Decent Gaming Build - Component longevity in mind

M

MWHarrell

n00b
Joined
Mar 9, 2008
Messages
21
Updated on post 49​

I recently acquired a 32" 1080p HDTV, and while I'm currently using it as a monitor with my Laptop, my Go 6800 video card and other components just aren't cutting it. I'm looking to build a rig from the ground up that is capable of playing modern games at a medium setting or higher with a 1920x1080 resolution. I have a $700-$800(total) budget and would like to have as many reusable components for my next upgrade as possible, be it case, psu, optical, HDD, mobo, etc.

My major concern at the moment is the longevity of my PSU, the overclocking abilities of my Mobo (which i have read up on, and it seems doable) and my case (quite hot, and currently the price is right with the discount and free shipping.) All of my components are SLI compatible, so i can always throw another 8800 GT in after i add another stick of ram and/or upgrade processor.


The total cost, after shipping is:
About $770 (not counting $50 MIR)

Swag:
-Company of Hero's with the Video card

I've been reading these forums for a while, and everyone here has great insights. I'd really appreciate your opinions on this.

Thanks for your time.

** Additions:
$23 Lite on HD
Abit IN9
e2160 -> e2180
Seasonic 500 -> Corsair VX 550W
 
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Case is personal preference but take a look at that PC-A05B. Theres a really long post about that one in the case section.

If youre trying to save money get a P35 board like the Gigabyte DS3L or ABIT IP35-E. No SLI but you can always just buy a faster single card which is less hassle than SLI anyway.

The rest is looking okay.
 
What's the specific brand/model and resolution of your HDTV? Though the 8800GT is enough to power it, but for gaming, you may want to look at getting a better card. (Depending on the resolution of the HDTV, you may or may not also need SLI.)

There are reports that the E2xxx processors are now being shipped with a "half-height" HSF that can no longer cool overclocked CPUs properly. You may want to invest in the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro HSF if you intend on overclocking the E2160.
 
9mmx19 said:
Case is personal preference but take a look at that PC-A05B. Theres a really long post about that one in the case section.

If youre trying to save money get a P35 board like the Gigabyte DS3L or ABIT IP35-E. No SLI but you can always just buy a faster single card which is less hassle than SLI anyway.

The rest is looking okay.
Click to expand...

I was looking at the P35 boards, and while they would certainly serve me well, the prices are just too close right now for me to go for the lower priced board. If the DS3L was back down at $60, i would jump it in a heart beat, but $90 for the DS3L is brutal, especially when i can get a MSI P6N for 20 dollars more (after MIR of course -.-).

tiraides said:
What's the specific brand/model and resolution of your HDTV? Though the 8800GT is enough to power it, but for gaming, you may want to look at getting a better card. (Depending on the resolution of the HDTV, you may or may not also need SLI.)

There are reports that the E2xxx processors are now being shipped with a "half-height" HSF that can no longer cool overclocked CPUs properly. You may want to invest in the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro HSF if you intend on overclocking the E2160.
Click to expand...

My HDTV is a Sharp Aquos GP1U. The native max resolution is 1920x1080 (1080p) 32". I'll certainly consider a better HSF.

Also, i've changed my 2160 to a e2180, only 8 bucks more :eek:
 
tiraides said:
What's the specific brand/model and resolution of your HDTV? Though the 8800GT is enough to power it, but for gaming, you may want to look at getting a better card. (Depending on the resolution of the HDTV, you may or may not also need SLI.)
Click to expand...

The 8800GT is fine for gaming on a 1080p LCD. You certainly do not need SLI.
 
I don't agree that an 8800GT is enough for 1920x1080 -- my single 8800 GTX wasn't enough for 1920x1200, and it's a similar res with a far more powerful card. Granted, I am exceedingly demanding, so take that in to account.

If you're going SLI the very least you want is a 750i board -- no reason to cripple yourself with 8x PCIe SLI in case future cards greatly benefit from full bandwidth lanes. Price difference shouldn't be that great either.

I'm selling a 680i LT, and while I don't expect you to buy it there are other options for "real" 680i boards in the ~$130-150 range, or 750i's in a similar range, though toward the upper end.

I'd say that in your situation you'd be best served by starting with a single 8800 GT 512MB and picking up a second card if you aren't happy with the performance results.

$70 is pretty steep for a 500watt PSU, even a quality one like that Seasonic. You may be able to do better if you wait around just a bit and watch for deals.
 
I appreciate all the comments guys, i'll sleep on the suggestions and upgrade my build tomorrow sometime.

Concerning the PSU, i think the price is a bit steep as well, however, after reading about the downfalls of so many other "lesser quality" PSUs, i tried to be picky with my selection. Please feel free to recommended me one if you know of a better deal.
 
