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My first built PC
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kowalczyk
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16. September 2008 @ 12:14 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Any suggestions? Here is my wishlist. Let me know what you think (i.e. can I save money in any areas?).

Case - NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail


CPU - AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HD985ZXAGHBOX - Retail

MOBO - GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

HDD - Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (x's 2)

PS - Rosewill RP550-2 550W ATX12V v2.01 Power Supply - Retail

Memory - CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-8500C5 - Retail

Fan (replacing OEM) - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail

DVD Drive - LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model GH22LS30 - OEM

TOTAL = $752.93


I read that the onboard video is good enough, so I will stick to that for now.. Or should I just buy a video card while I am at it?

Shawn
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4 product reviews
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16. September 2008 @ 13:04 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
You are welcome to stick with the AMD build, but if I was personally specifying a system I would choose an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 and Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Board for the same budget.
You need to bin the Rosewill PSU, they're crap, get a Corsair HX 520W instead (520W is ample, it's the brand that counts). Your CPU cooler should change to the Freezer 7 pro if you use intel, otherwise keep it, it's a good cooler. Rest of the components are fine, but if you go intel, you'll need a small graphics card to shove in.
The system will be fine, but you won't be able to play any games unless you put in a proper dedicated graphics card.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
kowalczyk
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16. September 2008 @ 13:15 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
After reading more and more about CPU's I am thinking that quad core might not be the way to go. I do a lot of downloading, surfing the net, watching movies, blah blah blah, but I do not do any high intensive processing (extracting large rar files might be the most intensive), therefore I will probably never use 4 cores. I think dual core will be the way to go as I will have faster speeds. Let me know what you think, and what chip you think I should go with. I still can't decide Intel or AMD... Here is what I am thinking (I haven't looked at the boards yet)...

AMD

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX6400IAA6CZ - OEM
Processors Type: Desktop
Series: Athlon 64 X2
Hyper Transports: 2000MHz
L1 Cache: 128KB+128KB
L2 Cache: 2 x 1MB
Manufacturing Tech: 90 nm
64 bit Support: Yes
Hyper-Transport Support: Yes
Model #: ADX6400IAA6CZ
Item #: N82E16819103290

PRICE = $139

INTEL

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500 - Retail
2x Winner of Customer Choice Award - Processors - Desktops
Processors Type: Desktop
Series: Core 2 Duo
FSB: 1333MHz
L2 Cache: 6MB
Manufacturing Tech: 45 nm
64 bit Support: Yes
Hyper-Threading Support: No
Virtualization Technology Support: Yes
Model #: BX80570E8500
Item #: N82E16819115036
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

PRICE = $189

The big difference I am seeing is this...

AMD
L1 Cache: 128KB+128KB
L2 Cache: 2 x 1MB

INTEL
L2 Cache: 6MB


Why does Intel not list L1 cache, and why is the L2 cache so much bigger? I just need to find a good board... Still undecided on the chip though...

Shawn
AfterDawn Addict

4 product reviews
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16. September 2008 @ 19:03 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
E8500 hands down, it obliterates the 6400+.
Realising just how little you're doing with your PC, a dual core will be fine for your purposes.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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spamual
Suspended permanently
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22. September 2008 @ 23:04 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
umm there is not point comparing their clock speeds, as the intel will obliterate it.

IMO intel build atm, paired up with a 4550 and you off happy.
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