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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Systems > Homebuilt > $500 "mobile" gaming computer, your opinion?

$500 "mobile" gaming computer, your opinion?

Forum Systems : Homebuilt $500 "mobile" gaming computer, your opinion?

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Hello all,
this is a quick build I'm doing for a friend(free of charge of course). This is his first gaming computer hes getting and wanted it to be easily transportable. I got to ordering all the parts today and I think this is a huge bang for buck machine. However, I wanted to know what others thought. The specs are listed below and thanks for any replies :)
Specs:
Case:NZXT Vulcan Gaming Enthusiast mATX Computer case
CPU:AMD Athlon II X4 630 2.8Ghz AM3 CPU
Mobo:ASUS M4A785T-M AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
RAM:G.SKILL Ripjaws 4GB(2 dimms) DDR3 1600 Memory
Hdd:WD Caviar Black 500GB Serial ATA HD 7200/32MB/SATA-3G(we were going to do a 1tb samsung but we both agreed that 1tb is overkill for him)
GPU:Like new Asus GeForce GTX 260 core 216 graphics card ($90 on eBay)
PSU:Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply
DVD:recycled dvd drive
total cost $495 usd
I also ordered 2 extra 80mm fans for a 4 case fan total. I did want to take advantage of newegg's black friday deals and get the lian li PC-K62 but he liked the looks of the vulcan better( :non: ) and the portability feature.
Again thanks for any replies to this thread.

Reply to dsaddons
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Hmm 1st negative on the TT TR2 line of PSUs
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/art [...] view/902/9

Quote :

Conclusions

 

Thermaltake TR2 RX 750 W is, according to our methodology, a flawed product that must be avoided at all costs. It can’t deliver its labeled wattage at high temperatures, but this is not the worst of it: ripple and noise level are way above the maximum allowed when you pull 80% or more from the unit’s labeled capacity (i.e., 600 W and above), overloading your components (especially electrolytic capacitors from the motherboard and video cards), which can cause your PC to present an erratic behavior (crashes and random resets) and, under extreme conditions, damage components.

 

Then for the $$ one could actually, via carefully picked out parts/combos land a GTX 460 1GB/256 bit based little monster hehe

 

$444AR
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q205/batuchka/Untitled-413.jpg


Message edited by batuchka on 11-27-2010 at 08:40:27 AM
Reply to batuchka

Thanks for the reply. First off, I live in CA, so I am taxed when buying at newegg. The parts were bought in a mix between tiger direct and newegg, along with the single eBay purchase. I wanted to go with a quad core for an extra performance boost, but it was $80 on tigerdirect, making it a cheaper option anywho. I aimed towards an asus or gigabyte motherboard, just because I have had issues with so many other brands aside from those 2. The 1tb barracuda you picked is only $50 because it has such a high failure rate, so that wasnt an option. As for the 600w tr2 it had good enough reviews, but if it arrives doa or i am having trouble with it I will return it and get a 550w Ultra psu most likely.

Reply to dsaddons

Oh, I actually just saw the psu you referenced is a different line of power supplies, the tr2 rx, not the tr2. I have worked with the tr2 430w model(most reviewed psu on newegg) 2 times before so I dont expect there to be a problem.

Reply to dsaddons

Doesn't matter what name is - platform is same RX just means same platform + modular cabling @@
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/art [...] view/332/1

Quote :

Thermaltake Purepower 430 W NP, which is also known by other names like W0070, TR2-430W and XP550 NP, is one of the simplest and cheapest power supplies from Thermaltake.

 

The main problem with this power supply is that it can’t deliver its labeled power. It is, in fact, a 350 W power supply.

 

If these power supplies can’t deliver their labeled power couldn’t we sue the manufacturer on the grounds of false advertisement?

 

You could buy it as if it were a 350 W unit, but when we pulled 355 W from this power supply noise level was touching the maximum admissible limit and efficiency was at 69.6%. With other load patterns the maximum efficiency we saw was 76.9%.

 

Our conclusion is pretty simple: don’t buy this power supply.


Message edited by batuchka on 11-28-2010 at 06:21:02 AM
Reply to batuchka

hmm...that is quite interesting. Ive only used the 430w tr2 for home pcs using onboard video. I always go corsair or seasonic on high end and antec and ultra for budget builds, with the occasional thermaltake or other "big" brand. the parts are already ordered so if it gives me any trouble I will just get a refund. Thanks, may have saved me a system or 2 down the line there!

Reply to dsaddons

Yep glad to help and happy weekends ^^

Reply to batuchka
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