Gaming On A Budget (What Do You Think?)

[BraydenW]

Hey,
Like the topic says I'm a gamer on a budget. I'd like to spend as little as possible, but the max I will go up to in price is about $1600. Not too bad, but I'd like to keep it closer to $1200. This is what I'm thinking so far.

--
Case
Cooler Master Centurion 5 (CAC-T05)
http://www.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?act=detail&id=21
$50.67

Power Supply
PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad (Red)
http://www.pcpower.com/power-supply/silencer-750-quad-crossfire.html
$120.80

Monitor
Samsung 931C LCD (19'')
http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=computersaccessories&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS19MEPSFV/XAA
$260.15

Motherboard
Gigabyte MA790X-DS4
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2695
$126.82

Processor
AMD Phenom X4 9950
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=447
$251.03

Video Card
Diamond Radeon HD 4870
http://www.diamondmm.com/4870PE5512.php
$268.32

Memory
Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2-8500 (2 x 1GB)
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=2144EAD9A5CA7304
$96.60

DVD Writer
Samsung SH-S223F SATA DVD+-RW
http://www.samsung.com/in/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=informationtechnology&type=opticaldiscdrives&subtype=dvdwriters&model_cd=SH-S223F/IDBH
$29.45
--

In my mind this is a pretty solid build, but I got some questions.

- Is Gigabyte a trustworthy brand? Should I consider a different brand for my motherboard?
- I'm considering going crossfire and getting 2 HD 4870's, would this outperform my 19'' monitor? (P.S. I like this small non-widescreen monitor)
- Should I get 4 GB of ram and upgrade to 64-bit Windows XP?
- Any other comments or suggestion you may have please tell me.

 

[Proximon]

Q6600 190.00
P5Q pro 140.00
4Gb 800Mhz RAM 90.00

Then take the 60.00 you have saved (and got a faster more stable system in the process) and get a good CPU cooler.

Gigabyte is a good brand, so is ASUS.
Yes one 4870 will be all you need for your monitor.
Yes 4GB, Vista 64

Get the Antec 300 case instead. It has superior cooling and is just a better deal.

 

[billin30]

One 4870 is too much for that monitor. Either get a a 22" monitor (my 220WM Samsung monitor was 230 after rebates, and that was 4 months ago), or just get a 4850 becuase thats all you will probably need for that resolution. Maybe spend the extra cash on 4 gb of ram and a 64 bit OS. I have 4GB of ram on a 32bit, but I got mine at a really good price. I am considering going to Vista Home Premium 64, just deciding if the cash justifies my curioustity.