Where to go from here

FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
edited August 2011 in Hardware
Hey guys,
I am like halfway through a computer build (I have all the functional parts down, I am just looking to upgrade), and I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to where I should go from here.

Here is what my computer looks like so far:
M4A78T-E Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X4 955
4.0 GB Ram
A really shitty PSU (That I stole from a spare), since the one I bought for this rig was a DoA

And I am looking into wanting:
A new PSU (Seeing as mine crapped out)
A GPU
And I have about 200$ to do this

Thanks!
Frenchie

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    +1.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited July 2011
    I like how you are just barely over the 200$, but It does look good

    I was considering this PSU, although Corsair is a nicer brand.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-182-200
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Rosewill is Newegg's store brand, and it is not very good at all.

    The power supply is the one component in the PC you absolutely should not skimp on, because a bad one can destroy everything else you have.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited July 2011
    Thrax wrote:
    Rosewill is Newegg's store brand, and it is not very good at all.

    Oh wow, I was not aware of that
    Thrax wrote:
    The power supply is the one component in the PC you absolutely should not skimp on, because a bad one can destroy everything else you have.

    True enough, a lesson I learned when my last PSU gave out
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371047

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348&cm_re=6850-_-14-161-348-_-Product

    With shipping and applying the coupon codes that puts you at $217, and I'll tell ya, if I can get to the 6850 vs. the 6770, I'd highly consider it. 256 bit DDR 5, power friendly so you don't have to blow your budget on a ultra high end PSU. Any quality 80 plus certified around 500 watts should be just fine unless your raiding 4 10,000 RPM hard drives and overclocking the CPU to 4.0.

    With a $10 rebate, if you take the shipping out of the equation your right on the money.

    Now, if your consideration is potentially crossfireing a 2nd card later on, you should consider spending more of the budget on a power supply. Maybe a good 700 watt unit for around $80, and spend about $120 on something like a Radeon 6770 today with the intent to double up on that when you have the extra.

    If your asking me, I'd build around the single 6850, its a solid card, you get a free copy of Dirt 3, and you denfinately will feel like you get your money's worth from it.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited July 2011
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371047

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348&cm_re=6850-_-14-161-348-_-Product

    With shipping and applying the coupon codes that puts you at $217, and I'll tell ya, if I can get to the 6850 vs. the 6770, I'd highly consider it. 256 bit DDR 5, power friendly so you don't have to blow your budget on a ultra high end PSU. Any quality 80 plus certified around 500 watts should be just fine unless your raiding 4 10,000 RPM hard drives and overclocking the CPU to 4.0.

    With a $10 rebate, if you take the shipping out of the equation your right on the money.

    Now, if your consideration is potentially crossfireing a 2nd card later on, you should consider spending more of the budget on a power supply. Maybe a good 700 watt unit for around $80, and spend about $120 on something like a Radeon 6770 today with the intent to double up on that when you have the extra.

    If your asking me, I'd build around the single 6850, its a solid card, you get a free copy of Dirt 3, and you denfinately will feel like you get your money's worth from it.

    I have been going back and forth on whether or not I want the possibility of CrossFireing (This is a term, right?). Although, as you said, it would involve buying a more expensive PSU, which I don't really have the money for right now (If I get the 6850).

    And I got that purchase down 197$ (Including Shipping and the 10$ mail in rebate) (Using NEWCUSTOMER10 promo code for another 10$ off)
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Frenchie wrote:
    Oh wow, I was not aware of that

    They have really high review ratings from years ago when they used quality components ... I wanna say Seasonic parts but not sure.
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    There are some power supply calculators online that can help guide you a bit in terms of what you need on a power supply, but I have a simple rule I've been using for years.

    If you can look at performance reviews for many graphics cards, they will test the total system draw from a kill-o-watt meter, that normally indcludes a high end CPU and everything running stressed (generally a 3D mark run). Take that number and effectively double it, and you have a good target for where you will want your continious output to be, because then your going to have ample overhead on a hot day, and as the capacitors age your PSU will likely hold up for at least a few years in that system.

    For that system, suppose your running a single 7200 RPM hard drive, your current CPU coupled with a Radeon 6850, going full throttle at stock clocks you would be pressed to hit 240 watts on a kill-o-watt meter, that's loading the system. Double it you know your in the neighborhood of 500 watts of continuious output providing you with plenty of overhead for odd little spikes, a hot day, or a couple years of abuse on the capacitors.

    That said, a power rating means nothing if its not indipendently 80 plus certified. If you don't see that, don't put it in your machine. Even then, as the guys point out, there are better and worse units even in that range. My experience is that Antec, Corsiar, OCZ, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic, Silverstone, they are all really solid brands you could keep on your short list.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Tushon wrote:
    They have really high review ratings from years ago when they used quality components ... I wanna say Seasonic parts but not sure.

    Yeah, they used to be Seasonic.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Antec, Corsair, OCZ, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic, Silverstone, they are all really solid brands you could keep on your short list.

    That is the list I generally recommend to people, with at least an 80+ bronze ... personally, I go Silver but I know I'm hitting mine hard with constant folding.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited July 2011
    That is a very useful bit of information. And I just bookmarked the page for reference to this list of manufacturers. Thanks for the help.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited July 2011
    Hey okay, so we had a bunch of Thermaltake (I know the brand is not on the list, but it was free) 430ws sitting around at Work, so I snatched one (I need something so that I could stand my computer up right, the temporary one didn't have long enough cabling). I was wondering if this would be considered enough Wattage to run that GPU (The 680)

    Thanks again, I am not much of a hardware guy, so I don't know much about this

    Edit: The page for the 6850 states that it recommends 500W+, so I guess not
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Well, you can try ... it you were to stress whole system, it'd probably not have enough power and shutoff or start "failing" tests.
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited August 2011
    Woah. Update.
    So my budget expanded, and I think I am going to get:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044
    Radeon HD 6850

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348
    Antec 650W

    I got the 650W because I want the possibility of CrossfireXing later on with this card, and my handy dandy chart says I will need 625W for Crossfire with this card.
    http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/1/493743/ShowThread.aspx#493743 <---Handy dandy chart

    Thoughts! I think I am going to purchase this tonight/tommorrow
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited August 2011
    Just got in the mail, and am currently attempting to install drivers. Woah the XFX website has a really slow download speed.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    (why would you download from xfx instead of reference site?)
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited August 2011
    (the disk it came with did it itself, I didn't bother with it past that)
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited August 2011
    (oh okay ... for future reference, you can get drivers directly from manufacturer for any modern discrete gpu, though there are some laptop gpu drivers that still must be had from the manufacturer)
  • FrenchieFrenchie Maryland
    edited August 2011
    (Sounds a lot better, thanks)
Sign In or Register to comment.