Buying a New Computer

Off Topic
1

So I’ve decided to buy a new computer because the one I have now is a piece of junk. It’s not God awful but it certainly can’t handle any new games out right now. Here’s what I have selected on Newegg (I or a friend will be building this) so far:

Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower - $50
Mobo: ASUS M4A79 Deluxe AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX - $179
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core - $80
Power Supply: CORSAIR 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready - $90
Video: EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 - $130
Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 - $60
HD: Western Digital 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" - $50

Total: ~$640

I already have a 19" monitor, mouse, keyboard, and CD/DVD drives. I also have Firewire and Network cards on my current computer.

So this is my compromise for a gaming computer that isn’t really expensive, as you can see by the total cost. I’m willing to up the price if needed, so I was wondering if anyone has any input on anything, or recommendations. Some specific questions I have:

Am I going too cheap on the case?
Do I need a sound card or is the Mobo sound enough?
Would I need to buy another Firewire/Network card b/c they are old (5 or so years)?

Thanks.

2
  1. The case should be alright.
  2. The Mobo sound is more than enough. 8 channels? And it probably won’t interfere too much with your gaming.
  3. The Mobo has a connection for your cat 5 cable and firewire, so you don’t need to buy another card, unless you’re planning on going wireless.

Thoughts:
-For the video card, why not go with a GeForce GTS 250 1gb? It’s roughly the same price, and possibly cheaper too.
-I’d personally go with a core 2 duo setup, but that’s a little more expensive, and might bump you up another 50-100 dollars, but it might be better in the long run.

3

Get an actual AM3 Mobo, get an AMD Phenom II X3 720(BE), get 6 gigs of DDR3, get a GeForce 260 (not that 250 shit) or a Radeon HD4890.

Onboard network card should be fine, onboard sound should be fine.

If you think 320Gb is going to be enough, you need to download much, much more porn.

4

Hey guys thanks for your responses.

  1. Decided to go with a AM3 mobo, and AMD Phenom II X3. I figured I multi-task enough for a triple core, but not enough to warrant a quad-core. :slight_smile: The clock speed is fast for that one too (2.8Ghz).
  2. I also upgraded to a ATI Radeon HD4890 (1gb), because this was a combo deal with the CPU so I’m saving some money here.
  3. Going with just 4gb of DDR3, I don’t think I need more than that, for now at least.
  4. The 320Gb HD is enough, because a: I have a 1Tb external, and b: thank God for youporn.com.
  5. Also updated the case, so it’s at least reputable.

Here it is:

Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower - $70
Combo Deal 1:
Mobo: ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard, and:
RAM: Patriot Gamer Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) - $175 combined
Combo Deal 2:
CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor, and:
Video: HIS H489FT1GP Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported - Turbo OC Edition - $322 combined
Power Supply: CORSAIR 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready - $90
HD: Western Digital 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" - $50

Total: $706, or $672 with rebates.

What do you guys think?