Another build - Need to get the price down.

[BurningSkyline]

Honestly, I think the hard drive would be the better choice, but I don't like the beta Evo. Gamma doesn't look that great either, but that is only the bezel. I can live with it.

Oh, and can dual-cores be unlocked? I doubt it.... but I'm just curious if I should go with a dual core. Not sure how good of a GPU I can grab without it bottlenecking though. I'm not a huge gamer, but It is too bad Nvidia doesn't have a HD 5670 Equivalent. It looks like my main monitor will be 1440x900 until I get the cash for a 1080p one. Don't include a graphics card.... I'm just rambling.

Oh, and instead of using the M59 window I think I would just build one. (adding a fan would be... well I couldn't do it. I watch a video on youtube where this guy replaced the top fans with a window and made slits for a fan. I wish the HAF 912 came in black...

EDIT: I would rather use this Optical drive because it has lightscribe support.

 

[Drenlin]

I'm on a phone that doesn't like newegg, but check the price on the rosewill challenger...it'll fit the m59's window as well, should you go that route. Same chassis and you may like the looks better. I think it's got high shipping right now though...

Nothing wrong with that optical drive, but it's $5 more because of shipping.

Dual cores don't unlock, no...they do have twice as much L2 per core, though. Depending on the game, you could probably use anything from a 460 down and be ok. The gts 450 and gt 430 are the closest things to a 5670...I think they go above and below it, respectively.

 

[BurningSkyline]

There are a lot of things to look at here, but which kit of RAM would you suggest?

Oh, and I would consider a GTS 450 closest to a 5750

EDIT: Here are some motherboards
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO
Pros: Plenty of expansion slots, Crossfire, good price
Cons: No onboard video, No USB 3.0, No SATA III.
Thoughts: Extra $20-30 on a graphics card, will need to pay an extra $15-45 on a USB PCI-e Card.

BIOSTAR TA870+
Pros: Looks nice, SATA III, Enough expansion slots.
Cons: No onboard video, USB 3.0, Biostar...
Thoughts: Good looking board with SATA III, but It doesn't have onboard video so thats another $20-30 on a cheap card. No USB 3.0, and its Biostar.


ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3
Pros: USB 3.0, Onboard video, ATX, Enough expansion slots.
Cons: No SATA III
Thoughts: Looks like an alright board. A little more than I would Like to spend, and another PCI-E x1 slot would be nice.

ASRock 880G EXTREME3
Pros: UCC, True 333, Lots of PCI-E
Cons: Over $100
Thoughts: I think I will sacrifice somewhere else. This board looks perfect to me, for my personal needs.

 

[bomberboysk]

For memory, hard to beat Geil on a budget:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144461

 

[Drenlin]

There are a lot of things to look at here, but which kit of RAM would you suggest?

Oh, and I would consider a GTS 450 closest to a 5750

Hence, above a 5670.

The RAM Bomberboy quoted would be good if you're going for 4GB.

EDIT: Here are some motherboards
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO
Pros: Plenty of expansion slots, Crossfire, good price
Cons: No onboard video, No USB 3.0, No SATA III.
Thoughts: Extra $20-30 on a graphics card, will need to pay an extra $15-45 on a USB PCI-e Card.
Too expensive for what it is.

BIOSTAR TA870+
Pros: Looks nice, SATA III, Enough expansion slots.
Cons: No onboard video, USB 3.0, Biostar...
Thoughts: Good looking board with SATA III, but It doesn't have onboard video so thats another $20-30 on a cheap card. No USB 3.0, and its Biostar.
4-phase power with no MOSFET cooling? On a Biostar? Run away, fast.


ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3
Pros: USB 3.0, Onboard video, ATX, Enough expansion slots.
Cons: No SATA III
Thoughts: Looks like an alright board. A little more than I would Like to spend, and another PCI-E x1 slot would be nice.
Good board here. Well priced, plenty of features. You won't miss SATA III unless you get an SSD.


ASRock 880G EXTREME3
Pros: UCC, True 333, Lots of PCI-E
Cons: Over $100
Thoughts: I think I will sacrifice somewhere else. This board looks perfect to me, for my personal needs.
Doesn't overclock well, and only has 1-year warranty. Only 4-phase power, but it's cooled, so it'll be alright. Otherwise good. However, since you're not xfiring, the Asus above will be much better for you.

The Foxconn is still the better buy out of these. It'll do everything you ask and then some, for <$90.



edit: I just found this- Athlon II x4 630 for $80 + shipping on tigerdirect:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/cgi-bin/ShoppingCart.asp?prchbcart=y&msg=&q=1

 

[BurningSkyline]

I don't know when you looked at the 790X motherboard, but it was $80 yesterday... I think I can either Go with the Foxconn and a x4, or a x3, and attempt to unlock. What about the lack of heatsinks, though?

 

[Drenlin]

Must have been after it went back up, I guess. :/

 

[BurningSkyline]

Which would you call the better case? Gamma or M59? They pretty much look the same on the Inside.

The reason I decided on going with a cheaper CPU was so I could attempt to unlock it... Can't do that on the Foxconn. So I can't decide what to do there.

 

[Drenlin]

Ah...I forgot it had the 850 south bridge.

Of the two cases, the gamma is probably the better buy, though the M59 looks cooler IMO. They are identical on the inside, you're very right. The M59 comes with two fans instead of one, though, as well as a 2.5" drive carriage. It also has that stealth bay thing at the top, which definitely looks cool but will get annoying if you want to mount two fans up there...it pushes the drive back far enough to block the first one. It's removable, but the drive won't sit flush, so the usual workaround is to just use the second drive bay and have an empty "stealth bay" on top.

The Challenger I mentioned is also identical on the inside, though it only has one spot for a top fan. It's down to $50 now due to free shipping. Comes with the 2.5" bracket from the M59, and has external 2.5" bays as well as tool-less 5 1/4" bays. (The gamma and M59 use thumbscrews)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

 

[BurningSkyline]

Honestly, what will I need with a motherboard? As for expansion slots and features?

EDIT: If I used this motherboard, Could I put a dual slot GPU in the second slot and a single slot GPU in the first x16?

 

[Drenlin]

I don't see why not, but the second slot only runs at x4. Best you're going to get is one of those single slot Radeon 5770's anyway, unless someone's made a 460 or HD58xx.

You can't unlock cores on that one either, btw...why pick it?