Building a Gaming Rig, What else do I need?

[crepesack]

Here are the list of parts I've gotten so far: (already have keyboard, mouse, monitor)

-Windows 7
-AMD Phenom II 3.2ghz
-MSI 790XT-G45 AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
-Corsair 750Watt PSU
-MSI N250GTS TwinFrozr 1G OC GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
-COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 compatible GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler(I checked, fits over AM2+/AM3)
-Mid Size Tower with 3 120mm Fans
-4gigs DDR2 RAM 240pin
-1TB 3.0gb/s HDD

Do I need anything else? Are there any compatibility Issues that I have?

 

[crimson5pheonix]

You still need a CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive and the peripherals if you don't have any.

 

[crepesack]

You still need a CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive and the peripherals if you don't have any.

I planned on gutting one of my old computers for their Drives.

 

[Infinatex]

DDR2 ram?

 

[crepesack]

DDR2 ram?

Yah,DDR2 is what I have on hand from my old PC unless you think it's worth it to upgrade to ddr3?

 

[Alpha Maeko]

I have the same Gemini cooler for my Phenom 945.

It requires removing the backplate on the motherboard, so best install it before putting it into the case.

The top-middle screw (usually near the RAM slots) on the motherboard will probably be a bit difficult to reach with that big cooler over it, so keep a good length screwdriver handy.

 

[SpAc3man]

A mouse pad. The one thing I forgot when I built my gaming PC

 

[Skizle]

DDR2 ram?

Yah,DDR2 is what I have on hand from my old PC unless you think it's worth it to upgrade to ddr3?

you can probably hold off on DDR3 for a while. With 4 gigs of it I'd say your fine for a while. Personally I prefer Zalman CPU fans, but if space is going to be an issue then go with the one you picked out.

EDIT: sonce you said you were taking the cd drive out from your old computer, then I guess you taking the mouse and keyboard as well? If not you need them.

 

[shaboinkin]

DDR2 ram?

Yah,DDR2 is what I have on hand from my old PC unless you think it's worth it to upgrade to ddr3?

DDR2 is getting somewhat expensive since DDR3 is starting to flood the market. If you were to get more ram down the line, you might have to pay more for the DDR2 ram.

But if you were to give in for the DDR3 ram, you need to get a different mobo, which you probably already knew.

 

[Alpha Maeko]

DDR2 ram?

Yah,DDR2 is what I have on hand from my old PC unless you think it's worth it to upgrade to ddr3?

DDR3 makes no noticeable real-world difference, but it is indeed faster.

The true bottleneck, nowdays, is hard drive speed. SSD is still overly expensive, unfortunately.

 

[Heartbeat]

Your motherboard has:

Supported RAM Technology DDR3 SDRAM
Supported RAM Integrity Check Non-ECC
RAM Installed ( Max ) 16 GB
Supported RAM Speed -PC3-6400
-PC3-8500
-PC3-10666

This means you'll probably have to drop some cash on DDR3 RAM. you should double check if it maybe has DDR2 slots.
http://www.lightinthebox.com/MSI-790XT-G45---Motherboard---Micro-ATX----AMD-790X-----AM3-Socket--SMQ4588-_p96804.html

 

[Horticulture]

You could save a few bucks with a Radeon 4850 instead of that GTS 250. Performance is pretty close, but they occasionally crop up for ~$90. If you haven't made up your mind on hard drive brand, look at Samsung's Spinpoint F3s. They're pretty fast for 7200rpm mechanicals.

This means you'll probably have to drop some cash on DDR3 RAM. you should double check if it maybe has DDR2 slots.

The AM3/AM2+ boards all take DDR2 exclusively.

 

[Heartbeat]

If you want to see the benchmarks yourself head to, http://www.tomshardware.com/charts.

 

[Heartbeat]

The AM3/AM2+ boards all take DDR2 exclusively.

Hah, I feel sheepish. I'm tired and my mouse is messing up, I went to the wrong board.

 

[Horticulture]

The AM3/AM2+ boards all take DDR2 exclusively.

Hah, I feel sheepish. I'm tired and my mouse is messing up, I went to the wrong board.

Heh, no worries. AMD has so many variations on the 790gx at this point that their engineers probably can't tell them apart anymore.

 

[Infinatex]

DDR2 ram?

Yah,DDR2 is what I have on hand from my old PC unless you think it's worth it to upgrade to ddr3?

Nah not necessary, just DDR2 is getting a bit dated. Also I think you would need a new Motherboard too. They benefit would be (with new board + DDR3) would be the option to really upgrade later on, eg, change out 2GB sticks for some 4 GB ones.

 

[crepesack]

I know this sounds like blasphemy but are there any decent gaming laptops? I hear wonders from the Alienware M11X series. The reason I'm asking this is because in college I'm always on the move and a desktop just doesn't seem as practical.

 

[case_orange]

I know this sounds like blasphemy but are there any decent gaming laptops? I hear wonders from the Alienware M11X series. The reason I'm asking this is because in college I'm always on the move and a desktop just doesn't seem as practical.

There are. But it's not worth it compared to what you could get for a gaming desktop/DIY rig. If you want a laptop to take to class/be portable/etc. buy a cheap Dell. If you want a speed machine for gaming, get a desktop.

Also, I'm assuming this is a 64-bit Windows 7 installation, no? I didn't see it mentioned up top, but with 4 gigs of memory I'm assuming it will be.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Here are the list of parts I've gotten so far: (already have keyboard, mouse, monitor)

-Windows 7
-AMD Phenom II 3.2ghz
-MSI 790XT-G45 AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
-Corsair 750Watt PSU
-MSI N250GTS TwinFrozr 1G OC GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
-COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 compatible GeminII S RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler(I checked, fits over AM2+/AM3)
-Mid Size Tower with 3 120mm Fans
-4gigs DDR2 RAM 240pin
-1TB 3.0gb/s HDD

Do I need anything else? Are there any compatibility Issues that I have?

A box of roses and a box of candy for your wife. It will help smooth over the realization that she is now a computer widow. You might want to buy a more simple remote for the TV since your wife is now going to be the one using it most often.

 

[Claymorez]

Large Full HD TV and Surround sound 7.1 or 5.1 system - it would compliment the other components - as it's not just about having the best rig as it is the best setup!