This will be my first computer build, so I am pretty much lost on where to start even. I want to build a PC that is set up for some mild gaming, I'm not talking about running huge games just something like garry's mod. I also want it to be something I can use for music and movies, something that I can hook up to surround sound and will have good sound and something that isnt going to be sluggish while I'm using it. I feel like it would be pretty simple, and I also have a custom built computer that my motherboard just went out on (I did not build it) so I will be able to use some parts from that. So, any suggestions on what parts would suit me the best and what I need?
Wanting to build media PC and slight gaming
- Thread starter rayb0331
- Start date
GhostRyder
Posts: 2,151 +588
Can you post an amount you would like to spend on the machine?
I'm not sure, so I am just gonna say that I'm not worried about price because if it comes to something out of my budget I will either wait and start the project later or just slowly build it as I get the money.
![hellokitty[hk]](/community/data/avatars/m/169/169488.jpg?1355088591){kind=avatar}
hellokitty[hk]
Posts: 3,413 +146
I think I'd just get an A10 APU + other components would total to less that $500 with a decent amount of power.
GhostRyder
Posts: 2,151 +588
I cant tell if your in the US or not, but ill build this rig under that assumption (If your not, ill adjust accordingly)
I concur Hellokitty[hk], I also would suggest an APU for this build, this is the build I would recommend for you keeping a relatively decent budget in mind and working from there since your not going hard core on games.
Heres my recommended Parts List:
A10-6800k and MSI A85X Motherboard
Corsair Carbide 300R Case
Western Digital Blue 1tb 7200RPM
Rosewill Lightning Series 800Watt Gold (Or this maybe a bit overboard I was just thinking it was a good deal, heres a cheaper alternative) Rosewill HIVE 550Watt Bronze (Price is 70 for the HIVE while 140 for the lightning)
Gskill Ripjaws 2x4gb DDR3 2133 (This is for the APU since it shares ram, it will boost its performance)
Corsair H100i Liquid Cooler (For all your cooling and overclocking needs, its good to have on these APU's IMHO)
Generic DVD Drive
Total for the build is $711 if you have the upper rosewill, otherwise it is $641 with the cheaper.
Now this build gives you a good CPU that will perform very well for most needs and a GPU for medium gaming and HD movies ETC. This build is a pretty good deal and is expandable later if you decide that you need more GPU power I can throw in this to help with your performance.
HD 7750 MSI
This would allow Hybrid CFX and would be a significant GPU performance boost if needed, however for just like Garys mod, the APU GPU built in will be enough.
This is mostly a guide to get you started, please let me know what direction you want to take from here as I can make adjustments higher and lower as necessary.
I concur Hellokitty[hk], I also would suggest an APU for this build, this is the build I would recommend for you keeping a relatively decent budget in mind and working from there since your not going hard core on games.
Heres my recommended Parts List:
A10-6800k and MSI A85X Motherboard
Corsair Carbide 300R Case
Western Digital Blue 1tb 7200RPM
Rosewill Lightning Series 800Watt Gold (Or this maybe a bit overboard I was just thinking it was a good deal, heres a cheaper alternative) Rosewill HIVE 550Watt Bronze (Price is 70 for the HIVE while 140 for the lightning)
Gskill Ripjaws 2x4gb DDR3 2133 (This is for the APU since it shares ram, it will boost its performance)
Corsair H100i Liquid Cooler (For all your cooling and overclocking needs, its good to have on these APU's IMHO)
Generic DVD Drive
Total for the build is $711 if you have the upper rosewill, otherwise it is $641 with the cheaper.
Now this build gives you a good CPU that will perform very well for most needs and a GPU for medium gaming and HD movies ETC. This build is a pretty good deal and is expandable later if you decide that you need more GPU power I can throw in this to help with your performance.
HD 7750 MSI
This would allow Hybrid CFX and would be a significant GPU performance boost if needed, however for just like Garys mod, the APU GPU built in will be enough.
This is mostly a guide to get you started, please let me know what direction you want to take from here as I can make adjustments higher and lower as necessary.
GhostRyder
Posts: 2,151 +588
Then I would just stick with something like What I just quoted from my original build.
slh28 Yea I don't know what I was thinking when I put that PSU in, but I put the cheaper alternative in lol. I just saw it cheaper than before and thought why not I think was my reasoning.
An APU like this being unlocked and with all this extra power will last quite awhile and be a good computer for the money. I would still recommend some good CPU cooling, if the H100i is a bit overboard (If your not overclocking, it probably is) then do this cooler as an alternative.
Corsair H55 Quiet
Will keep the computer very silent and cool for the APU, it will save about 50 more bucks in the build dropping the price to $620 which will give you a very nice machine!
Would I be looking for a motherboard with HDMI built into it or am I able to modify a motherboard to have an HDMI hook up? How much of this can I build myself? Like buying basic parts to keep it cheap and then adding on my own stuff.
