Okay, the time has arrived to replace my well used and beloved ASUS A8V Deluxe board and Athlon 64 4400+ X2 with 3 gigs of ram. Questions I have are many and I hope that you fine folks here on the AMD board can assist me in making the right decisions. I built this computer in the fall of 2006 so it's showing it's age. Although it still runs like it did when it was new the games I want to play have outpaced it's ability to achieve adequate performance. So it's time.

Heres what I am thinking:

I want to buy the AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz from Newegg for $175.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16819103674

I do game a a lot but I also run office software and use Adobe Illustrator and Dreamweaver. I also watch movies and have been known to encode an AVI or two. So I believe that this CPU should do it all for me without too much effort. Am I wrong?

I have a newer, about 2 years old, PSU from Thermaltake that I bought to replace a cheapo that went bad on me and taking 2 sticks of OCZ ram and one Athlon X64 CPU with it. It's a Purepower 600w with 2 12+ rails with 18 amps to each rail.
It's no longer available at Newegg but you can still look at the specs here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16817153042

Will that be enough for this chip and a nice Graphics card like the 9800 GT? How about if I use two of these cards in SLI? I have looked at one thats been posted here, a 750 watt unit but the price seems a bit high at about $150.

On graphics I'm thinking about this one: EVGA 01G-P3-N981-TR GeForce 9800 GT 1GB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card $133.51 at Amazon but the 512 meg card is $32 cheaper, will that extra 512 meg of DDR 3 make that much difference?

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-01G...qid=1257045629&sr=8-2

I may buy a second card later and SLI them although I have never used SLI before and I'm not sure it will be worth it price verses performance wise.

I'm still looking for a descent case and have looked at several but again, price is a factor. I know I need one with good cooling and I like the bigger fans in the back top and front like the Thermaltake Element S:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16811133077

One on Ebay for $50 plus $20 shipping new in box. Cases have been surprisingly hard to find in my price range of $50 to $75.

I'm up in the air about memory, still haven't really done a lot of research for it yet but I have been using some GSkill 1 gig sticks in my present machine and they have performed well with the 2 512 meg OCZ sticks. I am thinking of 2 4 gig sticks of descent ram to start and adding two more 4 gig sticks later on for a total of 16 gigs. It seems that modern mother boards come standard with 4 memory slots and can handle a total of 16 gigs of ram. I do a lot of work in virtual machines with VMWare Workstation so the more ram the better. I have been known to have a VM running while playing a game and alt tabbing between the two. The quad core CPU should help here as well I'd think. Your thoughts?

Thanks to any and all who reply. I really need advice here as I really can't afford to make a 500 plus dollar mistake. I will probably buy a motherboard and the CPU first together and then the other parts as I can afford them. Maybe I should wait until black Friday after Thanksgiving and see what kind of deals I can find then. Anyway, I await your thoughts.

There are much better video cards available for the same money as that 9800GT.

Thermaltake claims that PSU is capable of delivering 38amps on the 12v rail, but it's 12v rail is split in two and those are rated at 18amps each. Math was never my strong suit, but that doesn't add up.

I can't find much information on that specific model, but the "PSH-5505-S" on the label makes me think this might be a Channelwell PSH design. Not bad, but not great and it could be filled with
cheap capacitors.

As a general, personal, rule, I will buy a new PSU with a new build.

As it is, it's probably ok for ONE video card. If you're wanting to go SLI or Crossfire, you're going to need a better PSU. That doesn't mean bigger. A quality 600 to 700w PSU is capable of powering most
SLI or X-fire setups.

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Rig 1: AM2 X2 4850e--MSI K9N Neo V3--2x1gb Mushkin DDR2 800--Sapphire HD4830--Corsair VX450--LG Flatron W2252TQ
Rig 2: AM2 X2 4000--MSI K9N SLI-F--2x1gb Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800--Sapphire HD3850--Silverstone ST50EF Plus--Polaroid FLM 1911
Michael Moore is a big, fat idiot.

For $150, I'd get an ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB or the HD 5770. If you are willing to spend more, the HD 4890 is the way to go.

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AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition
MSI 790FX GD-70
4GB (2x2GB) Kingston DDR3-1333
Palit Radeon HD 4870 1GB Sonic Dual Edition
Western Digital Caviar Green 640 GB HDD
Seagate 40GB HDD
LG DVD-RW w/ lightscribe
Corsair HX520W PSU
Cooler Master RC-690 Chassis

My Fashion/Style blog: http://rebelliousgentleman.blogspot.com

recommend the 5770 HD my self. Stick with the DX 11 so your ready for some 2010 gaming.

