I'm broke!!! But I need a gaming pc

[jodahs1]

Ok first and foremost thanks for checking this out.

I am planning to build a gaming pc. I spent the last 2-3 weeks reading forums, and reviews of the different components I need to build this pc. I simply want to play COD4, SC, and the old Zero hour ( best CC ever made CC 3 sux! ), and watch your ocassional naruto). So here's my list.

(CPU-Processor)I decided to get a Q6600- $295 with the G0 stepping. According to the reviews they say it will be easier to oc.
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1938452&CMP=OTC- Adwords&gclid=CI2Uj9Cmh44CFSasGgoduj2cEw

Motherboard , My research led me to this GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R.-- 129.00-139.00
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4830711#
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050

THE HARD DRIVE, I don't know if I should get an 80GB hard drive, and get a 500GB external GB. One of the technicians I spoke to told me it is the best thing to do to help the computer to run smoothly. If that's false, I found two internal 500GB Harddrive to purchase: ----109.00-120.00
http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=CA3476919&tab=4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136111

I don't know what type of RAM I should use, I know I should get a 2-4 GB of DDR2. One of the reviews sugested not to purchase the RAM they're compatible with the Motherboard....So I don't know what type of Ram I should get.

As for the VIDEO CARD, I am in somewhat undecisive. I was thinking about getting the x1950, x1950pro, x1950xt, The 8600GTS, The 8800 GTS (320 mb) or the (640mb). My main concern is that there is no posibility for me of purchasing another card 3-6 months from now. I want to buy something that will allow me to play the games that I mention before, and some future games. My problem with the X1950s is that they're 256mbs, what if 6 months from now, the 52mb is required to play games? Then I'm going to be stuck! Maybe it's paranoia!
Either way, I am leaning towards the 8800GTS 320mb or the 640 mb (the gtx is way too expensive)

I don't have a clue as to what type of FAN I should buy. I don't think I am going to do that much OC. One, I don't have a clue how to OC, a pc. Two I'll be too paranoied to do anything after spending so much money..lol...But why buy the G0 then? I don't know, i want to have the option to oc if I want to. . I just hope that the fan that the processor comes with will be enough. If not, then I'm all ears.

CASE, I had a old computer from before I think I should be able to use that case. I mean I don't really care what the case looks like, I would put a garbage can in front of me as long as it delivers. . Does the Case really matter?

I am open to any-to-all sugestions or advice. Just keep in mind the Performance/dollar ratio is paramount for my buget and requirements for my gaming needs. Thank you again...
Wait...How the heck am I going to put all these things together...anyone has a Guide?

 

[Gh0stDrag0n]

I would look into the 250 to 320GB internal hard drives. Go with the 8800GTS 320Mb. 2GB ddr2 667 or 800 Crucial, OCZ, or Corsair. You will need a good PSU check out Corsair's 520 HX. Ask yourself if you really need the Q6600, The e6550 or e6750 are also good processors. You will also need a operating system. Check the forum for how to build a PC.

 

[andybird123]

I'd go with the 640mb personally, as I play several games now (e.g. GRAW2) that require more than 320mb for the High texture setting, and medium looks awful in comparison. The 640 will give you a better chance of running with higher settings over the next few months (I find turning down AA or resolution acceptable to visual quality, but turning down textures is like drawing blood)

Hard drive, go with a decent sized internal - the transfer speeds of internal drives are much higher so I'd question the logic of getting an external drive and expecting it to work faster than an internal. Having a boot/apps/games drive, with a separate bigger/slower data (movies and music) drive can give a marginal improvement to loading times.

 

[Maziar]

if u play @ resolutions lower than 1600x1200 , then get the 8800gts 320 and save some money , but if u play @ 1600x1200 and higher , then get 8800gts 640 , but andy is right , games like GRAW2 , DOOM3 need 512 to be maxed out (ultra high) ,

 

[systemlord]

I'd go with the 640mb personally, as I play several games now (e.g. GRAW2) that require more than 320mb for the High texture setting, and medium looks awful in comparison. The 640 will give you a better chance of running with higher settings over the next few months (I find turning down AA or resolution acceptable to visual quality, but turning down textures is like drawing blood)

Hard drive, go with a decent sized internal - the transfer speeds of internal drives are much higher so I'd question the logic of getting an external drive and expecting it to work faster than an internal. Having a boot/apps/games drive, with a separate bigger/slower data (movies and music) drive can give a marginal improvement to loading times.

andybird123 is right,I was just going to say that your options in the coming months will be limited with the 8800 GTS 340, so get the 8800 GTS 640. As for playing GRAW 1 or 2 andybird123 is right about needing more than 512mb to enable high quality textures.

