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Need to stay under budget gamer

EQTitan

EQTitan

Diamond Member
First let me start off by saying I do have some parts 1x 120gb PATA, 1x100gb SATA, mouse, keyboard.

I'd like to go with a AMD rig but If i can find a good Deal with Intel so be it. This will be for my wife, and she will be playing World of Warcraft with me. We'd like a decent cpu/board combo, 256mb pci-e video card, at least 1gb of memory, and a 19" LCD. Hoping maybe someone on here has a rig for sale....

This what I have thus far edit it how you would do it.....

Case-
PSU-
Motherboard- Asus M2N-SLi Delux
CPU- AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+(65W)
Memory- CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) PC2 6400
Video-
DVDRW-
Sound-
Ethernet-
LCD- Hanns·G HW-191DPB Black 19" 5ms
 
At that budget do you want to go SLI? You're already at over $550 w/o an OS. I think you should look into a Dell deal with the ability to add a video card (and you can add an x1950 or something decent). Maybe check out Craiglist for a monitor, you can pick up a reasonable used one much cheaper than new. From a build standpoint, looking at just gaming you can be as effective single-core, but there are a lot of things that make dual core better like HD capabilities. But for gaming and net, I'd go with a faster single core. You can upgrade the CPU later when quad core comes to a decent price point.
 
Your LCD = $180

Case/PSU $50 AR

Biostar MB $105

e4300 $170

eVGA 7900 GS $145 AR

Samsung Burner $32

1GB Corsair $80

TOTAL = a bit over at $762

EDIT: Sorry, I was thinking the max was $750.
You'll probably have to go AM2 like you were thinking, but that motherboard is way overkill. Check these out and upgrade other areas...
Biostar
Asus

If a 7600GT will run what you need you can trim $55 off of the above total and come in at $707, but depending on your needs, that might not be enough graphics power.
Also, if you're not overclocking, you could get away with a 945P MB for $25 less than the P965.
 
Originally posted by: moosey
Your LCD = $180

Case/PSU $50 AR

Biostar MB $105

e4300 $170

eVGA 7900 GS $145 AR

Samsung Burner $32

1GB Corsair $80

TOTAL = a bit over at $762

EDIT: Sorry, I was thinking the max was $750.
You'll probably have to go AM2 like you were thinking, but that motherboard is way overkill. Check these out and upgrade other areas...
Biostar
Asus
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
This would PWN the AMD system, but if you must stay within your budget use the list above and change the CPU to the X2 3800+ and change the mobo to something like This


 
 
The one posted by bamacre looks very solid. I'm a heavy WoW player myself, and that's about what I would get for that money. 2GB of RAM is nice in cities or other places where you got lots of people on the screen at once (PVP/raids); I jsut upgraded to 2GB myself. You could get a single core CPU though, since WoW can only use one CPU anyway and a faster single core will get you more performance.
 
I agree and I think I will look into the single core cpu, but how is that ATI card I have not used an ATi card ever......
 
Originally posted by: Nickel020
The one posted by bamacre looks very solid. I'm a heavy WoW player myself, and that's about what I would get for that money. 2GB of RAM is nice in cities or other places where you got lots of people on the screen at once (PVP/raids); I jsut upgraded to 2GB myself. You could get a single core CPU though, since WoW can only use one CPU anyway and a faster single core will get you more performance.
Click to expand...
The Sonata II PSU might struggle with that video card.
 
I'd recommend getting the 89watt version of the X2 to leave overclocking headroom in the future, if you're not going to overclock then forget about it and get the lower watt version.
 
Originally posted by: EQTitan
So, can anyone here explain how to look at a PSU to determine if it will be strong enough?
Click to expand...
In short, make sure your power supply has 18Amps on each of the two 12V rails.

From the eVGA product page for the 7600 GS: "Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 18 Amps.)"

hope that helps a bit... I know it's confusing, and it's hard to keep your budget.

