Best bang for the buck.

[k2gremlin]

Alright guys.. time for a new system for me.

Bottom line is that I wanna go with a system that will have some serious power to it but not totally kill my pocket. I am not really strapped for cash but I do not want to over do it. Listed below is the componets I would like to have and would like comments and suggestions on them All items are listed from Newegg. I am going to reuse the case keyboard speakers monitor and rom drives.

I want to build this sometime around Christmas.

My goal is to cut around $1000-$1500 of this without sacrificing capability.

ASUS P5K3 DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5K3 DELUXE/WIFI-AP
Item #: N82E16813131181 $246.99

(2x) EVGA 768-P2-N835-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI
Model #: 768-P2-N835-AR
Item #: N82E16814130079 Single:$609.99 Duel:$1,219.98

Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU ATX12V / EPS12V 1200W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: W0133RU
Item #: N82E16817153054 $389.99

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Kentsfield 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562QX6850 - Retail
Model #: BX80562QX6850
Item #: N82E16819115026 $1,199.99

CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Model #: TWIN3X4096-1600C7DHX
Item #: N82E16820145185 $1,057.00

(2x in Raid-0)Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500ADFD
Item #: N82E16822136012 single:$184.99 Duel:$369.98

TOTAL:$4,483.93

 

[lordszone]

man the build is not the best bang for the bucks, but one of the best overall. tell me again, u want the best bang for the bucks pc or the best pc? currently what u have listed is one of the best pc but not the best bang for the bucks. This is because everything u have listed is nearly the best, if not the best. it looks by this list that u have a huge budget but still, what is your exact budget. with that we can help u better. Hope i Helped.

 

[lordszone]

as i have read the whole post now, u can do the following:
-get a p5k deluxe, its cheaper but only supports ddr2 which is much better to buy nowadays as ddr3 is quite expensive.
- vga card is fine, but get only one as u must consider getting better upcoming cards, which are due in NOV.
- get a pc power & cooling 750W, that can support 8800gtx in sli easily
- get a q6700 if u want to spend more on it, else get a q6600, much much bang for the bucks.
-get ddr2 rams as ddr3 is not worth at all. it will only give u 5 to 10% boost currently. ddr2 is much much cheaper as well.
- hdd is up to u.
hope i helped.

 

[onestar]

Tell us please...what is the anticipated use for this system?
It appears to be a Supreme Commander machine.

 

[systemlord]

Theres lots of places where you can trim some fat and save some cash. First you don't need a 1200W PSU, ie Enermax 720W for $219.99 you just saved $180. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194021

Having a motherboard with DDR3 is not going to give you anymore "real world" difference, same some more cash here. Get Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1066 for $154.49 you save $902.51! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148069

A lot of people have been getting overclocks on their Q6600 at 3.0-3.6GHz, again save somemore cash. Q6600 for $279.99. You save $919.- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

By changing these three items and keeping the other choices you just saved $2001.99 dollars! Theres no reason why you can't get a Q6600 OC to 3.0GHz to match the performance of the QX6850 @ 3.0GHz for much less. All of your other choices are great and with these three items changed, you get the same performance as if you bought what you listed for 2000 dollars more.

If you need some help overclocking we can help you out there to.

 

[zenmaster]

Why on earth are you asking now?

Ask when you are ready to build.
The there will be new parts, new prices, new sales, etc....

 

[Solariscs]

That board does not support SLI, so you don't need the two GTX cards. If you want SLI get something with a 680I chipset

I agree with the others that its much better to get an Q6600 with a nice CPU cooler and OC it yourself. For the moment save money and get DDR2 800 ram, unless you want OC a lot than get 1066 ram.

IF you are doing SLI get the Antec Quatro 850W its an amazing PSU that will power your system just fine.

If you have questions, let me know. message me anytime at aim or yahoo, Maximus9102

 

[emp]

Best bang for the buck? Not likely, maybe worst bang for the buck? Now seriously trimming $1500 is too easy.

First lose the QX6850, P5k3, Toughpower 1200W, the raptors, and DDR3 ram. Now get yourself an eVGA 680i mobo for SLI (Or X38 when released), Q6600, PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 or Antec TruePower Quattro (Either 850W or 1000W versions will work just fine), 4GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1066, and 2 750GB Seagate Barracuda for RAID array. Just saved nearly $1700 there? maybe a bit more with negligible performance losses.

