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[Hazaro]

If you are willing to spend 3 grand I'll build it for you for 2.5k and throw in free shipping :lol

But really, it's almost easy as legos

If you do decide boutique route...

Maingear and Velocity Micro, Falcon NorthWest as well.

Keep in mind none of these are cheap.

 

[isamu]

If you are willing to spend 3 grand I'll build it for you for 2.5k and throw in free shipping :lol

But really, it's almost easy as legos

If you do decide boutique route...

Maingear and Velocity Micro, Falcon NorthWest as well.

Keep in mind none of these are cheap.

What about AVADirect?

 

[isamu]

I reused an Alienware case, same processor, better ram, more expensive MB, GX2 at release, near same cooling, also have a BRD drive, and various other cosmetic components and I spent only half of that. Something is really wrong there. If you really spent $3000, those components should obliterate the ones I have and easily be absolute top of the line right now.

Don't worry, that was just me fooling around at buydirectpc.com. I just configured a similar spec PC at avadirect and got the price down to just over $2200

$3000 for a PC and it doesn't even have a quad core CPU or crossfired/SLI'd video cards?

I configured the PC myself on their site and didn't select quad core because I've read in this very same thread that the E8400 Core duo is a much better/faster(when overclocked) cpu. Plus people here said there no point in crossfired/SLI solution so why would I pick it?

 

[Kabouter]

I configured the PC myself on their site and didn't select quad core because I've read in this very same thread that the E8400 Core duo is a much better/faster(when overclocked) cpu. Plus people here said there no point in crossfired/SLI solution so why would I pick it?

What I meant was, for a PC that expensive, you'd expect it to have things like that. A PC with a dual core CPU and single GPU more expensive than say $1500 is pretty crazy .

 

[Manager]

I configured the PC myself on their site and didn't select quad core because I've read in this very same thread that the E8400 Core duo is a much better/faster(when overclocked) cpu. Plus people here said there no point in crossfired/SLI solution so why would I pick it?

It's not the fact that you didn't pick it, it's the fact that you're getting a dual core single-gcarded system for $3000.

 

[Manager]

Here's my new system btw, put it together and it works well. Just ask away if you have any questions about compatibility or so.

Antec Sonata III Mid Tower
Asus P5Q Deluxe
Intel Quad-Core Q9450 2.66 ghz
Corsair Dominator 4096MB PC2-8500 1066MHz
Samsung Spinpoint F1 750GB
Asus ATI Radeon HD2400PRO
Scythe Ninja Mini SCMNJ-1000 CPU cooler

I'll buy a 4850 or so in a couple of months.

 

[Blackface]

I don't understand why some people buy overclocking motherboards, when they don't plan to overclock their PC.

 

[JSnake]

What about AVADirect?

AVADirect is amazing. I've had nothing but good experiences with them.

 

[Tom Penny]

That PC seems real expensive. Cyberpower is the cheapest place i've seen on the net. I'm not sure the quality though.

 

[JSnake]

That PC seems real expensive. Cyberpower is the cheapest place i've seen on the net. I'm not sure the quality though.

Cyberpowerpc is a piece of shit. Stay away.

 

[isamu]

AVADirect is amazing. I've had nothing but good experiences with them.

I'm calling them later today and see how I like their tone. If I'm comfortable enough with the conversation, I may seriously pull the trigger today!


Again folks, just to re-clarify, I AM NOT buying the $3000 PC from buydirectpc.com. I have configured a PC with similar specs from AVADirect's site that comes out to juuust over $2200, and that's because I selected TWO optical drives, one of them being the LG Bluray/HDDVD combo player, something I personally want, as well as terabyte drive from WD. Also with that price I'm getting overclocked E8400 cpu to around 3.8Ghz, AND a 3 year parts and labor warranty, AND a couple other little things here and there.

Still a bad deal?

 

[Danj]

Again folks, just to re-clarify, I AM NOT buying the $3000 PC from buydirectpc.com. I have configured a PC with similar specs from AVADirect's site that comes out to juuust over $2200, and that's because I selected TWO optical drives, one of them being the LG Bluray/HDDVD combo player, something I personally want, as well as terabyte drive from WD. Also with that price I'm getting overclocked E8400 cpu to around 3.8Ghz, AND a 3 year parts and labor warranty, AND a couple other little things here and there.

