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monk
United States8476 Posts
HD 5830 @ $155 Better than similarly priced 5770's which are around $140-$150. GTX 465 @ $185 with 3 free games Better than similarly priced GTX 460's which are around $200. I'd say get these 2 cards over anything else right now if you're looking in that price range. Benches of these 2 products | ||
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R04R
United States1631 Posts
On August 28 2010 17:15 [Fin]Vittu wrote: btw, this maybe be a relaly dumb question, but does that build come with a cooling fan, R04R? For the processor? Yes it should. | ||
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superlyduper
United States37 Posts
I have: Athlon 64 3500+ 7600GS 512mb 3gb ram I can get 9800GT/HD4850 for $60 OR I can get a Athlon II X2 240 + mobo + 2gb ram for $110 (or perhaps a C2D) I don't have money for both. Which would give me more improvement? Please don't answer both, even though that is the best answer. Also, are nvidia cards better than ati specifically for SC2? | ||
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R04R
United States1631 Posts
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zekie
Canada380 Posts
On August 28 2010 08:57 Myrmidon wrote: Those are some fairly ancient parts. The processor is a few generations old (a little over 5 years), and it's only 2.0 GHz. It's probably the weakest link. The 7950 is almost as old, but it was a top-of-the-line card back in the day. It should be around as good as a card you can pick up for $60 today. The 8600 GTS is a little newer, but it's not a high-end card in its generation so it won't be nearly as good. The memory is DDR1, where most people upgrading their computers today are using DDR2. Modern computers can only use DDR3. i.e. the memory, like the mobo/CPU, is correspondingly old and slow. At least the case looks okay, and the PSU is mostly okay too (only out of spec when delivering more power than those parts would use). I would think the GPU can handle medium graphics and shaders just fine, but the CPU might struggle keeping up with any large number of units in the game. Also, the CPU isn't much upgradeable without changing the motherboard and RAM. All in all, it looks like a high-end gaming machine from four years ago, probably not worth buying these days. What's the asking price? $600 | ||
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zekie
Canada380 Posts
prefer around $400 but up to $600 is acceptable if the extra $200 makes a big difference (I live in Canada) What is your resolution? 1280x1024 is what my resolution is set at now (also not 100% sure if the resolution in the display properties is what you guys are looking for) What are you using it for? Mostly gaming, surfing, movies and a little bit of school What is your upgrade cycle? usually around 4 years. When do you plan on building it? ASAP Do you plan on overclocking? I don't know anything about overclocking. is it safe to do this if you dont' know exactly what you're doing? if I dont need to i doubt i will Do you need an Operating System? yes but my wife is a student so I think i can get it for $30 correct? Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? I really dont think it will be necessary because I dont plan on playing on really high graphics. Where are you buying your parts from? ncix.com or newegg.ca. I'm not sure where newegg ships from but i'm pretty close to the ncix store in Vancouver so hopefully shipping will be less. But honestly whatever can get me the best computer for the cheapest price. Also my monitor is ancient, its a MultiSync 1740CX so I might want to get a new monitor but not sure if that can fit in the budget very well. I can play on this junker if its not too big of a deal for performance or anything (will it effect the resolution or anything?). EDIT are there any decent laptops that could play SC2 for $600? http://kamloops.en.craigslist.ca/sys/1923352197.html good deal? | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
+ Show Spoiler [cheap newegg.ca build] + Athlon II X3 445 CPU and Biostar A770E AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard -- 129 (+16?) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.455269 Crucial 2x1 GB DDR2 800 RAM -- 42 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148163 Samsung Spinpoint F4 7200rpm 320GB 44 (+7.25) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244 PNY GT 240 GDDR5 512MB VRAM -- 73 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133306&cm_re=gt_240-_-14-133-306-_-Product LG DVD Burner -- 20 (+7) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136180 Antec NSK 4482B Case and Antec Earthwatts Green 380W PSU -- 90 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129072 I tried to keep the total low under 500 CAD while being more powerful than the old 600 CAD computer offer and keeping questionable components to a minimum. Most of the skimping came on the AM2/AM2+/AM3 mobo and just 2 GB DDR2 RAM. It's enough RAM for your purposes and the RAM has a good reputation, but the mobo manufacturer does not. | ||
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zekie
Canada380 Posts
On August 29 2010 02:06 Myrmidon wrote: zekie, definitely 600 CAD is too much. Laptops around the 600 CAD range usually can't play SC2 on lowest settings satisfactorily because they have integrated graphics. The ones that do have discrete graphics at that range should be able to play on lowest settings fine; however, I wouldn't bother unless the mobility is important to you. + Show Spoiler [cheap newegg.ca build] + Athlon II X3 445 CPU and Biostar A770E AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard -- 129 (+16?) