Building my first system
Hey guys,
To make a short story shorter, I am a complete N00b when it comes building computers. So I have decided, with the help of my roommate Bandrik (god help me :smiles:), to build my first rig. I plan on using for for casual gaming and work related stuff. Here is what we have come up with so far.
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-790XT-USB3 AM3 AMD 790X USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor
AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Heka 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor - OEM
Case
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Power Supply
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply
Video Card
HIS H575FN1GD Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
DVD Drive
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 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
The only thing I think I am missing is memory, but I don't know anything about memory, let alone which to choose. My 3 questions are :
To make a short story shorter, I am a complete N00b when it comes building computers. So I have decided, with the help of my roommate Bandrik (god help me :smiles:), to build my first rig. I plan on using for for casual gaming and work related stuff. Here is what we have come up with so far.
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-790XT-USB3 AM3 AMD 790X USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor
AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition Heka 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor - OEM
Case
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Power Supply
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply
Video Card
HIS H575FN1GD Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
DVD Drive
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 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
The only thing I think I am missing is memory, but I don't know anything about memory, let alone which to choose. My 3 questions are :
1) Do I have a good start on this rig?
2) What memory should I get for some casual gaming (TF2, WoW, etc.)
3) What else would you guys recommend for this system?
Thanks in advance guys. Cheers. 2) What memory should I get for some casual gaming (TF2, WoW, etc.)
3) What else would you guys recommend for this system?
0
Comments
I would replace the graphics card with a 1 GB HD5770 for about the same price
You will need a cooler. I recommend CM Hyper 212 plus for the price
Regarding memory recommendation, I had good experience with G-Skill or A-data for the price again.
If I was making this decision, I would bump the proc up to a Phenom II X4 proc. The X3 is 720 black edition is a good processor, but for an extra ~$50 you add an additional core, gain higher core speeds, and get a retail package which is going to come with a heat sink. I'm pretty sure OEM processors don't come with a heatsink, which is going to cost you ballpark $50 anyways, so might as well put that cash into the processor rather than a heatsink.
If I'm wrong on the OEM processors bit, please correct me anyone.
As for memory, I'd go for a 4GB kit minimum for casual gaming. You probably don't need to invest more than 6GB though unless you felt a particular need to do so.
I recommend the OCZ Platinum 4GB kit. OCZ makes fantastic RAM, and their DDR3 series are good stuff. That's a 4GB kit for $109.
And finally, because this place is my home, it would be swell if you used this link to purchase your components. It's the Icrontic Newegg affiliate link. You shop Newegg like normal and help support Icrontic all in one convenient little link.
***edited to fix RAM link. Accidentally copied the URL of a DDR2 kit. It is fixed now***
And yeah, it's all written in mud. Suggestions of alternatives are awesome. Especially for mobo's. If the Gigabyte is mediocre, any others worth looking at?
The X3 720 is a nice overclocker. The need for the fourth thread is all going to depend on the workflow.
Talking about coolers
For ease of installation on an AMD platform, its impossible to argue with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 pro, just make sure you get the newer pwm controled model.
The cooler master model you mentioned is a hell of a performer for the price, but I find that its installation hardware is sort of wonky, not sure if I would want to deal with it on my first build.
Don't forget to help Icrontic out by ordering using the newegg affiliate link.
I just used it in an X4-955 build with a Gigabyte 790X motherboard and it's a screamer!
I'm a huge fan of Gigabyte boards and you really can't go wrong with the UD3 or UD4 series of AMD boards. If you're not planning to use Crossfire in the near future, this board would be ideal for you IMHO - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128419
As for memory, I've had really good luck with three different companies, Crucial, OCZ and Patriot.
Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-770TA-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor
AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor
Memory
Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model PGV34G1333ELK
Case
Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Power Supply
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply
Video Card
POWERCOLOR AX5770 1GBD5-H Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 CrossFireX Support Video Card
Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
DVD Drive
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 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
I'm really happy with the rig, looking forward to putting it all together
So far, so good. Full steam ahead.
I built my first one in mid March of 2009, and was as happy as you are right now! Oh I wish I could experience that feeling again, when my machine fired up on the first try.