ON BUDGET SELECTION

cool07ist

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Aug 15, 2011
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hi guys i am plannning to spend at least $390 for my budget gaming pc.so please help me get the best sysytem
out of my choices which can easily run 3 years without any upgrading.(just tired of spending again n'again)
my choices are:
PROCESSORS;
1.AMD PHENOM II X2 555 BE RUNNING AT 3.2 GHZ OR
2.AMD ATHLON II X4 635 @ 2.9 ghz (BOTH FOUND AT 100 $ OR EVEN LESS FOR PHENOM II X2 AT 85$)

IS THIS QUAD CORE VERY GOOD AT GAMING AT THIS $100 PRICE POINT OR PHENOM II X2 555 BE BETTER THAN ATHLON II X4 635
IN GAMING? I HARDLY DO MULTI TASKING WHILE I PLAY SO WHICH IS GOOD BUY SPECIALLY FOR FUTURE AS WELL.

RAM:
2 GB DDR2 RAM.

GRAPHICS CARD
1.RADEON HD 5670 1 GB @70$
2.PNY GEFORCE GTS 450 1 GB @ 95
3.RADEON HD 5770 1 GB @ 120$

MY CORRENT MONITOR IS 17" CRT, ITS 1 YR OLD BUT RUNS REALLY WELL WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.ALSO CURRENTLY I HAVE NO
ANY EXTRA MONEY TO SPEND ON LCD MONITORS OR I AM HAPPY WITH THIS RESOLUTION CURRENTLY. ITS MAX RESOLUTION SUPPORT IS 1280 X 1024
PIXELS AND WITH ANY ABOVE GRAPHICS CARDS I WANT TO HAVE REALLY SMOOTH GAMING PERFORMANCES AT RESOLUTION 1280 X 1024 PIXELS
WITHOUT A PROBLEM(WITH AA, AF,WITH ALSO DX 11 ENABLED FOR SOME GAMES IN THIS RESOLUTION FOR FUTURE).PERFORMANCES AT 1680 X 1050 WITH
AA/AF ENABLED OR DISABLED,ALSO DX 11 PLAYBLE. I ASKED THIS HIGHER RESOLUTION COMPATIBILITY SPECIALLY BECOZ I WILL SURELY REPLACE MY
OLD SCREEN WITH NEW LCD SCREEN ON NEAR FUTURE(WHEN MY BANK STARTS TO REFILL) SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION(BUT NOT MORE THAN THIS).
ANOTHER QUESTION IS THAT WILL ANY OF THE ABOVE CHOSEN PROCESSORS WILL STOP THESE GRAPHICS CARDS TO PERFORM AT THEIR MAX SPEED AT GAMING?I SPECIALLY
CHOSE GAMES LIKE DEVIL MAY CRY, FIFA 11,CALL OF DUTY GAMES,BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY,PRINCE OF PERSIA,NEED FOR SPEED,GTA,WOW,ETC. BUT
THESE ARE THE MOST PREFFERED GAMES THAT I WOUD LIKE TO PLAY AT MY 17" CRT SCREEN. SO WHICH IS THE BEST ONE TO CHOOSE?
PLEASE HELP!!! COZ THIS IS D MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MY SYSTEM BUILD. SOME SAY 5770 WILL BE JUST MONEY WASTE DUE TO MY SCREEN RES AS IT
IS SAID TO PERFORM REALLY WELL @ ALSO 1920 X 1200 WHICH I HAVE NOT DECIDED TO BUY SCREEN THAT SUPPORTS THESE RESOLUTIONS.
SOME SAY HD 5670 WILL FIT MY NEEDS PERFECTLY GIVEN MY CURRENT SCREEN AND AT ALSO 1680 X 1050 RES FOR FUTURE.SO IM REALLY CONFUSED
WHICH TO CHOOSE.

