Help with $600 or less homebuilt comp.

[netpower]

I will be using this computer mainly for video editing, watching movies and some gaming. I have not been following computer parts for a long time so I don't know which one is the best fit. Help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[WR2]

Is there anything you don't need? Monitor? Keyboard/Mouse? Copy of Windows?

Look this build over for a starting point. For your video editing I'll recommend a quad core CPU and 4GB of RAM
TechReport Christmas Build Suggestion

Intel Pentium E5200 2.5Ghz $83
Asus P5QL-E MB $106
2GB Kingston DDR2-800 RAM $24
Sapphire Radeon HD 4830 $110 with rebate
WD Caviar SE16 640GB $75
Samsung SH-S223Q DVD burner $28
Antec NSK 4480B Case w/380W PSU $99

 

[netpower]

Thanks for the reply. I need to start everything from scratch. I'll use my old crt monitor for now and everything else I need to get.

 

[ehanger]

If you want more power you could always buy some of the components off of ebay, as there are lots of great deals you can get. If you want everything brand new, then I would go for the Techreport build that WR2 suggested. If you end up going for the techreport build you should get an aftermarket heatsink so you can overclock the E5200. I don't know about the 380w PSU that comes with that antec case though, it may be a little underpowered for gaming.

Also agree with WR2 on the Quad and definitely get 4GB RAM if you get any form of Vista. I have seen it go for $30 on newegg so theres no excuse for getting 2GB for $24 unless you're on XP.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Also, the other question, do you intend to overclock or anything of that nature?

 

[netpower]

A little in the future, but first I need to get all this with 650 or lower to be exact with quad core and 4 gigs. I'll try ebay and flea market for the mouse and keyboard

 

[WR2]

To stay under $600 wasn't easy - corners needed to be cut.
Rebates will help keep the total cost with shipping and tax around $600.

Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz dual core CPU $83
BIOSTAR TForce TP43D2A7 P43 Motherboard $90 (and $20 rebate)
OCZ Gold 4GB DDR2 800 RAM $40 (and $20 rebate)
MSI N9600GT OC GeForce 9600 GT 512MB $95 (and $30 rebate)
WD Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB SATA 3 HDD $50
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD Burner $24
Antec NSK6580 Mid Tower Case & 430W Power Supply $80
Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1 $100
Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 USB Keyboard and Mouse $22

with tax and shipping (to my zipcode) that comes to $$660 with $70 in available rebates

 

[WR2]

We're about $100 short of getting a Q6600 quad CPU.
I think you'll do really well with the E5200 dual core.

 

[netpower]

I can take out Vista for now and worry about that later. Get quad core instead. Will that do?

 

[ehanger]

I could be wrong on this but isn't the E5200 the exact same architecture as the Core 2 Duo's?

 

[WR2]

It's your build (and your money).
And you can get an excellent Linux distro for Free!
It's not much of a gaming OS though.

The E5200 has you covered for gaming, movies and all the usual computer tasks. How much video editing will you be doing? What program will you be using? Not all video editors can use a Quad CPU effectively.

 

[netpower]

Thanks for the help everyone especially WR2, but I have to go. I'll check this thread tomorrow and buy the parts.

 

[WR2]

Dual core CPUs aren't too shabby when it comes to video editing and encoding.

They are, after all, a multi-core CPU. If you're not doing a ton of video work you should do OK with the E5200.

 

[GrimReeperNL]

Check out the 500 dollar build from Oktober, and take the suggested upgrades (E5200 CPU and Ati HT4850 graphic card). Or use the exact system as is, only different video card, so you are able to use the stable overclock settings found during that articicle. And check out the comments on the article as well.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-pc-marathon,2058.html