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[ghst]

Hey, how does this look for someone who needs a pc just to run vista + world of warcraft on high settings smoothly? I don't really feel like actually building a pc. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227060

Shitty video card, everything else is good to go though. Changing a video card does not constitute *building a pc* though, if you can't pull that one off you probably should think about becoming Amish.

 

[Cheeto]

Did you read the text between the () !

(There are is no benchmark at TH of a Q9300 or Q9450 which is about as fast as the QX6700 and about the same price as a E8200/8400).

The Q9450 is about the same speed in Mhz of the QX6700 and probably faster & less power consuming and is 250 dollar.

First of all, the Q9450 goes for $350 and up.

Second of all, the Q9xxx and QX6xxx are different cores with different architecture, you cannot just simply compare the speeds and claim that one or the other is faster because of clock speed.

Third of all, Wolfdale(E8xxx)and Yorkfield(Q9xxx) are architecturally identical. So you are going to see identical performance out of either processor in 2 core or less applications(like games). Wolfdale E8400 = $185 / Yorkfield Q9450 = $350, if you're looking for gaming performance/cost that is what you look at.

Finally, buying for tomorrow doesn't work in the PC world. By the time games are regularly using Quad cores or more, the processors will be so far ahead of what you'll buy today. Then you'll feel cheated, because you could have spent $180 today, and $180 tomorrow and been better off than spending that total today.

 

[DarkAngelYuna]

Shitty video card, everything else is good to go though. Changing a video card does not constitute *building a pc* though, if you can't pull that one off you probably should think about becoming Amish.

I can build computers just fine.. been doing it forever. Just too sick from my Crohns disease right now to be bothered with doing so right now. I'll change the video card in the future if i ever start playing anything besides Wow on the pc.

 

[Hitmeneer]

First of all, the Q9450 goes for $350 and up.

Second of all, the Q9xxx and QX6xxx are different cores with different architecture, you cannot just simply compare the speeds and claim that one or the other is faster because of clock speed.

Third of all, Wolfdale(E8xxx)and Yorkfield(Q9xxx) are architecturally identical. So you are going to see identical performance out of either processor in 2 core or less applications(like games). Wolfdale E8400 = $185 / Yorkfield Q9450 = $350, if you're looking for gaming performance/cost that is what you look at.

Finally, buying for tomorrow doesn't work in the PC world. By the time games are regularly using Quad cores or more, the processors will be so far ahead of what you'll buy today. Then you'll feel cheated, because you could have spent $180 today, and $180 tomorrow and been better off than spending that total today.

First, indeed as I said, the Q9450 is hard to get so some stores are taking advantage of this and are driving up the prices. The official retail price IS 250 Euro (like 200 dollars).

Q9xxx and QX6xxx are indeed totaly different in architecture. The Q9xxx is newer, 45 nm, and per clock speed faster in general. So in fact the Q9 serie with the same clock speed of the QX6xxx will be faster then the QX6xxx.

As I said before the $350 isn't really fair. They go for that price, but if you can wait for a couple of weeks, they will be sold voor 200-250 dollar. And as you could see in the tomshardware chart, most new games take only a bit adventage of the quad cores, thus making them still faster then their two core companions (with the same clock speed).

And yes, the PC world goes to fast. I totaly agree. Buying something today which can be outdated tomorrow. But I am confident that most, 50+%, games in 2009 will use quad cores. And I will be using my pc for 4-5 years (will only change my gfx card after 3 years). That's the way I did it with my last PC and I could play almost any game I wanted even with that 5 year old PC. So it is bull that a processor would be outdated that fast. Only if you want to play games on full, you will need to upgrade sooner.

The way I think about it is:
The first 2-3 years the quad core processor will be fast enough even with only 2 cores used. After those 2-3 years there will be octo+ cores and 90%+ of all programs/games will be multi treathed and utilise the full 4 cores. So after those 2-3 years, where you had enough of 2 cores you will be able to fully use the 4 cores in all your games and thus making it (way) faster then the E8200/8400. And ofcourse, by then there are more faster processors released, but you still would be able to play most games on medium by then. Atleast better then with the dual core (because, basicly you have twice the speed). It is not like a quad will be crap in 2 or 3 years.

