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02-24-2008, 07:33 PM
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#1 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Gaming-focused PC, $1-1.5k, limited upgrades
Hello!
I am trying to build a computer, but I do not know enough about the field to make informed judgments about the relative worth of computer components, so I am hoping that someone here will be willing to take the time to send some advice my way. I am trying to make a computer with a maximum possible budget of around $1,500. It will be primarily for gaming (including online games), but I also intend to surf the internet, download and manipulate lots of files, watch videos, and do anything else that I wind up wanting to do with a computer (probably not a lot). I live on a fixed income and only have the money for this due to an unlikely windfall, so I probably won't be able to buy any significant upgrades anytime soon (and I would prefer to spend less than that $1,500, if I can do so without a significant drop in performance). I am using an old Dell Dimension 8250 at the moment, if that is important. I currently have a Toshiba 19" Digital widescreen LCD HDTV with Integrated ATSCi QAM Tuner to use as a monitor and also for console gaming (I have not used it as a monitor yet, but the documentation indicates that this is one of its functions), a 300 gig Seagate hard drive of the kind which uses ribbon cables which I mistakenly partitioned when I installed it, a... I'm not sure what the model is, but it's a DVD read/write drive that works properly and which is set up in an external enclosure with a USB connection and separate power cable, and a set of cheap headphones with a microphone which I cannot seem to find at the moment. I also have a license for Windows XP which came with the Dell, and I have heard bad things about Vista, so I am not terribly anxious to switch. Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any suggestions as to what sort of a build would best suit my needs, they would be much appreciated. |
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02-24-2008, 07:40 PM
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#2 |
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Member (10 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto
Posts: 904
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Firstly, where are you from? Do you plan on buying from an online vendor such as newegg/ncix?
I would suggest you go with intel as they are ahead of the processor market right now. - motherboard: ASUS P5K - ram: Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 2 gb - HDD: you could reuse your seagate drive or buy a new seagate 7200.11 500 gb drive with 32 mb cache - videocard: evga 8800GT - powersupply: corsair 520 W - case: personal preference That should get you started. |
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02-25-2008, 01:14 AM
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#3 |
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I like me
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Tejas
Posts: 7,332
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Add to the list above the E8400 for the processor.
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It's coming....just you wait. |
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02-25-2008, 09:37 AM
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#4 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,044
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List above looks good. You HD is IDE so if I was buying new I would spend a bit extra and get a new SATA HD. IDE is on its way out, with its ribbon cables, and no longer natively supported by newer MB chipsets. So using them can be a bit problomatic.
The new seagate 7200.11 series are very nice but if you dont need 500 GB the 7200.10 series are fine. You can buy yourself an external enclosure and use your old HD for back ups and stuff. Unless it is over, corsair had a sell on the 550 PSU which made it less expensive than the 520 last time I checked on Newegg. Also, for about $30 bucks you can shove a Lite-on burner into the computer (SATA - retail if you need burning software) which will get your software loaded alot faster then using your external and USB. Kat
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ANTEC 900 / ASUS P5K / C2D E6750 / SAPPHIRE RADEON HD 6750 1 GB/ CORSAIR 620 HX / CORSAIR XMS 4GB DDR2 800 / SEAGATE 320 GB / LITE-ON 20X DVD BURNER / WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL / LOGITECH MX 518 MOUSE / SAITEK ECLIPSE KEYBOARD / ACER 22” WS LCD |
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02-25-2008, 08:40 PM
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#5 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
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Motherboard
CPU Video RAM PSU HDD CD/DVD This comes out to $1105.93. Its actually a bit less when you factor in mail-in-rebates. You could probably trim some corners in areas like the optical drive and hardrive but these are what I recommend. The case and OS are completely up to you but I would go with Vista 32bit. Last edited by Big Al 15; 02-25-2008 at 08:43 PM. |
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02-25-2008, 09:19 PM
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#6 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,358
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Here's a complete good gaming-focused future-proofed build for under $1300 (you can shave off about $350 if you send in the mail-in rebates, use your old XP Disc [if you have one], if you use your old hard drive instead of getting a new one, and if you use your old DVD drive [although a new one is really inexpensive and is a good idea to get either way) :
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106057 $31.99 RAIDMAX KATANA ATX-729FB Black SECC Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156077 $79.99 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA-300 Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148288 $119.99 EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130325 $289.99 COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RP-650-PCAR ATX from factor 12V V2.01 650W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171014 $99.99 OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR8004GK http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227284 $95.99 ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131196 $149.99 Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017 $264.99 Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116400 $134.99 Subtotal: $1,267.91
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Core i7 2600K @ 4.2GHz | Corsair H100 w/ Scythe S-FLEX 120mm Med. Flow & AC MX4 | 4 x 4GB Corsair Vengeance PC3-12800 | HIS 1GB HD6870/ HIS IceQ X Turbo 1GB CF | Asus P67 Sabertooth | OCZ Vertex 3, WD Velociraptor 150GB & Seagate 1.5TB in Tt iCage | LG 22X DVD+/-RW | D-Link DWA-556 | Corsair TX 750W | Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 | Windows 7 HP 64-Bit | LG Flatron L246WH-BN 3D Mark11: P8491| 3D Mark Vantage: P30840| 3D Mark06: 29912 |
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02-25-2008, 09:25 PM
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#7 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,358
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Regarding the build list I posted above, more and more programs are moving to multi-core, so a quad core will outperform a dual core in newer applications and games (for gaming it was recommended that you get a single core over a dual core when dual cores were introduced, but within a few years, dual cores completely overtook single cores), if you're looking at spending more money for more performance, take a look at getting this card over the 8800GTS (which is a decent amount faster than a 8800GT): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161224 (BTW, the case I mentioned in the build list above is full-atx, so it will easily support a video card this size since it's a bit bigger than normal mid-tower cases).
