Besides the obvious feeling of doing a job well done and having it done yourself what are the benefits of building your own?

Im coming into a little bit of money in December and have been given the green light to finally purchase a new PC.

Ive put together PCs before and worked on them. I know my way around. It use to save money when you bought your own item and pieced them together however looking over some of the "premade" sites there are a lot of fairly well priced stuff (IMHO) there also.

Im starting to price/put together stuff now as I figure come December the PC will still be fairly decent and may be able to further upgrade parts.

I really like the Coolmaster HAF. So I think that will be the case. I see it lasting a long time.

Im big into AMD and will not buy Intel chips.

I want to Run SLI. 512s a must but Giggers if it is cost/performance effective. Ive heard both it is and it isn't worth the extra 512 per card.

Sound is not an issue. As long as it is "decent".

I have no desire (never have) to mix "liquid" and computer parts.

DVD/RW-R is fine and Im hoping come December due to price cuts on items I can replace that on my list and or add to it a BluRay player.

PS 550w or better.

MOBO - Ive had ASUS, Biostar and a few others. For the most part It appears ASUS is what I will lean towards. An SLI one MN2 I believe.

CPU - X2 or Phenom.

ATI/NVIDIA - Have had issues and great times with both. Seems like its a roller coaster ride. Again best Price performance trade off.

Storage - More the better. However I think a terabyte is as big as I want/need to go. Will probably lean more towards an 80/500 solution. 80 as the OS always used apps and the 500 for everything else.

Memory - As XP only sees 3.5 gig (from what I understand and I have no desire to go Vista) I would probably go 4gig and eat the .5. Looking at a Super Talent set. My biggest question would be 4 sticks or 2. For the extra 100 or so I would go 2 sticks just in case I do decide to go Vista.

Input devices meh I can do well with a mid tier Mouse/KB combo. I like the KB with the displays I just don't see the need. I also smoke cigars and am quite..... messy with my keyboard.

As for what I do. Well mostly Warcraft. Then there is the occasional BF2, 2142, Crysis, Orange Box. With the possible addition of a Bluray player I would use it to watch movies.

So what im doing is asking for over the time help with regards to the planning and purchase of a new PC. Im in no hurry and will post here updating my thoughts in hopes for feedback.

Since I do have time I would like to try something different sorta and come in here and ask opinions on parts why I think they are good and then have the resident experts voice their opinion and watch my machine grow until the day in December when it is born.

Unless of course you say its possibly better to just purchase one outright. Thanks in advance for the advice and support.

Oh and I will probably have around $1200 give or take a hundred or so.

Sorry for the long post... it kinda got out of hand... :D

Cool, I love long posts ! :D

At least you say exactly what you want and help others to help you.

Besides the obvious feeling of doing a job well done and having it done yourself what are the benefits of building your own?

You can use the best parts with the same amount of money.

I really like the Coolmaster HAF. So I think that will be the case. I see it lasting a long time.

Good one, but what about the 690 Dominator ?

I have one and it's pretty good (almos half the price of the HAF)

Im big into AMD and will not buy Intel chips.

I'll remember.

I want to Run SLI. 512s a must but Giggers if it is cost/performance effective. Ive heard both it is and it isn't worth the extra 512 per card.

SLI cost/benefit is very relative, you must choose carefully.

512 MBs are enough for the mid end cards, like 9600GT or higher, 1 GB maybe can be usefull if you have a 26" (or higher) Monitor, but it's not a rule, only powerfull cards like a 4870/GTX260 can have a better performance due to the extra memory.

Sound is not an issue. As long as it is "decent".

That's for Gabriel :rolleyes:

I have no desire (never have) to mix "liquid" and computer parts.

Important one !

DVD/RW-R is fine and Im hoping come December due to price cuts on items I can replace that on my list and or add to it a BluRay player.

PS 550w or better.

MOBO - Ive had ASUS, Biostar and a few others. For the most part It appears ASUS is what I will lean towards. An SLI one MN2 I believe.

CPU - X2 or Phenom.

ATI/NVIDIA - Have had issues and great times with both. Seems like its a roller coaster ride. Again best Price performance trade off.

