//Recommendations and System Check\\

[Parker]

Question:
Why do you want to stick with AMD?

[gvblake22]

Any PCI-Express x16 capable motherboard will support any PCI-Express x16 based video card (like the GeForce 9600GT). The only place you will find major differences is between the AGP and PCI-Express interfaces, but AGP is very old and has been available on standard motherboards now for years. PCI-Express x16 is now the norm for video cards.

As for the rest of the system, you should be able to build a decent system for $900, especially if you already have a monitor and operating system. If gaming is your primary concern, then the video card should have the most emphasis, with the CPU coming in second, and RAM in a close third. As others have mentioned, is there any particular reason your are clinging to AMD? They ruled the roost during the s939 era, but Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors have taken back the throne since then and continue to rule. You've got to be a pretty die-hard AMD fan to not pick an Intel platform right now...

[Steralite]

Think im moving to this set up.

SPECS
-----------------

Motherboard:
- ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD
Motherboard
Newegg.com - Open Box: ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard

Processor:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisban 2.7GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
Newegg.com - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

Video Card:
- EVGA 512-P3-N865-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported
Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N865-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Memory:
- CORSAIR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual
Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Newegg.com - CORSAIR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Hard Drive:
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS 250GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Think all this will work? Still need a Soundcard, case, and a damn good way to cool this thing. I've never had a water cooling system, and I'd like to find one.

You guys are amazing. I'd just like to thank everyone for the kindness and advice

Originally Posted by gvblake22

Any PCI-Express x16 capable motherboard will support any PCI-Express x16 based video card (like the GeForce 9600GT). The only place you will find major differences is between the AGP and PCI-Express interfaces, but AGP is very old and has been available on standard motherboards now for years. PCI-Express x16 is now the norm for video cards.

As for the rest of the system, you should be able to build a decent system for $900, especially if you already have a monitor and operating system. If gaming is your primary concern, then the video card should have the most emphasis, with the CPU coming in second, and RAM in a close third. As others have mentioned, is there any particular reason your are clinging to AMD? They ruled the roost during the s939 era, but Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors have taken back the throne since then and continue to rule. You've got to be a pretty die-hard AMD fan to not pick an Intel platform right now...

Originally Posted by Parker

Question:
Why do you want to stick with AMD?

Why stick with amd? old habits die hard. I've never been a fan of intel. :P

[Parker]

Looks good so far, except for AMD.

And for the price of the 9600GT I would get an 8800GT.
The 8800GT will outperform that 9600GT in everyway possible.

As for sound, I'd just stick with onboard sound unless your looking for some super high quality ingo lingo sound. (just messing around here....)

The HD looks good, and I can vouch for the 32MB drives being fast, I've got two of them... and let me tell you, they are fast!!!

Do you have a case already?

[Steralite]

Originally Posted by Parker

Looks good so far, except for AMD.

And for the price of the 9600GT I would get an 8800GT.
The 8800GT will outperform that 9600GT in everyway possible.

As for sound, I'd just stick with onboard sound unless your looking for some super high quality ingo lingo sound. (just messing around here....)

The HD looks good, and I can vouch for the 32MB drives being fast, I've got two of them... and let me tell you, they are fast!!!

Do you have a case already?

lmao don't hate on the Amd, it'll come back soon enough.

8800GT's about 40-50 bucks more. but does seem to perform better without all the cons.

EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
- Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N865-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

case... Nope. ill be needing to find one that can be fitted with watercooling.

[One4yu2c]

Intel's Core 2 architecture has propelled them to the front of the class, but if you're intent on sticking it out with AMD, there's no shame there.

Your parts selection looks good overall, though be advised that open box items may have pieces missing, such as the rear I/O plate, cables, manual, etc.

Motherboard
If you're wanting to go with the non-open box route, take a look at the Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5 AM2+ Ultra Durable II ($188 shipped). Because AMD has been getting trumped as of late, our reviews have focused more heavily on Intel parts, but Gigabyte in general has been churning out some solid boards, and they've done well with the Ultra Durable series.

If sticking with open-box, you've already picked a winner, and Asus' onboard WiFi simply rocks.

Memory
You don't need 4GB of RAM, but I agree with your choice to go that route. DDR2 pricing is unusually low right now, as in dirt cheap, and that won't last. And as DDR3 takes over in the mainstream arena, DDR2 could become scarce down the line, making an upgrade difficult and/or expensive. However, I'd ditch the loosely timed Corsair kit for this tight timed Patriot kit (4-4-4-12) for $80 shipped (after rebate) - that price is so low I could vomit, and I'm talking the chunky kind, like what's displayed on the screen every time Screwballl posts.

Videocard
Arguably the best bang/buck out there right now is the 8800GT (G92). Brands you should be looking include BFG, XFX, and EVGA, all of which offer lifetime warranties. Specifically, I'd pick up this XFX 8800GT for $190 (after rebate).

Hard Drive
Don't settle for any drive carrying less than a 16MB buffer. The sweet spot rests with 500GB, such as this Seagate Barracuda for $110 shipped. Otherwise, I'd look at this 250GB model for $88 shipped.

Soundcard
Given the limited budget, skip the soundcard and use onboard. Today's onboard solutions are leaps and bounds ahead of where they where 2+ years ago, and they rival discrete options.

Case/PSU
Choosing a case is largely subjective, though not entirely. On a budget, the Antec Sonata III w/ 500W PSU ($130 shipped) combo offers a good bang/buck, though not a ton of headroom.

