Interested in building a gaming PC...

M

mash

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Messages
278
Ok, I'm interested in building a gaming PC for about $800. I have no experience at building them, so I wanted some thoughts/suggestions on this. Some of the parts may not work together, so basically just give me some feedback. I want a balance of speed and gaming, and want to be able to play games like Oblivion (obviously I wouldn't be able to run on high without lagging, but low or medium would be fine).

Case

PSU

HDD

Mobo

Vid Card

Memory

Processor

CD/DVD Drive

I appreciate any input.

-mash
 
The case is really ugly, IMO, and the PSU is junk. Something like this should be fine, but the PSU won't really allow for much future expantion. Other options would be to just buy an Antec case with a quality PSU or buy a cheap case and a quality PSU seperate. Soemthing like a Cooler Master Centurion 5 and a Fortron AX450-PN would be fine. Don't skimp at all on the PSU.

The HDD is fine, but you could check out this buyers guide. It should help you out a bit. You could also check out Storage Review to compare performance, noise levels etc.

The motherboard is not really a bad choice at all either, but I would suggest the EPoX NF4 Ultra board. It was the second best overclocker at Ananandtech and it was the best performer at stock. It gets a lot of praise from a lot of people. This is almost always my first recommendation. It is either that or the DFI.

The video card is a fine choice. You can try to save money in some other areas to get a better one though. Since this is a gaming machine the video card is the most important so don't skimp on it.

For the RAM I would suggest this Crucial Value. It overclocks well for a reasonable price. I also linked to a single 1GB stick for the reason that if you do plan to go to 2GB you won't have to use all four slots.

For the CPU I would just go with a 3000+ and overclock it. The onyl advantage the 3200+ has is the 10x multiplier, but with a good board it is unlikely for you to be limited by the HTT, so it is best to just save your money.
 
I agree with KoolDrew that you will want a better power supply, something ATX 2.0 and 24-pin compatible.

But if you really want a bundled PSU, here is a case with a decent ATX 2.0 power supply. It will run most mid-range systems, just don't plan on using the same PSU if you want SLI or Crossfire someday.

Antec SLK3800B at Provantage ($88 shipped to where I live vs. $119 @ newegg), has 400W Smartpower 2.0
 
I was also going to recomend the Centurion 5, but that Antec looks really nice too. Especially since it comes bundled with a decent PSU. That's also the mobo I was going to recomend (EPoX nF4). It's a great OCer for an excellent price. Same with the processor. The 3000 is good even at stock speeds, plus it's cheap, which means you'll have more cash down the road for upgrading. The video card is an excellent choice (I should know, I own one). I'm pretty positive the cooler is just a rebranded Silencer. Can anybody confirm? Anyway, I've gotten a good overclock out of it (447/1100) without the temps getting above 45 load.
 
Is the PSU that comes with this case good enough not to require a seperate one?
 
Case - Get something cheaper and buy a PSU seperately. I like the Centurion 5/AX450PN recommendation.

HDD - Looks fine to me

Mobo - Not sure if ASUS is still having chipset fan issues, so I'd probably stay away, just to be safe. Boards that are recommended a lot are the Chaintech and Epox NF4 models.

Vid Card - Looks good to me, but it may be a little much for the budget.

Memory (x2) - Get a matched pair, for about the same price.

Processor - Not a bad choice, but if you're OCing, I'd drop to the 3000+ and get a little better RAM and an aftermarket heatsink.

If anyone has a CD/DVD Drive they would suggest for a good price, please let me know (a newegg link would be helpful). - NEC 3540A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152047

I appreciate any input.
Most likely, you're going to end up downgrading some components to slide into budget. Especially if you need to buy Windows.
 
mash said:
Is the PSU that comes with this case good enough not to require a seperate one?
Click to expand...

Doubt it, only 17A on the 12v rail, and it appears not to be ATX2.0. Unless you buy an Antec with a Truepower II or Smartpower II in it, you're not going to find a case that has a capable PSU in it.
 
mash said:
Is the PSU that comes with this case good enough not to require a seperate one?
Click to expand...

It is a Thermaltake and only is rated +12v@17A. Not really a good choice at all.
 
Change the PSU. Also, the Chaintech motherboard is not bad at all, but I would suggest the EPoX NF4 Ultra if you plan on doing any overclocking (which I highly recommend). I would just go with the Crucial Value stuff I linked to for RAM, drop down to a 3000+, and get a NEC 3540A.
 
The PSU is still junk. There are very few cases you can buy that actually come with quality PSU's. Antec and In-Win are about the only ones. So, it is either go with one of those or buy a PSU and case seperately.

An SLI motherboard would just be a complete waste of money. Go with the EPoX.
 
KoolDrew said:
The PSU is still junk. There are very few cases you can buy that actually come with quality PSU's. Antec and In-Win are about the only ones. So, it is either go with one of those or buy a PSU and case seperately.
Click to expand...

Although I agree with your sentiments, most AOpens come with rebadged Fortrons, so they're good, too.

Anyway, on the new config:

-Still need a better PSU. Go with a case of your choice and this.

-ATi video card with SLi is just a waste of money, really. Go with the EPox or Chaintech boards recommended

-Still haven't explained OS situation.
 
Ok, I changed the mobo, I'll edit the original post. Thanks for the PSU link. As for an OS, I will be getting one elsewhere.
 
Looks much better. I would, however, recomend a change to the video card. You can get a 6600GT for the same price (or lower in some cases) which would offer better performance than the X800GT. If it was a GTO/GTO2 it'd be a different story.
 
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