Gaming and Performance system build up.. ADVICE Needed

[varun5050]

hi guys
i am buildng a new gaming and performance system.

AMD PHENOM II X4 955 BE
ASUS M4A 88TD M-EVO/USB3
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 1600MHZ RAM
TRUE 500 WATTS POWER SUPPLY
SAPPHIRE 5770 1GB GFX

please advice me if this is the best motherboard option for this CPU.
as i'll be sticking with this same CPU, kindly guide me for the best motherboard.

 

[namansingh]

1.You must reconsider your PSU Brand ''TRUE".

2.Better go with 6850. Outperforms 5770, cheap, and best thing GOOD DRIVERS.

3.You dont need a 1600 MHz RAM for gaming until you are a real enthusiast. It has maximum 2-3% effect.

4. MOBO is great choice.

 

[eloric]

I would build with that motherboard, especially if I wanted to put it into a small case. You have selected a nice board from a reputable manufacturer. This motherboard will give you good opportunities for overclocking that Black Edition CPU.

You can spend a lot less and not have the new 6Gbs SATA and USB 3.0 connections. Those features should help when you upgrade in the future, but are not really needed for your current configuration. You are also paying slightly more for on-board video that you will not use because you have a dedicated graphics card.

If you want to continue looking, here is the Newegg search that I use to find AM3 compatible boards.

You are limited to a single graphics card with this board, so do not consider buying a second video card for cross fire. Depending on the level of gaming you are planning, you might want to upgrade from a 5770 to a GTX460 1GB or an HD 6850. Check this article out for more information: Best Graphics Cards For the Money: March 2011.


Hope that helps.

 

[eloric]

namansingh is right about the power supply. Here is the Newegg search that I use for PSU's.

 

[ubercake]

1.You must reconsider your PSU Brand ''TRUE".

2.Better go with 6850. Outperforms 5770, cheap, and best thing GOOD DRIVERS.

3.You dont need a 1600 MHz RAM for gaming until you are a real enthusiast. It has maximum 2-3% effect.

4. MOBO is great choice.

1.You must reconsider your PSU Brand ''TRUE".
The 5770 uses very little power for the performance it puts out and requires only around 8A-10A 96-120W from the power supply at load. Check out the power consumption info on this review:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5770-review-test/11

I would definitely be concerned about the power supply if it offers less than 30A on the 12V rail or across multiple rails. Additionally, I couldn't easily find a link to this PSU. Is it a Mirage or FSP? Either way, not sure either company is all that reputable. You don't want to burn down your house over your new build because you were trying to save $$ by skimping on the power supply. The power supply is the single most important component in your PC. If you start with junk, expect junk.

2.Better go with 6850. Outperforms 5770, cheap, and best thing GOOD DRIVERS.
Either the 6850 or the 5770 would be good starter cards. Any single card configuration with AMD cards have no driver issues. It's when you start adding additional cards in crossfire that you begin seeing driver issues. You can currently pick up a 5770 for USD$113 shipped on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127476R&cm_re=msi_radeon_5770-_-14-127-476R-_-Product

Whereas the 6850 is going to run you around $170:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&Description=radeon%206850&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=100

3.You dont need a 1600 MHz RAM for gaming until you are a real enthusiast. It has maximum 2-3% effect.
True. RAM at 1066 would be fine. You don't notice much performance increase with the increased RAM speed.

4. MOBO is great choice.
Asus is a reliable motherboard producer. One of my favorites. That's a decent model motherboard.

 

[dalauder]

If you haven't purchased yet, I'd go with an i3-2100 and LGA 1155 build. It has better performance in games and can upgrade to a better CPU if you want (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859-10.html).

Of course, certain AM3 boards are confirmed to be Bulldozer compatible. So that is a viable route. If $10 makes a difference, you'll have better gaming performance with an Athlon II x3 (unlockable) and a better graphics card than a Phenom II x4 and worse graphics card.

This is pretty much the best choice for an AM3 board (ignoring Bulldozer compatibility, which I know very little about): ASRock 870 Extreme 3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198&cm_re=asrock_870_extreme3-_-13-157-198-_-Product)

Get the 1600MHz CL9 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 because it's pretty much the same price and CAN give you 2fps. If you get 2fps here, 2fps there, you get 10 extra fps, which is $40 in graphics cards and worth $0 here and there.

PSU: Use Extreme Power Supply Calculator Lite (http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp) to find your required wattage (15% capacitor aging). You should be around 360W and 470W in Crossfire. Then get a Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, Silverstone, or XFX power supply. This is a 600W Corsair for $50 (after rebate, free shipping) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139019

 

[namansingh]

Any single card configuration with AMD cards have no driver issues. It's when you start adding additional cards in crossfire that you begin seeing driver issues.

I thought 5XXX cards had a lot of big cursor, BSOD, Vertical blue lines, freezing, crashing etc. and even google says so.

 

[ubercake]

Any single card configuration with AMD cards have no driver issues. It's when you start adding additional cards in crossfire that you begin seeing driver issues.

I thought 5XXX cards had a lot of big cursor, BSOD, Vertical blue lines, freezing, crashing etc. and even google says so.

You'll see the same on the AMD forums for the newer cards.

 

[varun5050]

hey guys thanks for helping.
actually what i meant by true power was corsair true 500 watts psu.
and i am really concerned about the motherboard, i want a bord which is best in all terms.

 

[eloric]

Corsair PSU maker is fine. 500 wats is plenty for the config you have specified.

If you want more advice on the motherboard, then what is your budget? Are you intending to crossfire? How long are you planning to keep the machine? How interested are you in overclocking? What games are you playing now, or planning to play after you build your new machine?

These answers would help decide if you need to modify your selection, but frankly, the board is a good one, and fits nicely with the other parts you have already chosen.

 

[jb6684]

Yes ASUS and Gigabyte are my favorite brands of motherboards....

I particularly like the "EVO" series from ASUS:
- they come with a few extra cables or other models
- they have larger heat sinks on the on board chips & VRegs


For power supplies Corsair or Antec are solid brands....

While the Corsair 500watt supply is a great choice for 5770's or 6850's if you want to upgrade that card in the future to a high end card you'll need more power....

I would consider a Corsair 650watt supply, then your ready for any SINGLE card down the road for very little extra now.....

 

[varun5050]

guys,

i'll be using only 1 graphics gard always, i like to play games a lot ( crysis, crysis2, falloout, battelfield etc)
And i will kepp the system for at least 3 yrs, rest about the overclocking is concerned ill be doing it as needed but not in the begining.

my present config is this
AMD ATHLON X2 4000+ (2.0 GHZ)
ASUS M2NE MOBO
CORSAIR XMS2 3GB DDR2 675 MHZ
500 WATTS PSU
SAPPHIRE 5770 GPU.

I HAVE OVERCLOCKED THIS SYSTEM TO 2.7 GHZ to boost the performance.

the max i can spend on mobo is under 130$

 

[eloric]

it is most important that you upgrade the graphics that you have selected. The 5770 video card is minimal for playing games.

Keep the motherboard that you have chosen. Upgrade your video card to this: HIS H685F1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB for $152. If that exceeds your budget, let me know and then I will help you select a cheaper board.