Himal

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i'm building a gameing comp, its my first build. i picked out an intel mobo i might buy and a amd mobo as well. i want sli so both are nvidia chipsets, but should i get the core 2 or amd X2? any suggestions on mobos and video cards would be helpfull.
 

o29

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Core 2 Duo if you can afford it. Make sure you get a motherboard that's compatible.

I'm assuming you're buying all new parts. If you're using some old DDR RAM, a socket 939 X2 might be an option if you don't have a lot of money to spend. Otherwise, you'd be better off with Core 2 Duo.

What's your budget?
 

o29

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Up tp $800? With a monitor and 2 video cards, it might be best to go with an X2 939 then. I'm not sure you'd be able to pull off a Conroe build with that budget.
 

sailer

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Unfortunately, with only $800., you probably aren't going to get two video cards. A 939 sytem is about all you'll probably be able to afford, but don't worry about that. 939 systems are still plenty fast. Conroe or AM2 would require DDR2 ram, which would totally blow your budget.
 

o29

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Still, that might be a little tight. You're looking at about $100 or $200 for RAM (depending on 1gb or 2gb), about $100 for a HDD, $100-$150 for a case and PSU. If you want a CD or DVD-RW, you can get that for about $30. This is all assuming you don't want anything too fancy. That leaves you between $500 and $290 or so (with a DVD and CD-RW) for a processor, motherboard, and video card.

For SLI/Crossfire, you'll probably be spending at least $300, so assuming you get 1gb RAM, a cheaper case (you want a namebrand PSU at least), and no DVD or CD drives, you could get an X2 3800+ for about $120 and then a decent $90 motherboard all for within $800.

Like I said, that's kind of tight.
 

o29

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I'm not sure how he would be able to afford a x1900XT and an e6300. The x1900XT's are going for around $350, and the e6300 for around $200. That's $550 right there, and I can't see how he could buy a motherboard, case, PSU, RAM, and hard drive all with just the remaining $250.
 

althaz

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Don't even think about Core 2 with that budget (IMO). Core 2 is only worth the money in the high end (E6600 and higher) or if you're overclocking. If you're overclocking, you'll need a more expensive mobo and RAM, pushing up the price. Definitley have a look at a 939 or AM2 system, imo :)
 

angry_ducky

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build from scratch. i'm looking to spend bout up to 800 bucks.

SLI does NOT make sense in an $800 system. SLI is only worth it with high-end GPUs (7900GT or higher); two 7600GTs in SLI will be beaten by a single 7900GT; two 7600GS' in SLI will (probably) be beaten by a single 7600GT.

IMO, you should get a C2D E6300 with this BFG 7600GT ($114 after a $30 MIR) and 1GB of good DDR2.
 

Himal

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Thanks, if I go with a core 2 I will probly go with a intel chipset and skip sli and just get a hot ati video card.
 

linux_0

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AMD suckss , dont go AMD , stick with Intel , their the best , and Nvidia.


Absolutely utterly false!

AMD has better price performance even with 90nm parts.

AMD also has a superior architecture.

Given your budget I would suggest socket 939 it is fast, reliable and very reasonably priced.

GL :-D
 

cxl

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Unfortunately, with only $800., you probably aren't going to get two video cards. A 939 sytem is about all you'll probably be able to afford, but don't worry about that. 939 systems are still plenty fast. Conroe or AM2 would require DDR2 ram, which would totally blow your budget.

Does it? Last time I have checked, DDR2 was cheaper than DDR (but I might be wrong).

Note that for Core2, DDR2 533 is all you need, unless you are going to sqeeze that 2% of performance by going to DDR2 800.

Mirek
 

Heyhey

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stats have shown that the C2D beat the AMD processors are everysingle benchmark by at least 20% ,and Intels have always had superior Architectures then to AMD.

AMDs have been known to perform really badly and over heat alot.
 

linux_0

Splendid
stats have shown that the C2D beat the AMD processors are everysingle benchmark by at least 20% ,and Intels have always had superior Architectures then to AMD.

AMDs have been known to perform really badly and over heat alot.


Utterly false again.

AMDs perform very well. In fact AMD64s outperform Intel P4s by 25% or more while consuming 25-40% less power. Only the P3 based core2 can outperform AMD in some CPU benchmarks. Real world performance is about the same.

The P3 based core2 does not suck but P4s do.
 
i'm building a gameing comp, its my first build. i picked out an intel mobo i might buy and a amd mobo as well. i want sli so both are nvidia chipsets, but should i get the core 2 or amd X2? any suggestions on mobos and video cards would be helpfull.
Here's the best system I could come up with on your budget. The E6300 runs about what a FX60 does on games so its your best CPU for the money. You'll pay $190 for this CPU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005
I picked out a SLI mobo but for your budget you'll only be able to buy a mid range GPU. This is a good way to go as DX10 should be here before the end of the year and Nvidia's DX10 in about 2 months. This mobo cost around $120 and should last a good long time.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131032
You'll need your RAM to last a while so I pick out 2GB's for $180.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220095
Here's a SLI compatable PSU with 600W with 2X 12V 19A rails for $75.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817182032
Im sorry but you'll have to go real cheap on the case. $25 with a side glass but it doesn't take away from performance.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?Item=N82E16811164040
You should be able to find a HD and DVD for around $100 on Newegg.

Thats a total of $710 so your GPU needs to be less than $100. The only GPU I could come up with at that price range is XFX 6800XT for $97.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150152

Your total system will cost almost $900 after shipping but its highly upgradable.
 

purdueguy

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If you want to build a "gaming" system, I'd say you'd need to bump up your budget by 2-3 hundred. If you cannot wait and save up some money then what Elbert wrote is a good starting point for you.

I just have one recommendation. For an extra $17 after MIR, get the 7600GT video card. BFG 7600GT OC'd

If you can bump up your budget, then get an X1800XT or X1900XTX. MSI has a $150 MIR for their X1900XTX which makes it $284. This is what you want if you are looking for a "gaming" system. MSI X1900XTX It's currently out-of-stock at Newegg but you might try one of the other "qualifying" stores. The purchase needs to be made by 9/30.