# Parts Guide



## livehard (Aug 12, 2009)

First off, I know we already have something close to this, but it hasn't been updated in some time, so I decided to make one. 


This is just a parts guide, not how to put it together, or make educated decisions about your build, just a starting point. So, with that said, lets get started.

These don't include monitors, keyboard, mice, speakers, or Operating Systems so keep that in mind.

All prices and recommendations as of 8/11/09


Parts|Guide
Tight Budget Build|Sub $500|
AMD|Intel|
AMD Athlon X2 240                            $61|Intel Pentium E5200        $67|
Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P                 $95|Foxconn ELA                  $70|
Sapphire Radeon HD4850                    $100|EVGA GTS 250               $125|
G.SKILL DDR3 1600 RAM 4GB                $75|Patriot DDR2 800 RAM     $44|
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB HDD $55|WD Caviar Black 640GB    $65|
TOPOWER 550W PSU                          $40|Seasonic 500W PSU         $62|
CoolerMaster Elite 360 MidTower          $40|Cooler Master Elite 360    $40|
Samsung SH-S223F DVD Burner	     $25|Samsung SH-S223F         $25|
Total-		     $482|Total-                           $498|
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Budget build|Sub $750|
AMD|Intel|
AMD Phenom II X3 720  	             $120|Intel Core2Quad Q8300    $170|
Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-UD3H  	     $125|Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P   $135|
G.SKILL DDR3 1600 RAM 4 GB              $75|OCZ Gold DDR2 800         $42|
XFX RadeonHD 4890                          $200|Sparkle GTX 260             $160|
WD Caviar Black 640 GB	      	             $65|WD Caviar Black 640GB     $65|
Seasonic 500W PSU		      	     $62|Seasonic 500W PSU         $62|
CoolerMaster Centurion 5           	      $45|CoolerMaster Centurion5   $45|
Samsung SH-S223F DVD Burner	      $25|Samsung SH-223F            $25|
Total-				    	      $717|Total-                          $704|
||
Average Rig|Sub $1000|
Intel|AMD|
Intel Core i7 920			         $280|AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE   $200|
MSI X58 Pro-E 			         $190|Asus M4A79T Deluxe          $190|
Sparkle GTX 275            	         $200|PowerColor Radeon HD4890 $200|
OCZ DDR3 1600 RAM 6GB		 $95|G.SKILL DDR3 133 RAM 4GB  $75|
WD Caviar Black 640GB		         $65|WD Caviar Black 1TB          $95|
PC Power&Cooling 610W PSU	         $95|PC Power&Cooling 750W      $110|
CoolerMaster Centurion 5		 $45|Antec 900                        $105|
Samsung SH-S223F DVD Burner	 $25|Samsung SH-223F             $25|
Total-			                 $995|Total-                              $1000|
||
Budget Powerhouse|Sub $1500|
Intel|AMD|
Intel Core i7 920			         $280|AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE     $250|
EVGA  141-BL-E757-TR		  $240|Asus M4A79T Deluxe            $190|
EVGA GTX 285 1GB                       $340|XFX Radeon HD4870x2         $370| 
OCZ DDR3 1600 RAM 6GB		 $95|OCZ DDR3 1600 4GB x2        $170|
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB	 $90|Barracuda 7200.12 1TB        $90|
Corsair TX850W PSU		         $140|Corsair TX850W PSU            $140|
Xigmatek Dark Knight		         $45|Xigmatek Dark Knight           $45|
Antec 900 Mid Tower			 $100|Antec 900 MidTower            $100| 
Pioneer Black 5X BD reader		 $110|Pioneer 5x BD Reader           $110|
Total-					 $1440|Total-                               $1465|
||
Powerhouse|Sub $2500|
Intel|AMD|
Intel Core i7 920				        $280|AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE       $250|
Asus RampageII Extreme			$360|Asus M4A79T Deluxe              $190|
EVGA GTX 275 1.7GB x2			$600|HIS Radeon HD4890 x3           $600|
OCZ Platinum DDR3 1600 6GBx2		$250|OCZ Platinum DDR3 2000 8GB  $170|
Corsair P128 SSD				$345|Corsair P128 SSD                  $345|
Segate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB		$90|Barracuda 7200.12 1TB          $90|
PC Power&Cooling 910W PSU		        $190|PC Power&Cooling 910W PSU   $190|
Zalman CNPS 9900				$65|Zalman CNPS 9900                $65|
CoolerMaster HAF 932			        $150|Cooler Master HAF 932          $150|
LG Black 6x Blu-Ray burner			$160|LG Black 6x Blu-Ray Burner     $160|
Total-						$2490|Total-                                $2210|
||
No Holds Barred|
Intel|AMD|
Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition		$1000|AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE      $250|
Asus P6T7 WS SuperComputer		$450|Asus M4A79T                      $190|
EVGA GTX 285 2GB FTW x4 *    	        $1760|HIS Radeon HD4890 x4          $800|
G.SKILL DDR3 2133 6GB RAMx2		$560|OCZ Platinum DDR3 2000 8GB  $230|
Patriot TorqX 256GB SSD			$700|Patriot TorqX 256GB SSD        $700|
Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB HDD	 	$200|Seagate Barracuda LP 2TB      $200|
Silverstone Strider 1500W PSU		$400|Silverstone Strider 1500W       $400|
CoolerMatser HAF 932			        $150|Antec 1200                          $160|
LG  Black 6x Blu-Ray Burner		        $160|LG Black 6x BluRay Burner       $160|
Zalman CNPS 9900                              $65|Zalman CNPS 9900                $65|
Total-						$5425|Total-                                 $3155|
*Tri SLI+PhysX acceleration
So, thats it, for now. I'll update it as needed. Please suggest everything and anything you think necessary, In particular liquid cooling for the No Holds Barred Rig, I'd love list a good liquid cooling setup, but I don't know much about the subject. 

