# New Comp cause of D3



## alucard13mmfmj (May 20, 2012)

So the other day, I got Diablo 3 and it said my Operating System (Windows Vista Home Premium OEMAcT) was not good enough. So I went to download and install SP1 and SP2 for Vista. Let's say the Service Packs crippled my computer because it failed to install correctly. My Acer computer is old, so there is no recovery discs for it anymore. I reformatted and installed Vista Home Premium, but I don't have the drivers for internet or audio and etc. I usually avoid installing service packs because it can f**k your computer up. 

Since it seems like a hassle to try to fix it and find drivers that most likely won't be easy or safe to get. Although, I wouldn't mind fixing it eventually to use as a spare computer.

So I am thinking of building my first computer. I usually use a computer for 5 or more years. Wanted to ask what you guys think of this build and if there are any incompatibility issues or maybe something doesn't fit. 

Motherboard: ASRock 880GM-LE FX AM3+ AMD 880G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157292
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOXhttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422
Power Supply: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769
Case: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Video Card: Using current GeForce 8800GT

Total is around 550 before tax and shipping. Should cost around 620ish after tax/shipping.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 20, 2012)

well. i was installing service pack 1. while booting up, it hung up 
0xc01a001d !! 36114/168718 (\Registry\Machine\COMPONENTS\DerivedData\...)


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## Bo$$ (May 21, 2012)

spend a little extra on your mobo

maybe this: 
ASRock 970 PRO3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 AT...


And this PSU will be more than enough
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 8...

otherwise good. 
Maybe give a MAX budget we can probably provision better for you


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## Fourstaff (May 21, 2012)

Would go for something like this instead: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-gaming-pc-overclock,3159.html


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

well my max is around $600. prefer to be around $500 .


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## Kreij (May 21, 2012)

Good for you building one instead of just buying a pre-built.
Welcome to TPU


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## Fourstaff (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> well my max is around $600. prefer to be around $500 .



Adjust the build around a bit then. You can get a 6870 for $150 if you hunt around, so that will bring the total to be about $550.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Kreij said:


> Good for you building one instead of just buying a pre-built.
> Welcome to TPU



Before, I usually had a family friend build me one (who is now busy/out of country) or I bought a store one and mod it a little bit.

I've been wanting a new comp, but I put it off partly because of money problems. Still have problems now, but no use stalling lol. 

Comp is mostly for gaming, browsing, graphic arts. 

I am a bit worried things might not fit XD... Like if my vid card is large enough to hinder other component's placements.


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## Red_Machine (May 21, 2012)

Are you one of those idiots who doesn't update their OS?  You should have had SP1 and SP2 installed years ago... -_-


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Red_Machine said:


> Are you one of those idiots who doesn't update their OS?  You should have had SP1 and SP2 installed years ago... -_-



i guess you can say that lol.


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## Red_Machine (May 21, 2012)

Your PC is probably riddled with viruses and spyware.

ALWAYS UPDATE YOUR OS.


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## LifeOnMars (May 21, 2012)

What's with the harsh words guys, he's a new guy looking for help? Honestly :shadedshu
To the OP, it's always sound advice to have everything up to date driver wise and this includes OS updates.

Always stability test a new build PC to make sure every component is working as it should. There are various bits of software out there that will help you to do this.

MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) is also a good thing to have running as it won't intrude on games and offers good protection for free. It's always updated regularly as well.

Be aware that some gfx drivers can cause weird issues so always look for information on forums or in the driver release notes. 

Good luck with the build  and welcome to TPU.


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## Tardan (May 21, 2012)

CaptainFailcon said:


> first install the dam service packs service packs don't fuck a computer up idiot users do
> THEN rightclick run as administrator





Red_Machine said:


> Are you one of those idiots who doesn't update their OS?  You should have had SP1 and SP2 installed years ago... -_-



There are nicer ways to go about this. How about trying to help him with his problem?

alucard13mmfmj, if you still want to get a new computer, then you may want to consider a better video card. Judging from this article from Techspot it seems like Diablo 3 is entirely GPU dependent. If you can get your hands on a GTX 460, then you should run it smoothly. You should be able to find it for cheap in most places.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Tardan said:


> There are nicer ways to go about this. How about trying to help him with his problem?
> 
> alucard13mmfmj, if you still want to get a new computer, then you may want to consider a better video card. Judging from this article from Techspot it seems like Diablo 3 is entirely GPU dependent. If you can get your hands on a GTX 460, then you should run it smoothly. You should be able to find it for cheap in most places.