 

[pous]

I agree... 8800GTS 320 or 640 (as your budget allows)

As for RAM I'd recommend G.Skill 2x1GB Kit from Newegg, it's only $85 for DDR2 PC2 6400. If you want to spend a little more (110 I think) you can get a real nice Crucial kit with faster timings (still 2x1gb, same ddr2 800 etc)

I personally don't think you should get a 500mb external hdd. I'd recommend the seagate barracuda 320gb from newegg, it's only $80 and it will be more than enough space to get you started.... if you find yourself lacking later on you can certainly get another.

Case does matter, without proper cooling and airflow those nice fancy parts you're buying will turn to rubbish. I'd recommend the Centurion 534 if you're not wanting to spend much on a case, or if you can spend a little more take a look at the Thermaltake Armor series cases, or the Antec P180/182/900 series.

As far as a fan for the CPU, you shouldn't necessarily NEED one... but if you really want look into the Thermalright 120 series... or the Zalman's... I don't know exact numbers for those, but from what I've been told they're the top dogs. (Some people would put Scythe in the top as well, I think after a while it's just personal preference)

Hope that helps, good luck with your build

 

[johngoodwin]

I simply want to play COD4, SC, and the old Zero hour ( best CC ever made CC 3 sux! ), and watch your ocassional naruto)

To be quite honest, with that as your criteria, you can do that on a $500 budget machine.

Did you have some reason for wanting the higher specs for someone who titled their posting, "I'm broke" ?

John

 

[zdvil]

It doesn't look like you're broke. But anyway, get the 8800GTS since you seem to have the money, as for the ram, are you using xp/vista 64? If not, 2gb should be fine.

also... RA2 is way better than C&CG: zerohour. I prefer C&C3, zero hour is too slow.

 

[zenmaster]

Yeah, It's not often that somebody posts, "I'm Broke - Please help me build a $1200 computer."

 

[ryan7107]

I think you have to step back and think about this one, you don't sound like you really need a $1200 PC, if you got that much to spend, maybe add a monitor to the build or something.
If price/performance is the most important to you, you should be looking at a Core 2 chip in the $150 range not the $300.
I get the feeling that the 8800GTS 320mb card is more then sufficient for you, and honestly overkill for what you want to play.
2 gigs of DDR2 ram is fine for you, timings won't really matter for you as you say you aren't overclocking. Should be under $100.
No reason that you need an external hard drive.
The case might matter, what case are you planning on putting this in? A decent coolmaster centurion case can be had for ~$50.
You'll need a decent power supply, too. Expect to spend ~$75.

 

[chowner]

go with a mac

 

[Onus]

There's ALWAYS a drone...

 

[Onus]

Anyway, we do need a budget to offer useful suggestions.
For me, the essential quality of a case it that it must offer sufficient airflow to keep your system cool. I look for front and rear fans. A secondary consideration is noise. 120mm fans will be quieter than 80mm fans, and move more air.
The Gigabyte mobo is a good choice.

 

[johnnyq1233]

Sounds like you don't need a gaming machine!
YOU NEED A JOB !!!!!!

 

[jodahs1]

OMg...thank you very much for replying, I really appreciate your insights and your suggestions. I guess I need to clarify a few things:

I picked the q6600 because of the 4 processors, which I think is a great investment which will be game worthy for the next year or so ( I hope). I hope the Q6600 is enough to run Call of Duty 4 , Supreme COmmander smoothly. Should I choose a different CPU? (E6600? E6700? E6850?). Because my next upgrade will be in 2009

So far everyone has agreed that the mobo is a good choice. The hard drive, I don't whether to go with the WD 500gb, or the baraccuda 500gb. Because if 320mb is 80$ why not pay $20 more fore another 180 gb.

As for the video card, I am did some more research last night, I am down to the x1950xt, the 8800 gts 320mb or the 640mb. (leaning towards the 640mb)

The fans...I guess it's highly recommended to get better fans to cool the system...Just don't know which ones to focus in particularly.

