A computer that would last a year or two

[Thoth93]

Say you don't have a lot of money. Maybe $1,200 max. Less is better.

Now, say you want to build a computer that will give you decent performence in current and future games (fps, mmrpg, etc.) for, say, a year or two. Probably closer to a year and half.

What would YOU buy?

 

[peteroy]

CPU: Pentium 4 3.06E 1MB cache, 800mhz FSB, HT
Mobo: Intel "D875PBZLK FMB 1.5"
Memory: 512MB Dual channel Kingston/Corsair/Geil/Ocz
Video Card: ATI 9800 Pro
Hard Drive: Some western digital drive

You can go for the cheapest in the rest.


===========================
<A HREF="http://www.clan-chaos.com" target="_new">clan CHAOS</A>

 

[pickxx]

ANTEC Solution Series with 350W........69.99
MSI K8N Neo Platinum...................124.00
EXCALIBUR R9800PRO ICEQ................239.99
Fortron Aurora Series 350W.............43.00
AMD Athlon 64 3400+, 1MB L2 Cache......305.00
Corsair Value PC-3200 Cas 2.5 (X2).....166.00
WD 200GB 7200RPM SATA..................126.00
NEC 8X DVD+/-RW Drive..................61.00

TOTAL PRICE............................1,134.98

This is just from NewEgg in like 15min. The case is just a personal choice for a solid case that i like. The power supply that comes with it is a 'smart power' and i dont know if thats the greatest but i dont think there would be any problems. but i recomend Fortron anyway. Pick a case you like and throw that in the case.
the money left over you can buy an extra fan or some round cables to give your case a clean look. There might be better prices all around the internet but this is all from NewEgg. If someone disagree's with me, which i'm sure some will. they will tell you what to get and why.
good luck

 

[pickxx]

Oh, i forgot to add this....for 150bucks less you can get the 2800+ and then with the money saved get a Nvidia 6800GT for around $400. It would be about a 10% PCU drop but a BIG, HUGE, and MASSIVE jump in gaming.
With a 6800GT you should be able to play top end games in 2yrs with good frame rates and good res. settings.
but its all up to you in the end.

 

[Kanavit]

I wouldn't get A64 yet. don't know if windows xp 64-bit will ever come out. you may never use the 64-bit. for futureproof, get intel. Hyperthreading has immediate impact, and universal software support.

------
Prescott 3.0E 1MB L2 HT
1GB PC 3200 Dual channel(PAT)
Asus P4P800 Bios 1016
PNY Geforce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3
58,556 Aquamarks

 

[pickxx]

Whoa, i know i am short bus special...but even as it is right this very second with no Win64, A64 is the best for gaming. I never said A64 was future proof, but its the best platform for gaming. You are right, Hyperthreading has immediate impact. But to insinuate that it has universal software support and A64's dont....thats criminal. Name ONE game or common software that A64 can't run.

If you have any links that show me the error of my ways and show that a P4 beats a A64 of comparable speed in games show me. Please i would love to know.

Also you rip AMD, and you reccomend Intel, but you dont say what PCU or Mobo to get insted.

 

[Spitfire_x86]

Athlon 64 3000+
MSI K8N Neo Platinum
GeForce 6800GT
LiteOn SOHW-832S (supports Dual Layer DVD+R burning) or LiteOn SOHW-812S (no Dual Layer burning support)


------------
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[Spitfire_x86]

Is your "IntelFanboy.com" forum down?

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[Crashman]

3.06GHz and 800 bus? Wow, I think I've mentioned your math previously, you make no sense!

The 3.06 ran at "533" bus. All 800 bus 3GHz processors run at 3.000000000000000000000000000000000GHz. Plus or minus a couple MHz depending on the board's clock generator and so forth.

Work the math out, you'll know why this is. It has to do with multipliers

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[phial]

you beat me to it

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[phial]

wouldn't get A64 yet. don't know if windows xp 64-bit will ever come out. you may never use the 64-bit. for futureproof, get intel. Hyperthreading has immediate impact, and universal software support.

i heard of some games requiring HT to be turned OFF, because it isnt quite as compatible as you tend to think it is, and has caused decreases in performance

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[Kanavit]

I am getting super duper awesome farcry performance with my P4 3.0E baby.

Here is my result @ 1024x768 32-bit, no AA/AF
===========================
!TimeDemo Run 1 Finished.
Play Time: 52.76s, Average FPS: 70.62
Min FPS: 51.81 at frame 918, Max FPS: 108.67 at frame 1913
Average Tri/Sec: 10080257, Tri/Frame: 142743
Recorded/Played Tris ratio: 1.00
=======================

u say P4 is slow?? i think not. Plus I have a rock solid stable system because of Intel(r) chipset i865PE and P4 3.0E.