Feedback is appreciated.
	
	



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## LittleLizard (Aug 12, 2009)

you should put alternatives as some may want to go only with amd and some may want to go only intel (stupid fanboys)

also at the budget rig i would change the cpu for a 720 and the video card for a 4890


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## livehard (Aug 12, 2009)

Good point about the 4890. Updated.

I may add equivalents for video cards, but not CPUS. That'd required different motherboards, and RAM, plus the CPU itself. Meh.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 12, 2009)

Nice post livehard, I was not aware of the $67 Intel Pentium E5200.

Also there is a cheap $60 AMD Athlon II x2  AM3 socket at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688

Maybe add a cheap but highly upgradeable build?


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## livehard (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks, I think I might swap out the Pentium Rig for a setup with that Athlon, seeing how its AM3, I'll get to it tomorrow.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 12, 2009)

Heya livehard!!! I must point out these PSU's for your bust-a-budget build ... 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817342029

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817101021

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121024


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## livehard (Aug 12, 2009)

Thanks for recommendations. I really like that 550W you listed. Have you used any of them, to vouch for their reliability? The PSU is the most important part in a computer IMO, so I stuck with what I knew. Seasonic, PCP&C, and Corsair because they're battle tested and have great reputations. I'd definitely add that 550W if anyone can tell me about it.


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 12, 2009)

TOPower is a great OEM, and the Kingwin brand is a 50/50 toss-up between Superflower and FSP OEM when you purchase one. Which both are also decent OEM's.


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## livehard (Aug 12, 2009)

Added the TopPower 550W to the bust a budget build.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 13, 2009)

livehard where do you shop? I can't seem to find a "HD 4890" for anywhere near $100 (Tight Budget Build)...


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## livehard (Aug 13, 2009)

Oops, thats meant to be a 4850. Man, I'm bad at this.


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## mlee49 (Aug 13, 2009)

Great job taking the initiative and creating the breakdowns for pricing.  My suggestion is that you try to do a comparable build for AMD and Intel for each price range, this can be tough but it shows how to build a system creatively.

Also, I suggest putting together 2-3 sub 500 builds plus a good HTPC build.  Not sure if you've seen all the request in the system builder threads requesting budgets under $600, big need for custom jobs at that pricing and below.

A last suggestion is to consider buying new and include 'market value' pricing for some lower end builds.  That is an excellent way to stretch your budget dollar.


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## livehard (Aug 13, 2009)

Well, Little Lizard suggested the AMD/Intel equivalents as well, so I'll work some of those up.  What exactly do you mean by market value? My reading comprehension is a little fuzzy lately.