Well.. what I would do is ditch that MSI 650i board for $110 and get a Gigabyte P35 DS3L board for $90 that supports both the 45nm Wolfdale Dual core and Yorkfield Quadcores. Save $20 on this. Get the CoolerMaster RC 690 case for $80 over that $90 Lian Li case. Save $10 on the case. Drop the Seasonic PS for $70 on NewEgg and get the Corsair VX550 on Buy.com for $65 w/free shipping and has 41amps on the +12v as oppose to 34amps on the Seasonic. The rest of the money saved on the Mobo, Case and PS which is $35 and invest that in the EVGA 8800GTS 512MB card. Here is what I would revise on your setup based on your budget

Case - Coolermaster RC 690 for $80
Mobo - P35 mobo such as the Gigabyte GA-P35DS3L for $90
CPU - Intel Core 2 Allendale E2180 - $80
Memory 2 x1gig G.Skills - $45
Video - EVGA 8800GTS 512 - $270 before rebates
HDD - WD 320gig SATA 300 - $75
Optical Drive - Lite On 20X DVD Burner - $23
PS - Corsair VX550 with 41amps on the +12v for $65 on Buy.com w/free shipping
Heatsink - Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - $27

Total cost before rebates - $755 w/o shipping
Total after rebates - $715 w/o shipping
 
HardwareGuru said:
Well.. what I would do is ditch that MSI 650i board for $110 and get a Gigabyte P35 DS3L board for $90 that supports both the 45nm Wolfdale Dual core and Yorkfield Quadcores. Save $20 on this. Get the CoolerMaster RC 690 case for $80 over that $90 Lian Li case. Save $10 on the case. Drop the Seasonic PS for $70 on NewEgg and get the Corsair VX550 on Buy.com for $65 w/free shipping and has 41amps on the +12v as oppose to 34amps on the Seasonic. The rest of the money saved on the Mobo, Case and PS which is $35 and invest that in the EVGA 8800GTS 512MB card.
Click to expand...

Don't agree with much here save the PSU recommendation -- far better deal than the Seasonic, and a nice quality supply.

Yes replace the 650i board, but no, don't go with the P35 as you may very well determine you need SLI with your display.

I'd go with one of these for the motherboard: Abit IN9-32X MAX. It's a non-reference 680i SLI board -- the only one I'm aware of that'll run the 45nm quad cores, though it's rather hit and miss. Surprisingly low prices some places right now.

Keel the Lian-Li, it's a lot nicer case. The Coolermaster RC-690 was a great deal at $20 AR... it's a total ripoff at $80. Kinda like the DS3L was a great deal at $60 and a joke at $90, but even more-so.
 
Wow cool. Been reading on that Abit Board, it really does support both the 45nm Wolfdales and Yorkfield cpus. It needs the BIOS ID 14 update for support. This board can be bought at a pretty decent price of $114 on Amazon.com. He still can get this board with an 8800GTS 512 card and still meet his budget.
 
tiraides said:
What's the specific brand/model and resolution of your HDTV? Though the 8800GT is enough to power it, but for gaming, you may want to look at getting a better card. (Depending on the resolution of the HDTV, you may or may not also need SLI.)

There are reports that the E2xxx processors are now being shipped with a "half-height" HSF that can no longer cool overclocked CPUs properly. You may want to invest in the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro HSF if you intend on overclocking the E2160.
Click to expand...

The e8400 system I built for my friend came with the tiny half height cooler. Its not just e2xxx CPUs.
 
I've implemented a few changes, as shown in my build. I still need to invest in a HSF, depending on how lucky i feel.

Thanks for all the help guys, looks like a real solid ~$750 Build with some longevity.
 
silent-circuit said:
I don't agree that an 8800GT is enough for 1920x1080 -- my single 8800 GTX wasn't enough for 1920x1200, and it's a similar res with a far more powerful card. Granted, I am exceedingly demanding, so take that in to account.
Click to expand...

What titles besides crapsis would cause a 8800GT to flounder on 1920X1080, because thats what I run and the only thing that ever gave me trouble was crysis.
 
If you don't plan on getting another video card (regardless of whether it's used or new) within the next 6-12 months, then don't bother looking for an SLI/CrossFire-based motherboard. Get a decent P35-based board with the features that you want/need and go for the HD3870x2 or better (single) card.

If you still want to go the SLI/CrossFire route, listen to silent-circuit.
 
Firing Squad has a review of the 9600GT in which they compared its performance with several cards, including the 512MB 8800GT. The long story short is that the 8800GT is still the better choice -- especially when you consider that the tests were performed at a 1600x1200 resolution and that the OP has a 1080p (1920x1080) HDTV he is using.

