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Possible new system for around $500-$650

R

raildogg

Lifer
Hi. I posted a little while ago about building a PC but did not actually do it. Now that I'm ready, I think I'll spend around $500 to $650.

I am actually thinking of building a system with onboard graphics since I'm not a big gamer at this point, especially the newer games. I have Return To Castle Wolfenstein among other older games that I think should run on a 23" monitor with onboard graphics.

I plan on adding a graphics card after I build this system, so I am choosing the components that will accommodate it. This system should handle a Radeon 5770 or even possibly a Geforce 460. Or do you think that I should buy a graphics card right now?

Please comment on these parts:

Case - COOLER MASTER ELITE 335
HD - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB ($15 OFF)
PSU - SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W
MB - GIGABYTE GA-880GA-UD3H AM3 AMD 880G
CPU - AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz
RAM - WINTEC AMPX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
OS - Windows 7 64 Bit

Total - $507.93

I hope to use the DVD burner from my old computer.

Here are some of my concerns:

1. The Wintec RAM and Athlon X4 are a combo deal but I'm not sure how the RAM will work with the Gigabyte motherboard.
2. I had a little difficulty choosing a good case but ultimately chose the CM Elite 335 due to its balance of features, style and price. Hopefully a good choice.
3. I could add a graphics card such as the Radeon 5770 or Geforce 460 but I'm not sure if I will utilize them right away. Not sure about this.
 
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Pretty solid build for what you want to do with it, should easily be able to accommodate a video update.

QVLs get worthless pretty quick, though you can always spend a little more to get something that should work if doubtful. This particular RAM type is listed on the board's QVL.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.555639

If gaming isn't your thing, you could probably manage a larger drive with a lower spindle speed. Only $10 more, double your drive space.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152173

All this probably adds ~$25 to your bottom line.
 
If possible, choose another HDD. The 500GB WD Blue is horribly old. I bought two of those almost 4 years ago. My new Samsung F4 2TB (5400 rpm) is almost twice as fast with roughly 30% lower latency.
 
A few points:
- Do as blackmage says. Get a better HDD. The F3 500GB is only $55 and the F4 320GB is only $42. The F4 in particular is incredibly fast because it's a short-stroked 640GB platter.
- Wintec RAM is a little sketchy. You failed to list the individual component prices, so I don't know how good the combo was, but 4GB of G.Skill is only $60.
- You can probably play RTCW fairly decently on the IGP.
 
Thanks for the replies. The WD and the Samsung have similar ratings but I guess in real world they are different. The WD Black is only $5 more. Is that a good choice as well? If not, then I'll go with the Samsung.

I appreciate the recommendation of the larger 5400 RPM 1TB drive but I would like some more speed. This could be a great second drive, however.

This is the combo with the Wintec RAM/CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.556279

I'm going by the reviews of the Wintec RAM and they seem to like it. If the RAM would work well with the motherboard then I wouldn't mind it.
 
raildogg said:
I appreciate the recommendation of the larger 5400 RPM 1TB drive but I would like some more speed. This could be a great second drive, however.
Click to expand...
You can't simply think 7200 rpm is going to be faster than a 5400 rpm HDD. My 3.5-year-old WD Blue 500GB is a 7200rpm HDD, but it is significantly slower than my brand new 5400rpm Samsung F4 2TB I just bought.

There's nothing wrong with choosing a WD HDD. The problem was that you just happened to pick out something outdated.
 
Alright guys, I've chosen the Samsung F3 500GB. Just to be sure, that is a better choice than the WD Black 500GB?

I am leaning towards to the Seasonic at this point. I really do appreciate the alternative, jaydee.

I didn't see the Wintec memory list on Gigabyte's memory compatibility page, so I think I'll take the safe route and choose something that is listed there.

I think this RAM should be OK. It seems to be more stable at 1333MHz rather than it's listed 1600Mh according to the reviews.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211409
 
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The F3 and WD Black are equivalent, but the F3 is usually cheaper. Get whichever is cheaper.

I wouldn't trust RAM that has to be run at less than its rated speed for stability's sake. Get the G.Skill that I recommended earlier.
 
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