Still a bad deal?

I'm betting that a large chunk of that price is the 3 year extended warranty. There is no way that PC really costs $2200, not even with a Bluray drive in it.

 

[JSnake]

I think that's a good deal.

Oh and I think you'll like their "tone." their customer service is seriously amazing. they'll inform you how the build process is going, they'll immediately (in my experience) call you to inform of any problems. Plus, if a part you want isn't listed on their site, call them up and they'll put it in.

edit: the blu-ray drive is about $400.

 

[isamu]

I think that's a good deal.

Oh and I think you'll like their "tone." their customer service is seriously amazing. they'll inform you how the build process is going, they'll immediately (in my experience) call you to inform of any problems. Plus, if a part you want isn't listed on their site, call them up and they'll put it in.

edit: the blu-ray drive is about $400.

The thing that's bringing the price up and down that I'm not sure on is the memory. Right now, my the current configuration, I got the following memory:

OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Platinum Edition PC3-10666 DDR3 1333MHz CL (7-7-7-20) 1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC.

This seems to be around the cheapest 4Gb memory option they have. Is this a good selection for memory? Some 4GB memory options adds a whopping $900 to the overall price! Why is that?

 

[wolfmat]

I'm calling them later today and see how I like their tone. If I'm comfortable enough with the conversation, I may seriously pull the trigger today!


Again folks, just to re-clarify, I AM NOT buying the $3000 PC from buydirectpc.com. I have configured a PC with similar specs from AVADirect's site that comes out to juuust over $2200, and that's because I selected TWO optical drives, one of them being the LG Bluray/HDDVD combo player, something I personally want, as well as terabyte drive from WD. Also with that price I'm getting overclocked E8400 cpu to around 3.8Ghz, AND a 3 year parts and labor warranty, AND a couple other little things here and there.

Still a bad deal?

Could you list the components with price? That's a lot of money.

 

[Kabouter]

The thing that's bringing the price up and down that I'm not sure on is the memory. Right now, my the current configuration, I got the following memory:

OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Platinum Edition PC3-10666 DDR3 1333MHz CL (7-7-7-20) 1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC.

This seems to be around the cheapest 4Gb memory option they have. Is this a good selection for memory? Some 4GB memory options adds a whopping $900 to the overall price! Why is that?

Why DDR3 if I might ask?
DDR2 is very cost-effective now. You can get a 4GB set of great DDR2 RAM for less than $100. And performance really isn't worse than that of all but the top end of DDR3 memory, which I really don't think you'll need .

 

[JSnake]

DDR3 is a waste of money right now. Too little gain for too much money. However, it is smart to purchase a DDR3-compatible motherboard as DDR3 memory will drop in price AND the performance gains will grow. For now, just go with DDR2.

 

[SRG01]

Dear God, I'm late for the anti-DDR3 bandwagon!!

Don't choose DDR3 because it won't give you any large performance gains for the price. You can easily get 4GB of DDR2 memory for less than $200.

 

[Kabouter]

Okay GAF, I'm gonna need your help too. I'm considering buying a new PC including monitor (preferably 24"). The only intensive application I'll use is games, but I'll also need a good amount of storage. The only things I'll be able to reuse from my current PC are the speakers and sound card, so I don't need those. You also don't have to include mouse/keyboard/OS since I know what I'm getting in those areas anyway and what it costs. I'd also like the case to not be huge nor one of those ugly disco balls full of LED's and what not. And of course, I don't want it to be as loud as say a jet engine or an Xbox 360. I don't really have a set budget, but I'd prefer to keep it at around €1100 or lower for the parts I need outside of OS/keyboard/mouse.

 

[Manager]

Okay GAF, I'm gonna need your help too. I'm considering buying a new PC including monitor (preferably 24"). The only intensive application I'll use is games, but I'll also need a good amount of storage. The only things I'll be able to reuse from my current PC are the speakers and sound card, so I don't need those. You also don't have to include mouse/keyboard/OS since I know what I'm getting in those areas anyway and what it costs. I'd also like the case to not be huge nor one of those ugly disco balls full of LED's and what not. And of course, I don't want it to be as loud as say a jet engine or an Xbox 360. I don't really have a set budget, but I'd prefer to keep it at around €1100 or lower for the parts I need outside of OS/keyboard/mouse.

