# First time <$1000 AMD build - please check!



## RBJames (Jul 25, 2011)

Hello all, 

I'm a first-timer looking to build a budget gaming computer. 

Approximate Purchase Date: next few weeks 

Budget Range: <$1000 all told 

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, movies, internet. 

Parts Not Required: I need it all 

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg 

Country of Origin: Canada 

Parts Preferences: Not picky 

Overclocking: Maybe in the future 

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future 

Monitor Resolution: No monitor yet 

Additional Comments: At first I would like this to be able to play games like SC2 on max, but be able/upgradable to get into more demanding games in the future when I have more money and interest. 

I've been perusing these forums and newegg.com and have put together a tentative rig: 


AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX 
Asus M5A99X EVO AM3+ AMD 990X SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Combo [...] mbo.691287 
combo: $262.98 

COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply 
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Combo [...] mbo.689416 
combo: $129.98 - $25 MIR 

SAPPHIRE 100338L Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card 
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Combo [...] mbo.684508 
combo: #165.98 - $20 MIR 

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6827135204 
$16.99 

Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6822148701 
$39.99 

Hanns·G HZ201DPB Black 20" 5ms WideScreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 X-Contrast 15,000:1 (1,000:1) 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6824254055 
deal: $99.99 + free shipping before 7/26 

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6832116986 
$109.99 


Including shipping this totals $965 and then - $45 of MIR = $920 


Advice on compatibility & alternatives is much appreciated!


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## DBCooper (Jun 11, 2010)

Hi RBJames,

Looks pretty good. Gigabyte and MSI are also pretty good motherboard brands. Have fun with your new computer.


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## Poyol (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi and Welcome to Tech Support Forum,

I'll just leave you with a link that we have here that is a recommended PC build: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/want-to-build-a-new-intel-or-amd-system-revised-2011-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

Browse through here, :smile:

Poyol


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I would read Poyol's link as every build there uses quality heardware. If going with your build I would switch out the coolermaster PSU. I just read a test on it and the testers gave it a fail. They couldn't even do a torture test because it failed the full load tests. Go with this Newegg.com - XFX Core Edition PRO750W (P1-750S-NLB9) 750W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply to ensure reliable clean power to your system. It's built by Seasonic for XFX and carries a 5 year warranty. Everything else looks decent enough except I don't see any memory listed.
Read the coolermaster test here: Cooler Master GX 650W Power Supply - Cooler Master GX 650W Power Supply Review | [H]ard|OCP


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## DBCooper (Jun 11, 2010)

Hi RBJames,

Good Power Supplies = Seasonic, Corsair, and XFX brands.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

As mentioned above, the PSU you listed is not good quality.
XFX Core Edition PRO650W $115: Newegg.ca - XFX Core Edition PRO650W (P1-650S-NLB9) 650W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 $118: Newegg.ca - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

No games and few apps can utilize over 3GB of RAM and problems with 4GB sticks are not uncommon. A 2X2GB matched pair will be fine.
I would suggest a WD Hdd. The Black Series are top quality and have a 5 yr. warranty.
I'm not a big fan of Hannspree LCD's.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I suggested a 750w PSU as the poster mentioned maybe in the future a dual graphics card setup and I wanted them to already be power ready.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I just see this:


RBJames said:


> Additional Comments: At first I would like this to be able to play games like SC2 on max, but be able/upgradable to get into more demanding games in the future when I have more money and interest.


If a GPU upgrade is in the near future then a 750W would be a good investment.


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## RBJames (Jul 25, 2011)

Thanks all for the input,

I chose that Asus mobo b/c of the combo deal and good review, and I figured AM3+ would be a worth the extra $$ if I want to upgrade later. Think that's worth it or is the AMD CPU pretty good for the next 5+ years?

I'll swap the PSU for the XFX 750W like you suggest. Is a 650W PSU not good enough if I want to crossfire a second GPU eventually?

With the combo deal I found the 8GB ram looks cheaper than getting 4GB ram - are the problems with the 4GB sticks common enough to justify paying more for less?

I was also thinking of swapping the case to save a bit more $$, any recommendations there? I was just looking at this antec case:
Newegg.ca - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

I threw in that monitor because it's on a pretty good sale, but if it's junk I can wait on that and find a different deal.

thanks again!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

One better GPU is almost always the better option. Using two GPU's cost more, uses more power, generates more unneeded heat in the case and you get a maybe 20% performance increase in the few games that can utilize two GPU's.
4GB RAM stick problems are a crapshoot. Some have issue and some don't but it's not a brand specific issue. Your choice.
The 300 is a very solid case with lots of room.
I'm not saying the Hannspree is junk but you cold do much better for a little more money.
Samsung is always a good choice and I have had very good luck using/selling Acer. Asus is also a well thought of brand.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Also not a fan of Acer monitors. Samsungs are good. I perfer Viewsonics myself. I've sold hundreds of Viewsonics without any issues at all. Some are 5 years into their service and still work tops.

