Budget build, 8yrs I knew the latest stuff, now not so much

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merc4now

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Sep 9, 2008
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Hey guys I know it's late and doubt I'll get a quick answer but I'd appreciate the some honest help. Here my thing I use to be all over the pc scene. LOL can't believe I was drooling when we broke the 1ghz mark and a few years later it was affordable. Anyway's it's been a LONG time. I don't play much mainly because I haven't upgraded since then, I was bummed when I bought BF2142 and couldn't even install it (yes I bought it not even looking at the requirements). So I'm looking for a fresh build. I doubt I can use anything from my current rig, 19 inch relisys, (fading fast) k7 delta MSI AMD equipment, 756 ddr. few random hard drives all IDE. My plans are to play at least Starcraft two which isn't even out yet, maybe the latest battlefield franchise. I'm really getting into AUTOCAD and may have a future in that (just got out of the service and going back to college with a family) so budget is a big concern but I like to go all out as much as I can for things to last me 5 more years or so. So here's my question yes I've search the site I see lots of other help me build but a lot of you guys suggest different motherboards with different chipset's and I'm lost you fall behind real quick now. Giving what I want it to just hoping someone can help me get something in my price range. I'd prefer newegg as they seem cheap on shipping. So if anyone's bored and really wants to help post a wish list in my price range. Ok here goes


Wants:
up-to date gamer rig capable or hanging for at-least a few years
really liking the quad ideal, but I heard latest duo's match price for better performance
Start from scratch, but I could burn DVD's on my older rigs, but I guess I need SATA

Budget
$1K honestly it's 800 for the system but I think I can sneak by the wife with buying a 22 inc monitor at Circuit city and spend 1K on the rest. unless i can get a 22 inch GOOD monitor within 1200 shipped.

This holds me back from possibly building a system

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-a6554f-Desktop-PC-FJ464AA-ABA/sem/rpsm/oid/213650/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

but I have little ideal on the vid cards or if the mother board is has slots for upgrades such as this new pci 2? none the less deals like this (send more if you find em) pull me toward them I know it's not hard once your given the right parts to build a rig but things add up... keyboard, monitor, os, shipping. really cut into a 1200 budget but i'm hoping you guys can help.

So help me out guys I'd appreciate it.

Oh btw I'm running off a frankenstien pc of parts since my psu finally gave out, on DSL linux. so i'mm in the market for this quick fast and in a hurry. Thanks
 
That is CRAP!!! Don't buy into it!! /rant over
Whew! Now that is out of my system. Back to helping you the best I can.

CPU/Mobo combo - $315 Quad Core (last a bit longer) and good solid Mobo too. Hard to beat!
Combo Deal 3rd one from the top of the list
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail
ABIT IP35 Pro XE LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

GPU - $260 shipped!! Lifetime warranty and one of better single GPU solutions out there for the $!!!
VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

Case - $99 shipped!! One of the best cases you can get for this price!
Antec Nine Hundred Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

PSU - $93 - $20 MIR = $73!!! One of the better PSU's that you can buy. This one has a 5 yr. warranty and should last you that long if not longer!
Corsair TX 650W ATX12V Power Supply - CMPSU-650TX

Memory - $80 - $20 MIR= $60!!! Hard to beat at this price. The added memory will help later on more demanding games/CAD.
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory-Retail

HD - $85 shipped! One of the faster HD's out there and the price is nice!
Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

DVD Burner - $30 shipped! Is a "Retail" version, so you get the necessary software to read/burn DVD's!!!
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - Retail

OS - $99 shipped! Since you want it to last a bit longer, I'd get Windows Vista 64bit.
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM

Total = $1070 - $40 MIR's = $1030!!! Now you can tweak it however you want, but this will be a smokin' rig for the $, especially with having one of the better Quad cores out there for the $.
 