Yeah. I figured my 8800GT would have aged by now. Although, I'll see how much life I can get out of it and how it does first. I don't particularly play resource intensive games (usually source mods, quake engine mods and some MMO [although lags with a lotta people in town]). If it comes down to it, I would get a new video card in a month or two with my next paycheck.


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## Tardan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> Yeah. I figured my 8800GT would have aged by now. Although, I'll see how much life I can get out of it and how it does first. I don't particularly play resource intensive games (usually source mods, quake engine mods and some MMO [although lags with a lotta people in town]). If it comes down to it, I would get a new video card in a month or two with my next paycheck.



Is it possible for you to get Windows 7 locally? If so you can install it over your current computer and see how that works out. I avoided Vista completely and went straight to Windows 7 from XP, but from what I read, the difference between Vista and 7 is night and day. Windows 7 installs most drivers for me from the get go too (but that may not be the case for you).


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Tardan said:


> Is it possible for you to get Windows 7 locally? If so you can install it over your current computer and see how that works out. I avoided Vista completely and went straight to Windows 7 from XP, but from what I read, the difference between Vista and 7 is night and day. Windows 7 installs most drivers for me from the get go too (but that may not be the case for you).



I installed windows 7 ultimate, but it hung up while booting... "verifying DMI" or something. Ended up installing windows vista basic, for now, which worked. I'll back up my recent goodies on an external HD if I am permitted to do so. It is a store bought comp (with some modifications) and Acer doesn't make recovery discs for my model anymore and its quite old that it's hard to look for the drivers online that doesn't look shady.


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## Tardan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> I installed windows 7 ultimate, but it hung up while booting... "verifying DMI" or something. Ended up installing windows vista basic, for now, which worked. I'll back up my recent goodies on an external HD if I am permitted to do so. It is a store bought comp (with some modifications) and Acer doesn't make recovery discs for my model anymore and its quite old that it's hard to look for the drivers online that doesn't look shady.



Did a quick google on your problem. Have you tried this fix? Although it does sound like your computer is having problems. Might be a hardware issue but don't quote me on that. I can understand why it would save you a headache by buying a new computer (had a issue with BSODs after installing SP3 on XP. Still never figured out the problem ). The components you listed are good too, although I would highly recommend getting a new video card ASAP.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Tardan said:


> Did a quick google on your problem. Have you tried this fix? Although it does sound like your computer is having problems. Might be a hardware issue but don't quote me on that. I can understand why it would save you a headache by buying a new computer (had a issue with BSODs after installing SP3 on XP. Still never figured out the problem ). The components you listed are good too, although I would highly recommend getting a new video card ASAP.



i did get BSOD from a few automatic windows updates, that i had to do system recovery, which kinda put me off from updating windows related stuff. 

yeah. the video card will probably be the bottleneck of the unit. unless i do some "argh matey" with the OS to cut some costs, it's too costly for me to get a 150-200dollar card. im trying to stick with legit stuff. ill get a new card in 1-2 months hopefully.


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## Tardan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> i did get BSOD from a few automatic windows updates, that i had to do system recovery, which kinda put me off from updating windows related stuff.
> 
> yeah. the video card will probably be the bottleneck of the unit. unless i do some "argh matey" with the OS to cut some costs, it's too costly for me to get a 150-200dollar card. im trying to stick with legit stuff. ill get a new card in 1-2 months hopefully.



I understand. I was in the same situation. Keep it legit if you can  Although I must warn you, even if you buy a new computer, you might notice a minor difference in FPS at most with the new computer compared to your old one. As I mentioned earlier the video card will provide 90% of the performance in Diablo 3.


