# Specific technical questions on budget gaming build



## shane falco (Feb 28, 2010)

Hey!

I have been really busy researching my build.I have a budget of $800 with tax and shipping.I could squeeze the budget a little,but I would still like to stay at $800.
My main uses are gaming,encoding,and downloading.24/7

Parts NOT needed!!

Case - Antec 900
Monitor- Have a 21" Dell,mouse,speakers,but need a keyboard.The one below is 24 bucks.I hope it doesn't suck!
Have XP Pro(Will switch over to Windows 7,after it matures.Plus the fact,I'm on a budget,and want the 800 clams going into parts.)

I wanted a good quad core chip with lower wattage,but at least 3gigs ,at a really cheap price,with free shipping.Hello Newegg and AMD.
My second choice was a midrange video card.I want to go with Nivdia,so I'll leave it that.Just my personal choice. I was going to go with a EVGA 9800GTX+,but these older cards use alot more juice,and seem to run hotter. The GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit DDR3 is a rebraded 9800GTX,but there are some worthy improvements with these cards.Use less power,run cooler,and 1 gig of ram.The only thing I dislike is,the 9800 has a lifetime warrenty,but the 250 has a 2 year warrenty.On the upside, it's only 154 dollars,which is pretty sweet considering it will run almost any game.My hardest choice is the motherboard,and that is where I have questions,and need some advice.I'm a first time builder,but I hang out on pc forums.Here we go down below.:1angel:


AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor

GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AM..... Combo deal 249.00


GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128398

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103696




CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified "52 Amps on +12V rail" $99.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005


EVGA 01G-P3-1158-TR GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Retail $154.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130514


MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE RAM

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ $104.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193


Steelseries Merc Black USB Wired Ergonomic Gaming Keyboard - Retail $24.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823239008


LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer LightScribe Support - Retail $31.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106335


Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320



Total cost= $736.00 without tax and shipping,

I forgot.I still need a after market cooler.Any help here is appreciated.There goes my budget.Its always something!


Build/Tech Questions?


I will have some issues starting with the hard drive.I just bought a Western Digital Blue,320 gig ,16 mb cache.I got it for $47 dollars 2 weeks ago.I didn't notice it was 16mb cache.I wish it was 32mb.Will it make a difference if I use this drive for a boot(the lower cache drive),and partition the 500 gig 32mb cache for gaming and storage.Man,when they say bare drive,they really mean it.It was just the drive and bubble wrap.No big deal I have a stash of screws and some cables laying around.

My second issues are with my case Antec 900 and the motherboard.I like reading the reviews on newegg because it helps think about potential problems.The motherboard I'm going to use GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX

1.Front panel audio connector is in the BACK OF THE MOBO? from reading some reviews I might need to extend the length for good cable management.Are extenders a standard size to increase length. I don't want my the cable stretched like a guitar string to reach it.I wonder what else might be short.Who knows with case wiring.

2.It seems this board has had complaints of cold boot problems. It was suggested to get low power DDR3 for this board, standard power will cause BSOD or start-up hanging.Not everyone has this problem,but more than a few have complained.

One comment read...

With DDR 3 1600 ram it recongizes it as 1333 ram. I also found the timings were off. I was easily able to change to 1600 in the bios but the timings needed to be tinkered with. Using AMDs overdrive utility I was able to alter the memory timings and have a stable system. I also used AMD overdrive to overclock the processor.

Thats good to know!!I knew I could go in the Bios and change settings to correct ram,but was not aware of AMDs overdrive utility.That sounds like I can solve alot of problems.

If I go with the lower DDR3 1333 can I still overclock? I really dont want to overclock the ram.This is my first build.Ill be happy with a stable system,then I'll worry about frying my parts overclocking.


I read the norhbridge gets hot on these boards.How do you add a fan on the motherboard to cool chips? Justwondering.I'm trying to cover my bases.


Any comments,suggestions,brow beatings or something I missed,are welcomed.


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## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010872

Checkout the combo deal at zipzoom with the ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO you'll save a few bucks, with a retail processor you won't need a aftermarket heatsink unless you are going to overclock.

You may want to checkout the 800.00 build herehttp://www.techsupportforum.com/f255/want-to-build-a-new-intel-or-amd-system-revised-2010-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


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## squigglethecow (Dec 26, 2008)

I have been very impressed with the stock AMD heatsinks. Make sure you invest in some arctic silver paste and your CPU should run plenty cool. If heat becomes a problem make sure you disable CPU fan control in your bios (forcing it to run at 100%) and enable AMB cool&quiet, which will throttle the cpu and lower temps dramatically when its not in use.

