Budget AMD Build - Advice requested!

[gregoryvg]

Okay, please review the below build. If you see anything I can get that's better for about the same (or less) money please mention it. Also mention any ways I can save some money off this build.

This will be the first time building my own PC from scratch, so any advice on things to look out for or possible problems with my components would be great. For instance, is some OEM part doesn't include a cable I would need, please mention it.

I am most concerned about the Motherboard, I really have no clue what would be the best value board for an AMD Athlon II x3 455 Rana.

Thanks!


Motherboard: ASRock 760GM-GS3 AM3 AMD 760G - $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157215

Case: Antec Three Hundred - $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129066

Hard Drive: WD Caviar Black 640GB - Bare Drive - $69.99 (What does "Bare Drive" mean?)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136544

Videocard: Palit GTS 450 1GB - $104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814261079

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 430W ATX - $43.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153023

RAM: G.Skill Value 8GB (2x4gb) - $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231422

CPU: AMD Athlon II x3 455 Rana Socket AM3 - $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231422

O/S: MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64- Bit - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754

Total Cost: $613.92

 

[MisterDonut]

Bump the CPU to a 640 propus and gpu to a 460 1gb. Go with a more reputable psu maker like antec Or corsair. Wattage is fine. Bare drive means that its the hdd only and no cables etc. 4gb should be enough unless you do a lot of photo and video editing. 1333 is good for nonoverclocking, 1600 otherwise. I assume this is for gaming? Btw...the iPod touch sucks for this kind of typing.....

also, the motherboard is fine. asrock is a good brand and should come with the sata cables for your hdd. the 640 black is a little outdated. look for a samsung f3 500gb or 1tb.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Not bad, but we can do a little better. You didn't mention what this build is going to be used for, though. If it's just web browsing you can save money by sticking with integrated graphics. As you put in a discrete card I'll assume that you want to do some gaming and put in the best one I can.
8GB RAM is a little overkill for general use. Did you put that in because your motherboard only has 2 slots, or do you do something like image editing which can eat up RAM?

Build to follow...

 

[DominionSeraph]

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...3-HD502HJ-500GB-SATA2-7200rpm-16MB-Hard-Drive

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...namitedata.com

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103846

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.571731

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...483.11-133-094

For some reason I was feeling the Phenom II X2 over the Athlon II X3 450. It's a better gaming processor and I got the "budget gaming" vibe off OP's post.

Phenom II X2 555/Biostar 880GB+, 4GB 1.5V DDR3 1333 (2x2GB), 1GB GTX 460, 500GB Spinpoint F3, Earthwatts 650W (Overkill, but I wouldn't trust the 380W if the Phenom unlocks to a quad with the GTX 460, and the 650W is the same price as the 500W), Thermaltake V3 case, Win 7 64.

$598.94 with $45 in MIR.

 

[gregoryvg]

Bump the CPU to a 640 propus and gpu to a 460 1gb. Go with a more reputable psu maker like antec Or corsair. Wattage is fine. Bare drive means that its the hdd only and no cables etc. 4gb should be enough unless you do a lot of photo and video editing. 1333 is good for nonoverclocking, 1600 otherwise. I assume this is for gaming? Btw...the iPod touch sucks for this kind of typing.....

also, the motherboard is fine. asrock is a good brand and should come with the sata cables for your hdd. the 640 black is a little outdated. look for a samsung f3 500gb or 1tb.

Thank you for the advice, I'll look into the CPU, Video Card and Hard Drives you mentioned and see if they can fit into my budget. I don't know exactly what the AMD 640 is (I will look it up), but the reason I picked the 455 was for two reasons: 1) since most games are ports of consoles three cores should be pretty good, and 2) I hear it's easy to unlock the fourth core on these, providing your MB has the ability. Which reminds me, I'll have to find out if the ASRock MB can unlock the 4th.

I hate all Apple products so no worries about the iPod, lol.

Yes, this is a primarly budget gaming machine.

