Need suggestion on budget CPU for gaming.

[boozie]

In short, I have $600 to spend to buy a whole packaged computer (integrated gfx for now and 1gb ram minimum, will get gpu at a later date). I'm not piecing anything together. This includes xp and a monitor (like I said, budget). So I'm wondering what is best for gaming. This comp is for my little brother and right now all he plays is WoW. He's not into FPS games, I think MMO's are more of anythign he'll be using the comp for, maybe some RTS, maybe.

So this puts me at something like pentium D 805 or some single core athlon 64's I think if I find a good deal. (i don't think I can get an AM2 in this price range, so I'll probably stick to 939, don't know a whole lot about this stuff) Single core performs better for gaming sometimes right? Just wondering what cpu people think I should keep my eyes peeled for in a packaged computer, or even what ones I should stay away from.

This something like what I had in mind.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Gateway-Desktop-PC-GT5242E/sem/rpsm/oid/165325/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

The guy at the store told me it was AM2, but I looked into it and don't think there are any 4000+ that are for AM2.

Anyways, thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[HotFoot]

The system on your link looks pretty good for what you say it'll be used for. At $600 before taxes with a monitor included (after mail-in rebates which I hate), the system is a good deal. You'll have to live with integrated graphics for a little while, but you should be able to drop in a discrete graphics card later if you find you need it.

I also think a PD805 system would be a good option at this price point, since you can get one very cheap with a budget mobo and still get performance by overclocking it.

 

[NMDante]

Yeah, the mail in rebate sucks, and it also means you'll have to pay around $800+ first for the Desktop package, which blows the $600 budget. They are Circuit City discounts, though, which might help (or hurt, depending on the rebate center).

Otherwise, that's not a bad deal. Not sure if it's an AM2 system, but maybe a 939, which limits upgrades a bit.

*edit*
Looks like a 939 system, since it's using DDR memory.
Also, you might want to check more thoroughly if it has an AGP/PCI-e slot on the motherboard for GPU upgrade, before purchasing. Nothing in the spec sheet stating available video card slot. So, OP might be stuck with integrated graphics for that system.

 

[boozie]

it has a pci-e slot. The $ doesn't matter up front as long is long term is $600 before tax.

Does anybody know where the pd 805 ranks vs any of the 939's (for gaming)? I don't know if I can get the computer before that deal ends so I may be looking at under a 4000+ athlon 64.

 

[NamelessMC]

First, ask yourself what you want to get for what budget, and then see how you can reach that goal.

Intel is on top right now, but what are you trying to get objectively?

What I'm noticing is that you're going with an AMD set up even though you're planning to upgrade long term.

There's something you should know-

AMD is phasing out its socket 939 processors, so you have to get the best bang-for-buck 939 you can to last you until later on.

That set-up doesn't even include a monitor and it's 600$ after rebates.

I could probably get you a system pieced together for 600$ or so, that'd have an AMD processor, a stand-alone GPU that'd dominate that system in bench-marks without rebates involved.

 

[boozie]

In my local ad, they have the same computer w/ a 17" monitor for $50 more I think. (I don't have it on hand)

I don't think I can get an AM2 socket for 600 or less and still get 1gb ram and a monitor. PD doesn't use a 775 I assume. Either way I don't think this computer is going to recieve a cpu upgrade ever. I've never installed one and this isn't even for me.

I probably have a month before he buys something, but I don't know enough about the computer market to know if anythings near the horizon to drive down the price of older technology.

I haven't built a comp before and since this isn't even mine I don't plan on doing it by piece parts, cheaper or not.

edit:
http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/165325/bundleId/7077/rpem/ccd/bundleDetail.do

printer+monitor and still under $600 but I only have until tomorrow for it

Need advice on whether or not I get it fast or let it go and wait for something else.

 

[NamelessMC]

No, don't get it.

It's not a great deal.

Look at what I put together for under $500.

500 dollar budget build

I'm sure you can find a monitor and printer for $100 or so, and this system is better. The processor is only 300 below, but the San Diego 3700 is a great processor. 1 gig of ram, more hard drive space, a WAY better video-card, better power supply, better motherboard and better case.

The ram is also 2x 512 (Dual channel) versus what is probably a 1 gb stick in that Gateway set up.

 

[boozie]

I think you need to make that public wish list instead of personal.

I don't really want to get a non-prepackedaged computer because I don't want the responsibility of troubleshooting it. I don't know what's in the link, but i need windows xp as well =/.

 

[elbert]

In short, I have $600 to spend to buy a whole packaged computer (integrated gfx for now and 1gb ram minimum, will get gpu at a later date). I'm not piecing anything together. This includes xp and a monitor (like I said, budget). So I'm wondering what is best for gaming. This comp is for my little brother and right now all he plays is WoW. He's not into FPS games, I think MMO's are more of anythign he'll be using the comp for, maybe some RTS, maybe.

