[Build Help] Newbie here for some lovely BaPC expertise. (Gaming build–$500-$700 budget)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Phenom II X4 975 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor | $149.98 @ NCIX US |
| Motherboard | Asus M5A97 ATX AM3+ Motherboard | $89.99 @ NCIX US |
| Hard Drive | Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $109.99 @ Newegg |
| Video Card | XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card | $139.99 @ Newegg |
| Case | Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case | $39.99 @ Newegg |
| Power Supply | Antec 430W ATX12V Power Supply | $38.99 @ SuperBiiz |
| Optical Drive | Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer | $21.98 @ Newegg |
| Total | ||
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | $590.91 |
I've already got some parts (HD / video card / case / RAM) but realized that I might be going in a direction I'd end up regretting, so I prefer to ask for help here than be sorry about it later. I couldn't find my RAM on pcpartpicker, but here's the link: RAM
What I would like to know is where should I go with my motherboard/CPU. Something tells me I should've got these parts first, but again, I'm unsure.
Another question I do have: my student organization gave out some old PCs, so I took a monitor/keyboard/PC. I would like to know if any parts are "salvageable" so I could start up my computer as soon as possible. Not sure if this'll help, but I intend to mostly use this computer for gaming and 3D work (Maya/C4D/3D Studio Max); slightly more 3D/design work than gaming.
I have read the stickies on the sidebar, and the links they all gave (links! links everywhere! meme comes in mind) and I am far from done; however, I hope this will help me in my BaPC process. Thanks!! I'm off to bed! :)
EDIT: changed power supply for a more reliable brand. :)
Posted Jun 24, 2012, 3:07 AM UTC · edited