got $1000 to spend

T

tykkimies

n00b
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Apr 9, 2008
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I have made most choices already but i want some help on a few items. And also i want some feedback or suggestions of what i have already picked.

I want thie pc to be optimized for gaming so i need help with graphics card, Mobo, and the cpu. The Hard Drive and stuff idc about the brand.
49.99- xoxide x-blade extreme case
MotherBoard-What i need help with
159.99- AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Black Edition Processor
129.99- EVGA GeForce 8600 GTS Video Card - 512MB GDDR3, PCI Express, SLI Ready, Dual DVI, HDTV, Video Card
A random dvd burner(not to worried about it)
99.99-Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB
28.99-Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz(After Rebate)
69.99- Coolmax / CXI-600B / 600-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA-Ready / SLI-Ready / 20/24-Pin / Power Supply(AFter Rebate)
150- A Monitor
109- Windows Vista

All i really need is the mobo, My total costs so far are $996 which also includes a monitor, OS, and thermal gel and a heat sink. If you have suggestions of how to cheapen other items to get a better Mobo im happy to hear. Thanks.
 
I have heard good things from friends about AMD. But as i said im open to suggestions and i got no Mobo yet so the cpu could be changed if you got a suggestion
 
RangerSVT said:
Why oh why are you getting an AMD processor ?
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QFT. I'm a AMD fan myself but if you're seeking performance/low power consumption Intel holds the crown. But if you want to stick with AMD that's cool. We just making sure you understand this.

and why are you buying from Tigerdirect? Have you checked out http://www.newegg.com? They have a lot better prices and service for sure.
 
tykkimies said:
I have heard good things from friends about AMD. But as i said im open to suggestions and i got no Mobo yet so the cpu could be changed if you got a suggestion
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You haven't bought the other parts yet have you? If not I highly suggest you go to newegg to check out their pricing. You should find it quite satisfactory.

Also why the 8600GTS? It's overpriced for what you get. It's neither good for gaming nor for a HTPC.
 
I think you can do a lot better for $1K. Go look at what I am working on over here:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1294355

Drop the sound card and pickup a decent 19 inch LCD and you will still come in under $1,000.

The best thing to do here would be to post all of the things you are buying, and the prices, and it will be a lot easier to people to help you optimize the best possible system for your budget.
 
ocellaris said:
I think you can do a lot better for $1K. Go look at what I am working on over here:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1294355

Drop the sound card and pickup a decent 19 inch LCD and you will still come in under $1,000.

The best thing to do here would be to post all of the things you are buying, and the prices, and it will be a lot easier to people to help you optimize the best possible system for your budget.
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I'm not sure of the sound card nor the case but that's definitely a solid build.
 
ok so im looking at newegg now. Looks pretty good. Im gonna try to make an intel build this time. Any suggestions of a good Mobo that fits my price range. Just to get me started.
 
Ok you updated your first post now...

That AMD CPU is really a bad value for $160. If you really want to stick with AMD, get a 5000+ Black and overclock it to the same (or damn close) to the stock speed of the 6400+. The 6400+ has little room for overclocking. For $160, you are only a few $ from getting an Intel Q6600 which just blows the 6400+ right out of the water.

That video card is way too much as well. Get a 9600GT for cheaper, and its a much better card.
 
Ok here is a fast set up i did on newegg. Its an intel build this time.

34.99-dvd burner
89.99 500gb hard drive
149.99-17" monitor
169.99- EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 video card
58 - CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (2 sets)
189.99- Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

99.99 - windows vista 32-bit home premium
139.99- ASUS P5KC LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard(Came in a pack with windows vista)

i know i probly need to change my mother board but i really got no idea about motherboards. Tell me what you think of this one.

also want help making sure this stuff will all work together. And sorry for being so noob. Its my first PC build.
 
189.99- Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
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Bad deal on a CPU... Look at the E8400 or the Q6600, those are the two best deals on performance into CPUs right now.
 
Mobo recommendations:
Abit IP35-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $112
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $125
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $144
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports or legacy ports, then the IP35-E is a good choice. If you like the IP35-E but need legacy ports, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking abilities and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, and legacy ports and high overclocks, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. If you like the DS3P but want better cooling for overclocking, then go for the DS4.

Also ditch that coolmax psu and go with this significantly better PSU:
Corsair 450VX 450W PSU - $76

If you plan on getting and using 4GB of RAM, get the 64bit version of Vista and this RAM instead:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $80
 
the E8400 and Q6600 are a little out of my price range. The one i have picked seems like it will; still perform well.
 