So this puts me at something like pentium D 805 or some single core athlon 64's I think if I find a good deal. (i don't think I can get an AM2 in this price range, so I'll probably stick to 939, don't know a whole lot about this stuff) Single core performs better for gaming sometimes right? Just wondering what cpu people think I should keep my eyes peeled for in a packaged computer, or even what ones I should stay away from.

This something like what I had in mind.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Gateway-Desktop-PC-GT5242E/sem/rpsm/oid/165325/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

The guy at the store told me it was AM2, but I looked into it and don't think there are any 4000+ that are for AM2.

Anyways, thanks in advance for any advice.

Bad deal IMO. first its not dual core and second its max RAM is 2GB's. Plan on buying again in under 2 years and moving up to 2GB's of RAM will requires you throw way the 1GB. This system will not be worth upgrading to dual or quad cores so really there is no upside. This is a better deal IMO due to it has the an X2 3800+ but it has the same limit of 2GB's of RAM. The Motherboard is an AM2 with a 6150LE GPU.
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=BROWSE&N=200005&Ns=display%5Fprice%7C0&product_code=27831&Pn=Bundle:_eMachines_T6540_PC_3800_AMD_Athlon_64_X2_Dual_Core_processor_and_17_inch_LCD_Monitor

 

[NMDante]

Not a bad deal, better than the OP's original choice, since it is AM2, and much easier to upgrade, CPU wise, anyway.

How would just having 1 stick of 512MB for memory affect performance on that system? Just curious.

 

[NamelessMC]

Okay my wish list has been made public.

You don't want to go with dual core AMD. It's not really worth it.

 

[elbert]

Not a bad deal, better than the OP's original choice, since it is AM2, and much easier to upgrade, CPU wise, anyway.

How would just having 1 stick of 512MB for memory affect performance on that system? Just curious.

On WOW, OP's main game, shouldnt be much but at a savings of around $90 the OP could just upgrade with another 512MB's. Dual core and a 1GB for the same price.

 

[boozie]

I was under the impression that single cores can still hold a candle in gaming to dual cores. Again i've never upgraded a cpu and probably never will(especially if it's not mine) so it's buy the computer use it, buy another one down the road (gpu and ram i do upgrade). That's lacking 1gb ram. I need 1 gb ram for gaming.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=486&model2=480&chart=170

Shows the 4000+ beating the cpu you have. I don't know how to tell if the 4000+ is san diego vs clawhammer tho, I just know clawhammer is really old so I assume it's not.

I'm not multi-tasking here, just gaming.

edit: you snuck in your retort while i was typing mine, I still don't know about single core vs dual tho for gaming at my price range.

 

[elbert]

I was under the impression that single cores can still hold a candle in gaming to dual cores. Again i've never upgraded a cpu and probably never will(especially if it's not mine) so it's buy the computer use it, buy another one down the road (gpu and ram i do upgrade). That's lacking 1gb ram. I need 1 gb ram for gaming.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=486&model2=480&chart=170

Shows the 4000+ beating the cpu you have. I don't know how to tell if the 4000+ is san diego vs clawhammer tho, I just know clawhammer is really old so I assume it's not.

I'm not multi-tasking here, just gaming.

edit: you snuck in your retort while i was typing mine, I still don't know about single core vs dual tho for gaming at my price range.

Thats the 939 X2 3800+ but here is the AM2 X3800+ on the same chart.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=486&model2=471&chart=170

 

[NMDante]

I think they will perform about the same, since the memory isn't DDR2-800, on that CompUSA deal.

 

[elbert]

I think they will perform about the same, since the memory isn't DDR2-800, on that CompUSA deal.

True but your also getting the better GPU. The gateway has the 6100 and the Emachine has the 6150.

 

[Blacken]

Bad deal IMO. first its not dual core and second its max RAM is 2GB's. Plan on buying again in under 2 years and moving up to 2GB's of RAM will requires you throw way the 1GB. This system will not be worth upgrading to dual or quad cores so really there is no upside.

I agree completely. Your best bet is to eBay it for the best deal. 800 dollars is absolutely not worth it for that system (not to mention on-board video forcing you to buy a half-decent vc). And if you want to play games, that 800 bucks is now around 1000$ all for a single core Athlon 64 4000.

Personaly, I'd buy your power first with that 600$ - look for a 975 or 965 mobo as it will have upgradable longevity, 200 dollar videocard, an E6300, 1gb DDR2 (to begin with) or sadly 512 if your budget can't handle it, a 80+gb HD (to begin with), and that 400watt PSU Circutcity has for 50 or 60 bucks. IMO your preferences should go, 1. mobo 2. ram. 3. videocard 4. cpu, and so on. An E6300 would be a good cheap starting point on a highly upgradeable socket. SATA hard drives are cheap and won't differ a whole hell of a lot in performance unless it's raid and your ram is going to factor highly into your gameplay as a stuttering game loading continuously from a hd is almost not worth playing.My 2 cents.

