# New gaming rig.  Final specs.  Opinions please.



## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

New gaming build for my bro-in-law.


PSU: OCZ Stealth XStream 600W PSU - SLI Ready ATX2.2 12cm Fan

MOBO: Asus M4A79XTD EVO 790X Socket AM3 8 channel audio ATX

RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz/PC2-12800 Gold i5 Memory Kit 1.65V CL7(7-7-7-20)

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 630 Socket AM3 2.8GHz 2MB L2 Cache Retail Boxed Processor

GFX: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB GDDD5 Dual DVI HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E 

HDD: Western Digital WD3200AAKS 320GB SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM Caviar Blue

ROM: Samsung SH-S223 22X DVD±RW/RAM/DL Serial ATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

CASE:  Casecom 6788 Black Mid Tower Case with Full Black Interior/Exterior 120mm Blue LED Front Fan - No PSU

Additional Case Fan: Xilence Black 120mm Case Fan - 4pin with 3pin adaptor

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit (not included in overall price as this is already owned)


All parts purchased from ebuyer, grand total including delivery : £655.25

What do you guys think?  My budget was £650


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 24, 2010)

seems you done your homework,that build will work great overall hookey  just change the ocz psu to a corsair 550W and its all good.


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## Bo$$ (Jan 24, 2010)

that 600watt OCZ psu is great quality, it actually has a 80+ silver cert


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## BarbaricSoul (Jan 24, 2010)

Personally, I'd save alittle more money to be able to get a x4 940. I'd be very weary about building a gaming rig with a quad with no L3 cache.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

BarbaricSoul said:


> Personally, I'd save alittle more money to be able to get a x4 940. I'd be very weary about building a gaming rig with a quad with no L3 cache.



Thats the trouble with building on a budget   Maybe I should go down to a dual/triple core?

What about this: AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1GHz 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 Retail Boxed Processor


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## jjFarking (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Thats the trouble with building on a budget   Maybe I should go down to a dual/triple core?
> 
> What about this: AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1GHz 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 Retail Boxed Processor



A bit odd you now have 2 threads about this, but OK 
In the other thread I asked


> You may want to check the number & type of connections the PSU has.
> From what I can see, it has only 3 SATA connections, and 2 6-pin only PCI-e connectors.
> Kinda throws a spanner in the works for future expansion.
> I know you can use adapters, but still..
> ...



BTW, I love the 550BE. I had that CPU before my 965BE. If you're lucky enough, you may be able to unlock either/both the other cores. Even in its native setup, it's an awesome little beast. Good alternative I reckon


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## Bo$$ (Jan 24, 2010)

CPU should be fine, just don't expect i7 performance from it

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166518


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

jjFarking said:


> A bit odd you now have 2 threads about this, but OK
> In the other thread I asked
> 
> 
> BTW, I love the 550BE. I had that CPU before my 965BE. If you're lucky enough, you may be able to unlock either/both the other cores. Even in its native setup, it's an awesome little beast. Good alternative I reckon



Yeah, sorry about the 2 threads....couldnt delete the other one (cos tbh I thought it was in the wrong section to start with lol)


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## jjFarking (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Yeah, sorry about the 2 threads....couldnt delete the other one (cos tbh I thought it was in the wrong section to start with lol)



I don't mind mate. Just looks a little odd, that's all 
Regardless.. are you sure the compatibility of that RAM is cool with an AMD setup?
Also.. the lack of connectors on the PSU, is OK as well?
I know the PSU itself is quite fine, but the expansion and restrictions it has, are quite significant.. At least on paper, as well as in reviews where this was remarked upon.
I have a Zalman ZM600-HP, which is technically the same as that OCZ, except it comes with more connectors, therefore better connectivity 
Just checking.. is all


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## Fourstaff (Jan 24, 2010)

I would pony up for a X3 720BE, the performance jump compared to the X2 550BE is quite significant. But of course the X4 630 is very good for its price, just a bit weak on the games front.

