~$700 Maximum Performance/Price Gaming System

[walkerds]

Hello again guys.

I'm feeling pretty confident in the configuration now, and I'm just searching around for the cheapest sources for the components. I think I'll buy now as opposed to waiting until September when it looks like the i5 will become a serious contender for a low budget computer.

I do have a few more questions, being that this is the first time I've built a computer.

1. For the OEM hard drive and DVD/CD drive that I've included, what cables should I buy in order to make sure I've got everything to set them up?
2. Are there any tips you guys have for getting this system up and running? Anything overly complicated involved in getting it to boot up the first time? I plan on running Windows 7 for now.

Thanks!

 

[walkerds]

So the current configuration is:

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Newegg:
Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model $27.99
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $54.95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s $74.99
Logitech SBF-96 Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical Mouse $8.25
Combo Deal: AMD Phenom II X3 720 and OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 $207.99 - $20 MIR
CA Tax: $30.87
Shipping: $23.04
1% Cashback via FatWallet: -$3.74

Mwave:
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard $118.99
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 $174.99
CA Tax: $27.19
Shipping: $7.63
$10 off $100 purchases coupon on site: -$10.00
2% Cashback via FatWallet: -$3.30

Tiger Direct:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready $114.99
CA Tax: $0
Shipping: $1.99
4% Cashback via FatWallet: -$4.60


Total: $863.86 Shipped - $20.00 MIR - $11.64 Cashback= $843.86 - $11.46 Cashback
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For comparison, if all components were bought directly from Newegg, the price would be:
$928.52 Shipped - $60.00 MIR - $8.34 Cashback = $868.52 - $8.34 Cashback

So, buying from different sites only saves you about $25 when rebates are considered, but you don't have to apply and wait for nearly as many rebates. Since I hate rebates, I think I'll spread the purchase around. Also, if you use Fatwallet to get cash back on these types of purchases, you'll get slightly more from the other sites.

I'm still scouring for any other ways to knock the price down or find a higher-end component on sale.

 

[dirtmountain]

Your motherboard will include the cables that you need, the Gigabyte 790X includes 4 SATA cables and the cables for a rear IO E-SATA. You're fine.