i-m n00b to new pc stuff

[9r2e5i3k]

I'm not that good in PC hardware because I'm not following prices or technology news since I don't have money to buy new hardware anyway (or even used for that matter). But I'm wondering if this pile of junk I compiled is price/performance attractive, or even compatible all together.

UPDATED:

Price	Part	Model
298,00	Mobo	Gigabyte GA-870A-USB3 REV 3.1
286,00	CPU	AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition, Socket AM3, 3,2 GHz, 7MB cache, 80W, BOX (HDZ555WFGMBOX)
104,10	RAM	Kingston 2X2GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (KVR1333D3N9K2/4G)
307,00	GFX	Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 512MB DDR5, PCI-E, HDMI/DVI, LITE (11164-03-20R)
182,00	HDD	Seagate 1TB, SATA/600, 7200RPM, 32MB cache (ST31000524AS)
135,00	PSU	Chieftec GPA-450S8
191,00	Case	Cooler Master RC-430-KWN1
1503,10	TOTAL

NOTES ON CHOICES:
 - Mobo choice based on AM3+ socket, which would allow me to upgrade to a new AMD CPU in the future without replacing the whole motherboard
 - Mobo got 4 DDR3 banks so I can use two and fill remaining two later, without having to get rid of previous RAM
 - CPU choice based on possibility to unlock 2 extra cores, so it's a 4 in the price of 2 type of buy
 - RAM choice based on known brand and low price
 - GFX choice based on fairly low power consumption
 - HDD choice based on price and fair ratings
 - PSU choice based on price and amount of protection systems included ( OCP / OVP / UVP / SCP / OPP/OLP )
 - Case choice based on personal taste and having enough slots for everything

So, would this be a good setup? Price/upgradability/power consumption/performance wise (in that order)

Prices are in polish zloty, so google xxx PLN to USD for a quick-convert to US$.

[TheRock]

If you are to get a graphics card, get a good one... Can't you try to afford a HD6850-6870 or just 69xx series? They are not over-priced ..

[Dutchy]

For only 389Eur .. I'd say it's pretty nice.

Price	Part	Model
282,-	CPU	AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition, Socket AM3, 3,2 GHz, 7MB cache, 80W, BOX (HDZ555WFGMBOX)

This CPU is a dual core, me myself I use a quad core, which I recommend. Though my quad core only has 3Ghz.

135,-

RAM

Kingston 2X2GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (KVR1333D3N9K2/4G)

4 GB of RAM, good enough you don't need more, trust me.

314,-

GFX

Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 512MB DDR5, PCI-E, HDMI/DVI, LITE (11164-03-20R)

Strange, I think this GFX is 1GB, not 512MB.. Also, are these parts you picked out yourself? Or is this the whole computer, which you will recieve in one piece?

182,-

HDD

Dysk Seagate 1TB, SATA/600, 7200RPM, 32MB cache (ST31000524AS)

1TB, good. I have 500GB, which works perfectly.


That's about all I can say from my experience.

[TheRock]

You will be available to upgrade it in future, and it's already good enough, but the graphics card is not really good... 512mb's are often too poor.. 1GB and a better product of graphics card is nice..

CPU is really good for 2-core... 7MB Cache is enough.. Even my 4-cores have just 6MB..

[9r2e5i3k]

@Rock
HD6850 is almost twice the price ( starting from ~520zl) and consumes 3/2 power of the HD5750 (according to gpureview). I don't think I'd play the z0mg newest games anyway.

@Dutchy
That's the trick with this CPU. From the comments on the site I found that CPU, I've read that there are two additional cores, so it's basically a buy 4 cores in the price of 2, though some said that one core didn't work. But that would be still 3 for the price of 2.
And (if I checked right) I could later upgrade to a X6 Phenom II.

And yeah I picked those parts myself, that's why'd I ask also if you guys don't know if there are any incompatibilities that I might've overlooked.

Post Merge: June 03, 2011, 04:16:49 pmWas browsing a tad more...

Which mo-bo would be better, the Asus M4A79XTD EVO/USB3 with an AM3 socket (369zł) from the first post, or a Gigabyte GA-870A-USB3 with an AM3+ socket (296zl)?

