Custom PC build (Good or not?)

Hello, I've been thinking of building a custom PC for under 1000 dollars. I don't need it to be a high end gaming PC but still good enough for current demand and for future upgrades. Here's the build:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core @ 3.2GHz

CPU cooling: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus direct touch 4 heatpipe heatsink

Mobo: MSI 770-G45 ATX AM3 770

DDR 2 RAM: Crucial Rendition 2GB PC2-6400 DDR-800 240 Pin

Video Card: Radeon HD 5750 700MHz 1GB GDDR5 4.6GHz PCI-E 2XDVI HDMI display

Computer Case: Coolermaster Elite 310

Power Supply: Seasonic SS-350ET 350W ATX12V 20/24PIN

OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64bit

Hard Drive: Western Digital Cavier Blue 500GB SATA2 7200RPM

DVD Writer: Sony Optiarc 24X DVDRW DVD Writer SATA OEM

Card Reader: Nmedia C68 3.5 inch USB 2.0 Flashcard Reader

Suggestions would be very helpful and so would alternatives to these components, while still being reasonably priced, and if I'm missing crucial components, please tell me, I'm not good at building computers / knowing what components would be good. Oh and would I need a network card and sound card as well?

Alright, so this looks pretty good with a couple of exceptions. You picked out DDR2 RAM, but a motherboard that supports DDR3. So, change that to some DDR3 RAM (really should have 4gb instead of 2)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231396

Also, the power supply that you chose isn't going to cut it. You'll want something beefier than that. This guy, for example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017

Now the system will work great. That doesn't mean that it couldn't be made better for around the same price. What's your budget, and what will your primary purpose for this computer be?

You want 4 GB of memory at least. Having just 2GB is silly. You also should consider going with a Core i5 760 over a Phenom II as its performance is unquestionably better. The 750 / 760 are the sweet spot. As far as GPUs go, you can ge an HD 5770 for only slightly more than an HD 5750, and it's worth the boost if you're not going crossfire. There's also the GTX 460 to consider, but you would need to increase your budget.

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Regardless, you need a better power supply. You want at least 600w on an Active-PFC (otherwise any watt claims are bogus) and you may want to consider going higher to cover future upgrades. Get a name brand so that you don't have problems down the line.

I dont feel like 5750 is a good choice for gaming, recommend to take a 5770 instead. And one more thing, its time for DDR3 RAM memory, think of a bundle of Corsair 4GB so you will not waste your Windows 7 Home Premimum 64bit OS then.

You want 4 GB of memory at least. Having just 2GB is silly. You also should consider going with a Core i5 960 over a Phenom II as its performance is unquestionably better. The 950 / 960 are the sweet spot. As far as GPUs go, you can ge an HD 5770 for only slightly more than an HD 5750, and it's worth the boost if you're not going crossfire. There's also the GTX 460 to consider, but you would need to increase your budget. subrosian

First of all, there's no such thing as a Core i5 950 or 960. There is a Core i5 750 and a 760, or a Core i7 950 or 960. While the Core i5 quad-cores are faster than the Phenom II's, it's not a significant enough gap for most people to even care, especially for a gaming machine. When you look over someone's build, you should try to get an idea of where they're headed based on the parts they choose. Someone who chooses these parts looks (to me) like they're going for price/performance on a slim to moderate budget. Switching to an intel-based platform isn't the smartest move for this type of a build. Please, be a bit more observant and accurate when trying to help people.