Just list out all the parts. We can't see YOUR shopping cart.
 
tykkimies said:
the E8400 and Q6600 are a little out of my price range. The one i have picked seems like it will; still perform well.
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A Quad Core Q6600 is the same price, check the Hot Deal forum. A E8400 is ~$10 more. Its does not make any sense to drop $190 on a E6750 with those two options available, and each one will perform significantly better. If you want a budget CPU, grab a AMD 5000+ Black, or an Intel E2160. Each of those are well under $100 and will perform almost on par with the E6750. If you are going to spend close to $200 on the CPU, get a good one that is not a waste of money.
 
ok here is my third list of parts. Need help on the 3 items i listed before. OS, Cheaper PSU but good and a cheaper CPU but still good.

49.99 - APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
89.99 - 500gb hard drive
24.99 - dvd burner
169.99- EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
69.99 - APEVIA ATX-AS680W-BL ATX12V / EPS12V 680W Power Supply
79.99- G.SKILL 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
139.99- ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
189.99- Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz
99.99- windows vista 64 bit(Not sure if xp would be better or not)
150- A monitor(Not picked yet)


I am limited to spend $1000 since its my graduation present from my parents. The total amounts of the above are $1119.89 after shipping and all rebates. I need some help cutting back on a few items while still keeping the performance for gaming and stuff like that at a high level.
 
Don't count rebates until that rebate check is in your hands. Rebates are not guaranteed. Granted they do have a high probability of going through but there is still a chance of you not getting your rebate as a result of it being lost in the mail, rejected, not even processed, etc. So adjust your prices to pre-rebate.

Oh and never EVER get a Apevia PSU unless you want your PC to die. If anyone ever recommends an Apevia PSU to you, ignore that person. I recommend getting this PSU instead:
Corsair 450VX 450W PSU - $76

Also, do you actually need that IP35 Pro? What about it that made you choose it?

And is that $1000 budget including shipping?
 
the price is including shipping i would hope. Might be possible to not include it though.
Will that 450 watt PSU be able to power this system with an 8800gt video card in it?. If so then i will probly change that.

No real reason for the IP35. Just picked one. Its mainly the Mobo and cpu im having trouble with. Dont really know much about choosing the right ones. I will take all help in choosing a new Mobo and cpu. Would like it to perform well in gaming mostly.
 
Yes, the 450VX is enough. Remember that wattage doesn't mean as much these days. What matters most is where those watts are being delivered. For current rigs, it's all about how much amps are on the +12V rail since most PC parts draw their power from there. The more amps you have, the more upgrades (hard drives, video cards, PCI cards, etc) you can add. You determine the amperage on the +12V rails by first finding out what's the total combined or max wattage set aside for the +12V rails/section alone. So for example, the Corsair 450VX has 396W total on the +12V rail. Divide that total wattage for the +12V by 12 and you get how much amps the PSU has on the +12V rail. In this case, 396W divided by 12 is 33A. So the Corsair 450VX PSU has 33A on the +12V Rail. And that's plenty of power for your current system.

Also check back to post #13 or whatever post where I posted all those motherboard links. Read the little summary at the end. That should help you choose a motherboard.

Also, are you willing to overclock? You can cut costs down if you're willing to OC a bit.
 
yes i could try to overclock. Never done it before though so ide have to check into it. If my system will run as good though im fine with trying something new.

And do you think the ds3r would be a good choice for my motherboard?
 
Copyright said:
DS3R is a good board and sounds like its plenty of board for you. That Corsair 450 will power your system just fine as he stated above but I have seen some great deals on buy.com for the 550W version. Sqeeze the Q6600 into the build and you will love it. Microcenter has them for 199.99!
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Wish i could but im already $100 over my limit. So i gotta cut back anywhere i can. Mostly thinking i gotta get a cheaper CPU and video card at this point.
 
tykkimies said:
yes i could try to overclock. Never done it before though so ide have to check into it. If my system will run as good though im fine with trying something new.

And do you think the ds3r would be a good choice for my motherboard?
Click to expand...

Yeah the DS3R is a good choice.

Hmmm, looking over your build, a quad-core CPU, even at $190, won't fit inside your $1000 budget.

