Friends PC build, thoughts ?

C

chicago312

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
174
Here the parts list for a gaming rig

I prefer Intel but this is what he sent me.




http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=10646048&WishListTitle=Brent

AMD Phenom 9950 BLACK EDITION 2.6GHz Socket AM2+ 140W Quad-Core Processor Model HD995ZFAGHBOX - Retail $179.99

MSI K9A2 Platinum AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $149.99

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail $53.99

Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3250310NS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $74.99

Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (bare drive) - OEM $179.99

LG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech Black SATA Model GH20NS15 - OEM $24.99

EVGA 896-P3-1262-AR GeForce GTX 260 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card $289.99

Antec EA650 650W ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail $99.99

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $139.99

Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor - Retail $459.99

Subtotal: $1,653.90
 
most of the time games.

I see he left out ram and a OS..

lets say 4 gig of ram and vista 64
 
chicago312 said:
I prefer Intel but this is what he sent me.
Click to expand...

I like Intel, too - for quad cores. Also, Intels run around 95W, and this AMD is 140W.

I personally do not like Antec PSU's, but they seem to work for others.

I don't know much about AMD 790 chipsets vs. comparable Intel chipsets.
 
I have a few questions:

- Which games does your friend plan on playing?
- Does your friend plan on overclocking?
- What's the most that your friend plans to spend (including shipping/taxes) on this build?

If your friend is a serious gamer, he should consider getting either the HD4870X2 or the GTX 280 instead of the GTX 260. (I'm sure others will come here recommending that your friend get an Intel build instead -- even a Q6600 will outperform the Phenom 9950 -- but if your friend's set on that build, it's fine as it is.)

You could get a 4GB kit of DDR2 800 RAM for around $70, and a 4GB set of DDR2 1000 RAM for around $80 (both kits from G.Skill, at NewEgg). Vista Home Premium is more than enough for most users.
 
The Antec 900 is quite expensive for what it is. I used to own one, and I had a hell of a time working inside it. If you have large hands it's very difficult to install your GPU and hard drive. Especially if you're going to be throwing a GTX260 or higher. On my new build I went with a Cooler Master 690 which absolutely rocks for much less.

IMO, I would save the money on that 10k Velociraptor and get a WD 6400AAKS hard drive. They are known for being extremely fast, nearly as fast as the 10k hard drives, that will save you about $160. Take that money and spend it on a better GPU since you are going to be gaming at a very high res. Consider a GTX280 or a 4870x2.

Does he really want Quad Core? If so, he could look at a Q6600 with a Gigabyte EP43-DS3L, and save about $40 there, which would smoke that Phenom cpu @ OC'd speeds (3.4+ easily).

Those are some other options, but honestly... consider spending more dough on a GPU. If he's stuck in that budget, spend less on hard drives and more GPU. The difference in speed between a 10K raptor to a WD6400AAKS and a GTX 260 to a 4870x2 is MUCH in favor of the GPU increase :p

EDIT: The Antec 900 is a nice case if you can work in it though!
 
You know what, forget it -- here's an Intel build:

$245 - Intel Q6600 and A-DATA 2x2GB DDR2 800 bundle (free shipping on both)
$42 - Xigmatek HDT-S1283 & ACK-I7751 retention bracket
$140 - Asus P5Q Pro (free shipping)
$85 - WD6400AAKS (free shipping)
$24 - Samsung SH-S223F (free shipping)
$260 - VisionTek HD4870 (free shipping)
$99 - Antec Nine Hundred (free shipping)
$112 - Corsair TX750 (free shipping & $20 mail-in rebate)
$100 - Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM (free shipping)
=====
$1107 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

With the montior, the Intel build comes out to around $100 less than the AMD build. (I even included RAM and an operating system in my build.) Shopping around enabled me to find bundle deals and items at different locations for less. (OK, the Corsair TX750 is a bit more than the Antec EA650, but it's a much better power supply.) The P5Q Pro supports CrossFire, so your friend could add another HD4870 should he decides that he needs more gaming power. (I still stand by my recommendation of the HD4870X2 from earlier. I agree with Cmustang87 regarding obtaining a better video card over choosing the Raptor.)
 
Well done Tiraides that is a great price that would blow the doors off the original AMD build.
 
wow some good feed back here!

budget lets go less then $2000

looks like I need to chat with him tonight.

I will go over all the info in this thread with him.

then post back what we come up with.
 
Please don't get the Hanns-G 28" I just don't want yours crapping out like it did with mines. Man it was only 4 months and not even half a year it crapped out. Stick with the better or popular brand names when it comes to LCDs. True, any brand can have issues but, the chances of it on a less popular brand name is higher. Look at the Samsung 2693HM 26" lcd at your local Best Buy. They are on clearance under $400. You may get lucky and get one for $285 as someone on Hardforum did. 2" smaller than the Hanns-G 28" but you have VGA, DVI and HDMI input with height adjustment, and pivot to portrait mode. Plus, higher contrast of 1,000:1 as oppose to 800:1 on the Hanns-G lcd.
 
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