The biggest difference I've noticed (apart from the price) is the socket. The GA one seems to not have any IDE but that doesn't seem to be a problem. I think it also doesn't have any crossfire or SLI support, but I doubt I'd make a use of it anyway, since I'm rather concerned about power consumption, so I'd rather not use multiple graphics cards.

[Dutchy]

My friend just suggested that you should send an email to the site or store where you would buy it from, and ask them if they can help you with selecting the best parts for composing your comp. He did that with his order and now he has a supercomp for 1400Eur.

[9r2e5i3k]

Not so fast, first I'd need the money :roll: Besides, I got this place.

[Todor]

Keep the mobo and RAM, get a Samsung Spinpoint F3 HDD and a AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955, a 5770 at least and a decent 500+ watt power supply from a reputable manufacturer such as Corsair.

[9r2e5i3k]

@Todor

Well here's a comparsion:

HDD:	Samsung F3	Seagate ST31000524AS
Capacity:	1TB	1TB
RPM:	7200	7200
Noise:	29dB	27dB
Transfer:	SATA2 (3Gb/s)	SATA3 (6Gb/s)
Avg. access:	8.9ms	4.16ms
Price:	198zł	183zł

I don't see anything better in the F3, so I don't see any reason to change my choice in the HDD, unless you got something to convince me.

The X4 955 seems to consume more power and it's more expensive, while the clock and cache are the same. I'd rather first get the X2 and then jump over to an X6 or something newer

A Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 512MB would be 334zł in bulk/357zł in box vs. the Sapphire Radeon HD 5750 512MB at 314zł, but the 5770 uses 20 more watts of power. I'd rather stick to the 5750 and upgrade later to something significantly better.

And I don't think this setup would need as much as a 500W power supply... unless I calculated the power usage wrong?

[EliteTerm]

Get a bigger powersupply for future upgrades, just in case.

[Julio.]

Remember, don't just look at the Wattage.

Whats usually the most important is the Amount of Amps supplied by the 12V rail on the PSU sticker

If it has just '12V' and a number, can you tell us that, and if it has '12V1' and '12V2' can you tell us both numbers?

[Todor]

Remember, don't just look at the Wattage.

Whats usually the most important is the Amount of Amps supplied by the 12V rail on the PSU sticker

If it has just '12V' and a number, can you tell us that, and if it has '12V1' and '12V2' can you tell us both numbers?

Exactly. Plus there's a very simple reason the sammy is better - First of all I can never hear it and second.. they are virtually indestructible AND your mobo doesn't support Sata 6gb/s does it? The 955 is a quad, it clocks like a beast too, a mate has one running at 4.2 easily. Don't look at the 512mb version of the 5770, it's bollocks. Get a 1gb card then go crossfire when they're even cheaper. That way you'll get 5870+ performance for quite a lot less. That or get a GTX 460. As far as the power supply is concerned at this day and age it's a good idea to be futureproof. At 400W and with an unheard of brand while being the most VITAL component in your computer you'd want to play it safe. I've seen 12V lines fused into graphics cards when a cheap PSU fried a mate of mine's PC, wasn't a pretty sight.

[9r2e5i3k]

@Todor
You missed the budget part. And the power consumption part.

AFAIK SATA's are cross-compatible. And the Gigabyte mobo has SATA3 anyway.

The HD 5750 is cheaper and eats less power. And it seems enough for me - I don't see myself playing the z0mg newest games anyway.

[Todor]

@Todor
You missed the budget part. And the power consumption part.

AFAIK SATA's are cross-compatible. And the Gigabyte mobo has SATA3 anyway.

The HD 5750 is cheaper and eats less power. And it seems enough for me - I don't see myself playing the z0mg newest games anyway.

It has Sata3 (3gb/s), and yes they are reverse compatible. I'm sorry but 20 watts is NOTHING compared to what the difference is between the 5770 and 5750. As always, however your choice.

[Julio.]

I paid 30GBP for a 750W PSU that supplies 39A on the 12V rail.

I have, what is arguably one of the most Powerthirsty Graphics Cards Created, the Geforce GTX 280.

This card technically needs 40A as stated on the Nvidia website, but as I thought that they want to cover their asses, I thought that 1A less would not harm.