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Budget build <$1000, few days away from ordering

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Budget build <$1000, few days away from ordering

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I'm trying to keep it under $1000 CAD, everything will be bought from NCIX, and assembled by NCIX for $50.
Suggestions/opinions/advice? No links to Newegg or anywhere else please, NCIX only!

CPU - E8400
GPU - Palit 4850, maybe 2 of them
Case - CM 690
Mobo - Asus P5Q Pro
HD - WD 640GB
HSF - Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer
RAM - G.Skill 4gb DDR800 4-4-4-12
PSU - CM Extreme Power 600W (will this be enough to run C2D+2x4850 CF?)

Total comes up to 958 CAD including taxes and free shipping.
What do u think?
Can it get better and still be under 1k?

Message edited by adreen on 09-07-2008 at 12:11:03 AM

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Nix on the Extreme Power 600W
Look at the Corsair 650TX / Antec Earthwatts 650W / OCZ GameXStream 600W
550W is the recommended minimum PSU for 2x 4850

The rest looks excellent. Already have a DVD burner?

Message edited by WR2 on 09-06-2008 at 11:46:23 PM

Reply to WR2

Antec 300 FTW...
Its the best price/performance case out there... only 53$ on amazon
you be saving 45$, 35 if u add a 120mm intake fan.

Go for at least ddr2 1000 (8000) if u are planing to overclock the e8400
Corsair 750w looks great IMO

Don't let anyone to take away the experience of building your own thing, beside you be saving 50$ Oo

Reply to realyeti

haha, what does nix mean? i'm guessing it's something bad? lol
the dvd burner is included in the price kinda pointless listing it
i thought about the antec 300, but i'm worried it'll be too small, CM 690 is a sure thing...can the 300 house all my junk?

haha..i don't trust myself building it. if i **** up something little, it's gonna bother meee lol. let the professionals do it. heard the hsf is a B*tch to install.
should i really og for ddr-1066 ram? i AM thinking of overclocking the 8400...but i thought ram didn't matter as long as the timings are tight.

Reply to adreen

Good solid build, go with WR2s advice on power supply.
I'd stick with quality DDR2 800 RAM

Message edited by dirtmountain on 09-07-2008 at 12:11:04 AM

Reply to dirtmountain

is the coolmaster extreme power 600w really that bad?
because it's selling at $59 on sale, marked down from 79.99.
the other brands will run me 30-40 more.
thanks for the inputs! i really appreciate it, thanks

Reply to adreen

Crossfire on P45 chipset might not be worth it (I think you can loose up to ~25% performance compared to X48 chipset), you might as well get a 4870 or wait for the 4850x2 cards (due this month).

------------------------------ The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice. - Rebec of Ginaz

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Reply to Zenthar

I would just go with a 4870. I just bought 2x4850(been using for a month) and I am not too impressed. I am going to sell off one of them and use 1 4850 until the next set(or gen) of cards come out.

Reply to ChuckLogan

Nix = no. And yes - it is that bad. It's a 500W PSU built by Seventeam (lower quality) with a Coolermaster 600 label stuck on it.
You could probably get by with it - but overclocking and a 2nd 4850 could give you some unpleasant surprises.
(look for it on this PSU listing; http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx)

DDR2 800 will be fine for the E8400 OC'ing up to about 3.8Ghz - and the G Skill should do DDR2 850 with a little voltage bump and a bit looser timings.
All your "stuff" would probably fit in the 300 case - even the 15cm tall Sunbeam Freezer. The 300 (8.1" or 20.5cm) is only .3" narrower than the RC 690 (8.4" ).

Reply to WR2

oh, i dodged that bullet thank to u!
one more question about power supplies...
what is the difference between a corsair tx750w and a HX620w?
the 620 is more expensive but lower wattage.
the hx620 is selling for $99.00 too! tx750 is at 94ish
will a corsair hx620w be sufficient for even say....4870x2?
and will it be enough for nehalem?
i'm thinking of just buying cheap parts right now, and saving it to build a nehalem or x48 when nehalem drops....finally..

Message edited by adreen on 09-07-2008 at 07:57:12 AM

Reply to adreen

one 4870 > 4850 CF?

Reply to adreen

HX620 has modular cables and higher spec / build quality (Seasonic OEM) and 50Amps of +12V power. TX750 (CWT OEM) has 60Amps of +12V.
There is also a Corsair TX650 with 50Amps of +12V power.
All of them exceed the reqmts of a 4870X2 and OC'ing an E8400.

4870 > 4850 CF ? Only when a game does not scale in CF (Open GL games for instance). There are games where the 4850CF performance is the same as a single 4850 and for those games the 4870 would probably be about 20% faster.
( [:wr2] It's nice to see a $300 solution giving nearly the same performance as the $550 solution.)

Reply to WR2

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