So if you can't afford a stronger PSU, then you might bot be able to support a x1950pro. But you might not need that much GPU power.

For reference, for WoW gaming I use the rig in my signature: Athlon x2 4400+, GeForce 6800GT, 2GB ram, running at 1600x1200 (1,920,000 pixels). It's very smooth at medium-high settings, even in 40-man MC. With that Hanns-G 19" LCD, you'd be running at 1440 x 900 (1,296,000), so to get similar performance you would need a video card that can push (1.296/1.92) about ~66% as many pixels. (this is a really rough estimate).

A 7600 GS fits the bill, and should require less overall power than a x1950pro, but it still needs a strong 18A 12V line. It's also about $70 cheaper than the x1950pro, so you could then afford a decent power supply.
 
Blah, what's with people and Newegg? Once you know, you don't always Newegg. At least for everything. I was in a similar situation as you, but I went a different route. I went with a Pentium D so I could upgrade to C2D when the price drop happens, but I don't know if you have plans on upgrading later. That being said, here's a reformed list. First, you want to take $180 out of the budget so you have a Desktop budget. You're left with $520.

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=BA23474
Mwave.com Biostar TForce 965PT $100.70

Then go to CPU Options and Memory Options and select the following:
Crucial 1GB DDR 667 $74
Core 2 Duo E4300 $172.38

That brings the total for motherboard/ram/CPU to $347.08

That leaves $172.92 for Video-card, DVD Burner, Case and PSU.

Now you can go back to Newegg, since you've milked other websites for better deals. (Mwave has a great reseller rating on resellerratings.com and pricegrabber.com, they're reputable and fast shippers)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130062
Newegg.com EVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E $109.99
http://www.svc.com/rc-534-kwn1.html
Cooler Master RC-534 $29.99
(You missed out on a great deal for a Cooler Master Centurion 5 with 380 watt PSU for $10 after rebate, but it's okay.)

This unfortunately leaves you with roughly $30 for a PSU and DVD burner. Not a very solid budget so I have a recommendation.

Back at www.mwave.com, change the processor to a Pentium D 820. This saves you $80 and trust me, the performance hit is NEGLIGIBLE in games. You'll still play WoW @ max settings 1440x 900 with all the details, and you can take the $80 and put it toward your budget to get a RELIABLE power supply.

Don't make a mistake and get a cheap power supply, you WILL regret it.
http://www.securemart.com/cgi-bin/futur...pFxu&mv_pc=150&mv_specials=&mv_stock=n
Corsair HX520 @ www.securemart.com for $91.85

Going that route (Biostar TForce 965PT, Pentium D 820 and Crucial 1GB DDR667 @ mwave.com, 7600GT EVGA @ Newegg.com, Cooler Master RC534 at svc.com and Corsair HX520 at securemart.com) you get great performance, great ram (The Crucial ram has a 50% chance of being Micron D9 DG chips which are the best DDR2 chips on the market right now) and the ability to upgrade.

The shipping is also really cheap too. All those sellers are great, and most of all, you get a great PSU so you don't have to worry about your parts busting on you. Also, don't get an ATI card. Always go with EVGA. EVGA has a Step-Up program that allows you to trade in your EVGA card before 90 days after you bought it. So if you buy it today, you can trade it in up to May 22nd or so and you'll get 100% of the trade in value of what you paid.

Totals
Biostar TForce 965PT
Crucial 1GB DDR2 667
Pentium D 820 All in a bundle @ www.mwave.com $266.20
EVGA 7600GT $109.99
Cooler Master RC534 $29.99
Corsair HX520 Power Supply $91.85
NEC OEM DVDRW Dual Layer $29.99
$528.02

Combine that with the $180 for your Hanns G monitor and you're at $708.02

Well worth it in my opinion.
 
Here's the best you can get for your money. You can keep dilly-dallying around, looking for more configs; chances are you'll just end up spending more later as sales end and items go out of stock.

