Build a PC around a BFG 8800GT OC

[skyeclad]

It's been a while since I built a whole new system, I usually just upgrade key parts but the old Franken-PC has now become out HTPC SageTV Box and I now need to scrounge together a budget gaming rig.

I'm trying to stick below $1000 and I already have a 22" display but I need everything else.

So far I got my hands on a $250 BFG 8800GT OC. Now I just need everything else.

The only other part that I was considering was an Antec Nine Hundred Case.

So far that's

8800GT - $250
Case-$85

That leaves $665 to go. Any recommendations on an appropriate processor and PCIE 2.0 Mobo and DDR2 memory?

 

[thegimp03]

Well are you planning on overclocking? If not I'd go for something like this (not including mobo b/c I don't know any PCI-e 2.0 compliant mobo's...

C2D E6850 ~280
Mobo ~150
2x1 GB DDR ~100
Hard drive ~70
Samsung 20x DVD+R ~35

Total ~ 635

 

[D13S3L]

Well, I basically did the same thing. Here is what i ended up with:
Q6600 Quad Core http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/....jsp?ProductCode=80864 276.90
EVGA 680i Mobo (T1) http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=246712 169.00
4gb DDR2-800 Ram (4 sticks of 1gb) http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231098 109.98
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835186134 36.99
AeroCool 620 watt PSU (had to buy it at Compusa for 100.00 but its listed here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817331002 124.99

Those things come out to ~718 or so. I can run Crysis at "Very High" settings smoothly. It runs COD4 with no trouble as well.

For my case, i went with the CoolerMaster Cosmos (got it at my local compusa for 150 - wasn't part of my original budget but i'm SOOOOO glad i splurged a little. Although its heavy, It is by far the best case i've ever owned).

I have an MSDN subscription so i put Vista Ultimate 64 on and it is working great.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

4gb of RAM? Unless he's running Vista, 2gb would be fine.

 

[Dacalo]

MB: Abit IP35-E $90
CPU: Depending on your budget, E2160 for $80, or E6750 for $185 or Q6600 for $275
2GB DDR can be had for around $60 now AR
Hard drive: 500 GB $100

 

[gorbs]

i am considering these parts for mine:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115031

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820148076

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128059

pretty close to what the budget Intel gaming rig specs are from the article on the front page. feel free to critique, bash, flog or otherwise lol.

 

[skyeclad]

Originally posted by: thegimp03
Well are you planning on overclocking? If not I'd go for something like this (not including mobo b/c I don't know any PCI-e 2.0 compliant mobo's...

C2D E6850 ~280
Mobo ~150
2x1 GB DDR ~100
Hard drive ~70
Samsung 20x DVD+R ~35

Total ~ 635

I'm planning on modestly overclocking it. Nothing too ambitious.

 

[skyeclad]

Originally posted by: D13S3L
Well, I basically did the same thing. Here is what i ended up with:
Q6600 Quad Core http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/....jsp?ProductCode=80864 276.90
EVGA 680i Mobo (T1) http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=246712 169.00
4gb DDR2-800 Ram (4 sticks of 1gb) http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231098 109.98
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835186134 36.99
AeroCool 620 watt PSU (had to buy it at Compusa for 100.00 but its listed here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817331002 124.99

Those things come out to ~718 or so. I can run Crysis at "Very High" settings smoothly. It runs COD4 with no trouble as well.

For my case, i went with the CoolerMaster Cosmos (got it at my local compusa for 150 - wasn't part of my original budget but i'm SOOOOO glad i splurged a little. Although its heavy, It is by far the best case i've ever owned).

I have an MSDN subscription so i put Vista Ultimate 64 on and it is working great.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[skyeclad]

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
4gb of RAM? Unless he's running Vista, 2gb would be fine.

I expect to be running Vista for DX10 if nothing else.

 

[skyeclad]

Originally posted by: Dacalo
MB: Abit IP35-E $90I
CPU: Depending on your budget, E2160 for $80, or E6750 for $185 or Q6600 for $275
2GB DDR can be had for around $60 now AR
Hard drive: 500 GB $100

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a lot to think about. At this point, it seems that PCIE 2.0 isn't necessary but I wonder if in 2 years there will be a need. If not, then I would consider a P35 over the x38 chipset.

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: skyeclad
That leaves $665 to go. Any recommendations on an appropriate processor and PCIE 2.0 Mobo and DDR2 memory?

