Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > New System Build > Modest gaming/entertainment build

Modest gaming/entertainment build

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Modest gaming/entertainment build

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Related content

Gaming/entertainment build, need suggestions/opinions.

See all topics related to "modest gaming entertainment build"

Ask the community Add a reply

Bottom Search this thread

First time building, need lots of advice!

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: next few weeks; BUDGET RANGE: ~700 max

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: surfing the internet, watching movies, gaming (medium res)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: mouse, speakers

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg?

PARTS PREFERENCES: no preferences

OVERCLOCKING: No; SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1440 x 900

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Just looking to upgrade from my 4 year old laptop; looking for decent performance, gaming on 1440 x 900, upgrade to higher spec in future

Case: 80
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137

PSU: 70
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] &Tpk=EA500

CPU/Motherboard: 205
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core + ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.205337

Memory: 65
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

Graphics:
MSI N9400GT-MD512H GeForce 9400 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127396

Hard Drive: 64
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 750GB SERIAL ATA/300 32MB
http://www.frys.com/product/5954944

Optical: 30
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151188

Monitor: 110
Acer X193Wb Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2000:1 ACM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009151

Keyboard: 10
Logitech Classic Keyboard 200 (USB)
http://www.frys.com/product/530099 [...] IN_RSLT_PG

Wireless: 28
EDIMAX EW-7128G IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833315041

Total Price: ~793 (including shipping)

Help! Over budget!!

Add a reply

Hm not much you can do unless you think of a dual-core and DDR2 based build with 2GB (2x1GB), cheaper tower case with free shipping? Maybe a Western Digital Caviar SE16 500-640GB?

What kind of games do you play btw?

Reply to tiger253

I was planning on playing Left 4 Dead. I guess I'm more concerned about budget than gaming performance.

What if I switch in this combo?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.215869

that drops it down to about $650

Message edited by decipherfreak on 07-21-2009 at 02:01:35 AM

Reply to decipherfreak

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by tiger253 on 07-21-2009 at 02:25:25 AM

Reply to tiger253

Thanks for the suggestions! Are you sure about the GPU tho?
And what specs should I be looking for on the mobo?

Reply to decipherfreak

GDDR3 is much faster compared to GDDR2. At 1440x900 you should be fine. And L4D is fairly easy to handle.

That mobo is pretty popular, I bet a lot of people here have it and you for the price it has good features. It does have 8 power phase so you can overclock the CPU for sure. And it supports high speed DDR2 memory.

I think I'm missing out on L4D too and need to go buy it lol

Reply to tiger253

tiger253 wrote :

overclocking would suck on that mobo though...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151187

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009151

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814143161

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341016

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131295

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819116072

Total= $607.65 including shipping

now choose your hard drive from frys, etc.

what planet are you from and when do you think you will be going back?

There is no way your budget entry level c2d will compete with the previous AMD triple core build you trashed . Your advice amounts to "buy obsolete intel junk thats being phased out because it can overclock "
and even thats not good advice since the OP said he didnt want to overclock
and even if he did the Phenom rig will run as high as 3.8 GHz no trouble at all

The phenom build is FAR FAR better build and all the OP has to do is to drop the graphics card since the mb has onboard gfx that are strong enough to play crysis at low resolutions and most other games ok

That saves $48

Keeping the same case with a combo deal on CM psu can save another $50

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by Outlander_04 on 07-21-2009 at 03:20:18 AM

Reply to Outlander_04

Is there a way to make the triple core build cheaper? My original setup is over budget

Reply to decipherfreak

Outlander_04 wrote :

what planet are you from and when do you think you will be going back?

There is no way your budget entry level c2d will compete with the previous AMD triple core build you trashed . Your advice amounts to "buy obsolete intel junk thats being phased out because it can overclock "
and even thats not good advice since the OP said he didnt want to overclock
and even if he did the Phenom rig will run as high as 3.8 GHz no trouble at all

The phenom build is FAR FAR better build

Where in the OP's first post does it say I do not want to overclock?
my bad, didn't see that

Yes the Phenom II X3 720 is far better but try giving him advice to fit his budget.

He says "upgrade to higher spec in future" so why not settle for something decent right now and still be able to play L4D just fine.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by tiger253 on 07-21-2009 at 03:52:29 AM

Reply to tiger253

tiger253 wrote :

Where in the OP's first post does it say I do not want to overclock??

Yes the Phenom II X3 720 is far better but try giving him advice to fit his budget.

He says "upgrade to higher spec in future" so why not settle for something decent right now and still be able to play L4D just fine.

It was this line
"OVERCLOCKING: No; SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No "
that made me think he wasnt keen on overclocking

but hey I could be wrong

And to add to your planetary problems a c2d isnt that upgradeable . Its being phased out . The Phenom rig , well to upgrade you buy a gfx card and install that to turn it into a very decent gaming machine

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Outlander_04

Outlander_04 wrote :

Outlander_04, can you suggest how I can trim down the phenom rig?

