$1000 Budget Rig

[infinitywraith]

I'm really excited because this will be my first entire system build, before i've only done a bit of upgrading.

My budget is around $1000, and here are the current specs. Is there anything that can be improved, and do you think I could run UT3 and CoD4 on max settings at 1280x1024 at a reasonable (40+) framerate?



$17 HEADSET
Logitech Extreme PC Gaming Headset Headset

$20 Mouse+Keyboard
Logitech Deluxe 250 Desktop Keyboard And Mouse Combo - Optical, PS/2, Black

$50 CPU Cooling
ZEROtherm / Butterfly BTF90 / Socket 775/754/939/AM2 / Copper Base / Heatpipes / CPU Cooler

$30 CD/DVD Drive
Lite-On LH-20A1L-06 SuperAllwrite OEM Lightscribe DVD Burner - 20x DVD±R Burn, 16x DVD±R Read, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD±R DL, 12x DVD-RAM, 48x24x CD-R/RW, Black, SATA, No Software

$6 ThermalPaste
OCZ OCZTFRZTC Freeze Thermal Extreme Conductivity Compound

$75 HD 500GB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM

$100 700W PS
OCZ / GameXStream / 700-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA Ready / SLI Ready / EPS / Active PFC / Power Supply

$106 2x2GB RAM
Patriot Dual Channel Viper 4096MB PC8500 DDR2 1066MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB)

$70 Case Full-Tower Aluminum
Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case with Clear Side, Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports

$26 120mm Fan X2
Apevia 120mm UV Blue LED Case Fan

$200 Core2Duo 3.0GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Processor BX80570E8400 - 3.0GHz, 6MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB, Wolfdale, Dual-Core, Retail, Socket 775, Processor with Fan

$190 P5Q-E Green
Asus P5Q-E Green Motherboard - Intel P45, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, S/PDIF, Dual Gigabit LAN, Firewire, USB 2.0, eSATA, RAID

$180 VidCard 4850 - 512mbRAM
Visiontek Radeon HD 4850 Video Card - 512MB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0, CrossFireX Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, VGA Support

$13 Mousepad with Wrist
Belkin WaveRest® Gel Mouse Pad - Black

TOTAL COST: $1083

Please post any comments or advice you can think of, this is a first time build!

 

[akhilles]

Do you want to SLI the 9800gtx?

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

 

[fugben]

4850 >> 9800 gtx. For the simple reason you can get a quality intel motherboard and crossfire them rather than getting nvidia overpriced garbage.

 

[infinitywraith]

No i'm not really planning to run SLI, although I do want to leave that as an option to upgrade later.

Wow FugBen that was really helpful, the reason I always look for nVidia vidcards first is because i'm more familiar with their series, but this card is a bit cheaper and OWNS the 9800GTX

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3923757&body=REVIEWS

What motherboard would you recommend?
I need: PCIe2 slots, PCIe slots, DDR2 RAM, slot 775



EDIT: These motherboards aren't much cheaper than the nvidia ones and even more expensive in a lot of cases.

 

[aevm]

I'm not sure why you need the SATA cable kit. Any motherboard comes with at least one SATA cable.

Also not sure about the memory airflow fan. If you get a case with good cooling you won't need that.

Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is a better cooler and costs a bit less, it's just not as cute as the butterfly.

Does that mousepad have a memory foam wrist pad? If not, change it.

Change the HDD from WD5000AAKS to WD6400AAKS, it's a lot faster.

Good PSU and CPU.

RAM - get some DDR2-800, save $30 or so.

$26 for that Apevia fan is a bit much IMO. Check out the Scythe SFF21E and SFF21F. Even better, dump that Ultra thing and get an RC-690. The Ultra is a mid-tower, btw, and it comes with no fans and only 2 fans can be added. The RC-690 comes with 3 fans and you can add up to 4 more if you want. You save money and get better cooling too.

I'd change the MB and video to Asus P5Q Pro and HD 4850. You save some money and get more fps this way. Add another HD 4850 when you have the money.

 

[infinitywraith]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3940038&CatId=1572

This motherboard is perfect, just like the nvidia one, but has crossfire support.

 

[aevm]

Yeah, the P5Q-E is a good board. But I still like the P5Q Pro more because it's $30 less and doesn't really lose much compared to P5Q-E. Compare the features and then decide for yourself. If you're going to spend $190 on the MB you might as well get an X38 or X48 and have Crossfire at full x16 speed.

