Final build ~ Ordering next week!

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09-06-2009, 05:22 PM
Jahova

Final build ~ Ordering next week!
Hey there, just a progress update from me on my quest to build a custom PC. My mother has now said that I can order and build this PC after my final exam which is next friday, so I can't wait!

Next, I want to share my final build with you and I need YOUR help on choosing a graphics card for my build. I'm not a hardcore gamer, if I'm honest, I would like to be able to play games like the Call of Duty series of games and that's about it. I would also like to be able to watch HD movies on my PC, so it needs a HD connector for my HD monitor / TV.

Scroll down for the 4 graphics cards I have found. They all look similar but there are probably small differences between them, which could make one better than another. Also, my budget for this build is £501, but I can go slightly over if I have to (£20 max tbh).

Here is my build as of 09/06/09 ~
Case ## £20.00 ## - Piano black tower case.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150289

Processor ## £200.00 ## - AMD Phenom II X4 3.2Ghz black edition
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164047

Motherboard ## £52.00 ## - ASUS HDMI GeForce 8300 AM2+
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145753

DVD-RW ## £16.00 ## - LG 22X SATA DVD±RW/DL/RAM
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151999

PSU (600W) ## £45.00 ## - Arctic Power 700W PSU
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124927

Hard drive (500GB) ## £40.00 ## - Samsung HD502HI 500GB GREENDRIVE
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164274

GPU (Graphics Card) ## £40.00 ##
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161559 SOLD OUT!

Memory (RAM) ## £40.00 ## - OCZ 4GB DDR2 1066MHz Gold Memory
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/149202

##########################################
### Total of eBuyer: £416.00 (INC P+P) ##############
#########################################
Processor cooler ## £24.00 ## - OCZ Vendetta II
http://www.amazon.co.uk/K%C3%BChler-...3177153&sr=8-1

##########################################
Case fan (220mm) ## £9.00 ## - Akasa, el cheapo
http://www.overclock.co.uk/product/A...-Fan_6320.html

Case fan (120mm) ## £7.00 ## - Akasa, el cheapo
http://www.overclock.co.uk/product/A...-Fan_1786.html

##########################################
## Total of Overclock £18.00 (INC P+P) ##############
#########################################

So overall the current total is £458 out of £501, meaning we have potentially £43 to spend on a GPU. So comment and critisize, flame me for having three threads and suggest me a graphics card, here is the two I found:
1. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/153214 -
  Sapphire HD 4650 512MB with 1GB HyperMemory GDDR3 VGA DVI HDMI PCI-E Graphics Card
2. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/161314 -
  Sapphire HD4350 1GB DDR2 DUAL DVI HDTV PCI-E Graphics Card
Any other HDMI suggestions are welcome, now get searching people =)
09-06-2009, 05:25 PM
Wootzeh

I'd get a cheaper CPU and leave more to spend on a better GPU if it was me :S
09-06-2009, 05:26 PM
Jahova

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wootzeh

I'd get a cheaper CPU and leave more to spend on a better GPU if it was me :S

My build is about me learning and also I'm hoping it will last and be upgradeable for the future. I don't play PC games, I'm an xbox player, you see, so I thought a really good GPU wouldn't be needed.

Also, the list of the two I found, quite cheap, is at the bottom of my first post.
09-06-2009, 05:38 PM
N!ck

What is the need for a HDMI port? You can convert DVI to HDMI which is what I do on mine. The sound of course runs through my computer as DVI only outputs an image, not image and sound like HDMI.
09-06-2009, 05:42 PM
Jahova

Because I'm using a TV which only has HDMI (I think) to connect to. Anyway, some GPU suggestions would be nice from you guys.
09-06-2009, 05:46 PM
N!ck

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomSpit

Because I'm using a TV which only has HDMI (I think) to connect to. Anyway, some GPU suggestions would be nice from you guys.

Yes, and what I'm saying is you can get a DVI to HDMI cable. From my experience with a computer HDMI port (it was a HDMI port build into the motherboard) the quality was crap. It should be fine with one of these graphics cards though.
09-06-2009, 06:13 PM
Jahova

Which one should I go for, the 512MB DDR3 or the 1026MB DDR2?
09-06-2009, 06:51 PM
N!ck

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/153214 easily the best out of the two.
09-06-2009, 08:14 PM
Jahova

Thank you. I now cannot wait until next friday, and then 5 days of that because that's when everything should arrive. Now it's time to watch a load of 'how to build a custom pc' videos, to make sure I get the correct idea.
09-06-2009, 08:28 PM
Recursion

Nvidia did some great video tutorials on building a PC

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizon...eoguide01.html

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizon...eoguide02.html
10-06-2009, 05:22 PM
Mentor

I may be wrong but that PSU only appears to have 1 sata power cable? Seeing as your useing the sata cd/dvd driver + sata hdd that could be a problem?
10-06-2009, 05:31 PM
N!ck

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mentor

I may be wrong but that PSU only appears to have 1 sata power cable? Seeing as your useing the sata cd/dvd driver + sata hdd that could be a problem?

You can convert molex to sata. Motherboard usually comes with an adaptor.
10-06-2009, 05:43 PM
Mentor

Quote:

Originally Posted by N!ck

You can convert molex to sata. Motherboard usually comes with an adaptor.

I knew you could adapt, but never know they bundled em with mobos :p
Useful to know :)
10-06-2009, 09:09 PM
Jahova

Quote:

Originally Posted by N!ck

You can convert molex to sata. Motherboard usually comes with an adaptor.

Does that mean you plug it into the molex and then it has an end to plug into a SATA plug instead?
10-06-2009, 09:19 PM
N!ck

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomSpit

Does that mean you plug it into the molex and then it has an end to plug into a SATA plug instead?

Yes...
11-06-2009, 06:27 AM
Jahova

Great. Sorry if I seem annoying with the questions, keep in mind, this is my first build ;)