Need Recommendations on Budget Gaming Rig

[zmazza]

Hello,

This will be my first gaming rig, and I was hoping I could get some recommendations. I'm looking to stay as affordable as possible, but still get a decent base system that I can upgrade at a later time.

I have a very nice AGP video card, but I couldn't find a ASUS motherboard with an AGP slot. Does anyone know if they make one? Or can you recommend a good motherboard with an AGP slot for less than $150?

Here's what I have so far:

OS: Microsoft XP Home SP2 OEM Version $89.99
PSU: 450w (Comes with 2526 Blue ATX Mid-Tower Case (Tiger Direct)) $39.99
MOBO: Asus A8S-X SiS Socket 939 ATX Motherboard $124.99
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 4000+ 2.4ghz (Included with MOBO)
HD: WD 80GB 7200 ATA-100 $44.99
CD-ROM: Sony 52X $29.99
Video: ATI Radeon X1300 Pro 256MB DDR2 PCI Express $109.99

I've got memory from my other computers... I'll have to double check to see what kind to see if it will work with this system, but for the moment, let's pretend it does. I believe there are 2 512mb sticks.

I would really appreciate any recommendations. Thank you.

[HarshWinter]

Tiger Direct=bad
For psu u need to get a quality http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195
APG is old tech, is not worth building a pc around it. (ps, what apg card do you have?)
I suggest getting a dual-core cpu (core 2 duo are best-bang-4-$)
Lite-on burners are good.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 harddrives are great.

Basic what you have pick is all old tech and already outdated. I suggest buying newegg.com and whats your budget and dose it include monitor, speakers, ect.

[HarshWinter]

mobo: P5k $150
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813131180

Psu: Corsair 520hx $130 (this is a good one but cheak the list if you want a cheaper)
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817139001

cpu: E6320 with 4mb of L2 Cache $165 (or other c2d)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115015

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320gb $80
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822148140

Burner: Lite-on $33
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827106070

OS:Win xp sp2 $90
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16832116056

video card: Whats your price range?

Edit: to save some money you could get a case/psu combo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129155
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129158

[zmazza1]

Thanks for the quick response. For some reason my previous user name doesn't work anymore. My e-mail addy and name and password don't work. Weird.

Anyway, I did check newegg, and I have to say, I like them a LOT better.

My AGP card I bought right when wow came out. I love it. I hate to buy another video card when I have this one and it works great, you know?

It's an NVidia TNT2 GeForce... it's a 5000 series... not sure on the exact number. It's a 256 meg. If I could save enough to justify buying a PCI-Express card, I definitely would. I'm looking to stay less than $450. I've got the monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, ram, video card, etc.

Here's what I've got from newegg... again, it's budget. I went with the intel CPU because I chose an intel MOBO due to the fact it had an AGP slot.

Here's what I found at newegg for 435 shipped...

VIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.99 - $10.00 MIR

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST380815AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $42.99

APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail $39.99 - $10.00 MIR

ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA LGA 775 VIA PT880 Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $61.99

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2b - OEM $109.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model HH80551PE0672MN - OEM
$59.99

[zmazza1]

I think I'm going to stick with the AGP board right now due to budget constraints. When I get a new video card, I'll upgrade the motherboard as well.

For now, what do you guys think of this system? Is everything compatible? Especially the board and the processor.... It's a Dual Core CPU, but I didn't see that listed on any of the motherboards....

Will that work with the one I have?

CPU: Intel Dual-Core E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E2160 - Retail $91.00

MOBO: ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA LGA 775 VIA PT880 Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $61.99

PSU: APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail $39.99

Case: APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.99

HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST380815AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $42.99

DVD Burner: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S OEM BK - OEM $32.99 (Does this function as a CD player as well? Will it perform well if that's mostly what it's used for?) $32.99

OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM $89.99

Thanks for your help. It's greatly appreciated!

PS: This is the first CPU that I've built from the ground up, so please forgive the newbie-ish questions.

