Antec 900 first build i need help

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partyman66420

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Jul 16, 2009
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18,510
tower/ Antec Nine Hundred
motherboard/ LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad
processor/ Intel Pentium 4 651 3.4GHz
cpu cooler/Arctic Cooling Freezer XTREME v2
hd/ Western Digital 500GB
memory/Crucial 2GB 240-pin PC2-4200 (x2)
wireless card/Encore 802.11n Wireless-N 300Mbps
pcu/Logisys 575 Watt 20+4pin (has dual 80mm fans in it)
os/windows xp home
gfx card/Radeon HD4650 1GB
disk drive/Ultra 24x10x24 Slim External USB 2.0 CDRW Drive - USB CD Burner (external)
 
NO, it's not a good build. It might have been decent about 3 years ago, but we can do much better. The Pentium 4 CPU was never a good choice, even in it's prime. There is much better hardware currently available.

I would follow hunter315's advice and post in the format described in the link above so we can help you optimize your build. We really need you to post a budget more than anything.
 
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: about 2 months

BUDGET RANGE: $900

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: (gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: (examples: keyboard, mouse)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: ( newegg.com, ncix.com, ebuyer.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: by brand or type (i like amd but any will work for gaming and it is the antec 900 tower

OVERCLOCKING: Yes if i learn how

MONITOR RESOLUTION: looking for a new lcd i have old monitors frome like 4 yrs ago
 
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131366

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.205337 $204.99 - $15.00 MIR (CPU + motherboard combo)

OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P16004GK - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227297 $75.99

Antec Nine Hundred + EA650 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 650W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129064 $179.99 (Case + PSU that will allow crossfire in the future if needed)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=wd6401aals

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - OEM (Includes free Windows 7 upgrade coupon)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116677

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.205082.22-136-319 $179.98 (HD + OS combo)

XFX HD-485X-YDFC Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150337 $109.99

Acer P224Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 10000:1 (ACM) - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009174 $149.99

Total - $900.93 - $15 MIR (.93 over budget :))
 

Wow, that's a pretty nice build considering it has a bundled OS and monitor.

At this point I'm being nit-picky, but for $10 more after shipping charges, you could swap out the 4850 for a 4870.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102810

Theres a combo deal with Vista Home Premium x64 which includes the Win 7 coupon (saving $5 😀 )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.205094.14-102-810
 
just the thing is vist sux realy bad i like xp beacus it has more of a gaming feal to it i have vista on my laptop and it is allways messing up
 
You could use Windows 7 RC for now and then buy Win 7 retail for $119. Or buy the vista with the win 7 upgrade now for $110. Doesn't mean you have to use it, but cheaper in the long run.

As for the vid card, get at least the 1gb 4850. If you can afford the stretch to a 4870 1gb, do that, but the 4850 is a perfect balance for a 1680x1050 monitor.
 

I'm using Vista x64 with the latest service pack and I haven't encountered any compatibility or stability issues for over a year, asides from bad software support for a obscure Dell external USB wifi adapter. I seriously suggest going for Vista over XP mainly because of the DX10 support and the fact that I had trouble previously with XP x64 drivers. Otherwise, you could go the Win 7 route that skora mentioned, which is still good for a few months.


If your talking about the Western Digital HD in the shortstuff_mt's suggested build, no, the OS is not included/pre-installed.
 



to give you an idea how much technology has moved in 3 years ..
intels budget e 5200 processor is more powerful than any pentium 4 processor ever sold including the extreme editions they charged over a thousand $ for

You were very wise to ask before committing to your suggested build
 
thans man i need some expert help on this cus idont know what is good i just need a gaming system that will play quake 4, call of duty and some internet racing and fps games
 
Since you're not buying for 2 more months, people picking parts based on combos and price doesn't make sense at this point. Nailing down the types of components you want can be done, but opportunities for different manufactures will for sure creep in the next 60 days. When building a gaming system, its all about balance. I start with what size monitor am I going to be playing on. That drives the GPU, which drives the PSU. Then a CPU that won't bottleneck the games, a quality mobo for OC and a good aftermarket heat sink fan, or any mobo and stock fan works if not OCing. Ram with good timings to match the mobo. A HDD big enough for your needs and the OS to boot. Also upgradability can direct some decisions too. If you want to add a second GPU later, you'll have to get a mobo that can support 2 and a PSU big enough for both. Following that flow, here's a general idea of what you'll be looking at.

1680x1050 monitor ~$150 1920x1080 ~180-200
GPU: 4850 for around $100 or for around $140-$150 GTX 260 or ATI 4870.
PSU: QUALITY 500w+ with good 12v amps ~$60-75 or 600w+ ~100 for crossfire
CPU: AMD x3 $120 or if a great combo is available, an x4 may be possible
Mobo: If overclocking, Gigabyte and Asus are probably where you're going to look. If you don't want to crossfire ATI cards or choose a nvidia card, the 770 chipset is a good deal around $80. If you want the option, then a 790gx is probably where you'll end up at ~100-125.
HSF: (Only if OCing) ~25-50
Ram: DDR3 makes more sense for the future but will cost ~$70. DDR2 will be around $50.
HDD: if you don't need much space, $50, if you want 500+ gb, then $75-$90
OS: Vista with Win 7 upgrade $110
You're case of choice: ~$120

So it looks like you'll be close to budget without any of the upgrades listed here too. If there's extra, load up on the lights. But that will give you a better idea of what you're looking for. Or this won't help a lick and I get one more post count out of it 😛
 

My day is now complete! LOL

Don't forget to add a CD/DVD drive too the list also. It will cost under $30.

Shortstuffs build is pretty good. Only things I'd suggest is a smaller power supply. A 400w Corsair will be enough to run the 4850. I'd also pick the gigabyte 770 am3 motherboard instad of a 790gx.
 

To put it in a nut-shell, it would be a good idea if you asked for advice two months from now or about a week before you plan on building the system. The reasoning behind this is because prices of components fluctuate and tend to drop quickly over time, so it's hard to predict what would be the "best deal" a couple of months from now.
 
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