 

[gregoryvg]

Not bad, but we can do a little better. You didn't mention what this build is going to be used for, though. If it's just web browsing you can save money by sticking with integrated graphics. As you put in a discrete card I'll assume that you want to do some gaming and put in the best one I can.
8GB RAM is a little overkill for general use. Did you put that in because your motherboard only has 2 slots, or do you do something like image editing which can eat up RAM?

Build to follow...

Quiet perceptive. Yes, the 8GB RAM was because the ASRock board I might be using only has 2 slots. Do you think 4GB would be more than adequate? That would save me a bit of money.

And yes, this is a budget gaming machine. I'll check out the links in your next post.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[Axon]

Do you have a microcenter near your home? They have a really nice deal on a CPU/MoBo combo; it's more or less a free motherboard: http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html

 

[DominionSeraph]

Quiet perceptive. Yes, the 8GB RAM was because the ASRock board I might be using only has 2 slots. Do you think 4GB would be more than adequate? That would save me a bit of money.

4GB would be enough. And it certainly saves you money when 4GB of $42 RAM is in a $20 off combo with a $65 motherboard.
And that mobo has 4 ram slots too.


And I did go budget with this case above:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...483.11-129-042

As I specced you an Earthwatts 650W PSU, you might want to spend the extra $15 after rebate to get the Antec 300. That combo of case + PSU might last you the next 15 years.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...483.11-133-094

 

[gregoryvg]

Do you have a microcenter near your home? They have a really nice deal on a CPU/MoBo combo; it's more or less a free motherboard: http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html

Dangit, that is like getting a free motherboard. Nice. There is not one close to me but it looks like I can order online. Very interesting.

Edit: Looks like you can't order the deal from Microcenter, and no location very close.

 

[mfenn]

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...3-HD502HJ-500GB-SATA2-7200rpm-16MB-Hard-Drive

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...namitedata.com

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371015

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103846

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.571731

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...483.11-133-094

For some reason I was feeling the Phenom II X2 over the Athlon II X3 450. It's a better gaming processor and I got the "budget gaming" vibe off OP's post.

Phenom II X2 555/Biostar 880GB+, 4GB 1.5V DDR3 1333 (2x2GB), 1GB GTX 460, 500GB Spinpoint F3, Earthwatts 650W (Overkill, but I wouldn't trust the 380W if the Phenom unlocks to a quad with the GTX 460, and the 650W is the same price as the 500W), Thermaltake V3 case, Win 7 64.

$598.94 with $45 in MIR.

Looks good, though I think the Athlon II 640 (combo) is also a viable contender. The 555 vs. 640 benchmarks really come down to how multithreaded the game is. The better multithreaded (DA:O for instance) the more likely the 640 is to pull ahead. Since the trend is going to be towards more multithreading, the 640 will hold up better over the long run (unlocking notwithstanding of course).

Dangit, that is like getting a free motherboard. Nice. There is not one close to me but it looks like I can order online. Very interesting.

Edit: Looks like you can't order the deal from Microcenter, and no location very close.

Yeah, the good deals are instore only.

Also, most motherboards come with at least 2 SATA cables, so you will be fine if you get bare drives for the HDD and optical drive.

 

[gregoryvg]

Think I am getting somewhere. Thanks for showing me those combo deals from Amazon. I now have a build that clocks in at $519.85 and I think a pretty good budget system.

Hard Drive: WD Caviar Black - $69.99. I like the size of this drive for the price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136544

Video Card: Palit GeForce GTS 450 O/C - $109.99. I checked out the 460, but I like the price/performance tradeoff here. I did up to the overclock version of this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814261080

PSU: Antec Basic 430 - $39.95. A nice size power suppy for my modest system. Should have no problem I would think with everything. <- Probably the one thing I am most likely to bump up.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371023

RAM: Kingston 4GB 40Pin DDR3 - $44.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134718

CPU: AMD Athlon II x3 450 - $104.99. Combo with the MB below. I like the price and the ability to unlock a possible 4th core. Close call with the (I think 4 core 640), but price won out for me.
MB: Biostar MCP6P3 AMD3 - Comes with the CPU. Decent budget board, only downfall is only 2 RAM slots.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.566264

Case: ANTEC Three Hundred - $149.94 Combo deal w/windows 7, thanks for the link to this.
OS: MS Windows 7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...483.11-129-042

Total: $519.85

Gonna stew on this overnight. I think I'm pretty satisfied with the tradeoffs I am making and am pretty happy with it.

