Price this gaming rig!

[warpus]

Ok.. Here's the deal.. I spent the last 6 hours or so reading up on the latest developments in the computer hardware world.. I read reviews, looked at various sites, read up on SLI, DDR2, Dual Core, 64 bit processing, nForce 590, SATA, PCI Express, took notes, etc. The last time I did something like this was years ago, when I put together my current rig.

My goal then was to put together an impressive gaming system that would:
1. be easily upgradeable
2. used new technologies
3. was amazing for games
4. wasn't too expensive

This is what I came up with:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Case Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower w/ side window

PS Ultra X2 Connect 550-Watt Modular Power Supply

Mobo EVGA nForce 590 SLI NVIDIA Socket AM2 (940) ATX Motherboard /
Audio / PCI Express / SLI / Dual Gigabit LAN / USB 2.0 & Firewire /
Serial ATA / RAID

CPU AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.20GHz / 1MB Cache / 1000MHz FSB /
Socket AM2 / Dual-Core (Windsor)

RAM OCZ Titanium Dual Channel 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory
(2 x 1024MB) with FREE OCZ Thermal Compound

HD Seagate / 320GB / 7200 / 16MB / SATA-300 / OEM

GPU EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640MB GDDR3 / SLI / PCI Express /
Dual DVI
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1. How much would you pay for something like this? Give me a rough estimate please.. I want to compare estimates to what I have managed to find. If I have found sweet deals, as I think I have, your estimates should be higher than what I have written down. Canadian or US Dollars are fine, I can convert.

2. Would you make any minor (or major) changes to this setup, if you could?

I am including a picture of the case, as that might be the only thing that might be hard to price without a visual.

My plan is to buy a more powerful ps & another 8800 GTS and to hook the two 8800s up via SLI.. in about a year or so.. or whenever the price of the 8800 goes down far enough for me to consider it

I have an older Audigy 2, a black Benq DVD burner, a black floppy drive, and a 19" 2ms Viewsonic LCD display to contribute to this from my current rig. These will complement my new purchases in my new gaming rig.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[markkleb]

I like the case but the Ultra PS is low end. (especially with the GPU you want)

And the new mobos will be released soon, probably better to wait a little for them.
http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?t=7112

It should cost about $1300 to 1400 US.

 

[apt403]

how much would i pay? psu is not that high in quality, and i wouldnt even consider getting an AMD cpu right now, if you changed those things to a good psu and a Core 2 Duo (and obviously a new mobo) then i would pay about $1400, if you didnt change them i would pay at most $1150 and use the pc for parts.

if your thinking of getting this system i would strongly recomend a C2D, much better performance.

 

[warpus]

What kind of powersupply would you guys recommend? I really like the modular aspect of the ultra X2. I read that a 400W PS would be enough for the 8800GTS.. so I figured that the 550W should be more than enough. Not so?

To be honest I am thinking of going with the case/PS because I found the combo for $135 canadian.. Which is an amazing deal, IMO.

 

[apt403]

I read that a 400W PS would be enough for the 8800GTS.. so I figured that the 550W should be more than enough. Not so?

a 550w psu should have enough power, but that dosent mean the psu is quality, the brand means alot, this is a good psu, its not modular, but it wont die on you within 3 months either.

 

[hella-d]

I Disagree About The Core2 Duo If He Wants Athlon 64 Theres Nothing Wrong With His Choice (Mabey Hes And AMD Fan) When I Build My Next System Its Gona Be... Da Da Da Da... AMD!! AMDs May Be Slower But You Will Save Money Overall Because In Most Cases AMD Motherboards Are Cheaper And Just Because They Are "Slower" Than A C2D Does Not Make Them Slow.