As for the case...Uhm...aren't all the cases the same? is there a difference? Isn't it simply a box where all these components are attached in? If airflow is an issue, the fan(s) should solve that problem right?

By the way my budget is around $1200. Then why say "I'm broke", because aren't gaming comps expensive?

I have a 21 inch crt at home...I'm planning to get an LCD soon...but as for now I am focussing on the computer.

I am sorry for the noobish questions, and statements. Again thanx for all your help!
.

 

[ryan7107]

Any of those CPUs you listed will be fine gaming CPUs for well over a year (the video card will be a bigger factor then the CPU). There is nothing wrong with the Q6600, it's a nice chip. It's just more then you need. Also, the 4 cores vs. the 2 cores part of the equation makes no difference with respect to games.

Either hard drive is fine.

If you don't plan on doing much overclocking, and I get the feeling that you don't, just stick with the stock CPU fan. They are pretty good nowadays.

I would forget the 640mb version of the 8800. 99% of the time you'd never be filling up that much ram. If you're planning on getting a very big monitor it *might* come into play, but the extra $100 really isn't worth it.

All cases are not the same. Airflow, noise quality, and ease of build all come into play. Just get the Centurion it's $50, and it'll save you a hassle.

The games you're talking about playing and the fact you'll upgrade in two years, don't really justify a $1200 system. If you really want to spend $1200, just throw an LCD in now.

 

[shadowmaster625]

lol "I'm broke but I'm about to drop $300 on a quad core"

Buy an $80 AMD mobo and a $80 AMD cpu. That's all you need to do what you need to do. And you'll save $50 a year on electricity. (If running the machine 12 hours a day.)

 

[zenmaster]

People are agreeing because it is a good processor.
But it's much like saying, I need some basic transportation to work, will a Porsche work well?

You could get a
$95 Gigabyte P35 Mobo.
$90 E2160 Core2Duo
$80 7600GT
$60 2gb DDR2-RAM
$70 HDD
$50 Case
$70 450w Corsair PSU
----------------------
$515 - This system would suit you fine and play lots of games well.

The P35 Motherboard will accept the new 45nm Core2Duo Chips when they ship. The PSU will handle an 8800GTX GPU which is the most powerful. Simply Upgrade the GPU in time when you need the power.

You must be leary of folks on this board.
Many will tell you that anything but the fastest thing this side of the Schi-Fi Channel is what is required to do anything.

Note: An AMD System could be a good choice as well.

 

[jodahs1]

zenmaster shadowmaster625 ryan7107 Johnnyq123 chowner zdvil Gh0stDrag0n Pous johngoodwin systemlord Maziar and andybird123 Thanx again for coaching me through this.

I gave some thought into some of the things you guys suggested and I made some modifications.
I decided to go with the Seagate 250gb HDD- 69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822148262

I went with the GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3. -114.99
According to this site the 8600gt is better than the 7600gt. Should I try to get the X1950 pro instead? is it DX10 compatible?
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/07/03/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/page7.html#summary
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814130085

RAM, I went with the WINTEC AMPX 2GB DDR2 800- 79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820161229

I have a question, THe Video card has GDDR3 in its name, does that mean my ram have to be DDR3?

I stayed with the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 -129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128050

And finally instead of going with the q6600, I am thinking about the e6750.- 204.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115029

Altogether, it came up to 610.99 after s/h. I am going to buy the Centurion Case. Although I think all cases are the same, I'll get the Centurion, because You guys are the experts!
I have a 450 psu already Do I need to purchase another one?

I simply hope at the end of the day, I'll be able to play Call of Duty 4, Supreme Commander, Unreal Tournament 3 and some MMORPG. I am not planning to do any sort of editing. By the way, I realize I have a tight budget: $700. I am all ears to any suggestions. Try to Newegg, or Clubit the components for me, I'll add it to the cart and order it.

Thank you very much everyone!

 

[nickc07]

I have quick question to understand you a bit more. You said you have a $1200 budget and you cannot upgrade untill 2009. Did you parents give you this budget and its not your money? Will you get to pocket the extra money under $1200 that you save?

I would say if it is not your money and you will not get to pocket anything you dont use try to come as close to $1200 as possible.

Also I do not like your ram choice. I am not sure how good WINTEC is, but I know you can get 2GB DDR2 800 Patriot, OCZ, and Corsair for around $60-70 after mail in rebait.