[HarshWinter]

Originally Posted by zmazza1 I think I'm going to stick with the AGP board right now due to budget constraints. When I get a new video card, I'll upgrade the motherboard as well. For now, what do you guys think of this system? Is everything compatible? Especially the board and the processor.... It's a Dual Core CPU, but I didn't see that listed on any of the motherboards.... Will that work with the one I have? CPU: Intel Dual-Core E2160 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E2160 - Retail $91.00 MOBO: ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA LGA 775 VIA PT880 Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $61.99 PSU: APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply - Retail $39.99 Case: APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.99 HD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST380815AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $42.99 DVD Burner: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S OEM BK - OEM $32.99 (Does this function as a CD player as well? Will it perform well if that's mostly what it's used for?) $32.99 OS: Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM $89.99 Thanks for your help. It's greatly appreciated! PS: This is the first CPU that I've built from the ground up, so please forgive the newbie-ish questions.

Theres wrong with being noobish

Apevia doesn't make reliable power supples, the can be dead on delivery or die with while running your system and take parts with them .

As for the video card, that was good card four or five years ago, but I think that you have to say good by to the poor guy and leave him in you current rig.

As for the mobo, I have never even heard of Asrock!?!?! so i would stay away and here are my other suggestions.

Mobos:
Asus P5b (basic a good stable mobo) $117
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131030

Asus P5K (Like the P5B but a newer design and more future proof) $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131180

Ram:
Corsair 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) at $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098

CPU:
C2D E4300, because it have 2mb of L2 Cache which is important for gaming.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115013

Video cards:
7600gt: Good place holder $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130062

X1950XT a very nice a powerful card $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102067

8800gts 320mb this one of nivida's newer cards and it dx10 and around the 3rd most powerful
video card at $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082

PSUs:
FSP Group 500w high quality at $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104037

Antec SmartPower 2.0 500w, not flashy but high quality at $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103937

Here something you need to know, there are all these products that look like such a great deal but they are poor quality and you will regret buying them, it worth it to get quality parts like these.

[zmazza1]

So I take it that the CPU that I chose was a good one? I may end up upgrading the video card... I just need something with pixel and vertex shader support. I finally found out the model name as well... it's a GeForce FX5700LE D256M.

I also found a cool master PSU, which I hear is pretty good.

I changed my list a little bit before I left work. I changed the PSU and added some corsair ram to go with the motherboard choice. I guess if I am going to change motherboards, I need to find some different ram as well. I need to take my computer apart and find out what kind of ram I purchased last. It may work with my new system.

Wow! Thanks for the recommendation on the motherboard and the video card. Both are within my budget. I wonder why I couldn't find them earlier? I'm definitely changing my current selection to those. Definitely worth the extra money.

As far as the PSU goes... I found a COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power 450w. It's only 29.99 and from what I hear, COOLER MASTER is a good brand. Great price, too.

Thanks for the tips, Harshwinter. I can't wait to actually order this stuff and start building my PC. This Dell is so out of date, and it's only a year and a half old. It's a shame you can't update them that much.

[HarshWinter]

Cool Master PSU are "ok" but I would pay the extra for the fps group i suggest, but In the end its your call and ya the cpu you picked is fine.

and no problem I'm always glad to help

[andper10]

$76.99 - ASUS P5L-MX LGA 775 Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131041 - It would probably be a good idea to get a P5B but considering your very small budget I don't think that is possible

$117.00 - Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115013 - Keep in mind that this has 800Mhz FSB vs the mainstream C2D's that have 1066Mhz FSB. In other words it isn't quite as good as the E6xxx series.

$64.99 - CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098 - Your budget probably only permits you to get 1GB but you should do a single stick if you get that motherboard because if you get 2x512MB sticks then if you want to upgrade to 2GB down the road you won't have any ram slots left.

