What do you think about my build?

todd39

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May 2, 2011
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Hi everyone. Thanks in advance for taking the time out to help me with my new build.

Approximate Purchase Date: This week, preferably by May 12 at the latest

Budget Range: $800-$825

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, work, watching movies

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Speakers, Windows 7 64-bit (already have a copy)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, tigerdirect.com

Country of Origin: United States

Parts Preferences: AMD CPU

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200; Nothing extravagant

Additional Comments: I would like to build a computer that is durable, and one that runs cool.

Here is my build thus far:

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core CPU
Motherboard: Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=165182&csid=_22&body=MAIN
(Sold in combo for $229.99 before $10 rebate)

Video Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1373-AR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) Superclocked EE 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6510322&csid=ITD&body=MAIN
(Sold for $214.99 before $30.00 rebate)

Power Supply: Thermaltake TPX-775M Toughpower XT 775W Power Supply
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6624663&csid=ITD&body=MAIN
(Sold for $99.99 before $30.00 rebate)

DVD/CD Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST 24X Internal DVD Burner
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6078414&csid=_21&body=MAIN
(Sold for $24.99)

Hard Drive: Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136697
(Sold for $79.99)

Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104203
(Sold for $54.99)

Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
(Sold for $59.95)

TOTAL price of build before rebates: $764.89 (not including S&H)

Unintentionally, I met my budget with around $60 to spare. Any suggestions for upgrading? I want to stick with an AMD CPU for sure.

Thanks in advance for taking the time help me out! By the way, I plan to build the computer myself.
 
Solution
For your h/d go for that Samsung I linked from amazon. It's one of the fasted h/d's out there and it's by far the most recommended h/d on this forum.

Also if it's budget that's keeping you from that 560...then cut back on the modular psu and go with a normal Corsair 750w TX for $104.99. That 560 mops the floor with the 460 and when it comes to gaming what's the biggest plus ? A modular psu or double the FPS ? There's literally no comparison when it comes to those two vid cards. It's like comparing a Ferrari to a Volkswagen.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.639593 $359.98 FREE SHIPPING
GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K...
Choosing an AMD cpu for gaming is a mistake, IMO, given that the i3-2100/H67 mb will outperform (i.e., provide higher framerates than) the X4-955 (and most other X4's save for perhaps the 975/980) for equal or less money.

Analogous to thinking a GTX550 would be faster than a GTX460(1gb)....; AMD's old X2s might keep pace with some old Core2Duos, but, the newest/fastest X4 even at 3.7 Ghz is outframed by an i5 SandyBridge 2400S running at ...<drumroll> ...a mere 2.5 Ghz....

So, other than 'sounding faster' in system spec lists.....it is not.

AMD's X4 cpus need to be clocked at least 800-900 MHz faster than equivalent i3/i5 SandyBridge clockspeeds simply to keep pace.
 

_Pez_

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Aug 20, 2010
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LG DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH24LS50 LightScribe Support - OEM $21.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136178

Thermaltake V5 Black Edition Mid-Tower Gaming Chassis With Embedded Handle VL70001W2Z $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133099

Western Digital Caviar Black WD7502AAEX 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136794

GIGABYTE GA-870A-USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard $94.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128485

ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ... $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121418

Thermaltake TR2 Series TR-600P 600W V2.3 & EPS 12V 2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply $94.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153140

CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9B $47.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145346

AMD Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition Deneb 3.5GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Desktop Processor HDZ970FBGMBOX $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103894

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
total $789.91

This one is for sure that will run cool, quiet and fast as a gaming machine, even so you won't notice the difference between an intel cpu or amd when playing games.
And about durability and compatibility, this motherboard is the right for you because it supports am3+ next gen AMD CPU's. hope this help you out :).
At least Amd has compatibility in mind with new and old gen cpu's not like Intel they don't care about their clients.

 

flashfir

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Nov 24, 2010
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I disagree with Pez. Don't spend the extra money for a 300mhz boost on your processor. Don't go AMD at this time, why do you prefer it? Who cares about AM3+, not worth the price premium unless you're a fanboy. Sandy Bridge has proven itself to be quite worthy of your money.

I would go with i5-2500k & P67 board if you can find a deal. Microcenter store close by is preferable.

OR just go i3-2100 & H61 or H67 mobo whatever, and that'll be around $140 at a microcenter. Dang. Cheap. Son. Just a note, H61-H67 mobo means you cannot plugin a i5-2500k down the line.