Storage - More the better. However I think a terabyte is as big as I want/need to go. Will probably lean more towards an 80/500 solution. 80 as the OS always used apps and the 500 for everything else.

Memory - As XP only sees 3.5 gig (from what I understand and I have no desire to go Vista) I would probably go 4gig and eat the .5. Looking at a Super Talent set. My biggest question would be 4 sticks or 2. For the extra 100 or so I would go 2 sticks just in case I do decide to go Vista.

Input devices meh I can do well with a mid tier Mouse/KB combo. I like the KB with the displays I just don't see the need. I also smoke cigars and am quite..... messy with my keyboard.

As for what I do. Well mostly Warcraft. Then there is the occasional BF2, 2142, Crysis, Orange Box. With the possible addition of a Bluray player I would use it to watch movies.

So what im doing is asking for over the time help with regards to the planning and purchase of a new PC. Im in no hurry and will post here updating my thoughts in hopes for feedback.

Since I do have time I would like to try something different sorta and come in here and ask opinions on parts why I think they are good and then have the resident experts voice their opinion and watch my machine grow until the day in December when it is born.

Unless of course you say its possibly better to just purchase one outright. Thanks in advance for the advice and support.

Oh and I will probably have around $1200 give or take a hundred or so.

Sorry for the long post... it kinda got out of hand... :D

2 sticks are better than 4 :)

Well, I tried this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131339 (uses SB750, better than SB600)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102770 (good cooling system)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703015 (enough for 1 4850, but not for 2)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148 (low latencies are better for AMD64)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103249 (good price, good part)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106227 (Blu-Ray reader, I thought they were much more expensive)

No input devices, sorry, I don't know good ones..

My "intromission":

Take the CM 690 instead the HAF, buy a better PSU (40 amps at 12V line) and two 4850 in CrossFire.

I hope that by the end of the year AMD launches the 45 nm parts. It seems that will happen, but who knows ?

I hope I was helpfull.

Cheers

Ok so the first thing answered is the ratio of cost and performance is better if bought and hand put together. Again im in no hurry in Dec to get it up and running so it looks as though I will be putting it together. Thanks.

Cases: CM 690 Dominator. I cant find that listed on New Egg. At least not under that name. I can find this COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137) Is this what you are referring to? Looks nice. I would think to add an additional fan or two. My systems are in my garage. (only place the wife lets me smoke) So in the summer/spring it gets fairly warm. Thats why I was leaning towards the HAF as it seemed best to handle that. The 690 does also but I think an additional fan or 2 would be needed.

MOBO - Why the ASUS M3A79-T (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131339) over the ASUS M2N-SLI AM2 NVIDIA nForce 560 SLI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131246) (related question why does one board have yellow black yellow black mem slots while the other pairs them?) uh does that have 4 slots for video cards?

Memory - 4 Gigs on 2 sticks for $75 bucks im sold.

CPU - Ive "looked" at the Black version but always put it to the side as it seems cost/performance doesnt seem as good for other similar chips. What stands out for the Black?

VID card - Are you saying going with one of these is fine and if I wanted to run 2 it would be better however the listed PSU would need to be upgraded?

HD like the memory... 500gig for $75. Sold. Would probably even get 2.

BluRay - The one you suggested appears to have problems runnign dual layer BluRay discs. I will look more into that. This is just based on the Newegg review.

And yes very helpful.

Speaking of cooling my PC I will post a pic of it.... at the LAN I was at this past weekend it was called "Ghetto cooled" on more then one occasion.. :D

Ok so the first thing answered is the ratio of cost and performance is better if bought and hand put together. Again im in no hurry in Dec to get it up and running so it looks as though I will be putting it together. Thanks.

You're wellcome ! :)

Cases: CM 690 Dominator. I cant find that listed on New Egg. At least not under that name. I can find this COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137) Is this what you are referring to? Looks nice. I would think to add an additional fan or two. My systems are in my garage. (only place the wife lets me smoke) So in the summer/spring it gets fairly warm. Thats why I was leaning towards the HAF as it seemed best to handle that. The 690 does also but I think an additional fan or 2 would be needed.