$36.99 - FSP Group (Fortron Source) ATX400-PA, version 2.0, SATA, 400W Power Supply - OEM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104952 - This will need to be upgraded if you upgrade the video card very much more. However, its specs are good enough to run a pretty powerful video card: +3.3V@30A, +5V@30A, +12V1@18A, +12V2@18A.

$27.99 - LITE-ON Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD Burner - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106075 - You need to get a retail LiteOn drive because it comes with burning software. The 20X Sata retail is recommended ($40) but I don't think that your budget will allow that. I don't think that you will really notice a big difference though

$79.99 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148140 - You might want to just get an 80B or 160GB HD to save money. There also used to be a Seagate PRT 250GB w/ 16MB Cache but it isn't there right now.

$89.99 - WinXP Home OEM

That already comes out to Roughly $494. $450 isn't really enough to work with to build a decent PC. I would say around $600 would be able to build a nice PC with decent gaming capability right now.

Whatever video card and case you can afford

[jer888]

Yeah just my opinion but I think you would be better off waiting till you had some more money to put into this, because even with placeholders and such you would still be better off waiting until you can buy quality parts that you arn't going to switch out immediately and that wont fail. I'd say $700 minimum, or you are better off buying a prebuilt.

[zmazza1]

Is it bad to buy and store parts? Like if I purchased a part here and there for the next 6 months? Saving money is difficult when you are married and have kids, lol.

All this has to be run by the wife, which I'm sure most of you understand, and saying I want to build a computer for $600 - 800 dollars is going to get some pretty crazy looks.

Basically, since my old comptuer is done for. The hard drive went out... Here's something funny for you...

I had a Pentium 2 733MHZ computer with the AGP GeForce 5700LE 256mb video card with 400MHZ processor. I also had a 56k modem, since they don't offer high speed in my area. It also had about 1 gig of PC100 ram. It ran World of warcraft decently. I never lagged. It was amazing.

The hard drive just decided to kick the bucket one day, so that's one reason I'm wanting to build another one. The dell could probably run WoW, but it only has PCI slots, and I'm not sure how good PCI video cards are vs AGP and PCI express, especially.

I need a good base to start with, that could definitely be upgraded later. I need just the basics to run WoW or EQII.

Right now I've got a 60GB HD that I still have tons of space left on. I don't tend to use up a lot of space for some reason.

"$64.99 - CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098 - Your budget probably only permits you to get 1GB but you should do a single stick if you get that motherboard because if you get 2x512MB sticks then if you want to upgrade to 2GB down the road you won't have any ram slots left."

I'm not sure I understand... the ram that was recommended are two 1gb sticks, right? perhaps I'll go with just the 1gb to save some money for the moment, and leave the other side open for upgrades.

[LeftyAce]

Is it bad to buy and store parts?

Basically, yes. At the rate technology improves and prices drop, you should wait until you can buy all the parts at once. If you buy a top-of-the-line 500 dollar video card right now, for instance, in 6 months the next generation will be out and the one you have in 'storage' will only cost 100 or 200 new.

Wait 'till you have about $1000 and we can put together a nice system that'll last you a while.

[zmazza1]

Ahh I see what you mean, now. What parts generally don't become obsolete in just a few months? ie; ram, motherboard, cpu?

Would a computer like this last? I had the 733MHZ computer for a LONG time, lol. Mind you it did need replacing a LONG time ago, but it worked very well until it kicked the bucket.

[LeftyAce]

It's hard to say. The current ram standard is DDR2, but DDR3 is already coming out, and the new line of processors from AMD which is slated to hit the market in September will use DDR3....motherboards supporting DDR3 should be out soon...

Harddrives and CD/DVD drives should be fine to store though. Just make sure to get models with SATA interface. The Seagate 7200.10 series of harddrives is good (and comes with a 5 year warranty), and we recommend LiteOn for cd drives.

Also, any ATX case will be standard for the foreseeable future. Pick one you like the look of; just don't get one that comes with a powersupply. The powersupplies that come with cases are usually junk, and you won't know how much power you need 'till you've selected cpu and vid card.