Since s-c mentioned that the 8800GT has trouble with Crysis and World in Conflict, it would be better for the OP to get a high-end card or go with an SLI solution.
 
i wouldn't skimp on a hard drive; they're so cheap that it makes no sense to get less than 500gb.
 
Pkirk618 said:
i wouldn't skimp on a hard drive; they're so cheap that it makes no sense to get less than 500gb.
Click to expand...

That statement makes no sense because there are drives that offer cheaper price per GB and are faster. Therefore, if you don't need 500GB, then there's no point in buying a 500GB drive. Buying a smaller capacity drive for a better price isn't "skimping" on the HDD. Buying a no-name brand for a sale price of 10c/GB but only transfers at 25MB/s would be skimping.
 
you really feel that way? Then by all means, go with a smaller drive. :rolleyes:

The OP didn't place emphasis nor did he post a drive that follows the same general rule your applying in your objection. IOW, he doesn't seem to be looking for the fastest drive; he seems to be taking a more economical route. $45.00 bucks for a HD @ 160Gb doesn't speak speed freak. In fact, it seems a little off when you can do much better for 80-90 bucks for a well known manufacturer OEM drive.

My opinion stands. If speed is an issue, go buy a Raptor for your OS and a secondary for backup. Today's drives with big caches offer competitive performance to smaller more (supposed) speedier drives. Not to say one big drive is optimal for a backup scenario but it's more likely than not you'll need the space now.

I think you would agree, what we say we "need" and what we end up using are very different. I'd rather make the point now than to offer "you should have done" later.

As for "skimping", I hope my post makes more sense.
 
Okay, lets remove speed from my argument. My objection is simple: don't waste money.

You're saying that he will eventually need the space, so he might as well pay 100% more for a 500GB instead of anything less right now. I still disagree. Sure, its a great price/GB, making it a great value. However, no, not everyone downloads the internet or is a member of the Netflix backup repository... so no, not everyone will need 500GB. Therefore, they might as well NOT buy one now, if they don't need one.

In general, if you don't need 500GB, why waste money on one? If a $45 drive suffices your needs, then there's no need to spend $100 on a 500GB drive. If you buy a $45 160GB drive now, and it takes you 2 years to fill it up, then you can spend another $45 two years from now and probably get a 750GB drive. HDD prices don't go up... price per GB goes down over time.

My advice usually follows a typical rule... buy what you need, don't waste your money. You can tell him that you think he'll need it sooner or later... but I'll still tell him not to waste his money. Sure, if he thinks he can fill 500GB and that money won't go to waste, then by all means, go for it. But if he thinks a 160GB drive will suffice, then the only time I'll advise him to get a larger drive is if he can get much more space and/or performance for minimal price increase (e.g. $45 for a 160GB drive while a 250GB drive is $50). Then again, this is all relative, right... if $45 is pocket change to the guy, then he wouldn't be wasting money in his own eyes.
 
That's cool. He should then apply your typical rule to everything. He's looking at longevity right? I can't recommend a 160gb drive for any reason. Have you considered technology has finally surpassed your logic?

I see many places that he/she can cut corners. From top to bottom, the list has it's pros and cons.

Everything I say isn't absolute. It's geared towards a practical stand point. If the OP considers his purchase a little more carefully, he can limit the out of pocket costs later on thus meeting your "waste not" standard today.

For the record, there's really nothing wrong with what you're pointing out. You have the same information I'm working with. It's just that there isn't one constant in any of the items in his list that agrees with your theory or mine. It's the inconsistencies that have made me feel the advice I'm giving is viable.

We can agree to disagree if you'd like cuz I'm getting tired of typing :)
 
Wow, thanks for all the comments guys, i should have jumped in a little earlier concerning my Hard Drive needs.

Currently, i use a 60gb laptop, which is usually just a bit under 3/4 full. I try not to keep items installed on my computer that i am not currently using, and i usually don't find having more than three of four games on my rig at a time. I thought that i was spoiling myself with the 160 GB hard drive, and currently, i just don't see what i would do with the extra space of a 250-500-? GB hard drive.

I certainly appreciate the help, and if i was more of a down load guy, i could certainly see me wanting more space, but the 160gb should fit my needs now, and i see no reason not to use it (possibly in addition to another HDD on my next build) if i dont feel that its enough space.
 


I switched up my build a bit considering a few factors:

1. I wasn't too sure i would have the resources in the next 6 months to drop another few hundred on a second 8800GT, so i dropped my SLI Mobo, grabbed the Abit Ip35-E on sale and was able to spring for a 8800GTS and stay under budget.

2. In order to do the above, i switched my ram for a cheaper transcend brand, and the 2160E over the 2180E (which i hear have virtually the same OC abilities).

