Self Build Gaming Machine

[Treebeard1]

I am hoping to self build my next PC and would be grateful for some advice. I currently run a P3 800 with 256 ram, 40mb HDD and a Radeon 7200. This is now showing its age and XP is certainly testing it.

I want the new machine to be primarily fast for gaming although I will need to do some work on digital pictures on it with Photoshop.

I am looking at upgrading the CPU to a P4 3.00, also the PSU, case, mobo, ram to 1gb and graphics card. I want to fit a new 40mb HDD and probably will keep the old one to use as a slave, as it is only a few months old. I?ll also keep the DVD Rom and CD writer from the old machine with a view to updating these at some point in the future.

I like the look of the Geforce 6800 but not sure my budget will run to this immediately but I would like to have the option to upgrade to it later. I understand it will need a pretty big PSU for it to operate. It might be that I could buy a cheaper card now and upgrade to the 6800 at some date in the future, I?m not sure. I have a budget of about 500 ukp excluding the video card.

Any advice on the components I need would be gratefully received.

 

[DaveSimmons]

With an ATI Radeon X800 Pro ($400 USD) you can probably use the stock 380w power supply in the great Antec Sonata case.

Also, for gaming an A64 3000+ is a better deal since it's as fast as a P4 3.2. I say this despite owning a P4 3.2C myself (, Sonata, Asus P4C800E, 1 GB, nV 5900nu, audigy 2zs, samsung 120 & 160.)

 

[Markfw]

Actually, for gaming an Athlon64 3000 is a little faster than a 3.2 P4, but point made. I would go that route. As for the video, I won't spend $500 for the extra performance, get a 9800 pro.

And what is 500 ukp in us $ approx ??

 

[0roo0roo]

get an athlon 64 of some sort and use the money saved for better stuff in other areas. no reason to waste money on intel for games esp.

 

[SilentZero]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Actually, for gaming an Athlon64 3000 is a little faster than a 3.2 P4, but point made. I would go that route. As for the video, I won't spend $500 for the extra performance, get a 9800 pro.

And what is 500 ukp in us $ approx ??

I agree on the vid card and CPU recommendations. An 9800 pro would be a nice budget saver in my opinion. If it were me though id go with a athlon 3200 or 3400.

 

[jdiddy]

wow how time flies were starting to talk about a 9800 pro as a budget card yikes.

 

[RS3RS]

Originally posted by: jdiddy
wow how time flies were starting to talk about a 9800 pro as a budget card yikes.

Yeah... When I bought my 9800 pro two weeks ago it was considered a top of the line gaming card... Now it's a buget card. I'm starting to feel the whole thing about your computer being outdated in two weeks really IS true.

 

[johnnnny5]

what's the deal with the 9600. I have an ALL-IN-WONDER 9600 and love it. However nobody ever seems to mention or recommend it.... why is that?

 

[johnnnny5]

btw - 9800 is a great card... but still not a budget card...

it's kinda like saying, "I need a car... but I'm on a budget." and then everyone chimes in with, "Mercedes..... BMW..... Corvette!"

maybe the price has come down everywhere except near me though? The prices everywhere I look are still $249-$299 and up. Or maybe I'm thinking of the XT.

 

[jdiddy]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Actually, for gaming an Athlon64 3000 is a little faster than a 3.2 P4, but point made. I would go that route. As for the video, I won't spend $500 for the extra performance, get a 9800 pro.

And what is 500 ukp in us $ approx ??

$896.88 Nice chunk of change for some upgrades.