Oops, sorry, this case seems to have more than one code.
Yes, is this case.
I love it because you can put 7 12 cm coolers.
Well, my city is warm almost the whole year, even at the winter (35º C here is "normal") and my PC runs cool, even without all the fan bays in use.
I'm looking for ultra silent coolers (noise lower than 21 dBA), I'm sure that my PC will remain cool and I will sleep better.
Another aproach is use coolers with better air flux but higher noise. If you don't care about the noise it's a good way to go. :)

MOBO - Why the ASUS M3A79-T (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131339) over the ASUS M2N-SLI AM2 NVIDIA nForce 560 SLI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131246) (related question why does one board have yellow black yellow black mem slots while the other pairs them?) uh does that have 4 slots for video cards?

For 4 reasons:

1- The nForce 560 splits the PCI-E lines 8+8 when using two nVidia cards, and this can limit the graphic performance, mainly because this mobo isn't PCI-E 2.0. (PCI-E 1.1 has lower bandwidth than the 2.0)
This matters in a SLI of 8800GT, for example.

2- I know this mobo is a little expensive, but it's (too) due to the SB750.
I think that until december there will be few mobos with SB600 available. (SB600 isn't a "state of art" os chipsets)

3- The Crossfire of 4850 is a pretty cost/benefict choice. Performa like a GTX 280, but costs a little more than a 4870.
And for use this CF a PCI-E 2.0 with "16 + 16" CF is wellcome, to avoid the PCI-E bottleneck. (that's only my ideas, the only test I saw about PCI-E 1.1 and 2.0 used two 2900XT, and the 4850 are much more powerfull than the 2900XT)

4- It's an AM2+ board, the Phenom will not be limited by the HTT 2.0.
It's better for upgrades, an incoming 45 nm Phenom will work fine with this mobo. (as AMD says..)
There are no problemas with high TDP processors (like some Phenoms..).
And last one, the AMD chipsets have low heat dissipation.

Yes, it has 4 PCI-E "16x" slots, but I think this excessive hehehe.
I sugested this board because the 790FX chipset.

In time. SLI motherboards don't work with Crossfire VGAs (you cannot use a 4850 CF in a SLI mobo, but you can use one 4850 without problems) and vice-versa.

Memory - 4 Gigs on 2 sticks for $75 bucks im sold.

=)

CPU - Ive "looked" at the Black version but always put it to the side as it seems cost/performance doesnt seem as good for other similar chips. What stands out for the Black?

I think that the BE Phenoms have a fair price, they costs more because they are faster, not because they have unlocked multiplier (the highlight of the BE), making them better for Overclock. Well, I don't think that overclock a Phenom is a good Idea.. Anandtech burned a MB trying to overclock a 9950, that's enough for me.

VID card - Are you saying going with one of these is fine and if I wanted to run 2 it would be better however the listed PSU would need to be upgraded?

Exactly.
2 4850 with a Quad Core processor needs a more powerfull PSU.

I guess that 42 amps are enough, but I'm not sure and I'll search this answer.

EDIT- I found that 44A are the recommended (better eficiency, safe use and considering the PSU aging) so, this are interesting choices:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005

I like the last one because of this test (http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/503).

But, only buy one of this PSUs if you'll use the 4850 Crossfire.

HD like the memory... 500gig for $75. Sold. Would probably even get 2.

Take a look at the 640 GB or 750 GB too :rolleyes:

BluRay - The one you suggested appears to have problems runnign dual layer BluRay discs. I will look more into that. This is just based on the Newegg review.

Sorry for that, Blu-Ray is far away from my plans due to the excessive price of the readers/recorders/discs/movies here in Brazil. :(

And yes very helpful.

Speaking of cooling my PC I will post a pic of it.... at the LAN I was at this past weekend it was called "Ghetto cooled" on more then one occasion..

*relief* =D

I'm waiting for the pic.

Cheers.

I will post my pics when I get home today. (East Coast US 8pmish) Was up last night trying for the brewfest kodo/ram... :D

I will update this particular post with decisions that way I have a running tally..


