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My current desktop is about 2 years old and in total I've spent about $1,500 (I bought most of the parts when they just came out, such as the $400 monitor).
Current..
- 19" Samsung 930BF
- 80gb & 250gb HDs (SATA, but forget specific speeds and such)
- AMD Athlon 64 Dual-core 3600+ at 1.9ghz a core
- 2gb RAM
- (1) NVIDIA 8600GTS 256mb
- 500w PSU
- 5.1 Logitech speaker system
- Plain black case, mid-ATX, with 4 fans in it
I'm looking to build a new one from complete scratch (inc. keyboard/mouse) after I sell this one for around $600. And to spend at most $1,200. The key things I was going for were dual monitors and SLI. Everything else I could care less for. I'd even downgrade from quad-core to dual-core.
The build I came up with is this..
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8685065
What do you guys think? What can I afford to lose?
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Im looking to get something really similar, i just have no idea about pc's though :|
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What i love about starcraft is that it can run on a computer as powerful as a calculator.
its so cool
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SLI is useless. Too expensive and energy costs.
Just go for a better single card instead of two crappy cards which don't give you any advantages.
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Cheap solution: Why not just stick a 4870, another 2GB of RAM and a large HDD into your old computer and keep it for yourself?
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Don't waste your money and energy on SLI, what could you possibly need it for.
Just get a 3ghz duo core, 4870 radeon card and 4gb ram, rest is not important so just pick a motherboard that is compatible with this and get cheap stuff for the rest.
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8gigs ram wut imo avoid running 4 ram slots in dual channel like the plague also you even 64bit? imo unless you are doing like extreme graphics editing 4 gigs suffices most ppls needs.
Also that power supply why get sli if you're going to have to buy the 2nd card with a new power supply parts of the build doesn't make too much sense
Sli power comes from large screen resolutions also you need an = powerful cpu for sli to work well
I would just get a P43 or P45 with 1 PCIe slot and just run a 280 or 260 216cores or 4870
i would have gone with the set up your aiming at with just a 260 216cored and used a P43 set up with 1 PCIe
with only 2 19" screens that will handle it easily.
2 screens doesn't need 2 gpus and esp at lower resolutions 1 powerful gpu can handle 2 monitors just fine.
If you feel like you need sli in which you don't i would buy a combo card IE like 9800GX2, 285, 295 or an X2 from ATI
What games you plan on playing because you can keep the 9800 and just run 2 monitors off that just fine and run most games just fine at reasonable settings med to high ie not x16 af x8 aa
again games and regular use along with what os you have will matter to if you should use the old quad core Q6600 or use a dual core E8400 or higher with more success
Also I'd swap out the creative speakers for Logitech Z-4 40 watts 2.1 Speaker very good cheap speakers
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if u want to play sc2, don't buy 8600, it is a shitty 8000 series, get 8800gt.
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On January 20 2009 23:45 IzzyCraft wrote:
8gigs ram wut imo avoid running 4 ram slots in dual channel like the plague also you even 64bit? imo unless you are doing like extreme graphics editing 4 gigs suffices most ppls needs.
Also that power supply why get sli if you're going to have to buy the 2nd card with a new power supply parts of the build doesn't make too much sense
Sli power comes from large screen resolutions also you need an = powerful cpu for sli to work well
I would just get a P43 or P45 with 1 PCIe slot and just run a 280 or 260 216cores or 4870
i would have gone with the set up your aiming at with just a 260 216cored and used a P43 set up with 1 PCIe
with only 2 19" screens that will handle it easily.
2 screens doesn't need 2 gpus and esp at lower resolutions 1 powerful gpu can handle 2 monitors just fine.
If you feel like you need sli in which you don't i would buy a combo card IE like 9800GX2, 285, 295 or an X2 from ATI
What games you plan on playing because you can keep the 9800 and just run 2 monitors off that just fine and run most games just fine at reasonable settings med to high ie not x16 af x8 aa
again games and regular use along with what os you have will matter to if you should use the old quad core Q6600 or use a dual core E8400 or higher with more success
Also I'd swap out the creative speakers for Logitech Z-4 40 watts 2.1 Speaker very good cheap speakers
This.
