<$500 Budget Rig : AMD Phenom or INTEL duo core system recommendation

[NBPTL]

Buillding a rig for a friend of mine , HIS budget $400 - $500
Last rig I build was a AMD XP2100+ (ancient yrs ago)!!

I was out of game for so long that I can't decide on which cpu's and chipset motherboards.

Just want to build a decent system for some gaming and for college school stuff.

Would like to overclock some with air cooling.

Prefer "best band for buck" for either AMD system or Intel.

Already have my eyes on
500g SATA HD - $80 link
DVD-R - $24 link
2 gig RAM

would need your recommendation for:
PS
CASE or (PS+CASE combo)
CPU Phenom or intel ( should I go with this combo? LINK
MOBO ( just decent overclocker)
VID card ( just decent also)
HSF

Thank you

 

[aigomorla]

new system?

if you can piece out a intel system that would be my recomendation

right now intel > AMD.

If your budget doesnt allow, the AMD will be fine and will do all you neeed.
However Intel does have the performance crown.

 

[BadRobot]

i'll take a stab at putting a list together for you, look back here later today and I'll post it.

 

[NBPTL]

Thank guys,
what I'm going for is best bang for buck here.

Intel would be great if price/performance fits vs AMD phenom.

maybe i could squeeze out for Intel CPU from low budget vid card.
Also I not willing to put much money on PS and CASe. ( not a serious oC'er and gamer)

Thanks again

 

[batmang]

The combo's with Phenoms right now at NewEgg are kinda hard to beat. I think the Phenom motherboard combos would get the best value for your money.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...d=0&PageSize=10&page=1

 

[Markfw]

I don't think that cheap Biostar motherboard will support a 125 watt cpu, it will fry it.

That being the case, Intel is the way to go.

 

[NBPTL]

what would be the ideal choice for decent overclock INTEL duo core & supporting MOBO
under $300? or $250

then I'll just have tofigure out $200(250) for case, hd, ram, hsf...

 

[BadRobot]

Wait, you already have 2g of ram, or will you need to purchase that as well?

 

[NBPTL]

Already have 2gig dd2-6400

 

[BurnItDwn]

I'd recommend the following

Cheapest dual core that's "fast enough" for what he wants.
Cheapest motherboard on whatever chipset he wants
Cheapest case that's build well enough and holds what he wants.
Cheapest high quality 500ish watt power supply (antec, enermax, pc power and cooling, seasonic, corsair, etc)
Cheapest DDR2 ram that runs at the speed he wants
use stock cooling
Spend as much as possible to get the best video card he can.

A 3 or 4 year old CPU can handle most of today's games without any issues (other than Supreme Commander.)
The best video card from 3 or 4 years ago is pretty much a heaping pile of crap for pretty much every game out these days unless you turn down the resolution or lots of settings.

This is already set ..
$80 on the hard drive
$24 on the DVDRW

Then, not couting rebates or rare hot deals
$30 should get 2GB of low end ram
$60 should hopefully get a decent Power Supply and case (may have to spend more though)

So about $200 spent and still need Mobo + CPU + Video card ...

Assuming budget from $400 to $500, that would mean he has between $200 and $300 for the mobo+cpu+vidcard ...

The absolute least video card I'd consider at all would be an 8800GT for around $125.
He'd have between $75 and $175 left for a mobo + a CPU. Sounds to me like he's gonna be going AMD X2.

Otherwise, if he went with a better CPU+mobo, he'd be running an underpowered video card...

 

[Tempered81]

e2140, e2160, e2180 or e7200

p35

hd3870, 9600gt, 8800gt, hd4850

 

[BadRobot]

earthwatt $50
Rosewill r5604 $60 (case)
e2160 $70 (CPU)
p5k-se $90 (mobo)
Seagate 250gig $58 (harddrive)
Your dvd drive $24
8800gs $110 (vid card)

Total before tax-shipping-rebates= $462
When I keyed in my zip code there was no shipping or taxes. however you may not be so lucky =)

EDIT: I would definately try to spend the extra money to get the 4850. Way way better than the 8800gs. way better.

 

[magreen]

Welcome to the forums!

Really this thread should be over in General Hardware. And if you read a few threads over there first, you'll see lots of suggested systems that will work perfectly for your needs. You could start with those as a basis and then ask any specific questions you have, as opposed to just saying you need recommendations on just about everything.

 

[NBPTL]

Thank you BadRobot , Jared & BurnitDown
Point well taken..
it does seem taking a rout in intel would be wise choice. He wouldn't mind shelling little more than $500 for fast cpu and vid card.

how is this e7200c and why is it cheap? won't oc well?
cpu
paired with that mobo.
any decent(cheap) HSF btw?

 

[BadRobot]

The stock intel fan is pretty good actually, and the extra 30 dollars you might spend on a new HSF should go toward getting the 4850 video card instead.

 

[superfuzzy]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
...right now intel > AMD.

If your budget doesnt allow, the AMD will be fine and will do all you neeed.
However Intel does have the performance crown.

True for the high end, but not necessarily in the middle. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the sweet spot $ wise right now - AMD dual core X2 - 5000+ BE and 780 chipset - with great on board graphics. There are no Intel mb's that compete when it comes to on board video.

 

[BadRobot]

Originally posted by: superfuzzy

Originally posted by: aigomorla
...right now intel > AMD.

If your budget doesnt allow, the AMD will be fine and will do all you neeed.
However Intel does have the performance crown.

