Yet another budget build... tips? $700 budget

Bobsama

January 26, 2007 12:14:54 AM

OK so I'm looking at this setup... nice and cheap. I was thinking of going for simply rebuilding my computer in my current case, but since the PSU is dying after 5 years (it lasted long for a non-name 300w oem psu bundled with the case), I wanted to get a new case and a newer psu. Hopefully this one will last me at least 3 years...

Current computer (that was made by my uncle; his last build)...
Intel Celeron 2.0GHz (400 FSB), Socket 478, 128kb L2 cache
Intel D845PESV, DDR DIMM 1 burned out, AGP 4x, Onboard LAN and whatnot
1GB PC2100 DDR1 RAM
PNY GeForce FX 5200, 128mb ddr, AGP 4x/8x
Windows XP Home SP2 (not 2b, yet), 2002 version
80GB 7200RPM E-IDE Hard Drive
50x CD-ROM drive, IDE
300-watt OEM power supply
No-name case in white/silver (looks pretty cool actually, not half-bad!)
3.5" Floppy drive in white, rarely used

The upgrade...
Case & PSU - $33.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1681...
Hard Drive - $52.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1682...
Video Card - $42.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1681...
DVD-ROM drive - $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1682...
RAM - $85.49
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1682...
Motherboard - $107.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1681...
CPU - $179.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1681...
Floppy & MCR - $17.24
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E1682...
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E1682...
OS - $119.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E1683...

That's a generic case and power-supply. 160gb sata hard drive at $0.33/gig. Hold-me-over-to-DX10 video card, GeForce 7300LE. DVD-ROM drive. 1GB of DDR2-667. Gigabyte GA-965P-S3. Intel C2D E4300. 3.5" floppy and memory-card-reader. Windows Vista Home Premium.

It may not look like much, but it will be much faster then my current computer. I want to get a GeForce 8600 or something a bit after they're released. The video card is only $47 (w/ shipping).

Subtotal... $657.67
Shipping... $33.28
Total... $690.95

More about : budget build tips 700 budget

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Bobsama

January 26, 2007 12:19:07 AM

Oh yeah... I want to overclock the CPU to 333mhz fsb or so. The RAM won't be too much or too cheap... it will be underclocked at stock, though I hope I can make it at 333*9, or 3ghz. It's a good overclock, i doubt i'll need aftermarket cooling. The RAM isnt for an overclock... but overclocking the CPU isn't going to harm the RAM--it'll probably help more.

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akhilles

January 26, 2007 12:40:03 AM

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Bobsama

January 26, 2007 11:23:54 AM

I'm sort of a gamer... the 7300LE is a hold-me-over card, unlike my FX 5200 was.

What I like from you....
CPU - Same as mine
Mobo - Same as mine
RAM - I don't like 2-stick stuff and I doubt I'll be able to do a 100% overclock. 67% at best with stock
GPU - I don't want a DX9 card; DX10 is coming. I'll upgrade to GeForce 8600 when they drop below $180.
HDD - Good price per gig, but I doubt I'll use all 250gb of it for a while. I'll burn data DVDs instead. I already have a 80gb drive that I <might> carry over for Ubuntu
PSU - Looks alright
Case - Eh... it's so-so.

The point is you forgot Windows and shipping. That system would easily be $150 more ($150 that i could use for upgrades).

Most games I play are more CPU-based then GPU-based... a decent GPU is usually needed though.

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akhilles

January 26, 2007 11:30:40 AM

They're not set in stone. You can change anything you want.

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Bobsama

January 26, 2007 4:12:23 PM

I know.

I think i like my setup more... it seems I'll actually use it all and waste less money.

Any tips on anything?

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akhilles

January 26, 2007 6:47:19 PM

Your specs are fine except for the psu. I'd pick something better like the Fortron.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10...

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Bobsama

January 28, 2007 3:32:47 PM

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yquo

January 28, 2007 4:33:06 PM

CPU
90 usd AMD Athlon64 3500+
135 usd AMD Athlon X2 3800+

Motherboard
56 usd ECS nForce4
58 usd ECS ATI Xpress 1100
85 usd Asus GeForce 6150
90 usd Abit GeForce 6150
105 usd Sapphire ATI Xpress 3200

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=N82E1681...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681...
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

32 usd DVDRW Samsung

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

or Intel CPU
188 usd Core2 Duo 6300
222 usd Core2 Duo 6400
316 usd Core2 Duo 6600

Motherboard
60 usd Abit IP-95
77 usd Gigabyte 945G
83 usd Intel 946GZ
83 usd Gigabyte 945G
85 usd Abit 945P
92 usd MSI P965
99 usd MSI G965
140 usd ASUS nvidia 650i

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Bobsama

January 28, 2007 4:59:33 PM

Em... thanks but I don't do AMD stuff right now. I already have a NetBurst (old P4-era Celeron) and I want Core.

I'm probably going to hold off on this build until the GeForce 8600 Ultra is released for $180.

Overclocking a thing I will do. The E4300 should be better, as I only plan to bring it to 3ghz on stock cooling. Less expesnive RAM too.

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Gundam1s

January 28, 2007 5:11:55 PM

Just a suggestion on the Case
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 - very popular building case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681...

and if you must go with the lower end PSU's
I'd probably recommend theses.
HIPRO TOP-500P5 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E1681...
FSP Group (Fortron Source)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E1681...

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Bobsama

January 28, 2007 5:58:54 PM

I might just fit that case into the build...almost a thousand reviews?!? wow...

I'll look it over, add it to the list. I doubt I'll use toolless features; any good cooling cases without toolless? I don't mind taking both sides of the case off to securely mount a hard drive... using screws in general doesn't bother me. Even if I don't take both sides off, sliding it into a bay and screwing one side in is very stable none-the-less.

I like the XClio A380; the two 25cm fans will give me preformance about equal to $100-$150 water-cooling systems, without the fuss and whatnot.

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