# Budget build for dorm room



## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Hey guys... I'm heading off to university in September and I'll need a desktop in my room since my new laptop is so freaking slow. Way slower than my 3-year old desktop. Fine with either AMD/Intel or Nvidia/ATI. Thanks in advance!

1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?

$500 or so (Canadian) excl. monitor, software and peripherals.

2. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?

Pretty much any reputable brand, eg. MSI, ASUS, Sapphire, EVGA, Biostar, Gigabyte, etc. for mobo & video card, Coolermaster, Antec, Thermaltake, etc for PSU, Crucial, OCZ, Kingston for RAM, etc etc.

3. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?

Not too much, maybe a few Firefox tabs and MSN.

4. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?

Eg. Flight Simulator X, IL-2 Sturmovik, GTA IV, RACE On, Modern Warfare 2, and some future games like Black Ops and Storm of War: Battle of Britain. Don't need super graphics but hopefully something half-decent.

5. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?

Probably not. Maybe some basic video editing or something.

6. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?

As much as possible without going out of my way to make extra headroom.

7. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?

I just won a 2TB hard disk from Tigerdirect so that's taken care of

8. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?

PS/2 keyboard and mouse and maybe parallel to save USB ports. Might get floppy drive too (just for the hell of it).

9. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?

Windows 7 64-bit

10. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?

ATX mid-tower

11. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?

Got it taken care of (though one question: would you recommend a Kensington lock?)

12. Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?

Hard disk

13. Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?

Plenty of good cheap 22-inchers now so I wouldn't worry about that

14. Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?

Tigerdirect, NCIX, Newegg, open to suggestions.

15. Location: What country do you live in?

Canada (Toronto, ON)


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

The $500.00 AMD system  prices out, at $558.99 (plus taxes and shipping, minus MIR's) with NCIX.com. You should be able to cut a few more more $$ off that by pricematching with Newegg, etc.
I replaced the Corsair 550VX ($119) with the Seasonic S12II 620 ($89).

P.S: I just noticed in your OP, you have a large cap hard drive, so cut another 50 bucks from above. If you plan to OC, you'll need to spend that on an aftermarket cooler.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

How's this power supply? Is 25A on the 12V rail good enough for a video card like the HD5750 or 5770 (I know power=voltage*current but how exactly does that apply to a PSU)? Would've preferred a Coolermaster (all PSU's I've used are Coolermaster; no issues so far) but Thermaltake is a good brand too, right?

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45038&vpn=W0379RU&manufacture=Thermaltake

How's this motherboard? I've actually never used Biostar before but I haven't heard anything really bad about them either. I know it doesn't come with SATA 3 but it's not a huge issue. The size is ATX (as opposed to mATX) which is another plus.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138179


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

beefers1 said:


> How's this power supply? Is 25A on the 12V rail good enough for a video card like the HD5750 or 5770 (I know power=voltage*current but how exactly does that apply to a PSU)? Would've preferred a Coolermaster (all PSU's I've used are Coolermaster; no issues so far) but Thermaltake is a good brand too, right?
> 
> http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45038&vpn=W0379RU&manufacture=Thermaltake
> 
> ...


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Can you give a quick rundown of why that PSU isn't recommended? I've checked the guide and the linked PSU seems to match pretty well.

Thanks for the motherboard warning. I'll look around for a second opinion.


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Check out the link I gave . . it does a good jpb of explaining how we come up with reccomendations.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

I did, and didn't find anything that would point this one out as a particularly bad PSU. Of course, the 12V rail is 25A as opposed to the recommended 26, but I won't be running high-end graphics or anything like that. Efficiency is well over 70% which should be more than enough. Anything else I missed?


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Ideally you want a psu over 80 preferably 90% efficiency for clean power. 

Thermaltakes tough power series is the only one we recommend as well as the coolermaster real power pro series only. as well as any corsair or seasonic

We have tested alot of psu's for efficiency rated wattage and ac ripple which can cause serious problems when a low quality psu spikes.

Not to mention the low quality parts used in those psu really are a making for disaster down the line.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

I've yet to see any 90% PSU's advertised anywhere.

I have limited experiences with PSU's (have a Coolermaster Extreme Power that's 3 years old, and a RaidMAX for a low-end build, as well as very old 300W ones that I don't know the manufacturer of but are still working) so if there's another brand that you recommend, I'm open to suggestions.