 

[Cheeto]

The way I think about it is:
The first 2-3 years the quad core processor will be fast enough even with only 2 cores used. After those 2-3 years there will be octo+ cores and 90%+ of all programs/games will be multi treathed and utilise the full 4 cores. So after those 2-3 years, where you had enough of 2 cores you will be able to fully use the 4 cores in all your games and thus making it (way) faster then the E8200/8400. And ofcourse, by then there are more faster processors released, but you still would be able to play most games on medium by then. Atleast better then with the dual core (because, basicly you have twice the speed). It is not like a quad will be crap in 2 or 3 years.

What I'm saying is after those 2 or 3 years you can spend the balance of your remaining $350 budget on a better processor.

 

[Eiji]

For the UK people, at time of posting saverstore have the 8800GT 256MB on sale for £69.99 (£77.03 inc del) Its over £100 everywhere else or thereabouts:

http://www.saverstore.com/productinfo/product.aspx?product_id=20020220

Its good if you don't game over 1280x1024 res with 16xAA/4xAA.

 

[Hitmeneer]

What I'm saying is after those 2 or 3 years you can spend the balance of your remaining $350 budget on a better processor.

My option, the Q9450, is only 50 dollar more as soon as it is widely available, so

 

[brain_stew]

For the UK people, at time of posting saverstore have the 8800GT 256MB on sale for £69.99 (£77.03 inc del) Its over £100 everywhere else or thereabouts:

http://www.saverstore.com/productinfo/product.aspx?product_id=20020220

Its good if you don't game over 1280x1024 res with 16xAA/4xAA.

The 512MB version is only £107 at Ebuyer, a much better buy if you ask me, better store too. Even at lower resolution, the higher res. textures of modern games will sharp eat up that 256MB, and the situation will only get worse.

 

[Jacobi]

errr the 8500 GT kind of sucks but it should run WoW on high settings

Kind of? It sucks and it'll run WoW on medium settings at 30fps according to a benchmark (it's in a print magazine, can't link)

 

[Eiji]

The 512MB version is only £107 at Ebuyer, a much better buy if you ask me, better store too. Even at lower resolution, the higher res. textures of modern games will sharp eat up that 256MB, and the situation will only get worse.

I just checked around for the 512MB version and its £102 at Scan in their today only section, PNY 8800GT. That is a very good price for the 512MB version and obviously a better buy.

Sign up for free at avforums.com for free delivery from Scan for orders over £20 ex. VAT.

 

[krypt0nian]

Building first PC for Age of Conan and onward. I've always bought pre-built and even went the alienware route once.

Needs:

Antec Sonata III 500 or similar style
Processor Q9300 Quad
4 GB RAM
GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB
500 GB HARD DRIVE
2 DVD-R drives
bluetooth support
multicard reader
Wireless 802.11g card
24" lcd (good response/resolution)
Vista 64bit

I'm hoping to stay under $2000usd, but feel free to shock me with a much lower price. $1500 would be great, but I'm willing to be flexible.

Any suggestions? Including case/cooling/power supply/etc. Remember I'm clueless.

I'm in the states when suggesting links.


This all seems overwhelming but the cost savings by building yourself is too good to pass up.

 

[SRG01]

Building first PC for Age of Conan and onward. I've always bought pre-built and even went the alienware route once.

Needs:

Antec Sonata III 500 or similar style
Processor Q9300 Quad
4 GB RAM
GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB
500 GB HARD DRIVE
2 DVD-R drives
bluetooth support
multicard reader
Wireless 802.11g card
24" lcd (good response/resolution)
Vista 64bit

I'm hoping to stay under $2000usd, but feel free to shock me with a much lower price. $1500 would be great, but I'm willing to be flexible.

Any suggestions? Including case/cooling/power supply/etc. Remember I'm clueless.

I'm in the states when suggesting links.


This all seems overwhelming but the cost savings by building yourself is too good to pass up.

9800GX2 isn't worth it right now. Performance difference between it and other cards, even in SLI mode, are minimal at best. Just stick with the 8800GT/GTS(92) for now since they're cheaper these days.

edit: Reading your system over, this seems really overkill...

 

[krypt0nian]

9800GX2 isn't worth it right now. Performance difference between it and other cards, even in SLI mode, are minimal at best. Just stick with the 8800GT/GTS(92) for now since they're cheaper these days.

edit: Reading your system over, this seems really overkill...

