So my GF got me these for veterans day :D

Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
I know they arent the best, but we are poor as hell so I extremely appriciate it anyway but I would like to know what you guys think about it.

First is the MSI 870A-G54 mobo
GEDC0872.jpg


Second is the Powersupply
GEDC0873.jpg


3rd is the ram
GEDC0874.jpg


4th is the cpu cooler
GEDC0875.jpg


She wasnt able to get a cpu but meh. She didnt know where to start with the CPU anyway, she wanted to leave that up to me :).... It supports AM3 but for now I just want a cheapie to get me going with no overcocking planned for the first CPU I get.

Now what would be the best cpu to get? I may do a little OCing with this but I am not sure yet since I know nothing about it, I dont want to delve into something I know nothing about. So I guess what is a good cheapie CPU that I can get so I can use it, and then what would be an awesome CPU that would be worth saving up for? I do mostly gaming But I will also be doing rendering and working with 3D programs such as Maya, Mudbox, 3DS Max, Cinema 4D..... Things like that

I also need to get a case as well. But I think I am going to get one of those clear acrylic cases or go with the Corsair Obsidian Series 800D beacause it is over kill and I like over kill. (Mainly making my brother jealous cause it is freaking halarious).
 
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Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
Actually that is pretty good :) I think I might get them in the order of low to high. The low for, CRAP I dont have enough money for the other two x.x Oh well I will get this one. The mid for CRAP I still dont have enough money for the sweet CPU, but I already have the lowest of the low sooo Meh might aswell, and the High end for YES I FINALLY HAVE THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA...... :D
 
Aastii

Aastii

VIP Member
$60: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103903

$74: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103872

$90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846

$100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871

$116: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103650

$153: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

$200: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103858

$230: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849

That is from a low - high end, and there are some big price jumps, but the reason for that is, there are processors with the middle price, but they are just higher clock variants of the cheaper parts put in the list, so an overclock will get the same performance, and they will be able to clock as well as the more expensive product (usually)
 
Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
SO many options o_O :)lol

So your saying that I can Over clock just about any CPU within its limits without worrying about having to replace it? Just no over kill, like a 2.0GHz oc'd to 6.0GHz, I know that is rediculious and would end up blowing the computer up. I am just using it as a reference for my question.
 
speedyink

speedyink

VIP Member
Damn, the 6 core is only $229?? I might end up buying one of them monsters...then again, my phenom 9500 is still doing a good job..
 
Drenlin

Drenlin

Active Member
With the current AMD chips, >4GHz is pretty good for black edition Phenoms, >3.6 is good for Athlons...not entirely sure about the locked Phenoms, but I think they can hit near 4GHz as well. Not all chips get that high, though.

But yes, you can overclock them with no side effects. Just don't let thm get too hot and keep the voltage in spec and there's no danger at all.
 
Aastii

Aastii

VIP Member
Kitsune said:
SO many options o_O :)lol

So your saying that I can Over clock just about any CPU within its limits without worrying about having to replace it? Just no over kill, like a 2.0GHz oc'd to 6.0GHz, I know that is rediculious and would end up blowing the computer up. I am just using it as a reference for my question.
Click to expand...

Yes. As an example, a Phenom II 955 is the same as a 965, the only difference being the price, and that the 965 is clocked at 3.4GHz, whilst the 955 is clocked at 3.2GHz.

you can go into the BIOS and set the multiplier of the 955 to x17, and you have a 965, with 0 side effects. Both will go further than that, even on stock voltages, you should be able to (provided you get one with C3 stepping, which is all with MBOX at the end of the product code) get them to around 3.8 on stock voltages, with stock heatsink.
 
Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
speedyink said:
Damn, the 6 core is only $229?? I might end up buying one of them monsters...then again, my phenom 9500 is still doing a good job..
Click to expand...

I was told by a friend that the 6X was really nothing better than a 4X unless I plan on doing hardware intensive applicatations like rendering is this true?

Aastii said:
Yes. As an example, a Phenom II 955 is the same as a 965, the only difference being the price, and that the 965 is clocked at 3.4GHz, whilst the 955 is clocked at 3.2GHz.

you can go into the BIOS and set the multiplier of the 955 to x17, and you have a 965, with 0 side effects. Both will go further than that, even on stock voltages, you should be able to (provided you get one with C3 stepping, which is all with MBOX at the end of the product code) get them to around 3.8 on stock voltages, with stock heatsink.
Click to expand...

