New build recommendation.

[de8212]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.

Surfing, light gaming and light pic/vid editing.

2. What YOUR budget is.

500 or less preferred.

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

US

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.

Normally I go wit Intel and nVidia. I am open to AMD and ATI.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

I will reuse Hard drives/case/dvd drive.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

Some, still researching.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

Main goal is stability. If the core components can handle an overclock, I may end up tweaking a bit but system stability should not suffer.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Dell 24" LCD. Can't remember the resolution but gaming is really not a high priority.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

2-3 weeks

Notes: Parts I am in need of are Motherboard, processor, RAM, and possibly graphics card.

Motherboard - I'd rather not go gigabyte on the motherboard but if it meets the criteria and they are highly recommended then I will try them again. Just haven't had good luck with them on the last few builds. I want the motherboard to handle 4 DIMMS full with no problems. On board audio, sata, etc. Would like to have USB 3 on board but not a deal breaker.

CPU - I know virtually nothing about the latest processors (intel i3, etc.) and zero about AMD's offerings. As long as it is better than my current processor then I am OK with it.

RAM - Not going with Crucial. Other than that, I'm wide open. Definitely want 4GB (2x2GB) and will probably do 8GB soon after.

Graphics - My old trusty 8800 GT was decent for the games I play (COD series). So, as long as a newer one runs better then that's fine. No need for a high end, gaming gpu. I can reuse the 8800 GT if I have to but I would rather get something a little more up to date.

I currently use a tuniq tower. Would like to reuse. Not sure if it works on the newer chips. If the current line of stock coolers are decent I can use them.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 will go on the pc.

 

[mnewsham]

I would recommend the i5-760

This Motherboard, it is cheap and good 😉

Cheap DDR3 1333Mhz CL9 1.5v RAM here.

And finally to round it off if you want to spend the extra 30-40 OVER your budget you can get this GPU a very good entry level GPU that is good for most games at full 1080p


Total with GPU: $534.96

Total without GPU: $349.97



As a side not you probably wont notice a huge change coming from a Q9550, you can wait for april and get a sandy bridge CPU OR until early summer for Bulldozer OR wait until Ivy bridge and socket 2011.

 

[Raswan]

$200 AR Radeon 5870: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102883

129.99 AR Gigabyte PA55-UD3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128412

84.99 FS G.Skill 8 GB RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311

209.99 Intel i5-760:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115067

=623.98

Puts you over budget, but here's my reasoning:
1) That RAM is the cheapest 8 gigs you'll find in the last 6 months, and will not be going any lower. Just get the 8 gigs now, even if it's going to be 30 bucks more than a 4-gig kit.
2) You can most likely pick up the i5 on the fs/ft forum here for cheaper (got mine for 160), or if you look around (microcenter?).
3) Others might say go for the gtx 460 (~$160?), but the 5870 is a far stronger card and a fantastic value.
4) That mobo is as high as I've seen it in the last couple of months right now, so watch for a sale on it.

I think prices are a little inflated right now on the mobo/cpu because of the whole SB thing. If you are not on a time crunch, keep an eye on these things for the next 2 or 3 weeks. Bet you something goes on sale. But if you want to switch out the gtx460 for the 5870 you save $40 (brings you down to $583) and if you can get any kind of deal on the mobo/cpu you can save anywhere from another $20-40 or so. But I'd jump on that RAM right now.

my thoughts.

 

[Raswan]

I would recommend the i5-760

This Motherboard, it is cheap and good 😉

Cheap DDR3 1333Mhz CL9 1.5v RAM here.

And finally to round it off if you want to spend the extra 30-40 OVER your budget you can get this GPU a very good entry level GPU that is good for most games at full 1080p


Total with GPU: $534.96

Total without GPU: $349.97



As a side not you probably wont notice a huge change coming from a Q9550, you can wait for april and get a sandy bridge CPU OR until early summer for Bulldozer OR wait until Ivy bridge and socket 2011.

Will he be able to overclock with the H55 mobo? Just wondering...

 

[wuliheron]

I think mnewsham has a pretty good build for your needs. If you really have to keep it under $500.oo then you might look for the 768mb version of the same gtx460 video card.

