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New PC, gimme some input.

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - New PC, gimme some input.

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Mortifix   07-17-2006 at 02:38:13 AM

I am looking into buying a new PC well building one is more like it. I don't want anything top of the line really. I already have what video card I wan't and some other less importnant stuff. Now im down to the motherboard and CPU. This is were I always get stumped because everyime I turn around something new comes out or something changes price. Basically im trying to make a PC for under $1000 and I had it all planned out until the new AM2 socket came out, and now the price cut is gonna change my decision dramatically. So basically I was wondering if AM2 and DDR2 are THAT good that I should put off buying a new PC until they drop a bit in price. Because what I had planned before was an AMD Opteron 148 Venus and I was gonna overclock it to like 2.6 or something.

If anyone could give me there suggestion on what I should get, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the help :)

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shadowduck   07-17-2006 at 05:33:12 AM
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More information please! How do you plan on using the sytsem? What video card do you have? How much of that $1000 have you spent? What all do you need to buy other than mobo/cpu?

Reply to shadowduck
Mortifix   07-17-2006 at 05:35:34 AM
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This will definitly be a gaming PC. The video card im getting is the X850 XT 256MB. I haven't bought anything yet. I am waiting on the memory because I wanna get what will work BEST with my mobo/cpu.

I might do some overclocking but not much. I don't want to risk burning anything out.

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jaguarskx   07-17-2006 at 05:39:43 AM
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Performance: AM2 + DDR2 = S939 + DDR

You will barely see any difference between AM2 and S939 of the same model. The only real benefits of AM2 are that you can buy the X2 5000+, and FX-62. Those and future CPUs will only be coming out for socket AM2.

Performance is now in the hands of Conroe (Core 2 Duo). Many independant benchmarks confirms that Intel is the "King of Performance". At least until AMD can come out with it's next CPU, the K8L.

The Conroe E6300 @ 1.86 GHz is at least as equal to the X2 4400+ in general applications. The E6300 is surprising close to the performance of the FX-60 in games, but that is at low resolutions, since high resolutions is really a test for the video card.

Currently the GPU is the bottleneck for most games, so the X2 4400+, FX-60 and Conroe E6300 will probably have the same benchmarks if they are all using the same GPU at resolutions of 1024 x 768 and higher.

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shadowduck   07-17-2006 at 05:41:56 AM
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Quote :

This will definitly be a gaming PC. The video card im getting is the X850 XT 256MB. I haven't bought anything yet. I am waiting on the memory because I wanna get what will work BEST with my mobo/cpu.

I might do some overclocking but not much. I don't want to risk burning anything out.



Well first of all, the X1800XT which is around the same price is a much better card. I know you said you decided on the 850, but consider your options.

Don't buy anything until July 24th. AMD is going to cut prices by 50% and Conroe will be coming out. I would probably get either an X2-3800+ AMD CPU after the price cut, with an Asus M2N-E motherbard and 2GB DDR2-800 RAM from Corsair.

If you can wait for a while.. maybe late August go Conroe. Intel people, read this post and give him a good Conroe chip and motherboard with some DDR2-667 RAM.

Reply to shadowduck
The_Prophecy   07-17-2006 at 07:52:19 AM
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Quote :

If you can wait for a while.. maybe late August go Conroe. Intel people, read this post and give him a good Conroe chip and motherboard with some DDR2-667 RAM.



I'm on it.... :P

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 (go for an E6600 if your budget at that time allows for it)

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3

RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2-800 <--- DDR2-800 makes more sense to me.... if your budget doesn't allow for 2GB, drop to this 1GB set

Reply to The_Prophecy
Mortifix   07-18-2006 at 02:01:26 AM
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OK, the cheapest I found that card was on Newegg.com for around $260...thats a tad bit more than $140. I am going to get the E6400 because its faster than the X2 3800+ correct? Also, is there a cheaper mobo than that? If not, will there be? As far as the RAM goes, is that really good RAM, or is it your own personal preference?

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shadowduck   07-18-2006 at 02:07:07 AM
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Quote :

OK, the cheapest I found that card was on Newegg.com for around $260...thats a tad bit more than $140. I am going to get the E6400 because its faster than the X2 3800+ correct? Also, is there a cheaper mobo than that? If not, will there be? As far as the RAM goes, is that really good RAM, or is it your own personal preference?



Anything Conroe smokes AMD. Don't cheap out of the motherboard, that one is actually one of the lower cost ones. Most good Intel boards are around $200. The RAM Prophecy chose is great RAM, DDR2-800 is good stuff and OCZ is a good brand.

Reply to shadowduck
Mortifix   07-18-2006 at 02:11:43 AM
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What is an really good motherboard for the E6400? Also, I was just looking on another website X-bit Labs or something and they were saying that the Opteron 165 was better than the X2 3800+?

Reply to Mortifix
Mortifix   07-18-2006 at 02:16:39 AM
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Also, I just got to thinking. When most people look into PC parts they look for price for preformance right? Well if a good Intel board costs $200, but the CPU is cheap...wouldn't it be better to get the X2 3800+ with a little less preformance but save like $100 on the motherboard?

Reply to Mortifix
shadowduck   07-18-2006 at 02:30:09 AM
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Quote :

Also, I just got to thinking. When most people look into PC parts they look for price for preformance right? Well if a good Intel board costs $200, but the CPU is cheap...wouldn't it be better to get the X2 3800+ with a little less preformance but save like $100 on the motherboard?



Thats up to you. Core2 is up to 87% faster than AM2 at certain tasks. Average is 20-30%. Low end Core2 can beat FX-62 in most benchmarks.

Reply to shadowduck
Mortifix   07-18-2006 at 02:39:03 AM
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Oh so the motherboard is faster as well as the chip?

Reply to Mortifix
nilepez   07-18-2006 at 05:55:03 AM
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Quote :

If you can wait for a while.. maybe late August go Conroe. Intel people, read this post and give him a good Conroe chip and motherboard with some DDR2-667 RAM.



I'm on it.... :P

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 (go for an E6600 if your budget at that time allows for it)

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3

RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2-800 <--- DDR2-800 makes more sense to me.... if your budget doesn't allow for 2GB, drop to this 1GB set

Makes very little sense to me. 2GB of ram is far more important (esp with vista around the bend) than having DDR2 800. Once Vista comes out, I suspect 4gb will be optimal, 1gb minimal and 2gb acceptable.

Besides, I didn't htink that Conroe needed PC2-800

Reply to nilepez
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