This is my first time building my own desktop and all that I have already is the mouse and keyboard. Needless to say, I'd like some advice.
The purpose of this machine will primarily be gaming (I'm mostly an RTS kind of guy) but I also will use it for everything else like internet, paper-writing, etc. Basically if it can run the games I like (such as C&C 3) now and whatever else like it that comes out for the next 5 years I'll be happy. I'm assuming a system that can handle games can handle all the other everyday things.
I've done a lot of shopping around at places like NewEgg, TigerDirect, ZipZoomFly, PriceGrabber, and Micro Center, but my knowledge base to begin with was limited. I've only got the advice of one other person who has done this before so I'm hoping for lots of input. Compatibility is an issue I'm worried about, especially regarding the PCU/MOBO/Graphics Card. And even though I've tried to read up on power supplies and used online calculators, I'm still confused about what I need there too.
But the big thing is the bang-for-the-buck factor. I'm on a tight budget of $700 so every dollar counts.
For some parts, I have only one in mind, and others I have two or three that vary in price. Obviously, just upgrading all to the most expensive ones would bust my budget, so I have to be careful.
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 - 2.80GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB cache -- $100
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (Adds $50) - 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB cache -- $150
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (Saves $30) - 2.50GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB cache -- $70
Motherboard:
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L (Adds $12 for P45 chipset) -- $100
MSI P43 Neo3-F 775 ATX -- $88
Graphics Card:
XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+ -- $130
Sapphire 100259L Radeon HD 4870 512 MB (Adds $45) -- $175
Visiontek Radeon HD 3870 (Saves $30) -- $100
Memory:
Kingston PC6400 800MHz 4GB DDR2 (2x2GB) -- $30
Hard Drive:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 - 500GB, SATA II, 7200RPM, 16MB cache -- $60
Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 - 500GB, SATA, 7200RPM, 16MB cache -- $60
Case:
Rosewill R222-P-BK -- $25
Power Supply:
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W -- $60
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX (Saves $20 MIR) -- $40
Optical Drive:
Sony Optiarc Black 22X DVD Burner -- $20
Monitor:
Acer AL1916WAB 19" Widescreen LCD (Refurbished) - 1400x900 -- $100
Total (if all mid-level components are purchased) = $675
I have just a little more to spend but I don't know part to go a little higher on. Feel free to rip it apart or suggest something completely different if you think it will give me the best gaming machine possible for my money.
The purpose of this machine will primarily be gaming (I'm mostly an RTS kind of guy) but I also will use it for everything else like internet, paper-writing, etc. Basically if it can run the games I like (such as C&C 3) now and whatever else like it that comes out for the next 5 years I'll be happy. I'm assuming a system that can handle games can handle all the other everyday things.
I've done a lot of shopping around at places like NewEgg, TigerDirect, ZipZoomFly, PriceGrabber, and Micro Center, but my knowledge base to begin with was limited. I've only got the advice of one other person who has done this before so I'm hoping for lots of input. Compatibility is an issue I'm worried about, especially regarding the PCU/MOBO/Graphics Card. And even though I've tried to read up on power supplies and used online calculators, I'm still confused about what I need there too.
But the big thing is the bang-for-the-buck factor. I'm on a tight budget of $700 so every dollar counts.
For some parts, I have only one in mind, and others I have two or three that vary in price. Obviously, just upgrading all to the most expensive ones would bust my budget, so I have to be careful.
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 - 2.80GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB cache -- $100
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (Adds $50) - 3.0GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB cache -- $150
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (Saves $30) - 2.50GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB cache -- $70
Motherboard:
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L (Adds $12 for P45 chipset) -- $100
MSI P43 Neo3-F 775 ATX -- $88
Graphics Card:
XFX GeForce 9800 GTX+ -- $130
Sapphire 100259L Radeon HD 4870 512 MB (Adds $45) -- $175
Visiontek Radeon HD 3870 (Saves $30) -- $100
Memory:
Kingston PC6400 800MHz 4GB DDR2 (2x2GB) -- $30
Hard Drive:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 - 500GB, SATA II, 7200RPM, 16MB cache -- $60
Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 - 500GB, SATA, 7200RPM, 16MB cache -- $60
Case:
Rosewill R222-P-BK -- $25
Power Supply:
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W -- $60
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX (Saves $20 MIR) -- $40
Optical Drive:
Sony Optiarc Black 22X DVD Burner -- $20
Monitor:
Acer AL1916WAB 19" Widescreen LCD (Refurbished) - 1400x900 -- $100
Total (if all mid-level components are purchased) = $675
I have just a little more to spend but I don't know part to go a little higher on. Feel free to rip it apart or suggest something completely different if you think it will give me the best gaming machine possible for my money.
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