[phillpower2]

I chose the FX-4100 because it was faster and had good reviews at Newegg, it has not been around as long as the Deneb and so does not have the same amount of sales figures and data.

The good thing about having a pcpartpicker saved list is that you can tweak it until you get the exact build you want.

I would never recommend purchasing a MB that required a BIOS update before you could use it as it may go wrong and trash the MB, this would not be covered by the warranty.

Is there a link missing to the combo you mention!

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http://www.newegg.co...t=Combo.1018125

sorry about that.

[johnhudd]

http://www.newegg.co...t=Combo.1018125

sorry about that.

[phillpower2]

Not a bad spec but not sure on the cost.

I am working all day today but if I can find the time I will enter all of the list of parts at pcpartpicker and see what the cost comes out at, if it would only save you $30 -$50 to build your own with the same hardware and you are happy with the components I would say go for it as at least you know you will also have warranty cover.

[johnhudd]

I read a lot of reviews, and I think it's a better bet to go with the phenom processor. It outperforms the fx in gaming, according to reviews. On pcpartpicker the total comes to $606.92, with only the hdd not from newegg. It saves me quite a bit over the combo deal. The only difference is the hdd, while the combo has a 128GB ssd. I don't need an ssd because it would probably be overkill considering the rest of my parts, and I probably need more than 128GB.

The questions I have are: is the Rosewill case sufficient over the coolermaster? It has good reviews, and I think three fans. Will the motherboard hold back performance in anyway, or prevent future upgrading? And I'm still not 100% sure on the cpu. The phenom is on sale on newegg with a promo code right now, and with the reviews it seems like the right choice. Also, is it truue that this system would only be able to handle 1333 RAM so 1600 is pointless?

Here is the list on pcpartpicker: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cXhm

[phillpower2]

I fully understand your decision on the CPU

SSDs are ideal for faster boot up times and running other favourite software, 120 - 128GB is enough to do this + it will allow for many years of updates to be installed, a less expensive SSD http://us.ncix.com/p...gy&promoid=1261 gets a 4* rating but there are better ones available for between $80 - $90.

The Rosewill case is okay for the cost and has plenty of scope for adding additional cooling fans if you want/need them.

Not sure where you have read the information regarding the Ram, from the MB specs;
Memory Type DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600/1866/2133

[johnhudd]

I have a list of parts on neweggg, not the combo, for under $600. This one has a different case, and an hdd rather than an ssd. I"m not to concerned with computer speed right now. I've seen comparison videos between hdd and ssd and the extra price isn't worth it for me just yet. I will wait until ssd drop in price, then replace my hdd in the future. As for the case, it's an $80 case on sale for $45, and it comes with 4 fans. It has front usb 3.0 ports. It says to make sure you motherboard has an on board usb 3.0 socket. My motherboard does since it says it has usb 3.0 support, right? Here is the cart: http://secure.newegg...spx?Submit=view . Also, if all items in the cart check out okay, then do you think I should get a better graphics card?

[phillpower2]

PM Sent 26 July 2012 - 07:53 PM

Hi

Please check the link in your reply #21

Thanks

[johnhudd]

I've been playing with the cart so it looks different now. It turns out Im not going to be able to buy the parts for a couple of months, and things will have changed by then so I'm not worried about choosing parts right now.Heres my situation though; I will be getting about $600 in September, and $1000 in 5 or 6 months. I think I want to build a $600 AMD computer to play some older games and get some experience building computers, then with the $1000 I want to upgrade it to an intel i5 or i7. So I am assuming that I will have to get a new cpu, motherboard, and maybe graphics card. I know prices will have changed a lot, but I just want to know if that plan will work.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update

Good plan as you will not only gain building experience you will also have a good back up system.
Post back here when you are ready and we will assist you.

[johnhudd]

Thanks. Will do.

[johnhudd]

I have a technical question about the computer I have now, should I start a new thread?

Edited by johnhudd, 05 August 2012 - 01:48 PM.

[phillpower2]

Depending on what the question is if I can answer it for you then asking here will be fine but thank you for asking before posting it

[johnhudd]

I am not sure of the complete specs, but I know it's a 2002 windows xp with an intel pentium 4 3.4 ghz cpu. I think there is about 70 gb free hdd space. Anyway, I downloaded and tried to play a game demo for medieval II total war to get an idea of how good the computer was. I was able to load the game, set options, and watch a video from the menu. When I try to start a battle or tutorial, it gets to the loading screen, and freezes as soon as the loading bar fills up. I can open the task manager, which says that the program is not responding, and the cpu usage spikes up to and maintains at about 100%. It's an old game, and the computer meets the recommended specs.

[phillpower2]

Please Run the PCPitstop.com OverDrive Full Tests

Here's how:

You must use your Internet Explorer for this procedure. (doesn't work so well in Firefox or others). If your machine is running Vista or Windows 7, you must Select IE to “Run as Administrator”. After completing PCPitstop OverDrive you can close your IE browser and re-open it Normally so that you are no longer running as administrator.

Go to: http://www.pcpitstop...pit/default.asp
Click on "Free Computer Check-up" listed below PC Pitstop OverDrive
In the User Login - Click on "Sign up FREE!"
You'll need to submit a valid email address and create your own password, then click - Create Account(button)

Now enter your email address and password to Log in, Select - Scan this system Now!(button)
You will then be asked to download an ActiveX component and allow it to install.
It is safe and does not compromise your privacy.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install the ActiveX and to allow the Full Tests to be run on your machine.

The Full Tests take about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes on most machines.
When complete, a Results - Summary - Recommended Fixes will be displayed.

Please post the URL internet address, from your Results, back here into this Topic Thread so that we can review the configuration and present performance levels of your machine.

Note: During the graphics 2D and graphics 3D testing, your screen will display some rapidly moving objects.
If you are sensitive to visual flashing, it may cause dizziness. Therefore, look away from the screen during that portion of the testing.

After reviewing the results we will be more informed and may be able to provide better recommendations for you to work towards improving your machine's performance.

While PCPitstop does offer a variety of Paid Products, the PCPitstop OverDrive testing is FREE. Please ignore the references to Paid Products. We prefer to provide manual solution instructions that you can apply directly to your machine.

Thanks to rshaffer61 for the PCPitstop instructions

[johnhudd]

I dont have internet explorer, as I have never been able to download it successfully onto this computer, and neither did it's previous owner. I use mainly google chrome, but I also have firefox.