It says on W1z's chart that the X4 620 is about as powerful as the X3 550BE and comes with 2 more cores for other work.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Athlon_II_X4_620/10.html


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## jjFarking (Jan 24, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> I would pony up for a X3 720BE, the performance jump compared to the X2 550BE is quite significant. But of course the X4 630 is very good for its price, just a bit weak on the games front.
> 
> It says on W1z's chart that the X4 620 is about as powerful as the X3 550BE and comes with 2 more cores for other work.
> http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Athlon_II_X4_620/10.html



That X3 720BE is a nice alternative as well. Good catch.
Much of a price difference?


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## lemode (Jan 24, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> I would pony up for a X3 720BE, the performance jump compared to the X2 550BE is quite significant. But of course the X4 630 is very good for its price, just a bit weak on the games front.
> 
> It says on W1z's chart that the X4 620 is about as powerful as the X3 550BE and comes with 2 more cores for other work.
> http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Athlon_II_X4_620/10.html



must echo that you *should *get the X3 720BE!


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## r9 (Jan 24, 2010)

I like it. At my country from 630 to 955 is just 30eur if is similar price difference save up to 955. Higher stock clocks, more L3 cachea, higher overclock freq and unlocked multi well worth the  .


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## bpgt64 (Jan 24, 2010)

I'd change up the mobo/cpu a bit...
i3 series chip
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/185937
UD3 Gigabyte board
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/191840

And this is why I would change it up.
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3724


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## jjFarking (Jan 24, 2010)

bpgt64 said:


> I'd change up the mobo/cpu a bit...
> i3 series chip
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/185937
> UD3 Gigabyte board
> ...





> Intel was very careful to seed reviewers with the Core i5 661, it provides integrated graphics performance equal to if not better than the best integrated graphics from AMD and NVIDIA.
> 
> *The same, unfortunately, can’t be said about the Core i3 530. With 81% of the GPU clock of the 661, the i3’s graphics are obviously slower. It’s not a huge drop, but it’s enough to be noticeable and enough to be slower than AMD*



I'm not sure I follow?
Also, that review doesn't actually have the X3 720BE as a comparison.
For what it is, though, that is an OK CPU to have, but is really more orientated to the HTPC market segment, rather than a gamer.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

bpgt64 said:


> I'd change up the mobo/cpu a bit...
> i3 series chip
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/185937
> UD3 Gigabyte board
> ...



Thanks, but I want to keep this AMD


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## bpgt64 (Jan 24, 2010)

I was considering the original post where he only agrees to a;

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1GHz 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 Retail Boxed Processor

The end of that article shows that the i3 when over clocked using a stock cooler to 4 GHZ, is then compared to a Phenom II X4 965, and beats it in most gaming applications.  Granting the X4 wasn't over clocked...Not sure how much the person he's purchasing this setup for will want/be able to tweak, but over clocking on the gigabyte platform is as simple as it gets.

Considering at the bottom of the last page of the review, found here;
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3724&p=5

And as he said this was a:
"New gaming build for my bro-in-law."

I felt that relevant, however it does lose out in a few other scenarios, so it just depends on what the end user is going to do with the chip, specifically what games that is.  The i3 is an interesting competitor in the overclocking/performance world, normally dominated by unlocked X2/3s


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 24, 2010)

well we have to remember games like GTA IV are unplayable at higher settings on a Dual core and even a quadcore will struggle at higher settings and this trend will continue i would say hes better off with the Quadcore if you need to save some money look at the Phenom II x4 945 its the AM3 equiv to the AM2+ 940 and a mild FSB overclock will let you reach the 965 BE with relative ease and save some money as well

if you cant fit a Phenom II quad in there go with the 720be or the 550be as either will be better for gaming then the x4 630 but i will say that its very much possible the x4 630 may have a longer usable lifespan when compared to the 550

actually looking at it now look around for benches on this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103650  x4 810 its about $140 and still has L3 cache meaning it should suit his needs for gaming better then the x4 630 and it should overclock fairly well

the Phenom II x4 925 is also an option http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103656

