Hi! first post here...
I'm looking into building a budget gaming system, as a learning project/first build. Mainly looking for performance in games, and not much else, and am very interested in overclocking. My budget is around $650, here's what I'm thinking so far:
I just started interning as a computer tech (I am only in high school, and also broke lol), so I can ask questions about building and overclocking there, but anyone have any hardware suggestions? looking for best gaming performance per buck. Will be on a 1680x1050 monitor, but I don't need to run at highest resolution. Oh, and since I will be gaming with headphones on, noise Isn't an issue (the louder the better.)
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.
...and apologies in advance for the noob-ish rambling nature of this post.
Message edited by Tobikow on 07-24-2008 at 08:42:05 PM
That looks very nice,but i have some few suggestions for you:
Change the motherboard to GIGABYTE P35 DS3L/DS3R or ASUS P5K-E WIFI.
Get a DDR2 800 RAM with 4-4-4-x or lower timings(if u want to OC,because lower timings are better.)
Change the PSU to OCZ STEALTHXSTREAM 600W or PC&POWER COOLING 610W.
Others look fine
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Q6600@3.0,SAPPHIRE HD 4870X2,OCZ 4GB DDR2 800 RAM 4-4-4-15,ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA X38,SEAGATE 500GB 7200RPM 32MB,TT V1 CPU Cooler,TT ARMOR SILVER ALUMNIUM With 25cm FAN,OCZ MODXSTREAM 900W,LG 2284F 1680x1050
Well, you are gambling on the case power supply. Given that you are a poor student, probably an OK gamble.
Did you check for memory compatibility with the memory or board manufacturer? That's always a good idea.
Ideally, you want 4-4-4-x, as Maziar here says. However, getting something at that latency with decent voltage numbers is going to be too much for your budget.
I didn't check this for compatibility, I'm throwing it out as an alternative though because of the listed voltage. Lower is better, and it's only $2.00 more.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820211066
The build looks like a perfect budget build. Agreed about the memory. I would also suggest getting 4 GB (2x2GB). It's really quite cheap now, and worth it.
Well, after seeing that thread where those three Raidmax 500W PSUs smoked and croaked at 75% load, I'd be very nervous about Raidmax. Typically, one of the Antec Earthwatts PSUs is available cheaply on Newegg. OMW to work; will try to return and post a link later.
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There is ALWAYS a drone. Exactly where, or how many drones you will encounter may vary, but that there will be at least one will not.
Thanks for the suggestions about the RAM. It turns out that the OCZ ram that Maziar suggested is $20.00 off with the purchase of a Sapphire 4850 on Newegg(combo deal). and with a $30.00 rebate, that comes out to being free. And better than the RAM I had chosen before. Maziar, i practically owe you 50 bucks. Thank you!
And about the case- I know it comes with a no name power supply, that will likely die, or hinder overclocking. I think that the case should at least provide good airflow for cheap, and I will replace the power supply as soon as I can afford to, or start overclocking. when buying the case with the PSU as opposed to without, its only a $10.00 difference.
I will probably eventually get more memory, but budget and gaming performance take priority.
Thank you all so much for your help!
I agree with the Antec, although I thought it was $30 after rebate. Anyway, you can get a nice Centurion 5 case by Cooler Master for $50 and be close to the price of the Raidmax anyway.
I also like all of the CoolerMaster cases I've used, including the ones at the low end. They have plenty of room, and good airflow. They either have 120mm fans, or places to mount them. Some manufacturers will put 80mm fans where a 120mm would fit, just to be cheap. The tool-free design is nice, although I'd use screws if you're going to ship the finished system. UPS shook the HDD out of place on one I shipped to my niece, snapping the connectors off.
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There is ALWAYS a drone. Exactly where, or how many drones you will encounter may vary, but that there will be at least one will not.
CZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