I don't want to upgrade for some time and AoC needs a serious rig.

 

[zoku88]

Why do you need two DVD-R drives? Most people hardly need one (except to install some crap.)

 

[SRG01]

I don't want to upgrade for some time and AoC needs a serious rig.

Is this going to be Crysis all over again?

 

[krypt0nian]

Why do you need two DVD-R drives? Most people hardly need one (except to install some crap.)

Its no big deal cost wise.

 

[zoku88]

Its no big deal cost wise.

Oh yea, I guess it's just an extra $30, huh? :lol

 

[krypt0nian]

Oh yea, I guess it's just an extra $30, huh? :lol

um yeah. Nothing humorous.

So is this the build a PC thread or OMG you are buying two cd drives thread?

Feel free to not reply if you're really not here to help?

 

[zoku88]

um yeah. Nothing humorous.

Well, I was more laughing at myself for forgetting how cheap they were...

Why so serious? >.>

 

[krypt0nian]

Well, I was more laughing at myself for forgetting how cheap they were...

Why so serious? >.>

The first two replies were you're doing it wrong posts? I apologize.

Much love.

 

[zoku88]

The first two replies were you're doing it wrong posts? I apologize.

I'm kinda confused, but that's ok :lol

Much love back <3

Anyway, I don't think you'd need a 9800GX2 for AoC, so I think you'd be kinda wasting your money (I could be wrong though, maybe it would be necessary for 1920x1200.)

I also wouldn't get the Q9300., I would either go with the Q6600 or the E8400.

For your 24" monitor, I would recommend the one I have: BenQ FP241VW ^^

EDIT: I'd just wait until AoC comes out to decide which card to get, if you can actually wait that long.

 

[Blackface]

First, indeed as I said, the Q9450 is hard to get so some stores are taking advantage of this and are driving up the prices. The official retail price IS 250 Euro (like 200 dollars).

Q9xxx and QX6xxx are indeed totaly different in architecture. The Q9xxx is newer, 45 nm, and per clock speed faster in general. So in fact the Q9 serie with the same clock speed of the QX6xxx will be faster then the QX6xxx.

As I said before the $350 isn't really fair. They go for that price, but if you can wait for a couple of weeks, they will be sold voor 200-250 dollar. And as you could see in the tomshardware chart, most new games take only a bit adventage of the quad cores, thus making them still faster then their two core companions (with the same clock speed).

And yes, the PC world goes to fast. I totaly agree. Buying something today which can be outdated tomorrow. But I am confident that most, 50+%, games in 2009 will use quad cores. And I will be using my pc for 4-5 years (will only change my gfx card after 3 years). That's the way I did it with my last PC and I could play almost any game I wanted even with that 5 year old PC. So it is bull that a processor would be outdated that fast. Only if you want to play games on full, you will need to upgrade sooner.

The way I think about it is:
The first 2-3 years the quad core processor will be fast enough even with only 2 cores used. After those 2-3 years there will be octo+ cores and 90%+ of all programs/games will be multi treathed and utilise the full 4 cores. So after those 2-3 years, where you had enough of 2 cores you will be able to fully use the 4 cores in all your games and thus making it (way) faster then the E8200/8400. And ofcourse, by then there are more faster processors released, but you still would be able to play most games on medium by then. Atleast better then with the dual core (because, basicly you have twice the speed). It is not like a quad will be crap in 2 or 3 years.

The E8400 is faster then the Q9450 for anything that does not use four cores. It has a faster clock speed. Also, you can OC the E8400 about 100 times better then the Q9450. Also you won't see any difference in performance if you are not using apps or games that requir four cores. Period. 99 percent of games don't ue them and they won't for a long time. By the time they do, you can buy better quad cores for less money then the Q9450 is selling for right now.

Also many programs are not going to be quad core optimized. Look how long dual cores have been out and around 50 percent of applications, probably ower then that actually even use two cores.

Quad core is fantastic for someone who does a lot of movie editing, 3d graphic rendering or can't take care of their PC and get it filled with 500 process running and 700 pieces of spy ware. Outside of that my 3ghz E8400 will outperform the Q9450 and when I overclock it to 4ghz, the Q9450 isn't even the radar for games.