Is there anywhere I can get a second opinion? Of course I value yours greatly but I hope to get a bit more insight.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

25A is only suitable for AGP cards and onboard graphics.

The games you listed (FSX, GTA4, MW2) need a good graphics card. 25A/+12V is not enough to get the best performance out of a PCIE graphics card.

If you're going to be overclocking, you'll need a good quality PSU with minimum 40A/+12V and over 80% efficiency. 70% means a 550W PSU, for example, will only be providing 385W, not enough for a modern gaming computer that will be overclocked.

If you're on a tight budget, cut back on something else, but don't go for a cheap PSU or it will cost you more in the long run.

The new high-end Corsair PSUs are 90-92% efficient, but generally 80-85% is standard for good quality PSUs.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

They all say 80+ gold but if you read they will put out close to or over 90%

You may have just got lucky with that psu or your system was not that demanding for that psu. 

What we recommend on this forum are corsair-seasonic any model, Thermaltake Tough power series only and Coolermaster real power pro series only


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Thanks... I'll definitely look into those models.

BTW, your guide recommends 26A for high-end video cards, 35A for SLI/Crossfire. Do new video cards consume that much more power than those from 2006?


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## Prophet (Oct 24, 2004)

Yes the video cards of today run on pci-e which is a 16x whereas the agp cards from 2006 were only 8x not to mention the fact that digital HD output is the video standard for cards now. Any card with an hdmi output transfers not only digital video but also digital sound.

One thing I cannot stress enough for anyone building a pc is "quality psu".It's the backbone of the entire system and it's the one piece of hardware that can kill every other piece of hardware in the system in a matter a seconds.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

beefers1 said:


> I have limited experiences with PSU's (have a Coolermaster Extreme Power that's 3 years old, and a RaidMAX for a low-end build, as well as very old 300W ones that I don't know the manufacturer of but are still working) so if there's another brand that you recommend, I'm open to suggestions.
> 
> Is there anywhere I can get a second opinion? Of course I value yours greatly but I hope to get a bit more insight.


You have been more than fortunate using those PSU's.
I can not count all the damaged hardware that has entered my shop caused by low quality under powered PSU's. RaidMax-HiPro-Bestec-Rosewill-and the list goes on.
If you value your hardware, figure a good quality PSU into the budget before anything else.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

I know that I got lucky with the RaidMAX (like I said, it was for a low-powered build for my grandparents, so I obviously didn't put as much care into it as I would have on my own PC).

Either way, I'll add Corsair and Seasonic to my list.

Does anyone have experience with OCZ RAM? I don't have experience with them (I've used Crucial and G-skill) but I found a pretty good deal on this: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42870&vpn=OCZ3G1333LV4GK&manufacture=OCZ Technology


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

OCZ-Corsair-Crucial-and G-Skill are all top notch ram, you wont go wrong there


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Hey, I have a question about that RAM. On its description page it says "Compatibility: Intel Core (Socket 1156) Processors i3 i5 i7". I've never heard of RAM that's only compatible with Intel-based chipsets. Will it work on an AMD build?


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

Sure it will. good luck.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

I thought so. So why did it have a chipset compatibility list?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The ram has XMP settings preset in the microcode on the chip, for AMD boards preset would have BEMP settings, but either way it'll work if you wish to overclock you'll just have to manually change the bios settings for timings and ram voltage.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

How's this CPU? Maybe a bit expensive for a CA$500 build but I've heard nothing but good things about it.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...46&cm_re=phenom_ii_555-_-19-103-846-_-Product

Regarding the power supply, I think I'll go with this one. I've never tried Seasonic before (and you probably know by now how much I don't like unfamiliarity) but since everyone on this forum says it's good I'll take your word for it. 40 amperes on the 12V rail is enough, right?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094&cm_re=seasonic-_-17-151-094-_-Product

Video card:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131327&cm_re=5770-_-14-131-327-_-Product

Case: 

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42117

RAM:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435

Optical drive: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Grand total (incl. 13% tax, shipping, handling, not incl. recycling fees where applicable): five hundred thirteen dollars and ninety-five cents in Canadian dollars (CA$513.95). Recycled components included: 2TB HDD, 80mm case fan.

I might also add up to $40 for cooling, especially if I'm to try to unlock some cores and maybe overclock. But for now it looks okay.

Opinions (especially regarding CPU, mobo & video card compatibility)?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

All the links are going to the main page at newegg, use the Insert Link button for Newegg links seems to work better.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

It's working fine for me, after a redirect.

