Help with a pc build on the cheap?

[Topshelf]

Hey guys, I'm sure this gets asked all the time, but I'm having a very tough time trying to put together something for my bud. He wants to upgrade from his P3-600/voodoo 3 machine to something that can occasionally play current games for get this...$200! I know, almost impossible, and ofcourse we're not talking about playing these games at 1280/full detail here. And to put that into even more perspective, the only game he's playing now is Counter Strike. So we're not talking hard core gamer here. So, with that said, I'm trying to locate 4 items for this $200 price tag. Mobo/cpu/ram/vid card. All other items will be reuesed for now. DX9 support would be important at this point I'm guessing, so I was thinking starting off with a 6600GT. I figure I can locate a used one for around $100, which puts me into a tight budget for the rest of the system. I was hoping to use a 754 setup, but I don't think it's possible to find all 3 items for $100. So then I thought maybe I'll just grab an older 462 combo like an XP1800/mobo/PC2100. Should be able to find that setup in the for sale section, but is that enough power to run any current games? I also had a GeForce 6100/410 mobo/Sempron 2600+/512 PC2700 from newegg in mind, but then there's no way the graphics will be good enough, although the system would be atleast more current than a 462 setup. Ughh, at this point I'm just tired of looking for deals for him. SO does anyone have any recommendations on a decnt package for $200 that will "play" a current game acceptably?

 

[twitchee2]

you dont need a 6600gt for cs 1.6, i believe thats the which game he plays, i know it is playable on 32mb integrated graphics wiht a res of 800x600...i know this because i had to deal with it for 3 years.... you could get a fx5200 or ati 92XX and it would be very playable. those cards are ~$50 new so that leaves you ~$150 for the rest of the system. hope that helps

 

[Quiksilver]

Couldn't you salavage parts from hsi current system? liek the RAM an possibly the CPU? possibly even the mobo?

as for video how about the FX5500?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130197

 

[Atheus]

Go for an overclocked socket-A setup with a reasonable vid card like the 6600GT or a 9800pro - socket A has been around for donkey's years and is very stable. If you went for A64 gear and a cheap vid card you would be bottenecked by the card before you even need the extra processing power.

 

[Quiksilver]

If you went for A64 gear and a cheap vid card you would be bottenecked by the card before you even need the extra processing power.


I don't think he really cares too much about that considering the budget he was given...

 

[Topshelf]

His current system is a BX mobo with a Pentium 3 600Mhz and PC100 ram. Nothing in there is good at this point. And I understand he can play CS with the onboard 6100 video. But I think he wants to try out some of the newer stuff which is why I thought the 6600GT would be good. Does anyone have a link to a video card test using newer games? Maybe that way I can get a better idea of where to go.

Is something like an XP220, 512 PC2700 and an ATI 9200 128 able to play any of todays games?

 

[Topshelf]

OK, so what's the fastest socket A setup? I've been out of this for awhile, and the AMD naming system is maybe the most confusing thing ever. I've been trying to figure it out, but why didn't they just use new names or numbers or something?

And thanks for the help guys. I'd really like to finish this up soon.

 

[Topshelf]

Guys, is the 6600GT just complete overkill for a setup like an XP2200+? No point in spending $100 on a vid card if the cpu can't even come close to powering it.

 

[Akhen]

you know
ive seen some people sell their older rigs in
the sale section of anandtech and quite fankly ive seen
some decent setup for cheap.
doesnt hurt to take a look

 

[pkrush]

The 6100 onboard is much faster than a 9200 and about equivalent to a Radeon 9600, and you can definitely play Doom 3 on medium @ 800x600 on it. You'll probably need a new power supply no matter what you're going to put in there.

 

[Topshelf]

Been all over the for sale forum. If it wasn't for his price tag, I could have hooked him up several times.

Would I be better off going with a socket-A/XP1800-2200 and a 660GT? Or a Biostar 6100 with a Sempron 2600+ 64? Just how good/bad is that onboard vid? If I take the second route, he could always pop a better vid card in at a later date...no?

I'm so confused.

 

[Bonesdad]

I really don't know how much you are going to acheive for $200, upgrading a system like that. I'd advise he save more $$, then get a new mobo with IGP (the biostar T6100 for ex), new memory (1x512 MB is a start) and a new CPU (he can go A64 or XP - I'd recommend the A64).


