Strike's Build

[Pause]

Pause's First Attempt:
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CPU:AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz $71.99
MoBo:ASUS M4A77T/USB3$84.99
RAM:G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333$46.99
Thermal Paste: Tuniq Thermal Compound$6.99
Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Edition$39.99
GPU: XFX GeForce 9500GT $0.00 Already Have
PSU: Already Have (450w) or Sunbeam PSU-H680-REV-US 680W $39.99
OS: Already Have
HDD:Already Have
Keyboard/Mouse: Already Have
Monitor: Already Have
Speakers/Headphones: Already Have
Bad Company 2: Already Have
CD/DVD Player/Burner: Not Sure/May Have

Total before shipping/taxes: $250.95
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Comments: This is pretty much the same build as I have, except I upgraded to a GeForce 450. When I had the 9500gt, I was able to push 70+ FPS in all low settings on BC2.. and all low on BC2 is still a BEAUTIFUL environment vs DF2 lol If you want to upgrade to a better GPU in time, there's room for that, also this Mobo supports CoreUnlocking, so the x3 cpu could easily become a x4. Looking at the reviews of the CPU, about 4/5 ppl unlocked succuessfully! Even if it doesn't unlock, you end up with a really nice tri-core processor (like I'm stuck with) and USB3.0 support (like I wish I had!) And all for only $250!

[Jackal]

Just wanted to throw in some comments here, might be able to save him a little bit of $$$

For the USB 3 motherboards, lower/older USB devices can often become corrupted and the data on it can then be unattainable. They have not quite perfected this technology yet for older devices (I'm just saying if he has any). So, if any of his USB devices are older, he just might have some issues.

For the memory, it doesn't have to be high performance and that's what G-Skill is. They make sticks specifically for gaming because they get hot. You might be able to save about $15 if you switched to Crucial. Even though they might have a "bad reputation", their memory is actually pretty good.

Other than that, it sounds like a badass machine.. I like

[Pause]

I'll look into it right away!

[Pause]

Well shizzle.. all the ram I find in that speed is right around that same price.. cheapest w/ good ratings is appx $40.. same for the case/mobo.. at most a $5 savings, but also comes at the cost of 1/2 the features (you can surf the web from the bios on that mobo ffs!!!) I didn't check around again on the cpu. Honestly, I love that one. Even as a tri-core, its a great price, with great performance. All that and throw in an 80% chance of opening it into a quad.. a quad for under $72? 'nuff said. Cheapest quad by amd in box is @ $110 right now. lol $38 savings! Boo-yah!

[Pause]

added a 650w psu.. will cover gpu's for a few years to come.. but its an extra $50.. I look at power supplies like this.. you push the limits = ur playing with fire.. if your psu fries, you've got no power.. I think zorro said it best, The better ur psu, the better your system will run. So push the limits, and ur computer will run like crap with little head room. Your call tho bro. Either would do fine for now, but if your going to want to upgrade from 450w as soon as u look at moving up from the 9500gt graphics card :salute:


*edit: scratch that.. found a 680w for 39.99! Great reviews too! only complaint was it only has a 4pin mobo conection..but that's what the mobo we picked requires.. so we're made in the shade!

[Victarias]

wait wait wait wait.........You can build me a computer machine thingy??? I would love to have a new gaming desktop! wink wink...

[Pause]

Dang.. I aughta go into business! But heck yeah bro! I didn't price in a GPU, that's about another $70 on top of the $300 build that strike's lookin at.. plus another $50 for an hdd and $20 for a dvd burner. Unless of course you have some of these already.. hard drives (hdd) and dvd burners are super easy to transfer (and saves cash). Do you need a monitor, keyboard/mouse, or speakers/headphones/mic?

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB $49.99
DVD Burner: ASUS Black 24X DVD+R $17.99
GPU: ASUS GeForce GTS 450 $105.99
Monitor: Acer 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD $99.99
Mouse Keyboard: Logitech MK320 Black USB RF Wireless Standard Desktop $34.99
Speakers: Logitech LS11 3 Watts RMS (FTC) 2.0 Stereo Speaker $19.99
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Full $179.99

Starts adding up fast.. I look at the initial build as an investment.. I doubt the ATX formfactor will go away for awhile, so long as you have a monitor/case/keyboard/mouse/speakers/hdds (with os installed).. all you'll ever really need to upgrade as years go by is your cpu/mobo/gpu/ram/psu (and if u get a big enough psu initially, you prolly won't have to upgrade it either). Just my thoughts.. I'm still new to this whole field, but it makes good sense to me!

[Pause]

pull the Win7 off that list.. depending on how Strike's build goes, we might be able to help you with that bit.

[Jackal]

All this talk about high quality computer parts is giving me a stiffy..

[Hogg]

http://www.circuitcity.com/applications ... circuit584