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.455269 Crucial 2x1 GB DDR2 800 RAM -- 42 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148163 Samsung Spinpoint F4 7200rpm 320GB 44 (+7.25) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244 PNY GT 240 GDDR5 512MB VRAM -- 73 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133306&cm_re=gt_240-_-14-133-306-_-Product LG DVD Burner -- 20 (+7) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136180 Antec NSK 4482B Case and Antec Earthwatts Green 380W PSU -- 90 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129072 I tried to keep the total low under 500 CAD while being more powerful than the old 600 CAD computer offer and keeping questionable components to a minimum. Most of the skimping came on the AM2/AM2+/AM3 mobo and just 2 GB DDR2 RAM. It's enough RAM for your purposes and the RAM has a good reputation, but the mobo manufacturer does not. thanks for the build, which components are questionable and would be better to upgrade? maybe I should spend a bit more on the mobo? if there are questionable components in there i wouldn't mind getting closer to the $550 or $600 range to get more reliable pieces (if thats possible) Also how much would it be for 2-2GB sticks of ram? and is everything compatible? I've heard that I should really research that but TBH i'm not really sure how  EDIT - this computer is actually les than $400 ($398 =]) also are the prices on the newegg.ca site in american? nevermind, why did you put the +10 in brackets beside the price on the items? | ||
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GeneralStan
United States4789 Posts
zekie, definitely 600 CAD is too much. Laptops around the 600 CAD range usually can't play SC2 on lowest settings satisfactorily because they have integrated graphics. The ones that do have discrete graphics at that range should be able to play on lowest settings fine; however, I wouldn't bother unless the mobility is important to you. + Show Spoiler [cheap newegg.ca build] + Athlon II X3 445 CPU and Biostar A770E AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard -- 129 (+16?) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.455269 Crucial 2x1 GB DDR2 800 RAM -- 42 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148163 Samsung Spinpoint F4 7200rpm 320GB 44 (+7.25) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152244 PNY GT 240 GDDR5 512MB VRAM -- 73 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133306&cm_re=gt_240-_-14-133-306-_-Product LG DVD Burner -- 20 (+7) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136180 Antec NSK 4482B Case and Antec Earthwatts Green 380W PSU -- 90 (+10) CAD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129072 I tried to keep the total low under 500 CAD while being more powerful than the old 600 CAD computer offer and keeping questionable components to a minimum. Most of the skimping came on the AM2/AM2+/AM3 mobo and just 2 GB DDR2 RAM. It's enough RAM for your purposes and the RAM has a good reputation, but the mobo manufacturer does not. [/QUOTE My new build is the same core as this (Athlon II X3 and GT240), and it's a nice rig. Runs SCII Ultra with no hiccups at 1600X900 | ||
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1312020
United States28 Posts
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
Definitely go with that ASUS mobo instead, even though it's microATX and a relatively low-end ASUS part. If you want to get with the times, you could try a AM3 motherboard and DDR3 RAM, but it's probably not worth the extra cost. The Biostar probably shouldn't be an issue, but it's not worth trying out Biostar IMO. Other possible upgrades would be getting 4 GB RAM, this case with the same PSU as before, and this GPU. Generally with budget builds, the biggest concern may be explode-in-your-face (well, explode-in-your-case) PSUs, but that's not an issue here. | ||
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lethal111
Canada460 Posts
On August 29 2010 03:54 Myrmidon wrote: Price in parenthesis were shipping costs on a per-item basis. Definitely go with that ASUS mobo instead, even though it's microATX and a relatively low-end ASUS part. If you want to get with the times, you could try a AM3 motherboard and DDR3 RAM, but it's probably not worth the extra cost. The Biostar probably shouldn't be an issue, but it's not worth trying out Biostar IMO. Other possible upgrades would be getting 4 GB RAM, this case with the same PSU as before, and this GPU. Generally with budget builds, the biggest concern may be explode-in-your-face (well, explode-in-your-case) PSUs, but that's not an issue here. that recent mobo u mentioned, I did buy it and its pretty good, no problems so fair, so that mobo is pretty good if your looking for a low budget gaming build. | ||
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deconduo
Ireland4122 Posts
On August 28 2010 10:10 a176 wrote: do you want to show me where the X3 is so amazingly better than the X2? As I've provided one link. Here's another: http://techreport.com/articles.x/18448/6 Dirt 2 and MW2 make use of extra cores. SC2 doesn't: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/blizzard-entertainment-starcraft-ii-benchmark,2611-9.html http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i5-760-core-i7-970,2698-2.html http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/multi-core-cpu,2280-11.html http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-cores-performance,2373-12.html Even the link you posted on SC2 says: 'A triple-core CPU at 2.8 GHz or more should be able to provide all the performance you'd want for StarCraft II.' I'm done for now, if you want to argue more take it to PM. | ||
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mahnini
United States6862 Posts
On August 29 2010 06:10 deconduo wrote: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i5-760-core-i7-970,2698-2.html http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/multi-core-cpu,2280-11.html http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-cores-performance,2373-12.html Even the link you posted on SC2 says: 'A triple-core CPU at 2.8 GHz or more should be able to provide all the performance you'd want for StarCraft II.' I'm done for now, if you want to argue more take it to PM. dude what. just look at the bench, two -> three cores nets you like 1 fps. i mean i agree the x3 is an overall better buy but it doesn't really matter if we're just talking about sc2. | ||
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deconduo
Ireland4122 Posts
