# Building my first low-budget Gaming / Video Editing desktop computer



## ET Phone Home (May 3, 2011)

I'm buying the parts to build a computer for the first time and I want to make sure I get the most for my money and that I don't screw anything up. Up till now I've only had hand-me-down computers that I've done minor upgrades on.

The main things I'll be using this computer for are gaming and video editing. I also tend to do a lot of multitasking when video editing. One primary goal is to be able to play guild wars 2 when it comes out.

As for my budget, I've currently got a little over $200. With this I plan to get the motherboard and cpu, and in around a month I'll have another $150 or so to get the RAM and power supply (then I'll have a working computer), then I'll get the graphics card, tower and everything else later on. I'm going to be building this in small steps due to my budget restraints and for the moment my purchased parts will be installed in my current tower.

I've been browsing around for weeks looking at motherboards, cpu's, ram, power supplies and graphics cards. I stumbled across this site, Custom Gaming Desktop Computer Builds for 2011 , and what I might buy is mainly based off of the budget gaming computer build listed there.

Here's what I'm considering:

Motherboard / CPU:
Asus M4A88T-V EVO USB3 Motherboard and AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core CPU Bundle at TigerDirect.com

Graphics Card:
(My goal with a graphics card is to be able to play most any game that comes out within the next few years. I chose the superclocked version instead of the regular one, I figured that could only mean it's faster - any input on why I should or shouldn't go with the superclocked version would be appreciated.)
EVGA 01G-P3-1557-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti SuperClocked Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Mini-HDMI, Dual DVI, DirectX 11 SLI Ready, Includes Free 3DMARK 11 w/Registration at TigerDirect.com

RAM:
(In time I plan to upgrade the RAM to the 16GB max the motherboard will allow.)
Corsair CMV4GX3M1A1333C9 4GB DDR3 RAM - PC10666, 1333MHz, 4096MB at TigerDirect.com

Power Supply:
(I'm actually not sure what wattage to get. I used the extreme power supply calculator and it said I should have a 650w, but I don't know that I used the calculator right. I figure it's not a bad idea to play it safe, especially after reading the power supply thread here on this forum, so I'm opting for a 750w. I would like to find a cheaper one than this but not sacrifice quality.)
Corsair TX750W 750-Watt Power Supply - ATX, 140mm Fan, SLI-Ready, SATA-Ready, 80Plus at TigerDirect.com

Other considerations with this build that will add to the power usage are:

Hard Drives: Within the next couple of years I want to do a RAID setup with at least 2 2TB hard drives, in addition to a 2 TB C drive.

Additional Video Card: I plan to add a video in / out card. I've currently got an ATI TV Wonder Pro card in my computer. I'm going to attempt to put it on the new motherboard but I don't know if it's compatible. It only has video in though so I will be replacing it with a card that can do video out as well.

LED Lights: I plan on getting a case that's decked out with them, and I may add some additional ones.

Fans: This will depend on the case, but I'm hoping for a very large fan on the side of the case, one on the back of the case, and of course the power supply and cpu fans.

And then of course I'll have the front i/o panel with usb ports and such. I have no idea how purchasing or installing those works. I've got a nice panel of them on my current computer, perhaps I could re-use that?

Well I think that about sums up what my plans are. I'd appreciate any input on the parts I've chosen and if they'll suit my needs well.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

My first suggestion is to wait until you have all the funding. Buying parts in increments is not the best option. 
There are no games and very few apps that can utilize more than 3GB of RAM so a 2X2GB is good for now and and some time to come.You can always add if/when required.
750W would be the better option if it's in your budget. SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair are top quality.
RAID has a somewhat high learning curve and offers no real advantage for normal users.
Two GPU's cost twice as much, use more power, generate more unneeded heat into the case and you get a small percentage performance increase in the few games that can utilize two GPU's. One better GPU is almost always the better option.
Lights are great for about a month or two and then they get to be an irritation. Who will actually be looking at your PC other than yourself? :smile:
One 120mm fan in front and rear is usually more than sufficient for cooling in a good Mid to Full tower case. Side fans can disrupt the desired front to rear flow of air in the case.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

You might be getting a better single video card in the AMD 6850. The list price and rebate prices are comparable too. Remember that clock speed alone isn't as important a factor as it used to be -- you have to look at the number of processing components too.

Video Card Comparison - GPUReview.com
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

As the technician said though; if you plan use a high-end video card and to upgrade RAM etc. in the future you probably need to use at least a 750W PSU. The one you have listed is a decent one indeed (I have it's "big brother" the AX850) in my current system.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

I just noticed that the MB/CPU combo you chose is now unavailable at Tiger Direct. Here is the same thing at NewEgg:

Newegg.com - ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

Total is $210 after rebates -- is the price comparable?


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