Best $252 I've ever spent

R

RS3RS

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
8,197
Man, I can't believe I let my computer get so out-of-date.

Okay, here's what I'm currently working with:

Intel 2.66 ghZ single-core processor from 2003
Abit IS7-E motherboard
Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
1 GB of DDR

lol

Just ordered this from Newegg:

AMD A64 X2 7750 2.7G AM2 Retail

OCZ 4 GB (2 x 2gb) DDR2

Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 motherboard

VGA XFX 9500GT 512M

Total with shipping: $252


Honestly, I'm kind of impressed what 250 bucks gets me. Should be a nice change from this dinosaur I'm using at the moment.

... Now I just have to wait for it to get here. :(
 
Any chance of you being able to stop the order? For the same amount of money, you can get the HD3850 which is twice the speed of the 8600GT IIRC:
$60 - VisionTek 784090022400 Radeon HD 3850 512MB PCI-E Video Card

Also what PSU do you have?
 
Danny Bui said:
Any chance of you being able to stop the order? For the same amount of money, you can get the HD3850 which is twice the speed of the 8600GT IIRC:
$60 - VisionTek 784090022400 Radeon HD 3850 512MB PCI-E Video Card

Also what PSU do you have?
Click to expand...

Doh, I guess I should have posted what I was getting here BEFORE I placed the order, huh? :eek:

I went ahead and clicked cancel so I can tweak the details. Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will go with the 3850 instead.

I've got a 450 watt Fortron PSU, which I'm hoping will power it -- I'm not too worried about that, though. I've already got a more beefier one I can swap in if I need to.

Anyone have any other suggestions for better hardware for the money? (I'm not really willing to spend more money though)

Thanks ;)
 
RS3RS said:
Doh, I guess I should have posted what I was getting here BEFORE I placed the order, huh? :eek:
Click to expand...

Well at least you had a chance to cancel it unlike many others who've done the same :)

RS3RS said:
I've got a 450 watt Fortron PSU, which I'm hoping will power it -- I'm not too worried about that, though. I've already got a more beefier one I can swap in if I need to.
Click to expand...

What's the model # of the FSP 450W and the beefier PSU you have? FSP tends to make some pretty low quality PSUs.

For roughly $30 more, you can get a significantly faster CPU:
$159 - AMD Phenom II X3 710 CPU + ASUS M3A76-CM AMD 760G mATX Motherboard Combo

For just $17 more, you can get a beefier video card:
$77 - BFG Tech BFGE96512GTOCBE GeForce 9600 GT 512MB

But you don't necessarily have to spend the extra $30, $17 or $47 extra. The setup you selected (including the HD3850) is a good setup. However, for an extra $47 you can get a significant jump in performance over the setup you chose.

Though assuming that the beefier PSU you chose is crap, spend that $47 towards a better quality PSU instead:
$45 w/ promo code "Maypsu20" - Corsair 400CX 400W PSU
 
I had a Fortron PSU die on my last pc. That is one lesson i learned. Please take Danny's advice and stick with a good one such as the Corsair.
 
spacetrader said:
fortron is proven reliable over many years of great product.
Click to expand...

Their current line up is not that good. Their Episilon design is well know for out of spec ripple at high loads while having a severe de-rating curve.
 
zakter2003 said:
I had a Fortron PSU die on my last pc. That is one lesson i learned. Please take Danny's advice and stick with a good one such as the Corsair.
Click to expand...

Mine's one of the old ones, from back when they made solid PSU's. It has served me well for 6 years now without a hiccup, so unless it gives me problems, I'll probably stick with it. :)
 
RS3RS said:
Mine's one of the old ones, from back when they made solid PSU's. It has served me well for 6 years now without a hiccup, so unless it gives me problems, I'll probably stick with it. :)
Click to expand...

Which one though? It may not have the neccessary amperage on the +12V rail to power your new system. Since it is 6 years old, this is of upmost importance as many PSUs back then had a low +12V rail, where many modern parts nowadays draw their power from.
 
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