Can you make a build that beats this build?

[dimmzeta73]

Hey so i was scanning through fry's and saw this :Firebird 802 for 499.99!

http://www.frys.com/product/5822103?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG



I know its not a powerhouse computer, but it isnt too bad at the same time. For 500bucks can you beat the gaming performance of this thing off newegg right now? I'm not that parts savy and want to ask the community. I mean, that case alone is worth at least 80 bucks, sure you can't upgrade it but it will deff run modern day games at playable resolutions. I tried to make a comp but kept going over the 500 budget from the parts i knew could keep up/beat this comps specs.

Plus the low power consumption of the firebird is nice

BUT...i do hear if the power unit goes out that hp doesnt sell the psu seperate and you are in a world of hurt trying to find one or repair it.

So yea, help me build a comp that matches this so i can get a better understanding of what i really need out of the gaming rig i want to make.

Oh and my screen res is 1920x1080, priority is gaming! Sorry in advance if this belongs in another section of the forum, but i felt it was best suited for the new system build section.

 

[gkay09]

^ That is a very good deal for such a machine and that too with an OS..I doubt you can get a better value PC than that....
but IMO for 1080p resolution the 9800(I dont think its a standard desktop card too) that comes with the PC will be weak for high res gaming...and also notice the HDDs - 5400rpm drives, that will be significantly slower than 7200rpm drives...

 

[dimmzeta73]

wow it comes with a crisp mouse/keyboard as well.....lil drool coming out of my mouth...

 

[liquidsnake718]

The dual 9800's is a trick. Each slot on this mb as it says is limited to x8, x8. So its not at full SLI and I dont think the GPUs are 9800gts but it states 9800s?!? I dont know what that is but maybe they are mobile variants as this case looks too slim for 2 9800gt's. I am impressed however with the onboard stock watercooled system that this description claims it has. For the price it is truly competitive but I think I can match the price of this system with a Q8300, Sapphire 5770, 550w 80plus, and 2-3 gigs of ddr2 ram with a dvd rw. That thing is run by using mobile parts and thus is small and cheap. The only impressive aspect is the supposed "water cooling".


If one is even considering the OS, which is Win7, you can change the 5770 to a GTS250 which is about $100-108 on Newegg
and then get the home starter edition. This system would still be better than an mobile SLI that is limited to x8, x8.

 

[jsrudd]

I've always thought that unless you had a really high end graphics card you didn't need x16 and x8 was just fine. Would x8/x8 not be similar to a dual GPU in a x16 slot?

 

[megamanx00]

^ The performance difference between two 16x slots vs two 8x slots is rather small where the mobile 9800 is concerned. The fact that they each only have 512MB of RAM would be more of a limiting factor with more demanding games, especially at higher resolutions. Anyway, for $500 it's hard to do better.

 

[geofelt]

For what it is, it is a good price. But the graphics will be lacking at 1920 x resolution. The two cards are laptop parts which are somewhat equivalent to 9600gt.
Google to find some reviews and benchmarks.

 

[dimmzeta73]

Thanks for the input guys, I looked around for gameplay benchmarks/experiences and it seems that at 1920x1080 this comp just doesnt cut it. A great price but simply won't do what I want it to do.

 

[dimmzeta73]

Best answer selected by dimmzeta73.

 

[banthracis]

Um technically you can build a better performing comp for about the same money, though honestly I'd rather spend around $700 and get a comp with quality components.

CPU
Ahtlon ii x3 $71.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103726

Case/PSU
Rosewill w/ 500w PSU $74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147118

HD
Spinpoint F3 $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Mobo
ECS $54.99 w/ $18 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135250

GPU
4850 $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102824

RAM
G Skill Ripjaws $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

$465.98 before $18 MIR and shipping.

No OS, but theoretically you can get on through student offer for $65, or on ebay for ~$40.

You can probably go lower, but I wanted to keep it DDR3 and quality RAM and HD at least.

 

[dimmzeta73]

thanks for the build and tips banthracis

i was thinking the same thing, honestly you can get a solid game rig for 800 bucks, 500 is sweet if all i was doing was playing wow and my wow computer was, say, a 3 year old laptop...but i want to play some of the newer games =D