Gaming build around $500

[jwn9801]

So I want to build a gaming rig for my brother. Right now he is play on a mac book and the video card is beginning to crap out. The only game he plays at the moment is World of Warcraft. I'm trying to stay around $500 but I could go up to $550. I want it to be able to play WoW with minimal lag, if not none at all and be future proof for when Wotlk expansion comes out. I figured since WoW requires low system requirements I could build a pretty decent rig for him.

This is what I came up with minus memory. Not sure what to go with for memory. Also I do want the possibility of overclocking. Thanks ahead of time for any input.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147038 - $54.99
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337 - $89.99
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150295 - $129.99
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003 - $69.99
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116070 - $89.99
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 -$59.99
CD/DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228 - $22.99

Total: $517.93

I know its over my $500 target, and I still need some memory. Thats why I am willing to go up to $550. But if someone could suggest some cheaper alternatives to bring it down without hurting performance. Also need to know what else I would need to be able to overclock it.

 

[dirtmountain]

Nicely done build, but i'd make a couple of changes to get a better CPU
CPU E7200 $130 it's $40 more, but can save a little on a different PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052
PSU Antec Earthwatts 430w $30 after rebate. Not as good as your choice, but sufficient for the build and can help finance the e7200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006
CD/DVD change for SATA- $24
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106263
It can be minimally overclocked with the stock HSF, higher overclocks require a better cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003
and don't forget
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019
cause push pins are a pita

 

[joetheone]

Toms did a really good article on this a few months ago. It still hold today IMO. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-graphic-game,1810.html

 

[dirtmountain]

oops, and add 2 x1 GB sticks of this for $19 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139

 

[tonytg]

I plan on going Intel myself when I upgrade, but I just wanted to see what kind of an AMD route I could part together for you.

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103212
Mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131022
RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731
Video Card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103050
Hard Drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262
CD/DVD Drive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153
Case & PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147001

Total: $548.93 + Shipping
Total Mail-in Rebates: $60

Side notes:
Free 3DMark08 Vantage Advanced Version w/ RAM Purchase
Better brand CD/DVD Drive
Better Video Card

The only thing is that I had to get a Case and PSU combo towards the end to tuck it under the $550 maximum mark. With whatever route you go, I'm sure you'll be able to build your brother a very WoW-playable system. As you said, it's not very system intensive unlike say... Crysis.

What server are you guys on? I logged in today, but I've been so bored of the game for months now...
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/2753/boredwithwowpn3.png

 

[flyin15sec]

So I want to build a gaming rig for my brother. Right now he is play on a mac book and the video card is beginning to crap out. The only game he plays at the moment is World of Warcraft. I'm trying to stay around $500 but I could go up to $550. I want it to be able to play WoW with minimal lag, if not none at all and be future proof for when Wotlk expansion comes out. I figured since WoW requires low system requirements I could build a pretty decent rig for him.

This is what I came up with minus memory. Not sure what to go with for memory. Also I do want the possibility of overclocking. Thanks ahead of time for any input.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147038 - $54.99
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337 - $89.99
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150295 - $129.99
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003 - $69.99
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116070 - $89.99
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 -$59.99
CD/DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228 - $22.99

Total: $517.93

I know its over my $500 target, and I still need some memory. Thats why I am willing to go up to $550. But if someone could suggest some cheaper alternatives to bring it down without hurting performance. Also need to know what else I would need to be able to overclock it.

Save $20 and go for E2180 instead. They are the same processor, and if you overclock, will top out around that same speeds.
E2180 $69: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052
Use the save $20 on a better video card or for some cheap memory.

 

[Ryun]

I would get this video card instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143135

The 9600GSO is essentially an overclocked 8800GS, but it's cheaper. Also, BFG is a great brand with a limited lifetime warranty, and since your brother is only playing WoW you don't really need anything more than this to play on max anyway. The $20 price drop should put it below $500 as well.

