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$850

T

Thurgo0dy

Banned
I have $850 and I want to build a gaming PC with an Athlon 64 3000+, and would like to use a nForce 4 motherboard. Can any of you put me a good gaming rig for that?
 
Please be more specific/

You need total comp? Monitor key board hard drive mouses etc?
 
Doubt you'll be able to do it with PCIe at this point, but with an NF3 and AGP it's definitely possible, as long as you don't need a monitor or speakers, or if your definition of gaming requires only a 9600 Pro. You may also have to settle for S754 at the moment. Check jpeyton's system buyer's guide thread, which used to be stickied at the top but seems to have been unstickied again.
 
well, first off, if you MUST HAVE nForce 4, it won't be till AFTER christmas.. as no boards are currently in-stock, and won't be until a couple days before christmas, and the chances of you getting ahold of one are slim.

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum nForce4 - $189
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=241158 (eta 12/21)
your budget doesn't allow for SLI, so this is your ONLY option

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor Socket 939 Retail (90nm) - $152.90
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...sp?ProductCode=80699-2
best bang for the buck on this one, you can easily OC this to 3200+ speeds and save $50

ARTIC SILVER 5 Thermal Paste
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=35-100-007&depa=0 - $7.59
the ultimate thermal grease, no enthusiast should be without.. can often be a make or break in a good OC

CRUCIAL 512MB DDR400
http://www.crucial.com/store/P...CT6464Z40B&cat=RAM - $80.99
High Quality / Consistent / Reliable memory, that's GUARANTEED to work with your motherboard!

Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB Serial ATA 7200RPM 8MB w/NCQ - $112
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=101559
take advantage of the nForce4's NCQ support, also the quietest drive at this performance level, if you ears can handle the noise of a 74GB Raptor, you can gain additional performance there..
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=101222 - $174

In-Win s508 Mid-Tower (3x 5.25 EX, 2x 3.25 INT, 2x 3.25 EX)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/vie....hmx?scriteria=BA02611 - $55
Quality Construction / Feature-Packed / Sleek Looking
or if your more concerned with form over functionality, you can substitute the Coolermaster WaveMaster
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=141612 - $129.49

Enermax 460w Whisper Power Supply (+12v 33A; +5v 35A; +3.3v 35A)
http://www.directron.com/eg465pfmav13.html - $74.50
Enermax is one of the few QUALITY power supply manufacturers, they've been in the business for many years now, and consistently produce quality units. This power supply provides ample capacity for a power hungry nForce 4 based system

XFX nVIDIA GeForce 6600 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, PCI-Express
http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-150-076&depa=0 - $127.50
XFX has become the defacto standard in Video Cards these days, they consistently outperform the competition, are made of quality components, which consistently deliever. The 6600 can easily handle any current generation game, and should stand-up well for the next couple of months..

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive
http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=27-152-032&DEPA=0 - $63.99
Killer Perfomance, Incredible Price, well recommended

LITE ON 16X-DVD/48X-CDROM INTERNAL EIDE #SOHD-167T (Retail)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/vie....hmx?scriteria=AA13780 - $23.90
Perfect Drive for performance / reliablity / Cost Effective solution, makes those DVD copy sessions all the more pleasent

SONY 1.44MB Floppy
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/vie....hmx?scriteria=AA00695 - $8.90
No matter what the pundits say, the floppy will have a place in the desktop computer for many years to come.. it is the only 'reliable' method for BIOS flashing / Ghost (imaging) / or any other dos level functions

TOTAL (pre tax and some shipping)
$896.00
 
DrCool: Nice setup, but I'd drop the Cuda and the AS5, they're overkill for this system. Your everyday Seagate 120gig will do nicely. As for the Arctic Silver, it has no real effect on temps. Plain jane thermal goop works just as well, and the benchmarks prove it. In my opinion, a sub-1000 rig should go 754, which saves some cash. Unfortunately, the pricing on 754 nForce 4s is unknown, but I expect it will be a good deal less than the Ultra. Anyway, with the money saved, I'd upgrade to the 6600GT; well worth the extra money. As for RAM, I'd throw in 512 of Value Select or equivalent. The total should remain fairly stable, 800-900.
 
Drop the SATA optical--if there's anything that'll NEVER need SATA, it's CD/DVD drives, which still use essentially ATA33. I wouldn't trust that case's power supply either... Antec SLK series maybe? Oh yes, and your CL2 RAM's a waste. 2x512 Corsair Value at CL2.5 should only be around $20 more, but facilitate much smoother gameplay.

Other than that it looks like good PCIe on a budget, if the K8T890 happens to be any good.
 
This unfortunately goes over by $150 but gives you some fairly serious performance.

ANTEC Life Style Series Black Case With 380W Power Supply, Model "SONATA"
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid Tower
Color: Piano Black
Material: 0.8mm SECC Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 3/0, 3.5" x 2/4 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2xUSB & 1xIEEE1394 & Audio
Power Supply: 380W
Cooling System: 1 x 120mm Fans Rear
Mainboard Compatibility: Standard ATX
Dimensions: 16.75"x18.25"x8.13" more info-> N82E16811129127
$98.88

$98.88

DFI "LANPARTY UT nF3 250Gb" NVIDIA nForce3 250GB Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: AMD Athlon 64 processor
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb
RAM: 3x DIMM Supports DDR266/333/400 Max 3GB
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1xRJ45, 2x S/PDIF In/Out, Audio Ports
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with NVIDIA RAID 0,1,0+1,JBOD, 2x SATA by Marvell SATA PHY
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850(8-Ch)
Onboard LAN: Marvell 88E1111 GbE PHY
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813136147
$107.99

