Can I get some advice on a new computer?

T

Thunderfudge

New Member
Ok, here are the updated specs:

CPU: AM3 x4 955 -------------------------- $154
Memory: 4G kit DDR3 1333 PQI ------------- $73
Motherboard: AsRock 870 Extrem3 ---------- $109
Case: Lian-Li(Lancool) PK-K56 -------------- $84
PSU: Corsair VX550 ------------------------ $98
GFX: 1GB 6850 Powercolor ----------------- $218
HDD: Seagate SATA 1T -------------------- $61
with a SATA Blu-Ray Combo Samsung ------- $59

Totalling: ---------------------------------- $856

Wow, cheaper than the previous build and apparently better =D

linkin suggests on page three that I sould upgrade to 1600mhz CAS8 RAM. Since I don't know how to tell CAS8 apart from any other RAM, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks (If you want to help, please check to see if the RAM you're suggesting is in the PDF below in this post.)

Below light-coloured text are my previous posts, kept for reference

Edit: Okay, below are the new Specs.

CPU: AM3 x4 640 -------------------------- $108
Memory: 4G kit DDR3 1333 PQI ------------- $73
Motherboard: AsRock 880GM-LE ------------ $76
Case: Coolermaster SGC2000 Storm Scout -- $118
PSU: Corsair VX550 ------------------------ $98
GFX: 1GB 5770 Powercolor ----------------- $139
HDD: Seagate SATA 500G ------------------ $42
with a SATA Blu-Ray Combo Samsung ------- $59

Will cost me $713 altogether.

Before I finalise this, a) What can't I run on max (besides Crysis), and b) Any fixes/tweaks from you guys before I order?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Other options I was thinking of but decided against were:

Seagate SATA 1T HDD for $62
1GB 6870 Powercolor GPU for $273

With these two upgrades, the price comes to $867, but I'de imagine it will be a little higher as I'de have to upgrade my CPU aswell. Do you recommend switching back to any of these upgrades?

--------------------------------------------------------------

An alternative to the whole thing is the following for $864, which do you think is better?

AMD AM3 x4 640 3.0Ghz Athlon II Quad Core
MBAAS78LT-1 ASUS M4A78LT-M-LE 760G AM3 DDR3 Motherboard
VGAPNGB460GTX1 >> Gigabyte 1GB GTX460 PCI-E VGA Card
RAM00101-S003 Patriot Signature 4GB Kit(2Gx2) DDR3 1333 (For Intel 775pin 1 $90.00 $90.00 10.00, Intel 1156, AM3)
HDDHTC9898 Hitachi 3.5" Deskstar 500GB SATA HDD
RWSS9996 >>>> Samsung SATA 22x Black DVD RW
CASES99996-BK SHAW Tornado Black Tower Case
PSUCSVX550 >> Corsair VX-550 ATX Power Supply Unit

It's like a bundle thingo, looked ok.

---------------------------------------------------------------

tl;dr, Which of the two computers runs more games on max without blowing up, considering the upgrades on the first one. Basically, read it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Heya, I'm new to computer building, various parts, etc. I'm wondering if I can get some advice on what to buy. Currently I'm thinking of:

CPU: AM3 x4 640
Memory: 4G kit DDR3 1333 PQI
Motherboard: AsRock 880GM-LE
Case & PSU: Aerocool w/550W VS400
GFX: 1GB 5770 Powercolor
HDD: Seagate Desktop 3.5" 500GB
with a SATA Blu-Ray Combo Samsung

My budget is very low for most standards, the above costing me about $600, or about $720 with a 6870 Graphics Card.
This is mainly to be used for games...

Original post in annoying hard-to-see light blue colour so that you ignore it.

Just a quick question:
If I were to run Crysis on this, would it be more like:
a) Smooth on Very High
or
b) Crash on Low
(I know, both answers are on the two extremes, but you get the point...)

Thanks. Also please don't criticise my lack of knowledge on these things, I'm very new to this.

Edit: Parts available to me: http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf
I can't buy from NewEgg since they don't ship to Australia. I'm trying to keep below $800 at a maximum, preferably below $700.
 
Last edited:
linkin

linkin

VIP Member
The 5770 won't be enough to max crysis paired with a 640, you will need a GTX 460 or above for that (1gb version)

You might want to try getting a Phenom II X2 550BE and unlocking into a quadcore, it will perform better than the athlon. You could always overclock the athlon as well

Powersupply is bad. Look at Corsair VX-550, much better.

Everything else looks okay.
 
T

Thunderfudge

New Member
Specs

linkin said:
The 5770 won't be enough to max crysis paired with a 640, you will need a GTX 460 or above for that (1gb version)
Click to expand...

