• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Building a budget gaming pc

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
Hey guys... I'm trying to build a a new pc that i can game with, although i admit it's mostly so i can play Oblivion. My wife is giving me hell that i'm spending so much to play one game... but i assured her that if i can benchmark my new system to run oblivion... it'll probably run anything for at least 2 years :) i was originally trying to do this under 500 dollars. i have since found out... that's not gonna happen... but i'm trying to get as close as possible. this is what i've come up with.


REFURBISHED: ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 Socket 939 ULi M1695 ATX AMD Motherboard - OEM
-i understand it's a versatile board running pci express as well (38.70 + s/h)

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail
-tried to get a name brand... but cheap at the same time :) (79.99 + s/h)

SAPPHIRE 100106L Radeon X850XT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
-took me forever to figure this one out... so far this seems to be the most bang for the buck (164.00 + s/h)

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+* 939pin OEM
-not much to add here... didn't want to go as cheap as the 3000 or sempron.. but couldn't afford to up much more either. (115.88 + s/h)

Hitachi 160GB 0A31637 SATAII U300 7200rpm 8MB Hard Drive
-was originally set for a 300 gb sata... but in order to cut 40 bucks... had to settle w/ this one. (63.86 + s/h)

and finally for the case and psu... i went w/

Black Logisys Case-51 UFO Computer Case, w/ 80mm RGBY LED Fan, 450W Power Supply, USB2.0,
-was originally going to buy psu and case seperate... but w/ shipping and handling.. it was really a crazy amount... i checked this one out w/ alot of good reviews so, so far this is it. (32.50 + s/h)

i'm also planning on getting a pci express power converter.. and a few case fans as well.

right now i'm at 547.60 incl shipping and handling but not including the fans and converter... and if at all possible i'd like to shave some of that off....

but what do you guys think... any input is appreciated...
thanx

:cool:
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
210 (0.03/day)
Location
hudson, fl.
Processor athlon64 x3800 oc'ed to 2.5 ghz
Motherboard ecs kn1-lite
Cooling ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro
Memory 2 gig gigaram ddr 400
Video Card(s) geforce8600gt
Storage raptor 74k and 160 gig harddrive
Display(s) 19 inch lcd monitor with resolution of 1440x900
Case Antec case
Audio Device(s) sound blaster xi-fi
Power Supply 650 watts antec power supply
Software windows xp pro.
ditch the readeon and get a geforce 7600gt
 

PVTCaboose1337

Graphical Hacker
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
9,501 (1.43/day)
Location
Texas
System Name Whim
Processor Intel Core i5 2500k @ 4.4ghz
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V LX
Cooling Cooler Master Hyper 212+
Memory 2 x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws @ 1600mhz
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670 2gb
Storage Samsung 840 Pro 256gb, WD 2TB Black
Display(s) Shimian QH270 (1440p), Asus VE228 (1080p)
Case Cooler Master 430 Elite
Audio Device(s) Onboard > PA2V2 Amp > Senn 595's
Power Supply Corsair 750w
Software Windows 8.1 (Tweaked)
I think that x850xt should be an NVIDIA so you get shader 3.0 support. Maybe a 6800gs? Also, buy a PSU seperate so you get reliability.
 

KennyT772

New Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
3,572 (0.54/day)
System Name Raptor
Processor Intel E8400 Wolfdale @3600
Motherboard Asus P5Q-Pro LGA775
Cooling Zalman CNPS9700
Memory 1024mbx2 Crucial Ballistix DDR800
Video Card(s) XFX 9600GT
Storage Seagate 7200.11 500GB
Display(s) Acer AL2216Wbd and Acer AL1717
Case Gigabyte 3DAurora Black
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer Faitality
Power Supply OCZ GameXStream 500w
killatia said:
ditch the readeon and get a geforce 7600gt
get the x850xt. the 7600gt has less power then the x850xt so hdr isnt even worth it.
for the rest it seems good.
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2005
Messages
8,253 (1.24/day)
System Name money pit..
Processor Intel 9900K 4.8 at 1.152 core voltage minus 0.120 offset
Motherboard Asus rog Strix Z370-F Gaming
Cooling Dark Rock TF air cooler.. Stock vga air coolers with case side fans to help cooling..
Memory 32 gb corsair vengeance 3200
Video Card(s) Palit Gaming Pro OC 2080TI
Storage 150 nvme boot drive partition.. 1T Sandisk sata.. 1T Transend sata.. 1T 970 evo nvme m 2..
Display(s) 27" Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 165Hrz Nvidia G-Sync, IPS.. 2560x1440..
Case Gigabyte mid-tower.. cheap and nothing special..
Audio Device(s) onboard sounds with stereo amp..
Power Supply EVGA 850 watt..
Mouse Logitech G700s
Keyboard Logitech K270
Software Win 10 pro..
Benchmark Scores Firestike 29500.. timepsy 14000..
nothing wrong with what u have picked.. bang for buck its about right.. at least u havnt wasted money on things that u dont need..

i could perhaps spend a little more but not knock much off.. i think the x1800xt 256 meg is a good buy at the moment.. but if the budget dont stretch it dont stretch..

trog

ps.. not cos it has sm3 either.. just cos it has more grunt..
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
ya i had heard that the x850xt was more powerful... just no hdr... and i'm not really looking to run at max settings (although i don't think NASA could run it at max settings) and the 7600 was costing about an extra 10 to 20.

any ideas on a good value psu?
 

