Need < $500 Gaming PC

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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
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I looked at this thread and I grabbed some of the suggestions, but I need to know some more specifics. Here is what I have so far:

$99 for an X2 5400+
from Newegg

$37 after MIR for 2GB of Corsair XMS2 RAM
from Newegg

That's... it. The other selections didn't work for me for one or another reason. So here is what I need to buy (I'll pick out a cooler later):

Motherboard
- What is the best motherboard for AMD X2s now? I prefer Asus, but price is far more of a concern than brand for me. I just need something with built-in sound.

Graphics Card
- Unless ATI is just leaps and bounds ahead of nVidia, I want to go with nVidia. ATI burned me too much in the past. What I want is the best price/performance card out there. If that's $100, great. If that's $200, then I'll find somewhere else to make cuts.

Case/PSU (separate or combination)
- As long as they're decent cases, I absolutely couldn't care less. This is for a friend, and it doesn't need to be anything special.

He already has a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers, and I have a hard drive for him. So I need the case, psu, motherboard, and graphics card to add up to no more than $360, and cheaper is certainly better.

Thanks for your help in advance.

P.S. I COULD go with Intel, but I can't see any Intel chip for $100 giving me the performance that the 5400+ would. If I'm wrong, that's ok.
 
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stevf

Senior member
Jan 26, 2005
290
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any of the various cooler master centurions are very nice for the money - here is one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119104


This psu is often on sale - see if you can find it elsewhere or on sale with newegg in a few days
- http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371006

i think at the $100 price point ATI is currently better but here is one of each for around 100

ATI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102703

NVIDIA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814150229

haven't kept up with AMD mobo's lately so dont have a recommendation but the above leaves you over $100 for the mobo - maybe even room for a vid card in the $150 price range
 
AVP

AVP

Senior member
Jan 19, 2005
885
0
76
I would get this Case/PSU combo ~ 76
Processor ~76
Mobo ~76

That puts you at $228. I would then Stretch for This video Card ~166.

Total would be $394. You can overclock the Cpu from the mid 2 to 3ghz range and with the 3850 you will be able to play almost any game on high at 1280x1024. Either way, I would spring for the video card, it is the most important part in your system for gaming.



 
R

Roguestar

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
6,045
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I'm with AVP, get a low-end Intel and overclock it up to the 2.8GHz area. Then spend more money on the graphics card. Getting the 3850 should do you for 17" monitor resolutions, if you're gaming I wouldn't get anything lower than the 3850.
 
batuchka

batuchka

Member
Jan 7, 2008
93
0
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A

angry hampster

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2007
4,232
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www.lexaphoto.com
Originally posted by: batuchka
Yay my thread was of use to someone else :p Why not get an AM2+ 770 board?

Mobo: Biostar T770 = $77
http://www.ncixus.com/products...82/TA770A2%2B/BIOSTAR/
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/...s/content.php?S_ID=310
Gfx card: HD 3850 = $165
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814241066
PSU: Earthwatts 500w = $60!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371007
Casing: CM 5 = $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119077
Total = $347
Click to expand...

Jesus that's a nice price on that earthwatts after rebate. That just popped up over night..I was looking at them just yesterday :laugh:
 
Zap

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
2
81
Originally posted by: angry hampster
Originally posted by: batuchka
PSU: Earthwatts 500w = $60!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371007
Click to expand...

Jesus that's a nice price on that earthwatts after rebate. That just popped up over night..I was looking at them just yesterday :laugh:
Click to expand...

Why not get a case with the PSU for $5 more? I think there's a Hot Deals thread on the Sonata III case which comes with this PSU for $65 AR.
 
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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
1
0
OK, thanks for all the help. I've gotten this far:

CPU: AMD X2 5400+ for $99
RAM: 2GB Corsair XMS2 for $37
Video: XFX nVidia 8600GT XXX for $85
PSU: Earthwatts 500W for $60
Case: Cooler Master Elite 330 for $35
Cooler: Scythe Samurai Z for $22

So, all I need is a motherboard for the X2. Your suggestions seem ok, but what I really want to know is:

What is the best chipset for AMDs right now (if there is one)?
Do any of them have good built-in sound (don't care to buy an add-on board)?

Thanks for all your help so far.

Edit: I found a cooler, so if someone could just suggest a chipset or motherboard I'm set.
 
AVP

AVP

Senior member
Jan 19, 2005
885
0
76
Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: angry hampster
Originally posted by: batuchka
PSU: Earthwatts 500w = $60!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371007
Click to expand...

Jesus that's a nice price on that earthwatts after rebate. That just popped up over night..I was looking at them just yesterday :laugh:
Click to expand...

Why not get a case with the PSU for $5 more? I think there's a Hot Deals thread on the Sonata III case which comes with this PSU for $65 AR.
Click to expand...

Yeah that is what is linked in my post. Comes to ~76 after shipping. Go for this Ilmater.

And I would really consider going for a cheaper processor and motherboard and overclocking, in order to afford a 3850.

The X2 5400+ and 8600gt will be no match for an x2 4000, or e2160 (especially overclocked) with a hd 3850. You can get an X2 4000 at newegg for $60 and overclock it to over 2.5ghz with better cooling.

Also See these benchmarks here
 
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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
1
0
I understand the value behind an overclocked system, but in order to overclock, you really need to:

1) Have a case with good ventilation, which costs more, and is louder
2) Have a CPU cooler that costs more, and makes more noise
3) Make sure that his case is in a good place, not shoved into a small compartment

Those are all concessions I don't want to make, especially when it comes to noise. And let's be honest, how much of a difference do those things make? If I did all of that, would it really mean the difference between an incredibly fast computer and a slow one? The video card I picked is $85.. the cheapest on the ATI 3850 is twice that. I could get a cheaper processor than the $100 5400+, but I don't see how I can get a better cooler, cheaper processor, and that 3850 and fit all that in my budget.

