Hi,
I'm looking at building a very cheap system to play older PC games, as well as some more recent ones if possible. I already have a Macbook that takes care of my work-related computing, so this PC is basically games only. Here are some details of what I'm after:
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Next week
BUDGET RANGE: Cheap, less than $450
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg
PARTS PREFERENCES: Not fussed, I tend to put more emphasis on user reviews for parts.
OVERCLOCKING: No
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1024x768
I have come up with a decent-looking system on newegg, but I would like to hear your thoughts on compatibility/possible improvements/"balance" of parts (by which I mean, is the balance of CPU vs GPU vs Mobo vs PSU etc. decent). Here is the list so far:
MSI R4670-2D1G/D3 Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #:N82E16814127399
$66.99 after rebate
LG Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DH16NS10
Item #:N82E16827136159
$15.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 2.7GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core black edition Processor
Item #:N82E16819103300
$59.99
Foxconn A74MX-K Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813186151
$39.99 after rebate
or
ECS GF8100VM-M3 AM2+ NVIDIA GeForce 8100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #:N82E16813135234
$44.99 after rebate
Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817153052
$39.99 after rebate
Western Digital Caviar SE 160GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive OEM
Item #:N82E16822136075
$41.99
Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820220335
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$31.99 after rebate
Rosewill R101-P-BK Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811147112
$24.99
I also need to add an OEM version of XP, which will be around $80 (home) or $130 (pro).
Edit: I have changed out the GPU from the original post. I would also like comments on the similarities/differences between the two mobos (in bold). Only one supports PCIe 2.0, and I'm not sure how much of a difference this makes.... Also, what are the North/South bridge stats, and why does one mobo have both, but the other only 1?! Thanks!
I'm looking at building a very cheap system to play older PC games, as well as some more recent ones if possible. I already have a Macbook that takes care of my work-related computing, so this PC is basically games only. Here are some details of what I'm after:
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Next week
BUDGET RANGE: Cheap, less than $450
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg
PARTS PREFERENCES: Not fussed, I tend to put more emphasis on user reviews for parts.
OVERCLOCKING: No
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1024x768
I have come up with a decent-looking system on newegg, but I would like to hear your thoughts on compatibility/possible improvements/"balance" of parts (by which I mean, is the balance of CPU vs GPU vs Mobo vs PSU etc. decent). Here is the list so far:
MSI R4670-2D1G/D3 Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #:N82E16814127399
$66.99 after rebate
LG Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DH16NS10
Item #:N82E16827136159
$15.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 2.7GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core black edition Processor
Item #:N82E16819103300
$59.99
Foxconn A74MX-K Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813186151
$39.99 after rebate
or
ECS GF8100VM-M3 AM2+ NVIDIA GeForce 8100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #:N82E16813135234
$44.99 after rebate
Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817153052
$39.99 after rebate
Western Digital Caviar SE 160GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive OEM
Item #:N82E16822136075
$41.99
Patriot Viper 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820220335
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$31.99 after rebate
Rosewill R101-P-BK Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811147112
$24.99
I also need to add an OEM version of XP, which will be around $80 (home) or $130 (pro).
Edit: I have changed out the GPU from the original post. I would also like comments on the similarities/differences between the two mobos (in bold). Only one supports PCIe 2.0, and I'm not sure how much of a difference this makes.... Also, what are the North/South bridge stats, and why does one mobo have both, but the other only 1?! Thanks!
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