Biostar board sells for about $78.


Corsair Value Ram 512 MB stick goes for $40


AMD 3200+ Venice core goes for $173.


he will also likely need this:

Fortron PSU for about $40.

Total upgrade: about $350 (newegg prices - assuming he doesn't need new OS too?)


he can reuse the case, CD Drive, HDD etc until he saves enough $$ to do those things and buy a PCIe video card. Alternatively, he can go cheaper by getting a Socket A Sempron setup, but he will be back in the same boat VERY soon.

In short, SAVE MORE MONEY, or borrow some from someone. Heck, he can buy an emachine for not much more than $200.

 

[Pathogen03]

Get a Radeon 9600 XT for $60 shipped on the forums, ive never had a problem running a game on it, everything from FEAR, Doom, Civ IV....

Albeit not on the best settings, but certainly not the worst.


Also, you can find an Athlon 2800/Mobo combo on Pricewatch for $115 shipped fairly easily, like here: http://www.ascendtech.us/customkititems.asp?kc=DTMBM863GW2800M

That leaves you $25 for ram, which I admit is a bit short, but if you can squeeze it out to $40-$50 you can probably get PC3200 value ram used on the forums as 2x256mb..


and that right there is a very respectable gaming rig. for DIRT cheap.


edit: on a side note, the board has onboard video... He can at least use it temporarily until he scrounges up a few more bucks?

 

[pkrush]

Here's the Anandtech review of the Geforce 6100 chipset. Link
You can see that it gets decent framerates in some newer games, plus has more upgradability than a Socket A system, but you should really just tell him to save more money for an upgrade.
Edit: Looking at that Motherboard/CPU Combo that Pathogen posted, I wouldn't advise buying it since it's not from a reputable online store and the motherboard's made by PC Chips (worst brand ever).

 

[Pathogen03]

check the stores ratings on various sites, they are pretty damn good.

Second, I vote ECS is worse than PC chips.

 

[Bonesdad]

Originally posted by: Pathogen03
check the stores ratings on various sites, they are pretty damn good.

Second, I vote ECS is worse than PC chips.

Never in life!!!

 

[Topshelf]

What do you guys think of this? It would put me $20 over my limit, but he'll deal with it. I think this would put him into a somewhat current pc for everyday usage, and still allow relatively moderate gaming. Down the road he could always pop in a better vid card if he really wanted better gaming too. Good idea? I know some people don't like ECS, but I've put a few systems together with them and have had good luck so far.

ECS 755-A2 v1.0 Socket 754 mobo
AMD Sempron 64 2500+
512MB PC3200
ATI 9700 Pro

Thoughts????

 

[Bonesdad]

power supply?? I bet his current won't run this proposed rig...got specs on it?

 

[Topshelf]

No specs on it. I called him and asked him to tell me the info a few days ago, but you know how that goes. But other than that, anything that seems like a bad idea there? Oh, and should I go with the 2500+ or 2600+ Sempron? I thought the 2500 with the 256 cache was a better choice. Other than the 9700, all the other parts are also brand new retail, which seems like a good idea since it's not for me personally. I had a few other offers, most of them being XP1800-2200 socket A setups for about the exact same cost. The 754 Sempron is definitely a better choice, isn't it?

 

[Bonesdad]

if you go that route stick with a Sempron. No chance of waiting till he has 2x the cash, eh?

 

[Reapsy01]

I have been looking into this recently for a friend in a similar situation. What I've come up with so far is this. I only have prices for uk so I'll leave them out.

Asus K8U-X AMD Skt754 ULI
AMD Sempron 3000+
Geil Value 1Gb PC3200
Leadtek WinFast GeForce 6600 256MB DDR2

For the cash I think that is hard to beat but I don't think you could get it all new for $200. It came to £226.

 

[Topshelf]

No chance at all. I already had to convince him to up it from $150 to $200. I think this should be a decent package though. Hell, if he's still running a P3-600, this should be a rocket ship! lol

Yeah, that's a nice setup too, but it's not possible for $200. The 6600 alone eats up half the price. Well, I've spent way too many hours trying to figure this out, so I think we have a winner. Thanks for all the help guys. Mucho appreciated!