 

[boozie]

ahhh I'm really bad w/ the model names.

thx for all the help guys. I like the compusa deal but do you think it'll come back in stock before it goes away? (not available in stores)

My only other thought is gateway > eMachines or is it all the same basically?

edit: in response to above. I'm not piecing this thing together, I'm going to a store or ordering it and plugging it in when it shows up. End of story. I don't OC I don't swap out mobos or cpus and I also don't trust ebay.

 

[elbert]

ahhh I'm really bad w/ the model names.

thx for all the help guys. I like the compusa deal but do you think it'll come back in stock before it goes away? (not available in stores)

My only other thought is gateway > eMachines or is it all the same basically?

edit: in response to above. I'm not piecing this thing together, I'm going to a store or ordering it and plugging it in when it shows up. End of story. I don't OC I don't swap out mobos or cpus and I also don't trust ebay.

gateway and emachine is the same more or less. gateway owns emachine and the parts are the same for around the same models.

 

[Blacken]

I bought an eMachine 2 years ago and have been very pleased with it. Never liked Gateway and don't mind Compaq. Dell isn't as bad as you'd think either. Just don't intend on understanding a word that customer service speaks.

 

[bliq]

You can configure a Dell with a 17" monitor A64 3200+, 1GB RAM, a DVD-RW for $574. If you could stretch the budget to $800, there's a 20% off $999 coupon on Dealsea that could probably get you a nice machine.

Other than that, there are tons of deals for A64 powered Compaqs from best buy for less than $500. Emachines could be good too.

But here's a thought, have you looked for a local system builder (a store, not just a person) that might be able to custom build you something for a reasonable price?

 

[bliq]

here's another alternative from iBuyPower.com which I hear is pretty decent...

Raidmax Ares Gaming Tower Case w/420W Power Supply
Athlon 64 X2 3800+ dual core
GigaByte GA-M55SLI-S4 nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Audio, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB
1GB RAM
Geforce 7300GS graphics, that has to be better than 6150
160GB SATA HDD
DVD-RW
onboard sound and NIC
keybd and mouse
even matching black optical and floppy. Plus the case looks cooler than Compaq or Gateway or Emachines.


Bonus:
3yr limited warranty and lifetime tech support


*** FREE STUFF (T-Shirt and GAMES!!!)***
[Free] Tom Clancy Rainbow Six Vegas Game must purchase with AMD Athlon 64 X2/Mobile AMD Turion 64/Turion 64 X2 Processor based system [+ $0]
[Free] iBUYPOWER Aegis Case - for your Games, Accessories, Disks, Manuals ... etc. --- $19.99 value [+ $0]
[Free] iBUYPOWER T-Shirt with AMD 64 X2 Logo on front and back with Archlord Game Graphic --- $19.99 value [+ $0]
Free Game - [Hero] [+ $0]
Free Games - [Age of Empires III] and [Rise Of Nations: Rise Of Legend] must purchase with AMD Athlon 64 X2/Mobile AMD Turion 64/Turion 64 X2 Processor based system

Total cost: $604. I'd rather have this than the Gateway you originally picked out. $4 over budget and shipping/possible taxes but no rebate hassles.

 

[boozie]

While the computer you linked looks nice, no monitor or win XP so that puts me way over. Unfortunately 600 is the limit, 620 or something like that could be done but not really much more than that.

I will take you up on the local system builder idea though.

I'm still tempted to get one of the comps talked aobut earlier (the gateway i linked or the compusa emachines) but I'm going to wait for now.

 

[bliq]

Shoot, sorry bout that, I assumed it had XP home...

 

[yquo]

CPU 90 usd AMD Athlon64 3500+

Motherboard
58 usd ECS ATI Xpress 1100
85 usd Asus GeForce 6150
90 usd Abit GeForce 6150

Memory 90 usd 1 Gb DDR2 667

Hard Drive 80 usd Seagate 250 Gb 16 Mb SataII

Video Card
120 usd evga 7600 GT
160 usd evga 7900 GS
150 usd Radeon X1900GT

Case 25 usd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147056
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147057
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147058
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147059
or 60 usd Antec Solution with PSU

PSU 40 usd FSP 400W 18A dual rails

LCD
160 usd 17” Viewsonic 12ms
160 usd 17” Acer 8ms

190 usd 19” Acer 5ms

DVDRW
32 usd Samsung DVDRW

keyboard & mouse
35 usd Ms optical
45 usd Ms optical
54 usd Ms laser

Athlon64 3500+, ECS Xpress 1100 with Radeon X200 onboard, 1 Gb DDR2, 250 Gb, Antec with psu case, 17" LCD, DVDRW, mouse & keyb TOTAL usd 603 + sh + OS