I've built this exact same configuration multiple times over the last week, so I personally know everything works together correctly. The X2 3600+ is a 65nm Brisbane core, and it overclocks easily to 2.4GHz without any voltage increase; incredibly safe overclock. Don't go single-core; you're a mook if you do. The PSU is perfectly adequate. The memory is fast and stable. The LCD uses the exact same panel used in almost every budget 19" widescreen LCD on the market. The video card is plenty fast for WoW. The heatsink is silent and can easily handle mild overclocks. The motherboard is stable, allows overclocking, has built-in audio/LAN, and plenty of ports.

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+ CPU & Biostar TForce550 Motherboard $150

Arctic Cooling Alpine64 Heatsink/Fan $10

Super Talent 2GB DDR2 667 Memory $115

Antec Sonata II Case & 450W PSU $50

Sapphire Radeon X1950Pro Video Card $150

Lite-On 20X DVD/CD Burner $34

Norcent 19" Widescreen LCD $150

Total: $659 After Rebates/Coupons Before Shipping/Tax
 
Originally posted by: NamelessMC
Blah, what's with people and Newegg?
Click to expand...

He can search for better prices himself. I'm not comparison shopping for him. I use it as a reference since most people use it anyway.

Anyway, jpeyton is also right, just pick a config and go with it.
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Here's the best you can get for your money. You can keep dilly-dallying around, looking for more configs; chances are you'll just end up spending more later as sales end.

AMD Athlon 64 X 3600+ CPU & Biostar TForce550 Motherboard $150

Arctic Cooling Alpine64 Heatsink/Fan $10

Super Talent 2GB DDR2 667 Memory $115

Antec Sonata II Case & 450W PSU $50

Sapphire Radeon X1950Pro Video Card $150

Lite-On 20X DVD/CD Burner $34

Norcent 19" Widescreen LCD $150

Total: $659 After Rebates/Coupons Before Shipping/Tax
Click to expand...

This seems like a solid choice, managed to squeeze in 2 GB, a good vid card, modest psu, lcd and an aftermarket heatsink 😀 nice
 
Originally posted by: NamelessMC
Totals
Biostar TForce 965PT
Crucial 1GB DDR2 667
Pentium D 820 All in a bundle @ www.mwave.com $266.20
EVGA 7600GT $109.99
Cooler Master RC534 $29.99
Corsair HX520 Power Supply $91.85
NEC OEM DVDRW Dual Layer $29.99
$528.02

Combine that with the $180 for your Hanns G monitor and you're at $708.02
Click to expand...
You need to include shipping. On average, add $5 for each item for shipping. Monitor may be more unless it has a free shipping sale. The bundle at mwave was about $11 to ship to NY via ground, or $16 for fedex 3-day for $277-282 shipped. Similar setup at newegg (mobo, retail 820 processor, 1GB DDR2-667) was $286 shipped via UPS 3-day. For only a $4-9 difference, you should pick your favorite company (I personally like both mwave and newegg).

I'd strongly recommend getting 2GB ram up front. Prices have come down recently. With the expansion, WoW's new minimum recommendation is 512MB. But as long as you get a single 1GB stick now, you always can drop another in later.

That eVGA 7600GT has a $20 rebate at newegg.

I whole-heartedly agree with getting a solid power supply like the HX520. It'll last you through your next upgrade, as well, in case you decide to beef up the video card or add more hard drives or overclock in the future.
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
The PSU is perfectly adequate.

Antec Sonata II Case & 450W PSU $50

Sapphire Radeon X1950Pro Video Card $150
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call it perfectly adequate considering the high-powered video card. At best, it'll be just enough to get by. On his budget, though, it seems it'll have to do.

Another note... the x1950pro will be a tight fit in the Sonata II case. It will stick about 1-2 inches off the side of the motherboard when you include the power plug (they really should put the power plug on the top of the card). Compare the card (note how much more card there is after the PCIe connecter) to the board to get an idea.
 
