New System on tight budget

[jp7799]

Current system:
Athlon64 3200+
1gb ram
PNY 6800GS (unlocked)
350w off brand psu

(yes really outdated I know)

Considering replacing with this:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3978475&sku=P450-9120%20B

the price is just right after throwing in CPU/Case fans

only thing that makes me nervous is the 8500gt
from all reviews my old 6800gs seems to still beat the crap out of it

I am on a very tight budget so any suggestions would be great

Thanks in advance

Edit: Guess I should add not a heavy gamer, WoW mostly with light video editing.

 

[akhilles]

The gpu & psu on the TD deal are the weakest links. 8500GT is DX10 whereas 6800gs is DX9. Not a fair comparison.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_family.html

What's your budget? What parts are you reusing?

 

[jp7799]

budget is about $400 max with shipping (i know not alot of choices at that price but all I have)

will reuse HDDs
74gb WD Raptor SATA
200gb Samsung 16mb cache IDE
cd/dvd burner
monitor, keyboard, mouse

I was thinking I could just live with the 8500 for a couple months as long as its not too bad.

 

[lameness]

Get a cheap intel e2160 and OC with the left over get a as good a card as you can...im really not sure about prices in the US, but you might be able to stretch to the 4850, if not then the 8800gt / 9600gt.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Other option, might save by getting an AMD rig. For what he'll likely be doing, I think he might shave a little there.

 

[qwertycopter]

If you act fast you can pick up a Radeon 3850 for $80 after rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048%20106792462%201067933728&bop=And&Order=PRICE

I'd say go with an Pentium E2180 which is only $2 more expensive than the E2160. You'll get a 10x multiplier rather than a 9x. That way you don't need to overclock your FSB as high to reach the same speeds and may not need an aftermarket cooler.

 

[jp7799]

Other option, might save by getting an AMD rig. For what he'll likely be doing, I think he might shave a little there.

Yes thats why I was considering the package I linked too.

I have not found a package in that price range that is any better than it.

What I am really curious of is will the 8500GT's performance (or lack thereof) hinder the system performance so much that I do not notice much of a difference or will the system more than make up for the 8500's shortcomings.

If you have seen a package or combination of parts that include, case, psu, mobo/cpu and GPU for the about the same price ($350) that you would recommend that would be awesome as well.

Thanks again.

 

[Onus]

Is your current system a socket AM2 or 939? Is your video card in a PCI Express slot, or AGP? If the former in both cases, you might only need a CPU, GPU, and PSU.

 

[zenmaster]

P35 Mobo - $75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128084

CPU - E2180 - $70

Antec PSU - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371013

Upgraded PSU $40 (After $30 Rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006

Case - $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147057

2GB Ram - $40
===================================================
Total - $330 + Shipping.


Unfortunately, there is not GPU.
You would still need one and there is not much to slash.
I really went low end on most things.

The GPU in the TigerDirect is actually an extra Slow 8500GT.
You can tell from the memory.
Those with 512mb have DDR2 which slows them down.
You at least want one with DDR3.

Consider the system you selected, but buy a different GPU.

 

[jp7799]

Is your current system a socket AM2 or 939? Is your video card in a PCI Express slot, or AGP? If the former in both cases, you might only need a CPU, GPU, and PSU.

754/agp

Its done, not worth putting anything into it at this point.

 

[vonbose]

Keep your old case and hard drive and rebuild with this:

AMD 770 motherboard $55 w/rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135069

AMD 5000 Black CPU $75

2 gigs Patriot DDR2 800 Ram $40

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16820609027

GIGABYTE ATI 3870 Video card $100 with rebate:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125086

If your old PSU will boot all of this up take the extra money and get 2 more gigs of ram. If it wont, drop $50 on a PSU.

 

[Onus]

ZenMaster has good ideas, but his math is off. $75 mobo + $70 CPU + $40 PSU (yes, get that one) + $40 RAM = only $225. Re-use your case if you can. Your current requirements would be met quite nicely by an HD3850 or even an 8600GTS, either of which can be had for < $100. For the HD3850, use Qwertycopter's list, but don't get the Diamond, unless you want bad drivers, lame or non-existent tech support, and other idiocy.

 

[Onus]

The AMD option by Vonbose is ok until until he gets to the last sentence. That's not the kind of smoke test you want to attempt. Get a new PSU.

 

[jp7799]

Hows this look?

Case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147057

Case Fan:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106100

GPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150258

PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171028

CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103211

Mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135089

RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227198

RAM+Mobo Combos is $110

Total is $345.94
plus with shipping I am looking at about $385 which fits in perfect

 

[Onus]

Case, ok; fan, meh, it's a sleeve-bearing fan so it may not be as durable. This one looks to be quieter than some other Thermaltakes I've used though.
The GPU is really minimal. You can get a 3850 or even a 3870 for $100 now like this GIGABYTE GV-RX387512H Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125086
CoolerMaster makes nice cases, but crappy PSUs. For the same price, get this Antec earthwatts EA430 430W ATX12V v2.0 Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, CB, C-tick, CCC - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006
If you can stretch it just a little more, I think you will find this mobo to be a better choice: BIOSTAR TFORCE TA780G M2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138105
I've never had a problem with a Biostar board, and I think their reputation is somewhat better than ECS'. I realize your budget is very tight, but it just isn't worth risking buying crap.
The CPU looks reasonable. They don't seem to have the Black Edition any more.

 

[akhilles]

E1200
IP35-E
2X1GB DDR2-800
9600GT/8800GT ~$100 after rebate
450W Fortron/Sparkle/Earthwatts/Corsair

Total less than $350 before tax & shipping

O/c the E1200 to 3Ghz (up FSB, vcore, vNB/FSB) 8 x 375, and you're ready for most every game with low to medium settings.