So to save on money I should stick with like an AMD Phenom II X4 955, and just OC it?

Other that extended life of the CPU (whether noticeable or not), are there really any cons to Overclocking if it is done right?

And what are the percs and cons to water cooling as well, such as is it really worth the money and or time, how is maintenence (SP?). The P4 I am using now which is going to go to my GF once I get this one up and running is in a Gateway FX case that can be set up for watercooling, I added a 120mm Green LED fan which took the temps down a little more. I dont know if there is a pro to going below 40 Degrees C Idol and 50 Degrees C while playing Gothic 3. Actually I dont even think that it goes above 47 Degrees C.

When I first got it up I would listen to the fan speeds and could tell when it was under a load, Now I kinda worry that my CPU fan quit running because it doesnt even fluxuate anymore, I dont hear it ever.

Hmmm.... I want to see if I can stick with Phenom's, since they seem to be the cream of the crop in the AM3 world :) Alot of people have good things to say about them. I was a little iffy on the AM3 sockets, cause I love the Idea of an I7 monster, but since I have been talking to allot of people they seem to always have something good to say about AM3.

Question about the motherboard I have, It has an overclocking knob thing on it right by the Sata ports, should I use that or just stick with using the Bios? Is there really a difference to it other than obviously one you can changed by turning a knob and the other you have to go in to the Bios?

This is the case I think I am going to get
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ltake_V9_BlacX_Edition-_-11-133-182-_-Product
 
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Aastii

Aastii

VIP Member
Kitsune said:
I was told by a friend that the 6X was really nothing better than a 4X unless I plan on doing hardware intensive applicatations like rendering is this true?

So to save on money I should stick with like an AMD Phenom II X4 955, and just OC it?

Other that extended life of the CPU (whether noticeable or not), are there really any cons to Overclocking if it is done right?

And what are the percs and cons to water cooling as well, such as is it really worth the money and or time, how is maintenence (SP?). The P4 I am using now which is going to go to my GF once I get this one up and running is in a Gateway FX case that can be set up for watercooling, I added a 120mm Green LED fan which took the temps down a little more. I dont know if there is a pro to going below 40 Degrees C Idol and 50 Degrees C while playing Gothic 3. Actually I dont even think that it goes above 47 Degrees C.

When I first got it up I would listen to the fan speeds and could tell when it was under a load, Now I kinda worry that my CPU fan quit running because it doesnt even fluxuate anymore, I dont hear it ever.

Hmmm.... I want to see if I can stick with Phenom's, since they seem to be the cream of the crop in the AM3 world :) Alot of people have good things to say about them. I was a little iffy on the AM3 sockets, cause I love the Idea of an I7 monster, but since I have been talking to allot of people they seem to always have something good to say about AM3.

Question about the motherboard I have, It has an overclocking knob thing on it right by the Sata ports, should I use that or just stick with using the Bios? Is there really a difference to it other than obviously one you can changed by turning a knob and the other you have to go in to the Bios?

This is the case I think I am going to get
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ltake_V9_BlacX_Edition-_-11-133-182-_-Product
Click to expand...

1. Yes, hex core CPUs won't give better performance, other than when using CPU intensive, multithreaded applications, such as rendering or code compilation. You will see the same performance in games with a Phenom II x4 as you will with an x6

2. Yes, if you are going to get a quad core, a 955 is the best bang for buck CPU there is for AM3 socket.

3. If you components are stale and with in the correct temperature range, there aren't any cons to overclocking, no

4. Water cooling will keep your components cooler, they need coolant changing every few months, but apart from that, no maintenance is required. You also don't need good airflow through the case, only for the radiator, that is so long as all components are water cooled, if your chipset isn't, you will need airflow, because the chipset heatsink is passively cooled.

As for downsides, If you use different materials with the radiator + water block, you will see corrosion because of the different materials, so will reduce the cooling capability, and can cause leaks to appear. Also, whilst talking about leaks, if you don't check the loop is water tight BEFORE you hook it all up, you may have leaks, and you don't need me to tell you what will happen if you have water + electrical components mix

5. In games and benches, unless you measure the difference between an i7 and AM3 CPU, you won't tell the difference, it is a few fps here, a few seconds there, it isn't anything major at all.