Case CM 690 ATX Mid Tower (http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0265143) Sold me on it. I really dont need that much room nor do I need flashy lights etc. Solid case with great cooling. $89.99
PSU
Mobo ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131339) $188.99
CPU AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103249) $169.00
Memory G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148) $74.99
VidCard
HD Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)X2 $150.00
Optical
Inputs


Coming in so far at about $675 (US) without any tax and or shipping cost. hmm Keeping it under 1k will make the wife happy which in turn will make me happy....

Back to the CPU.

Looking at AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773) in comparison to the Black what am I giving up?

Doing some reading Ive read that while it is not on par with Intels at that level when playing games and the GPU kicks in it is. (of course I could be reading this incorrectly)

I cant find any side by sides for the Black and the Windsor.

-----------------------------------------------------------
PSU the one that you reccommend apparently has "short" cables and would be questionable in the HAF. That is based on some of the reviews on NE. Regardless I know I need a 550w or better as SLI is my future.

------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of the case... :D Banging around and it appears this looks just as good and at a lower price. Nine Hundred ATX Gaming Case (http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0246524) Also available (in Dec?) at my local parts shop. So I save a little on shipping also. HWS also gives it a very favorable review.

------------------------------------------------------------
VidCard I think this will probably ending up to be a close to the wire decision. I like the Sapphire but the price... especially for 2. But of course come Dec it may be under $150.

And as promised....

Looking at the pictures Im suprised my cameras flash stopped the blades...

Anyho.... yeah I need a new PC.....


http://facciolli.com/images/ghetto1.jpg

http://facciolli.com/images/ghetto2.jpg

Back to the CPU.

Looking at AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773) in comparison to the Black what am I giving up?

Basically, two cores.
Today, for most of the programs the 6400+ will be faster, but, if a program knows to use 4 cores the 6400 will not cath the Phenom.

It's a hard choice, I know :o

Doing some reading Ive read that while it is not on par with Intels at that level when playing games and the GPU kicks in it is. (of course I could be reading this incorrectly)

That's relative..

When people say that a CPU is better for games they have in mind the tests where the CPU is the bottleneck (the slower part), at 1024x768 without AA.
Well, I used to play like this in my K6-II..
Other tests, closer to real conditions, shows that a Athlon64 4800+ can Handle a 8800Ultra without loss of performance when using high resolution and average levels of AA.
The 4850 alone runs close to the 8800Ultra, the CF is pretty faster, so a better CPU is wellcome, mainly because some games (Crysis, WiC) uses SMP, and the number tend to increase.

The Phenom 9850 is close to the Q6600, the 6400+ to the E7200.
In my view there are little difference between this pairs.

I cant find any side by sides for the Black and the Windsor.

Here has a 6000+, that is "almost there"

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3293


PSU the one that you reccommend apparently has "short" cables and would be questionable in the HAF. That is based on some of the reviews on NE. Regardless I know I need a 550w or better as SLI is my future.

Good point, I forgot it, sorry.

The cables need to be long for this case, you're wright.


Speaking of the case... :D Banging around and it appears this looks just as good and at a lower price. Nine Hundred ATX Gaming Case (http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0246524) Also available (in Dec?) at my local parts shop. So I save a little on shipping also. HWS also gives it a very favorable review.

It's a good option, but the 690 drags fresh air from out of the case, this Antec don't. ;-)


VidCard I think this will probably ending up to be a close to the wire decision. I like the Sapphire but the price... especially for 2. But of course come Dec it may be under $150.

Many things will happen until Dec, $150 probably is one of this

And as promised....

Looking at the pictures Im suprised my cameras flash stopped the blades...

Anyho.... yeah I need a new PC.....


http://facciolli.com/images/ghetto1.jpg

http://facciolli.com/images/ghetto2.jpg

Good 40 mm cooler auhauhauahuahuaha

Your garage is an oven, jeesus !

Updated some items and pricing.

Well Im in a townhouse so it has no "vents" or air circulation in there. I partially open the garage door when it is "nice" outside.

Funny thing I had the case standing upright before with the fan almost as close as it is when laying on it.

