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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

L

Loser_guy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
328
I guess I should start off with my current rig (built ~2.5 - 3 years ago)

MSI k8n neo4 platinum
AMD athlon 64 3500+ (sockect 939, oc'd to 2.43)
Ati raden x1800xt 256mb
2 gb forgot-the-brand-mismatched-RAM
enhance 500W PSU

I haven't played any games in forever.. but now that I'm in college I have plenty of free time so I decided to pick up fear again... and suddenly I remembered how mediocre my pc's performance was, and given the good prices for some powerful hardware nowadays I've got the itch to rebuild more than ever.

But I can't quite decide how I want to go about this,

I'm kind of thinking this:
DFI LANPARTY UT P45-T2RS
intel E8400 3.0ghz
2gb corsair dominator RAM
Radeon hd4850

But I'm left wondering if I should go quad-core? Or opt for a cheaper CPU and go for the 4870. I figure the better cpu would benefit me more in the long run, and in the future if need be I could crossfire the 4850. Though I probably won't need to at just 1440 x 900 resolution.

But then I realize I don't have a job, and I'm trying to make the most of what I have saved up for now and think maybe I should just get the best socket 939 CPU I can and the hd4850.

Also, with core I7 on the horizon, is it expected for the price of the other processors to come down?

Thanks for reading, and for any help.
 
Loser_guy said:
But I'm left wondering if I should go quad-core? Or opt for a cheaper CPU and go for the 4870. I figure the better cpu would benefit me more in the long run, and in the future if need be I could crossfire the 4850. Though I probably won't need to at just 1440 x 900 resolution.

But then I realize I don't have a job, and I'm trying to make the most of what I have saved up for now and think maybe I should just get the best socket 939 CPU I can and the hd4850.

Also, with core I7 on the horizon, is it expected for the price of the other processors to come down?

Thanks for reading, and for any help.
Click to expand...

Tough call for a college kid on a budget. Not sure whats out there S939 wise. Although games are much more gpu dependent these days. At 1440x900 you probably will be hitting the ceiling on your X2 with a 4850.
If you spend the $$ the Quad/Dual Core almost does not matter now for gaming. The E7200 would save you a few bucks, the Q6600 is a few more. In the long run a Quad is the better choice for years of usage. i7 will do nothing for the rest of the cpus though its a different sector.

You might just try the 4850 for now and then if you realize you're too cpu bound make the move upwards.
 
Yeah, for gaming. As far as budget, I'd like to keep it under $550, I could afford a lot more, but I've got other expensive hobbies too.

But if I ever make my mind up between hd4850, 4870 512, and 9800gtx+ I'd go ahead order it, even though I know my CPU is the bottleneck, it would help me run at the higher res for now.
 
For now, on that Budget, I would go:

CPU - Core 2 E7200 for $120 w/free shipping
Mobo - MSI P43 Neo3-F for $85 ($10 MIR)
RAM - 4gig G.Skills DDR2 800 for $50 w/free shipping
Video - Sapphire Radeon HD4850 for $160 ($20 MIR) w/free shipping
PSU - Antec Earthwatts 500 for $50 w/free shipping

Total - $465 before shipping
 
hmm, maybe i could stretch my budget to accommodate a quad-core to make the build last me as long as possible.

and will I need the PSU? The one I have is 500W.. not sure about the amperage though.

Also I was wanting to go with a mobo that's crossfire ready to possibly save some money in the future.
 
Unless you plan on getting a 24" LCD or plan to play games on a 1080P LCD/TV then no need to bother with crossfire. A single card solution is enough. On the PS, with a brand name such as Enchance I wouldn't bother using that in a new upgrade.
 
All, I guess by the time the 4850 starts getting the work-over they're be yet another single card solution that I could replace it with.


Are any prices supposed to down by christmas? I might be able to bribe the parental unit into the mobo/cpu/RAM for christmas so I could get some better stuff.
 
Black Friday is coming, Xmas is coming up and the new Intel I7 cpus are coming out. You should wait a bit and then you can better decide what you want to get.
 
D'oh. I completely neglected another prospect: a laptop.

Buying a gaming laptop seems pretty retarded to me, too. But I travel home often, and since I'm going into CADD, being able to pack my computer with me would be beneficial, though I think there's an old vaio there that I could hook back up and do a fresh install of xp on, probably wouldn't be ideal but better than nothing.
 