For example $220 buys you an aBit IX38 QuadGT http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3476997&CatId=1572 or a DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136047

Any particular reason why you're shopping at tigerdirect and not Newegg? Shop around, you might save a few bucks.

 

[infinitywraith]

I'm not sure why you need the SATA cable kit. Any motherboard comes with at least one SATA cable.

Oh okay, thanks, I was worried because the hard drive was OEM.

Also not sure about the memory airflow fan. If you get a case with good cooling you won't need that.

Hmm... okay. It sits on top of the ram and cools that area, i guess it really isn't necessary.
-$20

Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is a better cooler and costs a bit less, it's just not as cute as the butterfly.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3127377&body=REVIEWS
I'm probably getting that fan instead because although ur fan is listed on newegg, i'm trying to get all my components fom TigerDirect.

Does that mousepad have a memory foam wrist pad? If not, change it.

Hmm okay new mousepad:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2446866&CatId=45

However, i'm not sure it's good for gaming... i've always been fine without a wrist pad.

Change the HDD from WD5000AAKS to WD6400AAKS, it's a lot faster.

Hmm... http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3839239&sku=TSD-640AAKS&srkey=WD6400AAKS

I guess...

Good PSU and CPU.

Thanks

RAM - get some DDR2-800, save $30 or so.

Are you sure? How much does the frequency affect performance?

$26 for that Apevia fan is a bit much IMO. Check out the Scythe SFF21E and SFF21F. Even better, dump that Ultra thing and get an RC-690. The Ultra is a mid-tower, btw, and it comes with no fans and only 2 fans can be added. The RC-690 comes with 3 fans and you can add up to 4 more if you want. You save money and get better cooling too.

Unless there's something about that case REALLY GOOD, i'm going to stick with mine because it has a side window a nicer look. Trust me, it's high quality, with full aluminum and a side window. I prefer getting my own fans because the stock fans are usually loud. $26 is for 2 fans btw.

I'd change the MB and video to Asus P5Q Pro and HD 4850. You save some money and get more fps this way. Add another HD 4850 when you have the money.

Umm... IDK If the one i'm getting is exactly the same but it's close enough isn't it:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3940038&CatId=3790

 

[infinitywraith]

Yeah, the P5Q-E is a good board. But I still like the P5Q Pro more because it's $30 less and doesn't really lose much compared to P5Q-E. Compare the features and then decide for yourself. If you're going to spend $190 on the MB you might as well get an X38 or X48 and have Crossfire at full x16 speed.

For example $220 buys you an aBit IX38 QuadGT http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3476997&CatId=1572 or a DFI LANPARTY DK X48-T2RS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136047

Any particular reason why you're shopping at tigerdirect and not Newegg? Shop around, you might save a few bucks.

Tiger has better prices for a lot of t hings. Why is the x38 necessary? I don't see how it's at all better.

Is this the pro p5q? http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3940037&CatId=3790

It doesn't have CF








EDIT: Does anyone know whether the current build will be able to play CoD4 and UT3 on max settings at 1280 x 1024?

 

[aevm]

No, it's not the P5Q Pro.

DDR2-800 vs DDR2-1066 - with a P45 motherboard (e.g. P5Q-E) you can get the E8400 up to 3.6 GHz with DDR2-800 without trouble. DDR2-1066 is better, but you'd need a better cooler for that, I think.

Why is the x38 necessary: it's not necessary, it just means a pair of HD 4850 cards will be faster that way. Some times visibly faster, some times not. It depends on the game, settings, resolution, type of video card. In general x48 > x38 > p45 > p35. If you game at smaller resolutions then P45 should be just fine. Read these:

http://www.madshrimps.be/vbulletin/f22/crossfire-performance-intel-x48-vs-p45-vs-x38-vs-p35-45871/
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=761&p=0
http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1472/intel_p45_vs_x48_crossfire_performance/index.html

About the case - this is a matter of taste, of course. I'm just worried that two HD 4850 cards in a mid-tower with two fans will overheat. Yes aluminum is nice, but a really good case with aluminum and window and good cooling will cost a bunch. Mine was almost $400 including the additional fans, yuck... How about this NZXT Tempest, do you like it?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...dpNo=3911521&sku=A406-1101&srkey=nzxt tempest

 

[infinitywraith]

No, it's not the P5Q Pro.