 

[mlc]

honestly.. given what you are going to use it for, I don't see much of a need to upgrade the processor or board at this time... certainly not in that price range ... You have plenty of memory, and good cpu with a nice clock speed...etc...

Maybe put the money into a couple of components that can be transferred over to your next processor/board/ram upgrade when the next generation of cpu is released?

I would consider upgrading that graphics card to something like a 460 GTX or HD6850 which would cover you for moderate to heavy gaming.. and then maybe consider an SSD drive to speed some things up for around $200 ?

 

[mnewsham]

$200 AR Radeon 5870: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102883

129.99 AR Gigabyte PA55-UD3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128412

84.99 FS G.Skill 8 GB RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311

209.99 Intel i5-760:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115067

=623.98

Puts you over budget, but here's my reasoning:
1) That RAM is the cheapest 8 gigs you'll find in the last 6 months, and will not be going any lower. Just get the 8 gigs now, even if it's going to be 30 bucks more than a 4-gig kit.
2) You can most likely pick up the i5 on the fs/ft forum here for cheaper (got mine for 160), or if you look around (microcenter?).
3) Others might say go for the gtx 460 (~$160?), but the 5870 is a far stronger card and a fantastic value.
4) That mobo is as high as I've seen it in the last couple of months right now, so watch for a sale on it.

I think prices are a little inflated right now on the mobo/cpu because of the whole SB thing. If you are not on a time crunch, keep an eye on these things for the next 2 or 3 weeks. Bet you something goes on sale. But if you want to switch out the gtx460 for the 5870 you save $40 (brings you down to $583) and if you can get any kind of deal on the mobo/cpu you can save anywhere from another $20-40 or so. But I'd jump on that RAM right now.

my thoughts.

Somewhat agree with the RAM IF OP can fit it in his budget, if not 4Gb isnt BAD or anything, I dont see an advantage in the motherboard you have compared to mine, about the only difference is it's $30 more and has an extra PCIe slot (which OP wont use as he isnt doing SLI) and SATA 6gb/s which OP wont use as he doesnt have an SSD that would saturate a 3gb/s port. (most SSD's still dont) So for 30 bucks more i dont think i would get it. The 5870 IS better but it is up to preference. I went with Nvidia as OP already has an Nvidia card.

 

[mnewsham]

Will he be able to overclock with the H55 mobo? Just wondering...

If OP wants P55 then this one for $100 would work, I know it is Biostar 😱 BUT this one actually has some really good reviews 😎

 

[fffblackmage]

Will he be able to overclock with the H55 mobo? Just wondering...

Nope, but OP specified stability as a high priority and most likely won't be overclocking.

 

[fffblackmage]

Whoa... double post, sorry.

 

[Davidh373]

$200 AR Radeon 5870: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102883

129.99 AR Gigabyte PA55-UD3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128412

84.99 FS G.Skill 8 GB RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311

209.99 Intel i5-760:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115067

=623.98

This is tremendous overkill. I agree that RAM is cheap and he'll prolly just want 8GB, but a 5870 for "light gaming"?! He could probably get away with a GTS 450...

 

[Raswan]

This is tremendous overkill. I agree that RAM is cheap and he'll prolly just want 8GB, but a 5870 for "light gaming"?! He could probably get away with a GTS 450...

Depends on what he means by light gaming. He should specify so we can give him more informed advice. He has the 8800GT right now, and a lot of people would (if you agree) step up from that to the 460gtx. But, imo, the 5870 is a way better value right now than the 460, which is why I suggested it. Spend 40 bucks more today, see increased returns by being able to play BF3 next fall at a much higher res and increased life in the system before the next upgrade. Just my opinion, but you can't act like the 5870 is a monster card (as indicated by your ?!).

 

[Davidh373]

OP, for your usage (light gaming/ video editing) I'd go with a Phenom II X6.

Phenom II X6 1055T
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-851-_-Product

Gigabyte UD3 AM3 Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-451-_-Product

GSkill 8GB Value 1333MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-424-_-Product

Geforce 460 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-591-_-Product

Total: $428.95

So here's my 2 cents about your current rig. If you need a full upgrade NOW this is what I'd recommend. If you don't need one now, wait for Sandy Bridge to get straightened out, save another hundred and get and 560 Ti with it. This will be a MUCH more significant upgrade from the Q9550 and will OC like a champ! The 560 Ti is a significant step up from the 8800 at this point, and if you wish to get some of the upgrade while you wait for SB, get this.

