Budget Build

[zach538467]

Approximate Purchase Date: The next few weeks

Budget Range: $400 max. Would like to stay lower to include a monitor.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Web surfing, Gaming (mostly CS:S)

Parts Not Required: Keyboard and Mouse, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Probably not in budget

Monitor Resolution: None yet, most likely a 19" 1280x1024, but possibly higher

Additional Comments: I'm building this for my uncle, he went through a divorce and the wifey got the PC. I built one for my grandparents last month and I think he is jealous now I put together an AM3 build with an X2 245, but I wanted to see what you guys could come up with. My younger cousin will be using it too, and he plays a lot of Counter Strike and probably whatever other games he can get a hold of (I.E. my Steam name lol), so I was trying to get a decent card. The build I did went over budget though, I went with a 4850 and it was up to $450.

CPU: Athlon II X2 245 Regor - $57.99

MOBO: ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 - $59.99

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB - $58.99

Optical Drive: CD/DVD Burner - $19.99

RAM: A-DATA Gaming Series 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $46.99

GPU: PowerColor AX4850 512MD3-HV3 Radeon HD 4850 - $94.99

Case/PSU: Antec 200/Antec Neo eco 520W(It's at least 80 plus cert'ed) - Combo $104.99

Grand total for all that is $459 shipped.

If somebody can get a monitor and speakers stuffed in there for $400 or less, I'd be amazed Thanks dudes!

 

[Mr Pizza]

HAF 912
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912

AMD 245
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103687&cm_re=x2_athlon-_-19-103-687-_-Product

Board
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131619&cm_re=am3-_-13-131-619-_-Product

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231134

Spinpoint f3 (ON SALE NOW)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&cm_re=spinpoint_f3-_-22-152-185-_-Product

GPU... 4850 that you said. (note: this is an old graphics card. And the new 6000 Series are coming in October, that being.. the 5000 Sires prices will drop to rock bottom, i would wait.)

ODD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136168

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016&cm_re=500w_ocz-_-17-341-016-_-Product

Subtotal: $465.92 and it has a few better parts... its hard to build something for gaming with $400's

 

[zach538467]

Looks good Mr Pizza, I like the HAF 912 idea, I'm tired of building with only Antec cases lol.

Also, on the GPU, yeah the new ones will be out soon, you are right, but I doubt he will care much. Also, a 4850 I think would be plenty of power for what my cousin would want to play(maybe).

Any particular reason you'd go with the ASUS over the ASRock? I've used the ASRock board before, not arguing your choice just curious. Is the 780 much better than the 770?

As far as the RAM, I was hoping to stay with a single 2GB stick so he could upgrade to 4GB down the road if he wanted.

Indeed, it is hard to build anything capable of much serious gaming for ~$400! What do you guys think of a lesser GPU, seeing as the monitor will most likely be 1280x1024? I suppose I could swap my old 8800GT from the grandparents PC to his and buy a cheaper one for them, grandpa doesn't game