EDIT: I should correct my statement. I've suggested Viewsonics with builds and not personnaly sold them.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I've got a little over 90 Acer's out there over the last two years and none have shown any problems.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

It's luck of the draw and model. This was s few years ago now where I had bad luck with them. Premature failure rate. Perhaps they've gotten better now.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Understood as I had some bad luck with Viewsonic CRT's back when.
Most of my Acer's have been the 22" models. They're a real good deal at about $160 and a steal on special at $140 w/free shipping. It's my understanding the panels are Samsung but I have no way of verifying that.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

That's a good price for a 22".


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## RBJames (Jul 25, 2011)

Hey guys,

I posted this on another forum too and someone suggested an intel i5 build for a similar price with a better GPU.

Here it is:

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

I have a couple comments.... 

For $1000 you can get build a gaming rig with an Intel Sandy Bridge i5. The i3 games better than a Phenom II 955, so imagine was two more cores will do. An HD 6770 should push smooth frames rates at 1600x900 resolution, but I think we can get a better monitor and a better GPU. Directcanada.com has free shipping on orders over $50 and has some pretty good prices too. I don't like Coolermaster PSUs. I think Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, and XFX (rebranded Seasonics) are your best bet. 

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] ture=INTEL 
$209.69 

MOBO: MSI P67A-G45 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] n=P67A-G45 (B3)&manufacture=MSI 
$136.03 ($15 MIR available) 

RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) 1333MHz C8 DDR3 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] re=G.SKILL 
$31.70 

GPU: Sapphire HD 6850 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] e=SAPPHIRE 
$164.69 

HDD: WD Black 500GB SATAIII 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] re=Western Digital WD 
$54.69 

Optical: LG SuperMulti 22x SATA DVD Writer 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] facture=LG 
$16.93 

PSU: XFX PRO 650w 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] acture=XFX 
$77.10 

Case: CoolerMaster HAF 912 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] OLERMASTER 
$46.69 

Monitor: ASUS VH222H 21.5" LCD 1920x1080 5ms 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] cture=ASUS 
$128.44 ($10 MIR available) 

OS: Windown 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM 
http://www.directcanada.com/produc [...] =MICROSOFT 
$111.30 

Total: $977.26 shipped with $25 in rebates available. 


So here we have an i5-2500k rig. This will allow for a great overclock with the addition of an aftermarket heatsink down the line. The MSI motherboard supports Crossfire at x8/x8 and has SATA III and USB 3.0. The XFX PSU is a quality unit, supplying enough power and connectors if you choose to add another GPU later. The HD 6850 is a good mid-level card, and if you do add another later, expect performance greater than an HD 6970 and similar to a GTX 580. Combine this with a full-HD monitor and you have a great gaming rig for under $1000.

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

I'm sure the AMD vs. Intel build is a common debate, do you guys think one of these is better than the other?

NOTE: I may also consider setting up a LINUX dual-boot on this for some modelling software, if that changes anything.

Thanks!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I would want a Asus or Gigabyte Mobo but the rest looks good.


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## RBJames (Jul 25, 2011)

Update: that intel build is actually an extra $200 over the amd after taxes...


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I use AMD exclusively for all the systems I build for myself and others. Best bang for the buck. Period.

As for Acer I use them for laptops and a few monitors. I have side-by-side an Acer 22" and a slightly newer Samsung 22". Both look fantastic.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

ebackhus said:


> I use AMD exclusively for all the systems I build for myself and others. Best bang for the buck. Period.
> 
> As for Acer I use them for laptops and a few monitors. I have side-by-side an Acer 22" and a slightly newer Samsung 22". Both look fantastic.


Me too. I love AMD and have many systems powered by them out there and all are running tops.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

From the Intel side, I use Intel exclusively and have a ton of them out there with no problems. I've also been using/selling Acer monitors for the quite awhile and have yet to have any problems.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Intel and Amd are both good choices in my opion. I don't frown on Intel at all cause they make some DARN fast processor. Amd does too though and both models have their failed lines of Cpu's through the years. I mean failed as in not living up to what they where suposed to be.


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