ppl seem to forget the Phenom II quads will overclock just fine with front side bus in fact on my current board i cant boot past 17x multi or 3400mhz but with the FSB i can hit 3600+ with ease so its another option to consider for the slight price tag i would say the 925 is worth it after searching around as its an uncrippled PII chip

also in the amd overclocking thread its been proven that overclock with the FSB on PII chips requires LESS voltage meaning the OP can probably get further with a stock heatsink  some food for thought

get different ram id go with the cheapest 1333mhz kit you can get and just tighten the timings AMD chips prefer lower latency over brute speed

my recommendation 

x4 925
1333mhz ram to save a few $$

granted i realize your in england so prices may vary compared to here but my thoughts still stand

get a Phenom II if at all possible for best gaming experience with AMD


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> well we have to remember games like GTA IV are unplayable at higher settings on a Dual core and even a quadcore will struggle at higher settings and this trend will continue i would say hes better off with the Quadcore if you need to save some money look at the Phenom II x4 945 its the AM3 equiv to the AM2+ 940 and a mild FSB overclock will let you reach the 965 BE with relative ease and save some money as well
> 
> if you cant fit a Phenom II quad in there go with the 720be or the 550be as either will be better for gaming then the x4 630 but i will say that its very much possible the x4 630 may have a longer usable lifespan when compared to the 550
> 
> ...



Thanks for the advice m8 

Right, what about this:


PSU: OCZ Stealth XStream 600W PSU - SLI Ready ATX2.2 12cm Fan

MOBO: Asus M4A79XTD EVO 790X Socket AM3 8 channel audio ATX

RAM: Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Ballistix Memory Kit CL7 (7-7-7-24) 1.65V

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Box Processor

GFX: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB GDDD5 Dual DVI HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E

HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM

ROM: Samsung SH-S223 22X DVD±RW/RAM/DL Serial ATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

CASE: Casecom 6788 Black Mid Tower Case with Full Black Interior/Exterior 120mm Blue LED Front Fan - No PSU + Additional Case Fan: Xilence Black 120mm Case Fan - 4pin with 3pin adaptor

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit


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## Molignar (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Thanks for the advice m8
> 
> Right, what about this:
> 
> ...




Doesn't look too bad, although I'd get a different power supply. OCZ is alright but they're power supplies can be really hit or miss, also you can get a Corsair HX650 watt that runs on the single rail design for very close to the same price. Ask around about Corsair's power supplies if you need to. I don't think many people using them would have a bad thing to say about them. Good Luck with your build.


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 24, 2010)

a corsair 550w cost about the same as the 600w stealthxstream.
I would get the 550W since its in budget.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

Molignar said:


> Doesn't look too bad, although I'd get a different power supply. OCZ is alright but they're power supplies can be really hit or miss, also you can get a Corsair HX650 watt that runs on the single rail design for very close to the same price. Ask around about Corsair's power supplies if you need to. I don't think many people using them would have a bad thing to say about them. Good Luck with your build.



Ive never used a Corsair PSU but I do know they are meant to be very good.  The trouble with me is that I tend to stick to what I know, hence the OCZ PSU lol 



kurosagi01 said:


> a corsair 550w cost about the same as the 600w stealthxstream.
> I would get the 550W since its in budget.



A 550W Corsair will put me over budget again


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## Bo$$ (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Ive never used a Corsair PSU but I do know they are meant to be very good.  The trouble with me is that I tend to stick to what I know, hence the OCZ PSU lol
> 
> 
> 
> A 550W Corsair will put me over budget again



don't worry OCZ have served me well, they are rock solid and are good quality, corsair are better but most cannot afford them


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## RejZoR (Jan 24, 2010)

Why not Phenom II X4 955BE ? You take high end graphic card but starve at CPU. Take powerful CPU now and you won't have to upgrade it later on. You'll probably have to change 2-3 graphic card sin between first.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 24, 2010)

I would go with a 720 IMO.


