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[otake]

For you budget / HTPC people

RV730 core (aka HD4600 series) is looking pretty nice.

http://en.expreview.com/2008/09/02/rv730-reviewed-prforms-close-to-3850/

Basically:

Note that there will be a few versions with combinations of HDMI,S-Video, DVI, VGA, probably some HDMI out with audio too.

why not just go for one of the all in wonder cards?

 

[brain_stew]

For you budget / HTPC people

RV730 core (aka HD4600 series) is looking pretty nice.

http://en.expreview.com/2008/09/02/rv730-reviewed-prforms-close-to-3850/

Basically:

Note that there will be a few versions with combinations of HDMI,S-Video, DVI, VGA, probably some HDMI out with audio too.

If there's a GDDR5 version then that 128 bit will be more than enough, and you should be looking at some very nice performance for peanuts.

 

[Hazaro]

why not just go for one of the all in wonder cards?

It's $100 cheaper, just another good alternative.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Okay, here goes this giant thing:

PC parts:
=================================================================
HOLY CRAP HERE WE GO!!!
$60 Antec Three Hundred Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Check this case out... 10x better than anything Antec can come out with and the build quality on the Lian-Li's are unmatched: Lian-Li Here
$55 Antec 500w Earthwatts PSU (promo code doesn't work)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
I would upgrade to a Corsair or OCZ 600W PSU just because
$62 Corsair XMS2 4GB DDR2 PC2 6400 (after mail-in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145184
Looks good

$160-190 Sapphire HD 4850 Video Card
(the heck, the old HD 4850 I was going to get is "deactivated"...and gah, this one's out of stock: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102770...and the NEXT Sapphire 4850 I find is out of stock...)
I could wait one week or so and order this HD 4850 with 1 GB RAM for $190 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102759

WAIT FOR A 4850 w/ GDDR5!! The 1GB GDDR3 cards are NOT worth the money!!!

So, any suggestions? Are the Sapphires the best HD 4850 variant, and I should wait until one of them comes in stock? Is the 1 GB RAM a drastically better option than the others I was considering? HALP! I'm now ticked since like all week those 4850's were in stock, and now nearly every single one is out of stock.
VisionTek has the best warranty on the ATI side of things but they are more expensive
$85 Western Digital Caviar 640GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
Get a 750GB drive for like $10 bucks more.
$28 Samsung 22x DVD Burner w/ LightScribe
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173
This DVD burner only has a 66% 5-star rating...anyone know anything about this? Is there a better one for a similar or cheaper price?
I wouldn't get a lightscribe DVD Burner.... just wouldn't do it. Stick to a regular Samsung 22X DVD Burner

Sadly, the combo expired for these two so I get the regular price:
$85 Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337
That's the board I'm running (well one model below that one) and it's great!! Awesome board!!
$170 Intel C2D E8400 Wolfdale 3.0Ghz CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037
Good Proc. Can't go wrong

Peripherals/software: (PLEASE tell me if I've missed something)
=================================================================
* $100 after promo code: Windows Vista 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...EFL082808-_-OperatingSystems-_-L0A-_-32116488
Good for you!!! Get that VISTA!!! :lol
* Avast! antivirus (free) SKIP! Just download AVG 8 Free for free!
* Windows Vista firewall...I'd like to add another (probably free) one...which?
* Do I need thermal paste for the processor heatsink? Any suggestions?Artic Silver 5. Best in the biz now for 10 plus years. Cannot go wrong!
(I see this for $6: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007 -- apparently mildly conductive, so be careful etc.)
* $10 6' DVI cable (I think the video card only has DVI out?)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189047
(and is that the one I want? I'm dumb in regard to DVI)
Or order from Monoprice.com later on.


Monitor options:
=================================================================
$180: Hanns·G Hi-221DPB Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 Built in Speakers - Retail (native resolution 1680x1050, I think)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254035
(does anyone know what

$200: Dell 20" widescreen (leaning towards this by default)
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5123

$250: Dell 22" widescreen
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5205

Both Dell monitors are on sale, and 1680x1050. They both have 5 ms response time, 16.7 million colors, and 800:1 contrast.

