$300 Budget Gaming PC - Possible?

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darthalal

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*Sorry for not using the template at first! I'm new here and hadn't seen the "How To Ask For Help" thread yet! Anyway, here it is:*

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: ~2 weeks BUDGET RANGE: $350ish Cheaper the better

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Coding, Movies, Internet usage

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Mouse, Monitor, Speakers, OS, HD if the rest of the build is compatible with Ultra ATA.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: www.newegg.com or www.tigerdirect.com since I have accounts already and I am familiar with them, but I am open to others if the prices are better.

PARTS PREFERENCES: Most likely AMD processor and ATI graphics, but only because of price! If there is a good deal/price on comparably performing Intel or nVidia, I would rather buy those. Essentially, I have no preference.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe (not a priority, but I could get into it in the future) SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe (not for the initial build, but I would like the capability there if it doesn't add to the cost)

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024 (for now, monitor will be upgraded in the future)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

I'm in the process of reading through the "Guide to Choosing Parts" right now, but I'm still not sure where to start as far as processors/motherboards. I have found a graphics card and a few other parts that I would like opinions on for this application:

GPU:
ASUS EN9600GSO/DI/512MD3/V2 GeForce 9600 GSO 512MB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121320
or
VisionTek 900225 Radeon HD 3650 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129117

Case:
Rosewill TU-155 Black 0.8mm SGCC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 400W(20+4 pin) Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147001
or
LOGISYS Computer CS305BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Enhanced SOHO Computer Case 480W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811148046

RAM:
PNY 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model MD4096KD2-800 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178219&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-PNY+Technologies++Inc.-_-20178219

None of these are set in stone!! I'm just looking for advice, how to get the best "bang for my buck" and some direction where to take this build.



Original Post:

I'm interested in building my first computer, and my budget is quite low. I currently have a Dell XPS M1730 laptop, with a Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz processor, 2 GB RAM, and an nVidia GeForce 8700m GT graphics card, but the computer is much too large, and not portable enough to cover my needs (computer science student, need a laptop to bring to class), but I love the gaming. As such, I have decided to sell the XPS, and purchase a used Macbook to cover my schoolwork and portability needs, and use the leftover money from this purchase to build a desktop for the occasional Windows needs and gaming. Because of this the budget will be quite low, and I'm just wondering if it is possible to build a desktop with comparable performance to my current laptop with <$350?

What I would like:
Processor - At least 2 cores, comparable performance to the T8300 2.4 GHz processor in my XPS
GPU - Again, comparable or better performance to the GeForce 8700m GT.
RAM - Probably 4 GB
HD - I have a 250 GB Ultra ATA drive laying around that I could use as long as everything else is compatible

Any direction/advice would be much appreciated. Like I said, this is my first build, so I'm not really clear on how to tell which components will be compatible with each other, and don't want to miss important parts. I have a monitor and mouse, and a keyboard will be no major problem. Thank you!
 
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wathman

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Honestly, for the best gaming at a $300 price point, you should be looking at getting an Xbox 360... Budget gaming rigs usually start around $500, and you will be making notable sacrifices. They handle current gen. PC games, though will have difficulty with next gen. titles without a few upgrades.

If you can get really nice deals on newegg or tigerdirect, you might just barely hit your $350 budget, but an OS disc will put you over budget unless you are fine with using an illegal copy. I guess you could use linux, and emulate windows under Wine, getting games to work will be a craps shoot, but you'll probably learn plenty for your comp sci major with all the effort that would take :)

Another option that you can try, check fleabay for some damaged systems. If you're lucky, you can get a serviceable case with some cosmetic damage, a functioning PSU, a CD-ROM all for cheap relative to buying new. Be aware that these items may be very broken and you end up replacing anyway, so bid accordingly if you want to try for cheap essential hardware. A generic case, PSU, and CD-ROM will cost about $100 new, and you'll need those for any desktop you plan to build.

As for reusing that old HD, I'd actually say buy a new one. Even the cheapest $50 bargain bin drive you can find right now will be better for a gaming rig than that drive. Spend $20 more and you can get one with pretty decent capacity.

