New AM3 Build

_gs_

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Hi all, this is probably my first time in building gaming PC..

Here is the possible specifications:
AMD X3 720 BE
Biostar TA 790 GX A3+ or MSI 790GX-G65 (Both AM3 sockets) --> which one is better?
DDR3 --> Need suggestion, but only for the one under $70
HIS HD 4770 512MB --> Quite doubtful, could it support gaming in 1650*1050 monitor?
WDC 640 GB
PSU --> Need suggestion, I'm going to do some overclock with my PC later

Thanks for any quick replies, going to order soon
 
Yes can cut it for 1680 x 1050 but for a gaming rig it's not a bad idea to splash a wee bit more on GPU hehe
6xxHGR.jpg

Good to go for 1920 x 1080 so ya slight over design
 

_gs_

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Hi batuchka, is the motherboard good enough for overclocking??
Anyway.. I've got my own case, optical drive already..

Is 500W PSU enough for the entire system?
I'm going to use 4770 now, and may be I'll change it when ATI or Nvidia release some better card.. So it's just for temporary moment..
 

goony20

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That psu batuchka recommend is good, but if you decide to go crossfire or step up to an ati 4870/4890, a 650 or 750 watt would be better. Try the corsair 650tx or 750tx. Also, stay away from modular supplies, TH wrote a good article on it recently.
 

_gs_

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Hi there, it's so hard to find DDR3 in my city..
There are actually some, but the pricey one..
Is DDR3 OCZ Fatality PC10666 2X2GB good enough for this build?
 

_gs_

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@drunknmunkys thanks for the suggestion, but I live far far away from newegg.. T_T

Here is my final list: (Still need some comments):
PII X3 720 BE
Biostar TA790GX A3+
OCZ Fatality PC10666 2X2GB
Power Color HD4770 512MB
WDS 640GB
FSP Bluestorm II 500Watt

I'm going to do some overclock with the processor, anyway is the DDR3 and PSU good enough for OC ing the processor?

Thanks..
 

drunknmunkys

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If you're going to OC then try and get a better brand CPU.

If you're going to get a 4770, I would plan on getting a 2nd one later and xfiring them. Otherwise get at least a 4850.

You will also need an aftermarket cooler and thermal compound if you plan to OC.
 

_gs_

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How much increase in percentage will I get if I crossfire two 4770 in 790GX board?
As I know, there is no significant increase? Is it true?
 

drunknmunkys

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That is completely and utterly false. 2x 4770s is one of the best things to happen to budget gaming in a while. Read some articles here on Toms.
 

_gs_

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Yeah but as I know most tests are done on 790FX motherboard, not 790GX..
790FX support 16X and 16X crossfire, while
790GX support 8X and 8X crossdire only..
This problems always get me mad..
 

_gs_

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@evongugg: thanks, I don't think I can find one here, it's hard to find brands other than Corsair, Silverstone, FSP, Acbel here.. They've dominated my place too long..
Thanks anyway..

I still need suggestion about the DDR3.. Any?
 

_gs_

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@drunknmunkys: Thanks bro.. May be in next 2 to 3 months I'll get one more...
Need some saving first, I've been spending too much this months..
 

drunknmunkys

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What suggestion do you need about DDR3? If it's vastly more expensive then DDR2 where you live, then don't get it. If it's the same price, get it. You won't notice any performance gains now, but might in the future.
 

sailer

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Is this the article that you're referring to?

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/power-supplies-psu,8016.html

If it is, then lets take a good look at a few of the things it says:

Are the differences great? No one gave us any hard numbers, but they did indicate that the numbers are measurable.

No hard numbers:? Give me results, real results that can be seen from bench tests, not just opinions that something might exist. Oh, and who is the expert quoted? Lets see:

PC Power & Cooling, now part of OCZ,

And so we see a line taken straight from the PC P&C advertising. But still, not one single statement from the makers of modular PSUs.

Now, from a different source that actually tests PSUs regularly, Jonnyguru.com: Quoting from an article he wrote:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=94

Four independent & dedicated +12V rails (12V1, 12V2, 12V3, 12V4) provide stable and superior performance for PC system (combined loading of 52A).

Now that I've typed all that out, I'm going to get on my soapbox here for a moment. While I was typing point #4, I distinctly head a number of people saying, "Pfft. Quad 12V topology is bad. Pass." This seems to be going around the various forums I frequent, and I wanted to take a moment to address this. The common thought is that the 240VA limitation imposed by Intel is a bad thing, resulting in "trapped power."

