Game/HTPC on a budget

[pwdbyhonda]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for: This will be hooked up to a plasma TV for gaming and HTPC. I would love to get a video card that has the HDMI interface. I am also contemplating on getting a hi-definition video camera and understand that playing back and editing HDV or avchd requires some serious processing muscle.

2. What YOUR budget is: $350

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from: USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference: I haven't been keeping up enough these days to be a fan of anything.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are: I have a brand new ATX case. I don't know if it comes with a PSU, but I would probably trash the PSU anyway.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads: No

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds: Default speeds

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Today

9: Other considerations: I don't need cutting edge technology. As long as I can build something that will play the latest games for the next 2 years at medium quality through HDMI.


Is this completely out of the question on my budget?

 

[pwdbyhonda]

Here is my own thinking, but would love feedback:

AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model HDX710WFGIBOX - Retail
BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX 128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Combo
$189.99 (I think there is also a $10 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.165023

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS 500W ATX12V / EPS12V Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
$29.99 after $25 mail-in-rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817341012

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
$36.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231207

SAPPHIRE 100248L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$49.99 after $10 mail-in-rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102794

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148262

Total is about $352


The 3850 looks like it has a DVI to HDMI adapter. Is there any difference between DVI-HDMI and native HDMI? Is there a native HDMI card that would be better? And is the 3850 a good choice?

 

[blackrain]

A lot of the deals are dead now

 

[Blain]

* Where is your TV tuner card?
* Will these parts be in a case?
* A 250GB HD is small for a HTPC.

 

[pwdbyhonda]

Originally posted by: Blain
* Where is your TV tuner card?
* Will these parts be in a case?
* A 250GB HD is small for a HTPC.

I am not really interested in adding a TV tuner card at this point. I mentioned above that I have a case already. I guess I should have jumped on those deals. That psu seems like a great deal but I didn't know anything about OCZ power supplies.


How does this look?

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane 2.6GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Model ADH5050DOBOX - Retail

BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX 128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.178910
$139.98

The total would come to about $332



I may hold off now and wait for another combo deal on the phenom. is it worth waiting around? Or should I try to squeeze out a better video card (for $20 more) with the athlon 64 since I am at $332?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: pwdbyhonda
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads: No

Just curious why you wouldn't read other threads on the subject, instead posting a new thread?

 

[pwdbyhonda]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: pwdbyhonda
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads: No

Just curious why you wouldn't read other threads on the subject, instead posting a new thread?

Prices and budgets vary too much. By the way, I plan on adding a second bigger hard drive later. For now, 250GB should be plenty.

 

[pwdbyhonda]

By the way, what would be the next step up from a Radeon 3850?

I am also reading that AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane isn't right for gaming.

 

[zerogear]

Read OTHER THREADS. Most of your questions have already been addressed in other HTPC threads.

 

[ther00kie16]

Originally posted by: pwdbyhonda
By the way, what would be the next step up from a Radeon 3850?

I am also reading that AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane isn't right for gaming.

4830 for $75 after rebate at newegg
also corsair 400w psu for $30 after rebate right now should be good for you.
for cpu, maybe check ebay or craigslist for people dumping kuma x2 7750 as a lot of people who got in on the hd + free cpu deal not long ago don't really want it. One guy in my local craigslist is selling them for $40. I see a lot of auctions and also buy it now for $50.
You could try Intel e5200 + g31 board for ~$100. Or set up an AMD system with an nvidia 8200 board and use hybrid power with a 9800 gpu. That way, the dedicated gpu is only used during intense gaming as the integrated gpu can support HTPC duties and everything else.

 

[pwdbyhonda]

Originally posted by: ther00kie16

Originally posted by: pwdbyhonda
By the way, what would be the next step up from a Radeon 3850?

I am also reading that AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane isn't right for gaming.

4830 for $75 after rebate at newegg
also corsair 400w psu for $30 after rebate right now should be good for you.
for cpu, maybe check ebay or craigslist for people dumping kuma x2 7750 as a lot of people who got in on the hd + free cpu deal not long ago don't really want it. One guy in my local craigslist is selling them for $40. I see a lot of auctions and also buy it now for $50.
You could try Intel e5200 + g31 board for ~$100. Or set up an AMD system with an nvidia 8200 board and use hybrid power with a 9800 gpu. That way, the dedicated gpu is only used during intense gaming as the integrated gpu can support HTPC duties and everything else.

I haven't priced all of these suggested arrangements yet, but the BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX 128M + the Kuma X2 7750 would be roughly $150. If I hold out for another Newegg combo deal on the Phenom II X3 for about $180-$190, which combo is the better bang for the buck? It feels like I should hold out for another Phenom deal.

I am convinced about paying the extra $15 for a Radeon 4830. All my life, I have had Nvidia. But Nvidia doesn't seem to be competitive enough.

 

[blackrain]

Go with the 4830

 

[pwdbyhonda]

After quite a bit of research, my decision seems to come back to the Phenom II X3 because of my budget and the possibility that I am going to be getting an HD (hi-def) camcorder. The E5200 isn't even close to competitive. The main difference between the Kuma and Phenom seems to be the number of cores. For an extra $30 (if I can get in on another combo deal), I will probably go with the Phenom II X3, but I am on the fence. The Kuma does give me an opportunity to get a better video card on my budget. I am convinced that I should go with at least a 4830. But the extra core on the Phenom will probably be better for playback and editing of HD content from a camcorder and seems to also win over the Kuma in games. I looked at the following 2 sets of benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...howdoc.aspx?i=3512&p=8

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...howdoc.aspx?i=3512&p=5


One other alternative seems to be a much more expensive E8400. It loses out mainly because I am on a budget.



Here are the sources I relied on:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2290702&enterthread=y

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2289167&enterthread=y

http://www.tomshardware.com/fo...259199-28-phenom-e8400

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3533&p=9

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...owdoc.aspx?i=3512&p=12

http://www.tomshardware.com/fo...-7750-3870-phenom-4830

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=461408



By the way, in the Phenom Buyers Guide, Anandtech recommends ASRock A780GXE, which puts things in my budget right now without having to wait on another combo deal for th Biostar/Phenom combo.

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=3521&p=2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813157139

So now I am also on the fence about the mobo to get. It sounds like unlocking the 4th core is a lot easier with the Biostar board.

 

[richierich1212]

Wait for a combo deal with the Biostar mobo + Phenom II.