Need help to try and match this system for less

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tboybmx

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Jan 5, 2011
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18,510
This would be my first build. I would appreciate any help on how can I get a home build with better performance than this system (if possible) for the same $1,700 price tag. What parts can exceed this for around the same price. It's the Base Configuration Hp Desktop Pavilion Elite HPE-490t series. Any help would really be appreciated. Thank you, the link on Hp's website is:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=desktops&a1=Category&v1=High+performance&series_name=HPE490t_series&jumpid=in_R329_prodexp/hhoslp/psg/desktops/High_performance/HPE490t_seriesis
 
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Hey thanks for this fill-in,

Correction...I wanted a little better build than the one shown for 1,700 for that same price if possible.


Approximate Purchase Date: End of Jan 2011 through first week of Feb 2011

Budget Range: $0-1,700


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Surfing the internet, gaming, watching standard and HD video, edit, converting, burning movies.


Parts Not Required: 0


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Any


Country of Origin: USA FL


Parts Preferences: Good Parts that work


Overclocking: Maybe


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe


Monitor Resolution: Well I plan on getting a pretty good Monitor HD 1080 preferred about 22-24 inches


Additional Comments: as quiet as possible without going over budget
 
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Hm.... let's see....

10 GB of RAM and a six-core CPU with a ATI Radeon HD 5570.
You list "gaming" as second most important, so in my opinion:
YES! you can definitely do better than what Dell is offering
 
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Hmm, you should check out Intel's latest Core i5/ i7 CPUs,...
They have been announced and will be available in few days time,...
As for its performance, check this article,...
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sandy-bridge-core-i7-2600k-core-i5-2500k,2833.html

So based on that CPU, here is a potential build,...
CPU - i5 2500K/ i7 2600K

Mobo - P67 boards, choose the better one when they are available in retail,...

RAM - A good DDR3 kit, maybe 8GB,...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145324

CASE - CM 690 Advanced would be a good choice
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Advance-Mid-Tower-RC-692-KKN2/dp/B00336EM0W

Video card -
Depends on what type of games you play,...
HD 6870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150506
Or more powerful HD 6950
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102914

PSU - 750W if you will be going Crossfire
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003

HDD - Samsung F3 1TB
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-Cache-Desktop-HD103SJ/dp/B001U3S5S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1294378310&sr=8-1

Maybe SSD for boot
Crucial 64GB SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148357

OS - Win 7

Monitor -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005196&cm_sp=ProductSpotlight-_-24-005-196-_-01062011
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236048
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001378
There are many more,...

So this should give a good start I guess,...
 
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Wow that was fast thanks...I will look into all that starting now.

You said an SSD for boot...I never thought of that sounds nice. About how much of an improvement in sec is that?
 
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Yeah, But for around the same price or less, can I do better? Oh and it's not Dell it's an Hp.
 
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might want to take a look here to for ideas and prices when you get a general idea of what you want come back and ask for improvements on intended build

http://www.hardware-revolution.com/high-end-gaming-pc-q4-2010/
 
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Ok, to clarify:
I don't know if you'd save any money if you were to purchase the exact same components as that Dell PC yourself, but you'd definitely be able to select components that are more relevant to what you plan to use it for.
10+GB of RAM is extreme overkill, but a better graphics card will definitely give you a better gaming experience.
 
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These should be the more intensive things you should be thinking about. It would be useful to know what kind of games you are looking to play. Games don't really require that much CPU. I don't know too much about movie editing/converting/burning, though. If its nothing too serious, you can easily build a machine to do all of this stuff for around a grand.

Intel's i5 760 is a nice place to start. If you want more powerful CPU's, the i7 950 is pretty nice too.

As for graphics, this place has some nice articles that you can read about.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-radeon-hd-6870-geforce-gtx-570,2834.html

The rest of the stuff should be easier to think about.

gkay09's recommendations look pretty solid. :sol:
 
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I want to thank ALL the people who helped me gain knowledge on building my own PC. I have really learned a lot and found many new websites I can trust to buy my parts...Thank you all for your time and patience with me. You have steered me in a good direction.
 
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