Either way

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42117
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131327
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846

UPDATE: oops... forgot the RAM.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435

That brings the grand total to $612.25... a bit more than what I expected but the parts are a lot better than what I expected to get. I'll be building this next week at the earliest so there might be some minor changes.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Links dont work for me either, Just copy paste the components info.


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

Links work for me.

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42117 - Apex SK-393-C Mid Tower ATX Case - $31

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R - $20

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131327 - POWERCOLOR PCS+ AX5770 1GBD5-PPG Radeon HD 5770 1GB - $165

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094 - SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W - $64

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103846 - AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz - $103

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220435 - Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 - $87


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

All of the Newegg links in this thread take me to Newegg home page.
Move the PSU up to a 650W.
OCZ-G.Skill-Corsair would be better RAM choices.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Tyree said:


> OCZ-G.Skill-Corsair would be better RAM choices.


Okay, let me revise that.

How about this one? http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231253

Do you recommend the 650W power supply for future upgrades? If so, I'll pass since I never upgrade anything on a PC unless there's a part that's seriously mismatching (eg. a GTX460 card with Celeron CPU or something), and the specs on this one seem okay to me.

I checked out Hardware Revolution's $500 gaming PC (US$500=CA$530) and went with that PSU. The other specs match up pretty well so I don't see why this one wouldn't work.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The S12II is a good supply, just a tad small for the 5770.
Are you planning on trying to unlock the cores on the 555?
If so what motherboard did you settle on?

For some reason all I get from the links is this>


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

wrench97 said:


> Are you planning on trying to unlock the cores on the 555?
> If so what motherboard did you settle on?


What kind of motherboard would be required if I did want to unlock all the cores? If the default BIOS doesn't allow for it, can I flash the BIOS to another version? If it's too expensive, I'll probably forgo the 555 and go for a cheaper Athlon II. Or maybe go for the Phenom II 550, which I believe is the same thing, just not BE'd.

Suggestions? Preferably ATX, but I won't cry if I have to settle for mATX.

BTW, the motherboard I was looking at initially was the BIOSTAR A770E3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard. Reading the reviews, apparently some people have had success in unlocking cores.

Those links work for some, not for others. Don't know why. The ones at the top of the page seem to work best.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

BTW, I used the eXtreme PSU Calculator and it recommended 300W with a 95W Phenom II x4. Add 50% for a safety margin (TSF recommends 30%), then factor in the 87% efficiency of the Seasonic PSU, and I get 514W. I put the TDP and system load all to 100% just to be extra-safe, and factored in fans and whatever PCI cards and USB devices I might add on in the future.

BTW, I realized that the Phenom II x2 550 isn't _quite_ the same thing as the 555... it's got a lower multiplier (15.5 vs 16). But still good enough for me.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

I thought it had to have the SB750 southbridge to unlock the cores, untill the added chip on the 800 series boards.

Out of 5 I've tried 3 unlocked and ran 2 unlocked and crashed on boot. Of the 3 that booted 2 work well no issues and 1 throws errors when loaded in prime95, so consider it a plus if it does work but don't count on it to work.

The last one I did just for kicks, Microcenter was giving away Biostar boards with a CPU purchase, I should know better I went down this road before in the P4 days and free ECS boards, but I couldn't help myself, So far the TA790GXBE has been exchanged twice it's now sitting on the shelf with a bunch of P4 boards as a reminder and I replaced it with a Asus 790 open box board. 

In theory the 520w should power it but under load like gaming for hours the temps will rise as will power consumption, as the PSU heats up it can deliver less power


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Okay... I'll go for a better quality motherboard.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176

ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Not sure how up to date the motherboard list is here but it is a good explanation of core unlocking the board has to support ACC(Advanced Clock Calibration) also called Turbo Unlocker by some manufacturers > http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/535501-official-amd-k10-5-core-cache.html


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Hmm... the Biostar I posted about earlier has ACC. Since they seem to be pretty popular, I think I'll go for that one.

Right now, what I'm looking at costs $582.78. Not bad at all.


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## beefers1 (Aug 23, 2007)

Thanks guys. As I won't be building this until next week at the earliest (gotta get there and settle down first) I may have to make adjustments due to price and/or availability. But it shouldn't be drastically different. For now, I think I'll leave it at that.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Let us know how it goes


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