In some games (mostly WOW) I would get what I call screen tears. Actually it was the enlongation of graphics. But only certain graphic points of the game.

http://images.wowstead.com/7643/3.jpg

As seen above the red and browninsh line that look like a runway/dragstrip are not supposed to be there.

Just this past LAN party I decided to lay the case on its side with the fan in direct contact and playing BF2 nothing like this happened. Been playing WOW and nada. So I figure try it at home. So far so good.

So I dont know if it was the Vid card or something internal to the system. Regardless a new PC will hopefully fix this... :D

Updated some items and pricing.

Well Im in a townhouse so it has no "vents" or air circulation in there. I partially open the garage door when it is "nice" outside.

Funny thing I had the case standing upright before with the fan almost as close as it is when laying on it.

In some games (mostly WOW) I would get what I call screen tears. Actually it was the enlongation of graphics. But only certain graphic points of the game.

http://images.wowstead.com/7643/3.jpg

As seen above the red and browninsh line that look like a runway/dragstrip are not supposed to be there.

Just this past LAN party I decided to lay the case on its side with the fan in direct contact and playing BF2 nothing like this happened. Been playing WOW and nada. So I figure try it at home. So far so good.

So I dont know if it was the Vid card or something internal to the system. Regardless a new PC will hopefully fix this...

:)

Well.. I have an stupid old idea of using a mini-refrigerator (those one found in Hotels) with "some" modifications like a case and beer cooler :D

It will not be easy but, who knows, some day..

Anyway..

I have this cooler:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999965

it's very good, but too noisy for me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835220022

This one blows more air, looks very better but makes more noise.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835119035

This one seems to be nice, good airflow, medium noise and an excelent bearing.
If I were in your garage, this evercool would be my choice. :D

Ok Im hoping my day is less then 2 weeks away. The day I get my check. I have been peeking in and checking stuff out.

Of course this means I just have more "questions". I do know that the following is a "done" deal. It just doesnt seem to get any better:

1. Mobo ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131339) $188.99
2. HD Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)X2 $119.98
3. Memory G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148) $59.99

Now for the other stuff.

CPU. I just cant pay almost 175$ for a CPU. :D I just dont see it. Call me cheap. How does the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103289) hold up? For 77$...

I would then still need a Case and power supply. Im still looking at the CM 690 ATX Mid Tower. It is $90. Now the power supply. Looking at the eXtreme Power Duo 650 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply (http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0258436) for $50 after rebates.

Video card(s). SAPPHIRE 100256L Radeon HD 4670 1GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102804) X2 for $200? I see it is 128 bit.... How big a difference would that make if you have 2 of them running?

That is about $700.00.

I would need a cooling solution for the Processor. Toss in about 25-30$ for that.

100$ for a BluRay player (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136154)that is not really needed and we come in under $850.

Have I missed anything?

Taking this to a more generic level:
What are the pros and cons of building your own computer versus buying factory made?

Here's my take:

Do your own:
Pros: You can fine tune equipment to get the best mix of performance and features affordable. Full control on hardware and software. Easy to upgrade.Cons: Risk of picking incompatible hardware. Must be somewhat handy and skilled to mount and install everything without causing problems. (ESD protection!) More expensive than buying equivalent stuff from factory.Factory made:
Pros: Everything functional out of the box. Proven design that will work reliably as is. Cheap(ish) for the supplied stuff.Cons: Usually some less than optimal combination of hardware features. (Not tailored to the personal requirements.) You get installed software that you don't want and that is somewhat difficult to un-install. Hardware upgrades can be problematic, as well as adding an additional OS or two.