Total Price after tax and shipping:
$770 ($700 even if i get any money from my MIRs)
 
I think your HDD is small though 160gb is not longevity in mind hehe. Get the WD 320gig for $75. $25 more you get twice the capacity.
 
I thought that i was spoiling myself with the 160 GB hard drive, and currently, i just don't see what i would do with the extra space of a 250-500-? GB hard drive.
Click to expand...

when you're limited by a laptop's space, you tend to be a little frugal. I think that's a good thing. However, if you consider the size of games, operating systems and office software, you're going to wish you had the extra space. I know Gears of War took 10gb+ of space on my machine. Vista eats its share too. The simple fact that you're looking to "game" on a machine has me wondering. Longevity is the key here. I'll be watching you hehe....you'll be buying my hard drive before too long ;)

good luck!!
 
Pkirk618 said:
Have you considered technology has finally surpassed your logic?
Click to expand...

No, please explain. Technology alone won't surpass my logic, ever. You have to factor in the price, otherwise, my logic doesn't apply. Technology? The technology behind both drives is the same. Neither are solid state drives offering more space/performance -- they're both mechanical, magnetic spinning discs.

Longevity or not, if he doesn't think he's going to use 160GB in the next few years, there's no point to buying a 500GB drive at 100% the cost right now. He's better off buying an additional HDD later on, when he needs it. Again, HDDs depreciate. He'll get more for his money later on, when he needs it, than he would by getting a larger drive now at 100% the cost.

MWHarrell said:
I switched up my build a bit considering a few factors:

1. I wasn't too sure i would have the resources in the next 6 months to drop another few hundred on a second 8800GT, so i dropped my SLI Mobo, grabbed the Abit Ip35-E on sale and was able to spring for a 8800GTS and stay under budget.

2. In order to do the above, i switched my ram for a cheaper transcend brand, and the 2160E over the 2180E (which i hear have virtually the same OC abilities).

Total Price after tax and shipping:
$770 ($700 even if i get any money from my MIRs)
Click to expand...

1) Not a bad choice, but you may need to step-up to a newer card if you don't like the performance of the GTS on your 1080p screen. Hopefully, you chose an eVGA card. If not, no worries, just sell the card if you have to, to help offset the cost, if you don't like the performance of the GTS.

2) Yup, again, not a bad choice. Yes, they have the same OC potential. The transcend RAM is still DDR2-800, so you'll be fine.
 
enginurd said:
1) Not a bad choice, but you may need to step-up to a newer card if you don't like the performance of the GTS on your 1080p screen..
Click to expand...

You know, that is the second or third time this has been brought up in this thread, and im just slightly confused by it.

Im currently running a:

Pentium M: 1.73
2gb Ram
Go 6800
60 GB HDD

Do you guys think i'm going to get this GTS (or GT earlier) and be bummed? I mean, i can already play stalker, lotro and the orange box on my current rig @ 1920x1080 (not very well, but..good enough), so going from a Go 6800 --> 8800GTS is going to be a hell of a jump right? I'm a college kid building a $700 rig here, I'm certainly not shooting for the stars, i just want something that will play some games, last a little while, and has some re-usable components (Go Case/PSU/Optical/whatever else!)
 
We are demanding as all hell -- and by we I mean me, mostly. You'll probably be very happy with the 8800 GTS 512MB, but once you start turning up those settings... it gets really hard to stop. ;)
 
silent-circuit said:
We are demanding as all hell -- and by we I mean me, mostly. You'll probably be very happy with the 8800 GTS 512MB, but once you start turning up those settings... it gets really hard to stop. ;)
Click to expand...

Why does everything so pretty have to be so expensive! :mad:

Thanks for the help so far guys, quite a solid turn out!
 
eginurd, beyond this post, I'm done trying to explain myself because you don't agree. We've both think we're right and we both made enough points for the OP to gather his own opinion.
 
Pkirk618 said:
eginurd, beyond this post, I'm done trying to explain myself because you don't agree. We've both think we're right and we both made enough points for the OP to gather his own opinion.
Click to expand...

But wait, I don't understand your statement about how technology, alone, surpasses my logic. :( Please explain.

Pkirk618 said:
Have you considered technology has finally surpassed your logic?
Click to expand...
 
If you really want to debate with me, PM me. I kinda want to keep my post count limited to quality.

...and this way, this thread remains on topic and I can reply at my leisure. See you there...
 
I just pushed the button on this build, with the exception of the Lian Li case i had originally picked out on newegg. I stumbled onto a rocketfish at best buy yesterday, and that $51 god did it for me :D

I'll keep you guys up to date once i get my parts, and hopefully everything goes together well.



Total Price after tax and shipping:
$707 ($627 TOTAL if i get my rebates)
 
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