You als have to understand tat Nvidia is pushing many developers to make games less CPU intensive because they HATE Intel and want them to lose money.

(sorry for spelling, my wireless keyboard is running out of batteries).

 

[Blackface]

I'm kinda confused, but that's ok :lol

Much love back <3

Anyway, I don't think you'd need a 9800GX2 for AoC, so I think you'd be kinda wasting your money (I could be wrong though, maybe it would be necessary for 1920x1200.)

I also wouldn't get the Q9300., I would either go with the Q6600 or the E8400.

For your 24" monitor, I would recommend the one I have: BenQ FP241VW ^^

EDIT: I'd just wait until AoC comes out to decide which card to get, if you can actually wait that long.

You could play AOC with a 8800GT and up and the Q9300 is better then the Q6600 even though it has a smaller cache.

 

[Blackface]

9800GX2 isn't worth it right now. Performance difference between it and other cards, even in SLI mode, are minimal at best. Just stick with the 8800GT/GTS(92) for now since they're cheaper these days.

edit: Reading your system over, this seems really overkill...

You can buy 2 9800GTX's on sale for the price of a gx2 and it actually performs better, even though the GX2 is just two 9800's duct taped together.

The performance increase is quite large, but it's overkill and I would suggest saving the money until the 9900's come out.

 

[SRG01]

You can buy 2 9800GTX's on sale for the price of a gx2 and it actually performs better, even though the GX2 is just two 9800's duct taped together.

The performance increase is quite large, but it's overkill and I would suggest saving the money until the 9900's come out.

Are we talking over 30% increase over a single 9800GTX?

 

[krypt0nian]

OK that BenQ monitor is SICK! With the $$ I save on the CPU I think i can swing it @ $630.

The Q6600 seems to be a good price to power deal. I'm ready to run with that.

I still think I'll go with either the dual 9800GTX's or the 9800GX2. What motherboard combos would work?

So motherboard/memory/cooling with the combo so far?

sub-$2000 seems seriously do-able even with the godlike $630 monitor.

 

[Kadey]

I spent about $1300 and got

E8400
4gb DDR1066 ram
780i motherboard
GX2
Vista 64
Terabyte enclosure
Freezer pro 7
Video cooler
Extreme X card reader

Other stuff not included and many used from old setup.

You can find a GX2 in the $500 range. If you're planning an SLI setup, it only uses one slot and can be used in non-SLI motherboards. Get an upcoming watercooler block for it and oc the thing to insane levels.

 

[zoku88]

You could play AOC with a 8800GT and up and the Q9300 is better then the Q6600 even though it has a smaller cache.

Well, the Q9300 is a bit more expensive than the Q6600, no? I just don't think the 45nm quad core chips have a very good price/performance, is all.

sub-$2000 seems seriously do-able even with the godlike $630 monitor.

Oh jeez, I bought it in July or wtv and paid $750 for it :lol

 

[krypt0nian]

Oh jeez, I bought it in July or wtv and paid $750 for it :lol

Yeah at over $600 it seem to be a great deal.

I feel like I need hand-holding through this whole process.

 

[Scrow]

finally got my new computer a few weeks ago. it's not the absolute elite of PCs, but it does what it needs to well enough. very happy with 60+ fps on games like CoD4 with close to full settings.

3ghz dual core
2GB RAM
2*500gb seagate HDD
8800GT
Logitech Wireless Mouse
Logitech Ultra Flat keyboard
24" Dell Monitor

Finally have a computer worthy of Bioshock. Great game.

 

[AZ Greg]

Ok, PC gaming GAF, I need some help. My brother is really into PC gaming, but he has been doing it on an HP that is about 3 years old and has an integrated graphics card. Honestly, I don't know how he gets what he does out of it. Anyway, he is ready to upgrade to a computer that can better handle gaming, and more importantly, be upgraded as time goes on. He already has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc... So those are not needed. Also, we do not want to go the Newegg route. Regardless of how easy it is to put a PC together, we have never done it and do not want to deal with.