$107.99

XFX nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "PVT40AUA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT/350MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB GDDR3/1000MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out (S-Video) + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Cable/Accessories: S-Video Cable, DVI to VGA adaptor, Manual, Drivers, Game Commandos 3
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16814150069
$392.50

$392.50

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail
Specifications:
Model: AMD Athlon 64 3000+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13 Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103486
$151.00

$151.00

Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
Specification
Manufacturer: Corsair
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime
more info-> N82E16820145026
$72.15

$72.15

Mitsumi Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model D359M3D/D359M3B, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Average Access Time: 94 ms
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: Quiet Operation, Enclosed Mechanism
Packaging: OEM more info-> N82E16821104101
$6.85

$6.85

Seagate 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST3120026A, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 120GB
Average Seek Time: 8.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: 350 Gs non-op shock, 3D Defense System
Manufacturer Warranty: 5 years
Packaging: OEM more info-> N82E16822148022
$89.50

$89.50

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive, Black, Model ND-3500A BK, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: 16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 4X DVD+R9, 16X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: High speed writing performance.
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827152032
$67.00

$67.00

UBI SOFT FarCry - PC DVD Game - OEM Free Copy Of FarCry with purchase of any AMD 64 Bit CPU and Compatible Motherboard!

DVD-ROM (Requires DVD Drive to Operate)

THIS ITEM MUST BE PURCHASED WITH A QUALIFYING CPU AND MOTHERBOARD, IT CANNOT BE PURCHASED BY ITSELF.

more info-> N82E16837109001
$39.99

$39.99

Subtotal »

$1,025.86
 
The 6800 GT certainly gives a performance boost, but 1 GB of RAM is optimal for gaming. If not overclocking, the DFI's not needed. I think the OP is set on a S939/PCIe thing, though I wouldn't have recommended that, given current prices and the lack of immediate benefit. Downgrade the case to a SLK3700AMB, get a cheaper Epox board, go for a vanilla 6800, and double the RAM, and that should serve its purpose well (both S754 and AGP do have life left in them, after all).
 
Originally posted by: ts3433
The 6800 GT certainly gives a performance boost, but 1 GB of RAM is optimal for gaming. If not overclocking, the DFI's not needed. I think the OP is set on a S939/PCIe thing, though I wouldn't have recommended that, given current prices and the lack of immediate benefit. Downgrade the case to a SLK3700AMB, get a cheaper Epox board, go for a vanilla 6800, and double the RAM, and that should serve its purpose well (both S754 and AGP do have life left in them, after all).
Click to expand...


ram is easily upgradeable later, he can buy an additional 512mb stick any time, video card is not. the 6800gt is an excellent card much better than the 6660gt and plain 6800. like you said, he could downgrade the mb to an epox and get the cheaper case, but definately should stick with the 6800gt.
 
This will give serious performance and is only $62 over budget.


ANTEC Solution Series Super Mid Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700AMB" - Retail
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower
Color: Metallic bronze
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 4x5.25'',7x3.5''
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0x2
Power Supply: 350W(SL350)Smart Power
Cooling System: 120mm Fan x1
Mainboard Compatibility: Standard ATX
Dimensions: 18.3''x8.25''x18.6''
Special Features: Removeable Side Panels and Drive Cages more info-> N82E16811129122
$65.00

$65.00

EPoX "EP-8KDA3J" nForce3-250Gb Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb
FSB: 800MHz (Hyper-Transport)
RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 3GB
IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X(1.5V), 6x PCI
Ports: 2xPS/2,1xLPT,1xCOM,SPDIF Out,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850 8-Channel Codec
Onboard LAN: Gigabit Ethernet
Onboard SATA: 2x Serial ATA 150
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813123219
$69.00

$69.00

XFX nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "PVT40AUA" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT/350MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB GDDR3/1000MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out (S-Video) + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Cable/Accessories: S-Video Cable, DVI to VGA adaptor, Manual, Drivers, Game Commandos 3
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16814150069
$392.50

$392.50

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail
Specifications:
Model: AMD Athlon 64 3000+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13 Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103486
$150.00

$150.00

Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
Specification
Manufacturer: Corsair
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime
more info-> N82E16820145026
$72.15

$72.15

Mitsumi Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model D359M3D/D359M3B, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Average Access Time: 94 ms
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: Quiet Operation, Enclosed Mechanism
Packaging: OEM more info-> N82E16821104101
$6.85

$6.85

Seagate 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST3120026A, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 120GB
Average Seek Time: 8.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: 350 Gs non-op shock, 3D Defense System
Manufacturer Warranty: 5 years
Packaging: OEM more info-> N82E16822148022
$89.50

$89.50

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive, Black, Model ND-3500A BK, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: 16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 4X DVD+R9, 16X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: High speed writing performance.
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827152032
$67.00

$67.00

 
Originally posted by: Thurgo0dy
How's this?:

mobo

CPU

Vid

Mem

HDD

CD/DVD

case
Click to expand...

yeah, that'll work nicely.. I'd take issue with the memory and power supply selection

QUALITY memory is a MUST, Cruical is bar far the best overall choice for memory though.. most compatible, reliable, consistent, and fairly priced

the nForce 3 is a power hungry beast, so I can only assume the nForce 4 will be as bad or worst.. that is why a HIGH Quality Power supply is also a MUST, Enermax is by far the best overall choice here.. most reliable, consistent, and peforms like a champ even under heavy load!

having a chessy case, can often cause very strange problems, ie warped drive bays, motherboard not being held correctly (warping), generally poor quality construction, front panel connections that do more harm then good..
 
alot of nvidia's products are power hungry i think people are aware of that. such as there gpu's 😀
 
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