Recommended Builds – September 1st

The launch of i5 is almost here, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a killer deal on a very extensible AM3 system.  AMD is still winning every battle here – the 2.8ghz Regor is more than equivalent to a E7400 if not a E8200, and when overclocked is just about as good as an E8400 but $100 less.  The X3 720 continues to be a more flexible option for the midrange, and the quad-core Phenom IIs are relatively affordable and perform just as well as their dual and tri-core equivalents.

Things in the graphics arena have stagnated somewhat, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The 4850 is still an excellent buy, as is the 4890 for high-resolution systems.  The 4870 512MB and 1GB are coming down in price, and it may be worth it to buy one of the two in cases where a 4850 would be otherwise recommended for the extra power.  The 512MB version is particular can be found for around $20 more than the 4850 with rebates included, making it a decent buy even for low-resolution (1440×900/1680×1050) systems.  Since both i5 and the new ATI 5xxx video cards are coming out later this month, I would recommend anyone that is willing to pay $200+ for a graphics card (a 4890 buyer, mostly) to hold out and wait for the 5850 and such.

Unlike my other build guides I’m only going to discuss full builds here, making it substantially shorter than them.  If you’re interested in knowing why the parts were chosen, look there.  The goal here is to update quick enough that full builds are more relevant in areas such as combo deals, whereas the prose and discussion can happen in major revisions.  “FS” denotes free shipping, “PC” denotes Promo Code (often recurring, check the product page), “R” denotes an additional rebate to be deducted off the price listed.

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Utility Builds

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HTPC

If your goal is getting the maximum home theater PC performance for your money, this is your build.  Integrated Radeon 4200 graphics are enough to push high-def content without a discrete graphics card.  The Regor CPU is amazingly powerful for its price (presently $60).  This system has 1TB of storage and Blu-Ray reading capability for under $400 with rebates.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H ($80) (FS)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz ($60) (FS)
RAM: WINTEC AMPX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB ($85) (FS)
Optical: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader ($68) (FS)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 541 ($40)

TOTAL: $411 before $20 in rebates = $391
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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OEM Alternative

Sometimes it’s cheaper to build a “beigebox” web-surfing, IM, e-mail, and other low-performance task system yourself, especially if you have a Windows license lying around.  The 500GB Green was selected because of its low RPM to improve heat and power consumption – you can also pick up a lower capacity, faster 320GB Blue for $5 less.

Sometimes you can snag a midrange Dell with a low-end quad for around $399, but the dual-core Regor is usually faster, you’ll get a better case, more reliable PSU, and lifetime warranties on pretty much everything, not to mention higher efficiency (meaning a lower power bill) and less heat.

Motherboard: ASRock N68-S AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 7025 ($45)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz ($60) (FS)
RAM: WINTEC AMPX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB ($55) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 541 ($40)

TOTAL: $314 before $20 in rebates = $294
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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Low-res gaming builds

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Budget 1440×900/1680×1050

Here’s where you should start as far as a budget system for the above resolutions goes.  There’s not much to say here, other than due to the fact that AMD has released cheap, fast dual cores, the price of entry here has plummeted. This system would pass for high-end a year ago since even the $60 Regors are competitive with the $160 Wolfdales.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz ($60) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB ($95) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB ($75) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 ($50)

TOTAL: $487 before $30 in rebates = $457
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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Midrange 1440×900/1680×1050

Not too much here but the addition of the X3 720, a small change that may help those doing occasional multithreaded tasks and a slightly nicer case.  The X3’s 4th core can also occasionally be unlocked and may be stable.  If the 400CX does not have any deals going on, it may be worth it to move up to a higher wattage power supply like the 450VX or 550VX for the purposes of efficiency.  Feel free to drop the heatsink if you don’t plan on overclocking.  This is the recommended build for most people at these resolutions.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 720 2.8GHz ($120) (FS)
HSF: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($37) (R -$10) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB ($95) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB ($75) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690 ($70) (FS)

TOTAL: $603 before $40 in rebates = $563
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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High-end 1440×900/1680×1050

“High end” can be kind of a difficult concept.  For example, one could buy a X3 720 for $120, but the X4 945 is $170.  Is this a recommendation for a high-end gaming PC?  Not really – that $50 doesn’t get you anything in a gaming setting.  But what if you do occasional threaded work?  Something like an i7 is hardly worth it, but $50 might be, and you gain a little clock speed too.

