Rate my budget build

M

Mhiero

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 23, 2006
Messages
148
Price limit for this build was ~$600 before shipping. This came out to $570 before $50 MIR. Not bad I think. Sorry about the way I put this up. idk how to do all those links like other people usually do to post their builds.


LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
$20.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$59.99

Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$49.99

EVGA 512-P3-N976-AR GeForce 9800 GT Superclocked Edition 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$134.99

Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W ATX 12V 2.0 Power Supply
$59.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL6D-4GBNQ - Retail
$44.99

GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard
$79.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model
$119.99

Subtotal: $570.92
 
I'm not a fan of the Centurion 5 case, as it offers only an 80mm fan for the front. Get either the Centurion 534 or the Centurion 590, both of which use primarily 120mm fans.

Another case you should consider is the Antec Sonata III, which comes with the superior Antec Earthwatts 500W power supply.

But if you're unwilling to change your case, at least change your power supply. For a few dollars more (or less, depending on after-shipping costs), you could pick up the BFG LS-550 power supply. It has more than enough headroom for your build, plus nearly any additional upgrades that you may be planning.

You don't need DDR2 1066 RAM, not even for overclocking. Go with the cheaper DDR2 800 kit instead.

The newer Radeon HD4830 can perform on par with the 9800GT, but it can also be found for less. Right now, the Saphhire HD4830 is on sale for around $100. But if you're looking at parts from a quality standpoint, stick with the vendors that offer limited lifetime warranties: BFG, (NVIDIA only), EVGA (NVIDIA only), VisionTek (ATI only), and XFX (NVIDIA and soon ATI).
 
tiraides said:
I'm not a fan of the Centurion 5 case, as it offers only an 80mm fan for the front. Get either the Centurion 534 or the Centurion 590, both of which use primarily 120mm fans.

Another case you should consider is the Antec Sonata III, which comes with the superior Antec Earthwatts 500W power supply.

But if you're unwilling to change your case, at least change your power supply. For a few dollars more (or less, depending on after-shipping costs), you could pick up the BFG LS-550 power supply. It has more than enough headroom for your build, plus nearly any additional upgrades that you may be planning.

You don't need DDR2 1066 RAM, not even for overclocking. Go with the cheaper DDR2 800 kit instead.

The newer Radeon HD4830 can perform on par with the 9800GT, but it can also be found for less. Right now, the Saphhire HD4830 is on sale for around $100. But if you're looking at parts from a quality standpoint, stick with the vendors that offer limited lifetime warranties: BFG, (NVIDIA only), EVGA (NVIDIA only), VisionTek (ATI only), and XFX (NVIDIA and soon ATI).
Click to expand...
Thank you!

A couple comments. I am by no means set on that Centurion case. I used to have one and it was pretty good but im willing to change. The antec looks good and it comes with a nice PSU which is an enormous plus.

as for the RAM. In the specs of my Mobo it says it requires 1066. Should I pick a different mobo? Can you suggest any?


EDIT: mini tower? will that fit all of those components? wont that run hot?
 
Mhiero said:
as for the RAM. In the specs of my Mobo it says it requires 1066. Should I pick a different mobo? Can you suggest any?

EDIT: mini tower? will that fit all of those components? wont that run hot?
Click to expand...

You've misread the specs. The mobo can support up to DDR2 1066 RAM but does not require DDR2 1066 RAM. So you can use the DDR2 800 RAM that Tiraides recommended.

And yes all those components will fit and run cool inside the Sonata III just fine. It's not that "mini" of a tower case.
 
OK im getting ready to order the parts.


One thing I'm kinda worried about is the size of the case and videocard. Will it fit in that Antec Sonata III? I know videocards are getting very very large these days.
 
Mhiero said:
OK im getting ready to order the parts.


One thing I'm kinda worried about is the size of the case and videocard. Will it fit in that Antec Sonata III? I know videocards are getting very very large these days.
Click to expand...

It will fit just fine.
 
Get a SATA DVDRW drive instead of IDE.
$25 - SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F

Also, I'd go with this drive instead. Only $5 more but should be much faster than the AAJS model...
$55 - Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache SATA300

If you want to save even more money, you can drop down to the E5200:
$83 - Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W
 
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