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Ive never used a Corsair PSU but I do know they are meant to be very good.  The trouble with me is that I tend to stick to what I know, hence the OCZ PSU lol
> 
> 
> 
> A 550W Corsair will put me over budget again



Switch your motherboard to the asus 785G Evo and it will be in your budget.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169532


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

kurosagi01 said:


> Switch your motherboard to the asus 785G Evo and it will be in your budget.
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169532



LMAO, thats really weird, I was about to say that Im thinking of switching to that motherboard and upping the CPU to the 'AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor' 

EDIT: Sorry, I meant - AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz Socket AM3 6MB L3 Cache Retail Box Processor


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 24, 2010)

go for the 925 and save a few $$ it should overclock to relatively the same speed  only difference is 200mhz both the 925 and 945 should hit 3600 rather easily  with say a cheap cooler like the Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus

i suggest the 925 because of the average daily overclock it will get to the same speedsame as the 955 vs 965 unless you have the ability to keep it cool the extra 100mhz or so isnt worth it and the 955 will reach the same base speed of 3.8

so if you can see if you can find a PII 925 oem and grab a Coolermaster Hyper 212 +  and go from there


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> go for the 925 and save a few $$ it should overclock to relatively the same speed  only difference is 200mhz both the 925 and 945 should hit 3600 rather easily  with say a cheap cooler like the Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus
> 
> i suggest the 925 because of the average daily overclock it will get to the same speedsame as the 955 vs 965 unless you have the ability to keep it cool the extra 100mhz or so isnt worth it and the 955 will reach the same base speed of 3.8
> 
> so if you can see if you can find a PII 925 oem and grab a Coolermaster Hyper 212 +  and go from there



Dont you think the L3 cache would make the 945 a better choice?


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 24, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Dont you think the L3 cache would make the 945 a better choice?



Go 720 and never look back.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Go 720 and never look back.



Im trying to use just one site and ebuyer doesnt have the 720 




What about this PSU btw: CoolerMaster 600W Silent Pro Modular PSU - 50A Single Rail 9x SATA 2x PCI-E


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 24, 2010)

the Phenom II x34 925 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...56&cm_re=Phenom_II_925-_-19-103-656-_-Product

has 6mb of L3 cache  its stock clock rate is a bit lower but it will easily reach the same speed as the 945 will

its about $20 usd cheaper not sure what ebuyer has it at but it SHOULD allow you to get a Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus ... which should allow a higher stable overclock as a Hyper 212+ with 2 fans can beat a TRUE at a 1/3 the cost just food for thought if you dont feel like overclock or pushing the machine hard get the 945 and go run with it  


http://www.ebuyer.com/product/177044

thats the cpu its 108 euros not sure if the measly 12 euro savings give or take is worth it to you or not but u can always bump the FSB and get 945 speeds  for a few pennies less i suppose


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> the Phenom II x34 925
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...56&cm_re=Phenom_II_925-_-19-103-656-_-Product
> 
> ...



Im going to stick with the 925 (I can always overclock it lol) 

What do you think about that 600W modular CM PSU?


Im now thinking about this: 

PSU: CoolerMaster 600W Silent Pro Modular PSU - 50A Single Rail 9x SATA 2x PCI-E

MOBO: Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3 onboard DVI VGA HDMI 8 channel audio ATX 

RAM: Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Ballistix Memory Kit CL7 (7-7-7-24) 1.65V

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Box Processor

GFX: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB GDDD5 Dual DVI HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E

HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM

ROM: Samsung SH-S223 22X DVD±RW/RAM/DL Serial ATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

CASE: Casecom 6788 Black Mid Tower Case with Full Black Interior/Exterior 120mm Blue LED Front Fan - No PSU + Additional Case Fan: Xilence Black 120mm Case Fan - 4pin with 3pin adaptor

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 24, 2010)

just go with what works  i prefer Corsair or Pc Power and Cooling myself but the best thing you can do is just search for a review on the parts your looking at  if it fits what you need then its all good

on average the 925 is equal to the 940 (am2+ phenom II) with DDR3 so 940be with ddr2 = the 925 with ddr3 so its a nice setup 

so yea 925 and modular psu if it fits the price go for it 

if you were in the USA id help out with the case cooling a bit


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## Bo$$ (Jan 24, 2010)

dude that 600Watt OCZ psu is MUCH better than the coolmaster, the OCZ has 80 plus silver rating and has more 12v wattage than the coolmaster and a 3 year warrenty


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## crazyeyesreaper (Jan 24, 2010)

yea but modular is also nice in a small low cost case theres little place to hide wries without severly handicapping the air flow


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 24, 2010)

crazyeyesreaper said:


> yea but modular is also nice in a small low cost case theres little place to hide wries without severly handicapping the air flow



That was the main reason to go for the CM, because its modular.