 

[DominionSeraph]

Hard Drive: WD Caviar Black - $69.99. I like the size of this drive for the price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136544

The 500GB Spinpoint F3 is 11.11GB/$. The 640GB WD is only 9.1GB/$. It is also only 320GB platters vs the Spinpoint F3's 500GB platters. (Higher areal density = faster)
But if you wanted more size than 500GB, I can do that.

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-F3-HD103SJ-1TB-SATA2-7200rpm-32MB-Hard-Drive

1TB for $60. 16.67GB/$.

Video Card: Palit GeForce GTS 450 O/C - $109.99. I checked out the 460, but I like the price/performance tradeoff here. I did up to the overclock version of this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814261080

5770 would be a bit better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-338-_-Product

CPU: AMD Athlon II x3 450 - $104.99. Combo with the MB below. I like the price and the ability to unlock a possible 4th core. Close call with the (I think 4 core 640), but price won out for me.
MB: Biostar MCP6P3 AMD3 - Comes with the CPU. Decent budget board, only downfall is only 2 RAM slots.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.566264

That motherboard does not support unlocking. It does not have PCIe 2.0. It's 1000MHz Hypertransport, not 2600MHz.
If you like unlocking, the Phenom would be the better choice. It has two chances to unlock a core vs 1, and a Phenom X3 would be better than an Athlon II X4 for gaming. A Phenom X4 would be better than an Athlon II X4 for everything.
And it's a Black Edition meaning overclocking is as easy as upping the multiplier. No messing around with FSB and memory dividers.

 

[mfenn]

I agree with Dominion's advice, though I think that the X4 640 would be fine. Additionally, you'll probably want to at least get DDR3 1333, especially since this G.Skill kit is less expensive than the Kingston that you had picked out.

 

[gregoryvg]

The 500GB Spinpoint F3 is 11.11GB/$. The 640GB WD is only 9.1GB/$. It is also only 320GB platters vs the Spinpoint F3's 500GB platters. (Higher areal density = faster)
But if you wanted more size than 500GB, I can do that.

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...-F3-HD103SJ-1TB-SATA2-7200rpm-32MB-Hard-Drive

1TB for $60. 16.67GB/$.

You make a compelling point and I believe put me in the right direction. On second look that Samsung is nice. Thanks.

5770 would be a bit better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-338-_-Product

Yes, the 5770 is a bit better, just a bit. But I am curious tho about PhysX. And since my monitor can only push 1600x900 I think I would have some room left over to play with that [PhysX]. Also I've gone ATI for my last couple video cards and kinda want to change it up this time.

That motherboard does not support unlocking. It does not have PCIe 2.0. It's 1000MHz Hypertransport, not 2600MHz.
If you like unlocking, the Phenom would be the better choice. It has two chances to unlock a core vs 1, and a Phenom X3 would be better than an Athlon II X4 for gaming. A Phenom X4 would be better than an Athlon II X4 for everything.
And it's a Black Edition meaning overclocking is as easy as upping the multiplier. No messing around with FSB and memory dividers.

Thanks! This is a big reason why I am posting here to get this kind of invaulable advice. I would have regretted getting this motherboard.

 

[gregoryvg]

The 555 vs. 640 benchmarks really come down to how multithreaded the game is. The better multithreaded (DA:O for instance) the more likely the 640 is to pull ahead. Since the trend is going to be towards more multithreading, the 640 will hold up better over the long run (unlocking notwithstanding of course).

I'll have to look at the mentioned Phenom X2, but multithreading is a big reason why I am upgrading and want at least an x3. It seems like any game that was programmed for the XBOX 360 really needs a 3 core PC to run properly. For intance I am playing Split Second on my current rig (Athlon X2 4450e @ stock speed which is I think around 2.2Ghz, 3GB RAM and an ATI 4670) and it's pretty much fine for most of the game but there are sections where the game brings my pc to it's knees and the game literaly pauses for a few seconds while it's trying to compute everything going on. Not upgrading just for that game but I see the writing on the wall. I'm also getting Civ V and that is also (I hear) a CPU monster.