Also, I chose to go with the separate case/PSU because I didn't like the ventilation in the Sonata 3. There is no side ventilation at all, and the front seems pretty well blocked.

EDIT 2: NOTHING IS PURCHASED YET! When I say I "have" it, I just mean I have it picked out.
 
AVP

AVP

Senior member
Jan 19, 2005
885
0
76
It seems that you are already going to be purchasing a better cooler, and if you buy something with a 120mm fan your concerns for noise should be relieved. And the Sonata 3 with a 120mm intake will keep your components cool enough, overclocked or not. Good luck!
 
S

soccerballtux

Lifer
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
Originally posted by: Ilmater
I understand the value behind an overclocked system, but in order to overclock, you really need to:

1) Have a case with good ventilation, which costs more, and is louder
2) Have a CPU cooler that costs more, and makes more noise
3) Make sure that his case is in a good place, not shoved into a small compartment

Those are all concessions I don't want to make, especially when it comes to noise. And let's be honest, how much of a difference do those things make? If I did all of that, would it really mean the difference between an incredibly fast computer and a slow one? The video card I picked is $85.. the cheapest on the ATI 3850 is twice that. I could get a cheaper processor than the $100 5400+, but I don't see how I can get a better cooler, cheaper processor, and that 3850 and fit all that in my budget.

Also, I chose to go with the separate case/PSU because I didn't like the ventilation in the Sonata 3. There is no side ventilation at all, and the front seems pretty well blocked.
Click to expand...

edit: Oh I see you've already purchased lots of stuff.

Ya none of those are true; if you just look around for deals you can find them. I spent $670 total on my rig and if it weren't for Galaxy cheaping us and hard wiring the 8800GT fan to 100%, my computer would be silent, even with 3 120MM fans in it. 120MM fans are QUIET. Get an e2140 in place of my e2180, and a Gigabyte or some other board someone here will probably recommend that only costs $90 and overclocks well; and you'll be at $620 after shipping. For cooler get a Thermalright Ultra 120 and stick one of the included case fans from the CM deal below onto it. This lets you overclock very nicely; see my sig-- 3.4Ghz on air.

Get one of the Coolermaster cases, I got my 690 for $35 after rebate; this deal is all over the place. It's got great ventilation and comes with 3 120MM fans you can use.
I got a Coolermaster PSU + 4GB ADATA Ram Combo for $130;

Spent $245 after shipping on my 8800GT; you could get one of the $210 512MB 3850's from newegg that has an aftermarket cooler on it that exhausts air out the back of the case. Overclock this to 3870 speeds (all 3850s will hit 3870 speeds). Now you've saved yourself another $20 from where I was at so now you're down to $600.

Just use whatever harddrive you're using now.

See its really all quite possible.
 
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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
1
0
To be clear, I HAVE NOT PURCHASED ANYTHING! I'm going to purchase it all tonight (because the deal on RAM is over after today), but I haven't bought it yet.

Oh my... I just saw this case:

Centurion 534

For $25 after MIR, this is a much better case, cooling-wise, than the one I had above.
 
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Ilmater

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2002
7,516
1
0
OK, after I added everything in, here is what I have:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 534 - $25
Mobo: MSI K9N Neo-F - $70
Video: XFX GeForce 8600 XXX 256MB - $92
Proc: Athlon 64 X2 5400+ - $100
Cooler: Scythe SCSMZ-1100 - $22
RAM: Corsair XMS2 2GB DDR2 800 - $37
PSU: Earthwatts 500W PSU - $60
Optical: Lite-On 20x DVD-R - $28
Multi-Reader: Super Talent All-in-one Card Reader - $8

Sub-Total: $442
+ Shipping: $25

Final with shipping: $467

I can't imagine I'd get much more system for the other $33.
 
batuchka

batuchka

Member
Jan 7, 2008
93
0
0
Ok i think i understand your reasons for not OCing but looking at your final choice i would just maybe get an AM2+ board under $100 like Asus M3A or Gigabyte DS3 because if i were you i'd stick with that processor you've chosen and in a couple of years just swap out for a phenom and possibly better memory without the need of getting a new mobo^^ If you are willing to get used cards then for USD100 you can get 256bit cards like x1950Pros and 7900GTs which could be an alternative to 8600 - hope u get the rig that best fits your needs :p
 
S

soccerballtux

Lifer
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
2
76
I really would dump that motherboard and processor and get a IP35-E and e2140/60/80 and overclock. The IP35-E is $60 right now at newegg.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...um-e2160_14.html#sect0
Scroll down and look at the table. So that means my CPU is basically neck and neck with a Core2Extreme X6800.
Now compare to your 5400+
http://www23.tomshardware.com/...4&model2=875&chart=424.
If you could get to 3.2Ghz on the 5400+ you might be ok; however you wouldn't have the ez upgrade to Penryn with a known high quality board that will hit 500FSB.
 
Zap

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
2
81
Originally posted by: Ilmater
I can't imagine I'd get much more system for the other $33.
Click to expand...

Since you're gaming and not overclocking, I would ditch the Scythe heatsink and go with a cheaper PSU (I hear the Earthwatts 430W is available for $30 after rebate from Frys.com right now) and then use the difference to get a faster video card. Heck, you can even get a 512MB Radeon 3850 for $160 after rebate with free shipping. That should be a really good performance upgrade from the 8600GT for gaming.
 
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