Looking for build help, between $500 & $750 MAX

P

Punkrulz

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Nov 11, 2001
Messages
1,458
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
  • PC Gaming, nothing much better than Starcraft II
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
  • Max Budget is $750 including shipping + tax, try to aim lower.
3) Where do you live?
  • Deptford, NJ
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
  • Case
  • Motherboard
  • Processor
  • Memory
  • Power Supply
  • Video Card
  • DVD/RW
  • Hard Drive
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
  • No parts will be reused.
6) Will you be overclocking?
  • No
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
  • Need monitor, looking to buy 19" at the lowest, will shop elsewhere unless can get one + PC for the money.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
  • As soon as possible.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
  • No additional features.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
  • I have Windows XP 32-bit, which will be installed.

Hey guys, one of my buddies wants a new computer now that he received Starcraft II and can't play it on his laptop. He wants to have an extremely affordable computer, that will last him a few years and will allow him to play Starcraft II extremely comfortably. I've tried to explain to him that there is a level between cost & quality, but unfortunately money is tight for everyone and I'm surprised I was able to get $750 out of the budget.

Starcraft II requirements are listed as follows:

PC Requirements

PC Minimum System Requirements*:

* Windows® XP/Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 (Updated with the latest Service Packs) with DirectX® 9.0c
* 2.6 GHz Pentium® IV or equivalent AMD Athlon® processor
* 128 MB PCIe NVIDIA® GeForce® 6600 GT or ATI Radeon® 9800 PRO video card or better
* 12 GB available HD space
* 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB required for Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 users)
* DVD-ROM drive
* Broadband Internet connection
* 1024X720 minimum display resolution

PC Recommended Specifications:

* Windows Vista®/Windows® 7
* Dual Core 2.4Ghz Processor
* 2 GB RAM
* 512 MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 GTX or ATI Radeon® HD 3870 or better

*Note: Due to potential programming changes, the Minimum System Requirements for this game may change over time.

Please let me know what you can come up with!
 
$80 - AMD Athlon II X3 440 CPU
$150 - Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 AMD 870 ATX Motherboard + G.skill F3-10600CL9D-4GBNT 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$115 - XFX HD-485X-ZNFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$45 - Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$20 - LG iHAS124-04 DVD Burner
$50 - Corsair 400CX 400W PSU
$40 - Cooler Master Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$120 - Hanns·G Black 19" DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor
---
Total: $620 plus tax and shipping.

I highly highly highly recommend buying the RAM + mobo combo ASAP because that combo deal disapears on August 1st. So definitely get in on that deal ASAP! Yes the HD 4850 1GB is more than enough for a 19" monitor. I went with Amazon.com as much as possible since they do not charge tax to NJ residents.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Hey Danny, as always thanks for the help!!! We do have but one question though. I don't doubt you at all, but I just want some affirmation so my buddy will stop freaking out lol. Are you 110% positive the 400w Corsair is a big enough PSU?
 
Punkrulz said:
Hey Danny, as always thanks for the help!!! We do have but one question though. I don't doubt you at all, but I just want some affirmation so my buddy will stop freaking out lol. Are you 110% positive the 400w Corsair is a big enough PSU?
Click to expand...

Lol.. that is way more then needed for that little system.. You could have a 5870 & it would still be enough..
 
Punkrulz said:
Hey Danny, as always thanks for the help!!! We do have but one question though. I don't doubt you at all, but I just want some affirmation so my buddy will stop freaking out lol. Are you 110% positive the 400w Corsair is a big enough PSU?
Click to expand...

I'm 200% postive the Corsair 400W is enough. :D

Trust us, that Corsair is more than enough power for that setup. Shouldn't use more than 200W at full load.
 
Everything is working great. :) My buddy is extremely happy with his computer, and even more so now that he was able to get the Windows 7 upgrade deal himself. I think he's getting ready to play Starcraft 2, which is the entire reason he got this computer to begin with.
 
Yup, you guys did a wonderful job. And I quote my buddy:

"Awesome. Simply: Awesome!"
 
Yes sir! Now I'm looking into upgrades for myself I think... not sure lol. Posting questions in the Video Card - nVidia flavor forum now.
 
I didn't think about it at the time! Alcohol was involved, plus two crazy dogs and my buddy pestering me to get it done! Had I spent extra time to make it look more appealing to the eyes, then I would have. :) Just imagine a picture of the case and the components inside lol
 
Time. Just have to find time and get to my buddy's house. I need to get there anyway as I want to see how it performs with Starcraft. Unfortunately any pics I get will be iPhone quality!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top