Loser_guy said:
hmm, maybe i could stretch my budget to accommodate a quad-core to make the build last me as long as possible.

and will I need the PSU? The one I have is 500W.. not sure about the amperage though.

Also I was wanting to go with a mobo that's crossfire ready to possibly save some money in the future.
Click to expand...

Its pretty tough to future proof any system especially a $550 dollar one.

HardwareGuru said:
For now, on that Budget, I would go:

CPU - Core 2 E7200 for $120 w/free shipping
Mobo - MSI P43 Neo3-F for $85 ($10 MIR)
RAM - 4gig G.Skills DDR2 800 for $50 w/free shipping
Video - Sapphire Radeon HD4850 for $160 ($20 MIR) w/free shipping
PSU - Antec Earthwatts 500 for $50 w/free shipping

Total - $465 before shipping
Click to expand...

This is a great list. Its very similar to what I went with in September with a $500 budget. I went with a Gigabyte P45 mobo and downgraded to a 3870 due to price [and I'm only on a 1280x1024 display]. Since gaming is your primary concern let me assure you if you upgraded one component in HG's list it should be the gpu. An E7200 with a GTX260 or 4870 is going to be better in almost all games than an E8400 or even Q6600 with that 4850.

Also I just realized there's no HardDrive in HG's plan will you need one? If so you just hit your $550 ceiling and will have to tough it out with the 4850. Though as aforementioned the 4850 will be quite adequate for 1440x900.
 
Loser_guy said:
D'oh. I completely neglected another prospect: a laptop.

Buying a gaming laptop seems pretty retarded to me, too. But I travel home often, and since I'm going into CADD, being able to pack my computer with me would be beneficial, though I think there's an old vaio there that I could hook back up and do a fresh install of xp on, probably wouldn't be ideal but better than nothing.
Click to expand...

You won't find an acceptable gaming laptop for under $1000. But for traveling and/or everyday tasks, a cheap laptop is a good idea.
 
Go with HG's build. If you do need a HDD, hopefully you don't need to replace the PSU.

HardwareGuru said:
... On the PS, with a brand name such as Enchance I wouldn't bother using that in a new upgrade.
Click to expand...

Did Enhance's quality go down lately? As far as I know, they make pretty good PSUs.

@OP: Which particular model do you have? If its the 5150GH, then its 80+ and a very good PSU that shouldn't need replacing. If its the 5150G, then its not 80+ but should still suffice your needs. There should be at least 30A on the +12V rail(s), which is good enough for HG's build. If its neither of those models, please list the model #.
 
Hehe, I am just going by the fact that I didn't hear or used that PSU before. So.. I shouldn't be dogging that PSU.
 
GonzoP said:
Its pretty tough to future proof any system especially a $550 dollar one.



This is a great list. Its very similar to what I went with in September with a $500 budget. I went with a Gigabyte P45 mobo and downgraded to a 3870 due to price [and I'm only on a 1280x1024 display]. Since gaming is your primary concern let me assure you if you upgraded one component in HG's list it should be the gpu. An E7200 with a GTX260 or 4870 is going to be better in almost all games than an E8400 or even Q6600 with that 4850.

Also I just realized there's no HardDrive in HG's plan will you need one? If so you just hit your $550 ceiling and will have to tough it out with the 4850. Though as aforementioned the 4850 will be quite adequate for 1440x900.
Click to expand...

I already have a HDD, but it could probably stand to be upgraded, but it can wait.

I plan on sticking with the 4850, from the reviews it's just right for my needs, and if all else fail i can set my screen to 4:3 and run 1280 x 1024.

Since I'll be doing CADD/3D stuff I'm thinking the better processor will be a greater benefit... especially since I'm known to get into gaming for a few months and then quit for a while then repeat haha.

tiraides said:
You won't find an acceptable gaming laptop for under $1000. But for traveling and/or everyday tasks, a cheap laptop is a good idea.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I planned on spending <1500 if i went with a laptop.


enginurd said:
Go with HG's build. If you do need a HDD, hopefully you don't need to replace the PSU.



Did Enhance's quality go down lately? As far as I know, they make pretty good PSUs.

@OP: Which particular model do you have? If its the 5150GH, then its 80+ and a very good PSU that shouldn't need replacing. If its the 5150G, then its not 80+ but should still suffice your needs. There should be at least 30A on the +12V rail(s), which is good enough for HG's build. If its neither of those models, please list the model #.
Click to expand...