However, it seems like most x2 and x3 CPU's have a chance of unlocking an extra core or two or even L3 RAM in some cases. I think I'd avoid the Phenom X2 unless there is a very high liklihood of unlocking at least an extra core. But I'll have to look into it and read what others have experienced.

 

[gregoryvg]

I agree with Dominion's advice, though I think that the X4 640 would be fine. Additionally, you'll probably want to at least get DDR3 1333, especially since this G.Skill kit is less expensive than the Kingston that you had picked out.

What would be the difference between the X4 640 and the X3 455 if I were able to unlock the 455 to 4 cores? The 455 runs at 3.3Ghz stock while the 640 only runs at 3.0Ghz, so wouldn't the 455 be better if I could unlock that 4th core? Of course whatever I get it would be nice to overclock it higher though I might need to get a new heatsink/fan combo, which I could always do after I've had the CPU for a little while.

 

[mfenn]

Yes, the 5770 is a bit better, just a bit. But I am curious tho about PhysX. And since my monitor can only push 1600x900 I think I would have some room left over to play with that [PhysX]. Also I've gone ATI for my last couple video cards and kinda want to change it up this time.

Hardware PhysX is pointless in general, and even more pointless on a low-end card. You will not be able to get acceptable framerates.

What would be the difference between the X4 640 and the X3 455 if I were able to unlock the 455 to 4 cores? The 455 runs at 3.3Ghz stock while the 640 only runs at 3.0Ghz, so wouldn't the 455 be better if I could unlock that 4th core? Of course whatever I get it would be nice to overclock it higher though I might need to get a new heatsink/fan combo, which I could always do after I've had the CPU for a little while.

An Athlon II X3 with the 4th core unlocked is an Athlon II X4 for all intents and purposes. So yes, a 3.3GHz X4 is faster than a 3.0GHz one. That being said, if you think that you will be disappointed if your unlock fails, just buy the X4. The core is not guaranteed to unlock.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I'll have to look at the mentioned Phenom X2, but multithreading is a big reason why I am upgrading and want at least an x3. It seems like any game that was programmed for the XBOX 360 really needs a 3 core PC to run properly. For intance I am playing Split Second on my current rig (Athlon X2 4450e @ stock speed which is I think around 2.2Ghz, 3GB RAM and an ATI 4670) and it's pretty much fine for most of the game but there are sections where the game brings my pc to it's knees and the game literaly pauses for a few seconds while it's trying to compute everything going on.

Well, that probably has something to do with the "e". I don't know what's up with those -- their specs seem to be the same as other Athlons -- but they seem to score badly.
You also seem to either have mismatched memory or are only in single-channel mode.

However, it seems like most x2 and x3 CPU's have a chance of unlocking an extra core or two or even L3 RAM in some cases. I think I'd avoid the Phenom X2 unless there is a very high liklihood of unlocking at least an extra core. But I'll have to look into it and read what others have experienced.

You could always get the Phenom II X3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-679-_-Product

Needs heat sink, though. Perhaps:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103057

That would put it at $99 after rebate.

So $20 more than the Athlon II X3 and you get a Phenom Black Edition with aftermarket heat sink.

 

[gregoryvg]

Well, that probably has something to do with the "e". I don't know what's up with those -- their specs seem to be the same as other Athlons -- but they seem to score badly.
You also seem to either have mismatched memory or are only in single-channel mode.

I figured the "e" part of the CPU was for energy efficiency, like maybe it tries to power down or go to one core when it's not detecting it's needed. My current PC is actually a COMPAQ that I got at Office Depot for like $299.99, I just added a HD 4670 and it's been pretty decent for the past couple years.

Link to my current PC:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...R1002_USEN#N67

The RAM came with the PC and I'm pretty sure it's using an AM2 motherboard. Why would you think my memory is mismatched or single-channel? Any way I can check on that?