To use a couple more Q words, this is a quibble not worth qualifying. The fact of the matter is, if the engineers knew what they were doing when they decided what connectors went to what 12V rail, there will never be a problem with the unit shutting down due to overdrawing one of the 12V rails, unless you tried to do something inadvisable like jump starting a car or powering a pelt off a single 12V rail. If the engineers did their job well, and I daresay most of them do these days, there will be no power starving or instability due to the multiple 12V overcurrent protection. You might run into issues from overloading the power supply in general, but incidences of the unit failing due solely to the multiple 12V topology are very few and far between. Actually, I can't think of the last time I've seen it on the forums I frequent.

Ironically, some of the companies now out there blowing the "single 12V rail is better" trumpet were some of the only ones who couldn't seem to design their units' multiple 12V distribution properly. If these companies can't build a good multiple 12V design, of course they're going to claim single 12V is better, right? It's not a design problem, it's a feature!!! Perhaps children play checkers. I should point out though, some of these companies offering single 12V units are doing so strictly because they want to compete with certain others now doing so.

In the interest of full disclosure, two of my computers use a PC P&C 750wt Silencer PSU (single rail, non-modular). Another computer uses a Thermaltake 700wt modular PSU, a fourth uses a TT 850wt modular PSU and a fifth uses an Antec 650wt Signature modular PSU. By the way, the Antec Signature PSU gets a very high 9.6 rating from Jonnyguru: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=113

Now then, if you have any hard evidence that modular PSUs should be avoided, please give a reference. Otherwise, I'd say back off on warrantless claims.o
 

goony20

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That was my fault for not validating the post I wrote, but I'll do it now considering someone decided to spend 45 minutes (not to mention cutting and pasting pieces of the article that supported their claim) to denounce "an opinion" and tell me to back off on warrantless claims. Sorry for the quick reply and no reference, but considering I'm in IRAQ, I don't have hours and hours of time to putt around on a computer.

Below is the meat & potatoes of the article. It simply states basics concerning resistance on electrical equipment.

"Despite modular power supplies being a hot product, don't be quick to grab the up-take. The companies we spoke to told us that modular power supplies are less efficient than those that have their cables hard-wired. The reason being that the extra connection you make, adds resistance, and hence, increases heat and reduces efficiency.

Enermax, Seasonic, and Corsair all told us that if you're looking to maximize efficiency, go for a non-modular PSU."

Yes, there will be modular psus that are great buys and are very efficient as Sailer writes. Also, the sources for the article were suspect psu makers; however, in the pc world, you can't just make a claim and believe it will stand. There will be many individuals researching that claim in depth, as you all know. I was just pointing out that there are those that believe modular psus are less efficient on the whole, and are mainly marketed for cable management & aesthetics. If one does more research, I'm sure there are numerous articles and forums that delve into this subject and offer much more closure than seen here.

link to article
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/power-supplies-psu,8016.html
 

ati7

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_gs_ not sure if you should get the msi 790GX G65 motherboard.

here is my story, on june-11-09 I bought this motherboard the msi 790GX G65 along with the new AMD 550 X2 cpu, and 4GB of G.skill DDR3 1333 ram from newegg,com.
and installed everything according to the msi motherboard guide (and using only one stick of ram in dimm 1 slot for first start up) then I turn on the computer for the first time and it booted up fine, I got 1 beep sound on post, then the screen showed the msi logo, and after that it told me to put in the boot cd and restart the computer, but before I got the chance to put the Windows cd in the drive the computer suddenly shut off, it was on for about a minute.

so when I turned the PC back on the second time, there was no beep sound, all the blue leds on the board were on and the cpu fan and case fans were running but no picture this time. I was using the onboard video.
then I took the cpu heatsink off, and the cpu looked burnt, so I returned the msi board and the cpu to newegg and got it replaced with the same board and cpu. and guess what? I had the same problem again! and the second time I tried it with my brothers ati4870 video card and still no picture. but the AMD 550 cpu looks OK this time. so now I will be returning the msi board for a full refund, and will be getting the am3 Gigabyte 790XT board.

also I will get the same cpu replaced since they said they only replace and not refund the cpu.

my PSU is a corsair 650Watt and it works great, so I have no problems with not having enough power