Case: 60
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

PSU: 59
OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341016

CPU/Motherboard: 205
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core + ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.205337

Memory: 65
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

Graphics: 75
BFG Tech BFGE96512GTOCBE GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814143161

Hard Drive: 64
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 750GB SERIAL ATA/300 32MB
http://www.frys.com/product/5954944

Optical: 25
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151175

Monitor: 110
Acer X193Wb Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2000:1 ACM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009151

Keyboard: 10
Logitech Classic Keyboard 200 (USB)
http://www.frys.com/product/530099 [...] IN_RSLT_PG

Wireless: 28
EDIMAX EW-7128G IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833315041

Total Price: ~790 including shipping

Reply to decipherfreak

Ya I havea suggestion, save up for another month and get what you have already picked out.
That coolermaster case is much MUCH better than the 300. The antec too cramped. Your not going to get a whole lot for cheaper than that. also updat your psu it's only $38 after rebate. There you saved $21. that should pay for the shipping for everything but the case.

Reply to n8dogg

Is getting a case with built-in PSU not as good?

and Why is this case so cheap? If it works, I could just pick it up from Fry's.
http://www.frys.com/product/553425 [...] IN_RSLT_PG

and I hate rebates.....lol

Message edited by decipherfreak on 07-21-2009 at 07:42:17 AM

Reply to decipherfreak

generally the psu's that come preinstalled in cases are not very good quality , but dont be put off buying a case/psu combo

You can still leave out the graphics card for the time being .
The onboard gfx of the 790g chipset are the best available , and you should be able to play some games without buying a graphics card .
Later on add the gfx card for better gaming performance when you can afford it

The WEP network card is pretty insecure btw . Anyone can pretty much stroll into your network if theyre within range .
A WAP network card is more secure

Reply to Outlander_04

so now I have...

Case: 80
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137

PSU: 39
OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341016

CPU/Motherboard: 205
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core + ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.205337

Memory: 65
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

Graphics: 75
BFG Tech BFGE96512GTOCBE GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814143161

Hard Drive: 64 (Purchased)
WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR GREEN 750GB SERIAL ATA/300 32MB
http://www.frys.com/product/5954944

Optical: 26 (going to check Fry's)
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151175

Monitor: (going to check Fry's)
Acer X193Wb Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2000:1 ACM
$110 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009151
or
Acer V193Wb 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor (Open Box) - 5ms, 2000:1 Dynamic, 1440x900 (WXGA+), VGA, Refurbished
$90 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] 445-719003

Keyboard: 10 (Purchased)
Logitech Classic Keyboard 200 (USB)
http://www.frys.com/product/530099 [...] IN_RSLT_PG

Wireless: 20
EDIMAX EW-7128G IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833315041

Total Price: ~800 including shipping

I kinda want to build it now and get it done before school starts again.... so do you guys suggest I drop the GPU for now? That one comes bundled with WOW....

or maybe I can save by getting a cheaper monitor for now?

Thanks for help guys
d^^b

Reply to decipherfreak

AMD Phenom II X3 720 + ASUS M4A78T-E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.205337

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231180

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341019

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151175

Acer X193Wb Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009151

D-Link WDA-2320 IEEE 802.11b/g PCI 108Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, WPA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833127075

Logitech Classic Black 104 Normal Keys USB Standard Keyboard 200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126023

Total 669.30 with a Mail-in Rebate of 35 dolars.

I think this build is pretty good, just stay with the integrated graphics for now and save for a better graphic card in the future if you really need more, with this PSU you have enough room for any graphic card you buy and to be honest for the price after mail in rebate its a great price. Also as outlander said WEP sucks, that d-link card has WAP and best of all an Atheros chip (best wifi chips if you ask me).

Edit: never mind, looks like i'm to late. What you have looks good, just change the wifi card if you want better security. Good luck!

Message edited by DarkMantle on 07-21-2009 at 08:57:41 AM

Reply to DarkMantle

Alright, looks good. I think go check Fry's monitors and optical drives first. The wireless is a tad expensive..

How is this monitor?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] RANTY#tabs

Also, I'm planning on using a burned copy of XP Home. I'm assuming it works because I've used it several times to reformat my laptop. I should be able to use it simultaneously right?

Message edited by decipherfreak on 07-21-2009 at 07:30:12 PM

Reply to decipherfreak

Will I need to buy separate thermal paste??

Reply to decipherfreak

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Homebuilt Systems > New System Build > Modest gaming/entertainment build

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 1164 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.414 seconds

Focus On

Modest gaming/entertainment build

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Modest gaming/entertainment build