Scratch

fire219 wrote:

That motherboard won't work with the CPU. This one will, and is about $20 less. The only real differences (other than the CPU socket) are that this one would only have one PCI-E (GPU slot) slot, and has a slightly lower-end audio chip. It also has built in graphics, which will come in handy if you accidentally fry the Ti 550. 

You could probably also find a much cheaper case, but I'll leave that to you, IDK what you want the case to look like. 

(Oh, and I would recommend getting a Blu-Ray drive, but that's only worth it right now if you want to watch Blu-Ray movies on the computer.)

Thanks!  I don't need a blu-ray drive, I have an internet blu-ray player already and am perfectly fine with normal DVDs.

Why specifically wouldn't the mobo work work with my CPU?  Thanks for the help!

So that's $535.  Almost there!

Last edited by prototype47 (2012-04-19 20:06:03)

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

fire219 wrote:

That motherboard won't work with the CPU. This one will, and is about $20 less. The only real differences (other than the CPU socket) are that this one would only have one PCI-E (GPU slot) slot, and has a slightly lower-end audio chip. It also has built in graphics, which will come in handy if you accidentally fry the Ti 550. 

You could probably also find a much cheaper case, but I'll leave that to you, IDK what you want the case to look like. 

(Oh, and I would recommend getting a Blu-Ray drive, but that's only worth it right now if you want to watch Blu-Ray movies on the computer.)

Thanks!  I don't need a blu-ray drive, I have an internet blu-ray player already and am perfectly fine with normal DVDs.

Why specifically wouldn't the mobo work work with my CPU?  Thanks for the help!

So that's $535.  Almost there!

The mobo you picked uses the FM1 socket, but the CPU is AM3.

Oh, okay...   

I updated the wishlist. 

The main reason I have that case chosen is because of the bundle with a 650w power supply for only $99.  And it looks pretty decent IMO. 
Any other ways to get down to my $500 goal without lowering the specs really?  How do you think this rig will run?

prototype47 wrote:

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

Thanks!  I don't need a blu-ray drive, I have an internet blu-ray player already and am perfectly fine with normal DVDs.

Why specifically wouldn't the mobo work work with my CPU?  Thanks for the help!

So that's $535.  Almost there!

The mobo you picked uses the FM1 socket, but the CPU is AM3.

Oh, okay...   

I updated the wishlist. 

The main reason I have that case chosen is because of the bundle with a 650w power supply for only $99.  And it looks pretty decent IMO. 
Any other ways to get down to my $500 goal without lowering the specs really?  How do you think this rig will run?

I would say to get a slightly lower cpu and get more RAM and GPU but that's just my opinion.

And you forgot the monitor, mouse, keyboard etc. 

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

fire219 wrote:

The mobo you picked uses the FM1 socket, but the CPU is AM3.

Oh, okay...   

I updated the wishlist. 

The main reason I have that case chosen is because of the bundle with a 650w power supply for only $99.  And it looks pretty decent IMO. 
Any other ways to get down to my $500 goal without lowering the specs really?  How do you think this rig will run?

I don't think there is much you can do to get more for less out of the GPU, except maybe going for a Radeon HD 7770 like this one.

For the CPU, you can't do much more (Intel's offerings are not great in the $100-$120 range). You could get this for only $10-15 more than the 965, but you'd probably end up spending more after getting a cooler for it (doesn't come with one).

For RAM, you can save $5 with this. You could get a bit more ($5-10 more) off if you don't mind it being slightly slower (DDR3 1333 vs 1600).

For HDD, this.

Hope this helps, I spent 15-20 mins searching and typing this up. 

Thanks!  But will the PCI 3.0 graphics card work with the PCI 2.0 motherboard?

And are refurbished HDDs reliable?  I've heard some pretty bad stories about them.

prototype47 wrote:

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

Oh, okay...   

I updated the wishlist. 

The main reason I have that case chosen is because of the bundle with a 650w power supply for only $99.  And it looks pretty decent IMO. 
Any other ways to get down to my $500 goal without lowering the specs really?  How do you think this rig will run?

I don't think there is much you can do to get more for less out of the GPU, except maybe going for a Radeon HD 7770 like this one.

For the CPU, you can't do much more (Intel's offerings are not great in the $100-$120 range). You could get this for only $10-15 more than the 965, but you'd probably end up spending more after getting a cooler for it (doesn't come with one).

For RAM, you can save $5 with this. You could get a bit more ($5-10 more) off if you don't mind it being slightly slower (DDR3 1333 vs 1600).

For HDD, this.

Hope this helps, I spent 15-20 mins searching and typing this up. 

Thanks!  But will the PCI 3.0 graphics card work with the PCI 2.0 motherboard?

And are refurbished HDDs reliable?  I've heard some pretty bad stories about them.

PCI-E 3.0 in a 2.0 socket..... might or might not work. You may need to update the BIOS for it to work.

Refurbished HDDs should work fine, as long as you get them from a reliable source like Newegg.

Is this CPU any better?  It's $10 cheaper, and it's a bulldozer.

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

Is this CPU any better?  It's $10 cheaper, and it's a bulldozer.

The Bulldozer CPUs are not really that good for gaming. They are basically several weak CPUs that are meant to be used together to complete the task at hand. Most games don't efficiently use more than one core.

@Your post above that: Not anymore so than any other BIOS updating. But there is no guarantee that there is a update for that mobo that supports PCI-E 3.0. In fact, I would stick with the Ti 550.

Ok, thanks!  That's what I'll do 

prototype47 wrote:

Do you think this PC will perform well?  And will I need anything else to assemble it?

The only other things you may need are basic tools (like a screwdriver), and maybe certain cables if the components don't come with them.

Other than that, you have a pretty nice gaming rig. 

prototype47 wrote:

fire219 wrote:

prototype47 wrote:

Do you think this PC will perform well?  And will I need anything else to assemble it?

The only other things you may need are basic tools (like a screwdriver), and maybe certain cables if the components don't come with them.

Other than that, you have a pretty nice gaming rig. 

Is the "bare drive" HDD label literal?  I might need cables for that then...


Thanks!  You've been a huuuge help     kudos man 

I am pretty sure that "bare drive" means the HDD and nothing else (except maybe a packing list  ) inside a manila bubblewrap envelope. You probably need SATA cables.

And you're welcome. 

Just curious, would this MSI Radeon GPU perform as good as the ti 550?  It's only $115 before rebate, and $99 after.

Plus, it comes with Dirt 3.

Last edited by prototype47 (2012-04-23 18:19:18)

What about the Radeon HD 6750M?

I just decided on a $5 cheaper Asus 550 ti GPU.  Can you please check my list again?  I added a new Asus motherboard.  It looks good so far.  Just what I want.  But it only has 1 CPU fan connector and 1 chassis fan connector.  My case has 3 fans. Will that work?  And for the GPU, are its fans powered through the PCI-E 2.0 slot?

Speaking of cases, will 650w be enough for everything?  And is there any way I could get a PSU and case for under $100 altogether?  I really like the Rosewill I have chosen now, but  something around $75 would meet my goal.

PS- It would be nice if the case had prepunched holes for potentially adding liquid cooling sometime in the future 

Thank you so much for all your help!!!

Last edited by prototype47 (2012-04-24 15:59:14)