Help me with a cheap gaming rig from IBuyPower!

J

Jkun

New Member
Help me with a cheap gaming rig from CyberPower!

ORIGINAL POST UPDATED!

CASE: ATX MEDIUM TOWER CASE 350 WATT
POWERSUPPLY: Thermaltake ToughPower 600 Watts
COOLING: Extra Case Cooling Fan (3 x Fans)
CPU FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK

CPU: AMD Athlon™ X2 5600+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
MOTHERBOARD: Asus M3A78-EMH/HDMI AMD 780G Chipset DDR2/800 SATA PCI-Express MBoard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Mushkin Value Select)
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 3870 PCI-E x16 512MB Video Card (Major Brand Powered by ATI)

CD: LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
HDD: 160GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

Shipping: $65
Total: $819

I know, I know...still with AMD. But I've been comparing benchmarks all day, and I really think I'm better off with the X2 + Radeon HD combo. Any recommendations/advice?
 
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Please give the reasoning behind any suggestions! I'm trying to get back into the loop, so I need to know what's going on in your head when you give me recommendations. :o

Thanks!
 
Jkun said:
Please give the reasoning behind any suggestions! I'm trying to get back into the loop, so I need to know what's going on in your head when you give me recommendations. :o

Thanks!
Click to expand...

intel are better for gaming, the motherboard is designed for gaming and the video card needs to be better for gaming.

OK?
 
Well, first of all if you want a gaming computer, even if you're on a budget, go with Intel. If available, the E2xxx models are perfect for this situation. 420W is really low for a gaming computer and might be just the barely needed to run that system. Get at least 500W. And according to reviews from Newegg.com, mushkin memory is really good up there with other good brands so I wouldn't spend an extra $40 just to get Kingston/Corsair or whatever.

:)

And I agree with Cohen, for gaming the low-end for video cards really sit on the HD3850 or the 8800GS.
 
cohen said:
the motherboard is designed for gaming and the video card needs to be better for gaming.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm on a budget, so I realize I won't be running TOP OF THE LINE games at high settings/resolutions, but I'm okay with that.

ramodkk said:
Well, first of all if you want a gaming computer, even if you're on a budget, go with Intel. If available, the E2xxx models are perfect for this situation. 420W is really low for a gaming computer and might be just the barely needed to run that system. Get at least 500W. And according to reviews from Newegg.com, mushkin memory is really good up there with other good brands so I wouldn't spend an extra $40 just to get Kingston/Corsair or whatever.
Click to expand...

Awesome post, thanks. I checked Newegg just now too, so I feel a lot better about the RAM situation. And I thought 420 seemed low. I'll see about stepping up to 500w. I'm still not sure why you guys say Intel is better for gaming, though.

Is the difference in the GPU really that drastic? 3650 versus the 3850?
 
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No, pretty much Intel is better for everything. Of course unless you want the really low-budget computer, then you can pick up a Sempron from AMD for about $30 bucks.
 
I got an AMD 4400 athlon x2 about 6 months ago. I'm switching to Intel's quad-core soon. :) Get an Intel. Trust me. Their CPU's are dominating the market.
 
Jkun said:
Is the difference in the GPU really that drastic? 3650 versus the 3850?
Click to expand...

Yep! The HD3650 is the bare miminum for today's games at decent frames-per-second. Trust me, if this computer is for gaming, get anything from the HD3850 for ATi or the 8800GS for nVidia and up.
 
Jkun said:
Well, I'm on a budget, so I realize I won't be running TOP OF THE LINE games at high settings/resolutions, but I'm okay with that.



Awesome post, thanks. I checked Newegg just now too, so I feel a lot better about the RAM situation. And I thought 420 seemed low. I'll see about stepping up to 500w. I'm still not sure why you guys say Intel is better for gaming, though.

Is the difference in the GPU really that drastic? 3650 versus the 3850?
Click to expand...

3650 is more of a workstation card. Not much for gaming, as the 8600 beats it.

Look at the hec Orion XPOWERX 585W :)
 
allrighty.

a great budget core 2 duo is the e4500, it even clocks to 3 ghz on stock cooling and voltage.

two gigs of ram would work nicely for a budget build, 3-4 gigs isnt necessary just yet.

the video card should be at least the 3870, but if you want good framerates and the game to look good then go for the 8800GT found here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150252

dont let the price scare you, it has a large rebate, that puts it right at 150$, which is AWESOME

EDIT: oh and if thats still too expensive then sell the game that comes with it too, its a great game.
 
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