If you want to save $200 more EASILY without losing performance, then lose the $620 GTXs and get the eVGA GTX for around $515 each on newegg.com. So far we've saved nearly $2000 sacrificing almost no performance AT ALL.

 

[k2gremlin]

Hey guys thank you all for the suggestions and ideas The reason I am posting now is because I want to work out the decisions ahead of time I spend roughly 2 months every year working out what I want and what I need before I commit to a system.

I plan on using this new system for high end gaming and 3d modeling IE 3dMax8.

I am currently picking through the idea sand suggestion here and will re submit a revised list tonight and go from there

 

[k2gremlin]

Ok here is the revised more resonable list. Thank you for catching that the last board I picked was not SLI. Wasnt paying attention there heheh. I am picking the SLI board because you never know.. might toss another card in.. leaves room for growth


ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5N32-E SLI
Item #: N82E16813131073
$204.99

EVGA 768-P2-N835-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 768-P2-N835-AR
Item #: N82E16814130079
$609.99

ENERMAX INFINITI EIN720AWT ATX12V/ EPS12V 720W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: EIN720AWT
Item #: N82E16817194021
$219.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99

(2x=4GiG)Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
Model #: BL2KIT12864AA1065
Item #: N82E16820148069
$308.98

(2x in Raid-0)Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500ADFD
Item #: N82E16822136012
$369.98


Subtotal: $1,993.92

 

[eternallydead]

I would wait for the new chipsets to come out, b/c the SLI will be true 16x for each, I have heard about a 4x limiter of the second card before. I don't know much about SLI; never researched it, but I believe I read this on tomshardware before.

 

[systemlord]

Ok here is the revised more resonable list. Thank you for catching that the last board I picked was not SLI. Wasnt paying attention there heheh. I am picking the SLI board because you never know.. might toss another card in.. leaves room for growth


ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5N32-E SLI
Item #: N82E16813131073
$204.99

EVGA 768-P2-N835-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 768-P2-N835-AR
Item #: N82E16814130079
$609.99

ENERMAX INFINITI EIN720AWT ATX12V/ EPS12V 720W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: EIN720AWT
Item #: N82E16817194021
$219.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99

(2x=4GiG)Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
Model #: BL2KIT12864AA1065
Item #: N82E16820148069
$308.98

(2x in Raid-0)Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500ADFD
Item #: N82E16822136012
$369.98


Subtotal: $1,993.92

Now thats what I call a killer PC for gaming! If I were to build a new PC this is it. I know you like Asus boards as I do to but EVGA makes a much more stable mobo reguarding the 680i. Oh yeah your going to love that Enermax PSU as it cools you PC for two minutes after shutdown, and Power Guard.

 

[k2gremlin]

Well ultimately.. with my first post I was posting what capabilities I wanted.. and than from there you chop away what you can without killing the overall performance... and I think with what I have listed I have done that.

I can still take into consideration the EVGA board... as well as the fact that I have 2 74gig raptors right now.. so I dont really need the 150gigs.. but would be nice.

 

[systemlord]

Well ultimately.. with my first post I was posting what capabilities I wanted.. and than from there you chop away what you can without killing the overall performance... and I think with what I have listed I have done that.

I can still take into consideration the EVGA board... as well as the fact that I have 2 74gig raptors right now.. so I dont really need the 150gigs.. but would be nice.

\

Well with the EVGA and Striker Extreme you could go either way, there both great mobo's. If I were to get a 680i mobo I'd get it locally because of NewEgg's return policy on those two mobo's. If you wanted to OC then I'd suggest getting a Tuniq Tower 120 or the Thermalright ultra 120 Extreme, these are some of the best coolers on the block.

 

[zenmaster]

Get E5450 for your CPU, it's much faster and OC's better and costs less.

Don't get the P35, it's outdated and over priced. Get a X38.

Forget the 8800GTX, they run hot are outdated. Get the 9800model.

I would suggest getting faster DDR3 with better timings.
They were good months ago back in Sept, but the memory manufacturers have really tweaked their DDR3 since then.

Forget the 150g Raptors, they are either Small or slow depending on how you look at things. The 74gb models are faster and cheaper. Some of the newer 1GB 7200RPM drives are also faster as well more expensive.

I would get a better brand of PSU - like PCP&C or a ZIPPY

No, Audio Card? While not a must, quite silly for a system in this range to not spend the extra $100.