You could always get the Phenom II X3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-679-_-Product

Needs heat sink, though. Perhaps:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103057

That would put it at $99 after rebate.

So $20 more than the Athlon II X3 and you get a Phenom Black Edition with aftermarket heat sink.

I did notice that earlier tonight and it might be the way to go since I want to overclock anyways and would need an after-market heatsink for that. Plus I would have at least the three cores and possibly a fourth.

 

[Davidh373]

the 640 black is a little outdated. look for a samsung f3 500gb or 1tb.

yes, please do, and take the rest of his advice as well.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I figured the "e" part of the CPU was for energy efficiency, like maybe it tries to power down or go to one core when it's not detecting it's needed.

It should just be a Brisbane binned to run at a lower VCORE. They all have Cool & Quiet, so they all clock down when under low loads. But every bench I've seen the e's bench badly. Maybe it's just because they're only put in crap ultra-budget prebuilts.

The RAM came with the PC and I'm pretty sure it's using an AM2 motherboard. Why would you think my memory is mismatched or single-channel? Any way I can check on that?

3GB RAM. <--- Unless you have two 1GB sticks and two 512MB (mismatched), you're not running in dual-channel mode.
You probably have three 1GB sticks. (single-channel)

CPU-Z will tell you under the memory tab.

You might want to try dropping down to 2GB to get dual-channel. My rig runs fine with 2GB.

 

[betasub]

3GB RAM. <--- Unless you have two 1GB sticks and two 512MB

A lot of OEM builds from a few years ago came with a 32-bit OS and 3GB RAM; yes, 2x 1GB plus 2x 512MB. Calling it mismatched makes it sound worse than it is: it should still run as dual-channel & (as you comment) be plenty for normal tasks.

 

[Davidh373]

I dunno if you trust amazon over superbiz. I hear superbiz is good and all, just never used 'em... Anyways, $60 Samsung Spinpoint

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpo...3647327&amp;sr=8-1

 

[gregoryvg]

3GB RAM. <--- Unless you have two 1GB sticks and two 512MB (mismatched), you're not running in dual-channel mode.
You probably have three 1GB sticks. (single-channel)

CPU-Z will tell you under the memory tab.

You might want to try dropping down to 2GB to get dual-channel. My rig runs fine with 2GB.

I just checked CPU-Z and it says I am running in single channel mode with two sticks of RAM, one 2 GB and the other 1 GB. I popped the hood and I only have two RAM slots, which are, of course, both full, so I don't think this MB even supports Dual-Channel. CPU-Z says the RAM is DDR2, PC2-6400 (400mhz). The mainboard is an ECS Iris8 which is an older AM2 motherboard and can only support up to an Athlon x2 4800, so not much room for an upgrade.

I got another PC I'm letting the younger son use, it's a Dell Inspiron 430, and even though it's nearly three years old it is much more upgradeable. Basically it can use up to any modern Core 2 dual core CPU's (as long as it can run on an 800mhz FSB), but no Quads unfortunately. So I think I'm going to switch PCs with my sons (my current one is actually more powerful than the one he is currently using, as-is) and upgrade the Dell to something like an E5700 (Pentium Dual Core @3.00Ghz) for like $79.99 at Newegg. Would that be a good upgrade from the current E2160 (1.8Ghz)? Also it's already got like 4GB of RAM so if I get Windows 7 for it, it'll be good to go, at least for another year or two. What do ya'll think?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116381

And of course I could upgrade the video card (currently using an HD 4670) to the newer 6670 when/if they come out.

 

[Davidh373]

I just checked CPU-Z and it says I am running in single channel mode with two sticks of RAM, one 2 GB and the other 1 GB. I popped the hood and I only have two RAM slots, which are, of course, both full, so I don't think this MB even supports Dual-Channel

Dual channel is only supported for 2 identical sticks (I believe) so swap that 1GB stick out with a nice 2GB stick and you'll be golden!

Basically it can use up to any modern Core 2 dual core CPU's (as long as it can run on an 800mhz FSB), but no Quads unfortunately.

Checking out one of them $300 4 year old Core 2 Duos ehh