$360 desktop, suggestions to this build?

[wjgollatz]

The following is the spec for a system I may build. Below the specs is a list of applications I will be using, or may be using. I would like to stay below this cost. The system below seems to go well beyond the minimum requirements of the applications, and just short the the recommended requirements. And in those applications, I can live without the absolute best graphics. Other uses will be for photo editing and light photoshop use. Pewrhaps some video editing down the road. Thanks in advance!

For me, its still complicated to figure out an equivalent AMD chip. I will need an least an Geforce 8600 card for Eve Online, from user discussions.


Barebones kit $176
Core 2 Duo e5200
Asus P5gc-Mx/1333 945gc Sata2 Pci-E Ddr2 motherboard
http://www.ascendtech.us/itemdesc.asp?CartId={DDEVERESTEEDB47-75C0-41FD-A965-67C5CB97DFC3}&ic=MB4ASUP5GCMX133
300 W case
http://www.ascendtech.us/custo...asp?kc=DTBBCORE2DE5200

4gb dual channel memory for $35
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...pNo=3228139&CatId=2261

250gb hard drive about $50
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...pNo=2928334&CatId=2458


HP dvd/cd burner $30
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...?EdpNo=4406001&CatId=4

geForce 8800=9600 card $45-65 (not sure what is best)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...pNo=4040226&CatId=3670

Nikon Capture Nx 2 and Eve-Online would be definite uses. Possible uses would be Tom Calnjacy;s EndWar and ARCA Sim Racing.

Nikon Capture Nx 2 has small requirements, just a Pentium 4 at 2 Ghz.

Eve-Online requirements: "CPU: Intel Pentium® or AMD dual core @ 2 GHz" & "256 MB Shader Model 3.0 Graphics cards such as GeForce 8 class card or higher, ATi 3000 series or higher" Its minimum requirement is "CPU: Intel Pentium® or AMD @ 1 GHz" and "64 MB Shader Model 2.0 Graphics cards such as GeForce FX (5 series) class card or higher, ATi 9500, x300 series " It may be using Directx 10. in the future though. A Geforce 8600 is the minimum I need from discussions with people that use the game.


ARCA Sim racing Requirements: CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 processor/AMD Equivalent GRAPHICS CARD: Geforce 8600GT/8800GT Optimal or Radeon X1900 GT and higher - Atleast 512MB of video RAM. Minimum requirements: CPU: 2.0 GHz processor GRAPHICS CARD: Geforce 6800 or Radeon 9600, lower cards may work but at degraded performance - Atleast 256MB of video RAM

EndWar only lists: Processor : Core 2 Duo E4300 1.8G, Same level AMD CPU. Video Card Nvidia 7600GS, ATI 1600XT (256Mb RAM)

 

[nsafreak]

In all honesty I can't seem to put together a list of components for $360 that I would be willing to recommend. Some parts of your build are ok. Other parts I have issues with, I'm going to list them off:

1) A 300 watt power supply on a Core 2 Duo setup with a modern video card is a BIG NO NO. You'll be lucky to have enough juice to power all of your components without issues. You're looking at 400 watt power supply at a minimum, more if you want headroom for future upgrades.
2) Dump the HP DVD/CD burner. Go with a Lite On instead. More reliable unit and $10 less. Newegg has Lite Ons that are SATA for $21.99
3) The case may or may not be ok. Hard to tell with the single picture Tiger Direct provides.
4) Go with a 9600 if you can get it within your price range.

In all honesty I never recommend gaming on a low budget build. Especially something as graphics intensive as EvE Online. Are you sure there isn't some way you could increase the budget to $460 instead? Yes its $100 more but it would make it a much more feasible build.

 

[wjgollatz]

I don't have access to the forums to Eve-Online because I suspended my subscription for a couple months, but several people there said their 8600 ran Eve Online premium graphics well the last time I had access, maybe not on the highest resolutions, but was able to run fleet battles without any system lag. Usually for pvp and fleet battles, one will turn down the graphics anyway no matter what their system. Many people here have suggested using ATI cards instead for the same price with much better performance.

I was wondering about the power supply. Its not technically a Core 2 Duo - it is advertised as one. Different vendors call the E5200 different things. I think the issue is after the core 2 duo's were released, Intel changed the "requirements" to 3 mb+ level 2 cache, and that the e5200 is a core 2 duo or closer to one than dual core (which intel says it is) but has 2 mb+ level 2 cache. In any case, its a 65W chip.

 

[Denithor]

e5200 $73
Asus P5KPL $50
G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2-800 $46
Powercolor 4830 $90 - $15MIR
WD 250GB $40
LITE-ON DVDRW $22
Raidmax Apex w/450W PSU $50

Total: $371 - $15 = $356
(plus shipping on video card *only* everything else ships free)

There you go. Not going to build anything better than that on your budget.

 

[wjgollatz]

Thanks for the time that you took to put that together, I will certainly take a look at it.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Originally posted by: wjgollatz
I don't have access to the forums to Eve-Online because I suspended my subscription for a couple months, but several people there said their 8600 ran Eve Online premium graphics well the last time I had access, maybe not on the highest resolutions, but was able to run fleet battles without any system lag. Usually for pvp and fleet battles, one will turn down the graphics anyway no matter what their system. Many people here have suggested using ATI cards instead for the same price with much better performance.

I was wondering about the power supply. Its not technically a Core 2 Duo - it is advertised as one. Different vendors call the E5200 different things. I think the issue is after the core 2 duo's were released, Intel changed the "requirements" to 3 mb+ level 2 cache, and that the e5200 is a core 2 duo or closer to one than dual core (which intel says it is) but has 2 mb+ level 2 cache. In any case, its a 65W chip.

My 8600 was able to run premium without any problems, so you'd be fine if you got one (make sure it's really cheap, otherwise opt for a 9600 GT). And the 300w PSU "should" be fine, assuming the amps are enough to power your system, I'm more concerned about the quality of the PSU, since if that blows, so does your system. The PSU is one area you don't want to skimp if at all possible.