How will this build fare with newer games?

C

CoRPS

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
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I haven't had a new computer since mobile 2500+ bartons were the shit. And when that machine broke, I got a Celeron 1.3GHz hand-me-down. So it's time to upgrade. I'm thinking about putting together the following specs, wondering how you guys think it will play with COD4, BF2, HL2 and Crysis. And any other interesting graphic-intensive games that are out.

Core2Duo E4500
Vista Home or WinXP Home (Need to decide)
2 to 4GB of RAM
160GB SATA 3.0Gb/s
Chaintech 8800GT 512MB
on a Dell 22" Widescreen E228WFP

For Vista I'd go with 4GB and 2GB for WinXP.

I know the processor is kind of lagging behind, will the $60 upgrade to E6550 be worth it? Also with only a single 22" monitor should I go with a 9600GT and save some money? Also plan on playing some games on my 42" Aquos (720p)
 
I would get a different brand 8800GT and a bigger HD. Games nowadays take 5-10GB, so your HD will fill up fast
 
Yea, revise your list, also what specific memory and mainboard are you looking at?

I'd suggest:

Abit IP35-e, I think this is down to $50 after rebates
Core2Quad Q6600, $179 @ Fry's
G,Skill or Corsair 4x1GB PC6400 kits, both are rather affordable right now at Newegg.
Samsung F1 750GB HDD, also on sale right now
eVGA 8800GTS 512 or pony up for the GTX as it is only $100 more, both direct from eVGA B-stock.
Get a Ultrasharp or at least a SP series display, the E series are kinda cheap and IMO offer poor image quality. They are all TN's in the 22" size as I've found out but the SP and Ultrasharps use better panels and offer more features, etc.

There are a ton of good deals in the HotDeals section and with this build above you should be able to handle Crysis at high resolutions with high settings.
 
Actually I'd be buying a Dell Vostro. Not building it myself as that would actually cost me closer to $900 for the parts. So I really don't know what memory is in it, or what mainboard it has. If I notice the PC doesn't perform like I think it should I may be buying all new RAM for it plus install Vista 64.
 
Not sure if Dell uses propriety hardware anymore, but you should be sure that you can upgrade the PSU just incase your 8800GT needs more.
 
Yeah already called and confirmed that the PSU wouldn't hold up to the 8800's needs. I saw the inside of a Vostro and it seems like a standard ATX sized PSU.
5310-IMG7848s.jpg
 
The last couple vostros and one inspiron I got with dd2 667 had kingston modules in it
 
I actually found a good promotional code for Inspiron desktops. So, here is how the new build is looking.

Core2Quad Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)
OCZ Platinum 4GB(4 x 1GB) $103.00 and a $30.00MIR
Antec NeoPower NeoHE 380w $69.00 and a $50.00MIR
eVGA 8800GT 512MB $194.99 and a $30.00MIR
22" E228WFP Monitor
250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s with DataBurst Cache (What's that?)
16x DVD Burner

Total comes out to $915.99. Not bad for a quad-core powerhouse and 22" monitor! Although, is that PSU a bad choice?
 
Yup, you're gonna be needing more power I'm pretty sure.

Oh and you should make sure that the 8800GT will actually fit in that case. Looking at that picture, it looks like it will hit the HD's.
 
I would just build your own. Almost a waste of money to go with a dell. I have a pretty hard time seeing how its going to cost you much more since you are buying a lot of parts anyway.
 
Don't waste your time with a Dell, particularly the Vostro, it is an economy computer, not intended for gamers.

Their systems use standard ATX boards but IIRC they repin their PSU connections to the mainboard to a non-standard layout and the PSU itself offers very limited expandability; many times allowing only 1 additional 4-pin molex above what usually is already installed in the case. AVOID!

Build it yourself, you'll be much happier, you may spend a little more but you'll end up with a LOT more for the money.
 
DopefishLives said:
Don't waste your time with a Dell, particularly the Vostro, it is an economy computer, not intended for gamers.

Their systems use standard ATX boards but IIRC they repin their PSU connections to the mainboard to a non-standard layout and the PSU itself offers very limited expandability; many times allowing only 1 additional 4-pin molex above what usually is already installed in the case. AVOID!

Build it yourself, you'll be much happier, you may spend a little more but you'll end up with a LOT more for the money.
Click to expand...

