First computer =)

[maninred]

Hey everybody, so I've been trying to make a gaming computer just for kicks this summer. I'm still in highschool so my parents are putting me on a limit of around $600 which I've been trying to work with. Here's the list of parts that I've gotten so far:

Case: Thermaltake VL70001W2Z V5 Black Edition Mid Tower
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6078235&sku=T925-3048

PSU: Ultra LS500 Lifetime Series 500W Power Supply
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3255392&sku=ULT-LS500

Motherboard: Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H Motherboard
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4936681&sku=G452-1015

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 620
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Athlon-620-2600MHz-Retail/dp/tech-data/B002MAPTFW/ref=de_a_smtd

RAM: Patriot PGS24G6400ELK Gamer Series 4096MB
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6078346&sku=P33-6095

Graphics card: XFX Radeon HD 5750 Video Card
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5316155&sku=P450-5750

Sound card: Default motherboard soundcard?

Hard Drive(s): Seagate ST3500418AS Barracuda 7200.12 Hard Drive
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4499974&sku=TSD-500AS7

Optical Drive(s):Lite-On IHAS124-04 Internal DVD Write
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4829307&Sku=L12-1312%20OEM

Monitor: Something I've already got lying around the house, not sure if this is the exact same model, but it sure looks like it : http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Samsung-215TW-21-inch-Widescreen-LCD-Monitor-Refurbished/4222610/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=12216104

Speakers: Again, already got a cheap 3 speaker set up with a subwoofer and two top speakers

Operating System: Windows Vista

I'm a total beginner with this kind of stuff so I'm not completely sure as to whether or not these parts actually work together or anything. My main concern is staying within the $600 limit, so I realize that some of these parts are not completely up to date or modern, but I just want to know if this build will function.

Also, am I correct to assume that my motherboard has a built in sound card so that I won't have to buy another one? And how would I connect to the internet? Sorry for all the questions, thanks a lot!

[RickyTick]

I'm a total beginner with this kind of stuff so I'm not completely sure as to whether or not these parts actually work together or anything. My main concern is staying within the $600 limit, so I realize that some of these parts are not completely up to date or modern, but I just want to know if this build will function.

Also, am I correct to assume that my motherboard has a built in sound card so that I won't have to buy another one? And how would I connect to the internet? Sorry for all the questions, thanks a lot!

Hi there, and welcome to the MySuperPC forums.

For starters, I don't see any reason why your selected parts won't work just fine together. Motherboards have onboard sound and they actually work very well. There will also be an ethernet port on the motherboard to connect to the internet. If you need to go wireless, then you'll need a wireless card, but they are not very expensive.

If you don't mind, I'd like to offer a few suggestions that will make your build a good bit better and still be within your $600 budget. Check this out.

Case with power supply. $100 and free shipping. High quality case and psu.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129065

Motherboard. $107 and free shipping. Much better motherboard, and puts you into DDR3 memory and also adds USB 3.0.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128443

Processor. $100 with free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103702

Video card. $115 after rebate plus $7 shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131354

Ram $93 and free shipping. This is 4gb of DDR3 ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231190

Hard Drive. $55 and free shipping. Bigger, faster, quiter, and a 5 year warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Optical Drive. $20 for the one you listed from TigerDirect.

Total is $597 and that includes the shipping. Slightly better setup with a larger and faster hard drive as well as 4gb of DDR3 ram.

What do you think?

[maninred]

Wow, thanks for all those suggestions! The processor and video card you linked me are at much better prices than my previous ones so that's great. However, I do have a couple of questions regarding your adjustments. First,since it seems that the switch from DDR2 to DDR3 is costing me around $50 how big of a difference would I feel in my system in terms of gamin between 4G DDR2 RAM and 4G DDR3 RAM? Also, will the 430 W PSU included in that case be enough for the kind of hardware I'm using right now? I did do some digging around and found a 550 watt PSU for $40 and I currently find my case to be more aesthetically pleasing, not really sure why haha. Given that my PSU + separate case is around the same price, the only difference I can find is that my separate case includes one more fan and has a greater power supply which I'm not sure I even need.

I appreciate the input

[RickyTick]

The difference between 4gb of DDR2 and 4gb DDR3 is noticeable in certain applications. You probably won't see a difference in surfing the net or reading email, but in a highly demanding game or video editing, that's another story.

The 430 watt psu would be fine for that set up. If you like that other case more and want to use that other psu, then that's just fine. We all have different tastes in cases.