KennyT772

New Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
3,572 (0.54/day)
System Name Raptor
Processor Intel E8400 Wolfdale @3600
Motherboard Asus P5Q-Pro LGA775
Cooling Zalman CNPS9700
Memory 1024mbx2 Crucial Ballistix DDR800
Video Card(s) XFX 9600GT
Storage Seagate 7200.11 500GB
Display(s) Acer AL2216Wbd and Acer AL1717
Case Gigabyte 3DAurora Black
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer Faitality
Power Supply OCZ GameXStream 500w
the TT 420W psus are great and are $40 of newegg. 18a @12v and rock solid all the time. you arnt running a high end comp so it should be just fine. (i have 4 personally..)
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
ya... i've been looking at that it's just that's it's like 40 + s/h for a psu and then 20 or 30 for a case plus + s/h... means i've added like 50 bucks :(

i did also see this
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RS-430-PMSR/P Max: 400W, Peak: 430W Power Supply - Retail
has 2 sata's as well for 33.95 for s/h... but it's still about the same idea... really wish i could find case plus good psu for a good price

-btw damn you oblivion and ur hold on me!
 

KebertXela

New Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
12 (0.00/day)
forget that Radeon and get something else! and i would go for at least teh 3500+
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
710 (0.11/day)
Location
Cali
that x850xt is a good buy. i like all the rest of the parts to it seems to be a good set up with some good power at a good price. happy gaming
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
i've been thinking of just going w/ the 64 3000 instead of the 3200 anyone know if it's that big of a difference?
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
and i should point out... it's a 3000 venice.. not winchester.. and that the reason is i just figured out that oem=no heatsink/fan :(

i'm new to this :)
 
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
2,481 (0.37/day)
Well you could always OC the 3000 to the 3200, but there isnt too much of a performance difference esp. if you are mainly using this comp for games. The things that really matter for games is your GPU and RAM. If you could I would suggest getting 2x 1GB modules since Oblivion could def. use that and 2 x 1GB modules you can easily get for around $135 (Monarch Computers and Newegg check out). I just suggest this since games will def. demand more than 1GB to play smoothly.

But no matter what I def. suggest you get a good PSU....The ones that comes with the cases suck and sometimes blows the whole system up. Look for a 450W PSU made by Thermaltake, OCZ, Antec (Take a look at the Antec SmartPowers, they are cheap and reliable).

Otherwise looks good.
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
killatia said:
ditch the readeon and get a geforce 7600gt

What!!!!! the 850xt will bury the 7600 in its sleep, he is talking "Bang for Buck" not SM3.0.
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
If you get lucky the 3000 venice will overclock as good (ish) as the 3200 or within just 50Mhz so its no big deal to downgrade and save yourself a bit. If you buy the OEM version get yourslef a cheap (but damn brilliant) Glaciertech Igloo AMD7200 cooler, they are only £6.80 in UK so probably $10 US and I overclocked my venice to 2500 and never went abouve 45C with that little baby!
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
thanks bruins.....

adding the extra ram would cost me about an extra 50... which i can't seem to pull off right now. althought the board does have 4 dimm slots... so i can still add on later right?

still undecided on power supply and case.... i need both... and by the power supply suggestions here... the smartpowers are in the 50 to 60 range.. and i would still need a case... whereas i'm paying 40 ish for a case and cpu. i know you guys warn about cheap psu's.. but this one in particular was getting good reviews on newegg.... but any ideas on a value priced reliable psu and a really cheap case would be great...
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
thanks for the posts tatt... i've actually referenced alot of your posts while google'ing for research on that very idea...

:)
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
would anyone mind dumbing down the "12 volt rail" thing for me... i keep reading about it... but i don't understand it.

looking at the fsp (fortron) 400 watt... has dual sata and my pci express... for about 40... seems to have good reviews.... though then i'd be in the market for a very cheap case...
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
Hydrashok said:
thanks for the posts tatt... i've actually referenced alot of your posts while google'ing for research on that very idea...

:)

Lol....I'm famous!:roll: (which idea? the glaciertech Igloo?)
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
Have a look for budget Antec cases, some come with their own brand PSU fitted (but not many) generally Antec produce decent cases and stable PSU's and I would think that as a package you might save a bit. Think you are doing the right thing with the reviews, rarely but sometimes you will find a cheap PSU with a really good reputation/value for money and if it has 30 4 or 5 star reviews just go for it, did you specify earlier a rating? you will need at least 400W preferably 450-500.
 

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
25,793 (3.88/day)
Location
Worcestershire, UK
Processor Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory 32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s) Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s) AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software Win 10 Home x64
Tatty_One said:
Have a look for budget Antec cases, some come with their own brand PSU fitted (but not many) generally Antec produce decent cases and stable PSU's and I would think that as a package you might save a bit. Think you are doing the right thing with the reviews, rarely but sometimes you will find a cheap PSU with a really good reputation/value for money and if it has 30 4 or 5 star reviews just go for it, did you specify earlier a rating? you will need at least 400W preferably 450-500.

Sorry yes you did...just checked....I'll shut up!
 

Hydrashok

New Member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
26 (0.00/day)
also... just realized..

i'm using a KDS-190i Visual Sensations 19 monitor using an analog connection.. will i need a new monitor or do they make dvi/analog adapters?
 

PVTCaboose1337

Graphical Hacker
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
9,501 (1.43/day)
Location
Texas
System Name Whim
Processor Intel Core i5 2500k @ 4.4ghz
Motherboard Asus P8Z77-V LX
Cooling Cooler Master Hyper 212+
Memory 2 x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws @ 1600mhz
Video Card(s) Gigabyte GTX 670 2gb
Storage Samsung 840 Pro 256gb, WD 2TB Black
Display(s) Shimian QH270 (1440p), Asus VE228 (1080p)
Case Cooler Master 430 Elite
Audio Device(s) Onboard > PA2V2 Amp > Senn 595's
Power Supply Corsair 750w
Software Windows 8.1 (Tweaked)
The x850xt comes with an adapter for older monitors.
 
Top