Need cheap gaming rig

[snyderrich]

Sorry to use someone elses post, but I too am doing a build and need some thoughts...I have $500 to spend and here's what I've chosen so far........................PSU: Antec EA650......RAM: Kingston 2x2Gb 1066MHz.......CPU:AMD Phenom 2X3 tricore(heard it had good overclocking results)I believe its a black edition 770?......Mobo: ECS Black GF8200A......Video Card: HIS Radeon 4850 1Gb 256Mb Q cooler included(also heard of this card being overclocked with success.........Well fella's what do you think and can I improve this with the same budget? Oh btw...Price total from Newegg.com like $450... Thanx in advance...............PS I already have the dvd, hd, and case. Only need PSU, RAM, Mobo, CPU. Thanx again.

 

[BroBQ]

How about something like this ...

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5206/68533547.png

 

[AltecV1]

need cheap gameing rig? then consoles are the way to go! just kiding consoles are crap

 

[snyderrich]

Will this setup perform better

How about something like this ...

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5206/68533547.png

Will that mobo perform better? oh and I already have the dvdburner and hd covered.

 

[snyderrich]

need cheap gameing rig? then consoles are the way to go! just kiding consoles are crap

not irritating just funny consoles dont have near the possibilities of a pc. would it have been believable in live free or die hard that the villian took over all computer controlled things with a ps3.....hehehehe!...oops btw you have a comment on my projected build? any comments good or bad are welcome.

 

[snyderrich]

Will my old hd and dvd work or will i need an adapter? both are E-IDE

How about something like this ...

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5206/68533547.png

 

[Zoelef]

I already have the dvd, hd, and case....$500...only need PSU, RAM, Mobo, CPU.

In that case, you'd also need a video card. Let's see...

Newegg:
$170 - Corsair 750W PSU + GA-Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P DDR3 AM3 Motherboard
$120 - AMD Phenom II X3 720 CPU
$77 - Mushkin 4GB DDR3-1333 CAS7 RAM

SuperBiiz:
$125 - Sapphire Radeon 4870 512MB with code AWESOME10 at checkout. [$10 MIR] [free s/h]. Their free ground shipping will take 3-6 business days if you're on the east coast.

Subtotal: $492

The Power supply is a bit overkill but fits snugly with your wants and budget. You may be interested in the Phenom II X2 550, which has a higher clock speed but one less core, but I chose the X3 720 since one can always OC to 3.1GHz if desired, but extra cores are left to chance. Speaking of which, the MA770T should allow you to unlock a 4th core if it exists. Meanwhile, the RAM was chosen due to the motherboard preferring DDR3-1333 as well as its low latency. Finally, the HD4870 takes advantage of a one-shot $10 discount and is the cheapest way to get a retail version I know of.

 

[aj28]

Most boards will have a single IDE port, but be aware that in the vast majority of cases, that will be run through a JMicron controller, which could impede performance. A small Western Digital Blue (or Black, if you want to invest) HDD would be a worthy upgrade, however I wouldn't worry about the ODD.

You can save a few bucks dropping the X3 for a Phenom X2 550, which will produce a bit less heat and should overclock better. Both will offer comparable gaming performance, so unless you're a benchmark jock, I wouldn't sweat the loss of that third core.

DDR2 vs. DDR3 is something you need to decide on your own before taking any recommendations, imo. Personally I'd take an 8GB kit of DDR2 over a comparably priced 4GB kit of DDR3, or better yet, save the $40 difference and drop it on a better video card. You lose on upgradability, but you save in the long run.

Ideally, based on market conditions right now, I'd look into a 4GB DDR2/760G/X2 550/HD4830 setup with a mid-grade 80 Plus PSU, pocket the extra $150-200, and spend it a year or two from now when you've actually got something to spend it on. DDR3, X3, and a 4870 would be money down the drain. Sure you can get a decent setup with all that for under $500, but you'll have a sick feeling in your stomach in a few months when DDR3 prices plummet and the HD5 series arrives.

Now is still a great time to build, but it's a time where you have to be very careful in asking yourself whether the fast-receding bleeding edge is worth chasing. That last 10-20% of performance is always the most expensive, so spend wisely.

 

[Zoelef]

Ideally, based on market conditions right now, I'd look into a 4GB DDR2/760G/X2 550/HD4830 setup with a mid-grade 80 Plus PSU, pocket the extra $150-200, and spend it a year or two from now when you've actually got something to spend it on. DDR3, X3, and a 4870 would be money down the drain. Sure you can get a decent setup with all that for under $500, but you'll have a sick feeling in your stomach in a few months when DDR3 prices plummet and the HD5 series arrives.

Now is still a great time to build, but it's a time where you have to be very careful in asking yourself whether the fast-receding bleeding edge is worth chasing. That last 10-20% of performance is always the most expensive, so spend wisely.

Newegg:
$140 - Gigabyte MA770T-UD3P + OCZ ModXStream 600W PSU
$65 - Athlon II X2 245
$58 - 4GB Crucial DDR3-1333 CAS 9

SuperBiiz:
$84 - Powercolor HD 4850 w/code AWESOME10; ground s/h will be ~$10 and slow, though.