Here's two build for you to look at:

A under $1000 build:
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 CPU - $80
Xigmatek HDT-S963 92mm Rifle HSF - $25
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $125
A-Data ADQVE1B16K 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $70
eVGA GeForce 8800GT 512MB PCI-E Video Card - $200
Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $95
Samsung SH-203B 20X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $30
Antec Sonata III ATX Case with Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU - $100
Hanns·G HW-173DBB Black 17" DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - $150
Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM - $100
----
Total: $975 plus tax and shipping.

A slightly over $1000 build:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU - $190
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $125
A-Data ADQVE1B16K 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $70
eVGA GeForce 8800GT 512MB PCI-E Video Card - $200
Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $95
Samsung SH-203B 20X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $30
Antec Sonata III ATX Case with Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU - $100
Hanns·G HW-173DBB Black 17" DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - $150
Windows Vista Home Premium OEM - $100
----
Total: $1070 plus tax and shipping.

The first build should be fine for gaming. Unless you're a major multi-tasker, the quad-core might be overkill for you.
 
The over 1000$ build looks great to me... no aftermarket cooling but this can be something he could get later along with some extra case fans. I cant remember if the Sonota comes with just one of all of the fans supplied.
 
That second build looks nice and i think would be doable. I have 1 question though about the case. I was really liking the one i had. Would the stuff not fit or something? And it was also cheaper. I would get that case with the PSU from corsair that you showed me earlier. If stuff wouldn't work then i also like the case you picked.
 
tykkimies said:
That second build looks nice and i think would be doable. I have 1 question though about the case. I was really liking the one i had. Would the stuff not fit or something? And it was also cheaper. I would get that case with the PSU from corsair that you showed me earlier. If stuff wouldn't work then i also like the case you picked.
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Case he picked has a decent PSU in it that should run your setup just fine. The Antec cases are built solid and that Sonata is a good case. I think that case/PSU setup will be a cheaper setup then getting them seperate. Keep in mind if you want to OC you should add on the cooler he has listed in the under 1000$ build.
 
tykkimies said:
That second build looks nice and i think would be doable. I have 1 question though about the case. I was really liking the one i had. Would the stuff not fit or something? And it was also cheaper. I would get that case with the PSU from corsair that you showed me earlier. If stuff wouldn't work then i also like the case you picked.
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I just chose the Antec Sonata III because it would fit inside your budget. The Corsair PSU and that Apevia case would've totaled up to $141 while the Sonata III with its Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU is $100. You did say that you wanted to cut down costs.

Though if you do go with the Corsair PSU and Apevia case, be sure to replace the 80mm rear fan in the Apevia case with a better 120mm fan like this one:
120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12 Case Fan - $3.50
 
Ty. You two were very helpful and i think i got my system together. Now just need to wait for my dads go ahead :).
 
You can deffinitely get a good setup for around $1000. I would reccomend getting a 9600gt, or 8800gt if you can put more money into it. But, deffinitely get either the q6600 or the e8400 around $200 if you look. A good P35 motherboard can be found for $70-$80. Ram, I would only get 2GB. There isn't really a point in 4GB if you are just gaming... the games never come close to using all the ram... and you can always add more later if you want.
 
Would that antec case be able to hold everything? The site doesn't have its dimensions listed and its a mini case. I gotta be sure it will all fit in before i do anything.

I also found that the site for the case with the PSU is out of the PSU so i think i gotta find a different one.
 
tykkimies said:
Would that antec case be able to hold everything? The site doesn't have its dimensions listed and its a mini case. I gotta be sure it will all fit in before i do anything.

I also found that the site for the case with the PSU is out of the PSU so i think i gotta find a different one.
Click to expand...

Its more of a mid tower. When I hear mini I think MicroATX cases. This should hold everything just fine. Only thing I would be worried about is running a very long video card. I would buy an extra 120mm fan for the front if you can fit it in. There is a mounting point just after the hard drives I believe and trust me you will want this. These cases dont run very cool but they are nice and silent. Pickup a Yate Loon or a Scythe Slipstream 800rpm to keep it quiet and still move good air.

http://www.jab-tech.com/product.php?productid=3942
 
tykkimies said:
I also found that the site for the case with the PSU is out of the PSU so i think i gotta find a different one.
Click to expand...

Huh? The case comes with the PSU preinstalled. Not separately. The Sonata III isn't sold without the PSU.
 
Yah, it'll fit everything. Antec is stupid to call it a mini ATX case when the rest of the industry calls cases of that same size midtowers.
 
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