ouch, hundred dollar cases really needed now days? (not knocking the suggest I appreciate the response just asking) also. Looking through the stuff now, wow five year warranty? funny my antec just gave out it had a 3 year warranty it's been 3 1/2 since the stock psu went out. visiontek a good knock off? man parts are so expensive and I know these are still budgeted items. Would be nice ot have a ::Cough cough:: ::egistered:: OS...
Has abit gotten better in the last 6 years? I've lost 2 to random capcitor and non-mem capatiblity for kids pc's
 
I'd say go with the hd4870, just in case blizzard goes over the top with SCII (very unlikely), ditch the antec 900, go with the 300 instead and put the saved money towards a bigger HD, one like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131&Tpk=WD7500AAKS

It faster than the seagate 6400 and offers more storage space (HD movies yay!)

Anyway, that system will hold you for 3 to 5 years with ease.
Also if you are in college, check if they have some kind of partnership with microsoft, I'm in college and they gave me a free copy of vista business :)
 
I agree that a 4850 would be a good choice for the GPU.
As nice as it looks, I've decided I don't like the Antec 300 because of the way the PSU has to be mounted and that effect on airflow. For a bottom-mounted PSU that is properly vented, check out the CoolerMaster RC-690.
As low-priced alternatives, the CoolerMaster Elite and Centurion cases, and the even cheaper $25 Rosewill cases are roomy and have good front-to-back cooling with a 120mm rear fan and a place to mount another one up front. CoolerMaster may include a side fan as well, and is tool-free, whereas the Rosewills have neither of those features. I just built a business system in a Rosewill last weekend, and found the case a lot nicer than its price implies. A 4850 may add enough heat that you may prefer to have a side fan.

Edit: Oh yeah, that prebuilt system is crap. Amazing how the listing says the Intel Graphics Media Deccelerator is good for games. Guild Wars (not the most demanding title by far) will get 20-25FPS if most settings are turned down. Your suckage may vary, but will probably be worse.
 
I agree here, the CM 690 is a nice case. A cheaper alternative would be the CM 590 which mostly presents the same characteristics. I have an CM Elite for a secondary built, it does the job but it's on the cheap on the other hand, when built is completed the look is not bad. In the end, just make sure you got at least 2 x 120mm fan, one in front and one in back of the case.
 
Avoid the Abit motherboards, they are exiting the motherboard market at the end of this year. I would recommend Gigabyte first, second prob Asus.
 
On the cheap, I'll probably get flamed for suggesting AMD, but Oh Well.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
$70 (Antec 300 case)
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016
$90 (Antec BP550 550W Modular PSU)
MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128339
$140 (Gigabyte GA-M750SLI-DS4)
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103254
$102 (AM2+ tri-core 8450)
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
$70 (4GB G.Skill DDR2 800)
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152134
$80 (640GB Samsung HDD SATA)
DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106264
$29 (Lite-On 20x DVDR/RW SATA)
VID: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130380
$140 (eVGA 9800GT 512)(can SLI with onboard graphics too)
OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116485
$100 (Vista home premium 32bit)


Total, no monitor: $821 + S&H (not counting MIR, or special/combo deals)

Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009125
$360 (Acer 24" LCD)
 
hey sir crono, is that drive you suggestd really faster? 32mb cach doesn't push the segate in a faster spped? I mean either would blow my ide ata 100 80gig Wd away but just trying to get th most out of the money for sure. Also did you contact the school or microsoft vender? (I currently go to a junoir college so I doubt they have the kinda help but I'll definatly give it a try) Thanks.

Thanks for the response Guys, I should be ordering tonight.

*********Question************ I kept reading about native resolution in monitors and such any ideal what a good number to shoot for would be so when I do rearly have time to play games I can really enjoy all the detials?

 
by all means keep the suggested builds coming. Yeah I used to be complete amd guy by all my freinds lately rock intels and totally slam amd's,.
 
don't spend $130 on hdd drive. $85 drive will be great and will not notice a difference. I didn't realize you could get the seagate for $85. that is a great deal.