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## mlee49 (Aug 13, 2009)

livehard said:


> Well, Little Lizard suggested the AMD/Intel equivalents as well, so I'll work some of those up.  What exactly do you mean by market value? My reading comprehension is a little fuzzy lately.



Current Market Value is the resold price of the item instead of new.  Basically my 9600GT is $90 new, but I'm selling if for $50 shipped.  So basically used pricing.  Usually used pricing is 30-40% off the new pricing if it's current gen or one behind.  Ex: a 3870 for $50 is fair, but dont price a ATI X1k series card.


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## livehard (Aug 13, 2009)

Ahh, I gotcha. I should get some kind of update by tomorrow afternoon.


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## livehard (Aug 14, 2009)

Intel/AMD alternatives added. Soon to come, HTPC builds. Anyone know how to fix the formatting?


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## mlee49 (Aug 14, 2009)

Tables will clean it up:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=71111&highlight=tables


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## livehard (Aug 14, 2009)

Meh, I'm tired. I'll get to it tomorrow.


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## Zoelef (Aug 14, 2009)

My recommendation for <$500 AMD, as I believe DDR2 is more appropriate for that budget:

$120 - Gigabyte GA-MA785G-US2H Micro-ATX AMD & 4GB G.Skill DDR2-1066 {combo}
$110 - Antec Three Hundred Illusion & Antec Earthwatts 430W PSU {combo}
$110 - Sapphire HD 4770 
$66 - Athlon II X2 245
$50 - Western Digital 320GB WD3200AAKS 
$27 - Samsung SATA DVD-RW

Subtotal: $483 

Note: The Earthwatts-430 is on sale by a large margin.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 14, 2009)

Zoelef said:


> My recommendation for <$500 AMD, as I believe DDR2 is more appropriate for that budget:
> 
> $120 - Gigabyte GA-MA785G-US2H Micro-ATX AMD & 4GB G.Skill DDR2-1066 {combo}
> $110 - Antec Three Hundred Illusion & Antec Earthwatts 430W PSU {combo}
> ...



Gah... why a HD 4770?! you can get a 4830 1gb for the same price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102827


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## JrRacinFan (Aug 14, 2009)

why either when you can get a 4850 512MB for cheaper? 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102824


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## Zoelef (Aug 14, 2009)

YinYang.ERROR said:


> Gah... why a HD 4770?! you can get a 4830 1gb for the same price.
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102827



Because the extra memory is relatively pointless on the 4830...you don't start seeing meaningful gains until you reach the 4870. My beef with the 4830 512MB these days it that it costs as much a 4850 512MB, which begs a good question:



JrRacinFan said:


> why either when you can get a 4850 512MB for cheaper?
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102824



Lower power consumption and smaller card size. When not bound by a CPU, the 4770 is~98.5% as powerful as a 4850, so performance-wise it's a push.

If you want to save $10 on the build, this $100 4850 512MB has an Arctic Cooling Accelero L2 Pro attached to it.


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## livehard (Aug 14, 2009)

Zoelef said:


> My recommendation for <$500 AMD, as I believe DDR2 is more appropriate for that budget:
> 
> $120 - Gigabyte GA-MA785G-US2H Micro-ATX AMD & 4GB G.Skill DDR2-1066 {combo}
> $110 - Antec Three Hundred Illusion & Antec Earthwatts 430W PSU {combo}
> ...



Why is DDR2 more appropriate for that budget? because its crappier? I went with an AM3 system for the sake of upgrade ability.


Zoelef is right about the frame buffer on low end cards. The 4870 is a perfect example.


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## Zoelef (Aug 15, 2009)

livehard said:


> Why is DDR2 more appropriate for that budget? because its crappier? I went with an AM3 system for the sake of upgrade ability.



When I theorycrafted this up, I chose the case/PSU first and built outward from there. Personally, I look for cases with significant airflow and 80 PLUS power supplies from top-tier companies _regardless of budget_. So, I settled on the 300 Illusion/430W Earthwatts combo and worked outwards from there, cutting DDR3 for DDR2 and otherwise chose roughly the same parts as you did.  



			
				livehard said:
			
		

> Feedback is appreciated.



Thanks for making this thread, it's beneficial to the forums to have a reference point for these types of builds. I'm sitting on ~$700 builds for AMD/Intel and will post them in a day or two.