The above post says a 6870 should do it... do you agree or do I need to switch to a GTX 460+?
What settings will a 5770 run Crysis on (smoothly, ~40 FPS+)

linkin said:
You might want to try getting a Phenom II X2 550BE and unlocking into a quadcore, it will perform better than the athlon. You could always overclock the athlon as well
Click to expand...

Ok.
The only 550 the place I'm buying from has is AM3 Sempron 550... I'm not an experienced overclocker either, anywhere I can learn to do that? If I need to, how much should I overclock?

linkin said:
Powersupply is bad. Look at Corsair VX-550, much better
Click to expand...

Ill check it out, thanks.
Ok, the Corsair doesn't come with a case - will any case do? They're all quote expensive and I'm trying to stay below $800 if I can.
Edit: Will a AeroCool Aquilo / Sera be ok? I have no idea what the hell that is, it's just the cheapest case.

linkin said:
Everything else looks okay.
Click to expand...

My original post bolded.
-Oh yeah, do I need a sound card?

-Another question: Why do people spend heaps on high-end computer ($6k+)... What can they achieve that a, say, $2k can't? I'm sure you could easily run the best games for under $2000.

-One more: Can prices get any lower than $603 for the specs I have in the TS, or are they pretty much the lowest. I live in Australia.
 
Last edited:
Benny Boy

Benny Boy

Active Member
Both of these were in the 700-750ish range a day or 2 ago.
I do know a 20$ rebate fell off somewhere in there, but it gives you an idea of what you can do with $800.
I dont think theres a case in either build. Those are subject to personal prefference, as long as they cool adequatley,
and you can get another later if ya cant get the one you want right now(having spent budget on hw).
An example build:
This one has usb3. Add $ for a case. Add a card r/w if you wish(cheap). Comes with free $10 card and free 4gb flash drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.548074
there's better branded ram. but it comes with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553618
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151176
Another:
No usb3 tho. However there is a usb3 version of this board. It's and excellent mobo.
It also has the 890/850 chipsets. It overclocks very well(better than the Gig), and has very easy to use oc'ing software.
It can automatically do it for you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.552990
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553618
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231278
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151176
 
Last edited:
T

Thunderfudge

New Member

Benny Boy said:
Both of these were in the 700-750ish range a day or 2 ago.
I do know a 20$ rebate fell off somewhere in there, but it gives you an idea of what you can do with $800.
I dont think theres a case in either build. Those are subject to personal prefference, as long as they cool adequatley,
and you can get another later if ya cant get the one you want right now(having spent budget on hw).
An example build:
This one has usb3. Add $ for a case. Add a card r/w if you wish(cheap). Comes with free $10 card and free 4gb flash drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.548074
there's better branded ram. but it comes with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553618
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151176
Click to expand...
Benny Boy said:
Another:
No usb3 tho. However there is a usb3 version of this board. It's and excellent mobo.
It also has the 890/850 chipsets. It overclocks very well(better than the Gig), and has very easy to use oc'ing software.
It can automatically do it for you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.552990
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.553618
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231278
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151176
Click to expand...


Thanks, but does newegg ship to Australia?
 
Last edited:
Drenlin

Drenlin

Active Member
Actually, an Athlon II 640 and a 5770 is a pretty good match, performance-wise. Should run Crysis on high settings. Probably not max, but high.

When he was saying 550, he meant a Phenom II x2 550(or 555, whichever). Unless you can fully unlock it to a quad core, which has somewhere between a 50% and 75% chance of happening, the Athlon II x4 will be faster.
 
T

Thunderfudge

New Member
Yea this post.

Edit: Okay, below are the new Specs.

CPU: AM3 x4 640 -------------------------- $108
Memory: 4G kit DDR3 1333 PQI ------------- $73
Motherboard: AsRock 880GM-LE ------------ $76
Case: Coolermaster SGC2000 Storm Scout -- $118
PSU: Corsair VX550 ------------------------ $98
GFX: 1GB 5770 Powercolor ----------------- $139
HDD: Seagate SATA 500G ------------------ $42
with a SATA Blu-Ray Combo Samsung ------- $59

Will cost me $713 altogether.

Before I finalise this, a) What can't I run on max (besides Crysis), and b) Any fixes/tweaks from you guys before I order?

-------------------------------------------------------------

Other options I was thinking of but decided against were:

Seagate SATA 1T HDD for $62
1GB 6870 Powercolor GPU for $273

With these two upgrades, the price comes to $867, but I'de imagine it will be a little higher as I'de have to upgrade my CPU aswell. Do you recommend switching back to any of these upgrades?