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## xenocide (May 21, 2012)

CPU:  Intel i3-2100
Motherboard:  BioStar H61MLB
RAM:  G.Skill Value Series 4GB DDR3-1333 (I recommend 2, but 1 will work)
GPU:  HIS Radeon HD6850
HDD:  Rip the one out of your old comp and re-use it
PSU:  Rosewill Green Series 530W
Optical Drive:  Random Cheap 24x DVD Burner
Case:  Rosewill FBM-01 MiniTower
OS:  Windows 7 Home Premium x64

Total Cost:  $540

Several key points.  With the AMD Phenom II's, they are pretty dated, and for 90%+ of games, an i3 will do as well, if not substantially better given it's much greater per core performance.  You said you want to use the comp for several years, and spending $400-500 on a PC upgrade and not getting a new GPU is pointless.  My HD5850 can handle almost all games fine, and D3 runs maxed out with no hiccups on my setup, so I assume a 6850 can probably handle it just as easily (given the 6870 is a pretty much direct comparison performance wise, the 6850 being not much slower should do fine).

If you could splurge on a better mobo it would be worth it, but the setup I just posted should handle all games adequately with some tweaking.


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## MilkyWay (May 21, 2012)

I like the system you have detailed in the original post.
Sure the Phenom II isnt that fast compared to an i5 but budgets a budget. Motherboard is a bit mediocre thats all.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

MilkyWay said:


> I like the system you have detailed in the original post.
> Sure the Phenom II isnt that fast compared to an i5 but budgets a budget. Motherboard is a bit mediocre thats all.



lol. i read in a lot of places and one of the previous posts that an i3 might be better than Phenom II X4.

yeah. it seems a couple of you guys said the mother board is "meh".


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

Bo$$ said:


> spend a little extra on your mobo
> 
> maybe this:
> ASRock 970 PRO3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 AT...
> ...



i did look at the ASRock 970 for mobo, but theres no reviews for it yet to procure more subjective/objective info.


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## CaptainFailcon (May 21, 2012)

iv had fair luck if asrock products they seem to be the up and coming vendor


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## xenocide (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> lol. i read in a lot of places and one of the previous posts that an i3 might be better than Phenom II X4.



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120.html

In most gaming situations the i3 is better than a Phenom II X4 at stock speeds.  Comparing another Blizzard title--Starcraft II--you can tell they tend to favor High IPC Intel CPU's.  Continuing to use that 8800GT is going to be the biggest problem though, and if you're going to go AMD, at least make sure to get SOMETHING new, like an HD6850.  The difference it will make is ridiculous...


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

Xenocide:

Where did you price out the i3 build? Specifically how much was the 6850? Got a link?

Here's my take on the build.
Rosewill RANGER-M Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Co...
PowerColor AX7770 1GBD5-2DH Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edi...
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 43...
Wintec One 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1...
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

xenocide said:


> http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120.html
> 
> In most gaming situations the i3 is better than a Phenom II X4 at stock speeds.  Comparing another Blizzard title--Starcraft II--you can tell they tend to favor High IPC Intel CPU's.  Continuing to use that 8800GT is going to be the biggest problem though, and if you're going to go AMD, at least make sure to get SOMETHING new, like an HD6850.  The difference it will make is ridiculous...



yeah. i cant afford to dump too much money at one time. i have to continue using it for the short term.

Also, instead of the ASRock... what about this Gigabyte motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3...


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## xenocide (May 21, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Xenocide:
> 
> Where did you price out the i3 build? Specifically how much was the 6850? Got a link?



All pricing was done on Newegg.  I believe the 6850 was $140 with a $15 or $20 Rebate (I believe the price I gave was Pre-Rebates).


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

xenocide said:


> All pricing was done on Newegg.  I believe the 6850 was $140 with a $15 or $20 Rebate (I believe the price I gave was Pre-Rebates).



Interesting. Hmmm..... 

I wonder if anyone would be willing to go to microcenter for the OP. Get himself say an ivy i5 + h7x.

