added to the cart and will ask questions below:

Case: Antec Sonata III/w included 500W Earthwatts power supply
Graphics: Not decided yet
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX
Ram: Crucial 4GB(2x2GB)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 640
Hd: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB
OS: Windows 7
Dvd: Lite On SATA DVD Burner

I am leaning towards the Radeon 5770 1GB because it performs similarly to the Geforce 460 GTX 768MB. If I were to move up to the 1GB version of the 460 GTX then there would be a big difference but that card costs almost $230. I was looking at the 5750 but since I have a 23' monitor, it would probably be better to get a better GPU.

I came across this card from XFX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150462

Not exactly sure which brand to choose.

I decided to go with the Athlon II X4 640 over the 635 because it was only $7 more.

My main concern is that the graphics card needs to fit in the Sonata III and be working properly with the included 500W power supply. I can always go with a different case and power supply but for some strange reason, I happen to like the Sonata. Unless there is something with the case and PSU that I don't know about, I would like to keep the Sonata.

How is this new list looking?

Thanks.

 

[mfenn]

I'm still not seeing the value in that 890GX board when you could get something like this for $40 less. That's the difference in cost between a GTX 460 768MB and a GTX 460 1GB right there.

As for GPU, if you decide to go with the 5770 after all, then XFX is always a good brand.

The Sonata's 500W PSU should be fine for a 5770, but would be cutting it close with a GTX 460.

Also, the WD Blue 500GB is not a great value compared to the F3 1TB.

 

[VirtualLarry]

and BD Zambezi will only have a DDR3 controller at 1866MHz (which the GB 890GX just so happens to have qualified).

Has this been confirmed anywhere, that BD AM3 will be DDR3-only?

 

[Sp12]

Has this been confirmed anywhere, that BD AM3 will be DDR3-only?

Yep, seeing as it's not AM2/Am2+ compatible it would have to be AM3 and therefore DDR3.

 

[raildogg]

That Gigabyte 870 looks very nice and from looking at the specs, the only difference is that it is older and lacks onboard video. It is a good value as well. So basically, it is a cheaper motherboard but just as future proof as the 890 model. I don't really have a need for onboard video so this board would be good for me.

My reasoning behind the Radeon 5770 is that it seems a bit smaller in size compared to the 460 GTX, is cheaper and will probably draw less power. Plus I'm not a big gamer. But if there is a good deal on this board, then I may consider it.

As for the OS, which of Windows 7 versions would be well suited?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Id=1&name=Home

I think the first one will be the most suitable since all that is needed is the CD.

Thanks.