Building a new tower and need some recommendations.

tigerray00 · Feb 12, 2010

Ok, I'm trying to keep this economical if possible.

Here's what I'm starting with

Asus MB M4A77TD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131603&cm_re=m4a77td-_-13-131-603-_-Product

AMD Processor Phenom II X4 925 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103656&cm_re=amd_925-_-19-103-656-_-Product

What I can't decide on is what video card to get and which case or power supply and case to choose or a particular brand of system memory.

Reading the instructions in the manual it appears that I have to have both a 24 pin power connector and the 4 pin for the Mobo, but I've never seen a board that needed both of those, usually it's either just 24pin or the 20 pin with the seperate 4 pin. If someone could help me with that then I've got a good case picked out.

After that I need to pick a decent video card, but there's so many choices for cards I don't really know what to pick, I want a card that will give decent frame rates for my games without killing my checkbook. I was thinking about something like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150351

But, I haven't kept up with the video card industry lately so I'm not sure what the newer video processors are. I play MMORPG's so I need something that can keep up under heavy loads, and right now my laptops Nividia 7150 just isn't cutting it. So if anyone has a good suggestion here that would be good.

If software is an issue, I'm planning on running Window's 7 64bit for the OS.

collinsl · Feb 12, 2010

Hello,

Recommendations: any good name brand for memory: Crucial, OCZ, etc. There are few differences between the brands.

The video card you have specified will be perfectly good for the uses you have specified.

For a case I recommend an Antec 300: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...129042&cm_re=antec_300-_-11-129-042-_-Product
This is a fairly cheap case with excellent airflow and installation features, including a front air filter.

If you do get this case, I recommend you purchase 3 x 120MM fans to fit (2 in the front, sucking air in and 1 on the side blowing out).

As for the power supply, all ATX motherboards require a 20(+4) pin arrangement to be connected to the motherboard AND a 4 or now 8 pin power connector to supply extra power to the processor. The 20+4 pin motherboard and at least a 4 pin power connector for the CPU are supplied on all ATX power supplies as standard. Most modern ones will also supply an 8-pin CPU connector for more modern dual/quad core motherboards.

Please be aware that the PSU is one of the most critical components in your system.

Please read the text below that has kindly been supplied to me by Digerati:

Digerati said:

It is important to ensure power supplies are capable of supporting the demands placed on them. A stressed or overworked power supply can cause stability problems, system lockups and reboots. In worse-case scenarios, a stressed supply can fail catastrophically and damage any device connected to it. Sadly, many computers, especially factory made computers, come with PSUs that are barely adequate to support the existing hardware. Simply adding two more RAM modules (sticks) can overtax them. Therefore is important to consider the greater power demands whenever adding or upgrading hardware. This is critically important with graphics card as they can, and often do demand more power than CPUs.

There are several calculators out there but I have found this to be the best. Note the results indicate the minimum size supply you need. And the default settings do not take into consideration how the computer is used, future upgrades or hardware changes. To ensure your new supply will provide years of faithful service, has enough horsepower to support heavy demands and is ready for future hardware upgrades, please follow the advice below to modify the specified parameters.
Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. To ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free operation and future demands, I recommend the following settings:

CPU Utilization (TDP) - 100%

Capacitor Aging - 30%

System Load 100%

Motherboard - High End Desktop (optional but recommended)

Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,

Efficiency,

Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. And don't count on supplies that come included with a case. They are often underrated, budget or poor quality models "tossed in" to make the case sale. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), as surge and spike protectors are inadequate.
Note: There is often some confusion over buying too big of a supply. It is important to remember that electronics draw from their power supplies what they need and not what the supply is capable of delivering. That is, if the motherboard plus the RAM, drives, fans, and graphics card all need 360 watts of power, they will only consume 360 watts regardless if the power supply is a 400W, 650W or a 1000W supply. And the power drawn from the wall outlet will also only be 360W (plus up to 30% more for PSU inefficiencies). So there is no risk of damage from using too big of a supply, except to your budget. That said, if the calculator says you need a 400 watt supply, a quality 400 watt supply will work, but note it will be working near its peak capacity full time. This will likely cause its internal fan(s) to spin at full speed, and maximum loudness. A 500 - 600 watt PSU will be under less strain, and not require the fans to run at full speeds.

Read more: http://www.d-a-l.com/help/general-hardware-issues/67809-power-supply-calculator.html#ixzz0fKDbgaY5
Click to expand...

Burrell · Feb 12, 2010

looks good to me.

I would if budget permimts, buy the antec 1200 instead, it is a big case with plenty of room for expansion.

Burrell

Log in or Sign up

Building a new tower and need some recommendations.

tigerray00 Specialist

collinsl MajorGeek

Burrell MajorGeek

Log in or Sign up

Building a new tower and need some recommendations.

tigerray00 Specialist

collinsl MajorGeek

Burrell MajorGeek

Useful Searches