EDIT:
$230 -i5 2500k+ z77-d3h. Same price as the combo I have listed above on NewEgg


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

so the guy that usually helps build my comp just told me i should just buy this one..
http://www.frys.com/product/6943547?site=sa:adpages%20page:Fri_p3
because its better than the one im trying to build.

lol. years ago he kept telling me i should learn how to build my own and that its a good skill. he said  AMD FX8120 8core is better than the crappy phenom II X4 im getting. power supply is kinda crappy.

im kinda confused now XD.... i don't like using recovery discs mainly because it wipes everything and losing it means you are fuked (unless u make multiple copies), especially if it has aged and manufacture doesnt make discs for that model. and i would rather would like to be able to reformat a drive and have the drivers handy. lol. although he said that if i dont like it, i can sell it to him for cash. haha


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## MT Alex (May 21, 2012)

Looks like junk to me.  760 chipset, no GFX card, and a 300W PSU.  I'd go with Jr's route, or even better, his Microcenter suggestion.


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## brandonwh64 (May 21, 2012)

MT Alex said:


> Looks like junk to me.  760 chipset, no GFX card, and a 300W PSU.  I'd go with Jr's route, or even better, his Microcenter suggestion.



2500K/Z77 is what you should do as Jr said. The PC at frys is made of inferior components and will not be worth it in the end.


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

Dude! The Fry's PC doesn't even have a video card. You won't be able to game on that.


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## brandonwh64 (May 21, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Dude! The Fry's PC doesn't even have a video card. You won't be able to game on that.



LOL just noticed that too! You would be sucking with that PC


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

brandonwh64 said:


> 2500K/Z77 is what you should do as Jr said. The PC at frys is made of inferior components and will not be worth it in the end.



is the 2500k that yuo guys are talking about... this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072&Tpk=i5%202500k

if that.. what motherboard would be "decent/budget"? 

lol.would a 500watt PSU work or do i have to get at least 600?


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> i did look at the ASRock 970 for mobo, but theres no reviews for it yet to procure more subjective/objective info.



nowt wrong with asrock boards these days dude, and that 600 corsair will easy do the job , all in id invest in a decent cpu cooler too ,thatll be a nice build


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> is the 2500k that yuo guys are talking about... this?
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072&Tpk=i5%202500k
> 
> if that.. what motherboard would be "decent/budget"?
> ...



Yes that's the cpu I was speaking of. Only can get that though if you go to a microcenter(budget restraints) and get a motherboard bundle. 500W would be plenty for nearly any single card configuration, and dependent on the card you could even do SLI/Crossfire.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Yes that's the cpu I was speaking of. Only can get that though if you go to a microcenter(budget restraints) and get a motherboard bundle. 500W would be plenty for nearly any single card configuration, and dependent on the card you could even do SLI/Crossfire.



pardon my ignorance, but what is microcenter?


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

yeah. im not gonna get the store one for sure lol.. after taxes its 650 dollars.. after rebate 625. then new power supply would make it 690.


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> pardon my ignorance, but what is microcenter?



http://www.microcenter.com/


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

lol the i5 2500k. microcenter is substantially cheaper than newegg


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> lol the i5 2500k. microcenter is substantially cheaper than newegg



Yup but you have to go in-store. Hopefully you got one close.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

its out of the way in orange county, CA. but i used to drive through that area/freeway every weekend.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 21, 2012)

micro center has a i5 3570k/Asus P8Z77-V LX Socket 1155 Z77 ATX Intel Motherboard bundle

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0387156


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## JrRacinFan (May 21, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> Asus P8Z77-V LX



Let me just remind you. That board is CrossfireX only.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0387554

That has SLI support included and just as good. Might as well get a feature in case you want it in the future.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 23, 2012)

I've been getting a lot of advice and suggestions. One of my online friends mentioned this AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 6550D AD3870WNGXBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819106001&Tpk=N82E16819106001
and pairing it with a Radeon 6950.