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 24, 2010)

this would be the best modular PSU on ebuyer thats cheap in my opinion:
Antec Truepower 650W:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159920
I ain't heard of Chieftec before but i have seen couple people on TPU using this psu so they might be good?:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159059

You could always ask one of your friends if they have a DVD drive that you can "borrow" until you have money to buy your own? save yourself £15-20.


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## TheMailMan78 (Jan 24, 2010)

Personally I like Enermax or Corsair.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 25, 2010)

TheMailMan78 said:


> Personally I like Enermax or Corsair.



Ive never used either, but I know both are great brands.

Ive found a 720 on Overclockers.  Can the 4th core be unlocked on these like some of the other PII CPU's ?


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## ToTTenTranz (Jan 25, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Ive never used either, but I know both are great brands.
> 
> Ive found a 720 on Overclockers.  Can the 4th core be unlocked on these like some of the other PII CPU's ?



Not always..
It depends on the board, too. I could only unlock my 4th core when a bios update came out for my motherboard, some 6 months after I bought it.

Spend those extra $20 on a 945BE, there's no chance of bad luck with that.

As for the rest, I really like the rest of your system. It's really balanced and don't worry, the graphics card won't be bottelenecked by the Athlon II 635 if you overclock it to +3.2GHz. A Phenom II X4 would be a bit better, though, but not insanely faster.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 25, 2010)

ToTTenTranz said:


> Not always..
> It depends on the board, too. I could only unlock my 4th core when a bios update came out for my motherboard, some 6 months after I bought it.
> 
> Spend those extra $20 on a 945BE, there's no chance of bad luck with that.
> ...



ok, thanks 

I think these will be THE final specs (lol) :

PSU: OCZ Stealth XStream 600W PSU - SLI Ready ATX2.2 12cm Fan

MOBO: Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3 onboard DVI VGA HDMI 8 channel audio ATX 

RAM: Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Ballistix Memory Kit CL7 (7-7-7-24) 1.65V

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Box Processor

GFX: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB GDDD5 Dual DVI HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E

HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM

ROM: Samsung SH-S223 22X DVD±RW/RAM/DL Serial ATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

CASE: Casecom 6788 Black Mid Tower Case with Full Black Interior/Exterior 120mm Blue LED Front Fan - No PSU + Additional Case Fan: Xilence Black 120mm Case Fan - 4pin with 3pin adaptor

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit

Or, possibly the CPU/MOBO will be the 'AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz Socket AM3 6MB L3 Cache Retail Box Processor' or 'Asus M4A79XTD EVO 790X Socket AM3 8 channel audio ATX' (I will check my prices/shopping basket when I get home from work  )


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 25, 2010)

pay extra £5 for the corsair 550w


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 25, 2010)

kurosagi01 said:


> pay extra £5 for the corsair 550w



Really?  Do you rate the 550W Corsair above the 600W OCZ? (well, obviously you do or you wouldnt have said it lol)


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## kurosagi01 (Jan 25, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> Really?  Do you rate the 550W Corsair above the 600W OCZ? (well, obviously you do or you wouldnt have said it lol)



well thats because lot of us i think would say its better to have 1x12V rail generating more amps than like 3x12V rails only generating low amps.

The corsair 550W has 41Amps on its own with the 12V rail while the ocz 600w has 3x12v rail generating 18Amps,also Corsair has better build quality.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 26, 2010)

kurosagi01 said:


> well thats because lot of us i think would say its better to have 1x12V rail generating more amps than like 3x12V rails only generating low amps.
> 
> The corsair 550W has 41Amps on its own with the 12V rail while the ocz 600w has 3x12v rail generating 18Amps,also Corsair has better build quality.



