Rate my $560 build

B

buddythesquirrel

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Jul 12, 2008
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The monitor, keyboard, mouse and OS aren't included cause I already have them. Clicky clicky. I'm hoping to be able to make this as future-proof as possible, at least a year before I would have to upgrade anything. I'm planning on selling the PC I have now (Crappy insides in a good case) so I'll put the parts from that in the Rosewill case then put this build in the Raidmax Ninja case that I already have. Anyway take a look and let me know what you think! Thanks :)
 
if you could list out the parts and price individually on here it would be easier for people to help you out, but do you have to stay with amd as intel's choices are pretty good right now
 
I get a combo with an AMD processer and a Radeon card ($30 off) plus AMD processers and motherboards are cheaper than Intel.
 
okay heres a few minutes of research you can get a msi p45 neo-f mobo and the 4850 combo for 269 (20 discount, not including a $40 MIR).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130181
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127359
get the great deal antec earthwatt500 for 59 or urs if u like MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
a e7200 wolfdale for 129
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052
the ram you want is cheaper after MIR but the gskill 2x2gb ddr2800 is pretty cheap
this drive is 27+7shipping but is quieter
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154
and get that case you wanted before

which comes to around 528 after rebates but i didnt include a hdd as i think you should shell out a little more for a whole lot. just some options to think about as this would be better than the 6000+ build
 
I agree, an intel build would be much better for performance for your dollar.
 
$560? Based on your wish list, the total comes out to over $650. (The bundle savings that you were talking about was never included in the total.) Besides that, it seems like a lot of your additional savings comes from mail-in rebates. Don't count them into your total as you still have to pay the full before-rebate price up front.

Avoid all OCZ --XStream power supplies. They are all based off the FSP Epsilon PSU, which is known to produce out-of-spec voltage fluctuations, or ripple, at high loads. Ripple weakens and kills components over time, so those power suppies are not worth the risk. For around the same price as the 600W StealthXStream you were considering, you could go with either the Corsair VX550W or the new Antec Earthwatts 650W power supply.

If you want a cheaper DVD burner that will operate quieter than the Lite-On drive you chose, and you don't need LightScribe, consider the Samsung SH-S223F. I don't know how its performance is compared to its more lauded cousin the SH-S203B/N as it's a relatively new model.

While AMD processors and motherboards are (comparatively) cheaper than Intel's, an overclocked Intel processor will beat anything AMD has to offer (and it's easy to overclock the Core 2 series CPUs). Go with onedestinazn2's motherboard/HD4850 bundle, as it offers the same savings as your 6400+/HD4850 bundle but with better performance.

If you're trying to keep the budget low (close to the $560 mark you mentioned earlier), you're going to want cheaper RAM. Depending on how much money you want to save, you could either go with a cheaper pair of 4GB RAM, like the G.Skill DDR2 800 kit, or settle for a 2GB kit, like the OCZ DDR2 800 set.
 
onedestinazn2 said:
i think he might've been meaning 560 as in after mail in rebate (25+35+25). maybe?
Click to expand...

That's what I figured -- my point is that you shouldn't include the after-rebate amounts when figuring out the total you're going to spend. It will be weeks before you even see a rebate check, so it's not like you're saving any money immediately through them.
 
Yeah after rebates is what I meant, and yeah I know how rebates work and I'm good with them. Would the 500W Antec PSU be enough to power everything with the Intel processer and the 4850? I noticed it only has 2 12V rails with 17A on them. I love OCZ for RAM so would the 2x1GB "gold series" be decent for OCing? Also how much can the Wolfdale be OC'd with the stock fan? Thanks guys for all your help :)

Edit: Alright, changed the whole list to Intel build based on your suggestions. Total without rebates, shipping or combos comes to about $615, after MIRs shipping and the combo it comes to about $570., only $10 more than the AMD build :p
 
The Earthwatts 500W would be enough for everything in your build. However, if you can afford it, I recommend getting either the Corsair VX550W or the Earthwatts 650W instead.

Intel processors overclock best when the RAM is run at a 1:1 ratio with the FSB. Since you're not really overclocking the RAM in most cases -- you're only getting RAM that can run at the FSB you're going to push the processor towards -- the OCZ (hell, just about any DDR2 800) RAM is good enough for your needs.

The retail CPU coolers that come with Intel processors are horrible for overclocking -- they're designed to cool "just enough" while the processor runs at stock speeds. If you're planning on overclocking, spend a little extra for an aftermarket CPU cooler like the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro or the Xigmatek HDT-S963.
 
Yes the EA500 is more than enough power for your rig since it has a total of 35A on the +12V rail. (No you don't add up the 17A of the two +12V rail). But spring for the Corsair PSUS that Tiraides recommended if you can.

I recommend spending the extra $5 for the G.Skill DDR2 800 RAM that Tiraides recommended earlier so that you won't be RAM limited when you OC the E7200. DDR2 667 RAM will limit you to about a 3.12Ghz OC whereas DDR2 800 RAM will limit you up to 3.8Ghz. Dunno how far you can OC the E7200 with the stock fan. Haven't seen anyone try that.
 
Danny Bui said:
I recommend spending the extra $5 for the G.Skill DDR2 800 RAM that Tiraides recommended earlier so that you won't be RAM limited when you OC the E7200. DDR2 667 RAM will limit you to about a 3.12Ghz OC whereas DDR2 800 RAM will limit you up to 3.8Ghz. Dunno how far you can OC the E7200 with the stock fan. Haven't seen anyone try that.
Click to expand...

Uh, yeah... what he said... (but I thought I was talking about the 4GB G.Skill kit...). (Never mind the fact that I mistakenly thought that the OCZ kit was DDR2 800.... :eek: )
 
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