Tek daydreams about building a new PC (again)

ewoksrule said:
Put a stock notifier on that $139 card, that is a steal. Plus its a Christian company! more win.
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I'm not seeing a place to sign up to be notified when it's back in stock. :(

EDIT: Nevermind. Found it. Had to click Add to Wishlist, then I had an option to Auto Notify. Entered my e-mail address and hoping they'll have some back in stock before the price goes up AND before the rebate deal ends on 11/27.

Interesting note about HIS being a Christian company, though!
 
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Right now, I'm leaning toward the GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 because of the free RAM deal. I just wish I could find a support CPUs list for that board. :(

If the HIS video card comes back in stock, if the Phenom 965 is a viable option (for only $100, w00t!), and if the board linked above supports the Phenom AND the newer AMD CPUs (in case I want to upgrade), then I'll probably take the plunge...but I have my doubts the HIS card will be back in stock in time. :(
 
Okay, these AMD CPUs are in the running:

Thoughts?

Once I choose a CPU and a mainboard, I'm planning on adding those items along with the HIS Radeon 7850 to a Newegg wishlist. As for whether I'll purchase the items this year or not depends on whether that HIS card gets restocked or not.

EDIT: Here are benchmarks for the FX-4170 and here are benchmarks for the FX-6100.

EDIT#2: Oops, didn't see the AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX before. $130 after promo code for a CPU with a nice step up in benchmarks. Hmmm...

EDIT#3: Ooh~ The 6-core AMD CPU is on sale at Amazon for $130 without any code. Atown: Please add this to the CGA aStore!

EDIT#4: Okay, I have my wish lists set up. I may not buy everything during Black Friday or even before 2013 (or ever, depending on what new hardware is released and at what price), but it's nice to at least have the items picked out. Now I can rest and take care of my more practical Black Friday scouting tomorrow...
 
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I have absolutely no complaints about my FX 4170. It never chugs or slows down, and running GW2, multiple Firefox windows, music, and Ventrilo, nothing skips a beat.
 
I have a Black 965 and love it. with proper cooling it really can o/c. That being said, Iv'e been looking to build a new rig myself. Been reading quite a bit and it seems that an i5 would be the way to go. AMD doesnt have the "bang for buck" that it did 2 years ago. Ill link the products i was looking at as soon as i find my phone.(its lost in the kitchen during Thanksgiving, lol)
 
Unless there's an amazing deal, I don't think I'll be able to justify the cost of an i5. I'm less concerned with benchmarks and more concerned with real world experience. If the processor/RAM/video card together can deliver 60+ FPS in Natural Selection 2 and Guild Wars 2 on max settings, I'll be thrilled. Anything beyond that is future proofing.
 
I'd like to get a current generation AMD chip, even though I recognize the Phenom 965 is still a great CPU.

The hard part is going to be choosing a 22"-24" monitor. I'm thinking about skipping Black Friday deals, visiting a local brick & mortar store, picking a monitor (or at least narrowing the field), putting the choice (or choices) on Newegg and Amazon wishlists, and waiting for a price drop.

Or just hold out until Bowser visits me next spring and gives me his monitor. :D
 
 
ewoksrule said:
That top AsRock just dropped to $69 that seems like a steal.
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I just wasn't sure how the specs compared to the other boards (especially the GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3). I'd rather spend a little more up front for a mainboard with better "future-proofing." :)
 
So what is the difference between these 2 cards (besides price and availability)?

HIS IceQ X H785QN2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HIS H785F2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

EDIT: Also, is there a substantial difference between the 990FX and the 970 boards? I did a bit o' Googling but wasn't able to pin down any details.

EDIT#2: Nevermind, I may have already found my answer: If I don't plan to add a second video card (and it's very likely I never will), there's no significant difference between the 970 and the 990FX.
 
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Okay, here's what I'm thinking of (eventually) buying:

Total: $393 after rebates

I already have a case (though it's old and, as much as I <3 it, I'd like to replace it eventually), a SSD, a 600W power supply, and a Blu-ray burner on the way.

EDIT: What if I bought the mainboard, RAM, and processor and waiting to see if the video card is restocked or another drops in price for Cyber Monday? I have a GeForce GTS 450 installed in my desktop at the moment.

EDIT#2: Cost would be $253 without the video card.

EDIT#3: Here's my alternate video card: HIS H785F2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - $185 after rebate card.

That would bring the total to $438.
 
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Get an epic cooler for epic o/c performance! I don't see a reason why the RAM wont work. Although I don't like the FX chips (not sure why, they just bug me), you will be blown away with the speed compared with what you have. Best of luck building :D
 
I use a Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 and its very stable. It is a Gigabyte product afterall.

CowRocket said:
Get an epic cooler for epic o/c performance! I don't see a reason why the RAM wont work. Although I don't like the FX chips (not sure why, they just bug me), you will be blown away with the speed compared with what you have. Best of luck building
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What he said. I upgraded from a Core2 Duo.. which is better than what you've got, and the difference was staggering.
 
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I know you are on the cheap but i would HIGHLY recommend an intel cpu. I have a core i3 that runs everything including cs, ns2 and gw without issue. If you're interested tek let me know and ill post my recommendation.
 
Hescominsoon said:
I know you are on the cheap but i would HIGHLY recommend an intel cpu. I have a core i3 that runs everything including cs, ns2 and gw without issue. If you're interested tek let me know and ill post my recommendation.
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I mostly just want to pick something and buy it already. :( I'm so tired of researching processors, video cards, mainboards, and RAM that I'm half-tempted to just make do with what I have and spend more time on my PS3.

That being said, yes, go ahead and post your recommendations. :) I'm beyond tired of researching hardware, but I want to get the most bang for my buck right now AND 3-5 years down the line.
 
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