A popular standalone case on a budget lies in Cooler Master's Centurion series. Coupled with OCZ's 600W StealthXStream for $90 shipped (after rebate), you've got yourself a nice little combo. Or for $10 more, Corsair's 650W model is a great option.

Cooling
Will you be overclocking? If not, the stock heatsink/fan solution will suffice. Otherwise, I'd seriously reconsider playing with water at this point, and saving that plan for when you have a bigger budget to work with. Getting a good water cooling kit will mean skimping on other parts of your system, and with a $900 budget, your goal should be to maximize bang/buck rather than blow your wad on cooling. This is particularly true since you're planning on investing in a low power Brisbane proc.

Processor
Speaking of the processor, you've picked out a good bang/buck - 2.7GHz for just over $100 is a good deal. Alternately, if you plan to OC, the 5000+ Brisbane Black Edition consumes a tad less power and comes with an unlocked multiplier. However, it doesn't come with a heatsink/fan, so you'd need to invest in one. One of our current favorites is the ZeroTHERM Nirvana for $36 shipped (after rebate). You can read our review of this cooler here.

[Steralite]

The black edition processor is nice. It's definently going to get and OCing.
Your right about the watercooling costing a bit much. I may just have to go with fans, Never been good with placing fans but shouldn't be to hard. case is not to bad looking, Im still going to check out other options on it though. I took serious consideration on everything you've posted. especially the HD, Graphics, and Processor.

[Sumgai]

Well, as others have said, we can't fault you for sticking to your guns on AMD. Relatively speaking, their AM2+ procs are infinitely faster than your old S939 anyway. I think alot of the guys here were only trying to persuade you to go Intel due to their more defined and (stable?, definitive?) upgrade path. But enough about that issue. You want AMD and that's just fine.

You said you plan to overclock for sure, so that puts even more emphasis on you power supply. Honestly, as I researched my new system, that was one of the hardest things to settle on, as there's just so many companies jumping into the PSU foray these days. It all comes down to what you want for features and the price Vs. performance ratio in the end. Personally, modular was a must for me since I'm putting all my hardware in a relatively small case (Lian Li PC-A05B) but your priorities may be different. As others have said; OCZ/PC Power and Cooling, Antec, Thermaltake and Silverstone really top my list as far as good clean power goes. It's really quite sad that so many people overlook the quality of their power supply when they have otherwise awesome hardware in their PC's. That said, and from the enthusiast standpoint; stay away from companies like NZXT, Rosewill, Powmax...etc. as far as power supplies go.

Next order of buisness: The case. How much thought are you going to put into your enclosure? Alot of guys dont really care, but I think we're all a little different around here. The overclocking issue comes into play again. You're gonna want some good quality airflow if you're holding off on water cooling (and even if you're not, come to think of it). If you don't care about wieght, the Antec 900 is a very solid (literally) option. After building several sytems in that case, I have to say it's the best air cooling option I've seen. If you switch out the stock fans for some Scythe S-FLEX's / Yate Loons / Noctuas, you can have your silence Vs. cooling cake and eat it too. I'd also recommend going modular with your PSU with this case as well since there's not a whole lot of places to hide wires. As with most other cases though, patience and some cable sleeving yields some nice clean results and you can make it look really good in there.

In the end, it's all up to you and what's going to make you happy with your new baby.

[Steralite]

Originally Posted by Sumgai

Well, as others have said, we can't fault you for sticking to your guns on AMD. Relatively speaking, their AM2+ procs are infinitely faster than your old S939 anyway. I think alot of the guys here were only trying to persuade you to go Intel due to their more defined and (stable?, definitive?) upgrade path. But enough about that issue. You want AMD and that's just fine.

You said you plan to overclock for sure, so that puts even more emphasis on you power supply. Honestly, as I researched my new system, that was one of the hardest things to settle on, as there's just so many companies jumping into the PSU foray these days. It all comes down to what you want for features and the price Vs. performance ratio in the end. Personally, modular was a must for me since I'm putting all my hardware in a relatively small case (Lian Li PC-A05B) but your priorities may be different. As others have said; OCZ/PC Power and Cooling, Antec, Thermaltake and Silverstone really top my list as far as good clean power goes. It's really quite sad that so many people overlook the quality of their power supply when they have otherwise awesome hardware in their PC's. That said, and from the enthusiast standpoint; stay away from companies like NZXT, Rosewill, Powmax...etc. as far as power supplies go.

Next order of buisness: The case. How much thought are you going to put into your enclosure? Alot of guys dont really care, but I think we're all a little different around here. The overclocking issue comes into play again. You're gonna want some good quality airflow if you're holding off on water cooling (and even if you're not, come to think of it). If you don't care about wieght, the Antec 900 is a very solid (literally) option. After building several sytems in that case, I have to say it's the best air cooling option I've seen. If you switch out the stock fans for some Scythe S-FLEX's / Yate Loons / Noctuas, you can have your silence Vs. cooling cake and eat it too. I'd also recommend going modular with your PSU with this case as well since there's not a whole lot of places to hide wires. As with most other cases though, patience and some cable sleeving yields some nice clean results and you can make it look really good in there.

In the end, it's all up to you and what's going to make you happy with your new baby.

actually the antec 900 is currently a serious option. the dual 120mm fans in front, and 200mm fan on top is a major thing since Like you said I've decided to go without the water cooling because of budget. :(

For a powersource I was looking at Corsair.
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC - Retail
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC - Retail

although im not quite sure if it will work with the parts i've selected.

[Parker]

Corsair makes good power supply's. I have the 650w you linked, it's awesome, very good quality too.

That PSU will be fine for your system, even more than enough power.