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gramzon   08-07-2008 at 10:06:25 AM

Can someone help me create a low budget gaming system that will be used to play MMORPG's mainly like WoW and Warhammer.
The price should be around 500$ without the monitor.

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vegettonox   08-07-2008 at 11:09:38 AM
- 0 +

Finally a challenge.

since you stated without the monitor im going to assume you may have a system lying around that you can get a keyboard and mouse from.
if not just pick up a **** combo setup from wally world or your local comp store.


DVDRW
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106228 $23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827106228

CASE+PSU
hec 6C28BBX585 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply - Retail $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811121002

HARD DRIVE
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3160815AS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148230

MOTHERBOARD
MSI K9A2GM-F V3 AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $52.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813130188

MEMORY
mushkin 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model 991527 - Retail X2 $47.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146117

PROCESSOR
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX6000CZBOX - Retail 112.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103773

VIDEO CARD
ASUS EAH3870/G/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$104.99 - Comes with Alone in the dark for the pc.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121217


Comes to a total of $464.09 with shipping. this will effectively rip through whatever you want to play.

If you want to push the price to the limit.

bump the hard drive up
SAMSUNG HD642JJ 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail 84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152134

pushes the total with an estimated shipping to $501.28

(there is some room for adjustment you could obviously skimp on the hard drive and add a second cd burner or add a floppy drive or get your keyboard and mouse if you dont have them.

I highly recommend this will perform very well for you.

Reply to vegettonox
Wanker79   08-07-2008 at 04:44:57 PM
- 0 +

I don't know anything about the PSU that comes with that case, but I'd be very hesitant to trust it (especially since it's so cheap). There's no reason to buy IDE when SATA is basically the same price with much better air flow. And I'd only recommend matched pairs of RAM so that there isn't any issue with running in dual channel. You could just adjust vegettonox's build to include those suggestions, but here's an intel build to give you some options:

Case: Rosewill ATX Mid Tower with dual 120mm fans = $54
CPU: Pentium E7200 Wolfdale = $120
MoBo: BioStar TForce TP43D2A7 = $80 (after MIR)
GPU: ASUS HD3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 = $85 (after MIR)
RAM: OCZ 2x2GB DDR2 = $54 (after MIR)
HDD: WD Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s = $44
PSU: OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W = $50 (after MIR)
Burner: Asus 20x DVD +/-R SATA DVD Burner w/ Lightscribe = $37

The E7200 and TForce TP43D2A7 are a combo deal right now and the case and burner are also a combo for a combined savings of $35. So that's $489 after MIRs and before shipping/tax.

Reply to Wanker79
aevm   08-07-2008 at 05:19:14 PM
- 0 +

I like that AMD build.

 

Here's a good deal for RAM, 2GB for $27 after shipping and rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] Pin%2bDDR2

 

If you can bump up the video card to HD 4850 ($155 after rebate) do it. $464 -20 (saved from RAM) + 50 (from video card upgrade) - still a bit under $500 :)


Message edited by aevm on 08-07-2008 at 05:21:01 PM
Reply to aevm
50bmg   08-07-2008 at 05:21:01 PM
- 0 +

+1 for Wanker79's build.

If you want to save $50 go with the Inel E2180.

------------------------------ gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4|Intel C2Q Q9550 @ 3.4G | Sapphire Vapor-x 4870 1G CCC 9.6|4G PNY DDR2 800MHz 5-5-5-12|500G Seagate SATA II HD|Sunbeam core contact cooler 120mm|BFG Tech 800w| Win XP sp2| Antec 1200
 Reply to 50bmg
Wanker79   08-07-2008 at 09:29:15 PM
- 0 +

If you don't have any interest in OCing, vegettonox's AMD build is probably better (although all the caveats I mentioned still apply). If you want to OC, then the Intel build I put up is probably better.