I think my system should fit you, or I at least recommend it.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12321035&postcount=2758

Or, with some tweaks. You probably won't have to buy the expensive Q9450, but E8400 for dual-core or Q6600 for quad should be good.
I would still recommend the P5Q Deluxe board since it has less heat and better electricity solutions, and the difference in Europe money-wise isn't that big.
Anyway, my current one is really really silent, thanks to the tower, CPU cooler, and passive cooling solution for the graphics card. You'll need a stronger g-card, but it should be quiet with an Accelerator cooling solution.
The F1 is silent too, and is available in 1tb.

 

[Kabouter]

Tbh, I'm not really sure I could mount a third party cooling solution on a graphics card properly, and experimenting with a €150 thing really doesn't seem like a good idea to me . Is a standard cooling solution that noisy?

 

[Manager]

Tbh, I'm not really sure I could mount a third party cooling solution on a graphics card properly, and experimenting with a €150 thing really doesn't seem like a good idea to me . Is a standard cooling solution that noisy?

Yes, and you really see the differences in heat during load.

Here's a review, they are good since they also go through how you mount it.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article754-page1.html

Installing a third-party cooler can be even easier than the stock ones, and it's hard to do much wrong with the Socket 775.
But, personally, this was the first time I installed a CPU cooler by myself. I tried, just to get experience, to install a cheap cooler in an old system - I totally busted one old CPU, but just bought a new one for €10 and redid it, and it worked. Then I tried 775, and it was a piece of cake, more or less just put it on there and done.

Are you going to put it together yourself?

Anyway, judging from the reviews, some coolers can take down the load temp with like 30 degrees, and idle about 10. But more importantly, they do this using a lower fan speed, making it much more quiet.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Right now for me Maingear and AVADirect are competing for my monies. Maingear seems to have the best customer service and attention to quality, while avadirect seems to be pretty good with that stuff too, and they have a bit lower prices. However maingear is winning right now cause they just reflected the new price drop for the 9550 quad while ava is still hundreds more. I like the 3 year warranty at ava though. Ill be making my final choice when the 4870x2 becomes for sale.

 

[Kabouter]

Well, I'm not putting it together myself, store I intend to buy at assembles it all for €110 and gives you a three year warranty. And they will install a CPU cooler, but they won't change the GPU cooler. Would getting a card with a different cooler standard be a good alternative? Something like this:

 

[Cheeto]

Well, I'm not putting it together myself, store I intend to buy at assembles it all for €110 and gives you a three year warranty. And they will install a CPU cooler, but they won't change the GPU cooler. Would getting a card with a different cooler standard be a good alternative? Something like this:
[IMG.]http://img.hexus.net/v2/graphics_cards/amd/Sapphire/Toxic4850/card_base.jpg[/IMG]

Honestly I don't understand why they'd feel comfortable installing a CPU cooler but not a GPU cooler. You're basically doing the same thing. Unless they rely on the manufacturer warranty to serve their warranty.

 

[Kabouter]

Honestly I don't understand why they'd feel comfortable installing a CPU cooler but not a GPU cooler. You're basically doing the same thing. Unless they rely on the manufacturer warranty to serve their warranty.

Probably that. For the CPU they can just use an OEM/tray model, for which Intel/AMD allow you to install a third party cooler.

 

[Hazaro]

GPU is easier to install imo.

 

[SRG01]

New midrange Intel chips monday, taken from HardOCP/CNet:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10011940-64.html

Though I'm wondering why the new E8600 is considered "midrange". :lol

 

[bathala]

Well, I'm not putting it together myself, store I intend to buy at assembles it all for €110 and gives you a three year warranty. And they will install a CPU cooler, but they won't change the GPU cooler. Would getting a card with a different cooler standard be a good alternative? Something like this:

i'm guessing that's Zalman VF1000.
that's what i have on my 4850. i crank up the fan all the way up and still quite.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Whatever happened to that budget new gaming PC thread?

