Custom Build Comparable to this Prebuilt

[VirtualLarry]

Instead of Win7 OEM for $100, consider Win7 Family Pack (Home Premium) 3-user for $130 at Amazon.com.

Retail, which means that you can upgrade your rig/motherboard when the time comes, and re-use your OS. Plus you get three licenses instead of just one.

 

[mfenn]

Get this 955 + M4A87TD EVO combo for $240 instead. Saves you $30 and you won't need the 890GX's features.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Instead of Win7 OEM for $100, consider Win7 Family Pack (Home Premium) 3-user for $130 at Amazon.com.

Retail, which means that you can upgrade your rig/motherboard when the time comes, and re-use your OS. Plus you get three licenses instead of just one.

It's almost $300 from the Canadian Amazon... And other places it's about $100 per license, so I might as well just by the one. Thanks for trying to help me though. If that came across like I was a douche, then I'm sorry. It was a good suggestion, just doesn't work for Canada 🙂

Get this 955 + M4A87TD EVO combo for $240 instead. Saves you $30 and you won't need the 890GX's features.

Once again you come in and save me money and give me knowledge. Thanks so much. I'll revise the build again. It's coming in at under $800 :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

EDIT
Revised Build
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz
ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard ~ $239.98
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDe...t=Combo.532110

G.Skill 4GB DDR3 1333 ~ $70.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820231190

Zotac GTX 460 1GB ~ $191.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814500169

Samsung Spinpoint 500GB ~ $55.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822152181

LiteOn 24x DVD Drive ~ 19.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16827106289

Corsair CX430 ~ $49.49
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817139017

Antec Three Hundred Case ~ $59.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16811129042

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit ~ $99.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Shopping/Shoppi...82E16832116754

Subtotal: $788.41
Shipping: $33.82
Tax: $106.89
Total: $929.12

 

[ther00kie16]

After reading the reviews, I don't trust that Corsair psu anymore. It's not made by Seasonic anymore and not 80+ rated. Comments of sleeve bearing also is troublesome as I've had sleeve bearing case fans die after 3 years, which you don't want if it's going to be on continuously for use by your entire family.

You could save $40 by going with the AM2+ setup. Almost no difference in performance:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/80?vs=88

You don't need USB3 and SATA3 so that mb doesn't give you anything the AM2+ setup doesn't. And the AM2+ board has an igp, which is useful for troubleshooting and if you ever stop using it for gaming (save on power).

 

[Zap]

Still not sure what I'm going to do now. Any tips on building your first computer?

Invite over a friend who lives local to you and who has successfully built (hopefully many) computers. Bribe him with snacks/soda/food to stand by while you do the assembly.

I've found that someone who is mentored in this manner (in person, not on phone or online) tends to be better computer techs sooner.

After reading the reviews, I don't trust that Corsair psu anymore. It's not made by Seasonic anymore and not 80+ rated.

The CX430 (and higher wattage CX units) is causing a small furor in various forums right now because it is not up to the same levels as the other Corsair PSUs. Quality has nothing to do with Seasonic, nor 80Plus certification (not to say that there's anything bad about those).

Zawmbeez, for a GTX 460 I think you will need to find a PSU that supports the two 6-pin PCIe plugs it requires. This means you need to aim at the 500-600W range. A good 430W PSU should be able to support it, but manufacturers will probably not provide the required two plugs and you'll have to use an adapter. The Corsair CX430 is not considered a "good" PSU. It is not a "crap" one either. It is just rather... average?

 

[ther00kie16]

Zap, I forgot to mention the other fact that it only has 2 SATA power plugs so only 1 hd and optical. Better to go with a higher rated Corsair or an OCZ (modular too).

 

[jchu14]

for the same price (after shipping is calculated), you can get the original Corsair 400CX instead. I think either will be fine, but might as well get the Seasonic instead of the CWT.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Zap, I forgot to mention the other fact that it only has 2 SATA power plugs so only 1 hd and optical. Better to go with a higher rated Corsair or an OCZ (modular too).

Invite over a friend who lives local to you and who has successfully built (hopefully many) computers. Bribe him with snacks/soda/food to stand by while you do the assembly.

I've found that someone who is mentored in this manner (in person, not on phone or online) tends to be better computer techs sooner.



The CX430 (and higher wattage CX units) is causing a small furor in various forums right now because it is not up to the same levels as the other Corsair PSUs. Quality has nothing to do with Seasonic, nor 80Plus certification (not to say that there's anything bad about those).

Zawmbeez, for a GTX 460 I think you will need to find a PSU that supports the two 6-pin PCIe plugs it requires. This means you need to aim at the 500-600W range. A good 430W PSU should be able to support it, but manufacturers will probably not provide the required two plugs and you'll have to use an adapter. The Corsair CX430 is not considered a "good" PSU. It is not a "crap" one either. It is just rather... average?

Thanks for that. I've found a 650W Corsair with

PCI-Express Connector: 2 x 6+2-Pin

This is what I need right? It's a little more expensive, but I don't think I should skimp on what makes the computer run.