So basically, he is looking for a good stack with an OS already installed that has the capability to be upgraded as time goes on. He has approximately $700. One thing that has caught his eye is the Dell Vostro 200 Mini Tower: http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/vostrodt_200mt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab The base model is only $299, but he can customize a higher-end model and get what seems to be a pretty decent PC for around $700. For example, it would have:

- Intel® Core™2 Duo Proc E4500 (2.20GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800FSB)
- 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz - 2DIMMs
- 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
- 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600GT

Are those components good? Worth $719 with a 19in widescreen monitor, Windows XP, etc... Would it be upgradeable?

Also, my Dad got an e-mail from Dell that is actually a better deal, unfortunately, there are less graphics card options. That Dell Vostro Slim Tower would come with:

- Intel® Core™2 Duo Proc E8200 (2.66GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333FSB)
- 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz - 2DIMMs
- 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
- 256MB ATI Radeon 2400 XT

And of course all the other necessary components. That configuration would cost $699. Ok, same questions I had about the previous one apply to this one. Also, does the "Slim" tower affect anything? Finally, the first model gives three graphics card options:

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 [subtract $160]
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8300GS [subtract $90]
256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600GT [Included in Price]

The second model comes with the choice between these graphics cards:

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 [subtract $150]
256MB ATI Radeon 2400 Pro [subtract $50]
256MB ATI Radeon 2400 XT [Included in Price]

Now my little PC gaming knowledge tells me that if we went with the Intel GMA 3100 then we wouldn't be able to upgrade the graphics card in the future, but if we went with the Nvidia or ATI cards then in the future we could upgrade. Is this correct? If so, should we take the most expensive Nvidia/ATI (depending on what model we buy) or should we buy the cheaper option and then upgrade to our own card?

Also, if you have any suggestions about a pre-built PC that would satisfy his needs for around that price then please let me know. Thanks!

 

[mr stroke]

Building first PC for Age of Conan and onward. I've always bought pre-built and even went the alienware route once.

Needs:

Antec Sonata III 500 or similar style
Processor Q9300 Quad
4 GB RAM
GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB
500 GB HARD DRIVE
2 DVD-R drives
bluetooth support
multicard reader
Wireless 802.11g card
24" lcd (good response/resolution)
Vista 64bit

I'm hoping to stay under $2000usd, but feel free to shock me with a much lower price. $1500 would be great, but I'm willing to be flexible.

Any suggestions? Including case/cooling/power supply/etc. Remember I'm clueless.

I'm in the states when suggesting links.


This all seems overwhelming but the cost savings by building yourself is too good to pass up.

forget all the cheap bastards out there, if it were me and I didn't want to upgrade for some time I would up my budget a bit, then go from 24' monitor to a 22', and go 3 way SLI 9800gtx's(yes its a waste, but you won't have to upgrade for a long time)
OR
just wait a couple months for ATI's 4800 cards, as they are supposed to smoke eveything out right now.

 

[aeolist]

The slim tower would probably require a low-profile graphics card, which limits your options severely and pretty much guarantees that you won't have a powerful graphics card. Also go ahead and get the Intel GMA, it's just onboard video that you can disable in the computer's BIOS and use a discrete card.

 

[krypt0nian]

Getting closer to my parts list:


COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $80
ASUS P5E WS Professional LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard $270
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model $220
Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5001ABYS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $120
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W Power Supply $110
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel $80
BenQ T241W Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height & Pivot Adjustments $480 or SAMSUNG 2493HM $478 or Gateway FHD2400 Black-Silver 24" 3ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor (can't find the BenQ FP241VW in stock anywhere)
Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner $30
LINKSYS WMP54G 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless-G Adapter $40
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler $37
Rosewill RCR-102 52-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader $15


Cableing costs or does everything pretty much come with the components? Anything I'm forgetting? Better choices? Especially the motherboard since its currently out of stock at newegg.

 

[zoku88]

Now my little PC gaming knowledge tells me that if we went with the Intel GMA 3100 then we wouldn't be able to upgrade the graphics card in the future, but if we went with the Nvidia or ATI cards then in the future we could upgrade. Is this correct? If so, should we take the most expensive Nvidia/ATI (depending on what model we buy) or should we buy the cheaper option and then upgrade to our own card?

That's not true. The computer will have a free PCIe slot. They never change motherboards between desktops of the same model. I would go ahead a get the integrated gfx and then buy your own card.