P35 mobo - Abit IP35-E ($71 AR) or Gigabyte P35-DS3L ($86) - Both are non-RAID, no CF
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Sku....hmx?scriteria=BA24085

2GB Crucial Ballistix (PC2-6400 4-4-4-12) - $50 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146565

E2180 - $90/Free ship, OR E4400 (L2 stepping) - $120 with shipping
http://www.clubit.com/product_...il.cfm?itemno=A1938263
http://www.clubit.com/product_...il.cfm?itemno=A1938430

Tuniq 120 - $51 with shipping (Good OCing cooler to have for now + Penryn later)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835154001

Corsair 620HX PSU - $120 with shipping, after (2) rebates
http://www.clubit.com/search.cfm?keyword=620hx&cat=all

Hard Drive - 250GB Seagate 7200.11, OR 320GB WD Caviar - $70 / $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148262
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136074

DVD Burner - Lite-On 20X, $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106057

Total = $487 - $542. And you still have room for Vista-32 OEM which will run you about $105ish. Keep in mind XP or Vista-32 can only make use of 3.2GB RAM so don't buy more than 3GB unless you're going with Vista-64.

Also, my advice is to go with a budget CPU now (E21XX/E4X00), then swap in a sub-$200 Penryn in late 2008. That's a better deal IMO than paying $277 for a Q6600 G0 stepping now. Your P35-based mobo is ready for Penryn too.

2nd Edit: Clubit had screwed up the rebates on 620HX PSU. There are only 2 not 3. Ignore my previous post.

 

[Syntax Error]

Quick question: is a P965 board compatible with Penryn or is it impossible to be compatible at all? Or will Intel give some kind of BIOs support or whatever if it is incompatible with P965 at first?

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: Syntax Error
Quick question: is a P965 board compatible with Penryn or is it impossible to be compatible at all? Or will Intel give some kind of BIOs support or whatever if it is incompatible with P965 at first?

From AT's Oct 29 Motherboard Compatibility article:

"...We might even see support on the venerable 975X chipset as ASUS is in the process of validation testing for their workstation boards. Even though the P965 chipset does not officially support the 45nm processor families, we have MSI offering BIOS support for two of their boards. We also expect to see "unofficial" support on the latest performance oriented P965 boards from ASUS and Gigabyte if stability problems when overclocking can be overcome. We will be testing a couple of their boards next week to see how well they work..."

 

[Syntax Error]

Hmm, interesting. I have a Gigabyte S3, so let's hope Gigabyte makes some good BIOS for Penryn.

 

[skyeclad]

[

Corsair 620HX PSU - $90 with shipping, after (3) rebates (great deal!)
http://www.clubit.com/search.cfm?keyword=620hx&cat=all



Edit: Corsair PSU price dropped $30 today (11/20) -- another rebate added!

I just checked this site to order before tomorrow when one of the rebates was ending and they pulled a different rebate. Now that they removed a $30 rebate the price is now $110! I don't get it. Maybe one of the rebates was a mistake?

 

[s44]

2x2gb DDR2-800 RAM for ~$90 no rebate...

You're doing a fresh build, so there's no reason NOT to get Vista64.

 

[bryanW1995]

yes, on a new build vista64 is definitely the way to go.

e2140 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819116037
tuniq http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835154001
p35 DS3L http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128059
4x1gb ddr2 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146565
hx620 http://www.clubit.com/product_...il.cfm?itemno=A6200027

e2140 = 75
tuniq = 51
ds3l = 100 (prob can be had for less, ip35e would be great too)
4x1gb = 50 per 2x1 gb sticks, so 100 for 4 gb AR
hx620 = 120 (can save 20 by going with hx520, either will do for you but 620 will be better if you decide to xfire or sli in future upgrade)

don't let the rebate on the crucial bother you, I ordered 2gb in june and got the rebate promptly with no hassles.

this all puts you at 396. Figure another 74 for dvd/keyboard/mouse/etc, putting you at 470. As another poster mentioned you can still get vista64 here and stay well below your budget. Also, you can easily upgrade to penryn quad core at your leisure. Hard to go wrong here.

notice how nobody recommended amd. wonder why? damn you hector ruiz!!!

 

[brencat]

Originally posted by: skyeclad
I just checked this site to order before tomorrow when one of the rebates was ending and they pulled a different rebate. Now that they removed a $30 rebate the price is now $110! I don't get it. Maybe one of the rebates was a mistake?

@ skyeclad -- Yeah, clubit effed up yesterday by posting a 3rd rebate for $30 that had dates of "11/20 - 11/26" but when we opened the pdf it said 11/23 - 11/26. So basically, that 3rd rebate will go into effect once the 2nd rebate ending 11/22 expires. One poster noted that the 2nd and 3rd rebates both required you to submit the cutout UPC from the PSU box...obviously impossible. It looks like they caught the mistake.

Anyway, since the 3rd rebate they took down was for $30 (vs $20 on the current 2nd rebate expiring 11/22), you can save yourself $10 if you wait until Friday before purchasing.