Obviously I dont know much about this stuff how about something like this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E16813131795&gclid=CK-NpJmCzrkCFZRj7AodkHAApg
Obviously I dont know much about this stuff how about something like this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E16813131795&gclid=CK-NpJmCzrkCFZRj7AodkHAApg
GhostRyder
Posts: 2,151 +588
That's a totally different socket, that's AM3+ for the FX and Phenom series chips instead of the FM2 like shown above. If you stick with a FM2 A85X motherboard, it will automatically have HDMI output (I would double check this, but I have yet to see one without HDMI) on the board as that's the Point of the AMD FM2 APU line.
hellokitty[hk]
Posts: 3,413 +146
No it's not going to fit is what he's saying.
The CPU/mobo combo he posted above is a good choice.
As for the RAM, what he posted above is good as well, BUT you will want to shop around more, it is more expensive than it should be.
You can get 2x4GB 2400 RAM for less than $70 anytime and Newegg very often has sales and promo codes that will bring the price down to the $60 range
Right now I'm seeing a 2x4GB DDR3 2400 kit for $69, look for newegg's next email on promo codes/sales.
Also pretty poor choice on the power supply IMO.
SeaSonic SS-300ES Bronze 300W
In addition I'm pretty sure you won't need to get a CPU cooler, it comes with one in that package I think.
The CPU/mobo combo he posted above is a good choice.
As for the RAM, what he posted above is good as well, BUT you will want to shop around more, it is more expensive than it should be.
You can get 2x4GB 2400 RAM for less than $70 anytime and Newegg very often has sales and promo codes that will bring the price down to the $60 range
Right now I'm seeing a 2x4GB DDR3 2400 kit for $69, look for newegg's next email on promo codes/sales.
Also pretty poor choice on the power supply IMO.
SeaSonic SS-300ES Bronze 300W
In addition I'm pretty sure you won't need to get a CPU cooler, it comes with one in that package I think.
GhostRyder
Posts: 2,151 +588
Well yea, but the higher the speed of the ram, the higher timings go which can be detrimental in its own since. I picked 2133 specifically because the Chip (A10-6800k) has a built in 2133 controller in it and the timings were not bad for the price of that set of ram.
As for the PSU, a 300Watt PSU is a bad idea in general, it will limit any expandability on that machine and the 6800k on its own tends to pull in the range of 150-200 based on other components under load. Which would mean any extra buffing or what not (Like an additional GPU if needed) would require a PSU change, or be right on the edge of the limit for that PSU. The 550watt I selected is a good brand, good reliability, and will run better because it wont always be peaking on power usage constantly, plus it will have plenty of room for expansion.
I think if you want to re-use parts, that's not always the best solution because when years pass between computers, things tend to change and parts lose compatibility. I would just suggest a fresh start IMHO since the machine suggested above is in the range of 600 bucks as it is. It will also limit the chances of failures in the long run.
hellokitty[hk]
Posts: 3,413 +146
I've read the Tom's article on the effect of RAM speeds on the APU's performance. There's little difference between 2400 and 2133 and even with slower timings, the 2400 scores a tiny bit faster (not enough to be worth mentioning).
As of right now it's $77 which is in fact not a good price for the US. Bottom line is that you should probably pick the RAM set at the time of ordering since prices fluctuate. 2133/2400 is fine for the APU.
As for the 800w Rosewill lightning? It's not a bad power supply but that's something for SLI GTX770.
The Rosewill Hive 550w? Also not a bad choice but when the Rosewill CAPSTONE-450 450W is available for $10 less it's a much better deal and can easily handle a 7950 if you want to be able to expand a bit.
Aside from that the 300w will take a 7770 as well. Though if you wanted to add in a discreet graphics card it might be better just to start out with a 760k along with the discreet card.
As of right now it's $77 which is in fact not a good price for the US. Bottom line is that you should probably pick the RAM set at the time of ordering since prices fluctuate. 2133/2400 is fine for the APU.
As for the 800w Rosewill lightning? It's not a bad power supply but that's something for SLI GTX770.
The Rosewill Hive 550w? Also not a bad choice but when the Rosewill CAPSTONE-450 450W is available for $10 less it's a much better deal and can easily handle a 7950 if you want to be able to expand a bit.
Aside from that the 300w will take a 7770 as well. Though if you wanted to add in a discreet graphics card it might be better just to start out with a 760k along with the discreet card.
Found this stuff for sale today. Still don't know whats new and worth anything so what do you guys think? http://cleveland.craigslist.org/sys/4052572991.html
hellokitty[hk]
Posts: 3,413 +146
All of it's old tech, IMO suitable for light video watching/office work, and certainly no gaming.
Could go with the case/networking gear though.
Could go with the case/networking gear though.
Okay I finally got my computer Apart find out what hardware I was running. Here is the link to my mother board specifications which is what went bad in this computer.
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d945gtp/sb/CS-029368.htm
I think the way this PC was set up will work for me so now I just need to replace the board so what would you guys suggest that I replace it with? Something that could work with my current hardware because it doesn't seem very outdated.
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d945gtp/sb/CS-029368.htm
I think the way this PC was set up will work for me so now I just need to replace the board so what would you guys suggest that I replace it with? Something that could work with my current hardware because it doesn't seem very outdated.
Found this earlier and it seemed like a good price but how good is this motherboard?
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/syd/4019145149.html
http://cleveland.craigslist.org/syd/4019145149.html
Latest posts
-
Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs. Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D- Jasonhc73 replied
