livendive

So it didn't seem right to start another thread today for a slightly differently and comparably priced build. Basically, I'm a casual gamer who would like to be able to play modern games in a reasonably nice environment, perhaps while frapsing, perhaps a couple instances at the same time for WoW. I'd like to also be able to edit home video, but that's not critical, as my laptop is somewhat capable in a pinch of editing & burning HD. I don't think my 5-year old Vaio VGC-RA840 which recently lost its HDD is worth trying to rebuild/upgrade, so I'm considering building my first tower. My budget is "reasonable for my needs", i.e. around $800 plus or minus. I want quality, but don't need to break the bank for top of the line. In mixing/matching combo deals, I came up with the following:

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDZ550WFGIBOX - Retail
and
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK - Retail
for $179

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
and
GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
for $187

XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
and
Thermaltake Element S VK60001N2Z Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
for $235 after $30 mail-in rebate

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible ... - Retail
and
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
for $175 after $30 mail-in rebate

and
Sony Optiarc 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 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM
for $28

Total price after $60 mail-in rebates, $804

Will these pieces fit & play nicely together? Is this everything I need to make a decent system? Any more cables, or input/output units for decent audio/video out (do I need an audio card?)? Is my PS sufficient? What about fans? Are card-readers reasonably easy to self-install? What about integrated bluetooth for keyboard/mouse so I don't have to use the usb thingamagig?

Thanks for any and all advice!

wrench97

I like your build the only change I would make is to WD Black drive from the blue.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136319

For video editing the Phenom X4 would be noticeably faster.

I find the USB bluetooth adapter the easiest solution, if you plug it into a rear usb port it will be out of the way.

predat0r

nice combo shopping dude you really get your bang for your buck

livendive

Nice call...it's only $5 more and has a combo with the same power supply (presumably the Corsair 620W is sufficient for this build?)

This one? It's $70 more, but that's not a big deal if it's substantially better. Also, should the included heatsink/fan be cool, or am I missing that in my build?

I take it all the connecting parts, ports, etc should be included with the components and I can order tomorrow and put together next week with common tools?

Thanks for the feedback!

wrench97

The stock heatsink/fan will be fine for stock clock speeds and even a mild overclock.

The 620hx is just enough it's a very good supply.

The PII 955 is a good CPU.

The data cables will come with the motherboard. You should be good to go.

livendive

So while looking for a memory combo deal on the phenom II x4, I saw something shiny, then started reading specs a bit more closely and realized the MB I previously listed wants DDR2, as opposed to the DDR3 I'd picked. In fixing that, I lowered my cas latency from 8 to 7 and increased my USB ports from 6 to 8, thereby coming up with this final build that's sitting in my shopping cart, ready for my credit card.

Thermaltake Element S VK60001N2Z Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible ... - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail (newegg warning "Support AM3 Socket Phenom II DDR3 CPU Only")

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail

XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM

Total price of $971 minus $75 in mail-in rebates = $896.

It's good?

Thanks again for the help!

wrench97

Yes it's good DDR3 prices are now well within range to be cost effective.

Tyree

I would suggest a Sapphire or PowerColor. XFX has very poor support.
LG or Lite-On for the DVDRW.

livendive

I was originally going for a sapphire, but yesterday it was sold out. Based on your post I looked and it's back in stock, and even in a combo with the same case as the XFX for $5 cheaper, so I switched that. Thanks!

As for the DVD, I just realized I ought to be able to scavenge the 5.25" components out of my vaio, which will give me a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RW, front USBs/IEEE 1394, and a card reader (not bothering to grab the 1.44 inch floppy). The connections for those types of things are pretty standardized right?

wrench97

As long as they are Sata if they are IDE just use the burner.
The card reader should be a usb connection.
The 1394a hooks to a 1394a connector on the motherboard.

grimx133

Don't throw the floppy drive away. You don't have to install it, but there may come a day when it comes in handy, always nice to have one lying around in a drawer someplace if that need arises.

livendive

Why is that? They are IDE, but I think they're the only IDE components I've got and there are two IDE slots on my motherboard...is there a reason to not use both?

Got all the components yesterday and started the bench test last night. After a couple of stalls trying to figure things out, I got the system to fire up and get me to a screen that says something about insert a boot disk (is this the "post screen" mentioned in the bench test directions? Anyhow, apparently my girlfriend threw away my only wired keyboard during our move last month, so I had to stop at that point. Tonight I'll grab a $10 keyboard at Wal-Mart and try to continue where I left off. Thanks again for all the help, this is interesting and fun, in addition to being a substantial upgrade.

wrench97

New motherboards only have 1 IDE port that supports 2 devices, if you but both the hard drive and DVD drive on the same channel it will slow the system down, It's not that it is impossible to do just not the most efficient configuration.

livendive

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, but since it is a new build, I figure it's worth a shot.

The new computer is assembled and running incredibly faster than my old machine. So far I've only found two glitches.

1 - When I insert a USB flash drive into the front USB port, the computer shuts off...like as soon as the drive touches the port. I can plug it in and restart and it works fine. I don't know whether I should be looking for a short, or in my BIOS (boot priority is CD, USB, HDD).

2 - If I try to play World of Warcraft in full-screen mode (non-windowed), the computer locks up and I have to turn the power off (can't ctrl-alt-del to task manager & just end the program). I've downloaded Catalyst and the latest drivers with no change. I'm not sure if it matters, but the monitor I've got hooked up is a Dell SP2208WFP.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have for fixing these two issues, and for all the help in getting it this far.

wrench97

Is it ok if you plug the USB drive into the rear ports?

Is WoW the only game that does it or the only game you tried?

List the specs as built including the Case.

livendive

Thermaltake Element S VK60001N2Z Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible ... - Retail

GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail

SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (plus some other 250 GB SATA Western Digital HDD I salvaged from my old machine)

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Plus a DVD-RW and a DVD-ROM from my old machine (both Sony IDEs)

I'll try to use a rear USB port tonight when I get home. I've only experienced the full-screen problem with World of Warcraft (don't have any other games installed on the machine yet). I just realized I should probably go to the Dell site & download the latest drivers for the monitor. Windows and the GPU both recognized it when I plugged it in, but that doesn't mean they have the best drivers for it, right?

Tyree

Monitors are plug and play. No drivers are needed for them.

wrench97

The monitor driver if there is one will only get you on screen adjustments(Size, Position) and possibly color correction.

livendive

I did find Vista drivers for my monitor, and the built in webcam, but not Windows 7, and as you say, those probably wouldn't have any tangible affect anyhow.

As for the USB issue, there are two USB ports on the front panel of my case. The one on the right, next to the reset button, resets the computer as soon as it is touched by a USB (don't have to plug it in). The one on the left and all on the back seem to work normally.

Annoyingly enough, just now while checking this, I touched the "bad" port at the end, just to confirm the problem still existed. Sure enough, I was back to my boot screen with the computer asking whether I wanted safe mode. Except this time it wouldn't take my answer, and when the Windows login screen came up, my mouse & keyboard (Logitech Revolution/5500 bluetooths) were locked out. I plugged in my wired mouse and it didn't work, so I reset with the actual reset button and now everything works fine again.

wrench97

That going to be a bad front usb port call thermaltake see if they will replace just the port or if you have to RMA the case.