First build, and I need help with determining the compatibility. Also if anyone knows of anything cheaper, that is the same thing let me know! Thanks! noob.


Case
Antec VSK-2000 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129069

Processor
[== Quad Core ==] AMD Phenom™ II X4 965 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...AMD-_-19103727

Processor Cooling
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler$77.89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ory-_-35181010

Memory
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) $249.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...es)-_-20145284

Graphics card
MSI R5670-PMD1G Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity X2 $228.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...MSI-_-14127477

Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...YTE-_-13128378

Power Supply
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC
$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82e16817139005

Primary Hard drive(s)
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000KSRTL 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136040
Other drive
Kingston SSDNow V Series SNV425-S2/64GB 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $135.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820139133



Optical Drive
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM $24.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-175-_-Product

Sound Card
Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 70SB104000000 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card$59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-017-_-Product

Operating system
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
$104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754

= $1247.79

Excellent cpu, powersupply, and motherboard.

Corsair makes very good memory. As a precaution make sure this particular Corair memory will work with your Gigabyte motherboard. To do this go to Gigabyte's website, find the exact model and look at the Qualified Vendor's List for your memory. It will save you possible headaches in the long run.

Video Card - do a little more research here. MSI may not be your best choice in this card.

Case - For a few dollars more you can get a better one with Coolermaster. Amazon.com right now is having a really good sale on several of Coolermaster cases.

Sound Card - No. This card has a poor reputation. Look at HT Omega sound cards. Yes, you'll pay more but they have a great reputation with quality, drivers (yes, they have W7 drivers), and customer support.

How you can save money - the processor cooler and the SSD. SSD's are still relatively new and many are first generation. Give it a year and prices should drop along with better technology and larger capacity. The Western Digital should do you fine. Take the extra $ and put it towards the case and sound card.

I would recommend that you go for a slightly cheaper 4GB memory kit instead of 8GB and get a better video card. The HD 5670 does not quite pack a punch when it comes to gaming performance. Also I would suggest a cheaper CPU HSF.

These are the parts I would recommend:

G.SKILL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 - $104.99
POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 5830 1GB - $249.99

If you are willing to spend slightly more, get the Radeon HD 5850.

For the CPU cooler something like the OCZ Vendetta / Vendetta 2 would be ideal. However, it's availability is very limited. You could look at the Xigmatek HDT S1283 / 963. They provide excellent performance for the price. But it's imperative that you pick a case in which the CPU cooler fits properly. My personal choice would be something like the Cooler Master CM 690. It's cheap and big.

Yes, go with 4 gigs (I didn't catch that the Corsair is 8 gig). 4 Gigs will be more than sufficient and G.Skill is another strong memory maker.

i will second...and third what Rit and Route said, get a 4gb set of ram and put the $ into a better GPU. 95% of the ram out there is made by either Samsung,Elpida,Hynix,Qimonda,or Micron. so you are basically buying a preference for the cooler, and or how pretty it is. its all quality ram and and unless you are doing something extraordinary with your rig, you will not come close to saturating more than 4gb. ie...get a 5830/5850.

Great minds think alike red... *cough* *cough* By the way, what better cpu would you suggest?

...well i have always thought so
I like the X4 965 J, to save a few bucks I would get a x4 920 or 940....I don't like to pay for someone else to do my overclocking

The X4 955 BE maybe? That would be my preference as it's part of the flagship AM3 socket lineup.

his/her call, the 925/945/955 are all Deneb core, C3 stepping, and 6mb L3.

OK, there's mention of a "sound card" in this thread somewhere. So, here's my question, "are those ATI chipsets so backwards that you actually need to install an aftermarket sound card"?

in short, no! sound card sales have diminished to almost nothing since 1999, and the reason is they are no longer needed.....i don't get it either Cap.
great catch though...lose the sound card!

I didn't know there was a better AMD CPU, I am going with AMD, because it is cheaper, I was at like 2 grand on Intel at the say price, thanks for the suggestions, does anyone know anything about the radeon 2GB 58 something. I can't find anyone selling it except a few places like Ibuypower.
I was going with SSD for a faster Operating System and faster game loading. I'll take your advice and wait on the SSD....

this is what I have, though I may get a free case from my friend, he has about a million.
Case
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119137

Processor
[== Quad Core ==] AMD Phenom™ II X4 965 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...AMD-_-19103727

Processor Cooling
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler$39.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835233003

Memory
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ$104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...skim951X490024

Graphics card
POWERCOLOR PCS+ AX5830 1GBD5-PPDH Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
$249.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...skim951X490024

Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...YTE-_-13128378

Power Supply
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC
$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82e16817139005

Primary Hard drive(s)
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000KSRTL 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive X2 $139.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136040




Optical Drive
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM $24.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-175-_-Product

Sound Card
HT | OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
$89.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829271001

Operating system
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
$104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754

=$1229.89
I looked at tigerdirect, and amazon, and mostly Newegg is cheaper =D(and cheaper shipping, though I might do more expensive shipping[fedex] just cause they take better care of stuff)

I want an after market sound card, because onboard ones that good, unless you have alot of money to sink into a high-end motherboard and usually don't have directional sound. though, I'll think about losing it, look and see what type of onboard it has!

Don't lose the sound card -- but only if it is quality, i.e. no Creative, and it provides what you are looking for. M-Audio has some excellent ones but their issue is drivers. Thus my suggestion of HT Omega offerings.

well, what do you mean "better" CPU chips? I am getting a 965, you guys are suggesting 955 and lower, it is like a $40 difference between them. Ok thanks Route.

not better in quality, when you buy a 965, you are paying for someone else to OC clock it for you. just means you can save a few bucks and OC a 955 to a 965 speed (and way beyond0 and not pay the premium for it.

I just bought a 100 dollar H55 motherboard, it has the Realtek ALC889 codec, HDMI Intel sound, plus SPDIF out and I think it's adaptable to SPDIF in also. This is not decent sound?

sounds like it, but depending on the Motherboard, the one I am getting I don't think it has much to it.
Thanks, red!

How about this AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor
$160.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103674
And I could just try the onboard, and see if I need better.

The Phenom II X4 955 BE would be a fine choice.