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[Solved] Gaming PC for $500

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Best answer from theholylancer.

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Okay, so some of you may have seen my last post about my gaming PC for $300... Well, after conversing with my mother for some time, now another $200 has popped into the picture. So with $500 I can obviously build a much better computer. As before, I already have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc...

This is what I have picked out so far:

Intel e7400 - $110
ASUS P5QL/EPU - $80
G.Skill 4GB DDR2 800 RAM - $52
Same HDD as before (320GB, 7200rpm) - $50
Total: $292

That leaves ~$208 for a GPU and a PSU. Any suggestions? Or anybody think they have a better set up?

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hmmm why can't ya use the ram from before?

is the old machine going to be reused or something?

2 Gb is more than enough imo for xp + games, if you want vista/7 then 4 may be needed, and then buying DDR2 ram now seems like a kinda of a waste unless mobo prices forces you to do so..

imo, use the 2 gb ddr2 you have now, and spend that 50 dollars on a PSU like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371007

and then 208 for a GPU...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150360

4890............... may be over kill for 1024*768 by a WIDE margin....

btw these prices are pre tax and shipping, so maybe that 4890 becomes a 4870 instead or go with a lesser brand than XFX with lifetime warranty, and 500w goes to 430 W earthwatts

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts [...] ,1329.html
note that the 4890 just nuked the 260 out of the sky, there are times when the 260 out plays the 4890, but only by a small margin. look at the FC2 max setting at 1920*1200 and you can see that they are almost equal

and also note that that test was 1920*1200 at 8AA 16 AF VHQ in L4D, in 1024 * 768..............................

Woops forgot to mention I'm thinking about a GTX 260 for my GPU, but I'm really not sure what to get...

Reply to klunuts

Best answer

hmmm why can't ya use the ram from before?

is the old machine going to be reused or something?

2 Gb is more than enough imo for xp + games, if you want vista/7 then 4 may be needed, and then buying DDR2 ram now seems like a kinda of a waste unless mobo prices forces you to do so..

imo, use the 2 gb ddr2 you have now, and spend that 50 dollars on a PSU like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371007

and then 208 for a GPU...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150360

4890............... may be over kill for 1024*768 by a WIDE margin....

btw these prices are pre tax and shipping, so maybe that 4890 becomes a 4870 instead or go with a lesser brand than XFX with lifetime warranty, and 500w goes to 430 W earthwatts

and also note that that test was 1920*1200 at 8AA 16 AF VHQ in L4D, in 1024 * 768..............................

Message edited by theholylancer on 08-19-2009 at 09:34:02 PM

Reply to theholylancer

•CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDX545WFGIBOX - Retail
•MOBO: Foxconn A76ML-K AM3 Ready / AM2+ / AM2 AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
•RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK - Retail
•HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
•PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS420X 420W ATX12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
•GPU: SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
•DVD: Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM
•Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
This build will allow you to play games at mid. to max. settings at a monitor resolution of 1440x900 or less. comes too $495

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to obsidian86

@theholylancer

it's not that i CAN'T use my old RAM, it's just I thought it would be better to buy brand new RAM running at a faster speed anyway.

and yeah, i'm thinking the 4890 would be slight overkill for my monitor hahaha, so maybe i'll go with a 4870...

would you recommend the gtx 260 or the 4870? i'm gonna go look at some benchmarks...

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to klunuts

obsidian86 wrote :

thanks, but i don't need the case or ODD, i already have those..

Reply to klunuts

klunuts wrote :

i recommend you wait and see what 5800 has in store, with Windows 7 and Dx11 just around the corner, unless you want to buy now (which I think you do), you should wait for it

apparently (don't quote this, just rumors and rumblings), the new 5870 single card has the performance of a 4870 X2!!!

if they do turn out to be lemons, at least 4800 cards should be cheaper to get (one would think)

Reply to theholylancer

haha yes one would think so. but yeah, i do want to buy pretty soon (within the next month or so).

What do you think of this card?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814129113

right now it's $140, plus that $70 PSU you or someone else posted (the 500W earthwatts one) which would be only a couple dollars over my budget before tax! Good idea, no?

Reply to klunuts

looks nice, and the antec one is SLI and CF certified, not that it matters to you atm lol, just an option for reuse a few years down the road.

also in a month eh...

i'd wait and snap up deals then. new Dx11 cards may even be out by then rofl

Message edited by theholylancer on 08-19-2009 at 10:22:46 PM

Reply to theholylancer

why's that? is that when Dx11 and the 5xxx series are (supposedly) coming?

Reply to klunuts

http://techpulse360.com/2009/08/12 [...] your-eyes/

sept 10

Message edited by theholylancer on 08-19-2009 at 10:30:59 PM

Reply to theholylancer

o and on an aircraft carrier...

with AMD chips being supposedly fond in Iran in their super computer grids, you'd think they are going to war with NV with some firepower (JK JK)

Reply to theholylancer

hahaha

Reply to klunuts

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Forum CPU & Components : Other Components - [Solved] Gaming PC for $500