Of course, who knows? You might run into a PSU problem or maybe the case isn't big enough *shrug*

The slim tower would probably require a low-profile graphics card, which limits your options severely and pretty much guarantees that you won't have a powerful graphics card. Also go ahead and get the Intel GMA, it's just onboard video that you can disable in the computer's BIOS and use a discrete card.

I guess I was pretty much beaten...

forget all the cheap bastards out there, if it were me and I didn't want to upgrade for some time I would up my budget a bit, then go from 24' monitor to a 22', and go 3 way SLI 9800gtx's(yes its a waste, but you won't have to upgrade for a long time)
OR
just wait a couple months for ATI's 4800 cards, as they are supposed to smoke eveything out right now.

IMO, attempting to futureproof a PC is kinda silly (and costly.) With the money he would be spending on that rig, he could buy a highend computer now and one later. :-/

 

[SRG01]

snip

Dell.ca can customize the Vostro 400 to E8400 with a 8800GT for about $700 total. I'm sure Dell.com US has a much better deal somewhere!

 

[zoku88]

Getting closer to my parts list:


COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $80
ASUS P5E WS Professional LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard $270
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model $220
Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5001ABYS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $120
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI ATX12V 600W Power Supply $110
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel $80
BenQ T241W Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height & Pivot Adjustments $480 or SAMSUNG 2493HM $478 or Gateway FHD2400 Black-Silver 24" 3ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor (can't find the BenQ FP241VW in stock anywhere)
Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner $30
LINKSYS WMP54G 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless-G Adapter $40
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler $37
Rosewill RCR-102 52-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader $15


Cableing costs or does everything pretty much come with the components? Anything I'm forgetting? Better choices? Especially the motherboard since its currently out of stock at newegg.

Personally, I wuold get a cheaper motherboard (maybe, a P35 chipset) and go with an HDD that is 10K rpm, if you can.

 

[krypt0nian]

Personally, I wuold get a cheaper motherboard (maybe, a P35 chipset) and go with an HDD that is 10K rpm, if you can.

Do you see an incompatibilities with the parts though? This fits within my budget so I'm ok with the costs at this point. =)

Suggestions for a 10k rpm HDD at 500GB?

Anything else I need for assembly?

 

[zoku88]

Do you see an incompatibilities with the parts though? This fits within my budget so I'm ok with the costs at this point. =)

Suggestions for a 10k rpm HDD at 500GB?

Anything else I need for assembly?

They seem compatible to me.

Don't worry, all of the instructions for assembly are included with the retail products.

EDIT: NVM about the 10K drives. I didn't think they were THAT expensive..

 

[krypt0nian]

They seem compatible to me.

Don't worry, all of the instructions for assembly are included with the retail products.

EDIT: NVM about the 10K drives. I didn't think they were THAT expensive..

Cool enough. I found nice guides here. http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671/4 and here http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

I have the regular tools, but will I need things like thermal compound or do CPUs come equipped?

 

[godhandiscen]

forget all the cheap bastards out there, if it were me and I didn't want to upgrade for some time I would up my budget a bit, then go from 24' monitor to a 22', and go 3 way SLI 9800gtx's(yes its a waste, but you won't have to upgrade for a long time)
OR
just wait a couple months for ATI's 4800 cards, as they are supposed to smoke eveything out right now.

Not our cards though. The 4800 will initially be 50% faster than the 3870, but not faster than the 3870X2. For that you will need to wait for the 4800X2.

 

[AZ Greg]

Could someone use this site:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

And configure the best possible gaming PC for about $700 (not including tax or shipping) with the ability to grow as time passes. Of course cutting out anything that can be cut in order to save money (like the fancy case, neon lights, etc...). Thanks!

 

[zoku88]

Cool enough. I found nice guides here. http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671/4 and here http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

I have the regular tools, but will I need things like thermal compound or do CPUs come equipped?

Huh, that's a good question. I seriously don't remember :lol

I don't remember my brother getting any when I helped build his computer, but that was several years ago

Spoiler

I so need to build myself a rig next year.

 

[aznpxdd]

Cool enough. I found nice guides here. http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671/4 and here http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

I have the regular tools, but will I need things like thermal compound or do CPUs come equipped?

