How to build a gaming machine with a tight budget?

[Ivan]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
components

Motherboard: Abit AN7
CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4

Anyone with experience please share. Am I on the right track? Please
suggest alternatives.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

"Ivan" <iissmm@yahoo.com.sg> wrote in message
news:6a8a466f.0411220617.3c766159@posting.google.com...
> My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
> smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
> overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
> components
>
> Motherboard: Abit AN7
> CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
> GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
> RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4
>
> Anyone with experience please share. Am I on the right track? Please
> suggest alternatives.
>
> Thanks

SharkyExtreme.com was very helpful when I was building my system. Here's a
URL for the "value gaming" system building guide: http://tinyurl.com/5zobc
(copy and paste). You can adjust their suggestions to suit your price range.

I think the biggest bottleneck for your system will be the video card. It
may be worth waiting for the 6600 or X700 series to come out in AGP form.
While the processor and memory are important, I suggest diverting every
extra dollar to the video card. I have a 9600Pro@500/330, P4 2.4B@2.66, and
512MB of Corsair 2.5@2 3 3 6 (iirc). FarCry played smoothly on my system,
but at lower resolution and without all the bells and whistles. I haven't
tried running Doom III, but I suspect the same would be true.

It looks like you're in Singapore. I don't know what technology prices are
like there, but online retailers are probably way cheaper. Don't forget to
buy an OEM copy of XP, if you need it.

Good luck!

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

> My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
> smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
> overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
> components
>
> Motherboard: Abit AN7
> CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
> GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
> RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4
>
> Anyone with experience please share. Am I on the right track? Please
> suggest alternatives.

I use an NF7-M with a mobile Athlon 2500+ running at 2.3 GHz (210x11), and
it plays Doom3 and FarCry just fine - with a 6800GT. If you want to play
D3 and Far Cry with lots of options turned on, you're going to need a good
video card, plain and simple. A Radeon 9800 or a GF 6600 at the least.

Also, running either of those games with 512 megs works - but it does
introduce some stuttering/lag when loading items. A gig of RAM would be
better, but they're still very playable with 512.

steve

 

[Thomas]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

Ivan wrote:
> My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
> smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
> overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
> components
>
> Motherboard: Abit AN7
> CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
> GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
> RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4

My main problem is with the vidcard... Is there no way you can make it a
9800? The 9600 is really a bit slow... I have the old 9700, which still is a
fair bit faster...
(especially O/C'd to 375 )

By the way, that memory, isnt that DDR2 ? For DDR1, the CL3/CL4 is really
incredible... Even my old PC3000 mem can do PC3200 at CL 2.5...

Thomas

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

"Ivan" <iissmm@yahoo.com.sg> wrote in message
news:6a8a466f.0411220617.3c766159@posting.google.com...

" I am eyeing on the following components... "


At Newegg, the total cost of your list comes to $446.27:

- Abit AN7 Nforce2 Ultra 400 http://snipurl.com/6bh3 $95.00
- AMD Athlon XP 2800+ http://snipurl.com/atdy $139.00
- Corsair VS512MB400C3 http://snipurl.com/ate5 $74.27
- Sapphire Radeon 9600XT 128MB http://snipurl.com/atei $138.00


How about this for $507.50 instead?

- Soltek K8AN2E-GR Nforce3 250GB http://snipurl.com/8x4s $89.00
- AMD Athlon64 2800+ http://snipurl.com/6bf9 $127.00
- Kingmax 512MB PC3200 CL2.5 http://snipurl.com/8xm5 $66.50
- XFX GeForce 6600GT 128MB http://snipurl.com/atdg $225.00

 

[rms]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

> How about this for $507.50 instead?
>
> - Soltek K8AN2E-GR Nforce3 250GB http://snipurl.com/8x4s $89.00
> - AMD Athlon64 2800+ http://snipurl.com/6bf9 $127.00
> - Kingmax 512MB PC3200 CL2.5 http://snipurl.com/8xm5 $66.50
> - XFX GeForce 6600GT 128MB http://snipurl.com/atdg $225.00

I'll second this one, tho I'd want to see more overclocking results on
the soltek.

rms

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

Damn, what kind of heatsink and fan do you have? Any tips for me. I've
overclocked a 2600 barton to 2.083 GHz (2800 barton) and my idle is 52 and
full load is 60.

"Steve Wolfe" <unt@see-signature.com> wrote in message
news:30eovlF2tmem8U1@uni-berlin.de...
>> My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
>> smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
>> overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
>> components
>>
>> Motherboard: Abit AN7
>> CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
>> GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
>> RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4
>>
>> Anyone with experience please share. Am I on the right track? Please
>> suggest alternatives.
>
> I use an NF7-M with a mobile Athlon 2500+ running at 2.3 GHz (210x11),
> and
> it plays Doom3 and FarCry just fine - with a 6800GT. If you want to play
> D3 and Far Cry with lots of options turned on, you're going to need a good
> video card, plain and simple. A Radeon 9800 or a GF 6600 at the least.
>
> Also, running either of those games with 512 megs works - but it does
> introduce some stuttering/lag when loading items. A gig of RAM would be
> better, but they're still very playable with 512.
>
> steve
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

> Damn, what kind of heatsink and fan do you have? Any tips for me. I've
> overclocked a 2600 barton to 2.083 GHz (2800 barton) and my idle is 52 and
> full load is 60.

I'm using a Vantex Aeroflow. I keep meaning to either get a better HSF,
or do water cooling, but I can never quite bring myself around to doing it.

steve

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.overclocking (More info?)

But is it stable? If it is, don't sweat it.

I'm running an Athlon XP 2500 @ 3200 and it regularly reaches 60°c under
heavy load, but the machine is rock solid so i don't let it bother me. 60°c
is way below manufacturers temp guidelines.

You can easily become overly obsessed with temperatures in an NG like this
;-)

"Jack Spungo" <Spungo@Spungo.com> wrote in message
news:Uu2dnfJpm7vf_zXcRVn-ow@rogers.com...
> Damn, what kind of heatsink and fan do you have? Any tips for me. I've
> overclocked a 2600 barton to 2.083 GHz (2800 barton) and my idle is 52 and
> full load is 60.
>
> "Steve Wolfe" <unt@see-signature.com> wrote in message
> news:30eovlF2tmem8U1@uni-berlin.de...
>>> My first attempt to build a gaming PC. The game I want to play
>>> smoothly include the demanding "Far Cry" and "Doom III". I will
>>> overclock the system to maximise. I am eyeing on the following
>>> components
>>>
>>> Motherboard: Abit AN7
>>> CPU : ATHLON XP 2800+
>>> GRAPHIC BOARD: ATI RADEON 9600XT
>>> RAM: CORSAIR OR SAMSUNG 512MB CL3 OR CL4
>>>
>>> Anyone with experience please share. Am I on the right track? Please
>>> suggest alternatives.
>>
>> I use an NF7-M with a mobile Athlon 2500+ running at 2.3 GHz (210x11),
>> and
>> it plays Doom3 and FarCry just fine - with a 6800GT. If you want to
>> play
>> D3 and Far Cry with lots of options turned on, you're going to need a
>> good
>> video card, plain and simple. A Radeon 9800 or a GF 6600 at the least.
>>
>> Also, running either of those games with 512 megs works - but it does
>> introduce some stuttering/lag when loading items. A gig of RAM would be
>> better, but they're still very playable with 512.
>>
>> steve
>>
>>
>
>