college gaming rig

[igloo15]

ok i was thinking about getting
amd 64 3000
1 gig pc3500 ocz
nec 8x dvd burner
chaintech nforce 250 mobo
9800pro 256 bit 256mb
120gb western digital se

This will bring my total to about $1000
Is there any better recommendations, I have no problem spending around $1000 but
saving money is always good. I am a heavy gamer but I really want to know what is the best bang for my buck.

 

[mrwxyz]

if ur a heavy gamer with must-have-high-settings, u might want to cut down on something and opt for a new gen graphics card. the x800pro or 6800gt would be ideal, but the 6800nu would also be a good choice.

if ur not going to o/c ditch the 3500 for 3200 and u can redirect that money

 

[txxxx]

If no OC on CPU , you might not need PC3500 memory. Infact, you can overclock without having to bump up memory IIRC. Just bump up the HTT.

You might want to skimp on the memory (i.e. 1x512MB) and make some budget for a 6800/x800 graphics card, as that'll serve your heavy gaming needs better.

 

[igloo15]

I plan to oc the 3000 to the point of the 3200
also I planned to modify the 9800pro to a 9800xt
I am a heavy gamer but I am not to picky on graphics.
In all my games I play 1024 by 768 with the aa stuff turned off.
I was hoping not to pass the 330 dollar mark on the graphics card.
The ram is only 227 and I need 1 gig. Is there anywhere else you think i could skim,
also do you think the 9800pro is good for 276 dollars. I have never bought from ati but I have heard alot of good things about the 9800 sieres. I just wish they would release a mid ranged 6800 around 300 dollars.

 

[txxxx]

9800 Pro for $276? You can get much cheaper. I keep hearing around $200 brand new.

 

[Tostada]

Looks good, except I don't see any reason to get that hard drive. Seagate/Hitachi/Samsung drives are slightly faster/quieter/cooler and are also available with a 3-year warranty. Also, 160GB drives are the best bang for the buck, generally only $5 - $10 more than the 120GB versions. The $93 Hitachi 160GB is the fastest and a very good drive.

If you're playing 1024x768 without AA, there's certainly no reason to push for a $400 card at the expense of other parts. The 9800 is a good choice. Look at the $195 one at NewEgg with the 9800 XT core.

 

[igloo15]

according to the article I read about modding the 9800pro into a 9800xt you have to get the 256bit 256 mb version of the 9800pro to do it. Can you plz show me where i can find the 9800xt core for 195 dollars.
Also i have a western digital 80gig /w the 8mb buffer right now is it ok to mix hard drives from different companies. So if i get the hitachi can i put right alongside my western 80gig with no problems.

 

[NokiaDude]

I would get PC3200 RAM if it's cheaper and opt for an X800-XT or Pro, if you're over your Budget, then think about an nVidia 6800GT, I've seen benchmarks and I was floored that the GT kept up with the XT.

 

[igloo15]

k i think i found the 9800pro card you were talking about. Is sapphire any good or should i go with the made by ati card for like 30 dollars more.
I was also wondering if anyone can recommend one of those tivo type pci add on cards.

 

[jpeyton]

AMD Athlon 64 2800+ $168

Chaintech VNF3-250 - $85.99

Hitachi 160GB SATA - $96

Corsair Value Select 512MB PC3200 CAS2.5 - $85

NEC 8X DVD +/- RW - $67.99

PNY GeForce 6800GT 256MB - $339.67

INWIN Black/Silver ATX Mid Tower w/ 430W PSU - $84

Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 - $29.99

TOTAL: $956.64

Believe me, you'll be hitting yourself once Doom 3 is out in two weeks and you didn't get a 6800GT (which can o/c to Ultra speeds). If you're gaming, a A64 2800+/6800GT will KILL a A64 3000+/9800PRO (even with 512MB of RAM).

 

[Tostada]

jpeyton: I would agree with that as a good recommendation if he had the money... Except that there's no reason to get a SATA drive, especially without a floppy... And you need to add another $85 for the 2nd stick of RAM.

I also don't see why you're suggesting paying more to buy from non-newegg sites. The Silent Boost K8 is $29.99 with free FedEx from NewEgg. SVC will charge $5 for UPS Ground. NewEgg has that Corsair PC3200 CL 2.5 for $85 with free shipping, and they also have the Mushkin for $79. And so on...

 

[ohiopcgamer]

Originally posted by: igloo15
k i think i found the 9800pro card you were talking about. Is sapphire any good or should i go with the made by ati card for like 30 dollars more.
I was also wondering if anyone can recommend one of those tivo type pci add on cards.

Make sure the Radeon 9800 card is the 256Mb memory 256bit version. There have been some cards releaed recently in the $179-$200 price range that sound like a great deal but they are 128Mb or 256Mb 128bit versions and do not perform as well. In fact the manufacturer is apologizing for misleading consumers with these cards, which are below ATI standards.

I purchased a 9800 Pro 128Mb recently and it has provided incredible gaming in BF42, Far Cry, etc.
My benchmark score jumped substancially as well, almost 6 times over my old TI4600 128Mb card.

For a new system, if I was making the choice I would agree with many of the posts here, go for the 3200 Memory and put the difference into a 800XT. The graphics are incredible whether or not you do have AA turned on or not. Once you play on one, and see the speed of fragging your buddies you will be glad you did.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: Tostada
jpeyton: I would agree with that as a good recommendation if he had the money... Except that there's no reason to get a SATA drive, especially without a floppy... And you need to add another $85 for the 2nd stick of RAM.

I also don't see why you're suggesting paying more to buy from non-newegg sites. The Silent Boost K8 is $29.99 with free FedEx from NewEgg. SVC will charge $5 for UPS Ground. NewEgg has that Corsair PC3200 CL 2.5 for $85 with free shipping, and they also have the Mushkin for $79. And so on...

Last time I checked Newegg, they were charging shipping for the TT SB; I see they've changed it, so I edited my post.

I rate ZipZoomFly equal to or better than Newegg in most cases (only exceptions being that they don't have the selection in certain categories, but their prices are usually equal or better than Newegg). Newegg isn't the second coming of Christ, so $85 spent at ZZF vs. Newegg is of no matter.

I don't see a reason not to get the SATA version, unless you have a problem with hitting F6 during your Windows install. That being the only inconvenience.

Floppy? Okay, so the total went up $10.

 

[igloo15]

I like your setup but the problem i have is that the card you show the 6800gt is backordered I a worry that if I don't get the card before i have to leave for college around august 20th then i will be screwed. But i am seriously considering it though.

 

[jpeyton]

Yeah it says stock is expected July 26th.

 

[jpeyton]

Actually I edited my post with a different case recommendation, because the Inwin comes with a better PSU. If you get a 6800GT, I'd much rather have a 430W PSU vs. 350W that comes with the Antec.

 

[imported_chrisbtx]

I haven't heard much about the PSU that comes with Inwin cases. I know that the Antec ones are really good though. Be careful that if you are changing to that case just because the number of watts the psu says it's putting out, you're not ending up with something quite a bit less powerful than that.

 

[jpeyton]

InWin makes great cases and PSUs. They've been around for a while, trust me. Antec is good, but their cheapest case with 400W+ PSU was about $30 more.

 

[nick1985]

either get the 6800NU for that price, or just get the regular 9800pro 128. no sense in paying that much for the 256.

other than that...:thumbsup: