Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2P AMD 760G mATX Motherboard, AMD Phenom II X6 1045T CPU, 8GB (2x4GB), 1TB Toshiba HDD, HEC 485W PSU, Diablotek Case & More $222 After $95 Rebate

Good deal, but ugh 5 mail in rebates

Quote from jacksons98 : Good deal, but ugh 5 mail in rebates

Microcenter board and amd cpu for 99 (FX 6100 series...faster)
Antec power supply for 30 after rebate at newegg
35 Antec case (newegg)
30 memory after rebate
60 hard drive...

the only difference is the price is fairly close but the parts are better (case and power supply) and speed of processor...but without tax...that can be a good deal.

Quote from petrieslastword : Just want to echo how easy modern PCs are to build. Everything really does just fit where it's supposed to. Just use minimal pressure on everything, if it doesn't go easily, it isn't meant to.

Except RAM, which depending on the motherboard can sometimes feel like you are going to break it when you put it in. Just make sure that it is the right way around and press it in.

I remember building my first computer from scratch and freaking out when I was putting the the RAM because it felt like I was going to snap it in half.

(oh, and TU for a nice bundled deal. I agree with everyone that this would be a great starter build for people looking to get more hands on with their technology. The only caution is that this is a microATX case and motherboard so everything is going to fit a little closer together.)

Toss in a GTS 450 and you have yourself a REALLY cheap gaming rig.

Quote from backforwardback : Microcenter board and amd cpu for 99 (FX 6100 series...faster) Antec power supply for 30 after rebate at newegg 35 Antec case (newegg) 30 memory after rebate 60 hard drive... the only difference is the price is fairly close but the parts are better (case and power supply) and speed of processor...but without tax...that can be a good deal.

If I don't have access to a microcenter, there's no CPU/board deal that will likely beat this correct? Probably jumping on the TD deal unless there's a good argument to wait for more newegg deals.

Anyone with a quick opinion on this?

If I buy the kit and put an older 512mb Geforce 9600GT into it, will I get a noticeable improvement over the existing system?

I currently have:
Core2 Quad Q8200
G31 mobo (SATA 3.0G)
Geforce 512mb 9600GT
Windows 7 32bit
Been having issues getting an SSD to work on the G31
(part of the reason I'm considering scrapping it)

Will my windows 7, 32 bit be a bottleneck to the new system? In other words, do I clearly need 64 bit to give it full potential?

Quote from Zephon13 : Toss in a GTS 450 and you have yourself a REALLY cheap gaming rig.

Yeah, you could put in a graphics card and have a pretty darn decent gaming rig. The power supply has a PCI 6 pin so you could stick something like a nvidia 650 in there and actually be pretty respectable in terms of graphics horsepower.

Quote from the_d_mann1 : Will my windows 7, 32 bit be a bottleneck to the new system? In other words, do I clearly need 64 bit to give it full potential?

Yes, this kit has 8GB of RAM and Win7 32 bit can only handle ~4 GB. So you would need to switch to 64 bit.

And you would probably notice quite an improvement in the system, especially if you were willing to push the new CPU a bit and get it clocked around 3.0-3.2 Ghz.

Quote from Arreo : Yeah, you could put in a graphics card and have a pretty darn decent gaming rig. The power supply has a PCI 6 pin so you could stick something like a nvidia 650 in there and actually be pretty respectable in terms of graphics horsepower.

I don't know about the GTX 650... It's not very impressive... It's only got a 128-bit memory bus, while the GTS 450 has a 256-bit bus. They also dropped SLI support on that one.

Depends on what resolution you'll be gaming at, but either way you'll have a sweet budget gaming rig.

Quote from Steaktaco : Does this thing have instructions on how to put it together? I've never built a computer from scratch. Do I need a degree in rocket science?

This has kinda been said but let me go ahead and say it again and add a bit.

The only thing you can screw up the installation of the processor and the heat sink. If you have ANY doubts, go to youtube or similar. (heck pm me) DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING.

The 'problem' with the processor is that if you don't have the heat sink down right, it will overheat in a heartbeat. Look for the fan header on the MOBO labeled CPU fan. (I know this might come as a shock but) That's where you plug in the CPU fan.

When the first hit the power button THE FIRST THING YOU DO is check to make sure that fan (little) is running. (Obviously the side is still off the case) If that fan is not spinning the back fan will not 'get you by' while you test the machine... you'll fry the processor. Turn it off and figure out what ain't right.

Don't let my warning spook you, I'm not trying to add unneeded drama, it's just that this one thing is pretty unforgiving. The rest of it, is hard to screw up.

Last thought: I've never used this mobo and case but odds are about 99% the USB headers, power switch, rest switch and the various power/ access light will be a pain in the butt.

Once you do it once though, all of them are basically the same. But oy that first time it will wear you out.

If you have a problem and a search won't get you there for some off reason, you can pm me.

If only they had an option for a crossfire supporting board.

Quote from Assgrabber2 : here is why... a total of (5) rebates for $95....it will need some hussle to get them done & good luck getting them back. post it with delivery confirmation will be another $12 for (5) letters

I am surprised to say Tigerdirect has gotten me back all of my rebates from 2 builds (total of 10). This isn't to say you'll get yours, or the next post will come from someone who didn't get theirs. Safest bet is to take a 10% hit on the rebate for rush processing.

No sata 6 so pass. But good deal otherwise for gamers on a budget.

Thanks OP; I just bought this to replace a Win7 PC with only 4GB DDR2. After I resell the old parts, this should come out making me a few $.

To answer those wanting to build their own PC. If everything goes perfectly (i.e., all the parts work correctly) building a PC has become very simple. If you end up with a defective part and can't reach into you big box of extra parts (or previous knowledge), it can become very difficult. If you have a friend who has done it & that person is patient, I'd say give it a shot starting with one of the guides liked earlier in this thread. It's great if you have kids interested - nice bonding experience.

Quote from LeviathanUltima : No sata 6 so pass. But good deal otherwise for gamers on a budget.

Eh, with the hard drive they are using it is less of an issue than you might think. But if you wanted to upgrade it to a more performance oriented hard drive (or SSD) you start to feel the pinch.

EDIT: Wait, why are they selling you a Sata3 drive with a mobo that only has Sata2? I mean I know it's hard to find Sata2 drives anymore but that is a little silly.

Nice deal. won't even need an optical drive to install os if i use a bootable usb.