New Basic Build (E6300 fried!)

[Risiko]

OCP!

My CPU fan died on my 3+ year old Intel E6300 proc, frying it. I overclocked that CPU throughout its life and it performed really well for me. Ironically, it wasn't the overclocking per se that did it in, but some combination of dust buildup in the heatsink, arctic silver paste that was never reapplied, and a CPU fan that ultimately died. The fact that the case and the cpu fan were around 7 years old was probably the ultimate cause. Now that I've learned my lesson, I'm in need of a new motherboard, proc, power supply, and case to support my desktop needs. Since I've been a bit out of the loop for a while now, I'm glad you guys are available as a resource to help me in choosing what to put together.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing?
Lots of basic multitasking (movies, browsing, music, design apps), and occasional gaming sessions (think Battlefield Bad Company 2),

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Budget is a strict $400, and if I can go less, I'd like to.

3) Where do you live?
Oakland, CA

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, Motherboard, Power Supply, Case, + any misc. cooling peices that would be beneficial.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Video Card: Geforce 9800gt 512mb
Hard Drive: 1Tb SATA Western Digital
Ram: Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel
DVD-R Drive.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Probably not at first. Down the line I will.

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
1920x1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
2-4 weeks from now.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Not too picky frankly. SLI might not be a bad thing to have.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?

Legit, 32bit Vista

---

Based the cursory research I've done, it seems an AM3 based system might be up my alley. Comments? Essentially, I'm looking for a setup that will have strong bang for the buck, be durable, and be future-proof (think 4 to 5 year timeframe, at least in some form). I'm also curious how much faster the proc will be in raw terms compared with my old proc. 2 times? 4 times?

I am very open to upgrading in the future. So, for example, in a year or two, I'll probably end up upgrading the OS, the memory, and the video card. Further on (say three years from now), I'm open to upgrading the CPU too.

With that said, is 2gb memory insufficient nowadays? I haven't had any problems thus far with my previous setup and it seems like I'd get by just fine for another year or two with that. Secondly, I know my video card isn't the greatest, but it really isn't a priority right now and I'll end up upgrading in a year or two anyway.

Also, the most important peice, but I'd like something that will last and has a solid look to it.

It's going to feel good to get my machine running again...

Thanks

 

[Dangman]

$100 - AMD Athlon II X4 630 CPU
$43 - Patriot 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$50 - Corsair 400CX 400W PSU
---
Total: $193 shipped.

I did not include a motherboard since you didn't answer question 9. The lack of an answer to question 10 leads me to believe you might not have a legit OS key. Oh and Amazon.com doesn't charge tax to CA residents.

Based the cursory research I've done, it seems an AM3 based system might be up my alley. Comments? Essentially, I'm looking for a setup that will have strong bang for the buck, be durable, and be future-proof (think 4 to 5 year timeframe, at least in some form). I'm also curious how much faster the proc will be in raw terms compared with my old proc. 2 times? 4 times?

For BFBC2: The above X4 630 CPU will be at least twice as fast as your current E6300.

I am very open to upgrading in the future. So, for example, in a year or two, I'll probably end up upgrading the OS, the memory, and the video card. Further on (say three years from now), I'm open to upgrading the CPU too.

Ok, here's the deal: Socket AM3 motherboards only works with DDR3 RAM. Socket AM2+ motherboards, however, do support DDR2 RAM. Yes Socket AM3 CPUs can be used in socket AM2+ motherboard. Here's the key issue however: DDR2 RAM is seriously expensive right now. And the prices will only go on higher as time goes one and production of DDR2 RAM drops. Future AMD CPUs may not work with socket AM2+. A 2GB set of DDR3 RAM is only $43. So in other words: keeping your current DDR2 RAM is simply not a good idea if future expansion and upgrades is your main goal. You're better off in the long run by upgrading to AM3 and DDR3 RAM.

With that said, is 2gb memory insufficient nowadays? I haven't had any problems thus far with my previous setup and it seems like I'd get by just fine for another year or two with that.

2GB of RAM is sufficient these days. However for BFBC2, more RAM is always a good idea.

 

[Risiko]

Thanks Danny. I do have a legit copy of Windows Vista.

As for memory, I think I may choose to break my budget and just go for the 4gb since I would want to get some new DDR3 regardless. In that case, I wouldn't have to upgrade it as quickly going forward.

About the PSU - would it still serve me well years from now? Or would it be smarter to spend a little more for something a little better? My budget is tight, but Iongevity is an important concern, so I'd be willing to invest if need be. I'm just ignorant on this issue, which is why I'm wondering. I know people who've had problems with PSUs in the past by skimping.

 

[Dangman]

As for memory, I think I may choose to break my budget and just go for the 4gb since I would want to get some new DDR3 regardless. In that case, I wouldn't have to upgrade it as quickly going forward.

About the PSU - would it still serve me well years from now? Or would it be smarter to spend a little more for something a little better? My budget is tight, but Iongevity is an important concern, so I'd be willing to invest if need be. I'm just ignorant on this issue, which is why I'm wondering. I know people who've had problems with PSUs in the past by skimping.

If you stick to low power parts, then yes that PSU will serve you for years. However if you plan on doing major GPU and CPU upgrades, then you're gonna need a larger PSU. You will need to up your budget significantly. I recommend this PSU + RAM combo:
$170 - XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W PSU + G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws Series 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

That XFX 650W PSU should last you for years.

I recommend this motherboard for you:
$90 - Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G HDMI mATX Motherboard

 

[Risiko]

Great, I'm getting ready to order soon.

One more Q, since it's been so long -- will the processor come with a heatsink? I know I'm gonna get some new AS5 to go along with it.

 

[Dangman]

One more Q, since it's been so long -- will the processor come with a heatsink?.

Yes

 

[Risiko]

Alright, just about to pull the trigger. But before I do, I'm having some angst about the mobo choice. I'm thinking I may be able to stretch my budget just a little more if it'll be a better overclocker (which I plan on doing at some point down the road, perhaps aggressively) and USB 3.0.

Is there another board out there that would suit me better in that regard? The GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H seems solid. Would that at all open up any overclocking potential when I choose to go there?

 

[Dangman]

The Gigabyte 890 is a solid choice.

 

[xanvincent]

The Gigabyte 890 is a solid choice.

Also, if you wanted to "stretch your budget" to overclock more, put that money towards a heatsink instead.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Also, if you wanted to "stretch your budget" to overclock more, put that money towards a heatsink instead.

To avoid any potential confusion, he meant "money towards a[ better] heatsink[ than the one provided by AMD]"