MOTHERBOARD:ANY MOTHERBOARD THAT SUPPORTS AM2+,AM3 WITH DDR2/DDR3 RAM SUPPORT FOR PRICE RANGES AT 85$ AND LOWER AS WELL.
AFTER MUCH SEARCH I FOUND
1.ASROCK 880GMH/USB3 AT 80$
2.GIGABYTE'S GA-MA790FXT-UD5P.( IF THERE ARE ANY CHEAP AND BEST OPTIONS OUT THERE THEN THESE THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW)

POWER SUPPLY
ANY CERTIFIED POWER SUPPLY THAT SUPPORTS THESE PROCESSORS EVEN OVERCLOCKED OR HOPEFULLY IF BOUGHT PHENOM II X2 AND
UNLOCKED 2 EXTRA CORES OF IT.PRICE RANGES AT 45-50$.

HARD DRIVE:
1.Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500 GB, SATA 6Gb/s @ 42$

DRIVE
Asus 24X DVD Burner SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS @ 22$

CASE:
Xigmatek Asgard II B/S CPC-T45UE-U01 AT @ 25$

 
Motherboard for $55 with latest 880 AMD chipset (very fast)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138283

You will definitely want a Quad Core. I oc'd my Phenomx2 555BE and it only rated a 6.9 WEI. ANY quad core will do better, so I'd recommend the Athlonx4 over any dual or tri-core processor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103881
The PhenomIIx4 965BE is currently $10 off which will easily overclock at or over 4.0Ghz. However, it's still $109.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

If you really want performance, I'd personally buy the new F1 processors such as this one...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103943

But then again, the absolute best deal is to just buy a Combo or Barebones kit such as this one for $350.00 and includes everything!

select item 2 quantity of item 2
AMD A6-3650 Llano 2.6GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU AD3650WNGXBOX
Item #: N82E16819103943
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options19-103-94310|hide options19-103-94310)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info19-103-9431.0.120)

1 year: $14.99
2 year: $24.99
ASUS F1A75-M LE FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #: N82E16813131769
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options13-131-76910|hide options13-131-76910)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info13-131-7691.0.120)

1 year: $9.99
2 year: $14.99
COOLER MASTER Elite RC-310-OWR460 Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case RS-460-PSAR-J3, Elite 460W Power Supply
Item #: N82E16811119218
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148697
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options22-148-69710|hide options22-148-69710)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info22-148-6971.0.18)

1 year: $9.99
2 year: $14.99
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model KHX1333C9D3K2/4G
Item #: N82E16820104155
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106289
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options27-106-28910|hide options27-106-28910)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge.(more info27-106-2891.0.18)

1 year: $5.99
2 year: $9.99
-$20.00 Instant
-$40.95 Combo
$415.94
$354.99
 


why would you reccommend a PSU which can only provide 300W on the 12V rail, and with no 80+ rating it probably runs at about 75% efficiency max so thats 225W.
 


almost everything you've said there i wouldn't agree with seriously? reccommend a OEM processor then don't reccommend a cooler?
 
Logisys sells PSU-shaped objects which should never be attached to delicate electronics if there is any possibility they will also be plugged into an A/C power source at the same time. A quality modern PSU has full range active PFC (no little voltage switch) and some level of 80+ certification for efficiency. Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, XFX, and Enermax/LEPA are among the better brands.
The 880 chipset is also not the latest. If you're building AMD, get a 900-series chipset board with socket AM3+.
OP, you say your budget is "at least" $390...did you mean "at most?"
That's a really tight budget. You're going to pretty much deny yourself an upgrade path if that's your limit.
I'll post a build momentarily...
 
My $.02

Case:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815004
$30 Xigmatek Asgard II
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371034
$45 Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W
MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128490
$93 GIGABYTE GA-880GMA-USB3 AM3+ AMD 880G (run the onboard GFX till you can save a bit more)
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103652
$75 AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition (OEM)
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231421
$23 G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701
$40 Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb
DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
$19 LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X ($6.50 off with HDD)
HSF: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
$28 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

Total, no OS: $353 + S&H (not counting combo, special, or MIR's)
Get an ATI video card later, and do a hybrid x-fire once you save up about $100 more.
 