 

[spotless]

my plan is to wait until games are released i suggest you do so. hmm, i miss the golden age of games...Dune -> RA -> Fallout 2, those time new game are released in every week end, now days new gadget replace the software my current budget allows me to gear up ; am2+6000, 2 gigs ram & 88 320, but to play what games?, dark crusade, zero hour, overlord (soon to be uninstalled) is running well in my agp system, i'd rather wait.

 

[emp]

I'd never get the ASUS Crapper Extreme, especially not at $300 (Or the P5N32-E for $200). For SLI there is really only one board out there that I'd consider at the moment and that is the eVGA 680i, however the X38 will be out so soon, so buying a SLI board now is almost pointless.

Also if it was me spending $2000 on a PC, it would definitely have SLI GTX at the very least, and lose the raptors for a 750GB HDD so I'd get this one instead:

(2x) EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130072

[$519.99] Each

PSU:

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009

[$199.99]

And one of these two:

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3750640AS 750GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148134

[$209.99]

HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000 HDS721075KLA330 (0A35154) 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145166

[$199.99]

I'm just letting you know this because the title of this thread is "Best bang for the buck" and your proposed system doesn't have as much performance as it should for the kind of money you're paying (However it has greatly improved).

 

[mad-dog]

Best bang for the buck huh.....

2 seagate 320's in RAID0
Intel Q6600 C2Q
Enermax, PCP&P or Zippy PSU
EVGA 8800GTS 640MB
Gigabyte ga965-ds3
2GB Corsair DDR2 1066MHz RAM

 

[royalcrown]

Maybe hwe doesn't want to overclock, and you can't say get X-38 because p35 is overpriced, you have no idea what the X-38 based boards are going to retail for until they are launched and fill the channel. The 9800 is a rumor, vaporware for this year, how about giving suggestions on ACTUAL, available products ?

Get E5450 for your CPU, it's much faster and OC's better and costs less.

Don't get the P35, it's outdated and over priced. Get a X38.

Forget the 8800GTX, they run hot are outdated. Get the 9800model.

I would suggest getting faster DDR3 with better timings.
They were good months ago back in Sept, but the memory manufacturers have really tweaked their DDR3 since then.

Forget the 150g Raptors, they are either Small or slow depending on how you look at things. The 74gb models are faster and cheaper. Some of the newer 1GB 7200RPM drives are also faster as well more expensive.

I would get a better brand of PSU - like PCP&C or a ZIPPY

No, Audio Card? While not a must, quite silly for a system in this range to not spend the extra $100.

 

[systemlord]

I would keep the Raptors because HDD are falling behind as it is, it all begins at the HDD.

 

[runswindows95]

Is it me or when people generally say "best bang for the buck" their budget is only $500, not $5,000?

 

[systemlord]

Is it me or when people generally say "best bang for the buck" their budget is only $500, not $5,000?

Take a look at the OP first post and tell me he's on a budget, he clearly has about $4483 for a budget pretty close to $5000. The best bang for you buck can mean best spent money for that killer no holds gaming PC. In short bang for the buck has nothing to do with a budget, they don't mean the same thing.

Spending the lowest amount of money without compromising on performance is the smartest way to shop.

 

[k2gremlin]

Yea thank you system

Bottom line is I want top end performance without over doing it. The last system I build cost me 2700. This was last Nov. X6800 with 7900GTO's(512Meg Each) in SLI 2x74gig raptors in raid-0 2 gigs pc6400 RAM Mobo, 750W Power and a sweet case.. so I Think I did fairly well wlith that build.

However with Crysis coming out very soon I want a system that can handle it hands down no questions asked. I just do not wanna spend $4400 on it.

If I keep my case and harddrives I can save close to 500 right there. I do want to run DDR3 but only if its stable.

Again I do not plan to buy this system tommorow.. as newer things come out and so forth over the next 2 months.. my plans here may change. Definitally will look at the evga mobo. I have 2 EVGA 7900GTO card and they have run great for me. So thats still an option.

As far as the sound card.. im not dramatically huge on sound quality. I do not listen to very much music.. heck my current speaker system doesnt even have a sub.. and its just 2 desktop speakers lol...however I usually use a pair of Bose Headphones as I typically play games like FPS's and racing sims online.. so chatting on vent/teamspeak or whatever else, the other people im talking with do not hear the game sounds through my mic