[QUOTE="subrosian"]You want 4 GB of memory at least. Having just 2GB is silly. You also should consider going with a Core i5 960 over a Phenom II as its performance is unquestionably better. The 950 / 960 are the sweet spot. As far as GPUs go, you can ge an HD 5770 for only slightly more than an HD 5750, and it's worth the boost if you're not going crossfire. There's also the GTX 460 to consider, but you would need to increase your budget. hartsickdiscipl

First of all, there's no such thing as a Core i5 950 or 960. There is a Core i5 750 and a 760, or a Core i7 950 or 960. While the Core i5 quad-cores are faster than the Phenom II's, it's not a significant enough gap for most people to even care, especially for a gaming machine. When you look over someone's build, you should try to get an idea of where they're headed based on the parts they choose. Someone who chooses these parts looks (to me) like they're going for price/performance on a slim to moderate budget. Switching to an intel-based platform isn't the smartest move for this type of a build. Please, be a bit more observant and accurate when trying to help people.

I'd go with what most others have said, make it a 5770, chuck in 4GB DDR3 ( or at least DDR3 if u cant afford 4).

Maybe a 965? not much more expensive but hey, the 955 is fine either way.

Dude, stick with the AMD Phenom X4 965. Its a great CPU, ok it maybe SLIGHLY slower than the I5 but come on!! its a great CPU and will still last you a long time. Just make sure you go with an AM3 Motherboard with DDR3 :)Chris_53

Agreed.

[QUOTE="Chris_53"]Dude, stick with the AMD Phenom X4 965. Its a great CPU, ok it maybe SLIGHLY slower than the I5 but come on!! its a great CPU and will still last you a long time. Just make sure you go with an AM3 Motherboard with DDR3 :)Lance2500

Agreed.

Hello, I've been thinking of building a custom PC for under 1000 dollars. I don't need it to be a high end gaming PC but still good enough for current demand and for future upgrades. Here's the build:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core @ 3.2GHz

CPU cooling: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus direct touch 4 heatpipe heatsink

Mobo: MSI 770-G45 ATX AM3 770

DDR 2 RAM: Crucial Rendition 2GB PC2-6400 DDR-800 240 Pin

Video Card: Radeon HD 5750 700MHz 1GB GDDR5 4.6GHz PCI-E 2XDVI HDMI display

Computer Case: Coolermaster Elite 310

Power Supply: Seasonic SS-350ET 350W ATX12V 20/24PIN

OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64bit

Hard Drive: Western Digital Cavier Blue 500GB SATA2 7200RPM

DVD Writer: Sony Optiarc 24X DVDRW DVD Writer SATA OEM

Card Reader: Nmedia C68 3.5 inch USB 2.0 Flashcard Reader

Suggestions would be very helpful and so would alternatives to these components, while still being reasonably priced, and if I'm missing crucial components, please tell me, I'm not good at building computers / knowing what components would be good. Oh and would I need a network card and sound card as well?

Gizmo_kicks_ass

How much are you paying for that build?

For $700-800 i made a build with a Ph II 1055T, 4GB DDR3 ram, gtx460.

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

[QUOTE="subrosian"]You want 4 GB of memory at least. Having just 2GB is silly. You also should consider going with a Core i5 960 over a Phenom II as its performance is unquestionably better. The 950 / 960 are the sweet spot. As far as GPUs go, you can ge an HD 5770 for only slightly more than an HD 5750, and it's worth the boost if you're not going crossfire. There's also the GTX 460 to consider, but you would need to increase your budget. subrosian

First of all, there's no such thing as a Core i5 950 or 960. There is a Core i5 750 and a 760, or a Core i7 950 or 960. While the Core i5 quad-cores are faster than the Phenom II's, it's not a significant enough gap for most people to even care, especially for a gaming machine. When you look over someone's build, you should try to get an idea of where they're headed based on the parts they choose. Someone who chooses these parts looks (to me) like they're going for price/performance on a slim to moderate budget. Switching to an intel-based platform isn't the smartest move for this type of a build. Please, be a bit more observant and accurate when trying to help people.

So because Starcraft 2 runs better on i5's and i7's than on Phenom II"s, the OP should definitely base their decision off that? That's absurd. Unless that's the only game that the OP wants to play, that's ridiculous. Even if that were their main purpose, it might not be a good reason to spend the extra cash. IDK about you, but once I get over 30fps in a strategy game, I'm happy. You can more than fulfill that need with a Phenom II. Most games don't show anywhere near that amount of difference between gaming with an i5/i7 and a Phenom II x4.

