Building a budget PC

[redheights]

I am living overseas, and desktops here are basically picking your components, and they build it for you. I am interested in a "budget" system for general use and some gaming for my son. Aside from the processor, I have settled on the following (comments and criticism gladly accepted):
- 4GB DDRII 800MHz RAM
- Inno3D GT240 1GB graphics card
- Hitachi DeskStar 320GB 7200RPM 16MB SATA II
- Creative SBS 245 speaker
- Windows 7 64 bit

Here are the prices (including 16% VAT) based on motherboard/CPU combinations:

Athlon II x2 Dual Core 250 3.0Ghz / GIGABYTE M68M-S2P - $673

Core 2 Duo E7500, 2.93GHz / ASUS P5G41C-M LX s775 C2Q - $734

Core 2 Quad Q8300, 2.5GHz / ASUS P5G41C-M LX s775 C2Q - $764

Core i3 530, 2.93GHz / GIGABYTE H55M-D2H s1156 - $788

Recommendations?

 

[Tamz_msc]

For light general use and gaming , go for the AMD Athlon II system.

 

[Stupido]

Currently to the combination of CPU/motherboard, you should add also the RAM because E7500/Q8300 on P5G41C uses DDR2 and i3 530/ H55M-D2H is DDR3...

 

[enzo matrix]

Out of those choices, get the Athlon IIx2 system. If you can spare it, get the x3 though.

I also agree with the 5670, if you can.

I also recommend you get an AMD chipset instead of the Nvidia, although, there is nothing wrong with the 7025/7050 series. The problems were with the 6150 and the 8xxx series chipsets.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[redheights]

Why not Athlon II X4 620/630/640? Or why not Athlon II X3?

Thanks for the advice - I think I'll go with the x3

 

[redheights]

Why not DDr3 RAM? prices of DDr2 ram is now the same as ddr3 ram where I live....

and why not HD5670? it's only 100USD. availability has caused the GTs240 to rise to that price on amazon too

one more thing, what country exactly?
Feels like malaysia, with those prices. I know cause im malaysian

Thanks. What kind of difference will I see between a 512MB HD5670 and a 1GB version?

 

[redheights]

Out of those choices, get the Athlon IIx2 system. If you can spare it, get the x3 though.

I also agree with the 5670, if you can.

I also recommend you get an AMD chipset instead of the Nvidia, although, there is nothing wrong with the 7025/7050 series. The problems were with the 6150 and the 8xxx series chipsets.

A]Same question as to greghome - what difference will I see between a 512MB & 1GB 5670?
Thanks!

 

[redheights]

To be honest not much, problems only come at really high resolution,
like that of the 1gb GTX460 and 768MB GTX460

I'm still not sure where you currently are, but im thinking the currency is roughly similar to the Malaysian ringgit, the 512 MB should be around 300$$,
wih the 1gb at 350$$, though the card wont really utilize that much memory, so go for the 512

I'm in Israel.

The Sapphire HD5670 is $118 for 512MB and $153 for 1GB

FTI, the Inno3d GTX460 is $268 for 768MB and $330 for 1GB

(prices are converted to $USD and include 16% VAT)

 

[redheights]

If ur budget is big enough, get the GTX460 1GB, ---901.9500 ILS
if not try a HD5770, --673.4560 ILS
If ur budget is still a problem get the HD5670 512MB---360.7800 ILS


those prices I gave u are retail store price , not online prices after tax and converted to Israeli dollar,

Basically, grab the card that fits into ur budget

Thanks!!!