Originally posted by: NamelessMC
Totals
Biostar TForce 965PT
Crucial 1GB DDR2 667
Pentium D 820 All in a bundle @ www.mwave.com $266.20
EVGA 7600GT $109.99
Cooler Master RC534 $29.99
Corsair HX520 Power Supply $91.85
NEC OEM DVDRW Dual Layer $29.99
$528.02

Combine that with the $180 for your Hanns G monitor and you're at $708.02

Well worth it in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Where to begin? Let's see, the guy needs a gaming rig for WoW.

Pentium D < Athlon 64 X2
1GB RAM < 2GB RAM
7600GT < X1950Pro

Well, you've managed to build an inferior gaming machine for more money. Congrats!
 
Originally posted by: crimson117
Originally posted by: jpeyton
The PSU is perfectly adequate.

Antec Sonata II Case & 450W PSU $50

Sapphire Radeon X1950Pro Video Card $150
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call it perfectly adequate considering the high-powered video card. At best, it'll be just enough to get by. On his budget, though, it seems it'll have to do.

Another note... the x1950pro will be a tight fit in the Sonata II case. It will stick about 1-2 inches off the side of the motherboard when you include the power plug (they really should put the power plug on the top of the card). Compare the card (note how much more card there is after the PCIe connecter) to the board to get an idea.
Click to expand...

Let me repeat: the PSU is perfectly adequate for that config.

Lets talk from experience. All the guys crying Chicken Little about Antec PSUs either A) Read other people's Chicken Little comments on a forum or B) Had one fail on them and condemned the entire company for it.

I build computers; many more than you guys do.

The PSU is solid. The X1950Pro will fit into a Sonata II without a problem. The card maybe longer than the motherboard, but the motherboard isn't even full ATX size (it only uses two rows of standoffs).
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Let me repeat: the PSU is perfectly adequate for that config.

Lets talk from experience. All the guys crying Chicken Little about Antec PSUs either A) Read other people's Chicken Little comments on a forum or B) Had one fail on them and condemned the entire company for it.

I build computers; many more than you guys do.

The PSU is solid. The X1950Pro will fit into a Sonata II without a problem. The card maybe longer than the motherboard, but the motherboard isn't even full ATX size (it only uses two rows of standoffs).
Click to expand...

The fact that you said a 450W included PSU is enough for that rig immediately makes everything ELSE that comes out of your mouth or gets typed on this thead as non-credible.

Many many, MANY people have had systems fail because of bad power supplies, and anyone suggesting you take the gamble with a PSU included with a case is just an idiot. Sorry, but it's just the facts.

Where to start:
My rig has the option of him upgrading to a Core 2 Duo. Your set up has him relying on the HOPES AND DREAMS that AM3 will A) Be backwards compatible with AM2 motherboards and B) Will perform on par or better than Core 2 Duos. No GAMBLES with my rig, it's 100% guaranteed to pass over to Core 2 Duo.

Second, your rig uses a 1950Pro and a hands-down crappy power supply at the expense to make the budget enough for a 1950 Pro. Ask anyone who's built a lot of computers, I guarantee someone who's built more computers than you will come here to shut you up about recommending low quality PSU's for a gamer. He said his girlfriend will be gaming, and most importantly, World of Warcraft which utilizes a lot of system resources if they're available.

Third, his budget was firm. I'd like to think that means he only has roughly $700 to spend right now. He can't tell his bank, "Hey, put another $150 in my bank account please so I can spend $850 on my PC instead of $700. I only have $700 to spend right now, but with the rebates you'll get your money back, asap!"

A concrete budget is just that, a concrete budget. I only ask him to compensate maybe $8 over budget initially, (since he didn't say it should include shipping) where-as you expect him to go nearly $100 over budget, use a CPU/MB combo which future is NOT guaranteed and use a crappy PSU.

I won't leave a subtle hint for you to read between the lines, I'll just be blunt:
You know nothing about Power Supply Units if you think a 450W included with a case is enough to handle a mid-range gaming rig that's expected to have heavy use.
 
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