800$ gaming desktop tower build opinions please and thanks!

[champrules1]

Hi this is a build that i made for my $800 budget, im going to use my comp for games like Hon and D3 (once blizzard stops torturing me with no release date). i would really appreciate feedback. Thanks in advance!

motherboard- Amazon.com: Gigabyte AM3 AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard GA-880GA-UD3H

case- Amazon.com: NZXT ZERO 2 Crafted Series Steel Full Tower Chassis - No Power (Black): Electronics

cpu- Amazon.com: AMD CPU HDZ955FBGMBOX Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz AM3 125W Retail: Electronics

cpu cooler- Amazon.com: Zalman CNPS9900LED Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler: Electronics

video/graphics card- Amazon.com: Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100283-3L: Electronics

power supply- Amazon.com: Corsair CMPSU-650HX 650w HX Series 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply: Electronics

Solid state drive- Amazon.com: Crucial RealSSD C300 - Solid state drive - 64 GB - internal - 2.5" - SATA-600: eek Technology

Ram- Amazon.com: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Memory - 4 GB : 2 x 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR3 - 1600 MHz / PC3-12800 - CL9 - 1.5 V - unbuffered - non-ECC: GreenEggstore


I'm pretty tech savvy but i know that most users on this site could make me look like a fool, if anyone has any advice please please please reply. even if its just to say "yea im sure it will work" id really appreciate it. Again, Thanks!

 

[champrules1]

Ya man sounds great! But another opinion would be awesome!

 

[NASA22]

Is that ssd going to be your only hard drive? I would think that you would need way more space than 64gb. Maybe put your operating system and other applications on the ssd and get another drive for data? How about something like this:

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Also I would take a look on Newegg.com for your other components. I have found their prices to be very good.

 

[champrules1]

THANKS for the reply! And I guess its going to be, but doesn't the ram add more memory? I was thinking of doubling up on the ripsaws and get 8 gb. I love newegg a lot but amazon has a really nice shipping policy all of this is going to be shipped for free. In your opinion what would a good size drive be for a computer used for modern games and youtube face book etc? And thanks again for the reply

 

[NASA22]

RAM isn't going to add to your useable storage space. It is memory that the computer can access quickly instead of taking it from the hard drive. There is no way to "copy" a file into the RAM. Theoretically the more RAM you have the faster your computer will be because it will reduce the number of times that the cpu is forced to read off of the hard disk. However, your cpu may never need to use more than 4gb of RAM at a time and thus increasing it would not help to increase speed. I'm not a hardcore gamer but I have never had a problem with 4gb of RAM. Maybe someone else will weigh in here with their experience. In terms of your usable storage space, an ssd is a great choice to store your operating system and applications as it can transfer data faster than a standard hard disk and thus will allow for faster boot ups and program starts. Music files, videos, documents, etc. do not need to be accessed as quickly and thus are usually stored on a more traditional hard disk. The size that you choose is completely dependent on what you need. I currently have 500gb and that is sufficient for me. However, if you store a lot of videos or music you might want to invest in something larger. It's completely up to you.

 

[NASA22]

Also do you have an operating system picked out? I would personally recommend Windows 7 64 bit. Be sure to include about a $100 expense in the budget for the os. An OEM version of Windows 7 goes for about $95 on newegg and I haven't had much luck finding it anywhere cheaper.

 

[champrules1]

Hey thanks a lot! i never knew the true function of the ram. So it would be good to get a second hard drive as you stated before. but if i keep the ssd and use the one you said will they be able to fit in the tower case simultaneously?

oh and will the whole entire set-up work together? (this is my first time building a tower and im sort of nervous)
Thanks again for the reply!

 

[champrules1]

oh wow! this looks like it might cost me quite a bit extra, i dont have an op system picked out yet and any suggestions are greatly appreciated. also if you see any place in the set up where i can skimp a little and save some cash that would be awesome too. thanks!

 

[Roark]

Ram doesn't add long-term storage memory.

I know some people swear by SSDs, but for a gaming rig I personally would go with a 7200RPM 500GB-ish hard drive and spend the money eslewhere.
59.99 WD Cavier Black 500GB.
74.95 G.Skill Ripjaws X 8GB 1600MHz. (Don't technically need 8GB for gaming)
173.99 XFX HD6850.

Also, didn't look at all the parts, but on Newegg the RAM I linked is 59.99 (20$ promo code) and free shipping, and you could upgrade the video card to an XFX HD6870, 149.99 (with MiR) and free shipping.

 

[champrules1]

Hey Thanks alot roark i think im definetly going to do the wd caviar black 500gb and XFX HD6850. Does that mean that i wouldnt necessarily need the ssd? i do like nasa's idea on using the ssd for the opp system and apps. but im on a budget so i cant have both =[. for like gaming, internet, and the occasional game of solitair would you recommend something more than 500gb, or will 500 cut it?