First Time Build - Need Input

[hrdrok]

Hey guys. I'm bout to put down some money on a gaming build but for the life of me i can't decide which rout to go...i already have a thermaltake mid case V9 b/e. with a 650watt antec power supply...o and a LCD 17" monitor....my big problem comes with cpu/mobo/gpu/ram selection...i don't wanna break the bank but i don't know if i should go with quad core or dual core...i don't wanna regret getting a phenom II dual core 550 b/e type setup when for not a lot more money i could get a better set up...like to keep it under 400 for what left i need...you guys are pretty much the best at this stuff

 

[Muffin Man]

ok, so basicly, you need help selecting a cpu, mobo, gpu, and ram. you said that you already have a case and psu, but youd still need an optical drive and hdd, so are those in the $400 budget too? do you need a keyboard, mouse, OS also?

 

[hrdrok]

don't worry about those...already have mouse and the O/S will be a student copy from college...

 

[Muffin Man]

and what will be the main use of your comp?

 

[hrdrok]

wow should have stated that...srry im new to this...I'm a mechanical engineer and do CAD all the time...and im a gamer so it will have to handle graphics pretty well...

EDIT: Maybe a good crossfire/sli mobo if its possible to have one and stay under price (will buy second gpu at a later time)

 

[Muffin Man]

ok, so these could get you started.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!

this graphics card will handle your monitor just fine. the mobo is crossfire ready, but i think if you want to take advantage of it, youll have to step up your monitor later on because im assuming it has a rather low res. so you wont see much benefit from two, when one can handle it well.

 

[hrdrok]

Thanks for the input muffin that proc fits the bill perfect for me...i did some looking and some "shopping" and think i may upgrade what you gave a bit and i think im gonna go with this...its different but i think it gives me more room to expand in the future...let me know if you think this is wise and if it will all fit together...

Amazon.com: MSI R4850-2D512-OC Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail: Electronics

Amazon.com: OCZ OCZ3P1333LVAM4GK DDR3 PC3-10666 Platinum AMD Edition Memory Module: Electronics

Amazon.com: MSI 790GX-G65 SocketAM3/140W CPU/AMD 790GX CrossFire/4DDR3-1600(OC)/ATI CrossFireX/Radeon HD 3300/GbE/HDMI/DVI/VGA/R/A/1394/ATX Motherboard: TigerDirect

Amazon.com: AMD Athlon II X4 620 95W AM3 2MB 2600MHz Retail: TigerDirect

this came up to $369 and its a bit more and i will have to get a hard drive and optical too but what you think? Oh and reason im going with amazon is bc i have a 35 dollar gift certif...

 

[Muffin Man]

if youre looking to "future proof" your system, you can get ddr3 ram if you want, but if youre on a tight budget, ddr2 is still good. you wont see much real world difference between them.

if you want an am3/ddr3 system, these would also be good, and come out a little cheaper @ $379, which also support what you want.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
Newegg.com - OCZ Special Ops Urban Elite 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3SOU16004GK - Desktop Memory

 

[hrdrok]

i like that build...will any sata hard drive work with that?

like this Seagate Barracuda ST3160318AS 7200.12 160GB SATA 8MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive

 

[Muffin Man]

yep, that hdd will work. will 160gb of storage be enough for you though? you can get this one with twice the storage for $10 more (if youre looking at the one from amazon)
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives