Low/Mid/High End ***Gaming System Buyers Guide*** 08/26/2006

[ElMoIsEviL]

So you want a new system huh? Unsure about what the best CPU/motherboard/Memory combination is for your given price range? Well.. you can use this as a start. I'll be editing it adding more and more products as well as the store you can purchase it at. So please post some suggestions. Also Sempron64 prices as well as Pentium D etc prices will also be posted. I hope this will at last help users to choose what's best in there price range for gaming.

I'll start off by highlighting the prices on Newegg currently for each model as well as posting prices for motherboards etc. I suppose this could be the buyer's guide for Fall 2006.

README** Now before we get into this area there's something that needs to be said. AM2 based processors from AMD which use the newer DDRII memory standard are faced with a problem. In order to match the performance of the older Socket 939 platform one needs to use PC6400 (800MHz) DDRII memory instead of the cheaper PC5400 (667-675MHz) DDRII memory that a Core 2 will run with just fine. This presents another issue... Core 2 Duo's get no performance increase by using PC6400 over PC5300/PC5400. Therefore a user should only purchase PC6400 with a Core 2 Duo if they plan on overclocking. Since OCZ memory is known to not work properly on some motherboards I've decided to compile Corsair memory prices instead.

Pricing Changes:
Movement UP
Movement DOWN
No Change remains BLACK.

Intel Pentium D:
805: $97USD 820: $116USD
915: $137USD 930: $167USD
940: $187USD 945: $179USD
950: $224USD 960: $317USD

Intel Core 2 Duo:
E6300: $193USD E6400: $243USD
E6600: $369USD E6700: $589USD

Intel Pentium D memory:
1GB (2 x 512MB) CORSAIR ValueSelect DDR2 667 (PC2 5300): $93USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) CORSAIR ValueSelect DDR2 667 (PC2 5300): $168USD

Intel Core 2 Duo memory:
1GB (2 x 512MB) G.SKILL DDR2 667 (PC2 5400): $90USD
1GB (2 x 512MB) CORSAIR XMS2 DDR2 675 (PC2 5400C4): $113USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) G.SKILL DDR2 667 (PC2 5400): $170USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) CORSAIR XMS2 DDR2 675 (PC2 5400C4): $191USD


Motherboard Prices:

Intel Pentium D Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5LD2 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945PMotherboard: $109USD
ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945P Motherboard: $160USD

High End-
ASUS P5WD2 Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 955X Motherboard: $199USD
ASUS P5WD2-E Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X Motherboard: $230USD


Intel Core 2 Duo Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5B Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $160USD
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $119USD
ASUS P5NSLI Socket T (LGA 775) nForce 570 SLI Intel Edition Motherboard: $119USD
ASRock 775Dual-VSTA Socket T (LGA 775) VIA PT880 PRO Motherboard: $56USD
ECS P965T-A (V1.0) Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $99USD

High End-
ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $260USD
ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X Motherboard: $270USD
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Motherboard: $270USD



AMD Sempron64 AM2:
2800+: $50USD 3000+: $60USD
3200+: $68USD 3400+: $76USD
3500+: $95USD 3600+: $99USD

AMD Athlon64 AM2:
3200+: $86USD 3500+: $91USD
3800+: $112USD

AMD Athlon64 X2 AM2:
3800+: $152USD 4200+: $187USD
4000+: $379USD 4600+: $266USD
5000+: $759USD!!


AMD Sempron64 (AM2) memory:
512MB (2 x 256MB) CORSAIR ValueSelect DDR2 400 (PC4200): $48USD
1GB (2 x 512MB) CORSAIR ValueSelect DDR2 400 (PC4200): $90USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) CORSAIR ValueSelect DDR2 400 (PC4200): $168USD

AMD Athlon64/X2 (AM2) memory:
1GB (2 x 512MB) G.SKILL DDR2 800 (PC2 6400): $104USD
1GB (2 x 512MB) CORSAIR XMS2 DDR2 800 (PC2 6400): $154USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) G.SKILL DDR2 800 (PC2 6400): $200USD
2GB (2 x 1GB) CORSAIR XMS2 DDR2 800 (PC2 6400): $270USD


Motherboard Prices:
*It has been reported that some Asus motherboards supporting the AM2 processor have issues with higher clocked DDR2 DIMMs. Asus is said to be releasing a bios to address this issue. Maximum vdimm = 1.95v.

AMD Athlon64 X2 AM2 Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
*ASUS M2N-E Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 Ultra MCP ATX AMD Motherboard: $93USD
Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP Motherboard: $135USD
*ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP Motherboard: $143USD

High End-
Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP Motherboard: $189USD
*ASUS CROSSHAIR Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP Motherboard: $240USD
*ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP Motherboard: $200USD



There you have it.. price as of now. Also worth it if I link some REAL WORLD gaming benchmarks I suppose:

 

[cryogenic]

So your're saying P4's are out of the question for gaming?

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

So your're saying P4's are out of the question for gaming?

Nope.. never said anything.. I said that I'll be updating the prices and adding new suggestions.

Pentium D processors are VERY much a good bang for the buck (more so then most CPU's actually).

 

[cryogenic]

Pentium D processors are VERY much a good bang for the buck (more so then most CPU's actually).

Whaaaaaaat?????? Where have you been in the last 3 years or so?

Good bang for the buck you say for the some of worst bang for the buck out there ?

There is no price range for wich P4 are competive!!!

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Pentium D processors are VERY much a good bang for the buck (more so then most CPU's actually).

Whaaaaaaat?????? Where have you been in the last 3 years or so?

Good bang for the buck you say for the some of worst bang for the buck out there ?

There is no price range for wich P4 are competive!!!

I'm about to prove you wrong..

So sit back and keep looking at the updates on this page. Some Pentium D processors are cheaper then a Sempron64..

 

[raven3x7]

Just one little objection on the AMD mobos. I think until Asus updates the bios in order to get more than 1.95V vdimm i think this mobo should not be recommended, particularly for X2.

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Just one little objection on the AMD mobos. I think until Asus updates the bios in order to get more than 1.95V vdimm i think this mobo should not be recommended, particularly for X2.

That's why I recommended Corsair memory. It seems to work regardless of that issue. The OCZ memory seems to have issues with that low vdimm... but I'll add a note in the price list..

Thanks

 

[IcY18]

Just one little objection on the AMD mobos. I think until Asus updates the bios in order to get more than 1.95V vdimm i think this mobo should not be recommended, particularly for X2.

the color scheme can be whatever you chose, just something to help differentiate betweeen the different levels

That's why I recommended Corsair memory. It seems to work regardless of that issue. The OCZ memory seems to have issues with that low vdimm... but I'll add a note in the price list..

Thanks

i like very much what your doing, i have a few recommendations though to make your plethora of information easier to read...

in the future you could eventually link some of the stuff,cause thats what new people building comp would like the best,

might consider atleast bolding (Motherboards) a new section or dividing with -------------
also consider make every high end title in red, every low end in blue, or something so its very easy for someone to look at the top, see that you've said blue=low end/cheap prices, and it is easy for one to flip down to all the blue sections to see the low end instead of have to look through all the high end and low end stuff for example

Motherboard Prices:

Intel Pentium D Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5LD2 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945PMotherboard: $109USD
ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945P Motherboard: $160USD

High End-
ASUS P5WD2 Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 955X Motherboard: $199USD


Intel Core 2 Duo Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5B Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $167USD
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $129USD

High End-
ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $260USD
ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X Motherboard: $270USD
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Motherboard: $270USD

so there is a visible difference between the cpu/motherboard/ram...one thing to look into for the low end is G.Skill they offer very low priced DDR2-800, and its often the recommendation for people on a very tight budget, also i would atleast include some OCZ ram for C2D, because they have proven to be good stuff...

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Just one little objection on the AMD mobos. I think until Asus updates the bios in order to get more than 1.95V vdimm i think this mobo should not be recommended, particularly for X2.

the color scheme can be whatever you chose, just something to help differentiate betweeen the different levels

That's why I recommended Corsair memory. It seems to work regardless of that issue. The OCZ memory seems to have issues with that low vdimm... but I'll add a note in the price list..

Thanks

i like very much what your doing, i have a few recommendations though to make your plethora of information easier to read...

in the future you could eventually link some of the stuff,cause thats what new people building comp would like the best,

might consider atleast bolding (Motherboards) a new section or dividing with -------------
also consider make every high end title in red, every low end in blue, or something so its very easy for someone to look at the top, see that you've said blue=low end/cheap prices, and it is easy for one to flip down to all the blue sections to see the low end instead of have to look through all the high end and low end stuff for example

Motherboard Prices:

Intel Pentium D Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5LD2 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945PMotherboard: $109USD
ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945P Motherboard: $160USD

High End-
ASUS P5WD2 Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 955X Motherboard: $199USD


Intel Core 2 Duo Compatible Motherboards:
Low End-
ASUS P5B Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $167USD
Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $129USD

High End-
ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express Motherboard: $260USD
ASUS P5W DH DELUXE/WIFI-AP Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X Motherboard: $270USD
ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Motherboard: $270USD

so there is a visible difference between the cpu/motherboard/ram...one thing to look into for the low end is G.Skill they offer very low priced DDR2-800, and its often the recommendation for people on a very tight budget, also i would atleast include some OCZ ram for C2D, because they have proven to be good stuff...

Thanks for the recommendations... again keep 'em coming. I have implemented many of your recommendations and will definatly look into G.Skill memory. As for the OCZ, it's hard to recommend it because many here aren't aware of incompatibilities (mainly with nVIDIA chipsets). I run OCZ myself though.

 

[The_Gremlin]

Nice post! Good job pulling all this info together.

AMD Athlon64 X2 AM2:
3800+: $149USD 4200+: $183USD
4000+: $379USD 4600+: $266USD
5000+: Unavailable

Has anyone seen any reviews/benchmarks of the X2 4000+??
In particular, how the larger L2 cache affects performance compared to the X2 3800+ with the same clock speed but 1/2 the L2 cache??

