$800 Gaming Rig

[doowser]

Hello everyone. I would appreciate help building my first pc. I play WOW with low fps on my current 8 yr old (ouch) system.

I have tried to find a thread with all the same/similar details as my build but have so far been unsucessful.

I have a 24 inch Samsung monitor that I would like to run at 1920 x1200.

I have $800 (US) to spend and would love to get something ordered in a week or two. I don't need mouse/keyboard/etc... Just the PC and an OS.

I think I would prefer Intel (out of habit?) but would be open to AMD if the consensus was that would be better. As I mentioned, I play WOW currently, but would also like to get into Call of Duty and Crysis. I realize my budget won't let me play those on the highest settings, but such is life.

As far as multitasking goes, I usually don't do more then having WOW up with an open IE window in the background.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

 

[Why_Me]

Here's a good set up that won't break the bank, yet will allow you to play WoW on high settings. That case is vented and set up to run 3x120mm fans, it comes with two and I added a third to this build. It says "refurbished" but most all of these cases were sent back because of something like a loose wire, untapped screw hole, etc... Essentially these are new cases. The PSU has great specs for the price, not to mention it's modular. Anyways here ya go.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?Image=11-119-106-15.jpg,11-119-106-03.jpg,11-119-106-25.jpg,11-119-106-16.jpg,11-119-106-17.jpg,11-119-106-18.jpg,11-119-106-19.jpg,11-119-106-24.jpg,11-119-106-21.jpg,11-119-106-20.jpg,11-119-106-22.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16811119106&Depa=1&Description=COOLER%20MASTER%20Centurion%20534%20RC-534-KKN2-GP%20Black%20Computer%20Case <--- some better pics of that case.

http://techreport.com/articles.x/16504 <---some reviews on that gts 250 1gig vid card

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/913/1/ <---and another review.

http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=84 $22.99
Centurion 534 Black Mid Tower, W/O window, W/O PSU - Refurbished

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150070 $4.99
MASSCOOL FD12025S1L3/4 120mm Case Fan - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022 $79.99 ($64.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-43-UD3L $79.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L Core 2 Quad/ Intel P43/ DDR2/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206 $114.99 Free Shipping*
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130469 $149.99
EVGA 01G-P3-1155-TR GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $44.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 $99.99 Free Shipping*
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

Total: $709.89 *(not including shipping and rebates)

If you want to over clock, then take a look at this combo below...

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=E7400 Combo Price: $135.59 Free Shipping
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8GHz 1066MHz 3M LGA775 CPU, OEM
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Fan For Intel CPU
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound

 

[doowser]

Great. Thanks for the quick reply.

So if I were to try and spend to my budget, how would I best spend another $90 (I didn't add up the shipping costs, so this is just a guess/hypothetical).

 

[Why_Me]

Great. Thanks for the quick reply.

So if I were to try and spend to my budget, how would I best spend another $90 (I didn't add up the shipping costs, so this is just a guess/hypothetical).

I would switch out the vid card and get a larger case...seeing how that gtx 260 is a very big card. Switch out those two items and it will make your total price $764.89. Save the money left over for shipping cost...pizza, etc....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127409 $189.99 ($159.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)
MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OCv2 GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail / Free Far Cry 2 game w/ purchase, limited offer

http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=107 $37.99
Centurion 590 Black SECC ATX Mid Tower, W/O window, W/O PSU - Refurbished

 

[doowser]

Based on feedback here and elsewhere, this is what I put together.

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard – Retail, $134.99, -$20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358&Tpk=UD3P

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor – Retail, $119.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.181191
Combo CPU/MOBO $219.98, -$15 MIR

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card – Retail $189.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply – Retail $74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – OEM $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders – OEM $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

I don't need a cd/dvd drive.

But I do still need a case, and would prefer something from Newegg. Is this okay?
RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WB Black 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case - Retail, $84.99, MIR $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156063

Also, I went with a P45 MOBO in case I want to xfire later on.

And should I be looking at a 4890 instead of the 4870 videocard? Or should I wait to see if the price on the 4870 drops? I found a Sapphire 4890 on Newegg for $229 after $20 MIR.

This will be my first build, so any help you can provide is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[xrdar]

For the $800, you could easily go for a quad or triple core AMD Phenom II build, if you're ok with going AMD.

A Phenom II x3 720 BE is only $145 and now that DDR 3 is getting cheaper you would only have to add about $25 to what you are spending now for the ram. With a triple core you would have much more capabilities.

The triple core is very nicely overclockable on a cheap cooler or even the stock one.

For a case, check out the

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
It'll fit anything you want and is has excellent cooling.

The 4890 is not worth the extra money unless you plan on overclocking it too.

 

[Helloworld_98]

swap the cpu and mobo for a 720 BE and 790 mobo bundle which will lower the price a few dollars and then swap the 4870 for a GTX 275 or GTX 260.

 

[doowser]

I can't find a 720BE/790 combo for cheaper then $275. That's $70 more then the E7400/MOBO combo I have here. Is the Phenom worth that extra? Or am I not looking in the right place?

 

[xthekidx]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649
+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376