little cpu knowledge, need help building first cpu

With most processors, you look at which one will give you the best performance for the price, though there are some exceptions. In the case of the Athlon II X3 models, the 445 is the better deal, because it's a C3 stepping model, even though it's only faster by .1GHz. (a newer stepping is kind of like a newer revision to the design)


I should probably note that GHz(AKA the clock speed) only matters between processors of the same architecture. In AMD's case, the Athlon II and Phenom II use the same architecture, but the Phenom II line has an L3 cache, so clock for clock, it's actually faster than the Athlon II line. (caches in a processor function kind of like RAM. They hold commonly-used data so that it's already available when the CPU needs it. This cuts down on wait time, which enables the CPU to do do work more efficiently)

In the case of AMD vs Intel, the new Intels are actually quite a bit faster clock-for-clock. An Intel i5 750, which is their cheapest quad core, is $200, but it is also a heck of a lot faster than an Athlon II x4 running at the same clock speed, and even a bit faster than a Phenom II x4. AMD makes up for it, though, because they have a 6-core Phenom II at roughly the same price.
 
What do i need to look at when choosing a power supply? How do i determine how much power i need. And if it.s compatible with my hardware/ case?
 
tp101 said:
What do i need to look at when choosing a power supply? How do i determine how much power i need. And if it.s compatible with my hardware/ case?
Click to expand...


Your PSU has probably got a 24-pin connector for your mobo, and PCI-e slot for your graphics card

Most power supply's can fit in pretty much any computer case, as long as the dimensions aren't too big!
 
That is a great processor. One more thing to consider with cpu's is an unlocked multiplier. It is not necessary but it is nice to have if you plan on overclocking.
 
i really have no knowledge of overclocking, so i will probably go without the multiplier but thanks. if i choose that processor what should i look at next? MB?
 
Yep. Motherboard is where I would go next. When looking for a motherboard the first choice that I would make is whether or not you plan to crossfire or sli in the future. (that's when you take 2 or more gpu's and link them together for better performance.) The reason that I think that you should look at that first is because it determines what ports you need on your mobo. So if you know for sure that you will never want to run dual gpus then I would search for an am3 mobo that has the AMD 870 chipset. If you plan on, or think that you might want a dual gpu setup in the future look for an am3 mobo that has either the AMD 890gx or 890fx chipsets with at least 2 pci express 2.0x16.

Edit:
Make sure that the mobo uses DDR3.
 
I was planning on using vista formy os, will this change what hardware i should buy? And how do i know which MB is compatible with the processor i posted earlier?
 
Vista is still well supported by any hardware that you would buy for a new build. I would still suggest that you get Windows 7. But if you have already made your decision it will work just fine.

if you look under specifications for your processor, there is a spot for CPU socket type. Your processor lists AM3. This is the socket that you need on your motherboard. Since you have a 95watt processor this won't matter as much but make sure that the mobo supports the wattage for the processor. Generally you will get motherboards that have either 125w or 140w support. Both are fine. Hope that helps a bit I'll be back after work to clean up anything that I missed.
 
im looking at this case. its pretty cheap and i found one at a local best buy so i woudlnt need to order it will this case fit everythign i need?http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Thermal....p?id=1203815240653&skuId=8763126&st=computer case&contract_desc=null

i also found this PSU which i can also get at a local best buy will it be compatible with the processor i chose and the MB i will need to go with it?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair...11783&skuId=9358269&st=psu&contract_desc=null

thanks for the help
 
You've picked a good processor. Take a look at the following parts that will work with the processor you've chosen:

GIGABYTE GA-770T-USB3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard - $88
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=Gigabyte_motherboard-_-13-128-431-_-Product

CORSAIR XMS3 4 gigabytes (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) RAM - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=DDR3_1600_240-pin_4gb-_-20-145-260-_-Product

I also found the exact power supply you are looking at for $10 less in price:

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650 Watt ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=CMPSU650TX
 
so will any parts i buy fit in the case? and what are the con's of badairflow in a case? and as far as RAM goes what do i look for when buying it, and hwo do i know if its compatible with my other hardware?
 
tp101 said:
so will any parts i buy fit in the case? and what are the con's of badairflow in a case? and as far as RAM goes what do i look for when buying it, and hwo do i know if its compatible with my other hardware?
Click to expand...

The con's of bad airflow: stuff overheats, fan(s) run super loud, dust buildup, if its real bad, it could melt stuff, but if it is that extreme it probably won't let you turn it on.
 
any suggestions on cases that will be compatible with my hardware with good airflow for around the same price or a little higher?
 
Most things should fit no problem. The two things that you have to watch out for are the video card if you get a beast of a card and it is really long (like over 10") or if you get a after market heatsink for your cpu that uses a 120mm fan. They seem to cut it close on some mid tower cases but a lot of them still fit.

Ram is defined by what motherboard that you get. For example the mobo that 2048Megabytes recommended you has 4×240pin (the slots for the RAM) that can have DDR3 1666(OC)/1333/1066 (basically the higher the number the higher the speed). The (OC) next to 1666 just means that you will need to set the speed manually in the BIOS for your ram to run at that speed. Not a hard adjustment to do.
 
The case you linked is $80? This seems to be as popular a case as there ever was, and after the rebate it's $80 with free shipping.
 
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