True for the high end, but not necessarily in the middle. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the sweet spot $ wise right now - AMD dual core X2 - 5000+ BE and 780 chipset - with great on board graphics. There are no Intel mb's that compete when it comes to on board video.

I stand by my system recommendation.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: BadRobot

Originally posted by: superfuzzy

Originally posted by: aigomorla
...right now intel > AMD.

If your budget doesnt allow, the AMD will be fine and will do all you neeed.
However Intel does have the performance crown.

True for the high end, but not necessarily in the middle. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the sweet spot $ wise right now - AMD dual core X2 - 5000+ BE and 780 chipset - with great on board graphics. There are no Intel mb's that compete when it comes to on board video.

I stand by my system recommendation.

I think you both make good points.
The on board video on the 780 may be 10 times as fast as all the other on board video, but it's still only a fraction as fast as something like an 8800GT. For somebody who likes to play the occasional game of counterstrike or quake or some other 10 year old game, it's plenty fast, but if somebody wants to play current games at somewhat decent resolutions with nice quality eyecandy, a nice and powerful GPU is really going to make a HUGE difference.
As far as "sweet spot $" is concerned. There is no single sweet spot. It also depends on what you consider "high end" and what you consider "mid range."
To me, A Q6600 is mid range. You can get one for about $200, and if you choose to OC, you can usually get them close to 3.5-4ghz. The best CPU you can possibly get from AMD right now can't compete with that.

At the low end, AMD offers the best bang for the buck, with the current CPU technology, soon as you get into core 2 duo pricing territory or above, Intel CPU's pretty much dominate across the board.

Note: I am not an AMD or Intel fanboy. I currently own 3 AMD PCs (Barton, A64, and a socket 939 X2) and 3 Intel PCs (P3, Celeron, and P4M). I buy what I buy because I believe it's the best thing available at whatever price point I make my purchase.

Historically, I replace my mobo/CPU once every 2 years or so. I generally replace my video card every year. I like to keep 2 gaming capable boxes. I am behind on my upgrades since I bought a new house last year. Arrrgh!

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: NBPTL
Thank you BadRobot , Jared & BurnitDown
Point well taken..
it does seem taking a rout in intel would be wise choice. He wouldn't mind shelling little more than $500 for fast cpu and vid card.

how is this e7200c and why is it cheap? won't oc well?
cpu
paired with that mobo.
any decent(cheap) HSF btw?

E7200 OCs like crazy. 4 ghz is pretty much common for this chip.

 

[Mwing]

Originally posted by: error8

Originally posted by: NBPTL
Thank you BadRobot , Jared & BurnitDown
Point well taken..
it does seem taking a rout in intel would be wise choice. He wouldn't mind shelling little more than $500 for fast cpu and vid card.

how is this e7200c and why is it cheap? won't oc well?
cpu
paired with that mobo.
any decent(cheap) HSF btw?

E7200 OCs like crazy. 4 ghz is pretty much common for this chip.

But then he has to buy a good HSF with 10% of his budget.

 

[nyker96]

for that case you can get a phenom 9600. it's the errata version but runs very fast since it's quad and cheap too!

 

[NBPTL]

Originally posted by: nyker96
for that case you can get a phenom 9600. it's the errata version but runs very fast since it's quad and cheap too!

that's what I am thinking ...pricewise just wont justify with phenom.

Im leaning towards this deal right now
Text

 

[harpoon84]

Originally posted by: superfuzzy

Originally posted by: aigomorla
...right now intel > AMD.

If your budget doesnt allow, the AMD will be fine and will do all you neeed.
However Intel does have the performance crown.

True for the high end, but not necessarily in the middle. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the sweet spot $ wise right now - AMD dual core X2 - 5000+ BE and 780 chipset - with great on board graphics. There are no Intel mb's that compete when it comes to on board video.

Whilst the 780G is currently the best IGP, it still lags way behind even low end GPUs for gaming purposes. It does OK in older games (as BurnItDwn mentioned) but it'll struggle to run the latest games at playable framerates. Its good for decoding HD movies and stuff, but a serious gamer would surely get a dedicated GPU.

As for the X2 5000+ BE, it's $80 without a HSF. For the same price you can get an E2200, which is already faster at stock, and can easily be overclocked to 3GHz with the stock HSF.

 

[heyheybooboo]

I bought the BIOSTAR A770 A2+ a few weeks ago and am impressed. It costs $5 more now after rebate - lol.

I put a X2 5400+ in it and hit 3052MHz (fsb-218) on stock volts - went up to fsb 226MHz @ 1.375v.

Snag an X2 4600+ 2.4GHz Brisbane 65W for $53 with code EMCAGCGAE and you will have a nice system.

I'm hoping the A770 A2+ will support the 95w Phenom 9850BEs when they roll out .... Biostar is not so bad when it comes to BIOS support - but as noted, a 125w Phenom is not a good match for this board. Take a look at the Gigabyte 790x if that's what you want ...

 

[Denithor]

Antec Sonata III w/ EA500 + Seagate 250GB $155 (third combo on page)
Foxconn P35 $73 AR
e7200 $130
ASUS 4850 $170 AR
Sony NEC DVDRW $26 (c'mon, get him a SATA drive)

Total: $554

This will be a blazing fast computer, at stock speed it will eat the fastest AMD dual-core alive. Should easily OC to >3GHz for even better performance. Will be rather nice for gaming as well, will handle everything you can throw at it (except Crysis, which you need about $600 worth of just video cards to handle moderately).

Does your friend already have a monitor or do you need that + keyboard/mouse/etc also?