Theres no real 'good' way to mount a fan to the chip itself, but if you have a good air cooling setup chances are the bridge will cool down fine. You could invest in a couple 80MM fans (size is your choice, 80mm is just an easy size) and mount them in an empty 5.25 bay or wherever you have some room. I found that adding fans there helped push air through the case and lowered temps pretty dramatically (about 5-7C). 

I use the GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 and am very happy with it. The front panel audio is at the back of the mobo by the I/O ports, I think the entire family of mobos has the same issue. I never used my front ports (have ports on the speakers) so I just left mine unplugged. 

As for the hard drive I have heard excellent things about the WD 32MB-cache drives but I doubt you'll notice an incredible difference between it and the drive you have. Boot might be a little faster on the 32, I have never used one so I cant speak to their speed. I would suggest using sleep rather than cold booting every time, that way your OS is stored in the ram and is accessible within seconds.


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## Stu_computer (Jul 7, 2005)

> One comment read...
> 
> With DDR 3 1600 ram it recongizes it as 1333 ram. I also found the timings were off.


if you go back and check you will find that reviewer "The V" did not use QVL approved ram.

As clearly stated on their website


> DDR3 1666+ is supported with combination of AM3 processors and qualified memory modules, please refer "Memory Support List" for detail memory support information.


The ram you selected (F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ) is QVL so won't be a problem.



> If I go with the lower DDR3 1333 can I still overclock?


DDR3-1333 is ram that wasn't good enough to be DDR3-1666. seriously.

ram chips are made in batches and tested for stability at different speeds so a chip may be questionable at 1666 but stable at 1333 so it's used on DDR3-1333 modules.

can always set ram modules at lower speeds (underclocking) for instance running a 1666 at 1333 to check if a stability issue is memory related.

using modules at faster speeds (overclocking) is much easier these days because the better mobo manufacturers have utility programs to do it safely.


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## shane falco (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks for the good information Stu_computer!I was all ready to order my parts at Newegg last night,and my combo links would not work.A little while later I found out they took away my combo deals,and my Mobo went from 104.00 to 124.00.I guess I'll stay glued to my pc until some bargins hit the table

I had all the above parts in my cart,plus some add ons.Then ZAP! Combo deals vanished!!!

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm $35.00

Intel EXPI9301CTBLK 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI-Express Network Adapter - Retail $25.00 

"Not really happy with onboard nic,so wanted to get this card"



Other considerations.......:4-dontkno

ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Xtreme Design, HardOCP Editor’s Choice Gold Award winner $99

"This board seems pretty sweet for $100.00."It has ATI Radeon HD 4200 GPU
SidePort Memory - onboard 128MB DDR3 1333 memory.Nice if your video card takes a dive.




ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $120


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Onboard LAN is quite sufficient. You won't see any better performance with the add-on card.


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## Stu_computer (Jul 7, 2005)

keep in mind your building a gaming rig and this is an entry level board (hint: integrated graphics) the M4A785TD-V EVO is a nice board for home entertainment if you like to watch movies.

Found another combo deal that should interest you though...

MSI N250GTS Twin Frozr 1G GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit DDR3
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
Combo Price: $299.98

GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3L LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $99.99

a couple of microATXboards as alternatives with different options.

Same $400 for those 3 items and a step up in CPU performance--Core i5 750 outperforms the Phenom II X4 965 at stock speed and OC's to rival Core i7.

http://www.techspot.com/review/193-intel-core-i5-750/


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## shane falco (Feb 28, 2010)

Your right on point.Gaming First.


GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

So it's a few dollars more.GIGABYTE was way better support,decent forums,and good manuals.Just downloaded the manual to get a better feel for the board.Very informative!All manuals should live up to that standard.

Plus the PROS....

- Best available integrated graphics
- Full ATX (don't lose PCIE and PCI slots like on micro boards)
- 4 DDR3 memory slots
- Good quality sound, with optical out
- Easy to install CPU and CPU cooler
- Supports up to 6 SATA devices and two IDE
- The dual bios.The best feature imo........


Tempting

The GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD3L LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $99.99


Back on track,but still gotta find some deals.....


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## shane falco (Feb 28, 2010)

This GIGABYTE motherboard is said to have a good Bios and OC ability.I was going to go with a dual core chip to bring expenses down,but Quad is the only way to go these days.I lost my combo deal with the first chip,but I found a newer released model.I Know theirs a difference between the GI vs GM in the model # of the cpu,but GM is better,Correct?

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX945WFGMBOX - Retail $150.00

It's not the BE ,so how much will that limit my overclock?Will this ram work good if I oc the cpu?

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ $104.00

I'm a first time builder.Are these Boards/Bios newbie friendly? :wave:

GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AM - Motherboard


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