I got a few questions. 
1)Has anyone used this before? What do you think? If not, Why do you think it sucks/good?
2)With just the Radeon HD 6550D on the chip (with no discrete video card)... is it better than the EVGA e-geforce 8800GT 512mb that I am planning to use for a few months on whatever new computer I am going to get? Could it run current games at high, or at least medium setting? If it is better, I'll just not bother putting in the 8800GT.
3)When paired with a Radeon 6950, could it provide decent gaming for years to come at medium to maybe high settings? 
4)Would the CPU/GPU get really hot and require better cooling?
5) What would be a comparable Intel Core i chip for this? Comparing just the chip (not GPU)

My friend also said there is going to be a new APU chip coming out soon that would use a new socket, so upgrading would be difficult. But I am on a budget and this is what he is suggesting. He's been using this APU for almost a year.

Since I am building my first comp... the last few days was quite confusing, lots of info, losing track of builds, scary, and stressful XD... thinking of what build to do. It is also a scary feeling because things can go wrong, especially since I would be working with a lot of components at once. If something did go wrong I wouldn't know what to do @_@... since there is no returns and only limited exchanges for the same item. It could end up being a broken 600 dollar rock. 

I do do some PC maintenance on all the computers in the family.. dedusting PSU fan, changing new PSU, taking out vid card to dedust , taking off the HSF to dedust, general dedusting. I never really touched the motherboard, CPU, HDD, and ROM. Although, I might have changed the motherboard battery once... but I don't remember lol.

Regardless, I will post my final build, when I have it, just to verify things are not incompatible or that something is herp derp fail to get.


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## eidairaman1 (May 23, 2012)

compare 6550 to 6970, 6550 to 8800, 8800 to 6970, obviously the 6970 eats the other two.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 23, 2012)

eidairaman1 said:


> compare 6550 to 6970, 6550 to 8800, 8800 to 6970, obviously the 6970 eats the other two.



my bad, i meant 6950. not 6970 lol. just edited it in the post.

btw what anime is in your avatar? or did you drew it.


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## eidairaman1 (May 23, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> my bad, i meant 6950. not 6970 lol



regardless the 6950 eats both the 6550 and 8800 for breakfast lunch and dinner

im not sure where i got it, ive had it for sometime, might have to look up the words on it to find out who did it


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 23, 2012)

eidairaman1 said:


> regardless the 6950 eats both the 6550 and 8800 for breakfast lunch and dinner
> 
> im not sure where i got it, ive had it for sometime, might have to look up the words on it to find out who did it



Is the radeon 6550D in the CPU better than geforce 8800 GT? Ill have to be using the CPU/GPU for a few months or maybe longer  until i can dig up some money for a 6950 if i use this build. if the 6550D is better, I wont bother putting the 8800 to use temporarily and just use the 6550D without a discrete video card for a lil bit.


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## JrRacinFan (May 23, 2012)

6550D is closer to HD3650/GT220/9500GT. Just BARELY enough for 1280x720 gaming on medium with most titles in dx9(45-60fps). Just curious; why are you looking at APU's as an option? They are good if you do mainly media and don't game much.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 23, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> 6550D is closer to HD3650/GT220/9500GT. Just BARELY enough for 1280x720 gaming on medium with most titles in dx9(45-60fps). Just curious; why are you looking at APU's as an option? They are good if you do mainly media and don't game much.



I just threw the option out there to see what you guys think. I don't know much about APUs and the rest of my friends/online friends havnt used one.

lol. GT220 and 9500GT is crappier than my 8800GT from my googling XD.. Yeah, I dont think I'll think about APUs, considering I have to buy a discrete radeon 6xxx video card to pair with the APU to be decent.