The pricing of the 4000+ seems out or whack, even considering the extra cache.

Also, newegg has the X2 5000+ currently "In Stock" at $699USD. This price, however seems perfectly reasonable ...

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Nice post! Good job pulling all this info together.

AMD Athlon64 X2 AM2:
3800+: $149USD 4200+: $183USD
4000+: $379USD 4600+: $266USD
5000+: Unavailable

Has anyone seen any reviews/benchmarks of the X2 4000+??
In particular, how the larger L2 cache affects performance compared to the X2 3800+ with the same clock speed but 1/2 the L2 cache??

The pricing of the 4000+ seems out or whack, even considering the extra cache.

Also, newegg has the X2 5000+ currently "In Stock" at $699USD. This price, however seems perfectly reasonable ...

thanks..

I think the 4000+ reflects the fact that AMD have discontinued 2x1MB cache X2's. Therefore that explains why the price is soo od.

As for the 5000+, I just added it.. thanks for the head ups..

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

Could a mod/admin please sticky this?

Lot's of valuable information... thanks!!!

 

[Generals]

Also, newegg has the X2 5000+ currently "In Stock" at $699USD. This price, however seems perfectly reasonable ...

just to clarify, when you say "Reasonable": would it be a better choice to buy a E6300 at $203 vs X2 5000?

thanks

 

[Flopmouth_Fish]

FTW, newegg now has the X2 5000+ for $599. Which is way too much when you can get an E6700 for the same price. Where's that $300 5000+ that BaronMatrix was tallking about?

 

[RafterManFMJ]

Thanks very much but how about some additional info?

As in,

What board is best for SLI gaming?

What Video Cards are the best for budget/mainstream/highend?

What should we do now (memory speed, for instance) if we plan to eventually overclock? What boards are good overclockers?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Frankzoola]

am2 mobos suck.. i mean, find me a good rated am2 mobo below $100 that isnt mATX.. for example that asus m2n-e i think it is costs $100, but u cant have the ram run above 1.95v and people have reported problmes with the BIOS... nforce5 needs tweeking.. im prolly just gonna get s939 (i do not plan on upgrading)

 

[corvetteguy]

AHHHH!! you actually made it. I figured something like this would happen after our "discussions" about levels of performance. Hmmm, i'll read it later to check things because i don't feel like it now.

PS. I propse a truse because I'm not angry with you anymore. I've decided that your not an idiot but have a different view than me and i understand that. So i can see why we differ on recommendations. I won't insult you anymore and maybe we won't fight anymore, and maybe will agree on some things like the pentium naming and stuff.

 

[1Tanker]

Thanks very much but how about some additional info?

As in,

What board is best for SLI gaming?

What Video Cards are the best for budget/mainstream/highend?

What should we do now (memory speed, for instance) if we plan to eventually overclock? What boards are good overclockers?

Thanks for the info!

He can't post everything in this thread, or there will be no use for the forums. Things change, and sometimes very quickly.

 

[lcandy]

And yet another thread showing that the E6300 is the best performer in it's price range by a country mile. I'm sure I saw those benchies somewhere before, I can't remember were.

I know, I know, it's not exactly what you said, I just wish everyone had an E6300 then the world would be a happier nicer place :twisted:

Sowwy for hijacking your thread (which is rather good btw), I'll go back under my covers for now.

 

[The_Gremlin]

Also, newegg has the X2 5000+ currently "In Stock" at $699USD. This price, however seems perfectly reasonable ...

just to clarify, when you say "Reasonable": would it be a better choice to buy a E6300 at $203 vs X2 5000?

thanks
I was being sarcastic.
IMHO $699 ($599 current) for any processor is rather silly considering you can get the next fastest model (X2 4800) for essentially half the price ($307 current) ... or maybe I'm just cheap!

 

[mpjesse]

Good post. If you keep it updated it'll likely get stickied.

 

[zarooch]

good work!

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

good work!

Thanks guys..

I'll be updating it weekly.. every monday.

Also be posting some info on incompatibilities etc and also news on when issues have been resolved.

So far the largest drop this week was the AMD Athlon64 X2 5000+ which was $699USD last week and now dropped to $599USD. Other then that Sempron's are on the move up north while Core 2's and Pentium D's remain steady.

 

[The_Gremlin]

Well, the X2 5000 continues it's yo-yo price at newegg as it's now up to $669.

I'm thinking newegg has some major issues with this item. I can get the X2 5000 locally for $380 CAD and even the X2 5200 is only $495 CAD.

All the other AMD CPU prices seem to be right on.

 

[jonnyli]

The E6300 OCed to 2.5 or above beats the FX-62 in ALL benchies. Just lookup "E6300 Overclock" on Google. For a 200 dollar processor, that is absolutly amazing... Of course, you would have to pay a premium on the motherboard and ram, but hey, your still saving a few hundred compared to the FX-62. Good job on this tread btw OP, its great newbies are getting the information they need, nothing worse than a misinformed newb claming his 965EE is the best processor around....or that the 5000+ is a good deal.