Options in-between:
There are half-way options that might bring you the best of both worlds.
Computer in parts. A pre-selected set of parts for a complete computer that will work. Assembly must be made by the consumer.
Pros: Cheapish and proven parts.
Cons: Limited selection, not tailored to the customer.
Upgrade kits. A smaller portion of the computer, usually motherboard, CPU and RAM, intended to replace existing parts. The parts will work together, and the price is often lower than ordering the parts separately. Again not tailored to fit your needs, but might be an easy way to save some bucks when picking parts for a new computer.
______________________________________
Back to the original issue:
CPU. I just cant pay almost 175$ for a CPU. ... Call me cheap. How does the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103289) hold up? For 77$...That's an excellent "budget" alternative.
Personally I'd pick a motherboard at ~$100 as well, just to save more money.
I would need a cooling solution for the Processor. Toss in about 25-30$ for that.In that price range I'd pick Arctic cooling Freezer Pro 64.
Another option is to stick with the stock cooler until it's deemed too noisy, and then switch to something even better.

Cheers
Olle

Ok did a total revamp. :D Coming in at about $760. Comments issues or concerns with this build let em rip. I may drop the Vid card down to 1 butI just cant see letting that price go with only buying one.. :D

Case: $139
APEVIA X-PLEASURE-BK Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144128)

MOBO: $80
ASRock A780GXE/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157139)

GPU X2: $178
SAPPHIRE 100256L Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102804)

PSU: $105
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005)

CPU: $76
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3.1GHz Socket AM2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103272)

Memory: $50
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148)

HD X2: $130
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)

Ok did a total revamp. :D Coming in at about $760. Comments issues or concerns with this build let em rip. I may drop the Vid card down to 1 butI just cant see letting that price go with only buying one.. :D

Case: $139
APEVIA X-PLEASURE-BK Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144128)

MOBO: $80
ASRock A780GXE/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157139)

GPU X2: $178
SAPPHIRE 100256L Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102804)

PSU: $105
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005)

CPU: $76
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3.1GHz Socket AM2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103272)

Memory: $50
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148)

HD X2: $130
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)

Very good !

My comments:

Overclocked 4870 with a good cooler: 199 without rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131140

You can buy a 4850 too, will be cheaper than the 4870 nut the performance is close to the 4670 CrossFire.

You don't need 1 GB of VRAM even in a 4850, 512 MB is enough. ;)

Very good !

My comments:

Overclocked 4870 with a good cooler: 199 without rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131140

You can buy a 4850 too, will be cheaper than the 4870 nut the performance is close to the 4670 CrossFire.

You don't need 1 GB of VRAM even in a 4850, 512 MB is enough. ;)

Hey you! Thought you left. Havent seen you in a bit. Hope things are well.

You say good cooler does that mean replacing the stock one? I would not feel comfortable doing that with a $200 video card. Mess it up and my wife would shoot me. :D

Hey you! Thought you left. Havent seen you in a bit. Hope things are well.

You say good cooler does that mean replacing the stock one? I would not feel comfortable doing that with a $200 video card. Mess it up and my wife would shoot me. :D

Hehehehe, everything is fine, only the time was short ;)

No, that powercolor uses a different cooler than the stock one, the stock isn't a bad cooler, but the pther is better.

The card is already "coolermoded" and overclocked. I guess that your wife will like it :D:D

Building is cheaper than buying until one includes the purchase of the OS and other applications but here in Asia few really buy legitimate software (I am not one of those, go legitimate...no trojans and support/updating included!).

I have been building my own for a long time now because I always go for a power pc which is hard to find factory built....UNTIL now.

PC components have become so good that just about every pre built system is good enough. I just bought 4 pc's as Christmas gifts. In the past I always built the pc's I gave as gifts but this year I saw that is no longer necessary.

Building is fun but time consuming and support is minimum.

I think I'll buy for now on and upgrade at purchase the memory and graphics.

cheers.

Well he we are.... initial post : 09-22-2008
It is now 02-03-09.

I got my money. :D woot. Business is taking me out of town on the 9th of this month for a week. I dont want to order it and me not be there, or order it and it be sitting around for a week and a half, soooo I will be ordering probably around the 13th of this month.

Because of money issues Ive gone real cheap but still think overall Ive done well.

With 3 day shipping I'm at $630. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Sunbeam Silent Storm IC-SS-SVBK Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811166030 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166030)

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3870 100225L Video Card X 2
Item #:N82E16814102719 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102719)

Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL-S 600W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817182062 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182062)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Item #:N82E16822148261 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148261)

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820231148 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148)

JetWay JHA07-ULTRA-LF ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813153125 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813153125)

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.1GHz Socket AM2 89W Dual-Core Processor
Item #: N82E16819103272 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103272)

:eek:

2x 3870 for 200 bucks ?