I'm on a budget and want something reasonable (only really for Source games), and all I see is people talking about spending $1500+ :lol

 

[Hazaro]

Whatever happened to that budget new gaming PC thread?

I'm on a budget and want something reasonable (only really for Source games), and all I see is people talking about spending $1500+ :lol

E7200
Corsair 550TX
GigaByte P35-DS3L
Cooler Master 690
8800GT 512MB
2GB G.Skill
WD6400AAKS
Smasung DVD burner SH-203

$700 shipped

You can also buy a Antec combo case/PSU for like $80 which will make it $630

Swap in a E2180 + 7900/1950/8600 for even cheaper.

E7200 + 8800GT = TF2 maxed at 1600x1200 with 100+ fps

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Awesome, thanks, man.

 

[SRG01]

If you're not OCing, consider an AMD X2 5000 since it should beat the E2180 on raw performance.

If you're OCing, any of the E2xxx/E4xxx paired with a good cooler would be the best bet.

 

[isamu]

Any of you got any impressions of *MicroCenter* ? There's one about 35 miles away from me.

 

[Broseybrose]

E7200
Corsair 550TX
GigaByte P35-DS3L
Cooler Master 690
8800GT 512MB
2GB G.Skill
WD6400AAKS
Smasung DVD burner SH-203

$700 shipped

You can also buy a Antec combo case/PSU for like $80 which will make it $630

Swap in a E2180 + 7900/1950/8600 for even cheaper.

E7200 + 8800GT = TF2 maxed at 1600x1200 with 100+ fps

damn hazaro. remind me to ask you when im ready for my next build :lol

 

[Hazaro]

Any of you got any impressions of *MicroCenter* ? There's one about 35 miles away from me.

Do they do builds?

All I know is that they usually cut CPU prices off by $10 compared to online

damn hazaro. remind me to ask you when im ready for my next build :lol

I just put together 2 rigs for friends this week, but I'm always up to date on prices.

You give me a number and I'll give you a list in 1 minute :lol

 

[DarkAngelYuna]

Any of you got any impressions of *MicroCenter* ? There's one about 35 miles away from me.

I hate the company, years ago I bought a defective CPU from the location in Mayfield Ohio and when I tried to return it the guy claimed I was trying to return a different CPU in the box and threatened to call the police. :lol

 

[isamu]

I re-configured the PC at Avadirect and changed the ram from DDR3 to DDR2.


DDR3:

OCZ, 4GB (2 x 2GB) Platinum Edition PC3-10666 DDR3 1333MHz CL (7-7-7-20) 1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC

DDR2:

CORSAIR, 4GB (2 x 2GB) XMS2 PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-18) 1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC


I noticed the main difference is the clock speed from 1333Mhz vs 800Mhz. You guys sure the DDR2 is good enough these days?

It *DID* bring the price down to $2151 though! So that's always good

I'd also like to get your thoughts on the *Killer Network Card* Many of you say this is a waste of money and does nothing to improve lag/latency, but they, as well as a few other people have said otherwise. Do you have, or know anyone that has any experience with this new Killer Network card?

 

[SRG01]

Wait, this is your first self-made PC, right? Why are you using watercooling?

I'm noticing a few more things, like a TV-out card... and a sound card?!

 

[Nikorasu]

I noticed the main difference is the clock speed from 1333Mhz vs 800Mhz. You guys sure the DDR2 is good enough these days?

It *DID* bring the price down to $2151 though! So that's always good

I'd also like to get your thoughts on the *Killer Network Card* Many of you say this is a waste of money and does nothing to improve lag/latency, but they, as well as a few other people have said otherwise. Do you have, or know anyone that has any experience with this new Killer Network card?

DDR3 is a huge waste of money, nothing else needs to be said. As for the Killer NIC: don't even consider it. $200 for something that makes almost no real difference when it's actually doing what it's supposed to is not money well spent either.

 

[Nikorasu]

Wait, this is your first self-made PC, right? Why are you using watercooling?

I'm noticing a few more things, like a TV-out card... and a sound card?!