DDR2-800 vs DDR2-1066 - with a P45 motherboard (e.g. P5Q-E) you can get the E8400 up to 3.6 GHz with DDR2-800 without trouble. DDR2-1066 is better, but you'd need a better cooler for that, I think.

Why is the x38 necessary: it's not necessary, it just means a pair of HD 4850 cards will be faster that way. Some times visibly faster, some times not. It depends on the game, settings, resolution, type of video card. In general x48 > x38 > p45 > p35. If you game at smaller resolutions then P45 should be just fine. Read these:

http://www.madshrimps.be/vbulletin/f22/crossfire-performance-intel-x48-vs-p45-vs-x38-vs-p35-45871/
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=761&p=0
http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1472/intel_p45_vs_x48_crossfire_performance/index.html

About the case - this is a matter of taste, of course. I'm just worried that two HD 4850 cards in a mid-tower with two fans will overheat. Yes aluminum is nice, but a really good case with aluminum and window and good cooling will cost a bunch. Mine was almost $400 including the additional fans, yuck... How about this NZXT Tempest, do you like it?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...dpNo=3911521&sku=A406-1101&srkey=nzxt tempest

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1215768&body=MAIN#detailspecs
Look at the video and you can see how nice of a case it is.
I doubt the video cards will overheat, even if it is a bit crowded in the case.
The midtower is actually so big that some even consider it a full tower.



As for the motherboard and crossfire, I see how the x38 is significantly better at it than the P5Q... But right now i'm already tight on the budget so I don't really know what to do


I don't see how 800mhz ram affects how much I can overclock the processor?

 

[aevm]

EDIT: Does anyone know whether the current build will be able to play CoD4 and UT3 on max settings at 1280 x 1024?

A single HD 4850 gets 79 fps average in CoD4 at 1600x1200 with 4xAA and 8xAF. Don't know about 1280x1024 but you can be sure it will get more fps.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=579&type=expert&pid=3

A pair of HD 4850 in Crossfire runs UT3 with high settings at 1920x1200 and gets average 63 fps. Again, don't know about a single card at 1280x1024, but I expect it's going to be a lot, maybe even more than the 60 fps a LCD monitor can usually show.
http://www.rage3d.com/reviews/video/atirv770/crossfiredx9/

 

[infinitywraith]

A single HD 4850 gets 79 fps average in CoD4 at 1600x1200 with 4xAA and 8xAF. Don't know about 1280x1024 but you can be sure it will get more fps.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=579&type=expert&pid=3

A pair of HD 4850 in Crossfire runs UT3 with high settings at 1920x1200 and gets average 63 fps. Again, don't know about a single card at 1280x1024, but I expect it's going to be a lot, maybe even more than the 60 fps a LCD monitor can usually show.
http://www.rage3d.com/reviews/video/atirv770/crossfiredx9/

Thanks, but don't the processor and RAM also affect the performance? I'd like to know what specs it was tested with.

Otherwise, that's pretty impressive compared to my current computer which can barely run it at 800x600 and most settings turned down.


EDIT: I found the specs of the testing computer:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=579&type=expert

Is it a good idea to compare a core2duo to a core2extreme?

 

[infinitywraith]

I'd also like to know, if the CPU Fan comes with thermal paste on it, do I remove that then apply a thin layer on top of the processor?

How exactly do I apply thermal paste?

 

[aevm]

Your E8400 (45nm, 3GHz) is faster than their X6800 (65nm, 2.93GHz). I'm guessing it's faster by 2% because of clocks and another 5% because it's a newer improved architecture. No worries there.

In general, the CPU matters less in games than the GPU. As long as both you and the reviewers have fast CPUs that don't cause bottlenecks it's pretty much OK to compare just the GPUs and ignore the CPUs. Of course this won't work in FSX or other games that are CPU-bound, but those are a minority.

 

[aevm]

I'd also like to know, if the CPU Fan comes with thermal paste on it, do I remove that then apply a thin layer on top of the processor?

How exactly do I apply thermal paste?

Here's an example:
http://www.frozencpu.com/resource/r8/How_to_Apply_Thermal_Paste.html

 

[infinitywraith]

Thanks Aevm, anybody have any more suggestions to increase the price-to-performance ratio on my rig?