For $800 you can do much better with your graphics card, there's 5850's going for sale on $140-$150 better than your 460 right now. You can snatch deals on slickdeals and upgrade your graphics card even more for the same money.

The recommended TR2 series you got OP is dangerous to get.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Thermaltake-TR2-RX-750-W-Power-Supply-Review/902/9
Thermaltake TR2 RX 750 W is, according to our methodology, a flawed product that must be avoided at all costs. It can’t deliver its labeled wattage at high temperatures, but this is not the worst of it: ripple and noise level are way above the maximum allowed when you pull 80% or more from the unit’s labeled capacity (i.e., 600 W and above), overloading your components (especially electrolytic capacitors from the motherboard and video cards), which can cause your PC to present an erratic behavior (crashes and random resets) and, under extreme conditions, damage components.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL051011&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL051011-_-EMC-051011-Index-_-PowerSupplies-_-17371044-L08A
is much safer and reliable. Google reviews.
 

spas707

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May 10, 2011
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While I am looking forward to see what Bulldozer can pull off I got to agree with mdd1963 and FlashFir here, especially on the MicroCenter bit at least for the 2500k, retard strength price there.

Take a look at this combo from Newegg

Core i5-2500K/P67/8GB/1TB Sniper SuperCombo

1x Rosewill GEAR X3 Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case,Support up to 15.36" Video Card,come with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 140mm Fan,1x Top 120mm Fan,1x Rear 120mm Fan (Model:GEAR X3)

$79.99

1x MSI P67A-G45 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (Model:p67A-G45 (B3))

$139.99

1x Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply (Model:RG630-S12)

$59.99

1x Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K (Model:BX80623I52500K)

$224.99

1x G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR (Model:F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR)

$94.99

1x Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (Model:ST31000524AS)

$59.99

1x LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 (Model:iHAS124-04)

$21.99

Combined Total: $681.93
Combo Discounts: -$91.94
Combo Price: $589.99

That leaves you ~$175-$235 for your card depending on if you have to pay CA tax.

PS: 212 HYPER+ is a good cheap cooler for me it's cheaper at Amazon(Shipped) or MicroCenter(Pickup).
 

flashfir

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Nov 24, 2010
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Spas's combo isn't bad, the Rosewill 630w continuous got GOOD reviews. I'd always stay away from rosewill but the review looked legit! So A-OK.


BUT OP: If you can wait, I'd wait with striker. Otherwise if you gotta have it now, just take the plunge with SandyBridge! You will not be disappointed nor outdated with a LGA 1155 upgradable (or if you choose already) to i5-2500k.

GPU > CPU in gaming atm.
 

spas707

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May 10, 2011
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I honestly hope it does, if for nothing else chip and price wars will benefit us all. And if Zambezi doesn't dump on its head LGA2011 or Komodo offerings should or maybe then Ivy Bridge/Enhanced Bulldozer in 2012.

Ultimately its a matter of perspective for me as I have been out of a "competent" computer since the end of December...and by that I mean a C2DE8400/4GBDDR2/8800GT SLI lol.

OP was looking to build by the 12th and if he can wait I would recommend it and see what happens, but if he can't old Sandy is cheap, easy, and mostly broken in by this point.
 
Your original build has a motherboard that good for overclocking and is good for crossfire but you have no cooler for overclocking and a graphics card that cannot crossfire so either add a Hyper 212+ and switch the GPU to an ATI/AMD one like a 6850 or get a cheaper board.
 
Let's see now...you don't plan on over clocking, you don't plan on running dual vid cards, you plan on buying within the week, and you came here for advice. Well this is a no brainer imo. The only peeps that are buying AMD cpu's for a gaming build they want today are poor people, people from third world country's that don't have access to an Intel build, AMD share holders, and peeps who would probably be better off with a frontal lobe lobotomy for the sake of man kind. Until AMD produces authentic benchmarks then forget about Bulldozer if you plan on buying this week.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/2 <---- top right hand corner...choose your weapons in regards to cpu's.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859.html <---- Benchmarks ...check it out. You came here for advice, I'm giving you not only advice, but I'm linking you to valid benchmarks.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042 $59.95 FREE SHIPPING
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016 $59.99 FREE SHIPPING $15 off w/ promo code EMCKEKD73, ends 5/12
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157236 $79.99 FREE SHIPPING
ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074 $189.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226095 $72.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model 996770