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## livehard (Aug 15, 2009)

In a rig with such meager hardware, airflow isn't such an issue. I'm looking forward to seeing the builds you have ready. Hopefully when the Core i5 is released, we'll be able to squeeze an 1156 build out of $750


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## livehard (Aug 15, 2009)

Ugh, what am I screwing up in my table?


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## Zoelef (Aug 15, 2009)

In retrospect, most of these builds aren't fair because I utilize combos and you don't. On the flipside, if you were building an entire system from scratch and used Newegg to any degree, you have to at least try and see if any are useful. Me, I'm a filthy, filthy combo degenerate. 

That said, I made some assumptions about this price point:
* CPU Overclocking is very accessible and frankly expected at this price point
* Crossfire/SLI is out of the question, as it requires too much of our budget for a worthwhile multi-GPU/PSU/Motherboard setup
* Given the above, we want a mid-range [500-600W] but rock-solid PSU so we can throw any CPU+single-card/single-core GPU at it easily
* DDR3 is still out of reach budget-wise

Sub-$750 build, AMD:


$254
 - XFX Radeon HD4870 1GB + Phenom II X3 720
$140
 - Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H + 4GB G.Skill DDR2-1066
$110
 - Corsair 550W PSU + Samsung SATA DVD-RW
$90
 - Cooler Master 690 + CM Hyper-212 120mm CPU cooler
$70
 - Western Digital 6400AAKS
$9
 - Arctic Silver 5 OEMSubtotal: $673 (plenty of leeway since we're abusing combos here)

Sub-$750 build, Intel:


$160
 - XFX GTX 260 Core 216 + BATMAN
$120
 - Intel Core 2 Duo E7500
$110
 - Corsair 550W PSU + Samsung SATA DVD-RW
$90
 - Cooler Master 690 + CM Hyper-212 120mm CPU cooler
$80
 - Gigabyte GA-EP43-UD3L
$70
 - Western Digital 6400AAKS
$60
 - 4GB G.Skill DDR2-1066
$9
 - Arctic Silver 5 OEMSubtotal: $699 (It has BATMAN, which clearly makes it better than the AMD build)

Thoughts:
* The Cooler Master 690 case was chosen due to its general appeal and combo with the Hyper 212 cooler, which is especially appealing given its price-to-performance ratio.
* LGA 775 is a dead socket blah blah blah but the E7500 matches up fairly well with the X3 720 given their equal sale prices, and two cores OC'd to the 3.4-3.6 mark won't be obsolete anytime soon.
* I opted to keep the motherboard simple by picking a P43 board; it has pretty much everything its P45 version has except onboard RAID.


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## livehard (Aug 15, 2009)

I avoid combos, etc for the following:
They're generally for a limited time only, this isn't a live forum and I can't update this every few hours. I have other obligations. 
I think its a bad idea to plan around combos and discounts in general. With combos, you are forced to use a certain component which may or may not meet the end user's need. This is just a general guide, a starting point. If a shopper finds a combo that will suit his/her needs, I encourage them to go for it. 

I like your builds. I still fail to see however, how DDR3 is out of reach at the $750 price point for AMD.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 15, 2009)

OMG livehard your tables have messed up some how...

Edit: haha, didn't see the second page. Love the AMD and Intel sub $750 builds. Although I think I like the AMD a bit more... even if the Intel has batman.


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## livehard (Aug 15, 2009)

I know. I missed my meds today, thus can't figure out what I'm missing. Anyone?


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 15, 2009)

hah, I have no idea how to do tables on this forum. Only in html... and I'm 99% sure HTML is blocked for posts.


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## livehard (Aug 15, 2009)

Yeah, it is. I'm relatively fluent in HTML, forum tables? I'm lost.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 15, 2009)

Well here: http://www.lots-a-bots.com/forum/phpBB2/faq.php?mode=bbcode#11

it says that the tags: [row] and [col] are suppose to make rows and columns in the tables... but I think the TPU forum has them disabled.


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## livehard (Aug 16, 2009)

Bump. Tables Fixed.


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## YinYang.ERROR (Aug 16, 2009)

It looks great now!


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## livehard (Aug 16, 2009)

Thanks. Any thoughts on some HTPC builds?


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