Subtotal: $347

According to Gigabyte, the GA-MA770T-UD3P supports the X2 245, so I'm sticking with it in spite of its DDR3 requirements, which can be circumvented monetarily by settling with a higher latency.

The OCZ Power supply gives you wiggle room for upgrades later while being significantly cheaper than the Corsair 750W.

The most recent TPU video card review shows us that when not bound by the CPU, an HD4870 512MB performs 20-25% better than an HD4850 512MB. aj28 is right in that it's not necessary to take a powerful GPU at this point; the 4850 is fine for now. I would consider a 4830, but astonishingly they're not cheaper than the 4850's I ran into.

 

[snyderrich]

Thanks to Zoelef and aj28 for the info! like i said I'm still shopping around. This will be the fifth time i've changed my mind! Hehehehe.. worse than a woman I guess.. but I do believe that when I order, around middle of Aug. that I will have been swerved in the right direction listening to people that are in the know. If you all have any better suggestions let em fly all will be considered. THANX AGAIN

 

[snyderrich]

changed a few things....any feedback????Thanx...I just got done w/ some virtual shopping and came up with this....PSU: same...Cpu:same...Mobo: Gigabyte GA-MA790x-ud4p AM3/am2+/am2 amd790x atx amd motherboard..........Vidcard:Visiontek 900244 Radeon 4870 512mb 256bit gddr5 pcie 2.0x16 xfire ready......price went up to $503

 

[BraveSoul]

sounds good..is that tri core cpu? how about get cheap dual core for now, and when soon to be released AM3 3.4ghz phenom II 965 quad's price goes way down, upgrade.(birthday present?) Also an idea,, New generation of Ati cards is coming october or something, can wait a little? How about crossfire possibility for the future? preferable two x16 slots for that. board with that is like $170

 

[BraveSoul]

Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz 65.00$ (good for now?)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790FX-UD5P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX 170.00$ great for future upgrade. 3.4 ghz quad core and second video card for example. Dual bios makes bios update safer.
4gb 1066 dd2 cas5 has to be enough
dont forget to get better power supply if you plan to crossfire in future
its true, this is a great time to buy a rig,, so much choice
i still think you should wait for new video cards to come out

 

[snyderrich]

Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz 65.00$ (good for now?)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790FX-UD5P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX 170.00$ great for future upgrade. 3.4 ghz quad core and second video card for example. Dual bios makes bios update safer.
4gb 1066 dd2 cas5 has to be enough
dont forget to get better power supply if you plan to crossfire in future
its true, this is a great time to buy a rig,, so much choice
i still think you should wait for new video cards to come out

Thanx man... I think I'll stick with the gigabyte mobo, but will go with amd dual core for now then maybe go up next year. May go with a 4850 vidcard for noe then xfire later. I sorta wanna do this build in mid Aug, but, Im presently stuck with a (big laugh) Dimension 3000 intel pent 4 .....really junky with the integrared video and absolutely no really usable parts

 

[suraswami]

Sorry to use someone elses post, but I too am doing a build and need some thoughts...I have $500 to spend and here's what I've chosen so far........................PSU: Antec EA650......RAM: Kingston 2x2Gb 1066MHz.......CPU:AMD Phenom 2X3 tricore(heard it had good overclocking results)I believe its a black edition 770?......Mobo: ECS Black GF8200A......Video Card: HIS Radeon 4850 1Gb 256Mb Q cooler included(also heard of this card being overclocked with success.........Well fella's what do you think and can I improve this with the same budget? Oh btw...Price total from Newegg.com like $450... Thanx in advance...............PS I already have the dvd, hd, and case. Only need PSU, RAM, Mobo, CPU. Thanx again.

If you are willing to spend that much then I would suggest this combo that I was looking at this afternoon.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211665

I personally have that ECS board and it is one of the most stable board you will ever find in this planet. period.

Not the best clocker but for the money it will give high end boards run for its money.



Edit: also check my thread. http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=100521

 

[BraveSoul]

dual core is very affordable right now,, and does the job just fine with a budget video card. But, if u do plan to xfire later on, get 1gb video ram, 4850 1gb or 4870 1gb. it will probably come in handy.
and a power supply that can handle it

 

[BraveSoul]

check this review http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/phenom-athlon-ii-x2_13.html#sect0 athlon II x2 250 rated at 65w , overclocks well, affordable, good gaming performance

 

[snyderrich]

check this review http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/phenom-athlon-ii-x2_13.html#sect0 athlon II x2 250 rated at 65w , overclocks well, affordable, good gaming performance

Originally posted by: snyderrich
Sorry to use someone elses post, but I too am doing a build and need some thoughts...I have $500 to spend and here's what I've chosen so far........................PSU: Antec EA650......RAM: Kingston 2x2Gb 1066MHz.......CPU:AMD Phenom 2X3 tricore(heard it had good overclocking results)I believe its a black edition 770?......Mobo: ECS Black GF8200A......Video Card: HIS Radeon 4850 1Gb 256Mb Q cooler included(also heard of this card being overclocked with success.........Well fella's what do you think and can I improve this with the same budget? Oh btw...Price total from Newegg.com like $450... Thanx in advance....PS already have case, dvdr, and hd only need PSU CPU Mobo and RAM Well decided to go with this http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814161245 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371015 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.234483 http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.234024 Any comments??? Total price shipping anc......536$