Ok guys if i get this right I wont need to ask questions and i will be ordering the parts for my new system.The purpous for the system is gaming, but i will also do a fair bit of photo and video editing.Oh ye and i also live in Ireland but i can order the parts in from england. The spec:

AMD II x4 965BE
MSI 790Fx-GD70
Patriot G Series 4GB (x2)
Corsair H50
Antec 1200
Samsung Spinpoint 3
LG CH10LS20
HIS HD 5770 (x20)
Huntkey X7 900W
Tenda Wireless-N PCI
Windows 7 Home Premium

So i f anyone is kind enough (but i know that u are all so kind:haha to post a suggestion, comment or just what they think of my build p;ease do so and after i finished building I will post a few pics of it

Nik11105
wave:Bye Bye:wave

Personally I would go for one of the Western Digital "Caviar Black" SATA 2 (or 3 now available in 1TB) HDDs (capacities from 500GB to 2TB).

I just bought a "Sony Optiarc" SATA (24 X) DVD burner @$24.00 USD, seems decent.

Other than that, I know little to nothing about AMD, so you'll have to get your "first second opinion" or is that "second first opinion", from the next no so innocent bystander.

Just a couple of your brands are unfamiliar, but there are other members here from the U.K. who might be able to help.

Oh, and welcome to Techspot.

I don't like that power supply, I would go with a Corsair 650w and a single 5850.
Might consider going with a Core i5 build too.

Why an i5 build??

Why not? They are powerful processors...at nearly similar prices.
Maybe i'm biased.

ok if i pick the core i5 could u recommend a motherboard?

I would suggest the AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE processor as it can easily be overclocked to match the performance of the 965. Also, like HK pointed out, a Corsair 650TX and single HD 5850 will be a better buy.

If you do pick the i5, then go for the MSI P55 GD65 motherboard. It's pretty solid.

Nik, when you originally posted this you had to know that you'd get "too much help", replete with dueling fanbois, etcetera. I"d like to take some of the load off your mind as it were, and help you ponder the wisdom of your decision... :rolleyes:

Beyond that, the Firefox spell checker needs to get its s***together, at least for the term "etcetera", and also "et cetera".

I would go with the Phenom II 955 instead with some DDR2 1066Mhz ram(2x2GB)
And the Radeon 5850 or maybe even a 5870 if you like. Also look at some motherboards with the 890GX chipset but on a budget I wouldnt go for it.

but my motherboard only supports ddr3

Why DDR2?

Why DDR2 anyway? It's slower and more expensive, and requires an older motherboard.

I think that corsair 650+5850 is the best option at this price point, then you can chose the AMD or Intel and a supporting board, there isn't too much difference, and

Nik, did you read my earlier post about fanbois and too much help?

Other than exchanging the Samsung HDD for the WD I suggested, I would check some reviews on both brands, I think you'll see I'm probably correct.

And re-evaluate the power supply as HK has suggested, your original build will
likely meet your expectations.

As I said earlier, but in probably not so many words, the longer these build threads go on, the dumber they get. And also the further away you get from your original intent.I assume you did a fair amount of research befor you arrived at those conclusions

When I build another machine, I don't even bother to ask, I look at reviews at sites like Newegg, I read threads here and follow links provided by thoughtful members to tech site comparison reviews,perhaps check buying/building guides here at TS, then I bypass all the sort of well meaning, but unnecessary " support group" BS, and assemble the machine.

This gets even more ridiculous when people start posting crap like you should backtrack to DDR2. DDR2 is now a replacement part, nothing more.

So, The HDD you should consider, the PSU you should consider, and possibly you should consider stepping up to Windows 7 Professional. (64 bit). This is because with the "Pro" version, you would be able to install M$ "Virtual PC" an with it "XP Mode", which is actually a fully licensed issue of "XP Pro SP-3" that you can run in the virtual machine, and with it, any of your programs that are simply incompatible with Windows 7.

Whatever you decide, good luck and happy computing.

Isn't someone a little cranky today.....

I am perfectly capable of doing the exact same thing you do (although I wouldn't consider Newegg a "review site").

However, I still do post here for some "help", in case there was something I might have overlooked. Sure, there are fanbois (and boy, some of them have a lot to say!), but some of them do have a point. In either case, I supplement all advice with more research anyway.


Back to the build, if you were originally going for SLI (you mentioned x20??), I agree with everyone else here that a single more powerful card would be a better way to go.