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1304659892&sr=1-1 $59.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Samsung Desktop Class Spinpoint F3 1 TB SATA 3.0 Gb-s 32 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare-OEM Drives, HD103SJ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 $21.99 FREE SHIPPING
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565 $249.99 (Before $20.00 Mail-In Rebate) FREE SHIPPING
MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Total: $794.88 *not including promo codes and mail in rebates

http://www.asrock.com/news/events/201102ex/warranty.html <---- Asrock two year warranty

http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-n560gtx-ti-twin-frozer-ii-review/ <----- review of that MSI gtx 560

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2011/01/27/msi-geforce-gtx-560-ti-1gb-review/1 <----- review of that MSI gtx 560

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_gtx560_twinfrozr_2/ <----- review of that MSI gtx 560

http://event.msi.com/vga/afterburner/download.htm <----- MSI Afterburner proggy
 

todd39

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May 2, 2011
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Wow. Thanks for the feedback. Great info you guys shared. I have changed my mind and chose to go with an i5-2500k & P67 board. I have also done research and am very intrigued by overclocking with the i5 2500K. So, it is fair to say I will be overclocking!

Here are the updated specs for my build. I plan on making the purchases tonight or tomorrow. What do you think about this final build?

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
$224.99 ($10 off promo code)

CPU Cooling Device: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
$39.99

Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD53 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130572
$149.99

Video Card: MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127510
$194.99

Hard Drive: Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136697
$79.99

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277
$39.99

Power Supply: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010
$139.99 (I wanted a modular PSU)

Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153
$54.99

DVD/CD: LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
$21.99

Total: $946.91 (without rebates applied and S&H included)

Alright. There you have it. What do you think? Am I ready to make the purchase? I am well aware that this exceeds my original budget, but it is not a problem.
 
For your h/d go for that Samsung I linked from amazon. It's one of the fasted h/d's out there and it's by far the most recommended h/d on this forum.

Also if it's budget that's keeping you from that 560...then cut back on the modular psu and go with a normal Corsair 750w TX for $104.99. That 560 mops the floor with the 460 and when it comes to gaming what's the biggest plus ? A modular psu or double the FPS ? There's literally no comparison when it comes to those two vid cards. It's like comparing a Ferrari to a Volkswagen.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.639593 $359.98 FREE SHIPPING
GIGABYTE GA-P67X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K



 
Solution

striker410

Distinguished
Well, I would swap the HDD to the Samsung Spinpoint f3 1TB it's a faster, cheaper drive.
I would also get the CM 212+ from amazon, significantly cheaper there. http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305080770&sr=1-1
I would also check out the HAF 912 as a case, bigger/better than the Challenger.
For the GFX, the 460 is fine, but you could consider a Sapphire 5850 it's got comparable performance at significantly cheaper.
That about rounds it up!
 

todd39

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May 2, 2011
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I will switch to the Samsung HD and the HAF 912 case. A bigger case for this build may prove to be more advantageous in the long run.
Thanks everyone for the help and support. Wish me luck! :D
 

While your at it you may want to look into that Gigabyte board combo'd with the 2500K I posted. Not only does it bring your price down, but Gigabyte makes a better quality mobo than MSI.
 

The 5850 is a decent card and was second only to the 5870 when it came out a few years back. That cards a bit dated though and it's starting to show. Also when both of those cards (5850 , gtx 560) are at stock settings the 560 out performs it by 15%. When it comes to over clocking there isn't a card on the market today that over clocks even near the gtx 560...especially ones like the MSI and Gigabyte cards that have those after market heat sinks. Those cards o/c to where they run on par with a stock 570...and the 570 is a $330 card. Once the resolution get's past 1920 x 1080 cards like the 6950 2GB and the 570 pull away from the 560 due to the fact it only has 1GB of RAM. But other than the 3D / 3 monitor peeps out there... 1920 x 1080 is the norm these days.
 

striker410

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I was going to suggest the 560 also, but it appears that it's out of his budget. Wouldn't it be a better idea to get a semi futureproof CPU and a graphics card that can be update vs. the other way around? You're the expert, but I would think it would be better to get a 2500k with a lower end GFX card that can be updated.
 

