RAM needed for new build, OS upgrade needed to prevent bottlenecking performance?

[F1r3F1y]

My main concern involves the RAM I will need, and by extension, whether I need to upgrade my OS. I currently use 32bit XP Pro and since it only recognizes ~3gb of RAM (4gb maximum minus the GPU memory allocation and other hardware resources), I’d have to purchase Windows 7 in order to use greater than ~3gb ram. Buying this new OS would significantly add to the cost of this build, which I am trying to minimize as much as possible (I was shooting perhaps unrealistically for ~$600, and am currently at ~$680 not including the OS). Will 2.5-3gb of RAM be enough for the next two years or will I run into a performance bottleneck as applications grow more demanding, especially given the other components in my build?

My secondary concern is any compatibility issues with the components listed below. I’ve tried to research into as many aspects as possible (watts required, amps required on the 12V rail, RAM compatibility, etc); however, I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry before purchasing as there is always more to learn :)

To give a more complete overview of my situation, I’ve outlined my planned build below with a quick explanation on each component. Aside from the typical word processing and web browsing activities, I plan on using the computer for amateur video editing, image editing, and gaming (though the only graphically intensive games I plan to play are World of Warcraft, Starcraft II, and Diablo III). I am also a notorious multitasker, which I’ve heard can greatly benefit from more RAM as well.



Processor: $165
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
I’ve swapped back and forth between AMD and Intel in prior builds, but chose AMD this time due to a seemingly better price to performance ratio on video and gaming benchmarks. A Phenom quad core seemed the way to go, both because of the performance increase over the Athlon line, and more importantly the L3 caches that the Phenoms have.


GPU: $165
SAPPHIRE 100283-2L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support
I try to save some money by purchasing a cost efficient GPU while still maintaining solid performance for gaming. As I prefer to stay under $200 here, I settled on the Radeon 5770, even though some users appear to be having driver/firmware/hardware issues currently.


Motherboard: $70
GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
I’ve heard both Asus and Gigabyte recommended as motherboard manufacturers, and therefore tried to select one of their boards. The one linked above seems awfully cheap (especially when compared to this ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard), so I hope I’m not missing something.


RAM and OS: $100 or $150
As I mentioned above, this is where I run into problems deciding if it’s necessary to upgrade my OS. Either way, the above mobo limits my options to a maximum speed of DDR3 1333 as I am not planning on overclocking.

CORSAIR XMS3 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
If I stick with 32bit XP, I will probably attempt to purchase 3gb of RAM and hope most of it can be utilized (since I’ll have 1gb of GPU RAM it will likely be able to use under 3gb).

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
If I upgrade to 64bit Windows7, I can either go with 4gb or 6gb of RAM. Again, I’m not sure how much is actually needed to ensure solid performance.


Hard Drive: $99
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives -Bare Drive
I don’t mind either Seagate or WD; I ended up going with WD this time only because of the firmware issues some Seagate TB+ drives had last year. I don’t plan on setting up a RAID so I don’t have to worry about compatibility with that either.


Power Supply: $80
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
I needed a power supply to handle the above video card and wanted to stick with a brand that I trust (Corsair or Antec). I ultimately decided on Corsair because they have one 12V rail.


Case (reusing from prior build):
Antec Sonata III 500 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
I’m reusing the case from my prior build. The link above includes a power supply, but I will not be reusing that.


Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer. It will be greatly appreciated! :)

[glc]

Get a 2x2 dual channel ram kit and use XP for now. When you upgrade your OS, get another kit for 8gb. AMD's don't support triple channel ram, those kits are for i7's. Don't waste the money on a new PSU, that Earthwatts 500 in the Sonata will handle a 5770 just fine.

I can't comment on your motherboard choice because I don't do AMD builds and don't keep up on their products. Everything else looks fine.

[F1r3F1y]

Originally Posted by glc AMD's don't support triple channel ram, those kits are for i7's.

I had no idea AMD chips didn't support triple channel, thank you!

Originally Posted by glc Don't waste the money on a new PSU, that Earthwatts 500 in the Sonata will handle a 5770 just fine.

It would be very nice to reuse my existing power supply and save money! However, I had read this review at guru3d which stated:

The card requires you to have a 500 Watt power supply unit at minimum if you use it in a high-end system. That power supply needs to have (in total accumulated) at least 40 Amps available on the +12 volts rails.

The Antec Earthwatts I’m currently using has the following specs:
+3.3V@24A,+5V@24A,+12V1@17A,+12V2@17A,-12V@0.8A, +5VSB@2.5A
Based off this, I thought that lacked the amps needed to run the 5770, however, this is my first time reading these specs in depth; am I interpreting them incorrectly?

[glc]

Don't necessarily believe the reviews. ATI's official specs only recommend a 450, and even a high quality 400 would probably work fine. Official recommendations are usually on the high side anyway to account for crappy brands of power supplies. I don't see a need to replace it unless you do start having issues. That review also bases its recommendations on a heavily modded and overclocked power hungry system. Your system won't use anywhere near the power that their test rig uses.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...uirements.aspx