DDR2 is on its way out. While we're on the topic of older technology, why not go with DDR1?
/sarcasm

HDD don't differ alot between brands, but if you can get your hands on a WD, they would be marginally better than a Samsung. I say this while I'm running 2xSamsungs in RAID0. They saved me $40 bux total at the time (on special), and I doubt I would see much difference if I went with WD drives.


One last thing. You will notice in threads like this that total cost of your build will generally go up, as people say "Oh, for x dollars more, you can get this!". Although in this case, as we get rid of the SLI (or crossfire), you might end up with something softer on the wallet.

I'm always a "little cranky".Some days more so. I rather think it's part of my charm. So, like Mae West said, "When I'm good, I'm very good. When I'm bad, I'm better".

Newegg reviews in essence, have to be reviewed themselves. There are granted, plenty of *****s that should be tested and licensed before being allowed to have an opinion.

Perhaps since I generally build mainstream boxes, not geared toward maximum performance, it's easier to be self sufficient. Still, while advice is good, it seems rather pushy to come blasting into a post announcing that someone should change the entire system to a different brand. Well meaning, but pushy nonetheless.

This decision is of a different paygrade than mine, so I have tastefully kept my mouth shut.

Ya know, I wuz wundrin that mee-self.....

I think the dual processors in the WD "Caviar Black" series, might make a small difference, but I do admit that it might be testable, but not observable. I really like the Seagates also, but that company's bad run of the larger "Barracuda 7200.11" series, has left me unwilling to recommend them, but still willing to purchase one for my "own consumption". This is a case where the reviews at Newegg had signaled trouble, since the feedback on these drives was horrific. , A sort of, "where there's smoke there's fire" indicator, as it were.

That said, I just bought a Seagate 320GB 7200.12 "Barracuda", and Windows 7 rates it 5/10 higher than a WD2500 250GB Caviar >> BLUE <<

You betcha...! People don't seem to care how they spend other people's money.

That said, I seem to be guilty of that as well, with my suggestion of stepping the OS up to Windows 7 Professional.

And although I'm happy to receive your feedback that was given in response to my last post, ( >>NO<< sarcasm), I would actually like to hear your input about that also.

About the OS?

I think its an excellent idea of having that Virtual PC, but having used it myself briefly, I don't think its really all that useful.

But I "tastefully kept my mouth shut" given that the last non-professional Windows version I used was Windows ME, and we know how long ago that was. Personally when it comes to OSes, I'm not particularly interested. We basically have one choice (Windows), and the most basic windows would be good enough for people who really are clueless about which one to choose, and people who need a particular service already knows which one to go for.

I'm not certain that the "word has gotten out" effectively about "Virtual PC" or "XP Mode". This is why it's been mentioned. It is however, one of the salient concessions M$ has made to give Win 7 the broadest appeal. (A little "apology" for Vista, as it were, or might have been conceived).

You're obviously correct as to whether its utility would be beneficial to all. I just installed it, in an attempt to continue using my earlier versions of "Photoshop Elements", As they give Win 7 s*** fits, and the latest version PSE-8 is a pure dog. Well PSE-7 is also, but I've already paid for that, and it runs passably under XP.

I sometimes offer advice with the disclaimer; "your results (or necessity) may vary". This admonishment is not withheld in this instance.

Not everyone CMH , nik's idea of crossfiring two 5770's is a very good well thought out (im assuming) idea. 2 x 5770 will outperform a 5870 and do it for $100-200 less. also 2x 5770 can be done for the same cost as a single 5850 that was recommended, and outperform it by 20-25%.
The "one bigger card is always better" song being sung is a rather antiquated idea. it was true around the time of 8.12 drivers, however now it (if configured thoughtfully) is a real price/performance winner.

XP mode in Pro/Ultimate is only cost effective if the hardware/software you need to replace works out more expensive than the OS upgrade.
Having done a few system builds for small businesses, using Pro/Ultimate has come in very handy as a number of them use a surprising amount of hardware- mainly business grade printers/copiers that have no native Win7 driver support.

That said, in the US, the price differential between OEM copies of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional is $30.00 (Obviously here again USD) You don't really have to salvage much software or hardware to regain your 30 bucks rather quickly. A copy of Windows XP 32 bit Pro is a $139,95 also, but free (XP mode), with a valid copy of Win 7 (Pro).

Bottom line is, 30 bucks won't get you too far past McDonalds in the, "dinner for two" realm.