Just Look What Im Running And Theres Is Not A Game That I Cannot Run Smoothly Or MP3 I Cant Rip Quickly Simply Put

 

[apt403]

what the hell are you smoking? whats up with the capitalization of the first letter in every word?

anyway, get a C2D, its a better cpu. the cheaper angle isnt going to work here, the amd cpu he picked is $3 less then an E6300, and that mobo is about $10 more then the P5B Deluxe.

 

[warpus]

Hella-D How happy are you with the 8800GTS?

And what do you think of my 2 SLI 8800GTs next year and a new PS strategy? I doubt I'd have trouble playing many games, but if the 8800GTS drops far enough I'd get a 2nd one for kicks... and the future

 

[pinkcaddy]

This is what I came up with:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Case Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower w/ side window

PS Ultra X2 Connect 550-Watt Modular Power Supply

Mobo EVGA nForce 590 SLI NVIDIA Socket AM2 (940) ATX Motherboard /
Audio / PCI Express / SLI / Dual Gigabit LAN / USB 2.0 & Firewire /
Serial ATA / RAID

CPU AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.20GHz / 1MB Cache / 1000MHz FSB /
Socket AM2 / Dual-Core (Windsor)

RAM OCZ Titanium Dual Channel 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory
(2 x 1024MB) with FREE OCZ Thermal Compound

HD Seagate / 320GB / 7200 / 16MB / SATA-300 / OEM

GPU EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640MB GDDR3 / SLI / PCI Express /
Dual DVI
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like the Ultra case, but I definitely wouldn't go with their PSU. I'm like Hiper. Seasonic is a great PSU as well. Have you checked out the power configurator? With that GPU, you'll need a good amount of power and you'll need to make sure your power supply can handle it.

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

I'm also a big fan of Asus mobos, but that EVGA is good to. Personally, I'd reccomend Corsair memory (especially if you choose an Asus mobo). Lastly, for the HD, make sure you get the Seagate 7200.10. You may have meant that and didn't specify it, but it has the perpindicular recording technology. If you really want to get nutty, get a WD Raptor hard drive to put your OS and apps on and use the Seagate for data.

Cheers!

 

[pinkcaddy]

As an addendum, I would reccomend the Core2Duo as well. The price performance is so much better than AMD right now. If you are not partial to a particular processor and are looking for the best performance for cost, then I definitely suggest you get the Core2Duo (E6400 or E6600).

 

[bobfan]

get the amd x2 4600+ so that your memory will run at 800 mhz speed and not 733 with the 4200+.

 

[hella-d]

A Ciggarette, And Thats Just They Way That I Type, So Kindly Buzz Off

 

[hella-d]

Thank You Bob

 

[hella-d]

Yes, Im Quite Happy With My 8800GTS (Overclocked Its Very Close To The Performance Of A GTX) As For Running Two, Not Nessesary (Hope I Spelled That Right) But Not A Bad Idea It May BECOME Nessesary

 

[markkleb]

LOL I hate words I dont use often...
If there is a chance for you going SLI definately get a 700 or up PS

And I agree Thanks Bob, I didnt know that either..

 

[bigsby]

Just so you know, OCZ ram does not work very well on AM2 motherboards. I would go with Corsair XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL4 ram instead. It'll work very well in your motherboard.

Getting a 4600+ might be good as well.

Oh and it's not like because the C2D's are better, he absolutely has to get one. My current rig is an AMD, not because I like AMD any more than Intel (just made a c2d for a friend a few weeks ago, told him which parts to get and all), but because I really hated all the fanboyisms that were going on (AMD SUX, GET CONROE!!! type thing)

 

[purplerat]

whats up with all the bashing of the PSU? I have that same one running my 8800GTS and it's great. Ultra makes a lot of really good bargain components. I've used there RAM cases and PSUs all with great results. For a modular PSU with that much power and a nice design (120mm fan, UV light, clear sides) it was a great deal at the $50 I paid for it.

 

[purplerat]

You might want to reconsider the RAM you're using. OCZ Titanium is server RAM. You'd be better of with Gold or Platinum depending on what your price range is.