New computer? Help needed :)

[snooper55]

Hi all

I'm Snooper and it's my very first hour here on tomshardware.com - So handle with care

Okay so here's the deal!
I've been refered to here by a friend on a computer game forum (http://www.forums.darkfallonline.com)
It's because, i need to buy myself a new computer, and i have a budget on around 400 euros wich is about 533.85 dollars.

The computer i'm looking for is mainly for gaming, feel free to ask if you need more info so far!
(I have monitor and keyboard and other stuff here allready, i only need the computer )

My computer is pretty old and my computer system is;

Radeon x1300
2 gb. Ram
Intel(R)
Pentium(R) D CPU 3.40 GHz
3.42 GHz.

________

Be aware! I'm not an expert on computers, so i might not be able to fully understand your replies! So please be gentle!

 

[The Third Level]

For 533 you're going to have to look at recycling some parts from your old computer, namely the case and optical drives. That alone may shave off 100-120 bucks from the cost of building a PC. However if you have a crappy case, you might want to invest in something with a bit more airflow, especially if you plan on overclocking.


For extremely low budget i'd go for a low-end Core 2 Duo or maybe even a E5200 Pentium Dual core....then overclock that. Get a decent graphics card if you can afford it (Radeon 4___). You can get E5200+mobo or a decent Athlon+mobo combo at Newegg for about 100. Then spend about 100 on a graphics card, 20-30 on RAM, recycle your old case if you can, get a decent PSU, and if you need a new hard drive they're not too expensive now anyway, 500gb for 50 bucks maybe.
Lately DDR2 is damn cheap so you can easily grab a 2x2gb kit for 20 bucks.

E5200 + Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L = $120
2x2gb DDR2 800= $20
Radeon HD4850 512mb = $150
Rosewill RP500-2 500W PSU = $40
Antec 900 Case= $110

Total - $440

If you recycle your HDD and opticals it shouldnt be a problem.
With the extra you can get an aftermarket cooler or maybe a new hard drive.

 

[St-OwNed]

I agree with Third on that.... just have to figure what you want now, what your going to want or need in the future.
The combos that new egg have now days allow you to build 1 heck of a system for little cash. I built mine for just under $500, and have no problems with games.

oh tv not included in that $500 -- hehe..


nVidia nForce 750a Sli SPP
AMD Phenom X4 9600 @ 2300 MHz
3072 MB DDR2
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ (Prerelease - WDDM 1.1)
WDC (640 GB)
550W OCZ Fatal1ty PSU
42 inch HDTV
Windows 7 Ultimate Professional
DX Version 10.00

 

[snooper55]

okay thanks for your help tho, i have no idea on how to overclock tho, so that's not an option..

Btw my computer is really loud, it honestly sound like a chopper when it's turned on.. It's REALLY annoying.. And my motherboard is too old for newer graphic cards i've heard.. Any solutions ?

 

[Onus]

Hmmm, Rosewill PSUs, especially older ones, are no good. The OCZ Fatal1ty series is made by Sirtec, which also has a bad reputation. Check out Antec Earthwatts (or any Antec PSU for that matter).

 

[The Third Level]

You PC is loud either cause of a loud CPU fan or a loud PSU or case fan.

If you're not going to overclock, you wont need an aftermarket cooler. In that case, i'd get one of the Athlon X2s...they have higher stock speed than the E5200

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.178919
Athlon 64 X2 5600 (2.9ghz) + Biostar mobo combo for 130.

 

[Wisecracker]

If you can order from Scan they have a Phenom 720BE and a Biostar 790GX for around £200

 

[snooper55]

thanks i guess.. Guys seriously, i have NO idea what all that means! "Phenom 720BE, Athlon 64 X2 5600" please explain it while u give suggestions

 

[The Third Level]

Those are the names of the processors.

Phenom II 720 Triple core Black Edition (2.8 gigahertz)
Athlon 64 5600 Dual Core (2.9 gigahertz)

The PII is better, but more expensive. Also, it's kind of stupid to use on your build because you wanna keep costs down but you're not OCing.

The Athlon X2 5600 paired up with a midrange graphics card will provide a decent gaming experience. Sorry to say, but if you want to use high end graphics card you need a higher end CPU, or at least a midrange CPU overclocked.