If you buy a retail CPU, the thermal paste come pre-applied on the stock heatsink. Most after market heatsinks come with the thermal paste too, but I think most people prefer to use AS5 (it actually makes a decent difference).

 

[zoku88]

Could someone use this site:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

And configure the best possible gaming PC for about $700 (not including tax or shipping) with the ability to grow as time passes. Of course cutting out anything that can be cut in order to save money (like the fancy case, neon lights, etc...). Thanks!

I tried, it's really hard though and it's totally not worth it (the HDD was only freakin 160 GB. WTFBBQ.)

 

[godhandiscen]

Could someone use this site:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

And configure the best possible gaming PC for about $700 (not including tax or shipping) with the ability to grow as time passes. Of course cutting out anything that can be cut in order to save money (like the fancy case, neon lights, etc...). Thanks!

Don't. Their component selection is horrible and they overprice their stuff. Building your own computer is easy. Give it a try. www.newegg.com

 

[brain_stew]

If you want an upgrade path then Dell is a big no no. They tend to use some none standard parts and cut corners where a gamer wouldn't want them to.

I seriously suggest looking into building your own PC, I'm about to do my first build and can't believe how easy it is going to be. There's stacks of tutorials online and you can even buy a tool-less case to make things even simpler. You'll get so much more bang for your buck, and future upgrade options and you also have access to overclocking, which is a significant free upgrade for a couple hours work.

I've just put together a very nice gaming rig for £350, I couldn't come anywhere close to this sort of rig for anything less than £500 from the likes of Dell and even then I'd have a PC with inferior components. You'll appreciate it in the long run.

this is one of the nicest guides I've seen, you'll have to sign up to see the pictures, mind.

COOLER MASTER Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: RC-330-KKN1-GP
Item #: N82E16811119115

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$44.99 -$5.00 Instant $39.99

Update
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-P35-DS3L
Item #: N82E16813128059

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$89.99 $89.99

Update
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS-460-PMSR-A3 ATX12V V2.3 460W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: RS-460-PMSR-A3
Item #: N82E16817171028

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$39.99 $39.99

Update
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7200 - Retail
Model #: BX80571E7200
Item #: N82E16819115052

Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

In Stock
$134.99 $134.99

Update OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P8002GK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227089
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy $45.99

Update
Western Digital Caviar GP WD5000AACS 500GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD5000AACS
Item #: N82E16822136149

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$89.99 $89.99

Update
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM
Model #: SH-S203B
Item #: N82E16827151153

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock

That spec comes to just $640 without an O/S and would crap all over the Dell systems you're interested in. Its got a tool less case to make life easy and has a very nice motherboard that will let you o/c your chip and get some extra speed out of it.

 

[NarcissisticJay]

Hey guys. Ran into a little problem last night on Vista 64.

I've had my computer up and running for about 3 weeks now. (P5N-D, E8400, yadda... etc)

Last night I finally got around to DLing some of the optional windows updates (dremescene and others) and now all of a sudden Vista wont recognize my DVD drive.

What gives! Im not really sure why or whats going on, it worked fine for the first 3 weeks now I cant get it sorted out.

The drive shows up in Bios and I can boot from a disc so Im thinking somehting with the optional updates has screwed up vista.

Any suggestions? Ive tried everything I can think of.

DVD Drive is a Samsung.. Ill have to look up the model #.

 

[bigmit3737]

Hey Guys...

Looking to build my computer around July time.

I have been looking at the Q6600.
I understand that the Q9xx are supposed to be pretty good as well.

Is there going to be any sort of price drops on these things by July time?

Ideally I want to get the best bang for the buck. $200 or less for the Quad Core

$100 bucks for the Motherboard. I am not too sure if anything is coming in July time, but I am pretty sure there will be some price drops by July time..or I will be able to catch something on sale. ( I am not really into overclocking, so the simpler the interface/bios and the faster the stock speeds, the better)

8800 GT or GTS for the Graphics Card.

Ram - 4 gigs, hopefully for around $60-$80.

I want to spend around $800 -
not including keyboard, mouse, monitor, case, speakers...

Feel free to suggest anything a little bit over my price range, since I may be able to catch these things on sale by July time.

Thanks.

 

[eznark]

Anyone have any recommendations for PC game pads?