I try to pound this in peeps heads on this forum over and over. FPS/GPU comes first with a gaming build...things like "modular psu's", and "SSD's" come last. I noticed the OP added a $140 modular psu and upped his budget to around $1,000. So let's do that math.

The combo I posted saves the OP $15 and also gives him a better mobo imo, and then if he goes with the Corsair 750w non modular instead of the $140 modular he has posted... that saves him another $35.

So $35 + $15 = $50

btw that 560 is Nvidia's latest and newest card to the market next to the 590 which is nothing more than two pared up 460's. That card runs cooler and is smaller than the 570's, 580's and even the 460.

The 460 he has posetd is listed @ $195 and that MSI gtx 560 I posted goes for $250. It's a difference of $5 and that's not counting the $20 rebate for that 560. Or he could go like this seeing how newegg isn't the only retailer in the world.

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=AS-GTX560&title=Asus-nVidia-GeForce-GTX560-Ti-1GB-DDR5-2DVI-Mini-HDMI-PCI-Express-Video-Card $242.99 - $222.99 after rebate Free Shipping
Asus nVidia GeForce GTX560 Ti 1GB DDR5 2DVI/ Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card - ENGTX560 TI DCII/2DI/1GD5

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=EV-GTX56SC&title=EVGA-nVidia-GeForce-GTX560-Ti-Superclocked-1GB-DDR5-2DVI-Mini-HDMI-PCI-Express-Video-Card $243.99 Free Shipping
EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX560 Ti Superclocked 1GB DDR5 2DVI/Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card - 01G-P3-1563-KR
 

striker410

Distinguished
I understand that the GPU comes first, but they are easily upgraded. A cpu is not, especially as you posted an h61 which will not allow overclocking. I must agree with you though, as by the time his CPU is outdated he will most likely need a new rig anyway.
 

I understand your new to this board so I'l go through the steps. First look at the OP's original post. That outline was created a few years back and it's what we go by around here. You always need to read the original post in regards to the outline.

So let's see what the outline said in regards to that original build I posted.

1) No over clocking

2) No dual vid cards

3) $850 budget

3) resolution of 1650 x 1080

4) AMD cpu

So first off we know the AMD cpu is a hose job. Then no over clocking and no dual vid cards. So what's that say ? H61 is the obvious choice for a board. That board has two RAM slots and supports 1333 RAM like all H61 boards so I stuck in 8GB (2x4GB) of RAM in that build. Then the 2400 cpu. It's $20+ cheaper than the 2500 yet it runs just about on par with it. Now to the vid card...well I got a better vid card, and better h/d, and sized it all up with a Antec 550w modular psu. Perfect for what the OP originally wanted.

Then the OP changed up on his budget (expanded) and decided he wanted to go with a 2500K and possible dual vid cards in the future. Good move on the OP's part imo seeing how it's a gaming build and it ups it's longevity.

So back to my last post... the OP can fit a 560 in his build obviously. Look at his budget.
 

striker410

Distinguished
Just so you know, I'm not trolling or arguing for the heck of it.
In his original outline, he did say no overclocking or dual cards. But he later changed that, as you said. This deviates from the original topic, but i'm sticking with my guns and saying 2500k is the way to go. A 2400 may be a better choice since he doesn't plan on overclocking, but it's so simple that, why not?

Again, maybe it's simply because i'm new, but when I built my rig I went for a good cpu and gpu, but got a better CPU because I could always add another vid card.
 

lol...Do you actually read the post ? I said the OP changed up ...and it's a good thing he did. Obviously the 2500K is better than a 2400 in regards to a gaming build, and obviously dual vid cards are better than a single card seeing how they got the bugs out of Crossfire and SLI...unless this was a WoW build which does not take advantage of dual vid cards but does favor Nvidia cards.

Now back to the posters on here that keep pushing that old arse 5850 instead of the gtx 560...don't be giving bad screwed up advice on here. To the poster "mnmjfaff" ... I linked benchmarks on here and we all have google. So the next person that proposes a 5850 instead of a 560 needs to get their head examined.

Peeps come to this forum looking for advice. This is the #1 forum on the internet for new builds...it's second to none. A lot of peeps read what we post, and then they spend a lot of $$$ on what is recommended to them. That's something to consider. So before we recommend anything...we do our background work which means knowing benchmarks, reviews, etc.... it's what it's all about...the best for the OP's $$$$.