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On January 20 2009 23:45 IzzyCraft wrote:
Also that power supply why get sli if you're going to have to buy the 2nd card with a new power supply parts of the build doesn't make too much sense
Maybe I am misreading this, but just so you know you need an SLI rated psu for the 9800GTX. It requires 2x 6pin connectors for the card to run. Don't ask me why...
My specs are : ASUS p5n-d mobo, 4 gigs mushkin redline 4-5-4-11 timings, 250 & 500 gb SATA 3 hd's, 1 sata 22x dvd burner, 2 LG 8164b hd dvd roms (For copying Wii discs), E8400 overclocked from 3.0ghz to 3.4ghz, Articool freezer pro 7 heatsink, thermaltake soprano case w/ 4x 120mm 85cfm fans, 9800GTX+, and 750W psu. I am thinking about putting another one together as well.
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Hum maybe you didn't read the op. He wants SLI eventually i guess since he not going to buy it now although i say it's pointless with his monitor's size.
If he went sli that psu would be useless and he would have to get a new one is what i was trying to point out.
Also any psu made in the past like 2 years has atlest 2 6pin connectors as long as they are over about 550w
I basically meant that it was a waste of money to buy that psu spend 10-30 dollars more get a better psu that you could carry over although i still advise against 2 card solutions for his monitor size.
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something like this
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=10599786
+ Show Spoiler + Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151173
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info27-151-173.0.18)
1 year: $9.99
2 year: $14.99
$29.99
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811112099
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$20.00 Instant
$109.99
$89.99
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136075
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info22-136-075.0.18)
1 year: $9.99
2 year: $14.99
$41.99
SAMSUNG 920WM Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824001245
Return Policy: LCD Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info24-001-245.0.18)
1 year: $24.99
2 year: $39.99
-$20.00 Instant
$319.98
$279.98
($139.99 each)
EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130434
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy $20.00 Mail-in Rebate $269.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info17-139-005.0.18)
1 year: $14.99
2 year: $19.99
-$60.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate $159.99
$99.99
Logitech Z-4 40 watts 2.1 Speaker - Retail
Item #: N82E16836121130
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info36-121-130.0.18)
1 year: $14.99
2 year: $19.99
$69.99
Microsoft K96-00001 Gray/White PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard & Mouse - OEM
Item #: N82E16823109118
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info23-109-118.0.18)
1 year: $9.99
2 year: $14.99
$24.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231122
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy -$10.00 Instant
$49.99
$39.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128347
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info13-128-347.0.18)
1 year: $14.99
2 year: $19.99
$79.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115037
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options|hide options)
Service Net Replacement Extended Warranty Plan
The product will be replaced and shipped directly to you at no charge(more info19-115-037.0.18)
1 year: $24.99
2 year: $39.99
$164.99
Subtotal: $1,191.88
It's not perfect 1200 the case has free shipping and i wasn't looking at bundles to cut cost but i'm sure you could hit the 1100 mark with some tweaking and that should be about 1200 after tax and standard shipping.
Like a dvd player that doesn't do light scribe or one that doesnt burn at all cheaper for like 19.99 and a cheaper power supply which still good amps etc long with along with a bundle deal or two to lower the price.
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so much money.....
I just bought a new computer for $485 after shipping/taxes and everything.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00Ghz 1333FSB 6MB L2 cache (I can overclock this to 4Ghz if I want to)
4GB 800Mhz DDR2 ram
400GB serial ATA 7200rpm 16MB cache
20X DVD +- R/RW dual internal drive
Midtower ATX case with power supply
ECS G31T-M QUAD CORE 1333FSB DDR2 SATA2 (some ppl would have upgraded this but I was going for value rather than perfection)
Windows XP (my choice)
I also added in an extra case fan and upgraded the processor heat sink.
Add in $140 for this card with free shipping:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130420
And my new computer costs me $625.
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Only get that card if you want the game. Otherwise get the one I am getting above which is $10 cheaper and a bit faster.
EDIT: Also, the quad cores are better than the dual cores in some areas but they are a lot more expensive and in some games get outperformed by the duals. I personally recommend going dual although there are ppl who will disagree with me.
