first build ever! under $500

[jonnyt]

So I got tired of playing cs:s on my laptop and I've decided to build a pc. nothing too fancy just something to play counterstrike and do school work. I want it to be as upgradeble as possible (in case I get more $$) I've done some research during the last couple of days and this is what I came up with: let me know what you guys think,

case: Xion Solaris Black/Green ATX Mid-Tower Case with Clear Side, Front USB and Audio Ports and 450-Watt Power Supply - $60

motherboard + cpu :Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H Motherboard w/ AMD Athlon II 245 CPU w/Fan Bundle $140

memory: OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2x2048MB) $60

video card:EVGA GeForce 9500 GT Video Card - 1GB DDR2, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Support, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, VGA Support - $65

dvd drive: Lite-On IHAS124-04 Internal DVD Writer - DVD+R 24X, DVD-R 24X, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6X, DVD+R DL 8X, SATA (OEM) - $30

hard drive: Western Digital WD6400AACS Caviar Green Hard Drive - 640GB, 16MB, SATA-3G, Intellipower $60

card reader: PowerUp GEN-9010 Internal All-in-One Flash Card Reader - $12

psu: ?? any ideas or should I give the one that comes with the case a chance

total= 427


This is all from tigerdirect.com if you copy and paste any of it, it'll show the part


also any ideas/suggestion to make the package cheaper and still meet my needs are welcomed

thanks
in advance

[glc]

1. Xion power supplies are not good. Buy a case without a PSU and get a decent one separately.

2. Try www.newegg.com - Tiger Direct is noted for selling a lot of distressed merchandise.

3. "SLI" ram can be problematic.

[systempat]

Second the avoid Tiger Direct recommendation. They have been known to sell junk, and the customer service - not so good.
If you shop Newegg check the user ratings and reviews for product info from the people that bought them. Also look at their Motherboards and CPU combos, you may be able to save 20 or 30 that way.

[jonnyt]

so I looked up the same parts on newegg and it turned out cheaper! but I still don't know what case and power supply to get. Will 450 watts be ok or do I need more? any quality case/psu suggestions under $100? and do you guys thinks prices are likely to drop by christmas (so I'll be able to afford better parts and I'll have the most time to build)? or should I just do it now during my free time?
thanks

[pam123]

Take a look at this case/power supply : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024

[glc]

For 65 bucks, a Radeon 4670 will kick a 9500GT across the room.

[jonnyt]

I found the COOLER MASTER Elite RC-310-BWN1-GP nice looking, and I've heard good things about their cases and for the psu what do you guys think of the COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply, will it be enough for my configuration? it's pretty cheap but the reviews don't look that bad

@glc can you give me a link to that video card

[pam123]

Originally Posted by jonnyt I found the COOLER MASTER Elite RC-310-BWN1-GP nice looking, and I've heard good things about their cases and for the psu what do you guys think of the COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply, will it be enough for my configuration? it's pretty cheap but the reviews don't look that bad @glc can you give me a link to that video card

Cooler Master has a (deserved) good reputation and I'd say go for it if you weren't a gamer.
Not enough power for a gamer.

[glc]

Use the advanced search at Newegg, you will get a whole page of them. Start with Radeon 4000 series, then filter those results for HD 4670.

The 460 watt Coolermaster should be enough for a 4670. However, I'd be inclined to get a case without a PSU and be a bit more picky on the PSU - right now, the Antec Earthwatts 500 is at a very nice price.

Reviewing your other components, I'd be inclined to get a WD Black hard drive instead of a Green. It's a bit faster, has twice the cache, and a longer warranty.

For building a gamer, it's always best to concentrate on the video card and the power supply - those are the 2 items you shouldn't cut corners on - along with getting a motherboard from a decent manufacturer - which you have done.

[BoomerSoonerOKU]

If my memory serves me you might look at getting a retail version of the Lite On dvd writer if you need burning software. The retail version comes with (Nero I believe) while the OEM version doesn't include any software package. Generally the price difference is negligible.

[andper10]

Originally Posted by jonnyt do you guys thinks prices are likely to drop by christmas (so I'll be able to afford better parts and I'll have the most time to build)? or should I just do it now during my free time? thanks

If you will be using the new PC a lot before Christmas, it might be worth it to buy the parts now and assemble it when you get a chance. However, generally computer parts get cheaper with time, and since AMD/ATI is in the process of releasing a new video card line, you don't want to buy a few parts at a time and let them sit for a while before you get them all and get around to building your PC.

If you don't mind waiting a while to build your PC, and if you like hunting for good deals, you will be able to get more performance for your $ if you pick your top few parts in each category (psu, ram, hard drive, etc.) shortly before Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and try to get some of your parts from Black Friday sales. Keep in mind that generally, you don't want to buy one part at a time. So if you can't find a sale on one part, you shouldn't wait around for a sale while your other parts loose value.

Be sure to get a PSU with a high 12V amps rating (add them if there are multiple 12V rails). If you get one that is just a little more than you need for a mid range video card, you will regret it if you try to upgrade your video card later only to realize that you now have to buy a new PSU too.

You don't need a great video card to play Counter-Strike Source, but if you plan to play some other more recent games, I would recommend buying a 4850 (or a Nvidia card on the same level) or better if you can afford it:
(like this: $85 after rebate - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127414 )

Tom's Hardware has a handy monthly ranking of all video cards that you can use to compare the preformance of different cards.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2404-7.html

Enjoy your new PC!

[jonnyt]

ok so here's the new setup

mobo - GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

cpu - AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX250OCGQBOX - Retail

= $135 for combo

psu - Antec earthwatts EA500 500W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC "compatible ...
=$70

memory - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1B16K - Retail
=$59


case - COOLER MASTER Elite RC-310-BWN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
=$35

video card - EVGA 01G-P3-N959-TR GeForce 9500 GT 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
=$65

dvd drive - HP 24X Multiformat DVD Writer Black SATA Model 1260i - Retail
=$30

hd = SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
=$50

card reader = Nippon Labs Delux 3.5" Internal All In One Card Reader/Writer with USB2.0 & eSATA Ports Model ICR-BB - Retail
=$25

SUBTOTAL: $465

yeah I'm having second thoughts about the vid card, and if the mobo is good enough (or can someone recommend a good one for a first time build and my needs). And if I should just buy everything now and build it during my free time or wait for black friday to buy everything then (and hopefully get good deals), I just started using my sisters PC (which runs cs:s), but I dont know if I can resist the temptation because I want it now, dont really need it, but it would be nice if I could afford better components 2 months from now