Another possible bonus to buying a parts computer off ebay is you might get a valid windows XP license key. I've bought 3 broken computers off ebay in the past, and two of them had keys I was able to reuse. The third was a busted up Acer, and the key must have been only usable for the motherboard it was installed on. Still, it could save you $60 or so on your OS if you get lucky.
 
J

jbakerlent

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Here's a try... It comes to $289 with onboard graphics, but I figured you could upgrade a lot of it later as needed i.e. add a graphics card such as the 4830/50, add two gb more ram, upgrade the processor, etc. But for now the onboard graphics, 4200, are quite good as far as onboard goes. If you add two gb more ram and throw in a 4670 then it comes to $368, so I'll leave that up to you. Anyways, here's the parts:

AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128394

OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298

MSI R4670-2D512/D3 Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127415

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151188

Finally, add $25-$50 for a case that you can pick out. Hope this helps some!

Edit: Just noticed I posted the 4gb RAM, here's the 2gb if you want to save $25 for now:

OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139
 
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wathman

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That's a pretty good start, since price is key on this build, I'd also keep an eye out for rebate items and the often overlooked free shipping. I know there's plenty of people who hate rebates and will choose different hardware so they aren't "loosing out" on the savings by not having to complete them. I've probably filled out 10 rebates since last year, and got back maybe $250 so they are worth it if you take the time and follow up on them. The rebates newegg gets have always gone smoothly for me, and I never had a problem getting my money back from any of them.
 
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darthalal

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Thanks so much guys!

jbakerlent: That system so far looks like exactly what I needed to get started - with plenty of room for upgrading later. A question for now - what caliber of games would the onboard graphics card be able to run? Any source-engine games? or would the computer be basically useless for gaming/video use until I put a dedicated GPU in? What performance level would the 4670 bring the computer to? Is anything missing that I would need to purchase separately (mounting screws, fans for the case, etc.)?

wathman: I considered just purchasing an xBox, but after online fees, and considering that most of the games I play are online, and steam-based, I decided that wouldn't really be a solution to losing my XPS. I definitely keep my eyes out for free shipping deals, but haven't had much luck as far as online mail-in-rebates go, though I haven't tried any through newegg before.

Thanks again!
 
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dna708

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the 4670 would provide a huge difference in performance over the integrated chipset. It would probably be able to play most source engine games.

However, if you can wait until you have the money to buy a new card, it would be so much more worth it.
 
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darthalal

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More worth it to buy the 4670? or something else?
I would definitely not use the integrated chipset for long, it would be a very temporary solution. I meant to ask about the 4670 compared to the others I found though because I was looking at cards that are cheaper, namely the nVidia 9600 GSO (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121320), and I'm not sure how they compare. If I went with the 9600, and got a smaller HD, I could probably go with a discrete GPU right away.
 
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jbakerlent

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Integrated certainly won't be amazing, but it will work ok on lower settings. I have never used a 4200 first hand, and they are pretty new, so I can't really say for sure. Here is one review: http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/amd_785g_performance/page8.asp. I would say, stick with 2gb of RAM and use the money you save to help pay for a 4670. Also, if you have a ODD laying around you could save some money on that as well...
 
batuchka

batuchka

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Hmm if i understand correctly u have an operational HDD? If so consider reusing it and a suggested config :p
ecgAUG.jpg

HD 4650 = 9600GSO so can do on 1280 x 1024 i guess hehe
+1 on reusing ODD too - can slap on 2GB more RAM maybe ^^
 
Onus

Onus

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The HD3300 integrated video on a 790GX is a little better than the HD4200 on the 785G, but any IGP uses some of your memory, so you'll want 4GB rather than 2GB. If you pay for a discrete GPU, you can more easily get by with only 2GB of RAM.
The old Rosewill PSUs, and any Logisys, are utter garbage. Following will be a cheap build...
 
Onus

Onus

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This is the cheapest build I think I could do today. Since "cheap" is the #2 criterion (behind only a requirement for quality / fitness), it has plenty of room for improvement.

AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDX545WFGIBOX - Retail
Model #:HDX545WFGIBOX
Item #:N82E16819103694
Along with no discrete video, the most painful part of this build. You could save $10 and drop to a Regor 250, but I would find that excruciating, and not worth it. I'd really rather get a 720BE X3 here, but its price was just jacked to $125, putting it out of reach.

