Building a new gaming rig

[Project Dusk]

I'm gonna use my tax return money to build myself a new gaming rig since my old one died.

OLD SPECS:

ASUS M3A
Phenom X4 9600 BE
4GB DDR2 (the model slips my mind)
ATi Radeon HD 3870X2
2 x 500GB HDDs
Lite-On DVD Burner
OCZ GameXStream 600W PSU
Antec 900 Case
22" DELL LCD Monitor

This old rig was a gift from my father, it died about 3 times since I got it. He had a guy named Big Mike build it, he didn't want me fixing it myself because he thought it was cheaper to have them fix it, since it was under "warranty" with them and they placed "warranty void if opened" stickers on it, so whatever.

First time it died it wouldn't boot, second time it died it wouldn't boot, third time it died it was mucking up graphics wise, screen was artifacting pretty fierce, couldn't even see the whole desktop huge chunks were missing. After the third time I let it stay dead, I opened it and discovered that Big Mike didn't have all the risers/stand offs in place which most likely caused it to short out each time and each time we brought it in for repairs they got money even though it was under "warranty" they still charged for labor which I know isn't completely unnatural.


The last time it died was in late 09 I believe. So I've been without a gaming PC for over a year, only survived due to my 360

I've decided to do a whole overhaul of this PC, only keeping the case, power supply, dvd burner and hard drives.

My budget is $750 for this build, my last PC cost my father $2,500 and that does NOT include the monitor or the cash it cost to have the PC fixed those 2 times we took it in.

Upcoming Specs:

ASUS M4A88TD-V
XFX HD 5850
AMD Phenom II x4 955 3.2GHz
G. Skill Ripjaws 8GB (2 x 4GB)
OEM Windows 7 64
Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler
MX-2 Thermal Paste






Newegg.com - ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
Newegg.com - XFX HD-585X-ZAFC Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-8GBRH
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound

Any suggestions or changes? I'm wanting a decent CPU cooler as I will be OCing in the eventual future, but it has to be something that can fit into the Antec 900. I'd love to get into water cooling but it's just too expensive at this time. Keep in mind my budget is 650 to 750.

 

[kmote]

Haha sorry to hear it but that's bound to happen if you get your computer built by someone called Big Mike

Your future set up looks pretty good to my untrained eye but I don't think you'll need 8GB (unless you have a specific reason why you do) and I think TX2 is still top of the pile for thermal interface material. Wait for some of the other guys to confirm that the build is all compatible as I have been out of the hardware scene for some time now.

 

[Slaymate]

I'm not up on AMD systems but I would buy this thermal paste.

Newegg.com - Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound

And if your thinking about overclocking then you should buy memory that will give you some headroom.

Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

 

[Project Dusk]

Hey thanks, that actually saves me some cash too. Great eye, man.

 

[Trotter]

Check NewEgg for combo deals. Even if you only save $5, that's $5 more than you had before. Especially check the DIY combos.

 

[Project Dusk]

Excellent Idea, I'm usually looking at their DIY kits. How this look?

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

Would this be any improvement over my current specs?

Or what about this? Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

 

[Trotter]

Check this one out:
* AMD Phenom II X6 1075T Thuban 3.0GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor (Model:HDT75TFBGRBOX)
* ASUS AM3 AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard (Model:M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3)
* Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory (Model:KHX1333C9D3K2/4G)
* OCZ Agility 2 2.5" 90GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (Model:OCZSSD2-2AGTE90G)
$499.50

 

[Project Dusk]

I think I might stick my original specs instead of the DIY, they are coming up to be more expensive because I still need a video card and a copy of Windows 7 (a legit copy, I don't download Operating Systems) plus I already have 2 500GB HDDs, a DVD Burner, a case and psu.


Edit: Though I did take the previous suggestions to the RAM and thermal paste and those are now part of my list.


If I do get a little extra cash to put towards it I will probably pick one of the 2 DIY combos I found, can't hurt having 2+ TB of space.

 

[Project Dusk]

Since my current PSU is a 600W OCZ GamexStream and my last PC had multiple issues due to the lack of stand offs, and the fact the fact the PSU has dog hair and fur inside it, would it just be better if I added a new PSU to the list? I also vaguely remember reading bad reviews of the said PSU, but I'm not sure if there were a lot of issues or just a few, should I go with a better company for a PSU such as Thermaltake?

If you have any suggestions please let me know, things I'm looking for in a PSU are compatibility with my current parts, good ratings and most importantly I want one that's energy efficient, prefer 80+.


Thank you.

 

[Project Dusk]

Anyone? Is it safe to use a PSU that has dust and dog fur in it? Is it possible to remove it? Better off replacing it with newer, more reliable and efficient PSU?

My case is also riddled with dust and dog fur, I know I'm either gonna have to take some time dusting it out before putting the parts into it but I'm kinda thinking of taking it outside and hosing it down then letting it dry. Any damage that could cause?