Ok. Here's a rock-bottom budget build. I wouldn't build it myself, but I could keep a clear conscience for recommending these parts, as long as I list some caveats.

Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:ST500DM002
Item #:N82E16822148767
$39.99 $39.99
This new model is unproven, but I'm hoping is reasonable. I would buy this drive myself.

PowerColor AX6770 1GBD5-H Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Model #:AX6770 1GBD5-H
Item #:N82E16814131434
$114.99 -$5.00 Instant $109.99
At your resolution, this is a very good choice. You might get by with a HD6670, but you wouldn't save enough money ($10) to be worth the performance loss, ESPECIALLY if you plan to upgrade your monitor. I'd buy this card myself.

AMD Athlon II X3 455 Rana 3.3GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor ADX455WFGMBOX
Model #:ADX455WFGMBOX
Item #:N82E16819103911
$79.99 $79.99
A little weak by today's standards, still it can play any game. If you can stretch your budget a little, either get a X4 955BE, or get the OEM X3 720BE plus an aftermarket cooler. On a very tight budget, I would buy this CPU.

Xigmatek ASGARD II B/B CPC-T45UC-U01 Black / Black 0.8 mm SECC / Aluminum and Aluminum Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer ...
Model #:CPC-T45UC-U01
Item #:N82E16811815004
$39.99 -$10.00 Instant $29.99
Only $5 to ship it now too. This case looks a lot like the cheaper Rosewill cases I've frequently bought and recommended, but is the cheaper of them now, so I would buy this case.

ASRock 880GM-LE AM3 AMD 880G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Model #:880GM-LE
Item #:N82E16813157199
$59.99 -$5.00 Instant $54.99
Ouch. For the money, its a good choice, but the first thing I'd choose differently in this whole build with another $50 in the budget. I'd really rather get a 900-series chipset board with socket AM3+. This board gives up too much; no USB 3.0, no SATA 6Gb/s, no Bulldozer upgrade. I bought one of these almost a year ago, but I would not buy one today unless I had to, and didn't care about upgrades.

XIGMATEK NRP-PC Series ACXTNRP-PC402 400W ATX12V Ver.2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Model #:ACXTNRP-PC402
Item #:N82E16817815007
$59.95 -$25.00 Instant $34.95
Although not my first choice, it has gotten good competent technical reviews, so I'd probably [reluctantly] buy this PSU myself. If an Antec Earthwatts or Corsair Builder were available at or near this price, that's what I'd choose instead. Still, this one will do.

G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Model #:F3-10600CL9D-4GBNS
Item #:N82E16820231394
$25.99 $25.99
I don't think I've bought this specific kit, but I've used other G.Skill RAM. I've never had a DOA or RMA, so I am satisfied with G.Skill.

SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AB - OEM
Model #:SH-222AB
Item #:N82E16827151233
$19.99 $19.99
Meh. One optical drive is much like another.

Subtotal: $395.88
There you have it. It doesn't include the O/S, keyboard, mouse, or speakers, but on a budget as tight as yours, this is about as well as you'll do with it.
 



REAL THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT JTT283
 
Processor : Intel Core i3 2100 - $124.99
Motherboard : ASRock H61-M GE - $69.99
Graphics Card : XFX HD-567X-ZNF3 Radeon HD 5670 1GB 128-bit DDR5 - $69.99
RAM : Corsair 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz Dual-Channel Memory - $31.99
Storage : Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 500GB 7200 RPM - $39.99
Optical Drive : LG DVD R/W - $18.99
Case : Any Decent ATX Mid Tower - $30
PSU : CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 430W - $39.99

Total : $425 after rebates