--------------------------------------------------------------

An alternative to the whole thing is the following for $864, which do you think is better?

AMD AM3 x4 640 3.0Ghz Athlon II Quad Core
MBAAS78LT-1 ASUS M4A78LT-M-LE 760G AM3 DDR3 Motherboard
VGAPNGB460GTX1 >> Gigabyte 1GB GTX460 PCI-E VGA Card
RAM00101-S003 Patriot Signature 4GB Kit(2Gx2) DDR3 1333 (For Intel 775pin 1 $90.00 $90.00 10.00, Intel 1156, AM3)
HDDHTC9898 Hitachi 3.5" Deskstar 500GB SATA HDD
RWSS9996 >>>> Samsung SATA 22x Black DVD RW
CASES99996-BK SHAW Tornado Black Tower Case
PSUCSVX550 >> Corsair VX-550 ATX Power Supply Unit

It's like a bundle thingo, looked ok.

---------------------------------------------------------------

tl;dr, Which of the two computers runs more games on max without blowing up, considering the upgrades on the first one. Basically, read it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

And if anyone asks why I didn't just update the main post: I was bored, and so people could still read the originals in case they were interested.
 
Last edited:
Drenlin

Drenlin

Active Member
The second build will technically perform better due to having a 460, though I'd be wary of the Hitachi hard drive. They're not "bad", but they're not great either. The motherboard isn't a bad unit, but it's completely devoid of any special features, and only has two RAM slots...so no upgrades in that area. Probably NOT a good overclocker.

I've never heard of the case before, but google returned nothing, which is usually a bad thing.


Basically, everything on the first build is as good or better quality than the second, but because the second has a GTX 460 instead of a 5770, it ends up being a better gamer. The other one has more features and higher quality parts.
 
Last edited:
T

Thunderfudge

New Member
What if I replace the 5770 with a 6870? Will they be about equal then? Since your post the second build seems a bit dodgy to me.
Also if I do replace the 5770 with a 6870, will I have to upgrade anything else to match the higher level GPU (such as CPU/PSU)?
 
Drenlin

Drenlin

Active Member
A 6870 would definitely help that first build. The PSU could handle it just fine.

You may want to upgrade to a Phenom II x4 rather than an Athlon, though an expensive black edition one isn't necessary. The 640 is still a pretty strong chip, though, and you can always upgrade later. Either way, just make sure it's a C3 chip. The model number will end in GMBOX, or just GM for OEM models. C2 chips, which don't overclock as well and don't like high voltage or fast RAM, end in GIBOX, or, again, GI for OEM models.

You could also consider just getting a 6850 or a GTX 460...both would be cheaper than the 6870, but much faster than the 5770.
 
T

Thunderfudge

New Member
Is there anything I can run with the 6870 and not the 6850?
Also 'AM3 x4 640' is the CPU as listed. No GM/I's involved there, you think it's C3?
What are the advanteges of upgrading to a better CPU (just run smoother?)?
The CPUs available to me are:
AM3 Sempron LE-140 / x2 250 / 255 / 550 / 555
AM3 x4 640 / 955 / 965
AM3 x6 1055T / 1090T

Unless one of those is a Phenom II in code, I don't think I have that choice.
 
Drenlin

Drenlin

Active Member
Everything from the 955 and up is a Phenom II. The 550 and 555 are as well, but they're only dual core. I wouldn't worry too much about the steppings if you can't tell it...most stores have sold all of their C2 stock by now.

Getting a better CPU does indeed make the games run smoother, but my though here was that with a 6870 and an Athlon II 640, you've got a semi-budget-oriented CPU and a fairly high end GPU. It'd make more sense to get a higher-end CPU as well, yeah? The 640 is a hell of a "budget" chip, though...you can definitely game on it. That's why I recommended either spending a bit less on the GPU or a bit more on the CPU.


As far as 6850 vs 6870, there's not a lot of games that either of them won't max out. The 6870 is obviously the more powerful of the two, but getting the 6850 instead isn't going to be a game breaker or anything. The difference is usually less than 10 fps, though not always.

There's also the Nvidia GTX 460 1GB, which is VERY similar to the 6850 in performance and price. They're nearly even in most games...within 5fps. The 460 is technically the faster of the two, but it's so minute that you won't notice it in gaming. However there are a few overclocked versions of the 460 that are significantly faster. Some models have the core well over 800MHz, and are on par with the GTX 470 in performance. The two most common ones are the Gigabyte Super Overclock and the MSI Hawk Talon Attack, with the Gigabyte one being slightly faster. These cards currently have the best performance/price ratio on the market.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top