------------------------------------------------------------
The Build
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz
ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard ~ $239.98
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDe...t=Combo.532110

G.Skill 4GB DDR3 1333 ~ $70.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820231190

Zotac GTX 460 1GB ~ $191.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814500169

Samsung Spinpoint 500GB ~ $55.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822152181

LiteOn 24x DVD Drive ~ 19.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16827106289

Corsair CMPSU-650TX~ $99.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16811129042

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit ~ $99.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Shopping/Shoppi...82E16832116754

Subtotal: $838.91
Shipping: $31.82
Tax: $133.20
Total: $983.93
Rebates: $40

 

[mfenn]

Zap, I forgot to mention the other fact that it only has 2 SATA power plugs so only 1 hd and optical. Better to go with a higher rated Corsair or an OCZ (modular too).

Let's not put OCZ on the same level as Corsair here. Just kidding. 😀

While the 430CX may not be the absolute steal that the old 400CX was, it's a good basic PSU. Honestly rated, with an reasonable number of connectors. Most other $25 PSU's are downright dangerous, but the 430CX is fine for budget builds.

To the OP, if you can fit the 650TX in the budget, go for it. I'd also consider the 6850. It has performance in between the 768MB and 1GB GTX 460's, but has a lower power draw than either, and thus would be fine with the 430CX. The reasonably-priced ones are OOS right now, but Newegg expects to have some back in stock this week. You can also check other retailers, Newegg tends to sell out quickly.

 

[Zawmbeez]

But doesn't that 6850 require the 2x6 PCI-E connecter? The 430CX doesn't have that. At least that's what I got from ther00kie's post...

Out of curiosity, could someone do a dual core build for me? I need it to be a decent amount cheaper then the current 955 build. The builds I throw together come out only a bit cheaper :S I'd still like to have the 460/6850 in it though. I'd also rather not have it be an Athlon II.

 

[mfenn]

But doesn't that 6850 require the 2x6 PCI-E connecter? The 430CX doesn't have that. At least that's what I got from ther00kie's post...

No, an advantage of the 6850 over the GTX 460 is that it only requires a single PCIe power connector.

Out of curiosity, could someone do a dual core build for me? I need it to be a decent amount cheaper then the current 955 build. The builds I throw together come out only a bit cheaper :S I'd still like to have the 460/6850 in it though. I'd also rather not have it be an Athlon II.

Just don't. If you need to save some money, get an Athlon II X4.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Okay. That sounds good. I guess I'm going with the 6850 when ever it is back in stock.

I was curious. So I'm right, it won't save that much money? I'd rather not drop down the Athlon, because losing the L3 cache seems to have a significant affect on performance.

 

[mfenn]

Okay. That sounds good. I guess I'm going with the 6850 when ever it is back in stock.

I was curious. So I'm right, it won't save that much money? I'd rather not drop down the Athlon, because losing the L3 cache seems to have a significant affect on performance.

Going down to a Phenom II X2 or an Athlon II X4 (I'd rather have the Athlon) would only save you about $30. So no, I don't think either would be worth it.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Going down to a Phenom II X2 or an Athlon II X4 (I'd rather have the Athlon) would only save you about $30. So no, I don't think either would be worth it.

Yah. Thats what I figured too. So I'm sticking with the 955. Thanks again :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[jchu14]

Zap, I forgot to mention the other fact that it only has 2 SATA power plugs so only 1 hd and optical. Better to go with a higher rated Corsair or an OCZ (modular too).

Which review did you read that said that? Corsair's website says that it has 4 sata and 3 molex power connectors.

The 430CX may not be as good the old 400CX, but it's not a bad PSU by any means and good enough for OP's needs. All of the 1-star and 2-star reviews from Newegg are knocking the PSU's specs, not real bad experiences. CWT is a very solid OEM. All of the TXs besides 650watt and the 750-1000watt HXs are made by CWT.

But spec wise, it is worse than the old 400cx, but the 430cx is not nearly as bad people are making it out to be. If any other manufacturer made this psu, no one would be complaining. The uproar is so intense because it replaced the beloved 400cx.

OP, IMO the 430cx is still a solid choice for your build. The sleeve bearing is a bit worrying, but it should still last a very very long time. The rated life is 30,000 hrs, which is 3.5years of 24/7 usage at full speed. The fan will likely be running at less than max speed while your computer is idling, so the life span should be longer.

If you get the 400cx or the 430cx, you can still use the zotac 460. The 460 comes with an adapter that converts 4pin molex to 6 pin pci-express.

 

[Zap]

Out of curiosity, could someone do a dual core build for me? I need it to be a decent amount cheaper then the current 955 build. The builds I throw together come out only a bit cheaper :S I'd still like to have the 460/6850 in it though. I'd also rather not have it be an Athlon II.

You are suffering from feature creep.

The computer industry is filled with parts that are better for a few dollars more. If you follow that path, you will end up paying more (albeit with a better resulting computer) every time.

You need to do one of two things.

1) Face the realities of your desires and increase your budget as much as you need.

2) Set your budget in stone, and then do whatever it takes to stay within that budget.

3) Bitch and wine about it endlessly on forums and never end up with your "dream" system because you can't afford it, yet won't compromise.

