Right, so my current computer is getting quite old since I got it in ~2003. It's starting to get slow just doing simple tasks like opening video files (100% cpu, doesn't respond). So, I'll get a "loan" and get a new computer in June and work it off over the summer. Budget is still pretty low (~$500), so CPU did suffer a bit. Would have gone with Phenom II 720, but I figured if I went with that, I might as well have gotten an am3 board with ddr3, and then as I do that something else bottlenecks it and the price ends up skyrocketing. I've settled on this, so far. Just wanted to have it checked over by others to see if anything else would work better. I'm mostly getting it because there are finally some good games coming out on the PC: Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Cities XL, among others. Don't want to have to run it in 800x600 res with very low graphics :P

CPU: AMD Phenom II 710 2.6ghz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16819103648

GPU: XFX GTS 250 512 MB. (Will most likely change by June)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16814150357

PSU: Corsair 400w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16817139008

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AMD 770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16813128376

RAM: G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16820231219

Case: Antec 300 Ordered
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16811166030


So yeah, any recommendations are appreciated.

Save your money and get 800Mhz RAM instead of 1066Mhz. The difference in term of performance isnt worth the extra dollars.

right, saved me $6 and they look/perform better

Is the $60 investment for a phenom II x3 720 in the same mobo worth it?
edit: er, actually realized that PII's only come in am3, and those mobos cost quite a bit more. So, any oher alternatives?
edit2: agh, wait. So AM3 CPUs work in am2+, but am2+ cpus dont work in am3 mobo. Right. So, Should would upgrade from 7750 to II 720 be worth it?

:bump: updated first post.
92 views one response?

the mobo you spec'd has onboard graphics. this is not needed and could save you a few $
this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16813128376 is a similar price and has more "usable" features like firewire.
for an extra $14 you can double your ammount of memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16820178219
i would also try for a quad phenom over a triple core.

Quote from dadge :

the mobo you spec'd has onboard graphics. this is not needed and could save you a few $
this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16813128376 is a similar price and has more "usable" features like firewire.
for an extra $14 you can double your ammount of memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16820178219
i would also try for a quad phenom over a triple core.

Thanks for the input. Didn't think twice about the onboard graphics, but that mobo is $5 cheaper (woo 8 usb ports), but has quite a few useless pci x1 slots... I've been debating w/ myself whether to go 64 bit or 32 bit O/S, so unsure about the ram for now. And my money is already being stretched to get to the 720, probably as far as I can go, plus some got the 4th core unlocked so, who knows.

a triple core AMD is actually a quad core which has a damaged core. this is dissabled and then sold as a triple.
i would go for a 64bit OS so that you can dumper more ram into the system later on.

Quote from dadge :

a triple core AMD is actually a quad core which has a damaged core. this is dissabled and then sold as a triple.
i would go for a 64bit OS so that you can dumper more ram into the system later on.

the new triple cores can be unlocked via bios and will show up as 4 cores in windows

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=219183
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=219087
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=220688

read up some good info there. very interesting stuff i might say so give the 720 x3 a try for sure.

only letting you know that the reason AMD sell x3 cores is because it reduces the ammount of failed chips.
1 core fails, they switch it off and sell it as a x3. some chips may have the 4th core working, but think about it from a business POV.
switching off a perfectly working core and selling it as a x3 is not profitable. there has to be something wrong with the 4th core.

Yeah the 4th core is usually very unstable, and would probably need to be underclocked. I don't do enough multitasking for there to be a need to lower game performance to get a fourth core.

Ordered the case (antec three hundred) today, to take advantage of the free shipping, even if they did increase the price $5. Also updated the list with a few different parts.

Hi!

I have two thingies to say:

1. Why 512MB and not 1GB GTS 250? 1GB will be more GTA IV- and future-proof.
2. I don't think 400W PSU will be enough to power this, get 550W Corsair or 600W OCZ PSU instead.

400W is enough. And get something ... different than GTS 250 (its just a 8800GT with a different name)

Quote from Shadowww :

Hi!

I have two thingies to say:

1. Why 512MB and not 1GB GTS 250? 1GB will be more GTA IV- and future-proof.
2. I don't think 400W PSU will be enough to power this, get 550W Corsair or 600W OCZ PSU instead.

I put in the details in the PSUcalculator (http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp) and it came out to about 390. And thats with 15% aging. So considering it has a 30a +12v single rail, and it's a corsair, it should be good to go.

I didn't think I needed to get 1gb for the resolution I'm using, but I might spend the extra couple of bucks.

@nadeo gts 250 is a 9800 gtx+, which is a 8800gts. A decent amount better than 8800 gt. The gts 240 is the 8800gt. But like I said, the graphics card WILL change come June when prices have gone down on better performance cards and new ones that come out in the ~$130 area.

Quote from Nadeo4441 :

400W is enough. And get something ... different than GTS 250 (its just a 8800GT with a different name)

GTS 250 = 9800GTX+, not 8800GT.
Edit: beaten.
MijnWraak, for me that calculator scored 200W PSU Mine CPU + 9800GT uses more than 200W

Quote from Shadowww :

GTS 250 = 9800GTX+, not 8800GT.
Edit: beaten.
MijnWraak, for me that calculator scored 200W PSU Mine CPU + 9800GT uses more than 200W

You sure you put everything in?

edit: I put in my current hardware, and got 343 watts. I got a 305 generic watt PSU in there running okay. O_O My last 350 watt died from a surge.

Yes, I did.

Edit: I am dumb, I forgot mine GFX card

Quote from Shadowww :

Yes, I did.

Edit: I am dumb, I forgot mine GFX card

hahaha. What did it come to after added?

295W, pretty close to real result (but not on max load).

Quote from Shadowww :

GTS 250 = 9800GTX+, not 8800GT.
Edit: beaten.
MijnWraak, for me that calculator scored 200W PSU Mine CPU + 9800GT uses more than 200W

Sorry, i was wrong, but it is still shit

Quote from Nadeo4441 :

Sorry, i was wrong, but it is still shit

For LFS it's overkill.

For GTA IV, it's good card.

Quote from Nadeo4441 :

Sorry, i was wrong, but it is still shit

what's still shit? the 8800GT?

Quote from dadge :

what's still shit? the 8800GT?

I think he meant the gts 250. I don't understand how anyone can say that card is shit, when many gamers are still using old cards like the 7600gt (:shy. I do plan on using a bunch of AA, though, so I might spend the extra $ for the GTX 260 216.

Quote from MijnWraak :

I do plan on using a bunch of AA, though, so I might spend the extra $ for the GTX 260 216.

GTX 260 is VERY good choice

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ ... aspx?Item=N82E16814150361 - XFX one, around 900MB of VideoRAM (you won't need more, trust me).

Quote from MijnWraak :

I think he meant the gts 250. I don't understand how anyone can say that card is shit, when many gamers are still using old cards like the 7600gt (:shy. I do plan on using a bunch of AA, though, so I might spend the extra $ for the GTX 260 216.

aye, i hear ya. i find it funny when ppl say something is shit just because it's more than 1 year old. i have a silent 6600GT (AGP) sitting somewhere, me finx if i built a system with all my spare parts, the 6600GT would still do the job quite well.