-------------------------
Phenom II 965 BE 125 watt @ 3.9 Ghz 1.475 v
North bridge @ 2.6 Ghz 1.265 v
DDR 3 1600 Mhz 7 7 7 24 OCZ Reaper 4GB 1.88 v
Windows 7 X86 & x64 ultimate
ATI Asus 5870 HD @ 1000/1250 1.325 volt
Corsair 950xt PSU
ASRock M3A785GXH/AM3 785G MB
3Dm06 22,318 3dm vantage. P17043

NB ASUS K50AB-X2A AMD Turion X2 RM-75(2.2GHz) 15.6" screen
4GB DDR 2 800 / 320GB HDD DVD Super Multi
ATI M Radeon HD 4570 Dedicated GPU
Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Thanks for the replies, I've been a bit busy the last few days so I haven't been on lately. So the Radeon is better than the 9800? I'm not familiar with ATI cards so I have tended to stick with nVidia only because I'm use to their cards and drivers. The Radeon 5770 is about $170, a big chunk of the budget but if it is that much better than the nVidia 9800 to make it cost effective then I will get one of them.

About the PSU, I have decided to take you advice and buy new. Any suggestions for one that will power this equipment and protect it from power surges and voltage drops? I looked at a Enermax Revolution 85+ but I just can't bring myself to spend $300 for a PSU. Any others that can handle this setup while staying under $150?

What do you folks think of this motherboard and CPU together? Any one have this setup and willing to share your experiences with it?

Thanks again for your replies.

Seems I forgot to tell you which motherboard I have been looking at for this build.
The ASUS M4A78T-E at newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...Item=N82E16813131366R

I may not buy the open box but this is the board. Anyone have experience with this board and chip together?

What do you guys think of this PSU?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...N82E16817171037


Not a bad price but the single 12 volt rail makes me wonder and it only has 50 amps on the rail so I'm not sure if that will be enough.

Maybe this Corsair one would be better? 60 amp on the 12 volt rail.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139006

Edited: 11/04/2009 at 02:09 AM by Shamokes

not sure which Coolermaster you were trying to link to, but you really can't go wrong with a Corsair.

the Antec True Power New PSU's are excellent as well.

The Seasonic X-series are unbelievably good.

-------------------------
Rig 1: AM2 X2 4850e--MSI K9N Neo V3--2x1gb Mushkin DDR2 800--Sapphire HD4830--Corsair VX450--LG Flatron W2252TQ
Rig 2: AM2 X2 4000--MSI K9N SLI-F--2x1gb Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800--Sapphire HD3850--Silverstone ST50EF Plus--Polaroid FLM 1911
Michael Moore is a big, fat idiot.

Thanks for the advice, I have decided on this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16817139006
Do you think it will handle two Radeon HD 5770's and this processor ok?

Ya, I have both and even that psu you picked out and Ill tell ya, they work perfect together. I've had no problems at all!! I'm glad to see you went with the ATI 5770 becouse the M4A78T-E mobo will not support SLI and you would have been stuck with two under powered cards

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(Main rig) Phenom II 955 be @3.9Ghz,Asus M4A78T-E 790GX, 2x1Gb Crucial 1333Mhz DDR3, 2x 4870's, ,Corsair tx750w PSU, Thermaltake V9 case.
(2nd rig)Phenom 9850 BE@2.8Ghz, Asus M3A78, 2x2Gb Crucial Ballistix 800Mhz DDR2,Radeon 4650,Creative extreme audio,Sparkle 550w PSU

Great, thats nice to hear. Although I did not know that the ASUS M4A78T-E could not do SLI, can it do the ATI Crossfire ok? I am assuming that it does from your tag line "2x 4870's". I will have to buy the board, CPU, PSU and case and Memory, all told about $600 first and later get the ATI HD 5770's. Money is a bit tight to be splurging all at once. I am divided on weather to order them all now or wait until black Friday and see what they are offering then. I may get an item or two for even less or something better for the same money. you never know.

nvidia based boards do SLI and AMD based boards do Crossfire. There are Intel chipsets that support either, or there used to be.

-------------------------
Rig 1: AM2 X2 4850e--MSI K9N Neo V3--2x1gb Mushkin DDR2 800--Sapphire HD4830--Corsair VX450--LG Flatron W2252TQ
Rig 2: AM2 X2 4000--MSI K9N SLI-F--2x1gb Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800--Sapphire HD3850--Silverstone ST50EF Plus--Polaroid FLM 1911
Michael Moore is a big, fat idiot.

Yes this mobo dose a realy good job with crossfire maybe not the best but its dose a realy good (the best is 790FX chipset)

What you were told was right. hold off on the video card for a bit if your short on cash. the M4A78T-E has on board GFXs so at least you can get it up and running.
And insted of buying two 5770's buy one 5850 than down the road buy a nother one.

two 5850's are faster than the Nvidia's 295 and cost less!
The last time I cheacked anyways.

