extreme budget PC -- with a twist

[v8envy]

So piecing together a low end box for HTPC duties (mostly transcoding, HD playback) I ran across this little 'gem in the rough' as Taltamir might say.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819105016

Yup, an AM2 dual Opty for 85 bucks shipped. So that got me thinking. Slap it on a $82 Biostar 770 chipset board (the stories of the $100 MSI board bursting into flames got me nervous), whatever ram is cheapest this week and crank it up to about 2.8 ghz.

I could even try gaming on it for a bit, and if quad phenoms ever get fast and bug free, give that a spin.

I've got a spare decomissioned Koolance case to bolt it in, I'd just need to get a waterblock. My current one is for a socket A system *blush*. I hear stock opty coolers aren't complete poo either.

Thoughts? Opinions?

 

[XBoxLPU]

With Core2Duos in the same price range, no

2140 - $74.99
2160 - $83.99
2180 - $88.99

With a Gigabyte DSL3 board for $89

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: v8envy
this little 'gem in the rough' as Taltamir might say.

:laugh:

 

[v8envy]

Ewiz still has the Allendale CPUs for under $70, including the 2160. Le sigh. Too bad I missed the brief re-appearance of the P35-E on the 'egg -- just in time for my HTPC to give up the ghost.

Always good to get a second opinion. Hey Intel, have some more of my money this week.