I just think dual cores give you more bang for your buck (aka better value)
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You are missing a case 2 monitors for him little thing like he wanted new mouse and keyboard where is the power supply and graphics card i assume he plays games. He should really say what his explicit uses will be to effetely cut costs.
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I don't know about the ram, but the E8400, E8500 and E8600 are simply awesome processors. Read reviews on them. They are identical specs but with 3.0Ghz, 3.16Ghz, and 3.33Ghz speeds respectively but all 3 are awesome overclockers so it almost doesn't even matter which one you get.
E8400 and E8500 are significantly cheaper than the E8600 which has only a tiny increase in speed so I would get one of the first 2 (as you can see I got the E8400 but my brother got the E8500).
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But it really comes down to what you're going to be doing he could easly save 70 dollars and just get a E7200 it really just depends on his needs. Balance of CPU go GPU is about 30cpu 70gpu or just about if you buy a gpu you should spend about atlest half of that cost to a cpu so you don't get a very early cap in performance, for gaming balance is a little more when you get multi gpu and scaling you'll need more to boost everything. Alot of ppl can live with lower end processors.
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I need to throw this out there. Get a soundcard. It's obvious that you want a good computer and if you've never had a good soundcard before, look into it. I'm not an audiophile by any means and even I noticed a huge difference with a $50 headset. I haven't tried it with my 5.1 system but I can't imagine the awesomeness.
P.S. I've only tried the ASUS Xonar DX but I'm sure other ones are good too.
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Sound cards are useless to most people they cannot tell and most of their sound sets up are completely waste of the extra channels and the little things. Mobo's now easily can do 7.1 HD surround, DTS and DDL most sound cards just off load the cpu from doing the calculations onto a sound card's chip that's all. waste of money for his budget. The real advantage to most users is from the about 90-180 dollar range which is too much for him atm is where you get sound cards with calculation software similar to Creative X-fi which tries to enhance the sound via software but it's only compatible with the sound card so...
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On January 21 2009 06:48 IzzyCraft wrote:
Sound cards are useless to most people they cannot tell and most of their sound sets up are completely waste of the extra channels and the little things. Mobo's now easily can do 7.1 HD surround, DTS and DDL most sound cards just off load the cpu from doing the calculations onto a sound card's chip that's all. waste of money for his budget. The real advantage to most users is from the about 90-180 dollar range which is too much for him atm is where you get sound cards with calculation software similar to Creative X-fi which tries to enhance the sound via software but it's only compatible with the sound card so...
I'm saying that I'm not an audiophile and I totally notice a difference. It's definitely not useless to most people but that seems to be the common "shrug off" response. Sure, mobo's have a built in sound card but it doesn't even come close to comparing.
Yes, the sound card I'm talking about is expensive. This guy is willing to spend $1200 USD for his computer. That is not chump change. I bought a HD 4870, e8400, and new mobo for ~$150 CDN after selling my old videocard, cpu, mobo and my stuff was 2 years old. I think if he's willing to spend that much money for an elite system he should look into a soundcard.
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Just because you spend 150 on a mobo doesn't mean it had a good integrated sound chip in it also depends on the program set up you are using and if you updated the bios and drivers and applications for said on board sound. In terms of basic sound quality, there's very little in it these days between on board sound and an add-in card. Like i said before what you are hearing is a "program enchanting" creative calls it a "crystalizer setting" which trys to take lower tones and desired tones and change the output to make it sound sharper the sound more likely then the sound card actually doing anything special. I mean he runs a 2.1 set up it's a real waste of a dedicated sound card esp one like Asus Xonar which is really meant for HD decoding perfect for media pc's which should have at least 5.1 set up and a proper set up not 5.1 speakers shoved in front of you they are also really meant for audio work and i mean work by people who actually make music because again they offload and and properly handle input from 7.1 channels for audio creation they also offload the cpu for better response in the work environment.Really unless you are having decent quality music samples to begin with ie CD rips that aren'y crappy MP3 128kb/s ideally AC3 WAV WMV uncompressed or a 320kb/s or higher there is no logical difference in the performance of the sound produced although there porb is a slighly psychological one. Also could be realtek fault they suck at making drivers and so people get problems with hearing static or something.