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02-26-2008, 03:04 PM
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#9 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,358
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All the computer parts are compatible with each other, so you can pick any of the options you have available without worrying about compatibility.
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02-26-2008, 03:34 PM
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#10 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Confluence of the Mississippi and Misouri Rivers
Posts: 1,242
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http://www.tomsguide.com/us/dell-xps...view-1064.html
Dell is going to sell these computers. Didnt look too bad. I wonder if we can get someone to buy one of these and do a revue of their own. Check this add out: EVGA 512 Meg 8600GT + Shipping $229.99 with $10.00 Rebate http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...tCode=10007134 They had some of the new 9600GT video cards also. Kind of a mid-range deal. Once in a while there is a sale on this stuff. |
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02-26-2008, 05:06 PM
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#11 | |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,358
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02-27-2008, 12:10 AM
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#12 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Hmm, both of those hard drives seem to have an awful lot of angry people saying that at best, Seagate is having serious quality control issues with these models, and at worst, they may be shipping cheaper drives in the new model's packaging. I don't want to seem ungrateful for your advice, but I'd just like to check; are you really sure that these are the best choices?
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02-27-2008, 12:12 AM
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#13 | |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Quote:
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02-28-2008, 03:11 PM
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#14 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Confluence of the Mississippi and Misouri Rivers
Posts: 1,242
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If you are going to manipulate files what does that mean? Are you talking about photoshop and adobe illustrator?
This is an area that if you get into that a Core 2 Quad may be better. If not that maybe a newer core 2 8400. The primary reason is the amount of L2 Cache. The new FSB 1333 Core 2 Duo has 6 Megs of shared L2 Cache. The FSB 1066 Q6600 has 8 Megs of Core 2 Cache (2 Megs per core). This is a case where visiting a custom build shop with different computers turned on may be advantageous. If you had a really large graphics file say 300 Meg and opened it, you could tell how long it took to open it and get an idea of what I am talking about. |
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02-28-2008, 09:55 PM
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#15 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Hi Cy!
I'm putting together a build myself using yours as a springboard. The mods wanted me to make my own thread for it - here it is in case the build itself or any comments it accrues are helpful in your process. |
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02-28-2008, 10:27 PM
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#16 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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I also posted my potential build on another board and was advised to forget about using the basic heatsink that comes with the proc. This seems like very good advice to me since overheating has always been a worry of mine since I fried my CPU a few summers ago. It was a real hot day and the thing just died. I was sad. I'm adding a sexier heatsink to my build and advise you to do the same.
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02-29-2008, 03:42 AM
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#17 | |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Quote:
Also, hi Z! |
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02-29-2008, 05:23 AM
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#18 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Okay, I think that my lineup is pretty much finished. Here goes:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC - Retail Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail CORSAIR XMS2 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3750330AS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Microsoft Comfort Curve Black 105 Normal Keys 9 Function Keys USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - Retail Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical 1600 dpi Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail Does this look good? At any rate, thank you all very much for your assistance. It was very kind of you to help me out, and I definitely appreciate it. |
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02-29-2008, 08:57 AM
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#19 |
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I like me
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Tejas
Posts: 7,332
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Unless overclocking, you don't need the thermal paste or teh aftermarket heatsink. It will actually void the warrenty of the processor.
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02-29-2008, 11:53 AM
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#20 |
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Member (3 bit)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
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Cyrus, If you think you need 600+ watts of power(which isn't a bad thing) then I would suggest the 620W Corsair. Its a little smaller than the one you picked buy it comes with modular cables and you will fall in love with that.
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02-29-2008, 12:37 PM
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#21 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 2,358
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If you are overclocking, you'll need to get an OEM processor since they come without fan/heatsink and getting an aftermarket one won't void the warranty. If you do get the aftermarket fan/heatsink, note that it comes with the thermal compound already applied (the same type that you have in your list), so you don't need to buy any additional thermal compound.
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02-29-2008, 08:30 PM
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#22 | |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Quote:
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02-29-2008, 08:31 PM
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#23 | |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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Quote:
Oh, and to clarify: I actually don't know the first thing about overclocking, save that I keep seeing people who can't spell insisting that it is awesome. I am not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing, so I figure that I will stay away from the practice until I learn more about it. |
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02-29-2008, 08:36 PM
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#24 | |
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I like me
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Tejas
Posts: 7,332
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Quote:
Doing your homework first is very smart, and will help you later on if you do decide to OC. And for the record, I know how to spel bery goodly. 
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03-01-2008, 11:14 PM
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#25 | |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 12
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All right! I've placed my order, and I'm pretty satisfied that I made the right selections. I really appreciate all of your input; I don't know how I would have have done this without your invaluable advice.
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