How is it a horrible time to invest in an AMD AM3/Phenom II platform? Please explain that logic. You can get a 955 or 965 BE and an AM3 motherboard (that uses DDR3 RAM, like AM3 boards do, not AM2+) for $210-$220. Clearly it's a less expensive platform to build on. IMO, the "sweet spot" for any gamer depends on their budget. Right now an AM3/Phenom II X4/DDR3 platform is less expensive than an i5/LGA 1156 platform, while stil delivering most of the performance. I'll agree with you on the GTX 460.. I think getting either a single GTX 460, or 2 in SLI is the best solution for almost anybody who can spend at least $170 on a GPU.

http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/page13.html

As for Starcraft 2, the above link will show you that the difference between a stock i5 750 and stock 965 BE isn't all that big.. even in this game that seems to love intel processors more than most.

Thank you all for suggestions. I will change the RAM from DDR2 to DDR3. Does any one have a good suggestions for a not so expensive DDR3 RAM? and I want to keep my rig under 1000 CAD dollars including the monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. (IDK if I need speakers or not) Also, do I need network card and a sound card? or does the mobo have it? (I'm content with regular sound system, I'm not a diehard computer savy gamer)Gizmo_kicks_ass

However, I could reccomend getting a dedicated soundcard, I just think they offer much better quality than onboard sound.

[QUOTE="subrosian"][QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

First of all, there's no such thing as a Core i5 950 or 960. There is a Core i5 750 and a 760, or a Core i7 950 or 960. While the Core i5 quad-cores are faster than the Phenom II's, it's not a significant enough gap for most people to even care, especially for a gaming machine. When you look over someone's build, you should try to get an idea of where they're headed based on the parts they choose. Someone who chooses these parts looks (to me) like they're going for price/performance on a slim to moderate budget. Switching to an intel-based platform isn't the smartest move for this type of a build. Please, be a bit more observant and accurate when trying to help people.

hartsickdiscipl

So because Starcraft 2 runs better on i5's and i7's than on Phenom II"s, the OP should definitely base their decision off that? That's absurd. Unless that's the only game that the OP wants to play, that's ridiculous. Even if that were their main purpose, it might not be a good reason to spend the extra cash. IDK about you, but once I get over 30fps in a strategy game, I'm happy. You can more than fulfill that need with a Phenom II. Most games don't show anywhere near that amount of difference between gaming with an i5/i7 and a Phenom II x4.

How is it a horrible time to invest in an AMD AM3/Phenom II platform? Please explain that logic. You can get a 955 or 965 BE and an AM3 motherboard (that uses DDR3 RAM, like AM3 boards do, not AM2+) for $210-$220. Clearly it's a less expensive platform to build on. IMO, the "sweet spot" for any gamer depends on their budget. Right now an AM3/Phenom II X4/DDR3 platform is less expensive than an i5/LGA 1156 platform, while stil delivering most of the performance. I'll agree with you on the GTX 460.. I think getting either a single GTX 460, or 2 in SLI is the best solution for almost anybody who can spend at least $170 on a GPU.

http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/page13.html

As for Starcraft 2, the above link will show you that the difference between a stock i5 750 and stock 965 BE isn't all that big.. even in this game that seems to love intel processors more than most.

TS

YOu have to change that power supply as well. One of the biggest mistakes guys like you (guys trying to build a gaming rig on a limited budget) make is the PSU. You can NOT run that system on 350W, not to mention the amperage will be too low. Invest in a solid power supply, you don't need to go crazy but if you went with with a 500 - 600 w power supply from corsair, antec, zalman, coolermaster, ocz, seasonic etc.. You would be much better off.

Must have missed it, glad you got a more solid psu.