where to start...

[~Darkseeker~]

im looking into building some kind of high spec machine, but over a period of time, so i dont burn any financial holes in my pockets. I was wondering where to start, i mean, case, motherboard, PCI cards, GPUs etc.

help?

ALSO, guys, since in the past ive always had CPU and mobo's bundled together, i know nothing of matching CPUs and mobos.

would this Gigabyte motherboard, be compatible with the AMD Athlon II X4 620?

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=36115&tid=frooct

 

[mike90t09]

With the CPU / Motherboard issue, you have to make sure the socket type on the CPU is supported by the motherboard. I also have the Anthlon X4 620 and the socket is AM3. I also have a GIGABYTE motherboard, the MA 785GMT-UD2H to be exact.

Just look at the specs first before you buy. The motherboard you listed will indeed work with that processor. Just pick your essentials first which IMO are: CPU, motherboard, RAM, and Graphics card. From there you can select how much power you need and the right size case for your components.

 

[~Darkseeker~]

the form factor on the motherboard is MicroATX, and i believe the CoolerMaster Elite 334 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Master-Elite-Black-Case/dp/B001DNQK98/ref=pd_cp_ce_3) supports microATX?

i was also wondering what the onboard graphics are like on that motherboard, would i be able to survive with them for a while?

 

[mike90t09]

Yes, that case is a mid tower case. It will support your microATX and ATX motherboards if you choose to upgrade.

If you're going to be gaming with this machine then I would hold off and save your money and buy a graphics card. The onboard graphics are not ideal for gaming but will work for basic use.

 

[~Darkseeker~]

talking of GPUs, what do you think of the GeForce 9800GT?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=226782&C=Froogle&U=226782&T=Module

just made a fairly decent find.

this store is about 8 miles away, Phenom X4, motherboard and NVIDIA graphics (low end nvidia, but ill replace it eventually)

opinions?

 

[mike90t09]

That graphics card is a little old compared to what is out today but it is still a decent card nontheless.

 

[~Darkseeker~]

how does the Athlon X4 compare to the Phenom X4?

i dont intend to overclock, so im looking for a pretty decent CPU, and also, probably a dumbass question, DDR3 memory isnt going to work in DDR2 compatible RAM slots is it?

+thanks mike, Rep for the help.

 

[VINMAN46]

im pretty sure its either ddr2 or ddr3 not both
i would pick up the phenom x4 its still a aquad core but you get the l3 cache and if you can theres also triple core cpus

 

[mike90t09]

DDR doesn't work in DDR2, DDR2 doesn't work in DDR3. The gaps on the "teeth" is in a different spot on each type of RAM so look at what your motherboard supports and get that type of RAM.

VINMAN46 is refering to the Phenom X3 processors. 3 cores, which is really cool and not as expensive.

The Phenom is for high performance and multitasking, the Anthlon is definitely no slouch either just less expensive. You will have a great machine either one you pick.

 

[shozzking]

and with the X3 you can always try to unlock it to get a quad core for the price of a triple core. also when you're looking for RAM, try to get it with a CAS latency of 7. RAM at 1333MHz with a latency of 7 will be faster than RAM at 1600MHz with a latency of 9.