I have the 5150GH, and after searching for a while for the part # I notice a huge 80+ sticker on it.

and if I'm interpreting this right, it only has 18amps on +12v1 and 18a on +12v2. Do they combine or something? I don't know dick about PSU's, it was just highly recommended to me.. but it has no problem with my oc'd x1800xt and it's rated for the same power usage as the hd4850, and i'm thinking that cpu uses less than my current also.


EDIT: and the $550 isn't much of a ceiling, more of a guideline of sorts.
 
Yes, most amperage ratings are for the combined +12v rails because thats where most modern systems draw most of their power from. The 5150GH is also used by Silverstone, for their ST50EF-Plus. Both units have 36A on the combined +12v rails, so you'll be fine.
 
I would really suggest the E7200...its pretty damn cheap and overclocks to 3.8+ easily.
 
Juggafat said:
I would really suggest the E7200...its pretty damn cheap and overclocks to 3.8+ easily.
Click to expand...

I got mine to 3.9Ghz but with over 1.4v and that was not to my liking to I dropped back down to 3.6Ghz and 1.325v for 24/7 running. Regardless at this point in the gaming world the E7200 is still enough
 
Loser_guy said:
Since I'll be doing CADD/3D stuff I'm thinking the better processor will be a greater benefit... especially since I'm known to get into gaming for a few months and then quit for a while then repeat haha.
Click to expand...

In that case, you should pick up the Q6600, as the two additional cores will help with multitasking and running resource-intensive programs. It is also a good overclocker.

Loser_guy said:
tiraides said:
You won't find an acceptable gaming laptop for under $1000. But for traveling and/or everyday tasks, a cheap laptop is a good idea.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I planned on spending <1500 if i went with a laptop.
Click to expand...

Forget about a gaming laptop. Few options are available for under $1500, and even then, your $550 desktop build would outperform them in most games.

Loser_guy said:
EDIT: and the $550 isn't much of a ceiling, more of a guideline of sorts.
Click to expand...

What's your ceiling then? While you can get a decent build for under/around $550, more money in your budget offers more ways to improve the build. However, the Q6600, 4GB of DDR2 800 RAM, a P43 or P45 motherboard, and the HD4850 are more than enough to fulfill all of your needs.
 
reviving my thread.

Okay I've upped my budget to ~$700
So here's my plan for the higher budget:
WD 250gb sata hard drive.
EVGA gtx 260 192 (170 w/ promo code)
EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 mobo
4 gb of the g.skill RAM
and of course the q6600

The only thing I can't figure out is what mobo to go with. I could considerably reduce the price if i went with a non-sli board, but i'd like to have that option when the price of the 260's drop... but I'm still not sure.
 
Dude, that's poor for a $700 budget. Only 250 gig? Q6600 cpu? Let me lay it down man. Hehe.

CPU/Mobo (Combo Deal) Intel Q9550 Quad + Asus P5Q Pro Mobo for $400
RAM - 4gig OCZ Fatal1ty Edition for $43 w/free shipping
Video - Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 for $150($20 MIR) w/free shipping (Plenty for 1440 x 900 res)
HDD - WD 6400AAKS 640gig for $70 w/free shipping

Boom --> $663.00.
 
Now, what would you have paid before for these parts I just listed. Let me break it down

Cpu - Q9550 prices at $550 when it came out
Mobo - Asus P5Q Pro was about $150-$160 range
RAM - OCZ RAM with 4gig DDR2 800 was like $70-$80 before
Video - Radeon HD4850 cards was about $190 - $200
HDD - WD 6400AAKS was at $90-$100

Yikes! --> $1,050+

Note: Some of the items i just roughly estimated the cost. I not surprised if it was even more than what I just listed.
 
Yes, but the $170 gtx 260 seems too good pass up, i think in the long run this will benefit since I'd like this to last me until I'm out of school (3 years) without much upgrade. And I once again changed my mind on the SLI, so I'll just get the previously suggested mobo (the msi one) and the better CPU. And I don't need 640gigs of storage, but I guess it wouldn't hurt.

And I also need to get a copy of Vista 64 bit, but what's the difference between Basic and Premium?

Thanks once again :D.
 
Personally I would try to save a little more and go Q6600 with a little more RAM. The quad will last you longer and every shred of RAM helps.

Allan
 
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