So, today I found out someone owed me money. Either I forgot and/or decided to let it go cause she was close to me. She reminded me that she'll pay me back soon, since now I need money.. I'm like YEAH. Lolz, I MIGHT increase my budget a little bit up to 700 dollars from 600 dollars (including tax)... and get maybe a 200ish dollar vid card in a later date.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 25, 2012)

So I revised my build a little bit

-Intel Core i5 3570k 3.4 ghrtz
$206 after tax
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388577

-Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$45 after tax/rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042 

-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 
$86 after tax
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

-CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
$71 after tax/rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

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G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$51 after tax
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

OR

G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory
$51 after tax
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=57953&vpn=F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1019
----

Motherboard ;( I am still thinking about what to get. There are some bundles for microcenter, although I am not sure if those are the best for me. I am told I should get one with SLI and crossfirex with 2 PCI E and to go for Asus or Intel or maybe gigabyte. I want a hassle free motherboard when I am installing it lol. I read how some boards had problems with the BIOS involving ivybridge or plenty of problems (which seems scary). I don't really want to have to deal with such issues as a noob lol. I havnt picked what video card I am gonna use, but I'll ask about that a separate time. Does it matter what PCI-E I get for the mobo? 3.0, 2.0, 1.0?

Total (including tax)= $460
EXCLUDING mobo and video card and possibly a legit windows 7 ;s.. I am dissapointed that windows OEM can only be installed on one computer/motherboard and the retail versions are like $100+ more dollars.

I would spend $140 on a motherboard, although if it can't be helped... maybe $160ish.

Video Card.. I'd spend preferably $150ish, but I havn't looked at video cards at all.

So, I think picking the mobo is giving me the hardest time ^^.


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## Tardan (May 25, 2012)

You can pair your 3570K with a P8Z77-V PRO and it'll be 169.99. A little more expensive than your limit, but an awesome motherboard IMO.


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## JrRacinFan (May 25, 2012)

Watch your board layout if going 3rd party cooler. If you go Ivy Bridge will need a compatible 7 series or a Sandy bridge CPU to do a BIOS flash

Oh and the 7770 is a good deal.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 25, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Watch your board layout if going 3rd party cooler. If you go Ivy Bridge will need a compatible 7 series or a Sandy bridge CPU to do a BIOS flash
> 
> Oh and the 7770 is a good deal.



i probably wont do overclocking, so i assume i dont need a 3rd party cooler..

yeah, u see? the ivybridge thing is making me cringe ;S...

7770? *edit oh video card* lolz

also.. if its bundled, then it should be compatible and work right out of the box right? none of that sandy bridge/compatible 7 series stuff?


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## JrRacinFan (May 25, 2012)

Right. Just plain out have a compatible BIOS.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 26, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Right. Just plain out have a compatible BIOS.



and 7 series are mobos that have "Z77" in their names? lol


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## JrRacinFan (May 26, 2012)

Yup oh hey there's a biostar on newegg for $80 that may interest you


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 27, 2012)

ok. so i went to microcenter and got the asrock z77 extreme4 and the intel 3570k bundle for total of 302 dollars.

just waiting for the other components that should arrive mid-end next week from other stores.

btw, what are the return policies at microcenter store? the guy said 30 days, but reciept said 15 days. no restocking fee. what are the conditions that determine if i can return a mobo or CPU? i suspect i might screw up while building ^^..

but yeah, when im actually building this thing, i'll probably have a lot of questions for u guys.

what tools should i have ready when building?


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## JrRacinFan (May 27, 2012)

Tools; non magnetic tip Philips #2 driver.

Warranty; if you need to after the store return policy you can utilize the manufacturer warranty.


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## fritoking (May 27, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> i did look at the ASRock 970 for mobo, but theres no reviews for it yet to procure more subjective/objective info.



i actually just purchased this board....and built an fx system with the 970 extreme...both seem like solid boards with nice features...the owner of the  extreme loves it paired with a 6850


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## eidairaman1 (May 27, 2012)

fritoking said:


> i actually just purchased this board....and built an fx system with the 970 extreme...both seem like solid boards with nice features...the owner of the  extreme loves it paired with a 6850



My Bro uses an Extreme 4 970 and no issues out of it either


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 27, 2012)

only thing left is vid card and ram. 

i found out the two G.SKILL ram model... strangely is not on the Asrock Z77 extreme manufacture page. It is usually off by 1 letter. i luckily left out the RAM from my order.

video card...
either 6850, 6870, or 6950.. or the 7770 as someone suggested. those are 200 dollars or below hehe.

what would be equivalent to those above for nvidia?

i've never used a radeon before, usually nvidia/geforce.