 

[joewho]

Here's a better GPU for less!

http://fxvideocards.com/ZOTAC-GeForce-8800-GTS-G92-512MB-ZT-88SES2P-FSP-256-bit-GDDR3-PCI-Express-2.0-x16-HDCP-Ready-SLI-ZOTAC-Video-Card-p-16280.html

 

[eofu]

I didn't read through everyones list but would you be willing to do open box parts and refurbished parts?

 

[Why_Me]

Never get an EIDE drive...sans your optical drive. The cables are large and block airflow not to mention they are a bummer to install. Pay the extra $1 and get a SATA drive. Someone on this board should have caught that for you already. Anyways this build below is a bargain and will overclock very well with an addition of a aftermarket heatsink. As it is, you can push that cpu to 3.16GHz on the stock heatsink (9.5x333). btw good call on that RAM.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119153 $69.99
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 red version FR-T05-URI-GP Black / Red Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with AC connector 430W Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106 $129.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130185 $96.99 ($81.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate)
MSI P43 Neo3-F LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121251 $109.99 ($89.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
ASUS EN9600GSO TOP/HTDP/384M GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731 $89.99 ($64.99 after $25.00 Mail-In Rebate)
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 $59.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106263 $23.99
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

Total
$587.92
$527.92 w/mail in rebates

 

[jwn9801]

I'm staying away from open box and refurbished parts. Just dont trust them. After looking at all the post I came up with this revised list. One question; I went with a e2180 because it can be overclocked easily, just wondering if getting the e7200 would make that much of a differance in game? Also is there a cheaper aftermarket cpu cooler for OC'ing on par with the one I went with? Oh and how reliable is a psu that comes with the case? I chose the one Why_Me suggested but would like some more input on it.

Case w/ PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119153 - $69.99
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337 - $89.99
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143135 - $109.99
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052 - $69.99
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139 - $43.99
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 - $59.99
CD/DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106263 - $23.99
CPU Cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003 - $36.99
Retention Bracket: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 - $6.99

Total: 511.91

 

[Why_Me]

That E7200 will clock to 3.8-4.0 but the easy clock with that is 3.16GHz 9.5x333=3.16GHz

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001 $24.99 ($14.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 $6.99
XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

 

[pcgamer12]

8800GS is plenty for WoW and even CoD4 which comes bundled with it. That's a $50 value, I'd get it.

 

[houstonserenity]

No OS? + 99.00

 

[jwn9801]

I have a copy of Windows XP so I'm good on the OS.

 

[effel]

OK, so I figured out a pretty nice system for WoW.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12080347

I think 780G graphics will play WoW just fine actually (I mean, at max settings at 1024x768 its does around 30fps which is fine for most users). This build has some high quality parts, that will last you. I like overclocking, but with somebody who isn't savvy on the subject, it can seem like a challenge. With the BE 5000+X2 all you have to do in the BIOS is change the multiplier number, it's much less trouble. That's all that's involved, but correct me if I'm wrong. With Intel's it isn't complicated, but it involves many more steps than this build.

Something I want to note about the 780G, if you drop in something like an ATI 3850, its going to do hybrid graphics with that card, to increase frame rate overall. Which is a nice option. Something like this would suit your brother extremely well. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102715)

The provided article: http://www.amdzone.com/index.php/reviews/56/9181-amd-780g-a-athlon-x2-4850e-review?start=2 , will detail some of the things I'm trying to explain. The things in the wishlist, like the processor take the edge over the 4850e, and it actually reaches near 3.2ghz with less than 5 minutes in the BIOS. I hope this clears up how undemanding WoW really is.

Your brother will have a very high end, high capacity harddrive that, if taken care of, will last him a while. 2GB of pretty nice quality OCZ ram is going to keep the rig silky smooth, and you won't have to worry about wasted money on 4GB of ram that goes completely unused in 32bit OSes. In addition, you get a 80+ certified powersupply that will keep your system well powered, all the time. You can rest assured that this one won't fail like some cheaply bundled psu in too many other combos other companies offer.

