New build questions...

[BloodyMercy]

I have decided on going with a AMD processor for my new pc, in the process of seraching out the processor to settle with I stumbled across these "barebone kits." My question is are they any good? With such low price points @ CompUSA, i.e. 199$ through 399$ are they too good to be true? Some seem to have excellent processors IMO, although the mobo @ 199$ gets some horrible reviews... I also realize that they seem to be older boards to begin with... should I steer clear or dig deeper? I'm looking for a mid-level PC nothing too fancy...

 

[BloodyMercy]

If a mobo has on board video, do you have to use it? Or can you use another video card and turn the onboard off?

 

[aikbix]

You can find some pretty decent deals for barebone kits. But try to shy away from using any sort of power supply that comes with the kit. They are generally cheap and often fail.

 

[BloodyMercy]

Alright well after perusing the options I think I'm going to go with this barebones setup:

ASUS M4A785-M Motherboard - AMD 785G Socket, AM2+, MicroATX, HDMI, USB 2.0, PCIe
AMD HDX920XCJ4DGI Phenom II X4 920 Quad Core OEM Processor - 2.80GHz, 6MB Cache, 1800MHz (3600 MT/s) FSB, Deneb, Quad-Core, OEM, Socket AM2+
Zalman CNPS7000V(AL)-1-PWM CPU Cooler - Intel Socket 1155, 1156, 775, AMD Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3
Kingston PC6400 800MHz 4GB DDR2 Desktop Memory - (2 x 2048MB), 240 Pin
Seagate ST1000DL002 Barracuda® Green Hard Drive - 1TB, SATA 3G, 5900 RPM, 32MB
Raygo R12-40835 ATX Mid-Tower Case - ATX/Micro-ATX 1x External 3.5" Bays, 4x External 5.25" Bays, 6x Internal 3.5" Bays, 2x Fron USB Ports, 450W PSU Included, Black

I'll probably throw another 50$ at it and pick up a aftermarket PSU as well, the initial package is only 300$. I rarely game on the PC but I think with this setup that may be an option too... Maybe down the road I can fully upgrade the ram too. My only question at this point is will it support 64-bit W7? What do you guys think overall? And does anyone know if it will support the 64 bit, I can't find any info to that regard...

 

[BloodyMercy]

Okay I stumbled across this one as well, it will give me DDR3 for 100$ more. Is DDR3 that much better?

Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard - ATX, PCIe 2.0, 12x USB 2.0
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition AM3 CPU HDZ965FBGMBOX - 3.40GHz, Socket AM3, 6MB Cache, 2000MHz (4000 MT/s) FSB, Retail, Processor with Fan
Corsair CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 Vengeance 4GB DDR3 RAM - PC12800, 1600MHz, 1x4096MB, Non-ECC, Unbuffered
Seagate ST31000520AS Barracuda LP Hard Drive - 1TB, 5900RPM, 32MB, SATA-3G
Ultra X-Blaster Black ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, FireWire and Audio Ports
Ultra LSP550 550-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, SLI-Ready, 135mm Fan, Lifetime Warranty w/ Registration

 

[aikbix]

What's the price on that second one? It looks like it could be a pretty decent cheap setup.

 

[BloodyMercy]

It is 399$ after rebates, another 100$ for a full version of Windows and I'll be sitting @ 500$. Sure beats the **** out of Box deals from dell or HP w/ comparable parts for anywhere from 750 to 1200...still gonna look some more but I think I may be sold on that second setup. Some more upgrades down the road are definitely feasible, but not neccessarily needed at the front for my use. How much is a difference is there in a 5900rpm HDD compared to a 7200rpm in performance though?

 

[BloodyMercy]

Alright so I hit purchase. I ended up going with:

Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard - ATX, PCIe 2.0, 12x USB 2.0
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition AM3 CPU HDZ965FBGMBOX - 3.40GHz, Socket AM3, 6MB Cache, 2000MHz (4000 MT/s) FSB, Retail, Processor with Fan
WD 500GB 7200rpm SATA3 32MB Cache HDD WD5002ALLX
Crucial 4GB 2GBx2 240-pin PC3-10600 DIMM DDR3 CT2CP25664BA1339
Diablotek CPA-3570 Epic ATX Mid Tower Case
DiabloTek PHD550 550-Watt Power Supply

I am going to canibalize my DVD writer and my GPU from my existing unit.
GPU is a GeForce 9500 GT 1GB

Down the road I plan on upgrading the GPU and adding a BluRay, but I needed a new unit now so I forewent those for the moment. The GPU should function well enough for me. Now I just have to wait on shipment...Grr. Should be here monday or tuesday, hopefully I don't jack up assembly lol.

I also plan on upgrading the RAM to a nicer set @ 8GB, but some of those were pretty pricey as well.

 

[Trotter]

I have a the same board with a slightly older chipset. Good board. I also have a 965. You will want a third party cooler for it as the stock cooler is a bit loud. I will be selling one here in a few days (Artic Cooler Freezer 64 for AMD) if you are interested.

 

[BloodyMercy]

Gotcha works well for you I hope. While I would love to spend more cash on the new unit. I believe I have already hit my budget cap (wifey said so anyway lol.) But for curiosity sake how much are you looking to get?