6. For overclocking, always stick with the BIOS

7. For the case, if you can afford the extra $20:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146051

would be better, but also much, much larger.

Staying with in $100 though:

$80: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216

$80: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

I personally would go for the first one with the choices of the one you posted + the 2 sub $100
 
Joshua1187

Joshua1187

New Member
I rolled with a Radeon 5970, Phenom II x6 and it's only aircooled and havnt had any heat problems yet and actualy it stays pretty cool :D. Water cooling is probably pretty nice but looks like a huge headache :/. Just my thoughts. Also i like this case (this is the one i got)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&cm_re=case-_-11-129-021-_-Product

I forgot what the case you picked had but this one has a top fan, side fan, two front frans and a back fan (another spot for a fan inside to keep your HD cool).

-Edit-
Not to discredit the cases Aastii suggested because I don't know anything about them. Just suggesting mine from experience.
 
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Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
Is there a way to disable the mobo overclocking switch thingy? Just so if I am working on it or something, or happen to, trip loose my pen, and it hits the overclocking switch and kills my computer, I wont have to worry about that, or is it more of an its there and there is nothing you can do about it senerio? Maybe put a big sign in front of it that says NO TOCHEY, for all of the siblings I have in my house or if I wake up in a zombie sleeping panic and have to urge to mess with the switches on the computer. (sorry it is a little over the top, I am a little sleepy, and in a relatively good mood)

The main reason I wanted to get the thermaltake case is because it has the Dual bay docking station on the top and the 230mm top fan. I have a thermaltake docking station that I bought new for 80$ and I use it quite regularly. But then again I just had a harddrive fail on me, and I think it was cause of the heat <.< But I was searching craigs list and this is what I found

XCLIO 777COLOR $90
Antec Nine Hundred $50
COOLER MASTER HAF X $90
Thermaltake V9 BlacX Edition $55
COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper$70
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout $50
LIAN LI PC-A70F $100

The Cooler Master Scout is another one that I am interested in because of looks and the 2, 140mm fans , and the Antec 900 because it has the fans in front of the harddrives that would put my mind at ease, I am alittle weary now of putting more than one harddrive in the computer because of all the data I lost on the the hdd that just quit on me. The full tower is tempting tho.

Yeah the watercooling looks like it will keep your system cool as Antartica under full load but I also wasnt thinking about the fact that water + computer = Catastrophcile (SP?) Failure AKA, Epic Fail. I think I am going to stick with air cooling works perfectly fine for me :D

I was also thinking about getting some HDD coolers
Something like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150085

-Edit- I am going to go look at these cases today at 5PM, I will let you know my decesion if I get one or not :) If I do get one I will post pics of the system when I get it put together :D
 
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Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
OK So I went and looked at all of these cases that this guy had, He had about 50 cases, And it was hard as hell to decide I stood there for so long trying to decide. They were all great cases, I looked at the Cooler Master Scout, the Antec 900 The thermal take and a few others and they all looked like great cases :) But the dual dock bay on top of the thermal take sold me. SO here are some pics :)

GEDC0881.jpg

GEDC0878.jpg

GEDC0877.jpg

GEDC0876.jpg

GEDC0875-1.jpg


The wire management in this case was a mess and I havent really figured out what I want and can do with it to clean it up yet.

And no I havent taken the plastic protective stuff off of the "window" yet. Kind of a pet peve when I first get something but it will eventually annoy me.

I am loving it and I am so freaking excited to get it up and running ^.^

Thank you all for your imput :)
 
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Kitsune

Kitsune

Member
Joshua1187 said:
gratz and good luck :D
Click to expand...


Thank you. :)

I am getting a CPU in about 2 weeks hopefully, I may go with the Phenom Black x4 965 if I can afford it and just be happy with that. I will post again when I get it :).

Thank you all again for all of your imput and help ^.^
 
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Aastii

Aastii

VIP Member
Kitsune said:
Thank you. :)

I am getting a CPU in about 2 weeks hopefully, I may go with the Phenom Black x4 965 if I can afford it and just be happy with that. I will post again when I get it and Probably put the final build in the stickied thread as a final product :).

Thank you all again for all of your imput and help ^.^
Click to expand...

Again, a 955 is a better choice, it is the same chip, but cheaper. It will OC as far as a 965, if overclocking isn't your thing, you can set it to 965 speeds on stock cooling and settings with 0 problems, because, as I say, it is the same chip
 
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