Budget Build

[rivacom]

I put together a few pieces for a budget build. Any problems with this?

ABIT IP35-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - $55
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V Modular LED Power Supply - Retail - $55
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail - $45

Now my question is out of the 3 processors below, what one really is the smart buy

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail - $175
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052 - $125
Intel Pentium E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2180 - Retail - $70

Which one of those would be the best for the money, do I buy the dual core or the 7200 and just overclock. Or go ahead and get the 8400. Thanks for any help.

 

[tiraides]

I see two things wrong with your build. One, the Abit IP35-E you've linked to is an open box model. Basically you'll only guaranteed to get the motherboard -- that was probably used in another person's system and then returned. The Gigabyte GA-P31-S3G is a good budget board that would support any of the three processors you're considering.

The other issue is with the power supply. While I haven't heard anything wrong with it, I would recommend a better quality power supply like the Antec Earthwatts 430W power supply (or, if you could afford to, the Corsair VX450). The power supply is the most important part of the build, as it powers everything, so you shouldn't skimp on quality.

All three processors are great overclockers, so it's really a matter of what you could afford to get. (Regardless, you should also get a better CPU cooler if you plan on overclocking.) The E7200 give you a nice "middle ground" (for lack of a better term) between price and performance.

But... how much, at most, can you spend on this budget build?

 

[rivacom]

I'd like to have the lowest cost possible. I've used a openbox in my previous build so thats why I really don't mind it. The board you gave me is almost a $20 increase, anything cheaper? With the 7200 and 2180 i'd be under $300 which would be ideal. But am I missing out with the 3MB l2 cache difference from the 8400?

Also im kind of confused on the power supply since you have no bad knowledge or experience with the raidmax, but yet your saying it's not a good powersupply?

 

[tiraides]

As long as you know the risks, the IP35-E is otherwise a good board.

You won't be missing too much performance-wise by going with the E7200 over the E8400.

The long story short is that the Earthwatts 430W and the Corsair VX450W both would offer as much power as would the Raidmax PSU. That's because they use better quality parts. But the Raidmax would likely be fine for your needs.

 

[rivacom]

Would I be able to run the setup above, with a DVD Drive, 8800 GT, 2 HD's and 3 case fans ok on the corsair 450?

Also the 7200 says it's 45 nm will that board still support it?

 

[tiraides]

(Whoops! I missed your ninja edit.)

There is a BIOS update available that would allow the IP35-E to support the E7200 and E8400 (as they were released long after the board was discontinued), but you would probably need another CPU (like one of the E2-series processors) in order to update the BIOS. (Chances are that, since you are getting an open box board, it doesn't has the latest BIOS update.)

In that case, the E2180 would become the best choice for you, since it's likely to work right out of the box. With the proper air cooling, you could easily push the processor towards 3GHz or higher (but YMMV). It won't be as fast as a stock E8400, but it will be faster than what you're currently using.

As for the Corsair VX450, it would be enough for your proposed setup.

 

[Dangman]

Also im kind of confused on the power supply since you have no bad knowledge or experience with the raidmax, but yet your saying it's not a good powersupply?

Raidmax doesn't have a history of making good power supplies. Hence why the reluctance to recommend them. When it comes to PSUs, it's best to stick with known quality PSUs like the Antec EA430 or Corsair 450VX. It's pretty much stupid to trust your system to PSUs of unknown quality.