You can buy a 4870, that is faster, with less money:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161268

Buy a cheaper mobo (and with better user reviews)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131325

Maybe use this CPU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103300

And I don't know if this PSU is good, so, I'll stay quiet about it :D

--

Overviewing: very nice PC ! :)

I went with MOBO cause price and the 790. So the 780 chipset is "ok"?

/cry I REALLY want to run dual vid cards. :D epeen thing. That will probably be the last thing I decide on.

Proc to the black. NP.

So just questioning the 780/790 MOBO and a dual vid card arrangement that wont kill me.

(oh and I got a combo deal with the mobo/chipset let me see what combo is with that one)

I went with MOBO cause price and the 790. So the 780 chipset is "ok"?

Yes, the 790G is a faster onboard GPU (who cares ? :D) and have the option of CrossfireX.


/cry I REALLY want to run dual vid cards. :D epeen thing. That will probably be the last thing I decide on.

Hehehehehe I know, but I'll still use a 4870 due to "driver issues" that happen with all multi-GPU systems (some games don't recognize the 2 cards), higher power use. If you really want a dual card system, try a Overclocked 4670. ;)


Proc to the black. NP.

So just questioning the 780/790 MOBO and a dual vid card arrangement that wont kill me.

(oh and I got a combo deal with the mobo/chipset let me see what combo is with that one)

Humm, combo.

I missed this.. :o

----------

EDIT

Aknot, I've been thinking about it..

You can take 2 4830:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048%20106792627%201067944946&name=Radeon%20HD%204830

Cheaper than the 3870, uses just a little more power and perform better. The CrossfireX of 4830s is faster than one 4870.

The mobo you can take this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138130

It's a nice mobo, with good user reviews:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138128

(I guess that there are just a little difference between them)

Placed my order. I want to thank everyone for all the advice and help.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core black edition Processor Model AD775ZWCGHBOX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103300)

XCLIO GREATPOWER X14S4P3 550W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817189006)

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148)

XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148261)

ASRock A780GXE/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157139)

ASUS EAH4830/HTDP/512MD3 Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card X2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121289)

Thermaltake M9 VI1000BWS Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133058)

In under $650 wife is happy. :D

Very good !

Alternatives:

PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011

The other parts are the better ones for the price, congratulations ! :)

I hope your wife doesn't see the PC as your "lover".. :D (my girl does..)

Quick question ...

Will this work on my 4830s?

Ebay Link Crossfire Bridge
(http://cgi.ebay.com/2-ATI-CrossFire-Bridge-Interconnect-Cable-NEW_W0QQitemZ330305905623QQihZ014QQcategoryZ3762QQ cmdZViewItem)

And do I need to have "two" bridges on them? Does 2 hurt?

Thanks.

Quick question ...

Will this work on my 4830s?

Ebay Link Crossfire Bridge
(http://cgi.ebay.com/2-ATI-CrossFire-Bridge-Interconnect-Cable-NEW_W0QQitemZ330305905623QQihZ014QQcategoryZ3762QQ cmdZViewItem)

And do I need to have "two" bridges on them? Does 2 hurt?

Thanks.

Yes, it should work, but I though that's suposed to be packed with the mobo or the video card..

My mystake.

Newegg has it too, and yes, you'll need 2 of them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=crossfire%20bridge&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Yes, it should work, but I though that's suposed to be packed with the mobo or the video card..


And which I do not understand. MOBO nor GPU has it. I noticed that on a lot of the things I was looking at.

I was actually at first basing my decision (if they had it or not) on that untill I fould out I could purchase the bridges seperate.

That PSU has a lot of negative reviews. More then the norm...

O well my stuff is ordered. Hopefully I will post some pictures of the delivery all the way through the building of it.

Again thanks everyone.

annnnnnnnd here are the parts all laid out on my dirty desk...

http://images.wowstead.com/7643/32.jpg

Will get more uploaded soon to include the finished product...