Agreed. You should ditch the watercooling if you're building it yourself. No need to complicate things for your first build. Get one of these instead if you really want great cooling. And you could cut out the extraneous stuff like the tuner and sound card unless you really have a use for them (only bother with a sound card if you have nice speakers/headphones and really need the extra quality).

 

[SRG01]

Agreed. You should ditch the watercooling if you're building it yourself. No need to complicate things for your first build. Get one of these instead if you really want great cooling. And you could cut out the extraneous stuff like the tuner and sound card unless you really have a use for them (only bother with a sound card if you have nice speakers/headphones and really need the extra quality).

If he wants to watch BluRays and HD-DVDs, he should not use a computer setup to do so. Standalone boxes do it much better at a fraction of the price and with better sound!

 

[~Kinggi~]

Just purchase the first part of my next computer, the monitor. It's a beautiful display.

 

[Nikorasu]

If he wants to watch BluRays and HD-DVDs, he should not use a computer setup to do so. Standalone boxes do it much better at a fraction of the price and with better sound!

Eh, I watch blu-rays on my PC. I already have an HDCP capable video card and a $150 blu-ray drive is much cheaper than a $400 stand alone player. It looks wonderful on my new 32" 1080p Sammy . As far as sound is concerned, well, that's why you get a dedicated card.

 

[Nikorasu]

Just purchase the first part of my next computer, the monitor. It's a beautiful display.

A lot more people are starting to use TVs in place of monitors now that 1080p sets are becoming so cheap. I picked up my 32" 1080p screen for about $900 a few days ago!

 

[dude]

I just talked with the guy over at where I'm buying my PC, they are missing some of the stuff I wanted, basically:
They're out of the CoolerMaster CM690, they offered me to go with a Silverstone KUBLAI KL02B
They're also out of the Zalman CNPS9700 NT, they offered me the Thermaltake BigTyp 120 VX (they don't have the Thermaltake Ultra 120 Extreme at all, which is why I went with the Zalman in the first place).
Also missing the OCZ GameXstream 600W and offered me PCPOWER&COOLING S61EPS Silencer 610W.

Waiting for my preferred parts can take up to 14 business days,
Are these alternatives good? I'm going to do some light OC'ing as I mentioned earlier, will these do, or am I better off waiting?

Thanks guys.

 

[~Kinggi~]

I just talked with the guy over at where I'm buying my PC, they are missing some of the stuff I wanted, basically:
They're out of the CoolerMaster CM690, they offered me to go with a Silverstone KUBLAI KL02B
They're also out of the Zalman CNPS9700 NT, they offered me the Thermaltake BigTyp 120 VX (they don't have the Thermaltake Ultra 120 Extreme at all, which is why I went with the Zalman in the first place).
Also missing the OCZ GameXstream 600W and offered me PCPOWER&COOLING S61EPS Silencer 610W.

Waiting for my preferred parts can take up to 14 business days,
Are these alternatives good? I'm going to do some light OC'ing as I mentioned earlier, will these do?

Thanks guys.

Where are you getting the pc?

 

[dude]

Where are you getting the pc?

Since I live in Israel, it won't mean much to you, but they're pretty much the best around here - Noa Comp.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Since I live in Israel, it won't mean much to you, but they're pretty much the best around here - Noa Comp.

Well the silverstone brand is good, and if they dont have the zalman 9700 you can try and get the 9500 version. Im not sure about the pcpower and cooling psu though.

 

[isamu]

If he wants to watch BluRays and HD-DVDs, he should not use a computer setup to do so. Standalone boxes do it much better at a fraction of the price and with better sound!

with the PC, you can use FFD-show to enhance the picture 10 fold via various filters. Sharpen, enhanced noise reduction, etc.

Besides, my receiver only has two HDMI ports, and they'll both be occupied by my PC, and my PS3. That means no room for the Toshiba stand alone HDDVD player. The reason I'm getting the LG Bluray/HDDVD combo drive is because it plays HD-DVDs, AND being that it's on my PC, it's region free, unlike my stand alone Tosh HDDVD player. I've got plans to import a few HD-DVD movies and will not be able to watch them on the Tosh.

Plus I hear the LG drive plays BDs at better quality than the PS3. Anyone can confirm this?