+1 to the cm case. is getting 22" screen then +1 to the 4850. if going 24" then get the 4870. will give you more ability for higher settings on that awesome resolution and more prepared for new games that come out.
 
Hey guys If I buy this can I install it directly on fresh drive or would I need completely registered copy of xp hence the Vist UPGRADE sp1? Also fo 64 is it a different disk or like how you could choose to install fat16 or fat32?
 
I got my Thermaltake WingRS case from newegg for about $25 (had a promo code for free shipping)...definitely check out sites like slickdeals.net for combo deals and promo codes for newegg items...I saved a ton like this...
I'd definitely recommend the 4850 for your gpu...there's no way blizzard is gonna mess up starcraft 2 and require a high end rig to play on high settings...(*glare at crytek*)...
 
visiontek is a pretty solid brand...i remember i started seeing in bestbuy before they appeared on newegg...they offer a lifetime warranty on their products which is always a good thing...
 
oh wow, that sales me right there I guess. .. ok need help finding a monitor. 22 inch really worth it? can you guys check my list so far..


Qty. Image Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price 1 Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:ST3640323AS
Item #:N82E16822148335
Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$84.99 $84.99
1 VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #:900244
Item #:N82E16814129113
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock

$270.00 -$10.00 Instant $260.00
1 CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5

CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - Retail
Model #:TWIN2X4096-6400C5
Item #:N82E16820145184
Return Policy:Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
In Stock
Mail-in Rebate

$84.00 -$5.00 Instant $79.00
1 ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #😛5Q Pro
Item #:N82E16813131299
Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$139.99 $139.99
1 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9300

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9300 - Retail
Model #:BX80580Q9300
Item #:N82E16819115043
Return Policy😛rocessors (CPUs) Return Policy
In Stock

$259.99 $259.99
Subtotal: $823.97 no including shipping and mail in rebates
 
You could even go with the q8200 that was just released. It'll save you $35 more, which can be used elsewhere, if you like.
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

or....
If you would consider an AMD quad core, you could save even more $. You wouldn't probably notice much difference, unless you do some OC'ing. I'd get the Phenom x4 9850 for $155 and a motherboard around the $145 combo price = $299!!!
Combo link, look at 2nd item down from the top!

AMD Phenom 9850 BLACK EDITION 2.5GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
ASUS M3A78-T AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Unleash 140W Phenom Performance, DDR3 1333 Sideport Memory

You can decide which way you want to go, but the AMD has value, especially if you need to save some $. There are other cheaper Phenom x4's you can get also, so don't think that the one that I linked is the cheapest one out there. Yes the Intel quads are nice, but if you need to save some $ and not sacrifice too much than AMD CPU's will work.
 
I'm surprised nobody has even suggested the Q6600... Best bang/buck CPU out there.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

Other than the CPU, the rest of your build looks pretty solid. You're missing a power supply though, right now PC Power & Cooling (Top PSU brand) is having some great deals in newegg.

PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005

Or if you're interested in having enough headroom for a crossfire setup later down the road...

PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009
 

I was going to mention it too, but the only ding (very small one) is that it doesn't have the newer instruction set (something to do with encoding, IIRC). Other than that it's a good CPU too. Seems a bit spendy at $190, but it is definately cheaper than the >$250 Intel quads out there!

I'd also look at the Corsair tx750w PSU along with the PCP&C one that Emp linked. The Corsair has the same 60A on the 12V rails, but has 4 x 6pin +2 PCI-e power connectors, the PCP&C only has 2 x 6pin PCI-e and 2 x 6pin +2 PCI-e power connectors (if that would really make a difference for you).
$111 - $20 MIR= $91!!!! Hard to beat at that price!!
Corsair TX 750W ATX 12V Power Supply
 
SSE4 only does wonders for video encoding (only on apps that support it) and quads already handle themselves really well in that department anyway. Not worth getting the Q8200 or Q9300 over the Q6600 unless you're REALLY serious about video encoding.
 
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