Budget system: your recommendation?

[ALCH3MIST]

Hi. I currently run an ancient Pentium 4, and I plan to buy new hardware so that I can build a very cheap PC for gaming. Here are the two builds I'm considering:

A)
Core 2 Duo E7500
Gigabyte G31 motherboard
4 GB Ram
Axle Nvidia GT240

or
B)
Pentium G840
Gigabyte H61 motherboard
4 GB RAM
Axle Nvidia GT240

I already have a hard drive [320 GB] and a 450-watt Mercury PSU.

This is very weak compared to current systems, but it's all I can afford. The Pentium G840 performs better than the E7500 but the combined cost of the chip + VGA is a bit over my budget. Is it worth stretching it?

My gaming requirements - running COD4 Promod @ 150 FPS [which both rigs can easily pull off], Dragon Age, The Witcher 2, Starcraft 2 and possible Battlefield 3. I play at resolutions of 1320x960 or less. I don't need high settings, either: as long as they're playable on mid.

Is the G840 worth the extra money, or is the E7500 system enough?
Thanks.

 

[ALCH3MIST]

I am currently not in any position to upgrade beyond these two builds, and AM regretfully D systems are not available at all here in Sri Lanka. Core 2 duos are pretty much the standard here and very few people run 17 / 15 rigs.

How will these two builds fare in the future, say for the next three years or so?

My current PC is a Prescott P4 with HT OC'd to ~ 2.6 Ghz, I gb ram, 2 IDE hard drives and a socket 478 Asus P4GE-MX. It's lasted me almost ten years. Whatever I buy will need to be operational for at least the next three years.

 

[fb39ca4]

Those should be fine for the next few years if all you want is playability. Both will perform about equal, but you will be able to upgrade the CPU a few years from now on the G840 build..

Also, where are you buying parts from? That way we can recommend you other components.

 

[ccbad]

Use AMD, much cheaper for more power. Like an Athlon II X3 450
I use it for gaming and I run like COD, but I have a 560 TI Cupertino clocked edition.

 

[ALCH3MIST]

Those should be fine for the next few years if all you want is playability. Both will perform about equal, but you will be able to upgrade the CPU a few years from now on the G840 build..

Also, where are you buying parts from? That way we can recommend you other components.

I'm buying from Redline Gaming, Sri Lanka. Here's the list of everything they have in stock + prices:

Redline price list )gamer.lk)

My alternative is barclays.lk, which is right next door, but they don't have the G840.

For comparison's sake, what about the G620?

Thanks.

 

[ALCH3MIST]

Use AMD, much cheaper for more power. Like an Athlon II X3 450
I use it for gaming and I run like COD, but I have a 560 TI Cupertino clocked edition.

I'd like to go AMD, but unfortunately there's not a single dealer in Sri Lanka who does AMD processors and motherboards. It's mostly Intel + Nvidia territory here.



Don't...
Bump posts
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/283384-33-read-first

 

[ob1s]

Why not opt for a second hand system, i have for sale a q6600 with an intel board with 2 yrs warrenty

email me sangani.o@gmail.com
let me know, i get down CPU parts from the US for personal use so call me and see if i can get down ur D or AMD CPU that wud be faster