What kind of pc can I get for $400 ?

[Matt2]

Reuse everything you can!

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton
AMD X2 3600+ & ECS R485M-M $128

Alpine64 Heatsink/Fan $10

1GB DDR2 667 RAM $61

Radeon X1900GT $130

Inwin MATX Case & 350W PSU $50

Western Digital 80GB SATA $43

Lite-On 18X CD/DVD Burner $29

Total: $451 plus shipping/tax.

Wow!

I could use my current CD/DVD Burner and hard drive to drop the price even further!

If I did would that $72 be better spent on nothing or upgrading some of the other current components a little more?

Yes, I'd spend an extra $30 on a better case/PSU, like this one.

Thanks. Thats a pretty cool case but it doesn't have a slide out motherboard tray.

Do you think this pc would be a huge difference from my current pc and make all the difference in the world ?

Would I beable to play new games in at least 1024x768 with all details on high? Even FSAA and AF enabled at like xx and 16x?

Yes, the X1900GT is a really, really fast card.

You're not going to get a slide-out motherboard tray in your price range.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton
AMD X2 3600+ & ECS R485M-M $128

Alpine64 Heatsink/Fan $10

1GB DDR2 667 RAM $61

Radeon X1900GT $130

Inwin MATX Case & 350W PSU $50

Western Digital 80GB SATA $43

Lite-On 18X CD/DVD Burner $29

Total: $451 plus shipping/tax.

Wow!

I could use my current CD/DVD Burner and hard drive to drop the price even further!

If I did would that $72 be better spent on nothing or upgrading some of the other current components a little more?

Yes, I'd spend an extra $30 on a better case/PSU, like this one.

Thanks. Thats a pretty cool case but it doesn't have a slide out motherboard tray.

Do you think this pc would be a huge difference from my current pc and make all the difference in the world ?

Would I beable to play new games in at least 1024x768 with all details on high? Even FSAA and AF enabled at like xx and 16x?

Yes, the X1900GT is a really, really fast card.

You're not going to get a slide-out motherboard tray in your price range.

So even BF2 at 1024x768 maximum details 4x FSAA and 16x AF with 30 fps or more in high action scenes as well as in outside worlds of some pretty power hungry games like ... I can't think of the name of it. I think you know which game I may be talking about though. Its very new and recent.

 

[jpeyton]

1024x768 isn't really going to tax an X1900GT, even with AA/AF on.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
1024x768 isn't really going to tax an X1900GT, even with AA/AF on.

Even with the very highest details, with shadows turned on to the highest, etc?

 

[secretanchitman]

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton
1024x768 isn't really going to tax an X1900GT, even with AA/AF on.

Even with the very highest details, with shadows turned on to the highest, etc?

yep. my 7900GT plays bf2 at 1920x1080 with everything cranked, 4xAA.

 

[cheesygoldfish]

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton
1024x768 isn't really going to tax an X1900GT, even with AA/AF on.

Even with the very highest details, with shadows turned on to the highest, etc?

Yup!

and imagine the possibilities with overclocking

the first guy who said that $400 is impossible is so stupid (no offense) when you think about it

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: cheesygoldfish

Originally posted by: pcslookout

Originally posted by: jpeyton
1024x768 isn't really going to tax an X1900GT, even with AA/AF on.

Even with the very highest details, with shadows turned on to the highest, etc?

Yup!

and imagine the possibilities with overclocking

the first guy who said that $400 is impossible is so stupid (no offense) when you think about it

$400 would only be impossible if you needed a monitor as well but for just the basic pc its not impossible!

I can't believe how much pc power you can get now a days for just $400 :Q

Its unbelievable!

 

[kalrith]

I would recommend this case for $40 shipped and FAR. Then, I would get one of these power supplies: around $54 shipped or around $41 shipped. I would stick with everything else that jpeyton recommended.

 

[piasabird]

Asus has a MATX Motherboard based on I865 Chipset like a P4D Socket 775 for around $70.00. Might find an Intel MB around $55.00. Then you can get a P4 or Celeron Processor around 3 Gig for $50-$75. You can use old DDR400 and an AGP Video Card that you already have.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131029

Celeron D With 512k L2 Cache 64 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819112234

Pentium 4 Cedar Mill Core
Runs Cooler than old P4's 65nm process 64 bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116004

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: kalrith
I would recommend this case for $40 shipped and FAR. Then, I would get one of these power supplies: around $54 shipped or around $41 shipped. I would stick with everything else that jpeyton recommended.

Good advise there.

Also, the X1900GT or the 7900GT have both been recomended by others in this thread before me. Both of them are excellent "bang for the buck" cards. I spent over $250 for an X1800xt (about a year ago) and it's honestly very close to the same speed as the X1900GT. I would go with an X1900GT before a 7900GT, but they are both great cards.




The 3600+ X2 CPU is a good CPU, it may be stressed by SOME modern single core games, however, for the most part, it should handle very nicely. If you go with a case that's free after rebate ... I would consider uping to an AMD X2 3800+ or X2 4000+ depending on budget allowance.

 

[KayKay]

jpeyton makes good setups, listen to him.

if your budget allows, get a better PSU