Proposed new PC

[Graham]

Firstly, hi to everyone on here.

the last PC I built was 11 years ago and do say things have got a bit complicated since then is an understatement.

I am looking to buy a PC for gaming - new games as well as old. my budget is fairly limited to around the £300-£400 mark. However found the 2 Asus boards and would love advice.

Asus M4A89GTD Pro/USB3

Asus M4A87GTD Pro/USB3

both boards look great, but am i right in thinking that the main difference is the absence of the onboard gpu on the M4A87GTD? Would I be able to run my old 184-pin DIMM DDR whilst funds are tight?

I am looking at the following processor

AMD’s Phenom II X4 925 quad core processor
AMD’s Phenom II X4 965 quad core processor

The 965 version looks to be a little cheaper so wondering if that is the best one to go for?

GPU wise - looking at a Radeon HD 5770...though if I go with the M4A87GTD - may miss it due to lack of £££

A final consideration is that i am running a Antec 400w psu - would I need something more substantial?

Guys, thanks in advance.
Graham

[fisshy]

Hi Graham... I'm surprised no-one got to this before me.

If anything Building the PC has gotten easier, There's just more choice when it comes to components!

Asus M4A89GTD Pro/USB3 is the board to go with, Its a later release than the M4A87 chipset which means it has all the lessons ASUS learned from the 87 chipset series integrated.

Unfortunately your 184-pin DIMM DDR module will not be supported by this motherboard. The motherboard only supports DDR3

Originally Posted by ASUS.com

4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1333/1066 ECC,Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
*AMD AM3 100 and 200 series CPU support up to DDR3 1066MHz
**Due to OS limitation, when installing total memory of 4GB capacity or more, Windows® 32-bit operation system may only recognize less than 3GB. Hence, a total installed memory of less than 3GB is recommended.
***Refer to ASUSTeK Computer Inc. for the memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).

The processor purchase could be determined by how much money is left over from the purchase of the HD5770! The 5770 is still a great card for the money and should give you descent performance @ 1920x1080 Resolution.

Your Power supply would be next on your Upgrade list. It will do but only barely and it will only be a matter of time till a problem arises!

-------------------------------------------------------------
Now what I would do with your budget:

Purchase any one of these motherboards:

ASUS F1A75M_PRO
ASUS F1A75M
ASUS F1A75V_EVO
ASUS F1A75V_PRO

(My Choice would be the ASUS F1A75M)

Then Purchase a:
AMD A8 3850 Lynx Core S FM1 2.9GHz 4MB Cache GPU 600MHz 100W Quad-Core CPU Retail .


You will also need RAM so you would need to get some of this: ::YoYo Tech::

Then you should be set for a pretty descent system. Maybe look at purchasing a Graphics card if more money becomes available to you. You should still look at purchasing a Larger power supply, look in the 650W - 700W range!

Good Luck.
Fisshy

[andyg]

Good post Fisshy. Great advice for you there Graham!

[sahara mafia]

after i finish modding the case

i am planing for A 8 and a cool board for it

[andyg]

Originally Posted by sahara mafia

after i finish modding the case

i am planing for A 8 and a cool board for it

In what context Sahara? Are you building a new rig too? (Sorry if I missed something)

I'd be interested to hear the details!

I'm also planning to build a new rig, but not until Ivy Bridge is released and established.

[sahara mafia]

this is what i was talking my crazzy modding project

and A8/A6 rig with a cool motherboard to run a voip/ pabx so my can call inter and she does not have to scream to call my sis, bro or me she could just dial a ext and call us and people that call from out side run through a ivr and then to the right ext cause my parents r building a one store house

and putting a dumb terminal to the TV in the hall to watch movies or series from the ftp

this is still in the theory phase cause the house is not yet finished

[mkk]

I had a mATX system that I just felt like I had to remodel into a Mini-ITX once I saw the inexpensive Chieftech BT-02B chassis in person(it's not sexy or tiny, but smart and sturdy). A bit frivolous spending, but now that Mini-ITX motherboards are finally available for the FM1 socket and I wasn't using a graphics card anyway it felt just right. Although for general use an A6 model would do fine, If I were to go to a LAN today I'd bring this little friend and would have use for the little extra oomph it can bring. For general HTPC-like use it's easy to lower the maximum CPU speed a little in the AMD software controls, to avoid forcing the cooler having to ramp up. I'm thinking TV-system during the summer olympics. And I don't have an actual TV yet.

The FM1 motherboards I've used are the Asus F1A75-M PRO and then the ASUS F1A75-I DELUXE for the Mini-ITX. For some reason I got hooked on relatively more expensive boards there compared to my main desktop which uses a budget ASRock. It's all about the right feature set at the right place at a reasonable price. I'm in love with the FM1 platform for non-gaming rigs, and the Intel motherboards have felt comparatively boring all year.

[sahara mafia]

A6 kicks i7 black edition in the butt

in most of the reviews i have read

i agree intel motherboards have lost out, i think they have like one or two boards that r good

[andyg]

Hey, Sahara, thanks buddy for the info.

Good luck with it. Have fun!