budget gaming rig, tower only, ~600

[andersonviola]

hi all,

just read the attention system builders sticky and the recent anandtech budget building guide. I am wondering whether I should build a AMD 720 system or a Intel E8400 system. Which one is faster for games, and which one is easier to match up with a budget mobo?

I like the basic setup for the AMD system here:
http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=3563&p=4

but am wondering about the motherboard and the case/power supply. I would rather use the all in one antec sonata.

finally, I noticed the sticky does not have the new 4770 video card. Is it really all it is cracked up to be?

 

[Eureka]

Well, the guide is just that, a guide. The 720 is a strong performer, I like that setup. Go with the x3 720, as they have great deals with the 790GX mobos.

The 720 + motherboard combo is $230:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.200066

Memory is $40 AR for DDR2 4GB, usually. Hard drive, $70 for 1 TB.

That puts the core at $340.

The case is a personal preference, the sonata is a good case with a decent PSU.

The 4770 is good only in terms of power and heat draw. If you want performance, go for a 4850 for $85. You save money and it's stronger. Or, go for a 4870, which are as low as $110 after discounts.

$340 + $110 = $450, then the rest is room for case and accessories.

 

[andersonviola]

Thanks for the info on the video cards; I will buy either the 4850 or the 4870 if the price is low enough.

As for the mobo, any reason why I should get a 790gx over a 770 if its going to cost $30-40 more? I don't need the onboard video, and will only casually OC with stock fan so the 770 should suit that. Anything else I'm not aware of?

Thanks again!

 

[Eureka]

The 790GX is just a very well known and quality board, so you have plenty of support on it. Plus you have combo savings ($20-$30). But if you find that the 770 works for you, hats off.

 

[andersonviola]

Ok, so far my build looks like this:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 - $55
WD Caviar SE16 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB - $70
AMD Phenom II X3 720 + BIOSTAR TA790GX 790GX HDMI ATX - $220
Antec Sonata III w/ 500W - $100
Asus 4850 512mb - $85

questions:

is the antec 500W PSU enough for this build w/ some OCing?
will the HDMI on the video card work as well as the HDMI on the mobo, and if so is there a better value out there for a 790gx?

Thanks in advance!

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: andersonviola
Ok, so far my build looks like this:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 - $55
WD Caviar SE16 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB - $70
AMD Phenom II X3 720 + BIOSTAR TA790GX 790GX HDMI ATX - $220
Antec Sonata III w/ 500W - $100
Asus 4850 512mb - $85

questions:

is the antec 500W PSU enough for this build w/ some OCing?
will the HDMI on the video card work as well as the HDMI on the mobo, and if so is there a better value out there for a 790gx?

Thanks in advance!

500W will be more than enough. The Sonata III comes with a good quality PSU so you won't have to worry about it. Nothing in your system draws a lot of power. Even with OC you will be fine.

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: andersonviola
Ok, so far my build looks like this:

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 - $55
WD Caviar SE16 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB - $70
AMD Phenom II X3 720 + BIOSTAR TA790GX 790GX HDMI ATX - $220
Antec Sonata III w/ 500W - $100
Asus 4850 512mb - $85

questions:

is the antec 500W PSU enough for this build w/ some OCing?
will the HDMI on the video card work as well as the HDMI on the mobo, and if so is there a better value out there for a 790gx?

Thanks in advance!

That's a pretty good build there. The x3 720/790gx mobo combo is hard to beat. The HDMI should work fine on the mobo or on the GPU. The Antec Sonata III case/PSU combo is a hard one to beat for what you get. You get a decent case and a good solid PSU. The PSU has 34A on the combined 12v rails and is >80% efficient. Your setup could easily run on even the 380w Antec Earthwatts PSU, but the 500w PSU will give you more room to grow with.