Processor, ram and video card are the parts in danger getting out-dated fast, and those three determine which motherboard you'll need. Even if you're not getting absolutely cutting edge components, the lower-spec stuff will get cheaper over time as newer cutting edge tech becomes available.

A computer you build should last just fine, particularly if you don't insist on playing the newest games on the highest settings...that will require frequent upgrades to keep doing :-) but if you wait 'till you've got the money together for the cpu, ram and vid card all at once, your pc has started getting 'old' that much later :-)

[zmazza1]

So I suppose I'll wait on the CPU, motheboard, and RAM. I've got a 20x DVD+R DVD burner from LiteOn which looks awesome. I think I'm going to go ahead and pick that up and my 80gig seagate barracuda hd. I also found a 450w FSP group power supply for 57.99. Didn't seem like too bad of a deal. All that should work no matter what CPU and motherboard I get, so I'll see if the prices on those don't come down in the next month. I should be ordering though by the end of this month, hopefully.

Thanks again for all the help. Building your own pc seemed very daunting when I first started looking at everything, but this should be pretty easy to do if you take your time.

[LeftyAce]

If this is a gaming rig, you'll probably want to put in a powerful video card (8800GTS or GTX) which will need a powersupply closer to 500 watts. This corsair unit is a good option: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139001

Otherwise you're right, the powersupply will be compatible.

this should be pretty easy to do if you take your time.

Exactly. There's a lot to pay attention to, but if you go slow you minimize mistakes and the whole thing goes smoothly.

[zmazza1]

So that power supply will work no matter what motherboard or CPU I choose, right? So if I'm getting a more powerful video card down the road, it makes sense to go ahead and get the 520w power supply, right?

Hmm... my 20 dollar rosewill mid tower case may not work with such a heavy power supply... I hated to spend too much on the case, since I really didn't care what it looked like, as long as it worked. Maybe I need to spend the extra money and get a more sturdy case. Do you have one you recommend? Cheap as possible but will hold a heavy 520 watt power supply?

[zmazza1]

I'm now up to 365 dollars. I removed the motherboard and PCU since I won't be buying those within the next few months, as well as the video card. I did pick out a nicer case though. It's the XION Onyx XON-303 Black/Blue Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case. ITEM # N82E16811208021. It looks like a really sturdy case.

Here are the current items:

LITE-ON 20X DVD+R Burner
XION Onyx Case
Seagate Barracuda 80GB 7200 HD
Corsair 520w PSU
Microsoft Windows XP

Those shouldn't be obsolete in 2-3 months, so no worries there, lol.

Do you think I could find a better CPU, motherboard, and video card for 300 dollars in, lets say, 3 months that we're better that what I had originally listed?

[Jimmy0]

They won't be obsolete in 2-3 months, but they might be cheaper. Personally I would order all of your parts at the same time in 2-3 months when you have all the money ready, that way you get best bang for $.

For example if you bought a part today for $100 in a few months time it could be $90-80, depending how long it has already been out, so it is better to wait till you can order all parts together to save yourself money.

[zmazza1]

Seems like that might work. Other than the prices going down and newer technology coming out, do parts store relatively well? Like, say for a few weeks to a couple months? What is the best way to store them? I do have some leftover parts from my old PC. If I wanted to save those parts, what needs to be done to make sure they don't short out or suffer from moisture damage?

[zmazza1]

I just found this out as far as the PSU.... should I find a different one?

"Cons: While the unit was quiet, it seemed to run pretty hot. I think the fan speed should be set a little higher. Also, high-end Radeon owners BEWARE. This unit will NOT work with a Radeon X1800 or above. I bought a Radeon X1950XTX, which said power requirements were "at least 450 watts with minimum 30A on the +12v rail". The HX520w claims 520 watts, with 40A on the +12v rail. My video plagued with on and off corruption, and overall very unstable. I called ATI support, and was told that their testing with this PS was fine up to the X1600, but it didn't cut it for the X1800 or X1900 series. However, they said the 620-watt PS tested OK."