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I meant that I spent $150 for all those parts. It was supposed to contrast with his budget but it's really besides the point.
I've noticed a huge difference with the soundcard using only a cheap headset, so I'm sure his 5.1 speakers would benefit more.
I think in his price range it would be a good purchase. He's thinking of getting dual monitors and SLI, which are really luxurious expenditures for cost/benefit. It's simply my suggestion that he should look into a soundcard.
Edit: No need to quote. Ambiguity.
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That rig is basically the same as the one you currently have. Good bye $1200.
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get a ac7 cooler also intel quads should be getting a price drop soon, e8500 should last you a while though
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On January 21 2009 10:22 mahnini wrote:
get a ac7 cooler also intel quads should be getting a price drop soon, e8500 should last you a while though
Someone said that quad-cores what be a complete waste because not a lot of programs take advantage of 4 cores. And the reviews say the e8500 is waay better than the q6600.
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On January 21 2009 10:26 Spartan wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2009 10:22 mahnini wrote:
get a ac7 cooler also intel quads should be getting a price drop soon, e8500 should last you a while though Someone said that quad-cores what be a complete waste because not a lot of programs take advantage of 4 cores. And the reviews say the e8500 is waay better than the q6600.
it would be but if you're not upgrading for a while, like 2+ years, quad is probably better.
plus if you wait for the rumored price drop it might be the same price
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Yea I see what you mean. But in 2-3 years I'll probably get another new PC to switch out this coming new one. For now I'll take the higher speed and less cores, over the lower speed and more cores that won't even be accessed by the majority of the programs out there.
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I don't see the need for a hard disk cooler.
Good choices on vid card and processor. Both super reliable, proven and therefore popular.
Wow, 650 watt power supply. Are you planning SLI still? 650 watt is serious power and may be way more than you need.
But I think this build is much better than your last one. Except...did I miss it or did you only have an 80 gig hard drive? Thats pretty much tiny. I would get minimum 200 gigs. I prefer 400 gigs just to be safe. Its amazing how fast those fill up even in you aren't downloading movies/music. Running out of hard disk is annoying.
Also, you do know that you can't burn dvds with that right? Be sure you don't ever plan on burning one before purchasing. Upgrading to a DVD burner should only be a little bit more money.
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for 99$ 650w corsair is a nice deal and i'm assuming 80gb would just be his system drive and he's saving his storage from his old comp
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On January 21 2009 14:56 Savio wrote:
I don't see the need for a hard disk cooler.
Good choices on vid card and processor. Both super reliable, proven and therefore popular.
Wow, 650 watt power supply. Are you planning SLI still? 650 watt is serious power and may be way more than you need.
But I think this build is much better than your last one. Except...did I miss it or did you only have an 80 gig hard drive? Thats pretty much tiny. I would get minimum 200 gigs. I prefer 400 gigs just to be safe. Its amazing how fast those fill up even in you aren't downloading movies/music. Running out of hard disk is annoying.
Also, you do know that you can't burn dvds with that right? Be sure you don't ever plan on burning one before purchasing. Upgrading to a DVD burner should only be a little bit more money.
Just to be safe for future upgrades. I only put one HD since it will be my primary for programs and such. I'll probably get a second one, but I don't save movies I've watched after downloading anyways.
On January 21 2009 16:26 mahnini wrote:
for 99$ 650w corsair is a nice deal and i'm assuming 80gb would just be his system drive and he's saving his storage from his old comp
Do you think I should get a RAPTOR HD for my primary, then a slower/larger HD for my secondary?
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i dont think a raptor is worth the money, you wont get any significant improvements
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Why would you get the RAM heatsinks when the ram you're getting already has them? The HDD cooler is also probably not needed either with that case. The LED fan is also not needed unless you're planning on dangling it outside of the case. After you build it all, just make sure you set fan options for your video card as the 4800 series auto-fans are horrible.
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psst phenom ii's got a price drop the 920 is only 195$
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EPT