QFT.

I would also recommend a 750W PSU, and at least a 500G HDD (they are super cheap atm).

Q6600 would be a better choice also since it's fairly cheap, nicely Overclockable, and Quad.

Forget Dell, as others have mentioned before.
 
Gigantism said:
QFT.

I would also recommend a 750W PSU, and at least a 500G HDD (they are super cheap atm).

Q6600 would be a better choice also since it's fairly cheap, nicely Overclockable, and Quad.

Forget Dell, as others have mentioned before.
Click to expand...

I'm running a q6600 with an 8800 Ultra just fine with a 640w from corsair.
 
Sagan said:
I'm running a q6600 with an 8800 Ultra just fine with a 640w from corsair.
Click to expand...

I didn't say it was a requirement, I said it was a suggestion.
You gotta factor in the amount of fans, HDDs, Optical drives, etc...
 
Building myself would cost $1,228.90 whereas buying from Dell and inserting the upgraded hardware would cost me $915.99

That's a pretty big difference here. Granted I will have quality parts, but I figure if I ever need to upgrade in the future I can just get a new motherboard and case. Is the $312.xx worth it?
 
CoRPS said:
Building myself would cost $1,228.90 whereas buying from Dell and inserting the upgraded hardware would cost me $915.99

That's a pretty big difference here. Granted I will have quality parts, but I figure if I ever need to upgrade in the future I can just get a new motherboard and case. Is the $312.xx worth it?
Click to expand...


Yes it is, the Dell will not support the upgrade path you are seeking, it's a futile effort and not worth the money. I've seen countless friends try to go that route and end up screwed because the Dell was built for what they spec and NOTHING more. There is little to no headroom for upgrading.

BestBuy Dynex case = $20
ThermalTake PurePower 600w RX = $120
Abit IP35-e = $60 after MIR
Core2 Q6600 = $180
eVGA B-stock GTS 512mb = $180
G.Skill 4x1GB DDR2 800 = $80 (Or 2x1GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 800 = $27 after MIR)
Samsung F1 750GB = $120 @ ZZF
Plextor DVD-RW+/- -- CD-RW combo drive = $70
----------------------------------------------------
Grand Total: $840

The Dell doesn't seem that impressive to me with those numbers.
 
CoRPS - You can build a better PC cheaper than a dell if you shop around for the parts you want and buy them when you find a good/great deal. However you should specifiy exactly what type of user you are to better help the forum users help you. I myself am pretty much a 1-3 game guy and don't dl tons of warez so a 750gb HD is overkill.
I recently bought this stuff (got the last parts yesterday)
Q9300 - $275 OEM frys
Gigabyte P35-DS3L mobo - $94 Frys
Antec 900 case - $70 after MIB newegg
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 610 watt PS - Frys $99
Lite on DVD-RW - like $30 from newegg
Arctic cooler 7 - $25? newegg

I used my existing 2gb corsair, 160GB HD (plan on adding another as backup/storage) , and my 2600XT (plan on buying 8800GT in a few months).

This build compaes to a $1200 XPS.
 
On another note if building your own makes you uncomfortable go find on Dells site their return and refurb machines. My buddy bought a quad core q6600 with 3 gigs of ram and a 2400 Pro (Pos card so he bought an Oc'd 8800GT) and is loving it on his 30" monitor. I think he paid $729!!!!! + shipping and tax.


Remember on this forum most of the people are more than casual pc people so they build their own. Only you know what's best for you.
 
Bob dole said:
On another note if building your own makes you uncomfortable go find on Dells site their return and refurb machines. My buddy bought a quad core q6600 with 3 gigs of ram and a 2400 Pro (Pos card so he bought an Oc'd 8800GT) and is loving it on his 30" monitor. I think he paid $729!!!!! + shipping and tax.


Remember on this forum most of the people are more than casual pc people so they build their own. Only you know what's best for you.
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Wow thats a steal, Dells 30" monitors are fantastic, I couldn't bring myself to buy a refurbished one though :/
 
I used to build my own and OC and everything, but at this point I'm not an enthusiast. I just want to get something running that's stable and I can send it to some asshole to fix if something goes wrong. However, I see everyones point.

It's worth noting that I forgot I have a 160GB SATA HDD and an old Chieftec case from my last build, so that should save me some money if I decide to build my own.
 