You are being wishy washy and stating "but budget" and then going "but I don't want to sacrifice."

Man up and decide already!

If you do #1, then just choose the component levels you want and enjoy!

If you do #2, you can trim the PSU to something between the 430W and 650W Corsairs, drop down to a really cheap dual core (CPU is easy to upgrade in future), go cheaper on motherboard and be within budget while coming pretty darn close in performance for most things. Heck, maybe even go lower on graphics card if you have to, to meet budget.

#3 is not an option. :twisted:

 

[Zawmbeez]

Okay. So the 430cx is fine? With either to Zotac 460, or the Sapphire Radeon 6850?

If so, that's great news because I save like 60 bucks on the power supply. The average use of the computer from my family is internet browsing, and my computer is rarely left on when not in use. So the lifespan should be well over 3 years.

EDIT because ZAP posted right when I did.

You are suffering from feature creep.

The computer fits into my budget, nicely for what I'm getting. I'm just trying to save some dollars here and there. I don't really need to, but extra cash is nice. I should probably stop trying to do that 😛

I think I'm going to go with the 955, a 430CX (would a500CX be a better choice, or is the 430CX fine?) and the Sapphire 6850. I think the extra money is well spent and I got parts I will be happy with.

 

[jchu14]

You should get the 400cx. The 430cx is good enough for your build, but there's no doubt that the 400cx is the better model.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...9008&Tpk=400cx
Price should be similar because the 400cx has free shipping.

The 400cx can deliver 24 more watts on the 12v line than the 430cx. The 12v line powers the CPU and GPU so that's the important one. It also has the ball bearing fan. You should feel lucky that newegg.ca still has the 400cx and it's the same price as the 430cx. US newegg has been oos for a while now.

 

[FishAk]

Allow me to direct you to this thread. A short Google search will turn up countless pleas for help in recovering from a disk failure.

It doesn't matter if you buy the prebuilt or make your own, you must spend for a second disk. A second disk does not add cost compared to the OEM system, since it needs another as well.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Allow me to direct you to this thread. A short Google search will turn up countless pleas for help in recovering from a disk failure.

It doesn't matter if you buy the prebuilt or make your own, you must spend for a second disk. A second disk does not add cost compared to the OEM system, since it needs another as well.

Okay. I will add the second hard drive. Pushes the build over $800, a price point I want to stay under, but it is a requirement. And like you say, could save me lots of money in the event of a failure.

 

[FishAk]

Pushes the build over $800, a price point I want to stay under

Don't forget the prebuilt also needs the drive, so it's price is pushed up an equal amount.

 

[Zawmbeez]

Don't forget the prebuilt also needs the drive, so it's price is pushed up an equal amount.

You speak the truth. Thanks so much for all your help.

 

[Zap]

Okay. So the 430cx is fine? With either to Zotac 460, or the Sapphire Radeon 6850?

I said "between." I did not say the CX430 was fine. In fact, let's just drop Corsair PSUs altogether for now. Their CX line is merely "okay."They have relatively low +12v for their rated wattage, and are rated at 30°C instead of the more typical 40°C, so at normal operating temperatures they may not put out full output. Also, they aren't 80Plus certified. The TX line is good, but $100 is getting a bit pricey. The discontinued CX400 does not have the two PCIe plugs needed.

How about this power supply for $61? It is a SeaSonic 650W and is 80Plus Bronze certified. Heck, I'd take this over the Corsair TX650 any day. Good 650W PSUs are a bit overkill for your rig while 400-430W is not enough (plug-wise). However, at $61 you aren't paying extra, plus SeaSonic stuff is good.

It doesn't matter if you buy the prebuilt or make your own, you must spend for a second disk.

FishAk, that is purely your opinion.

There is no cookie cutter default choice for backups. There are a multitude of backup methods, with a second HDD being only one of them. It really comes down to what works for a particular person and whether they have anything of value that needs to be backed up.

 

[Zawmbeez]

I said "between." I did not say the CX430 was fine. In fact, let's just drop Corsair PSUs altogether for now. Their CX line is merely "okay."They have relatively low +12v for their rated wattage, and are rated at 30°C instead of the more typical 40°C, so at normal operating temperatures they may not put out full output. Also, they aren't 80Plus certified. The TX line is good, but $100 is getting a bit pricey. The discontinued CX400 does not have the two PCIe plugs needed.

How about this power supply for $61? It is a SeaSonic 650W and is 80Plus Bronze certified. Heck, I'd take this over the Corsair TX650 any day. Good 650W PSUs are a bit overkill for your rig while 400-430W is not enough (plug-wise). However, at $61 you aren't paying extra, plus SeaSonic stuff is good.

Thanks Zap. 😀 I guess all go with that one. Looks good. Has every necessary to hook it up. Like I said before, I don't mind paying a bit more for the component that makes the other components work. Thanks again.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks Zap. 😀 I guess all go with that one. Looks good. Has every necessary to hook it up. Like I said before, I don't mind paying a bit more for the component that makes the other components work. Thanks again.

Zap gives good advice, and found a good bargain. I still maintain that a 430W PSU is fine for a 6850 (only requires 1 PCIe power), but is pushing it for a GTX 460.