 

[jodahs1]

I don't think I said I have 1200 to spend, If I did, I apologize. I can spend up to $700. I can go a few dollars over, but that's all I am allowing myself to spend.
Uhm...The money is my own. I am getting married in the next couple of months, I have a house to buy , and a house to furnish. So I am in a tight buget! This computer will be my stress reliever, my entertainment, and my mistress...that's a cheap $700 mistress!. lol

 

[nickc07]

Personally I like what Zenmaster said:

You could get a
$95 Gigabyte P35 Mobo.
$90 E2160 Core2Duo
$80 7600GT
$60 2gb DDR2-RAM
$70 HDD
$50 Case
$70 450w Corsair PSU
Total $515

It is under your budget but gives you room to grow. I am not 100% sure but I think this mother board can handle the Quad Cores. This means in a year or so when you want to upgrade your system again you can pay much much less for a quad core and new video card and maybe more ram and be right up to date.

Also if you have an older computer that you are going to throw out or never turn on again you might want to think about stealing the parts from it IE: Case and CD/DVD Drives. It wont save alot of money but you might save about $100 or so.

 

[lx_flier]

I would go with the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L = ~$95.
An E2160 which can easily be overclocked to 3.0ghz+= ~$90
A tuniq tower 120 to keep the heat down= ~$45
And i would upgrade to an 8800 gts 320mb if you don't want to upgrade till 2009,(Unless you will only be playing the games you stated then keep the 8600gt)= ~$280

"I have a question, THe Video card has GDDR3 in its name, does that mean my ram have to be DDR3?" No, GDDR3 is the 256mb the card has built in.

"According to this site the 8600gt is better than the 7600gt. Should I try to get the X1950 pro instead? is it DX10 compatible?" x1950 pro is much better but not dx10 compatible, the 8600gt is dx10 compatible and better then a 7600gt but i find it hard to believe it can really play any dx10 games since it is so weak.

Also if your psu is a generic brand then you will definitely need a new one.

 

[nickc07]

"x1950 pro is much better but not dx10 compatible, the 8600gt is dx10 compatible and better then a 7600gt but i find it hard to believe it can really play any dx10 games since it is so weak.quotemsg]

I have a 7600GT and can play all those games. Granted I do not run at super high res not max out quality, but I still run the games great. I could not see paying $200 more for a video card now when it is not needed. Why not save that $200 untill a game comes out that he needs more power for. At that point newer cards will be out driving the older cards down making the upgrade easy.

jodahs1 - I myself and am married with a child and looking to buy that first home. Be up front with why new wife. Tell her you plan on spending $700 on your new PC but you are going to spend $500 now and another $200 later. You might even want to take that money out of the bank seal it in an envelope and put it up untill you want that new video card.

BTW Conrgats on the New to be Married Life.

PS. You can always try to register for gifts from newegg

 

[croc]

OMg...thank you very much for replying, I really appreciate your insights and your suggestions. I guess I need to clarify a few things:

I picked the q6600 because of the 4 processors, which I think is a great investment which will be game worthy for the next year or so ( I hope). I hope the Q6600 is enough to run Call of Duty 4 , Supreme COmmander smoothly. Should I choose a different CPU? (E6600? E6700? E6850?). Because my next upgrade will be in 2009

So far everyone has agreed that the mobo is a good choice. The hard drive, I don't whether to go with the WD 500gb, or the baraccuda 500gb. Because if 320mb is 80$ why not pay $20 more fore another 180 gb.

As for the video card, I am did some more research last night, I am down to the x1950xt, the 8800 gts 320mb or the 640mb. (leaning towards the 640mb)

The fans...I guess it's highly recommended to get better fans to cool the system...Just don't know which ones to focus in particularly.

As for the case...Uhm...aren't all the cases the same? is there a difference? Isn't it simply a box where all these components are attached in? If airflow is an issue, the fan(s) should solve that problem right?

By the way my budget is around $1200. Then why say "I'm broke", because aren't gaming comps expensive?
I have a 21 inch crt at home...I'm planning to get an LCD soon...but as for now I am focussing on the computer.

I am sorry for the noobish questions, and statements. Again thanx for all your help!
.

So someone is impersonating your account? Or are you just jerking all of the forum's cords....

"I'm broke..." "I have a budget of $1200..." "I have a budget of $700...."