First time builder ~900-1000$

[rofloligist]

Hey guys, my laptop got completely fried this summer and I am looking to finally build a ****** desktop. I really don't have much clue what I'm doing, lots of different info on the net. As far as processers go, I want to stick with intel , but am not sure whether to go dual core or quad core.

I'm also not sure about graphics cards. What kind should I go with. Should I go for 2 and crossfire them or stick with 1 for now.

Ram is another issue. I don't know how much I need or whether it should be ddr2 vs ddr3?

PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs is the website of a store near me and would like to grab most of my parts off there so if you could take a look that would be sweet. I want this system to be fairly upgradeable as I am in University and kind of poor. Hopefully want it to last me for the next 3-4 years.

I already have a gaming mouse from before, but I will need monitor included in that price and keyboard possibly. Also, my budget is in Canadian dollars which is on pccyber. I appreciate any input.

 

[Muffin Man]

going with an amd cpu would offer you some more bang for your buck, but if youre really set on intel, thats up to you.

what will be the main use of this pc? and do you also need an OS?

 

[rofloligist]

well i'm just going off the advice of my brother lol so if you guys think amd could give me more bang for my buck then I'm up for it by all means. I also want to overclock it if that has any bearing. As far as OS goes I wan't windows seven but I guess I need something until that come out. To be honest I would rather xp over vista. The pc will be strictly used for gaming and maybe a bit of homework (wait who am I kidding lol)

 

[Muffin Man]

you can get vista home premium, with a free windows 7 upgrade.
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs

but also, what will you use this pc mostly for, so as to know what parts to focus a little more one.

 

[rofloligist]

cool man didn't even know I could get vista and just upgrade for free The computer will be strictly for gaming, and I could possibly spend as high as 1100 including everything

 

[Muffin Man]

ok, so these are some parts you could be looking at. right now, before all the taxes and such, the sub-total is $962 cad.

but i dont know if since you're looking to pick these up locally, if all the taxes still apply, because after the extra various taxes applied on the site (GST [5%], ONTARIO PST [8%], ECOTAX), the parts total $1,099 cad.

PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs athlon ii x4 620
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs GA-MA785G-UD3H
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs ocz plats 2x2gb 800mhz
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs sapphire hd 4890
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs ocz modxstream pro 500w
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs cooler master rc-330
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs wd caviar se 500gb 16mb cache
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs samsung cd/dvdrw +/-
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs vista home prem. 64-bit w/ w7 upgrade
PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs dell 19''

 

[rofloligist]

man thanks a bunch muffin!! Only things I'm worried about is the ddr2 a good idea? or should I go with ddr3? Also, quad core is a win over duocore for gaming? Will 500w be enough my brother said 700ish w minimum, what decides the power supply? Thanks bra

 

[Muffin Man]

youd notice very little difference between ddr2 and ddr3, you would see it more in benchmarking. and ddr3 is still a bit expensive at this point, so you would have to pay almost twice the amount for 4gigs of ddr3, plus youd need a compatible mobo, which would also cost more. stick to ddr2, youll be fine.

is a quad better than a dual for gaming? thats like a very general question because theres too many duals and quads to compare. but again, for your budget, that quad is very good, and probably the best bang for your buck.

for the psu, nope, no need for a 700watt-er. that 500w is from a good brand and would offer plenty o power for your rig.

 

[Slaymate]

It looks like that mobo has Crossfire support, so if you think you might add a second ATI 4890 at some point in time, then a larger power supply would be a good idea.

 

[rofloligist]

well none of the stores of the cpu in stock but i found this one instead which is a bit of a upgrade PC Cyber Canada - For All Your Computer Needs. The ram also isn't in stock so I would have to go with something else. Does the frequency on ram make a big difference? I see it ranges from 800mhz to 1600mh. 4 gigs should be plenty for now I assume. I am going to pick up most of the parts today if someone could get back to me on a good type of ram that is available at the downtown ottawa(rideau) store that would be sweet