Flameenix

Hello, so I'm very new to the world of computer building, so forgive me for any discrepencies. Over the past few weeks I have been reading plenty on hard ware and how they function, and today I have finally come up with my first proposed build:

Processor: AMD Phenom II X3 Tri Core 720 Black Edition 2.8GHz (Socket AM3) - (£105)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P (Socket AM3) PCI-Express DDR3 Motherboard - (£107)
Graphics Card: XFX ATI Radeon HD 4890 XT 1GB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - Inc. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. - (£141)
RAM: OCZ Platinum Enhanced Bandwidth Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel - (£58)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM - (£45)
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply - (£69)
Case: Coolermaster Storm 'Scout' Gaming Case - (No PSU) - (£70)
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g) - (£7)

That amounts to a grand total of £602, £2 over budget.

Anyway, I was wondering if some experienced builders could offer their insight into my proposal, for instance, would the items all be compatible and am I at risk of bottlenecking?

Another concern of mine while reading forums on motherboard and CPU combo's is BIOS versions. Personally I'm quite clueless when it comes to BIOS but from what I gather, certain motherboards require the BIOS to be "flashed" in order for it to be completely compatible with the current CPU, which therefore would require a second processor to complete the processor or something. I'm not entirely sure what this issue is, will this be something I shall have to overcome or is my mobo and CPU completely compatible?

My intention for this PC is for gaming and also work as a student at university which I will be heading to this year. I've tried to leave room for the option of Crossfire in the future, and I may look into overclocking the CPU at least as I hear the 720 is "a doddle" to overclock.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help and I look forward to hearing some insight.

Afrodisiac

Wow, that's almost the exact same rig I have ordered

No bottlenecks, that system will be 100% compatible. I do have a few suggestions:

Change out the AS5 TIM with some MX2 - it's better and works faster, no need for burning-in.
Step up from the 500GB Caviar Black to the 640GB, the 640GB model is considerably faster and you might need the extra space.
The power supply you have picked is a decent unit however it is not as good as some others; if you can, try to get a Corsair VX550(550W)/TX650(650W)/TX750(750W).
This motherboard does need a BIOS update to support the X3 720, it will work right out of the box.
I would save money and buy a non-overclocked card than buy an XT version, and overclock it myself to the XT speeds. If the difference isn't too much though, there's nothing wrong with getting the XT.

Enjoy the rig and good luck

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ckybam3

If nothing else stick with that MOBO. i have the gigabyte ma790x-ud4p am2+ and i love it. I agree with Afrodisiac on getting a non overclocked card and overclocking yourself as its easier and usually saves money. I also agree get a corsair PSU if u can. i got the 650tx for like $80 USD i think.

Flameenix

Thanks for the responses.

I'll definately be changing the Thermal Paste as you said Afrodisiac.

As for the graphics card, strangley enough the XT version is the cheapest I have found on the internet (with shipping considered), and it even comes with a free game and continues to be the cheapest that I can see. Odd huh?

Finally while I am a little reserved on spending too much money on a Hard Drive, I will certainly be looking to spend more on a PSU if an upgrade to a Corsair model is reccomended. Although I am a little confused as to what makes Corsair a superior brand name in this case. The OCZ PSU boasts an 86% efficiency, and provides enough power as well as supporting Crossfire. What is it that makes Corsair so great? (I'm not arguing but just wondering.)