I have a friend who went to his local computer store (Pc Cyber I think it's called), bought all the parts (custom PC) and had the store build it for him ($25 fee).
They told him to come pick it up a couple of days later, and voila!

On top of that, if he ever has a problem with his rig, he can bring it back to the same store, they will diagnose for free, and won't charge labour if a part needs to be replaced.

That seems to be an option for someone like you.

PS: I wish in a way that I would have done that. I did encounter some prolems while putting my rig together, and I now realize that $25 is a very acceptable fee to save me the hassle...oh well...
 
Side note on the PSU, I'm running 2 8800 GTS 512s on my Corsair 620. Total power draw from the PSU to the wall is only 380ish Watts under full load iirc. (measured with a meter)
 
BladeVenom said:
Q6600 $259 at Frys.com and it's out of stock. Maybe your local Fry's store is having a special, but most people don't live near a Fry's, like the OP.
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They were $179 yesterday, after they went OOS they jumped back up in price. I live no where near a Fry's, there aren't any in my state or in the connecting ones to my knowledge, however with the internet at our fingertips, many things become available. ;)

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1289576

Another Q6600 deal for $199:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0257938
 
Without hunting through millions of benchmarks, what kind of performance difference are most people seeing with a quad core vs. a standard dual core Core2Duo?
That processor's pretty cheap, but should I even bother since I have a Core 2 E6700?
 
I'd get a 500GB hard drive for under $100 just so you won't have any problems fitting in all that por--I mean games and movies.
Domingo said:
Without hunting through millions of benchmarks, what kind of performance difference are most people seeing with a quad core vs. a standard dual core Core2Duo?
That processor's pretty cheap, but should I even bother since I have a Core 2 E6700?
Click to expand...
Probably not unless you need it for 3D rendering or Supreme Commander. Games will not run faster on a Quad-core running at the same frequency as a dual-core (Q vs E series) unless we're talking about Supreme Commander. Other games give you little to no difference in performance (except Quake 4 which runs noticibly faster on a quad-core). With 3D renderers for 3DS Max, I get 80-100% more performance by using 4 cores instead of 2. With ZBrush I get about 40-50% while modeling with multithreading on...but that might only use the equivalent of 2 cores instead of 1 (never tested it with just 2 cores).

The thing about quad-cores is FUTURE games might take advantage of the extra cores...so if you wanna plan ahead, you could go with one, but I'd suggest either a cheat Q6600 (under 200 bucks) or wait for the quad-core 9450 which should be faster, use less power and cost maybe 300 bucks.
 
I figured as much, but thanks for the heads up. I figure I'll just hold off. I typically just overhaul my whole PC at once, but those processor prices were pretty low.
My PC's pretty much just for normal everyday use and gaming. None of my work tasks (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Word, etc.) really need any more juice.
I'll probably just hold off for the next gen processors in another year or so.
 
You can wait a bit or get one of the new dual-cores that came out...they run at over 3ghz so they'll beat even the "Extreme" ones from a while ago for much less moneys. :) (and use less power)
 
Big D. said:
You can wait a bit or get one of the new dual-cores that came out...they run at over 3ghz so they'll beat even the "Extreme" ones from a while ago for much less moneys. :) (and use less power)
Click to expand...

Not to hijack the original post but very related;
What motherboards would you all recommend that offers future use of Quad core & DDR3 Ram? Like Domingo, I what a stable system and don't plan to tweak or overlock the heck out of it. I've been thinking of Asus P5P3 board.?
 
lol 380 watt. Thats like only made to handle the athlon xp you had and not even that i think. 700 watts minimum these days. www.newegg.com usually has some good deals. Theres some good rebates out there right now for ram and other things ;)
 
My friend bought the Dell 9200 with the Q6600, put an 8800 GT in it and it's running great. Here is his opinion on it:
I was tempted to get the overclocked version of the same card for a few dollars more but I don't want to tax the fairly milk-toast PSU that came with this Dell Dimension 9200. It can handle a stock 8800GT just fine - lot's of people out there running them on this rig, and it was also sold with this card as an option. Anything more and I'd have to seriously consider upgrading the PSU.
 
Wow. That's an extremely limited HDD, spacewise. The GPU is good, but I'm not too sure about the CPU. You will at least be able to play everygame on Medium-High settings.
 
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