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First Build

P

Psocraiyn

Junior Member
Hi,

I'm new to building computers, although I have enough technical knowledge and ability that it shouldn't be a huge flop. I want to make a machine capable of playing Starcraft II, doing displays on two monitors, doing some monte carlo particle transport calculations (number crunching, singlethreaded), other kinds of engineering homework, video chat, and browsing the internet.

I'd like to spend under $600 on my system, excluding peripherals+monitors. Since I graduate in about a year and should get a high paying job then, I'd like a system that will hold me over pretty well, but that has a high potential for upgrades, like an SSD, stronger processor, a dedicated graphics card, and more RAM. I would like to use an AMD processor, and I will be buying all of my parts from the US. Also, I'll be downloading Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit) through MSDN.

I have read several similar threads here already, and I plan to game in 1366 x 768 resolution. I'm going to build the system in May or early June, and I will overclock it. I'm hoping to unlock the 4th core on the processor I've tentatively chosen, but I'll definitely be fine with just 2 or 3 cores.

Are all of the parts I've chosen compatible? I'm especially concerned about the compatibility of the RAM in this build.


Processor:
AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model ADX435WFGIBOX - $75 on Newegg

Mobo:
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - $145 on Newegg

RAM:
Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3N9K2/2G - 2 at $57 each on Newegg

HDD:
Western Digital WD5001AALS Caviar Black Hard Drive - 500GB, 7200 rpm, 32MB, SATA-3G - $60 on TigerDirect

Case:
C283-1086 :: Cooler Master Centurion 5 - Blue ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports (20.61 lbs) - $50 on TigerDirect

PSU:
ULT-LSP750 :: Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, SLI-Ready, 135mm Fan, Lifetime Warranty (11 lbs) - $80 on TigerDirect

Total cost so far: $524

Things I will do about a year after the build:
- Add a graphics card
- Upgrade the processor
- Replace the RAM
- Add either a large capacity SSD or a small one and a large HDD

Thanks in advance!
 
Aren't there cheaper mobos with USB3 and SATA3?

If you're gonna spend $57x2= $114 on ram, you might as well something faster for the same price.

I would not recommend an Ultra PSU. Get a Corsair or Antec. Also, 750W is way overpowered for such a simple build. A quality 500W PSU is all you need. Maybe a 600W if you're using high-end parts and overclocking. You'd want a 750W-ish PSU for SLI/Xfire though.
 
Thanks for the suggestion on the RAM.

If I want to keep the ATX form factor and have on-board video, the most I could save is $25, so I figured I'd go for the core unlocker and automatic overclocking utilities since I've never OC'd before.

I doubt I'll ever SLI or Xfire with this system, since I don't play high-end games on max settings, so I'll definitely take your suggestion and downgrade the PSU.

Here's what I've got now:

Processor:
AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor

Model ADX435WFGIBOX - $75 on Newegg

Mobo:
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD

Motherboard - $145 on Newegg

RAM:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual

Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - $110 on Newegg

HD
Western Digital WD5001AALS Caviar Black Hard Drive - 500GB, 7200 rpm,

32MB, SATA-3G - $60 on TigerDirect

Case:
C283-1086 :: Cooler Master Centurion 5 - Blue ATX Mid-Tower Case with

Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports (20.61 lbs) - $50 on TigerDirect

PSU:
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC

Power Supply - $65 on Newegg

Total cost so far: 75+145+110+60+50+65 = $505
 
Why didn't you pick the Earthwatts Green PSU instead? Same price, 80 plus bronze certified, and free shipping...

If you look closely at the pictures that shows the PSU's specifications, you can see that the Green has a max output of 444W for 12V, while the Basiq has a combined 12V max output of only 384W (I think, it's rather difficult to see, but it's 3xxW at the very least). So the Earthwatts green psu has a stronger all important 12V output.
 
If you're gonna play SC2 on this, you need a dedicated. I've seen it play on IGP, and I started having seizures from the stuttering. Even a cheap dedicated will run it.
 
I'm actually leaning towards the OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2 for a PSU now. It's only $40, and has a max output just under the one you suggested (432W instead of 444W for 12V.) OCZ is a pretty reputable PSU manufacturer as well, right? Also, the EarthWatts Green doesn't come with a power cord, and I don't own one.

To be clear, I'm not playing the SC2 beta, so it might be awhile before I get a dedicated graphics card. When it comes out, I'll probably give my onboard video a shot at it, and then pick up a card around black friday if that doesn't pan out well.

Thanks again for all of your help - I really appreciate it.
 
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