Reply to Wanker79
flyin15sec   08-07-2008 at 11:04:58 PM
- 0 +

Wanker's build is good. I'd swap the Case for an Antec 300, at only $59 with free shipping. It'll cost the same, if you use the saved money from shipping for some 120mm fans.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Reply to flyin15sec
aevm   08-08-2008 at 04:35:32 AM
- 0 +

That E7200 build is better than the AMD build, with three conditions:

1. you must add about $40 for a good aftermarket cooler (e.g. Xigmatek HDT-S1283 + retention bracket, or Sunbeam Core Contact, etc.)
2. you must have the time and skill to overclock
3. you must still be able to get a good video card

That is, overclocked E7200+HD 3870 will suck compared to stock X2 6000 + HD 4850. If you can't afford both the cooler and the video card upgrade, get the video card upgrade and the X2 6000. It will pay off in most games because the GPU matters more.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to aevm
ohiou_grad_06   08-08-2008 at 05:18:35 AM
- 0 +

For low budget build that PSU might work. It's rated as 20 amps on one rail and 19 on the other if I'm not mistaken. If I HAD to pick a low budget PSU around 30 bucks, that's probably what I'd buy. Though I've never owned one, it looks good on paper and gets good newegg reviews. Look at PSU's, and then at a brand called compucase. If that's the same psu as the 585 watt ones there, it may do ok. Though it also might be better to spend more and get a more quality unit.

Reply to ohiou_grad_06
effel   08-08-2008 at 05:41:06 AM
- 0 +

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] er=9002566
http://www.buy.com/prod/antec-thre [...] 06549.html

I took some hints here and there, and this is what I came up with. It's honestly closer to $560, but I feel the extra you pay is pretty justified. Getting the 6000X2 doesn't seem worth it, because of the TDP vs. the 5400. 65w 2.8ghz vs 125w 3.0ghz that's also $30 less. I know you can cut a few corners on the build I put together, but it does it need it?

Reply to effel
ohiou_grad_06   08-08-2008 at 08:28:04 AM
- 0 +

I think dude, go with what aevm says. More video, less processor. I've even got an Athlon 5200 x2 and it does fine.

Reply to ohiou_grad_06
Wanker79   08-08-2008 at 03:43:58 PM
- 0 +

aevm wrote :

That E7200 build is better than the AMD build, with three conditions:

1. you must add about $40 for a good aftermarket cooler (e.g. Xigmatek HDT-S1283 + retention bracket, or Sunbeam Core Contact, etc.)
2. you must have the time and skill to overclock
3. you must still be able to get a good video card

That is, overclocked E7200+HD 3870 will suck compared to stock X2 6000 + HD 4850. If you can't afford both the cooler and the video card upgrade, get the video card upgrade and the X2 6000. It will pay off in most games because the GPU matters more.



Yeah, I did forget to add a cooler. And the more I look at it, the more I agree that the X2 6000+/HD4850 is the way to go. And if you really want to save some more you could probably substitute a 2.9GHz 5600+ ($103) or even a 2.8GHz 5400+ Black Edition ($90 but you'd need an aftermarket cooler) for the 3.0GHz 6000+. You'd be losing L2 Cache, but you'd be getting newer 65nm tech and dropping from 125W to 65W.

Reply to Wanker79
genored   08-08-2008 at 04:03:23 PM
- 0 +

Get a sonata III (has 500w antech earth watt) 100$
2x1gb 800mhz cl5 47.5$
amd 4850e 2.5ghz 77$
Ati 4850 512mb 199$

thats about 423$ and 77$ left for a motherboard

Reply to genored
aevm   08-08-2008 at 04:18:54 PM
- 0 +

That Sonata is nice, I have one at work. The door gets in the way some times, but apart from that it's not bad at all.

I found some better prices for the HD 4850:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161235 HIS, $155 after rebate and shipping, includes Grid game
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121253 Asus, $158 after rebate and shipping, includes Alone in the Dark game

Does anybody know if those games are any good?

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to aevm
genored   08-08-2008 at 04:28:39 PM
- 0 +

hehe sorry i'm swedish i dont really know how newegg works. Its more picking the right components. If you want to wait a short time amd will release a motherboard that will be cheaper then the 790GX with SB750

Reply to genored
vegettonox   08-09-2008 at 10:28:19 PM
- 0 +

aevm wrote :

That Sonata is nice, I have one at work. The door gets in the way some times, but apart from that it's not bad at all.

I found some better prices for the HD 4850:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161235 HIS, $155 after rebate and shipping, includes Grid game
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121253 Asus, $158 after rebate and shipping, includes Alone in the Dark game

Does anybody know if those games are any good?



Alone in the dark starts off slow for the first "level" after that the game gets more and more entertaining as it goes on. i definitly enjoyed playing it and couldnt pull myself away till i beat it. usually a sign of a good game. well put together awesome levels and music is awesome as well.

------------------------------ "whats going on with the leg"... "first you tell me whats going on with the boobs" Greg House. (house md)
 Reply to vegettonox
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