03grey5

So, my $1800 Toshiba laptop that I purchased around 4 years ago finally decided to die on me. I am not looking to build a desktop PC for around $500 give or take. I'll list the parts below, if there's a better alternative for me to use then please chime in. Or any other advice that anyone may have is much appreciated.

Here's the parts list:

CPU - AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Triple-Core AM3 95W
MoBo - GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P: Socket AM3, AMD 770 Chipset, ATX
RAM - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2G 1.5V DDR3 1600 Dual Channel
Graphics - Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 DirectX 11 (Not so sure about this)
HD - Western Digital 500GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
Optical - LITE-ON Black 24X SATA CD/DVD Burner
Power Supply - Antec NEO ECO 400W 80 PLUS Active PFC (No Power Cord)
Case - Antec Three Hundred Illusion ? 3x 120mm 1x 140mm fans (Not so sure about this)

Thanks in advance for all the input fellas!

pukka

Two questions:

1-What exactly do you want to do with this computer?
2-Why a desktop?

03grey5

I'm looking for a computer that can handle gaming and movies & music. Just an overall powerful computer for around $500.

I'm looking for a desktop now because I have a netbook that I have on the side so I don't need another powerful $1800 laptop.

redEYEjedi

Or you can buy my used Dell desktop, that can play CS, WOW, etc for $100..

GsQ

You got a good list going there its a shame that I didn't see this sooner as i just parted out my pc two weeks ago so i could get my m-style bumper haha. I was running:

AMD Phenom II X4 BE Quad Core
AMd 790GX Chipset
Dual Channel DDR2 Crucial Ballistx
ATi Radeon HD 4830 (i have also used Galaxy 9500gt love this one my fav)
Antec 900 2 mega cooler case
and the ATX MBD AMD 790GX mobo

If it were me i would stay away from gigabyte boards i know a lot of people that have had problems with them. Another good one to check out is the ASUS M4A78-E ATX AM2+ AMD790GX CrossFire. I have had really good experiences with ASUS boards. The only thing that i would suggest you get if you are going to be doing gaming or movies is a aftermarket CPU cooler. If you are going with an am3 socket board the Scythe SCKTN-3000 probably be perfect for you. Scythe makes a couple other ones too all for under 40 bucks. You really want you cpu not to overheat and fry your board. I have built a couple computer recently and even after i parted my computer out i still have some led 125mm fans and some 25 mm fans and a bunch of 3 and 4 pin connectors. I alsi have a vga cooling unity if u get a graphics card without a heatsink on it. I am not using this stuff and if you think you might need any of it hit me up.

As far as that case goes its ok it a matter of personal preference i dont really like that one though. Like I said i had the Antec 900 2 and loved it because it had a lot of front usb ports and E-SATA and audio. It also had 9 expansion bays for plenty of drives all interchangeable really flexible for my needs anyway. Plus the cooling in it was second to none. Good luck with everything.

GsQ

BTW BEWARE OF tri core AMD processors. I had a friend that use to work for Advanced Micro Devices and told me that tri-core processors were just defunct quad cores that got sent back. If you didnt already know tri core processors dont really exist they actually have four cores the fourth is just locked down through the bios so you cant use it. I would go with a quad core or even a high rated dual core. You are much better off. Should set you back any more loot than you planned on spending either.

DD_545i

You have to admire them for thinking to offer tri-cores from broken quad cores. Presumably they offer dual cores from the even further broken quad cores. I made the switch from monster mega desktops to a monster laptop 18 months ago. I hardly ever move it (maybe once every 6 months) but I can if I want, and that's worth a lot. I took it with me to England for two weeks and to Denmark for a week, and during that time, I didn't have to put up with running on an inferior netbook. I like the idea of having all my programs and all my media files on the 1TB (2x500G drives that are in the laptop.

jaychen

For someone that is actually in the business of selling AMD, I will suggest to skip the tri-core product too, but for a different reason.
The concern of bad quality of tri-core is mostly gone now, since AMD has produced the new Phenom II platform for a while and increased their yield.

My suggestion is jump directly to Phenom II Quad Core if you need the horse power, which you really don't have to pay much more, and if your app already support multi-thread, 4 will be better than 3. Otherwise, jump one step lower and go with Athlon II Quad and put the $$ into a more powerful Graphic card instead.

As for Mobo, 770 is a bit old at this time, go with 785 or 790 instead, again, not that much more $$.

For memory, no need to spend extra for the 1600 stuff, the gain is quite minimal...

PS. Check out mobo with USB3, if you are buying the computer for the next few years, you will want to be USB3 ready.

Jay

GsQ

Admire them no I dont. I think it a ridiculous way to do some kind of ass backwards quality control. They are reusing defunct products(if its true, which it may not be) thats not ok in my book. Whatever it is i dont like them anyway but like i said and so did jay chen got to go for the quad its not that much more money att all and its worth it. I have built a bunch of pcs and never used a tri core EVER and i never will. Its funny i can build a faster pc for 700 bucks than that 1800 toshiba you had and it will look better too

DD_545i

There's nothing that would make me buy any AMD chip, I'm a pentium fanboy. I can't help finding it amusing and audacious that they'd do that though and get away with it. It's kinda like a car dealer selling a car with a broken turbocharger as an economy version of the car that has reduced horsepower