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**emax4** · 06-29-2012, 01:44 AM

Seems all good in the hood to me. NewEgg and Tigerdirect.com usually has rebates on SSDs. I always check out slickdeals.net and get the info on SSD rebates. Now they're going for less than $1 a gigabyte.

**suburbandecay** · 06-29-2012, 03:29 PM

Specs look good. If you don't need to have the absolute performance of an SSD, you can try a SSD hyrbid drive. The performance isn't the same balls to the wall speed, but it is still damn good. We use a few here at work. Otherwise, you don't necessarily need the aftermarket cooler and can cut that from the list as a processor will generally come with one that is perfectly serviceable. And you can always upgrade later if it is not.

**RichS** · 06-29-2012, 04:38 PM

It all looks good - I just had a question.

What kind of PC gaming are you looking at? Just casual gaming, or more demanding? The video card that you've selected will do HDCP, so Blu-Ray playback shouldn't be an issue, but the ATi FirePro V3900 is made as an entry-level professional card - more for use in CAD/CAM. It's also an older version - ATi is up to a 9000-series in that model.

If you are looking to get into graphically intense gaming, like first-person shooters, and are not overclocking, it might be best to use the stock Intel cooler (provided the one you're purchasing is a boxed one and not OEM) and use that money to boost up the graphics a bit.

**MDLackey** · 06-30-2012, 01:13 AM

Well, I'm not a hardcore PC gamer, and not a big FPS either, but I did want to get a GFX card that will stand the test of time at least for a few years. I havn't had a need to build a new system for a while, and I'm using a 7 year old Gateway laptop right now. Kinda wanted to test my hands on a PC build, and actually have the funds to buy what i want.

My friend recommended a Nvidia 400 series, looking into that right now.

**Chromatix** · 06-30-2012, 06:43 PM

Okay, so don't get a FirePro card - which is optimised for workstations and won't do games at all well - get a Radeon instead, as those are designed for games.

The 7000 series is current, so just make the remaining numbers as big as your budget will stand, and look for the "GHz Edition" cards which are slightly better than the ones without that branding.

I would actually recommend taking the CPU down a notch if that will let you get a better graphics card. The CPU tends to be rather less important to games, until the graphics card is already top-notch.

And, while you're in the mood for spending money, I suggest getting a really nice keyboard and mouse if you don't have them already. I tend to buy keyboards for typing on, with clicky keyswitches which some people don't like for gaming, but there are other types of keyboard out there specifically designed for gaming. There have been some reviews of them on Anandtech quite recently.

**RichS** · 06-30-2012, 08:40 PM

A quick pricing on Newegg shows the ATi FirePro V3900 @ $120.

Looking in that price range, I found some good cards from both ATi and Nvidia. For ATi, you'll be in the HD7750 range, and for Nvidia, the GTX550Ti. Either would fulfill your needs for awhile, and I did notice on Newegg's site some of those cards come with some pretty good rebates and/or free shipping.

I didn't notice a power supply listed, and when I looked at the case it doesn't come with one. You want to make sure that whatever power supply you have can support the extra power these cards need. For the system that you've listed, along with one of the cards above, I'd say you'd want around a 600-700 wattage supply.

Also, power supplies are one component you do not want to cheap out on. Get the best one you can afford.

**MDLackey** · 07-01-2012, 02:01 AM

Thanks everyone for your input. I have been self-teaching myself on PC stuff since 386's, and just when I thought I know enough to try this, boy is my face red to realize there are so much more stuff I dont know about PC builds, haha.

**MDLackey** · 07-01-2012, 02:09 AM

Question: If I decide to go with a micro ATX board, there would be no ill effect if I choose a 600-700W power supply right?

**Der Cute** · 07-01-2012, 03:46 AM

What are the specs on that board?
Oh, and no, not really, since your PSU will have the right cables to connect to board. Capacitors and all that - your board will use it. (especially with all your doodads)
Thought: your vid cards are PCI-x? Does the board have enough slots to possibly add/change to a new vid card later in life? Hopefully.
8G of RAM isn't bad, are there more slots to add? Does the board recognize anything higher than 8G of ram (BIOS, and can be OS too)
Look for other cases, Rosewill is good, but you could get a less expensive one that does the job; doesn't have to be top of line. As long as you can fit your stuff, go for that. Check Newegg for reviews, I've found that those are great info. USB ports! You can never have too many!
Don't skimp on the PSU, but check on the case for fan ports. Can it breathe?

Can you find another DVD/BR player that does the same job but costs less? And check reviews.
And same for RAM; I've found as long as it works, it works. If you were doing something really heavy duty like CAD or serious gaming, you'd be wanting top of the line RAM. Find something else you can find on sale. Do make sure the timing matches across the board.
I use Fatwallet.com to find a lot of things on sale, Newegg for sure, and an app called Pricelink on my FF browser. That app/addon will see what I'm looking at, and try to find a less expensive place for it. Kinda neat.

Don't skimp on board, cpu and psu, video. Ram you can go down a bit, case can go down a bit. If you buy a fan, it has to have bearings AND be recommended.

Do you have a high quality power strip? One that can shut off if there's a surge? Don't skimp on that!

**Der Cute** · 07-01-2012, 10:52 PM

Here! http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1203105/

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