My next upgrade situation - Help!

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Case: Chieftec AX-01SLD U2F 0W
$65 @ Newegg
PSU: Antec P4 ATX12V
$47 @ Newegg
Fans: 2 Blue Quad LED Fan
$3.25x2= $6.50 @ www.svc.com
Video Card: Either Radeon 9500 Pro or 9700 Non-Pro
$177 or $230 depending on price drops
Motherboard: Intel 875P or similar
N/A
CPU: P4 2.4C GHz
Around $170 or $180
RAM: 2x 256mb Corsair PC3200
$66x2=$122

Rough Estimate: $587.50 without motherboard

I already have 2x 20gig drives which I will use in a Raid 0 configuration and back them up on a seperate 60 gig drive. My question is, how can I reduce the cost? My dad is paying for this and so he doesn't want it too high. The part that is really driving the cost is the RAM. I will need PC3200 DDR Ram to accompany the 800mhz FSB. The price seemed fine to him until I got to the RAM. I was going to get to how the $40 256mb sticks of PC3200 has a high latency and aren't from a brand like Corsair or Kingston or something along those lines, but before I said that about the $40 sticks, he said we'll just get one then. Now, I know games won't run that smooth with 256mb and will probably benefit a lot with 512mb ram especially for BF 1942. Where else can I cut costs?

I will want to have a HT and 800mhz FSB cpu and m y case needs to have a window, front USB ports, and the PSU needs to be from a name brand like Enermax or Antec. The fans really don't matter since they are cheap. The video card needs to be atleast a 9500 Pro or 9700 non pro.

Do you think I should just get DDR 333mhz RAM or something? PC3200 is stretching the costs a bit but I still want some nice performance out of this thing so I can play UT2K3 and BF1942 with atleast 2xAA if not 4xAA and atleast 8xAF or 16xAF with decent frame rates.

 

[nick1985]

your spending 112 dollars for a case and psu when you could just get a stand alone antec case w/psu for cheaper

i fail to see the logic

 

[Jeff7181]

Well... you ask where you can cut costs, then you say you need a window in the side of the case. You need to think about what kinda things are more important to you, a window in the case, or 256 MB of RAM vs. 512 MB.

Like nick said... buy a case and power supply together, it'll be cheaper.

You really haven't provided much information for us to help you cut costs... if you want "future proof" componants, you're gonna pay for it, and that's exactly what it sounds like you're looking for. While the 875 mobo may be a smart choice as it would accomodate future CPU upgrades, the 2.4C processor probably isn't gonna make use of an 800 mhz FSB anyway. So there's one place you can cut costs, go with a 2.4 Gh 533 Mhz bus processor and PC2700 RAM. PC3200 RAM is still very new, thus very expensive.

If you want the best of the best you're gonna pay out the butt... the trick is to stay just behind the curve.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Well... you ask where you can cut costs, then you say you need a window in the side of the case. You need to think about what kinda things are more important to you, a window in the case, or 256 MB of RAM vs. 512 MB.

Like nick said... buy a case and power supply together, it'll be cheaper.

You really haven't provided much information for us to help you cut costs... if you want "future proof" componants, you're gonna pay for it, and that's exactly what it sounds like you're looking for. While the 875 mobo may be a smart choice as it would accomodate future CPU upgrades, the 2.4C processor probably isn't gonna make use of an 800 mhz FSB anyway. So there's one place you can cut costs, go with a 2.4 Gh 533 Mhz bus processor and PC2700 RAM. PC3200 RAM is still very new, thus very expensive.

If you want the best of the best you're gonna pay out the butt... the trick is to stay just behind the curve.

What do you mean the 2.4C ghz cpu won't make use of an 800mhz FSB? It s on the Intel roadmaps and having a higher FSB can allow better overclocking since the FSB is locked on Intel Cpus.

 

[MikeMike]

you will be hard stretched to find any combo that will run those games with the settings you just described!