$500 Gaming PC: Day 2, Testing & Analysis
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Page 1:Will It Game?
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Page 2:Overclocking Details
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Page 3:Test Configuration
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Page 4:Benchmark Results: Crysis, Prey
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Page 5:Supreme Commander, UT3, Warhammer
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Page 6:Audio: iTunes, Lame MP3
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Page 7:Applications: 3DS Max, Cinema4D, Photoshop, AVG, WinRAR
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Page 8:Synthetics: 3D Mark 2006
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Page 9:PC Mark 2005
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Page 10:Sandra XII
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Page 11:Average Performance Differences
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Page 12:Performance Per Dollar, Conclusion
Supreme Commander, UT3, Warhammer
The $500 Gaming PC isn’t playable at all in Supreme Commander at stock speeds, yet it supports relatively smooth FPS at all resolutions when overclocked. Yet the stock speed System Builder Marathon PC still edges it out overall.
Turning up the graphics quality in Supreme Commander gives the higher-priced System Builder Marathon PC a commanding lead. Given the view angle for this game genre, players might be able to tolerate the low frame rates of the overclocked $500 gamer at resolutions up to perhaps 1680x1050, but its stock-speed results are abysmal.
All configurations for both systems were playable at every resolution in Unreal Tournament 3, if barely for the stock-speed $500 Gaming PC.
Clock Speed is King in Warhammer Mark Of Chaos, where the overclocked $500 Gaming PC is playable at all resolutions while other configurations struggle.
- Will It Game?
- Overclocking Details
- Test Configuration
- Benchmark Results: Crysis, Prey
- Supreme Commander, UT3, Warhammer
- Audio: iTunes, Lame MP3
- Applications: 3DS Max, Cinema4D, Photoshop, AVG, WinRAR
- Synthetics: 3D Mark 2006
- PC Mark 2005
- Sandra XII
- Average Performance Differences
- Performance Per Dollar, Conclusion
I know time is limited but is it really right to compare the stock 8800gs to an oc 3870.
Anyway I think the results show that at 500 bucks you can build a nice gaming pc and thats number has come down quite a bit.
Even if it only last 1-2 years at 70 bucks or less I think you got your moneys worth.
The 320Mb versions of the 8800GTS have come down in price to the point that it might fit a $500 budget. That would be more of a fair fight.
Quad vs Dual core in a budget machine is really shown here. The quad core just simply isnt worth the money right now. Not enough apps really take advantage of it.
Overall its a smoking little machine. The processor with nothing but a heatsink change will hit 3 ghz + as shown in this article. She games, but is on a 19" LCD, which has a native resolution of 1200X something I think so the 9600 GT is plenty of video card for her.
Overall this is a great article and $500 can easily be adapted to whatever you need give or take $50 depending on what components you salvage off the old PC.
I think the dual vs. quad debate is more relevant when multitasking is involved. Certainly in a budget build a dual is the right choice.
Great article and an interesting read, some headway is clearly achievable.
Am looking forward to a follow up, especially if you are planing to pat yourselves on the back!
I hope to see a Spider platform in the same bugdet or on lower one, and thus, compare.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024
Antec is likely going through a product refresh.
Example - The Antec 900 is being replaced by the Antec 1200.
Expect to see a similar Product out soon in the same price range.
Likely not very well.
Very few retails systems have anything above very basic graphic cards.
Even the High-End Quad Core sytems lack decent graphics.
Add to that, the E8400 has one less core and is clocked slower than the previous $1000 build.