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## MT Alex (May 27, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> ok. so i went to microcenter and got the asrock z77 extreme4 and the intel 3570k bundle for total of 302 dollars.



I think you went with the best route, by a mile.  After all the hemming and hawing, you are going to have one heck of a nice system.


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## Frizz (May 27, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> only thing left is vid card and ram.
> 
> i found out the two G.SKILL ram model... strangely is not on the Asrock Z77 extreme manufacture page. It is usually off by 1 letter. i luckily left out the RAM from my order.
> 
> ...



I'd say go for the 6870, 7770 is still slower than that card despite being newer.


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 27, 2012)

random said:


> I'd say go for the 6870, 7770 is still slower than that card despite being newer.



yeah the numbering conventions confuses me soemtimes lol.

wat are the similar nvidia cards?


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## JrRacinFan (May 27, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> wat are the similar nvidia cards?



GTX470, GTX480, GTX560 Ti or if wanting faster GTX560 ti 448 core and GTX570. 6 series; the yet unreleased gtx660 ti and above. Maybe a 6900 series would be good for you?


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## MT Alex (May 27, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> GTX470, GTX480, GTX560 Ti or if wanting faster GTX560 ti 448 core and GTX570. 6 series; the yet unreleased gtx660 ti and above. *Maybe a 6900 series would be good for you*?



I think so too.  The 6950s for around $200 seem to be the sweet spot right now.  It's still a very capable card, with 2GB vram, and is only a handful of dollars more than the 6870s, which don't compare.  A used 480 would be pretty sweet, as well.


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## JrRacinFan (May 27, 2012)

alucard13mmfmj said:


> -CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
> $71 after tax/rebate
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139020



Substitute
SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 1...



alucard13mmfmj said:


> ----
> G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
> $51 after tax
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231314
> ...



Substitute
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM...



alucard13mmfmj said:


> -Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
> $45 after tax/rebate
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042



Substitute
NZXT Source 210 S210-002 White w/Black Front Trim ...



alucard13mmfmj said:


> -Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
> $86 after tax
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136795



Substitute
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM ...


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## Mindweaver (May 27, 2012)

Here is what I would get. 







CPU - I just bought one the other week and it is a kickass chip for the price.
Intel i3 2120

Motherboard 
ASRock z77 Pro 4

Ram
Team Extreem Dark series 2 x 4gb

Hard Drive - It cost a little more but worth it.
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"

Power Supply - This is a kick ass powersupply for the money. I have this on 2x 2500k's @4.7ghz crunching 100% 24/7 one has a GTX470 and the other has a GTX570.
Corsair CX430 V2

OS - Windows 8 Consumer Preview _*(It's FREE!)*_
Windows 8

Case - Kickass case with a lot of room!
Cool Master HAF 912


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## alucard13mmfmj (May 27, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> Substitute
> SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 1...
> 
> 
> ...



hmmm i read that for western digital: caviar green is crap. caviar blue is average quality. caviar black is good quality. I was trying to decided between space (1TB) or quality (500gb), so i decided to get quality instead. my old HD was 250gb. i only used about 170gb of that. 

lol XD.. that case is cheaper.. although i already ordered some of the components last night.

PSU, i also already ordered the corsair =s.

hmmm the corsair RAM model, CMZ8GX3M2A1866C9, you suggested is not on the asrock z77 list of "supported" ram. http://www.asrock.com/mb/memory.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme4
i guess when i have time today, ill just look up the RAM from that list to buy or soemthing lolz. seems whatever ram i pick is not on the list haha.

****

seems ill have to get a radeon 6850 for low cost, to buy a legit 100dollar+ windows 7 OEM >.>... apparently my motherboard, which uses UEFI, makes it hard to use an "arg matey" windows 7. something about UEFI tends to install windows as GPT, which makes "arg matey" not work. There seems to be a workaround to change HD to MBR, but I dont think it is the right forum to ask about "argh matey" stuff. =s

i'm still annoyed it will most likely cost me 100+ to use windows lol.


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