MidRange Gaming System... need comments!

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

So I do have experience building PCs, I built one almost 5 years ago but am now running old ass Athlon X2 machine with 1 gb of ram on Win7... but its starting to suck a bit and I can hardly play any games anymore so i need to upgrade.


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Basically web browsing, various apps,watching Divx movies on my HDTV (dual screen output) and gaming... nothing intense except the gaming

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
I'd prefer to spend < 600 but if its worth it, i will spend it

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
No preference

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
monitor, keyboard, mice, speakers, dvd-rw, hard drives

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
read a bunch about cpus and stuff... still catching up though

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
probably default for now and overclock as it gets slower???

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
widescreen resolutions
1200x960 or whatever it is.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
by the end of the year


Everything is flexible right now but this is what I have so far:

CPU:
Intel Core i5-750 - $150 at Microcenter
(I am picking this over a x4 because i can get the cheap deal at microcenter.... But I am open to the x4 or something else if its worth it overall... dont really care)

HSF: Stock, I don't plan on overclocking now... will it be sufficient?

Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD4P for 170...
best reviewed P55 board i saw... I am concerned about that foxconn socket issue... is that relevant here?

RAM:
G.SKILL ECO Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model - $97.99
(I picked this because it keeps popping up in similar threads to mine, it has low voltages,etc. is it worth it to get the Ripjaw model instead??)

Video Card
XFX HD-489X-ZSFC Radeon HD 4890 1GB
175 AR
(From what I have read this is the best value mid-level card out right now...) or i might ge the Radeon HD 5770 for about 155.... but i think the performance increase is worth 20 dollars eventho its alot bigger and uses alot more energy w/o DX11


PSU
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W
$70
(seems like this is the consensus for a good PSU that is *cheap*)

Case
Antec Two Hundred or Three Hundred
$40 or $50
These seem like good value priced cases that don't have a bunch of extraneous crap I don't need. I am open to suggestions tho. I want a mid ATX case though. and I don't need windows, LEDS, etc etc

Total: ~ 735 + maybe another HD

Besides getting comments on my components:
1)Do I need to get a fancy heat sink if I don&#8217;t plan on over clocking right now?
2) the p55 foxconn socket issue... is that going to be a problem for me?

thanks!

 

[shaftymcnasty]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Size=10&amp;page=1

There is a 550vx and Antec 300 combo on there to save you a few bucks. Also, you can save some bucks going with an AMD setup instead of Intel. That could open up some funds for a better graphics card as well.

There are some DIY combos on newegg that include a case too. The PSU's that come with them are most likely only good for a paperweight but the savings on the other components might make it worthwhile.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

thanks for the 300 + PSU link.
also will that PSU be able to handle a crossfire setup if i do that in the future along with a couple of hds and a cdrom ,etc?

I was going to go with the I5 over the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz
because i5 is 150 at MC vs 185 @ newegg for the x4..... and the savings I would use towards the more expensive intel mobo... any reason why I should switch back?

 

[shaftymcnasty]

For crossfire, it would probably be a good idea to get the 650w Corsair or even the 750

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

is my logic ok with the i5 vs x4?

 

[shaftymcnasty]

Intel is higher in performance so yeah, I just don't know too much about the i5 or i7. Maybe someone else can ring in about that

 

[betasub]

Re: graphics card, 4890 is definitely the gamer's option. Fairly high power requirement and heat output, but sweet bandwidth for high-res gaming. 5770 is the all-rounder option, less gamer-oriented but lower-power draw and newer features.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

is it worth paying extra for a mobo with crossfire ability? i am not sure if i will ever use that.... hmm

 

[SOSTrooper]

is it worth paying extra for a mobo with crossfire ability? i am not sure if i will ever use that.... hmm

Naw it's not worth the extra money if you're in doubt now. The worst outcome from not getting a motherboard with crossfire is you'll end up having to get a more powerful single card to replace your current card when you need it.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

fair enough
i was considering getting a Radeon 5770 but the 4890 is only 15 dollars more at the egg... so i think its worth it, even w/o dx 11

and i think i will get the gigabyte board without crossfire also.