My next portable gaming build

[ricepickerpro]

Hey guys, I'm starting to plan my next portable gaming build. Currently I've listed together these parts,

Apex TX-381 Black Steel Micro-ATX Mid Tower Case ($45)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811154071

Enhance ENP-5150GH 500-watt Power Supply ($56)
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php...b000d8a6718dbc2074d3d4

Gigabyte Intel G33 Micro ATX Motherboard ($110)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128060

Q6600 2.4ghz CPU ($280)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115017

A-Data 2GB DDR2-800 Ram X2($108)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820211066

Western Digital Caviar SE 160GB SATA hard drive ($50)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136075

XFX 8800GT 512mb 256-bit PCI Express x16 Video Card ($270)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814150252

Lite-On Black SATA DVD Burner ($33)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106070

Scyth PWM 90mm fan ($9)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835185048

Scyth PWM 120mm fan ($10)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835185049

Thermaltake 120mm Blue LED Smart Fan ($13)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811999122

Total = $984

Is there anyway I can make it cheaper without sacrificing much performance and changing the case?

Also, there there a part that's significantly better without much price increase?

Comments are also welcomed

Thanks!

 

[AmberClad]

Nope, everything looks pretty good to me. I don't really see many parts where you could save a significant amount of money by switching to something else. Good bang for the buck all around.

The one thing that you might want to shop around a bit for is the hard drive. I've seen 250GB drives going for around $60-$65, which is a bit better as far as GB/dollar.

And are you getting 2 of those A-Data kits? Because the price is listed as $53, not $108.

As far as everything else, you might be able to shave a buck off here and there by shopping around. ZipZoomFly has the Q6600 for $275.80 + free shipping, for example, and someone else might have it for even less.

EDIT: Oops, I see now that you are in fact getting two of the RAM kits, so that's fine, carry on .

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: ricepickerpro
Is there anyway I can make it cheaper without sacrificing much performance and changing the case?

Also, there there a part that's significantly better without much price increase?

What are the three fans for? You can increase performance of the rear fan by cutting out the case grill and using a finger guard, and a front fan is often not needed. What's that 120mm PWM fan for?

Video card is OOS everywhere, so good luck on it!

I second what AmberClad said about going with a larger HDD. In fact, go for the even more expensive Seagate 250GB... the one that's reported to have a single platter (it will be slimmer than normal drives). Those outperform any other small/cheap drive.

For cost cutting w/o losing very much performance, go with only 2GB RAM and a dual core CPU. I don't think the extra performance of the RAM and quadcore is worth 15% of your cost.

You are not eligible for that rebate on the PSU. Note that it is only available to those who buy a certain motherboard on the same receipt. Here's an alternative. If you can live with a 30 day warranty and a bit more noise and less efficiency than the Enhance, this unit can put out 39A combined on the +12v for a paltry $50.

 

[ricepickerpro]

Thanks for the replies!

@Amberclad: Yes I will look into another hard drive. I might even pick up the 400 gig one for the thanks giving sale at staples. And yes I'm getting two of the A-Data kits.

@Zap: The 90mm fan is for the rear, the PWM 120mm fan is for the heatsink I already have that takes 120mm fan, and the other 120mm fan is for the front. I would like to keep the fan configuration because I'd like to keep the computer semi-quiet. As for the 2gb ram and dual core CPU, I once considered to drop that, but it seemed like a big downgrade for about $150. And thanks for mentioning the rebate issue on the powersupply, i didn't see that! I will definitely look into the BFG one.

Does anyone else have any comments? Also does anyone own the case I listed? If so, how is it?

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: ricepickerpro
I'd like to keep the computer semi-quiet... I will definitely look into the BFG one.

Does anyone else have any comments? Also does anyone own the case I listed? If so, how is it?

If you want really quiet, then choose a known quiet PSU such as a Corsair or Seasonic. You'll have to pay more, though.

I personally don't see the dual core and 2GB as a downgrade, but it's your money. You can experiment though... after you use it for a while, remove 2GB RAM so you have only 2GB left and then use it as you normally would... just to see. Depending on what you are using the system for, you may see a drop in noticeable performance (measuring 1-2% difference doesn't matter - do YOU notice?), or you may not notice any difference whatsoever. Who knows?

The case is... meh... It is kind of cheap and flimsy, though it won't feel too flimsy after everything is securely screwed together. The PSU is crap, though you've already got that covered. You probably chose that case because it is smaller than ATX and it has a handle... which I wouldn't trust. A friend of mine used a regular ATX sized case with one of those plastic handles and one day it broke while he was carrying it to a LAN party, dropping his system onto concrete. I haven't used that exact case with the handle, but similar ones made by Apex (and Foxconn) with same chassis.

 

[OdiN]

If this is just for gaming, I don't think the quad core is the best solution for you.

A dual core should be good, and you can get them for almost $100 less:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...p?ProductCode=10005522

Higher initial MHz. If OC'ing, not sure the best one out there to get, but it would be cheaper than the Q6600 (which, FYI is 2.4GHz not 2.66GHz).

 

[ricepickerpro]

Actually this computer is going to be designed mainly for video editing/rendering and photoshoping, and then for gaming. And as for the case, I won't be carrying it around too much, maybe once a month at most.

 

[OdiN]

Okay...well nevermind then, the C2Q is just what you want for video editing providing that your video editing suite is able to take advantage of all 4 cores.

 

[ricepickerpro]

Oh snap, the HD Radeon 3870 looks VERY attractive at the price. Do you guys think I should drop the 8800gt from the list and pick up the 3870?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102713