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(Main rig) Phenom II 955 be @3.9Ghz,Asus M4A78T-E 790GX, 2x1Gb Crucial 1333Mhz DDR3, 2x 4870's, ,Corsair tx750w PSU, Thermaltake V9 case.
(2nd rig)Phenom 9850 BE@2.8Ghz, Asus M3A78, 2x2Gb Crucial Ballistix 800Mhz DDR2,Radeon 4650,Creative extreme audio,Sparkle 550w PSU

Thanks very much for all of the responses and advice, it really has helped me to decide on my new system. Heres a quick rundown of the parts I am going to order.

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16819103674

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16817139006

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16820231193

ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16813131366

Thermaltake V9 Black Edition ATX Computer Gaming Chassis with Dual Oversized 230mm Ultra-Silent Cooling Fans VJ400G1N2Z Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16811133074

and later when I can afford one or two

SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...-14-102-857-_-Product

I'm not sure it matters which maker I choose for the 5850, Newegg sells the same card for the same money from Sapphire and Diamond. I can't tell the difference to be honest. Is it just personal preference?

One thing I'm been forgetting is an after market CPU cooler. The case has a lot of airflow and I would probably be ok with the stock fan and heat sink but if I decide to over clock then I would feel more comfortable with something with a bit more cooling capacity on the CPU. After all, why spend $800 to $1,000 on computer parts only to skimp on a $50 CPU cooler.

Lol, the memory prices have gone up about a dollar since I looked at them a few days ago. Maybe I should go ahead and grab the memory now before getting anything else.

That thing is almost going to be the spitting imange of mine. But better.

Your right about the cpu cooler. A good aftermarket heatsink is a must for over clocking but be careful when picking yours out. The one I have wich is a Gigabyte G-power w/120mm fan barely fits in my case.(same as the one you picked out but with out the fan on the side) I mean its so tight that I scrached the side pannal with it.
Now I'm not saying that theres anything wrong with the case you picked out its just some of these aftermarket heatsinks are monsters and my not fit in your case.

Just given you a heads up

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(Main rig) Phenom II 955 be @3.9Ghz,Asus M4A78T-E 790GX, 2x1Gb Crucial 1333Mhz DDR3, 2x 4870's, ,Corsair tx750w PSU, Thermaltake V9 case.
(2nd rig)Phenom 9850 BE@2.8Ghz, Asus M3A78, 2x2Gb Crucial Ballistix 800Mhz DDR2,Radeon 4650,Creative extreme audio,Sparkle 550w PSU

Thanks for the heads up on the cooler. Maybe I can find one thats not so high profile as the G-Power. I'd rather have one that flows the air to the rear of the case anyway because that would help with the airflow. I have never liked having the CPU cooler spread the warm air around like most of them do but we've not had much of a choice before now. I'm still studying the CPU cooler issue but when I find one I like I'll post it here for review.

I'm really getting excited about this build, going from an ASUS A8V Deluxe, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ and an BFG nVidia GeForce 6800 GS AGP up to this should just blow my socks off and give me a whole new gaming experience. Just have to have a bit more patience is all, I just want to do it right this time.

Your right, your new build is going to smoke your old system. I mean your going to go from a benchmark of ___ to 19-20k in 06.

Happy gaming

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(Main rig) Phenom II 955 be @3.9Ghz,Asus M4A78T-E 790GX, 2x1Gb Crucial 1333Mhz DDR3, 2x 4870's, ,Corsair tx750w PSU, Thermaltake V9 case.
(2nd rig)Phenom 9850 BE@2.8Ghz, Asus M3A78, 2x2Gb Crucial Ballistix 800Mhz DDR2,Radeon 4650,Creative extreme audio,Sparkle 550w PSU

I bought the ram and CPU last night because they kept raising the price of the ram. So I got a combo deal for the two and got better ram as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16820227297

They raised the ram a total of $10 this past week so I thought I'd beter go ahead and grab some now. The rest will have to wait a bit longer for cash to build up. I want to thank you alll for the advice and pointers, I could not have done this on my own and would have wound up with a subpar system and wasted alot of cash. The following is what I settled on, I've got the ram and the CPU on their way already but the rest hasn't been ordered as yet.. soon though.

Case and MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ItemList=Combo.285354
Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16820227297
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16819103674
Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16817139006
Video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...-14-102-857-_-Product

So I am expecting this to last me a few years although I may decide to upgrade the motherboard next year for a newer ASUS board but we'll see. As always, your thoughts are welcome and once again thanks to you all.

Shamokes,

Funny, I saw your post. I too have an old Asus AV8 MB and am looking to build a new rig. I also was looking at the Phenom II X4 CPU. I've posted my proposed setup but haven't yet received any feedback.

Here is my newegg public wish list
http://secure.newegg.com/WishL...ishListNumber=11103031

Edited: 11/17/2009 at 03:31 PM by Stu468

Your wish list is the private one not public so we can't see it on Newegg. the rest of myparts should be here this evening, I am waiting excitedly.