[Mr.Ferrari]

That is just wrong. Remember, most of those reviewers are newbies.

[zmazza1]

Just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the clarification.

[LeftyAce]

For storing new parts, just don't take them out of the boxes they ship in.
For old parts, if possible, just leave them in the old computer 'till u need them. Otherwise put them somewhere dry where they won't get knocked around too much.

[zmazza1]

Sounds good. Thanks LeftyAce.

[andper10]

I bought my components for the PC that I am using now as I had the money for them and if I could do it over again I would not. You should really just wait until you have all of the money that you need and then buy everything all at once. Otherwise you are going to end up being dissapointed when there is something newer and better that comes out that costs the same as your now outdated component. I guess if you really like that case, you should be fine getting it, but chances are that the price will go down (or at least stay the same) in the coming months. The cheap Rosewill cases are actually supposed to be pretty good. You might want to consider getting one. If you aren't comfortable with the weight of the PSU when you get it, you could go to the hardware store or somewhere and get some sort of a mounting bracket to hold part of the PSU up. That way you would have a cheap case and you wouldn't have to worry about the PSU hanging over all of your expensive components. By the way, I just recently purchased one of those Corsair 520W PSU's and I have an X1950XT coming soon so I will let you know if that reviewer is correct about it not powering X19xx series cards. They probably just don't know what they are talking about. As others say, "take reviews with a grain of salt". The PSU doesn't feel excessively heavy. I would think that just about any case would be able to hold it. I am planning to put it into my clear acrylic case with 4 screws (just like the PSU that is in there right now) and I think that it should hold well.

Bottom line: Wait until you have money to buy everything at once. You will get more for your money that way, whether it is by lower prices or buying newer parts.
Enjoy your build!

[LeftyAce]

On the PSU, my friend is running an 8800GTX on the corsair 520, so if someone can't get it to power a 19xx series card they must be doing something very wrong :-)

[zmazza1]

Awesome. Good to hear about the PSU. I think I've got all my parts lined up... the only thing I've changed for the moment is the motherboard. I fuond one with an AGP slot and a PCI-Express x 4 slot so it seems to work better for me at the moment. Now, all the other parts are very good. Lite on 20x dvd burner, win xp home, 1.8 ghz dual core intel processor, seagate barracuda 80g 7200.10 hd, 1g ram, etc. If I decide to upgrade motherboards, say, 6 months down the road, will everything basically move right over to the new one? Will I have to reformat my hard drive?

[Mr.Ferrari]

Which motherboard were you looking at before and which is the updated one? I see many recommended throughout the thread.

Remember though, PCIE-4 is not the same thing as PCIE-16. You need a x16 slot to use a proper pcie graphics card.

[zmazza1]

I'm leaning back towards the ASRock motherboard I had mentioned earlier due to the fact that I don't have to buy a video card (I have my own) and it takes the same processor that I was going to use in the Pk5 (I believe that's it.) The price of that mother board and the decent reviews that I've seen are appearling. I eventually want to get the nicer motherboard, and a much nicer video card, but it's just not in the budget at the moment.

That stinks about the PCI-E slot.. I assumed it would take the same cards, just wouldn't run as fast.

Perhaps I'll have to reconsider a strictly AGP motherboard that takes Dual Core processors. Any recommendations? Or do they make boards that have an AGP and PCI-E x 16 slot?

Thanks.

PS Don't get me wrong. I love the recommendations and am definitely going to go that route, it's just going to be 6 mos to a year down the road before I'm able to invest more money. Buying the video card, spending the extra money on the motherboard, and having to buy an upgraded PSU to run the video card just pushes me out of my budget.

A decent, affordable PSU will push my GEForce 5700LE card. It runs WoW great, and that's exactly what I need it to do.