On August 29 2010 07:32 mahnini wrote: dude what. just look at the bench, two -> three cores nets you like 1 fps. i mean i agree the x3 is an overall better buy but it doesn't really matter if we're just talking about sc2. I'm talking about gaming in general, not just SC2. Sc2 was just an example. Also those benches are from the beta, and its been threaded better since then, though not by much. | ||
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zekie
Canada380 Posts
On August 29 2010 03:54 Myrmidon wrote: Price in parenthesis were shipping costs on a per-item basis. Definitely go with that ASUS mobo instead, even though it's microATX and a relatively low-end ASUS part. If you want to get with the times, you could try a AM3 motherboard and DDR3 RAM, but it's probably not worth the extra cost. The Biostar probably shouldn't be an issue, but it's not worth trying out Biostar IMO. Other possible upgrades would be getting 4 GB RAM, this case with the same PSU as before, and this GPU. Generally with budget builds, the biggest concern may be explode-in-your-face (well, explode-in-your-case) PSUs, but that's not an issue here. whats difference do cases make? the one you said to get here is $30 cheaper than the one you said before so that makes up for the extra cost of the video card. is this one better? also will the ASUS mobo work with this case? and is a microATX just a smaller mobo? how much more would an AM3 mobo and DDR3 ram be worth? and is the difference in performance large? if i upgrade to 4GB of ram should i just go with 2-2GB sticks and should I stick with Crucial? http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148111 is that the right ram? | ||
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R04R
United States1631 Posts
Yes the mobo will work. microATX is a smaller form factor that's usually more than enough for a casual user. An AM3 mobo will make you use DDR3 which if you ever plan to swap out the processor/mobo for some next-gen processor you should be able to reuse the DDR3, saving money. As far as I know there is some performance difference between DDR2 and DDR3 but it's not significant enough if you're on a budget. It's better to put those resources elsewhere. | ||
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Mystor
Canada60 Posts
+ Show Spoiler [Original Post] + On August 23 2010 02:59 Mystor wrote: Hey, I would be interested in some help with a build for a computer My budget is in the range of $600-$800 CAD, not including monitor, keyboard and mouse (as I already own them) My current screen resolution on my monitor is 1280x1024, however I plan to eventually purchace a better primary monitor (It would be nice for the computer to be able to support both of the monitors, if you have a monitor suggestion that would be appreciated as well.) I would be using this computer for gaming (RPGs and RTSs) as well as basic coding and graphics/word processing. I am not looking for a powerful computer for running photoshop however. The hope is that I would be able to play starcraft 2 and games like WoW on highest settings. This computer would be expected to be sufficient for around 3 years before I plan to perform a major upgrade on it. I plan on building this computer sometime during September. I do not plan on Overclocking this computer. I already have an operating system, I do not need to purchase it as well. I do not plan on adding a second GPU using Crossfire (It probably wouldn't fit in my budget anyways). I plan on buying as many components as possible in Canada. I live in Calgary, so my best bet may be to purchase these components on the internet through a site like newegg.ca. Thanks in advance for your help. The nice Myrmidon helped me find a build, however my budget has increased a bit, and I was wondering if there was any specific part of the build I should upgrade or if I should simply invest in a spectacular monitor (monitor suggestions would be nice too). My current build is below: + Show Spoiler [All from Newegg.ca, I live in Canada] + ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204 Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218 CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008 GIGABYTE GV-N460OC-768I GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 768MB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125334 A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211364 AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.456060 Thanks in advance for your help. | ||
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R04R
United States1631 Posts
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017 And it has more watts, 430. 400 seems a bit questionable with a 460 and 955. This will be more safe. This 500gb WD Blue is only $40 when you put in the promo code. It ends 9/3 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073 The rest is good. | ||
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1312020
United States28 Posts
So for my mobo, I was going to grab an EVGA x58 SLI LE for 160 on Newegg. However, I just discovered EVGA's backstock page on their website. I can pick up an EVGA x58 SLI for 140, versus the 190 I would have to pay pre-rebate for the other SLI LE. And if I wanted to I could get the SLI LE for 120 from backstock. However, my real question comes with the text to the side of the product. It says it does not come with any accessories. This has kind of left me confused. Does it not come with any cables at all? This worries me, because after looking at a review for the product there's a lot of things that could be considered "accessories" and would not come with the board. (http://www.guru3d.com/article/evga-x58-sli-review/5) If it just doesn't come with some SATA cables or something, I think I'll be fine, because I can just order those for pretty low prices, right? But what I'm worried about is what if it doesn't come with a power cord or something like that. If anybody has any experience with backstock ordering and such any help would be much appreciated. EDIT: Upon further searching I've found my answer. It only comes with an I/O plate, and I dunno if I really wanna waste time and money ordering everything else when I can just get the SLI LE and send in the rebate. Anyone have an opinion on this matter they'd like to share? | ||
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