I recommend that here more than anywhere people use their own discretion on what they need and don’t need.  I am conservative here but if other components are “worth it” (a higher end motherboard, etc) given your usage, feel free to go for it.  The 4870 1G is chosen because it is cheap with a rebate, while being slightly overkill for this res.  If it is not below $135 or so with a rebate, feel free to grab either the 4870 512MB or the 4850 512MB instead.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 720 2.8GHz ($120) (FS)
HSF: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($37) (R -$10) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: POWERCOLOR AX4870 1GBD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB ($145) (R -$20)
PSU: Antec CP-850 850W Continuous Power CPX & Case: Antec P183 Black ($240 with combo deal)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB ($95) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)

TOTAL: $784 before $40 in rebates = $744
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart (note: must add combo deal on case & PSU separately, combos cannot be added to cart)

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High-res gaming builds

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Budget 1920×1080+

Not too much to say here – the budget system above with a 4870.  A 4850 in this situation is not optimal, but the 4870 1G is a decent entry point.  It’s also not optimal to use the 400CX in this situation – it can be done, but efficiency is lower and you have to use molex connectors to hook up both inputs.  While I’d rather have a 550VX, the $59.99 AR price is only through today, otherwise it’s $90.  Therefore, I’m using a Seasonic PSU in this build.  Therefore, the “1080p tax” ends up being about $60 – not too bad.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz ($60) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: POWERCOLOR AX4870 1GBD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB ($145) (R -$20)
PSU: SeaSonic SS-500ES 500W ($60)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB ($75) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 ($50)

TOTAL: $547 before $30 in rebates = $517
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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Midrange 1920×1080+

The “best price/perf” 1080p+ build.  Similar selections to the other midrange build, but this time a 4890 is added.  The 520HX is a nice modular PSU and well worth the extra $40 or so for this build, but not necessary.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Athlon II X3 720 2.8GHz ($120) (FS)
HSF: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($37) (R -$10) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: HIS H489F1GP Radeon HD 4890 1GB ($190) (R -$10) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ($110) (R -$20)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB ($75) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690 ($70) (FS)

TOTAL: $758 before $50 in rebates = $708
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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High-end 1920×1080+

The X4 955 is priced well enough here that I’d say it’s “worth it”, though it’s a matter of taste.  Normally I would consider the Cosmos 1000 instead of the Antec P193, but the CP-850 makes it too good of an offer.  Feel free to sub in a P183, Coolermaster V8, 8GB of RAM, etc, depending on what you want out of this.  The SSD is something that I think all new high-end computers should include, but you may not think so, and there are much larger sizes if you feel the desire to have more capacity.  As is, 30GB is usually enough to store core programs and an OS.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz ($120) (FS)
HSF: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($37) (R -$10) (FS)
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($48) (FS)
GPU: HIS H489F1GP Radeon HD 4890 1GB ($190) (R -$10) (FS)
PSU: Antec CP-850 850W Continuous Power CPX & Case: Antec P193 Gunmetal Grey ($275 with combo deal)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB ($95) (FS)
HDD2: OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX30G 2.5″ 30GB ($140) (R -$20) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)

TOTAL: $1063 before $50 in rebates = $1013
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart (note: must add combo deal on case & PSU separately, combos cannot be added to cart)

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Rendering/workstation builds

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Midrange video rendering/workstation

Not useful/intended for gaming, very useful for rendering and other workstation uses.  Depending on what this is for, you may or may not want higher-end video, but for most this should be enough.

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 ($75) (R -$10)
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0GHz ($120) (FS)
RAM: 2x A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ($96) (FS)
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB ($95) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: 2x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB ($190) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 ($50)

TOTAL: $761 before $30 in rebates = $731
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart

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High-end video rendering/workstation

Not useful for gaming, very useful for rendering and other workstation uses.  Depending on what this is for, you may or may not want higher-end video, but for most this should be enough.  This is more of a home professional sort of build than a hobbyist – it’s very difficult to get use out of all of these parts unless you’re doing this 24/7.

Motherboard: EVGA 141-BL-E757-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 ($230) (R -$20) (FS)
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz ($280) (FS)
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 ($250) (FS)
GPU: SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB ($95) (FS)
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ($50) (R -$20) (FS)
HDD: 2x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB ($190) (FS)
HDD2: OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX30G 2.5″ 30GB ($140) (R -$20) (FS)
Optical: Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW ($34)
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 ($50)

TOTAL: $1,328 before $60 in rebates = $1,268
Click here to view this build as a wishlist & add to NewEgg cart