I am more inclined to go with the 'Corsair 550W VX Series PSU - 120mm Fan' now.  If I was to keep the 790 motherboard (because of the X-Fire capability) would this PSU run 2x 5850's in the future?


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## InTeL-iNsIdE (Jan 26, 2010)

kurosagi01 said:


> I ain't heard of Chieftec before but i have seen couple people on TPU using this psu so they might be good?:
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159059
> .



Thats mine, can oc my i7 to 4.4ghz and my 5770's all day long  bit pricey tho imo, wishing I would of went corsair but meh whatever


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 26, 2010)

FINAL SPECS - no more changing 


PSU: Corsair 550W VX Series PSU - 120mm Fan

MOBO: Asus M4A785TD-V EVO Socket AM3 onboard DVI VGA HDMI 8 channel audio ATX 

RAM: Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333MHz/PC3-10600 Ballistix Memory Kit CL7 (7-7-7-24) 1.65V

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 925 2.8GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Box Processor

GFX: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB GDDD5 Dual DVI HDMI Display Port Out PCI-E

HDD: Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache - OEM

ROM: Samsung SH-S223 22X DVD±RW/RAM/DL Serial ATA Black Bare Drive - OEM

CASE: Casecom 6788 Black Mid Tower Case with Full Black Interior/Exterior 120mm Blue LED Front Fan - No PSU + Additional Case Fan: Xilence Black 120mm Case Fan - 4pin with 3pin adaptor

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit

EXTRAS: Microsoft Desktop 8000 - Wireless Bluetooth Entertainment Keyboard & Mouse & an HDMI cable 1.3b


All of this makes my budget of £750 (minus OS of course)

Do you think he will be pleased with it?  He has NEVER owned a gaming PC


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## jjFarking (Jan 26, 2010)

I doubt that 550w would be enough to power 2x 5850s..
You'd have to be looking at 750w for sure mate


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 26, 2010)

jjFarking said:


> I doubt that 550w would be enough to power 2x 5850s..
> You'd have to be looking at 750w for sure mate



Yeah, not bothering with the X-Fire route.  Im sure that by the time he had to upgrade the GFX card a better one at a good price would be on the market


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## jjFarking (Jan 26, 2010)

In that case, I'm sure he'll enjoy it just fine


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## ToTTenTranz (Jan 26, 2010)

HookeyStreet said:


> I am more inclined to go with the 'Corsair 550W VX Series PSU - 120mm Fan' now.  If I was to keep the 790 motherboard (because of the X-Fire capability) would this PSU run 2x 5850's in the future?





Yes, it would. As long as you don't overclock the HD5850s and the Phenom II into oblivion, the corsair VX550W will handle it well.

As long as it's a *Corsair*, or Seasonic or BeQuiet.. 
These are the brands that underspec their PSUs, so they're the same as a +150W PSU from other, medium range brands. 
The corsair will handle a sustained 550W load with no problems (even with Crossfired HD5850s, the system won't consume more than ~450W). 
For example, a review of my BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 650W showed that it handled a sustained consumption of 800W with more than 80% efficiency and stable voltages.


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## HookeyStreet (Jan 26, 2010)

ToTTenTranz said:


> Yes, it would. As long as you don't overclock the HD5850s and the Phenom II into oblivion, the corsair VX550W will handle it well.
> 
> As long as it's a *Corsair*, or Seasonic or BeQuiet..
> These are the brands that underspec their PSUs, so they're the same as a +150W PSU from other, medium range brands.
> ...



Cool, thats good to know   I may give the 5850 and Phenom a little overclock.....not too high as its not going to be my system and I want it as stable as possible.


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## Bo$$ (Jan 26, 2010)

kurosagi01 said:


> this would be the best modular PSU on ebuyer thats cheap in my opinion:
> Antec Truepower 650W:
> http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159920
> I ain't heard of Chieftec before but i have seen couple people on TPU using this psu so they might be good?:
> ...



im using the 850watt verison, it is brilliant, sure beats any mid range crap at a decent price


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