You get a really nice computer case, and will have sufficient hard drive and component cooling, with a nice appearance to boot. Let me know what you think of the build, as I spent some time finding these parts, and justifying why I picked them out

 

[Why_Me]

I'm staying away from open box and refurbished parts. Just dont trust them. After looking at all the post I came up with this revised list. One question; I went with a e2180 because it can be overclocked easily, just wondering if getting the e7200 would make that much of a differance in game? Also is there a cheaper aftermarket cpu cooler for OC'ing on par with the one I went with? Oh and how reliable is a psu that comes with the case? I chose the one Why_Me suggested but would like some more input on it.

Case w/ PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119153 - $69.99
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337 - $89.99
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143135 - $109.99
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052 - $69.99
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139 - $43.99
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262 - $59.99
CD/DVD Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106263 - $23.99
CPU Cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003 - $36.99
Retention Bracket: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 - $6.99

Total: 511.91

That motherboard I posted utilizes PCI Express 2.0 unlike the P35 you want to go with. Read up on PCI Express 2.0. I posted that mobo for a reason. Also you buying a Zigmatek s1283 for that rig is like putting a ferrari engine inside a 1974 Pinto. That build of yours make ZERO sense.... and I forgot you screwed yourself out of a $20 rebate on the vid card you chose.

 

[effel]

That motherboard I posted utilizes PCI Express 2.0 unlike the P35 you want to go with. Read up on PCI Express 2.0. I posted that mobo for a reason. Also you buying a Zigmatek s1283 for that rig is like putting a ferrari engine inside a 1974 Pinto. That build of yours make ZERO sense.... and I forgot you screwed yourself out of a $20 rebate on the vid card you chose. Why start a thread on here if you don't want good advice? It's a waste of bandwidth.

One problem I have with your logic Why_Me is that you think you have the best advice to offer. A person can ask for advice, but when you don't justify your advice besides trying to ridicule people by saying that they are ignorant.

People should think about these purchases for a while, it's not something you need to decide overnight, or the course of a few hours, and reviewing all the advice is definitely necessary. While I'm sure you spent time picking out the parts you did to suggest to the OP, there are flaws within it, but he wouldn't know that, because you didn't explain why the parts you suggested are any better than anybody else's offerings. You definitely can't make accusations of somebodies build not making sense when you don't say why either..... Your gripe about the pci-e 2.0 is totally invalid by the way...the 9600GSO is certainly not going to be starving for bandwidth.

 

[Why_Me]

One problem I have with your logic Why_Me is that you think you have the best advice to offer. A person can ask for advice, but when you don't justify your advice besides trying to ridicule people by saying that they are ignorant.

People should think about these purchases for a while, it's not something you need to decide overnight, or the course of a few hours, and reviewing all the advice is definitely necessary. While I'm sure you spent time picking out the parts you did to suggest to the OP, there are flaws within it, but he wouldn't know that, because you didn't explain why the parts you suggested are any better than anybody else's offerings. You definitely can't make accusations of somebodies build not making sense when you don't say why either..... Your gripe about the pci-e 2.0 is totally invalid by the way...the 9600GSO is certainly not going to be starving for bandwidth.

Your correct I should have explained my build. I see things....peoples builds and what the price range is and it all fits together for me a little too easy...next time I will explain the reasons why I post the hardware like I should have done in the first place.

And yes the PCI 2.0 is important if you ever want to upgrade.

 

[jwn9801]

Thanks for the build suggestion effel, but I want to get a dedicated graphics card and want to go intel. Just personal preferences I guess.

Why_Me I looked up pci express 2.0. It would be faster and make upgrading in the future easier. And with the mail in rebate its a pretty good price. But theres the problem, I dont plan on making the purchase before the rebates would expire so taking them into consideration wouldnt help. I really do appreciate your advice, just would like to see others input before I make the final decision.