$89.99 $89.99

Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:R102-P-BK
Item #:N82E16811147111
I've had good results from every cheap Rosewill case I've ever bought.

$29.99 $29.99

BIOSTAR TA790GX XE AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #:TA790GX XE
Item #:N82E16813138140
Biostar isn't my first choice (Gigabyte or ASRock/Asus), but it isn't my last either. This one should be sufficient. The integrated HD3300 graphics can handle some gaming, especially at only 1280x1024.

$94.99 -$10.00 Instant $84.99

Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Model #:EA380
Item #:N82E16817371005
To my mind, there is no excuse to accept less in a PSU than 80+ and Active PFC. Anything else is probably garbage, not suitable to power a computer. This one is able to power even a 4850, although for longevity, I'd look at getting a bigger one for anything more power-hungry than a 4830.

$59.99 -$10.00 Instant $49.99

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 996557 - Retail
Model #:996557
Item #:N82E16820146692
The new AMD chips can run DDR2-1066 (or DDR3), but this is a budget choice. Look for other deals, and maybe save $5 or so, but I've had good results with Mushkin RAM.

$52.99 $52.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:WD3200AAKS
Item #:N82E16822136074
Sticking with an old PATA drive is a truly desperate measure with decent drives this cheap, but you could always get it later...

$54.99 -$5.00 Instant $49.99

SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
Model #:SH-S223L
Item #:N82E16827151188
Eh. Samsung, LG, Lite-On; I don't see much different among any of the optical drives I've used.

$28.99 $28.99

Subtotal: $386.93
You can lower this some by deleting a couple things you may not need, but it may just be better to wait until you can afford this (plus some upgrades). First upgrade would probably be a discrete GPU. A 4670 is an excellent budget choice. Second would be a faster CPU, like a 720BE.

 
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darthalal

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Is the Callisto really that much better than a Regor? What would the main benefit be? Also, wouldn't this not work with the motherboard listed (AM3 processor vs AM2+/AM2 mobo)? I've just started getting into all of this so I really have no idea, just trying to be safe.

Thanks again so far!
 
udaman

udaman

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Hey, it is from the lack of experience. Sorry for that. No intention to offend anyone.
 
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AMDThunder

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Ok, this took a while. I've trimmed it down as much as possible. Went through several configs to get the cheapest deal I could find. This is re-using your cuurent HDD, and does not include a keyboard or mouse.

Combo:
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P10664GK - Retail
HIS H465FS512P Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.231971

AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103694

Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371005

GIGABYTE GA-M61PME-S2P AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128383

Rosewill R101-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147112


LG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136144

That mobo should work with your current HDD. The total is $351.92 including shipping. Don't think it can get any better than that.

 
Onus

Onus

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No offense taken by me either, udaman.
AMDThunder, I'm not sure that ancient-chipset mobo will support the newest CPUs, even though it is AM3. It also only has 1000MHz HyperTransport, instead of the 2600MHz of more modern boards. The 4650 may or may not be strong enough. You've certainly got the price down, but I suspect the resulting system may offer too many regrets concerning performance. @OP, if the budget is that tight, maybe you'd like to wait until you can add another $100 to it if possible.
 
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AMDThunder

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Good catch, jtt. Didn't notice the HT on that board. Still, another $20 - $30 for a mobo and he's there. If he can come up with another $50, get a DDR3 mobo and upgrade the RAM.
 
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darthalal

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The actual budget depends on how much I can sell my current laptop for (Dell M1730 XPS) and how cheap I can find a Macbook Pro on eBay for. I was very close to getting one for $800 earlier today, which would have bumped the budget up considerably. Thanks again guys, there are a lot of good places to start from so far! I'm just waiting to see exactly how much I can spend on parts and then I'll start figuring out the final configuration..
 
Onus

Onus

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This sort of build IS the most challenging.
My own "Green Gamer" project has been largely a test of the minimalist approach. I recently decided that the 4850e in it was not enough CPU, but so far the HD4670 has been enough for my games, but I don't play any current shooters.
 
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