Building first gaming PC, have $1500. What to get?

[shakespear]

I have built systems in the past but its been 5 years (College) since I built one.

Overclocking is beyond me. I just want to put the components in and be done. I have been looking at Dell's XPS systems.

I just want a fast machine with good graphics.

I have a 19" LCD so I dont really need a new one right now. Same goes for keyboard (I have a Z-board) and mouse.

What CPU/Mobo should I base it around?

What graphic card/s?

Thanks for your help!

 

[ryanthesav]

Check it!

 

[ausch30]

How much storage do you want/need, do you want compatability for SLI or crossfire, do you need it now or can you wait 2 months?

 

[ausch30]

Now:
MOBO
RAM
Video
HDD
DVD
CPU
PSU

Total= 1149.94 + shipping leaves you about $200 for an OS and just about any case you might want.

In two months I would change the e6700 to the e6850 and get 667 memory instead of 533

 

[Dybowski]

1500$ is alot if your just gonna game.

Grab your self a 8800gts 320mb and that will run all the games on your 19' out now.

A Cheap AM2 Proc and 2gigs of ram should do fine. Even Value ram.

Look at this article
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/05/11/system_builder_marathon/index.html

Shows how and 8800gtx on a budget system outperforms a good system with a 8800gts 320.

But if your bent on spending some serious cash just grab a 8800gtx and a Core2Duo setup.

 

[lumper]

I just want a fast machine with good graphics.

well then below is good, but you also said:

"Overclocking is beyond me. I just want to put the components in and be done."

so that being said you might want to spend a little more and grab a well priced x6700 or 6800.

if you wont overclock you will get great performance out of the larger chip, thing is overclocking nowadays is simple and easy to do, you can get the chips below within your budget and run them at the speeds of the much more expensive chips saving you alot of money and delievering you great performance.

ID get e6600 or 6420 ( if you deciode to over clock which you can then these will be great)

if you dont want to overclock at all, then go for a slightly more expensive ($400.00 more) for a x6700 or x6800.

most will argue though that you can get that same performance with the less expensive chip and just adjust the settings in the bios per the instructions with good hardware ie: memory and gpu and mobo.

p35 chipset mobo,
2 gigs pc 800
8800gtx
good psu, antec tri 650 or better

thats good graphics, in your budget, upgradable and if overclocked will run like a raped ape.

not sure what else you needed to add, but I believe you can put that together for around 1100 or 1200 $ leaving you room for drives, coolers, cables, case, etc.. unless you go with the x6800 then that would run 1500 to 1700$ still really close to yoru budget, if you dont overclock you will still be in the top of the food chain, and if you ever decide to you will have an even nastier beast.

I only say those chips because you have 1500 budget, those chips are about the best bang for the buck out right now and you can with decent cooling really get alot out of them.

the benches did show the budget machine outperforming the mid range at very high resolutions, but in the end the same article said they would not recommend that budget pc to anyone, just demonstrating somthing, the best value for overall performance was the 6600.

the best performer though is still the x6800 and if overclocked not much otu today that will touch it.
I found two on ebay for $635.00 today too so if you decide to go that route you save liek 500$ from just a few weeks ago and grab one.


Lump

 

[shakespear]

Thanks for the replies. Soryr it took so long but I cant post from home because the forum requires cookies.