My old PC finally kicked the bucket, so this can't be put off any longer. I did a lot of research about a year ago so I know the basics about all of this, but I'm trying to catch up because a lot can change in a year. I plan on using the PC for gaming primarily. This is what I have so far, followed by a few questions. COOLER MASTER RC-690 Mid Tower Computer Case Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Corsair 650W PS G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 ASUS Radeon 4850 512mb Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Creative X-Fi Xtremegamer I also need a monitor. I like this Acer. If I decided to go with a 24" like this Acer X243Wbd is there a single card I could upgrade to over the 4850 that will provide some more longevity without being a ridiculous price increase for a small performance gain? Also, I really find the whole motherboard discussion to be a bit overwhelming. Seems like they're all so picky about what they'll let you stick in them, so if this was the setup I went with, could anyone recommend a couple good motherboards I could go with? Please suggest any other places I could upgrade slightly for good performance gains, I'm around $200 under cap but if there aren't any upgrades that are worth it I wouldn't mind pocketing that. Thanks in advance for your help. I'm hoping to have it all ordered in the next week, then I get to build my first computer. Yay.
You want to consider the Corsair 750 watt TX. The power supply unit in today's modern computer assumes a role probably more critical than any other single component in your system. A poor PSU can also cause other components to fail in your computer. The right Brand names = Quality Some approved Brand names follow... Seasonic - any model Corsair - any model Thermaltake - "Toughpower" series only Coolermaster - "Real Power Pro" series only PC Power & Cooling - any model Silverstone - any model Unless you are not into some serious gaming a 650 watt or higher will take care of your needs...PCI-E requires 26 amps at 12 volts. That's a 650W...Quality...PSU. If you are a serious gamer a 750 Watt, or a little higher will be all that you would need. Power Supply Information and Selection - Tech Support Forum