Here is what FArcry sees my cpu!!

--- CPU detection ---
Number of system processors: 2
Number of available processors: 2
Processor 0:
CPU: GenuineIntel Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Family: 15, Model: 3, Stepping: 3
FPU: on-chip
CPU Speed (estimated): 3006.853503 MHz
MMX: present
SSE: present

thats why i love intel. they rock. If you get an A64 3000+ , your gain will be absolutely minimal for the same price of a prescott 3.0e $217. Plus, you may never use 64-bit aspect....................... Windows XP forever editon.

------
Prescott 3.0E 1MB L2 HT
1GB PC 3200 Dual channel(PAT)
Asus P4P800 Bios 1016
PNY Geforce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3
58,556 Aquamarks

 

[Zoron]

You realize that score has to do with the fact you have a GeForce 6800GT and not a P4, right? I'm sure an A64 2800+ paired with that card would get scores very similar... and with a lower clock speed and much lower thermal output.

<font color=red> If you design software that is fool-proof, only a fool will want to use it. </font color=red>

 

[trooper11]

no one ever said intel was slow in gaming, it just isnt the fastest either when comapred to similar amd models. its nto so hard to admit that. if a person wants the most performance in gaming, they choose ahtlon 64, that doesnt mean a p4 sucks, it has its pluses as wlel, including alot of performance edges in video and audio work. some apps do favor the athlon 64 in those areas as well, but for the most part its sitll dominated by a p4 with hyperthreading. but you have to admit the athlon 64 has its big pluses as well.

and please dont try to say its more stable, we all know thats not true, realize who your talking to, most of us here can see through a comment like that.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Don't say anything balanced to kanavit, I estimate that it's extremely unlikely that he'll agree...

Good luck with that.

<i><font color=red>You never change the existing reality by fighting it. Instead, create a new model that makes the old one obsolete</font color=red> - Buckminster Fuller </i>

 

[phial]

u say P4 is slow?? i think not. Plus I have a rock solid stable system because of Intel(r) chipset i865PE and P4 3.0E.

Here is what FArcry sees my cpu!!

did i say it was slow? i said its not as amazingly superior as you think it is.

besides, Farcry is very heavily video card dependant, thats what the game engine has been built around. your video card is whats gettin you that score. ITS A KNOWN FACT THAT PRESCOTTS ARE SLOWER PER CLOCK FOR GAMING COMPARED TO THE P4C

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[Mephistopheles]

I wish I had his video card though... The 6800GT is impressive. :frown:

<i><font color=red>You never change the existing reality by fighting it. Instead, create a new model that makes the old one obsolete</font color=red> - Buckminster Fuller </i>

 

[phial]

hell yea

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[Spitfire_x86]

Yeah, he's so stupid, he doesn't deserve to own anything decent.

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[endyen]

His biggest problem right now, is that his chip is almost the same price as an A64 3200+. The poor boy was born with the silver spoon shoved a little too far down his throat.

 

[Kanavit]

the A64 3200+ is quite good cpu. cool n' quiet. but i don't overclock , and 2.0ghz is a full 1ghz behind the P4 3.0E!! the P4 3.0E should beat it in most video and audio applications, as well as 3d rendering. Plus aquamark3 loves the P4 and so does windows xp because of hyperthreading. Also, i love intel chipsets. I don't want to get an A64 3200+ and use VIA or Nforce3 250 they aren't as good.

------
Prescott 3.0E 1MB L2 HT
1GB PC 3200 Dual channel(PAT)
Asus P4P800 Bios 1016
PNY Geforce 6800 GT 256MB DDR3
59,013 Aquamarks

 

[BirdRobin]

well im still getting the a64 anyway so...

"Tommy Vercetti is an innocent man!"

 

[Nights_L]

I don't want to get an A64 3200+ and use VIA or Nforce3 250 they aren't as good.

......I think they did a pretty good job

 

[scottchen]

Nforce3 250 isn't good? OMFG, please PLEASE tell me in what way is the i875P superior? Oh wait in your case the I865PE. Keep your intel biase bullsh*t out of this forum. Oh oopdifuckingdoo in synthetic benchmarks you score more. The reason we buy A64 isn't for the 64bit support IT'S FOR THE INTEGRATED MEMORY CONTROLLER! WTF's with these f*cking brand loyalties.

I have nothing against Intel, in fact i used to a P4 2.6C system, before than Barton 2500+, I just get whatever's got the best price/performance ratio. It's shameful that AMD's 1G behind and still beating the P4 3.2E in games, all thx to its integrated memory controller. I didn't buy Intel this round because Prescott until now is still seen as a failure! I hate all f*cking fanboys.

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[scottchen]

Hyperthreading has immediate impact

ROFLMAO!!! That's the best joke i've heard in a while now.

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