IS THIS TOO CHEAP?

[blamuk]

http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?edp=42148071&navid=155441514

I was just about to build my own system: (pretty standard high value performance set-up)

E8400 -----------------or Q6600
ASUS p5Q pro
radeon 4850
DDR2 800 4GB
WD 640GB 7200rpm hd
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283
PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP
DVD-RW

and the bill comes to about $900 with shipping and tax - and that is WITHOUT windows



The system I just found from the Link above is:

AMD Phenom X4 9850(2.5GHz) ---------- pretty much the same as Q6600 (right?)
NVIDIA GeForce 8200 Chipset
6GB DDR2 800 -------------------------------2Gb more
750GB SATA 7200RPM------------------------same
SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology------------------same
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT graphics card with 512MB dedicated video memory ---------------(nearly as good as a 4850 right?)
Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n-----------------------EXTRA
NTSC TV tuner, over-the-air ATSC high-definition Digital TV tuner, and FM tuner with HP Media Center remote control with IR (infrared) receiver ------------EXTRA
Front panel 15-in-1 memory card reader------------------EXTRA
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit---------------EXTRA
HP keyboard and mouse -------------EXTRA

SO all I can see is that this is basically the same system as the one I want to build, with a load of extra crap (most of which I cannot care less for, but still, they worth something right?) AND that it only cost about $700 delivered.

Should I just buy this and forget about messing around building one?

One thing I know I would miss is the ability to OC. I was planning to OC the E8400 to 4GHz or the Q6600 to 3.4GHz. But I have never OCed before so I am also happy just using stock frequencies.

I also know that at the end of the day if I built my own everything would be exactly as I want it, and that'd be nice, but the problem is that I am on a budget, I want to spend as little as possible. And that $200 saving seem extremely attractive to me.

What are your expert opinions?

Best regards

 

[blamuk]

OR even.....look at this Q6600 build:

http://www.ecost.com/Detail/Desktops/Hewlett-Packard/GN553AARABA/40348052.aspx?navid=155436156

but then the Ram and graphics card is a bit dumbed down as compared to my original build....but this is only $600....

 

[dirtmountain]

To be honest the AMD build is better. The Intel build has a very weak graphic card, probably a 300w power supply, of the 2 i'd go with the AMD. Just be aware that you can't overclock a HP computer, usually cooling is sub par, but it's not a bad deal, especially if you really weren't looking forward to building your own.

 

[blamuk]

Thx dirt, i think i have my answer. I'm going to build my own. I just googled 'eCost review' and looked at the eCost customer ratings and reviews for the store. And my god, I never thought it was possible for a store to have such a bad rating and still manage to exsist. Its almost funny reading those very dissatisfied reviews, but thats very harsh of me. I'm just glad that I havn't made the wrong move. It is a damn good deal, if only the store can be trusted!!!

 

[ahslan]

build your own man...then you get the best of both worlds...the parts you want for a pretty good price...

 

[icyicy]

Apart from the fact that the 9800GT isn't nearly as good as a 4850, the motherboard isn't even mentioned, you won't be able to overclock it and the WD640AAKS is faster, yes the cheaper one should work.

 

[kitsilencer]

build your own man...then you get the best of both worlds...the parts you want for a pretty good price...

QFT. The best part about building your own system is that if anything ever goes wrong, it's your fault, and you don't have to deal with tech support.

Or wait... is that the worst part of building your own system?

 

[zenmaster]

I'm trying to figure out how your Build came up close to $900

Q6600 - $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
Mobo - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299
485 0 $165
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127370
4GB DDR2-800 - $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267
640 GB WD - $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
Case - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
750w PSU - $110
DVD-RW - $30
==============================
Total - $755...............

That is basically your part selection.
I could easily slash quite a bit from the cost.............

Drop CF Support and grab a P43, Anctec 300, Corsair 550w

PSU - Save $28
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
Case - Save $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042&Tpk=antec%20300
Movo - Save $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347

The Price is now Below $700 before shipping and I have not really looked for combo deals or other sweet deals or sacrificed any quality.

The HP is not a bad deal for someone who does not want or can't build their own system. But the CPU will really limit some games at stock (The same would hold true for the Q6600, but it could be OC'd nearly 50%)

 

[wgdz]

+1 to post above,

with the AMD PSU might not be high quality

with the AMD Mobo is likely locked so you cannot OC like your own build

4850 is around 20-30% better than the 9800GT (9800GT is a rebadge of 8800GT)

your own build CPU cooler will performance a great deal better than AMD's stock

your own build case will be a much higher quality case

most importantly you will likely have a better warranty. That I mean by, when you buy each item i.e. the HD, it comes with a 5 yr warranty, with the AMD you'll likely have 1 yr warranty from that PC manufacture.

 

[blamuk]

Yeah I'm going to build my own now, but you forgot my CPU cooler in your calculation

actually I just realised I forgot something in my calculation too - I based that 900$ amount by just looking at the total on my basket in newegg, forgetting the combined rebate to be just less than 100$, so that brings it down to 800$ which is what you have priced above + my cooler + shipping + tax. (aprox.)

You are right in that I probably don't need the crossfire - I wonder, if I am using a 22" wide LCD with max res @ 1680*1050, will crossfire ever make any useful difference? (I was told that crossfire only really shine with high res systems?)

Next thing is that, I was always going to get a E8400 until I have read up enough about the battle between Dual and Quad that I realise the arguments are turned if I OC instead of leaving them at stock, and that this is not just my gaming PC, I will also do raw processing etc. So now assume I'm getting the Q6600 instead and wanting to OC to 3.5GHz (which is reasonable right?) are there better choices for Mobo and Ram etc. for my system?

In reply to the other cheaper components suggestions:

PSU - I used the PSU cals, and with OC and with the possibility of CF (since I was looking at a mobo and a GPU that can CF) and with a few more (old)HDs and other USB devices etc. I came to about 500W, so I thought I'd go for the 610W. Is this realistic? Would OCing Q6600 and CF 8450 etc. only with a 550W PSU be already way more than enough?

case-
I was tempted with the antec 300 for its price, but somehow the CM690 was so highly recommended by everyone, and I was worried that my huge cooler XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 and longer than usual PC P&C PSU might not fit very well. Will the antec 300 be perfectly fine? how does it compare to the CM690?

thank you guys. You see, I'm going to build my own, but once I settle with that idea, I always have so many quries and can't get to sleep thinking about it!

 

[dhvd79a]

So now assume I'm getting the Q6600 instead and wanting to OC to 3.5GHz (which is reasonable right?) are there better choices for Mobo and Ram etc. for my system?

Expecting a 50% OC is unreasonable. Just because people claim they do it doesn't mean your new processor will.

If you NEED a processor that will run at 3.5GHz you should get one closer to that speed. You have no guarantee that you can overclock to 3.0 much less 3.5 with a Q6600.

If you want to OC a Q6600 to 3.5 just for bragging rights with your buddies go for it but don't be too disappointed when your OC can't get passed 3.2ish or even worse 2.8.

Dave

 

[blamuk]

understood. Yes i see 3.5 is a bit ambitious. But I was hoping to at least OC to the E8400 stock speed at 3.0 .........

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

It's too bad you missed it. Last week there was a deal on an antec sonata case with a 500watt antec PSU for 130 bucks, it also gave you an AMD 5400 black edition chip, and then a 50 dollar mail in rebate.

 

[coleman]

don't forget this from you build, from what i have read and what people have said it is well worth the money, sorry if you have already mentioned it i just had a skim read

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019