Depends on what he means by light gaming. He should specify so we can give him more informed advice. He has the 8800GT right now, and a lot of people would (if you agree) step up from that to the 460gtx. But, imo, the 5870 is a way better value right now than the 460, which is why I suggested it. Spend 40 bucks more today, see increased returns by being able to play BF3 next fall at a much higher res and increased life in the system before the next upgrade. Just my opinion, but you can't act like the 5870 is a monster card (as indicated by your ?!).

Good points, and I just got a look at his current specs, so the build I made doesn't have much sense to it. Given he is ready to upgrade from a Q9550, it's not likely he's looking for "light gaming". I personally prefer the new NVidia cards, but have been known to recommend a 6950/70. I just don't like the idea of an aging high end card instead of a new midrange or high-midrange card. That is just personal preference though.

 

[Raswan]

Nope, but OP specified stability as a high priority and most likely won't be overclocking.

I'm with you here blackmage. Just seems like the i5-760 is the most-recommended advice, and it seems a shame to waste its massive overclocking abilities by getting an h55. Bottom line OP: if you are not going to oc, decide now, but if you think there's a chance you might, the p55 board is going to run you more.

 

[Raswan]

If OP wants P55 then this one for $100 would work, I know it is Biostar 😱 BUT this one actually has some really good reviews 😎

@mnewsham--saw that mobo too, and almost recommended it, but couldn't get past the fact that it's biostar. I don't like that that gigabyte is $130 right now, but if he isn't pressed for time I bet he can grab something for around $100 or even $95 when intel ships their (hopefully) fixed SB chips in 10 days.

 

[de8212]

Just to clarify my "need" for upgrading.

I think my motherboard is bad. Won't know for sure until late this weekend but I have that feeling that it's the culprit.


So, I am not dissatisfied with my current set up nor do i need to have tons more power. It's just that I would find it hard to spend $ just to get another motherboard for the 9550. I figured I could get a new combo for a little extra and then sell my current parts (RAM/CPU) and maybe send my board off to gigabyte and they will hopefully replace it (3 yr warranty, I think). Then sell the refurb mobo for a few $ and be done with it.

As far as gaming, like I said, I am a light gamer. The only games I have played in the last 3 yrs or so are COD series. So, as long as the card can play the current COD games then I am OK.

 

[Raswan]

Probably David's setup will do you fine then, though I'm still going to recommend the RAM I linked over his. I'm not one of the people who think that the heat spreaders make a massive difference, but to me it signals extra quality inspection at the least, as well as longevity, and it's only five bucks.

Here's a link to video card benchmarks, so you can look at which games you play. Doesn't include Call of Duty: Black Ops, but as far as I know anything substantially less than the rig I suggested will force you to play it at medium-low settings. Don't know if your current COD gaming regimen includes it, either.

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2010-gaming-graphics-charts-high-quality/benchmarks,114.html

 

[Davidh373]

So, I am not dissatisfied with my current set up nor do i need to have tons more power. It's just that I would find it hard to spend $ just to get another motherboard for the 9550. I figured I could get a new combo for a little extra and then sell my current parts (RAM/CPU) and maybe send my board off to gigabyte and they will hopefully replace it (3 yr warranty, I think). Then sell the refurb mobo for a few $ and be done with it.

Well, if it is goin' bad on ya there isn't much you can do then. I agree that it isn't the best to buy a new Motherboard and RAM for an LGA 775. If you don't think it'll hold up for another month you aren't likely to see Sandy Bridge back in that time. My build is better for video encoding while the i5 760 will be better for gaming, and the 460s are kinda slow by today's gaming standards (getting there anyways, still a good price for a good card), while the 560 Ti is pretty fresh. The 5870 is a great value at $200 when you can find it on sale, but that doesn't always happen.

 

[mfenn]

I'd say that you would want an upgrade from the 8800GT for Black Ops. Overall, I think that mnewsham's build in post #2 is the best that's been presented in this thread so far. Raswan and David's builds are quite good as well but I think that they are a little too far over the budget and not necessary for "light pic/vid editing" respectively.