building a budget gaming pc.. help

[microstuck]

hi there guys..

I need to build a gaming pc with a budget of around $650 or less with at least a 19" monitor.

Is this possible? i don't need a powerhouse gaming rig, just something that can run modern games. (crysis, Red Alart 3. etc) .Also the latest creative suite 4 from Adobe


thnx.

 

[Arcex]

Do you already have an operating system to install on it? That's 100 dollars easy, unless you already have the disk.

Monitor is tough, I like buying my parts from Newegg but for a monitor the shipping costs would be high. The cheapest 19" LCD at Newegg is $130, but Circuit City is closing a whole lot of stores right now, store closing sales start today so you might want to see what's around.

 

[Arcex]

Assuming you already have the OS and find a monitor for around $100 dollars here is my build.

This is at the higher end of your range, and honestly I'd recommend switching up on the CPU a bit for a much increased performance. This build is also designed as a good upgradeable rig, drop a quad core CPU in there some day or another vid card to go SLI and you'll have a beast. If you end up doing that I would recommend tossing a few 120mm fans in there also.

Speaking of cooling I picking this case because it is a personal favorite, not as flashy as most but pure performance, cooling is by far the best I've seen, and room for seven 120mm fans and one 80mm, between that and a Zalman cooler you'll have all the cooling you'll need, you could OC and still be well within tolerances.


Here it is:

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #:N82E16813131299
$129.99 -$10.00 Instant $119.99

1 EVGA 256-P2-N751-TR GeForce 8600 GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Video Adapter
Item #:N82E16814130085
$79.99 -$5.00 Instant - $30.00 mail in rebate - $44.99

Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail
Item #:N82E16819116072
$83.99

Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Retail
Item #:N82E16817182030
$74.99 -$15.00 Instant $59.99

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA106A - Retail
Item #:N82E16820148206
$51.99 - $26.00 mail in rebate - $25.99

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #:N82E16811119137
$89.99 -$15.00 Instant $74.99

1 Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #:N82E16822136075
$41.99

1 LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
Item #:N82E16827106228
$18.99

1 Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #:N82E16835100007
$5.99

1 ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #:N82E16835118019
$79.99 -$25.00 Instant $54.99


TOTAL AFTER REBATES: $531.90 + SHIPPING

 

[nishiyama]

Couple more options:
Video/ram
PNY 8600GTS $25 Combo with 2 Gigs of OCZ DDR2-800

Or a beefier video:
Sapphire 100245L Radeon 4850 @ Newegg.com $129.99

Cooling solution
ZEROtherm ZEN FZ120 120mm CPU Cooler for Intel Socket 775 AMD Socket 939/940/AM2/AM2+ $4.99 AR @newegg, exp. 11/30

 

[microstuck]

Thank you for all the feedback.

I do have an operating system.. Xp pro

The CPU and the Graphics card are the two things i worry about most.... because i need those to be somewhat futureproof.
I know i could well with a quad core, but that would be almost impossible on my budget.

 

[nishiyama]

Here is an additional CPU no rebates or anything but free shipping:
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

 

[Arcex]

I went with a lower end CPU (dual core) but absolutely, kick that up a notch if you have the cash. Dropping in a quad would be a couple years down the line when you need a boost, the MB I spec'ed will take a quad.

The CPU Nishiyama linked is very nice, if your pocketbook can handle it it would be a vast improvement over the budget one I spec'ed.

Most of the items I selected are brand specific for me, I trust certain companies from experience, and trust certain brand combo's from experience. Specifically, I've built several Asus MB / Evga vid card / Crucial RAM PC's of late and know they work well together, but honestly these days its far less of an issue than it used to be.

**EDIT** And you can always go stronger on the vid card, I picked a very budget, but loads of bang for your buck card, the main thing being that you can drop another card in there and go SLI, either now or later depending on your needs.

 

[disports]

Well he could save more money by sticking with the stock HSF since it doesn't seem like the OP is going to overclock. Won't need TIM either then. A good and cheaper motherboard could be the Gigabyte EP45-DS3L selling for $89.99 after rebate. That HSF isn't worth it for the price anyways. You could do better than that PSU for that price. Heck the Corsair 650TX is selling for $69.99 after rebate. With those savings you could probably get the E7200 or something. You could get A-Data 2 GB DDR2-800 for $28.99.