(all three monitors seem to have 3-year warranties)
Personally I would spend $20 bucks more and get the Acer 22" Monitor with HDCP but that's just me. Running for $199 on the Egg right now.

Total cost for everything, assuming free shipping/no tax on stuff:
=================================================================
$545 PC itself (after mail-in rebates on stuff, which I will actually try to DO)
$116 software/peripherals
$17 shipping for newegg stuff
$200 monitor

This comes out to $878 -without- a video card, including mail-in rebates. Does anyone have any suggestions to take the price down and bring this under $1000? I could go under $1000, but I was hoping I could build a decent PC for UNDER that price, especially after seeing other people do $700-800 builds. Thanks a ton, and sorry for the huge post!

*PHEW!*

 

[Blizzard]

*PHEW!*

Thanks for the detailed thoughts. XD Unfortunately most all of your suggestions are like "Here, spend a little MORE!" When do you think the GDDR5 cards will be coming out though? I want to order sooooon. Like, tonight. ;_;

Don't need 600W, don't need 750GB (don't need 600 GB for that matter). Shouldn't need the more expensive case. Fair enough point about the Lightscribe. I'll see if I can find a normal DVDRW drive for a similar price.

 

[JoeMartin]

Noooo my case won't be here until Thursday. Tomorrow if I'm lucky.

I have an entire computer worth of parts but no case to put them in. How ironically agonizing.

 

[Hazaro]

Noooo my case won't be here until Thursday. Tomorrow if I'm lucky.

I have an entire computer worth of parts but no case to put them in. How ironically agonizing.

Run caseless, use screwdriver to start via short

 

[SRG01]

Run caseless, use screwdriver to start via short

Real men use paperclips.

 

[Medic]

*PHEW!*

As far as the Lian Li goes, has anyone used an older Lian Li model with modern GPU/CPUs? I really like my old PC60 and would hate to get rid of it, but I'm using it now with 2 80 mm intake and 1 80 mm exhaust fans. I have a hot older CPU (XP 2100+ :lol ), but I'm worried that an E8400 + a new GPU will put out too much heat for the 80mm fans to cope with. Any thoughts?

 

[MWS Natural]

why not just go for one of the all in wonder cards?

Are there any video cards on the market that can pass 5.1 audio and video over HDMI?

 

[Hazaro]

Real men use paperclips.

My paperclips are coated with a non conductive surface.

Sorry to disappoint.

If it makes you feel better I can say I sacrificed a few small animals and used their blood to short it.

 

[Blizzard]

Wow, the build price for the exact parts I was going to get has gone up DRASTICALLY. Discounts are no longer there etc. I guess I get burned when I wait...oh well, I'll hopefully find some decent case/PSU deals again. >_>

 

[BoboBrazil]

Now I don't know if I want to sell my pc to my friend or wait for nehalem. Obviously if I wait another month for nehalem I'll get to have a more longterm system, due to the fact of it running all of the newer intel processors for the next couple of years after that and use ddr3. But I know my friend will not want to wait until possibly the end of October to get my system...

 

[CounterSeal]

Ok, I never really looked it up.

I remember the 9800Pro's case very well, though. Were the 256MB version was worse than the 128MB version in a lot of cases :lol :lol

IIRC, the memory wasn't that big of an issue. It was more apparent in the GeForce 4 era. I remember that the GeForce4 Ti 4200 at 64MB was actually much faster than it's 128MB counterpart or something... but I think that was about clock speeds of the RAM itself rather than the amount the board could handle... dunno been too long.

 

[Metal Gear?!]

Here's my take on the Crysis Warhead Box recommended by Crytek, updated for new hardware:



Case+PSU+Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101039R
Open Box: Shuttle SG31G2 Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Dual-Core / Celeron 400 serial support Intel G31 Barebone
Item #: N82E16856101039R
$161.24


HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148335
Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148335
$89.99


Video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133232
PNY VCG88512GXEB-FLB GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814133232
$110.99


RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231121
G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5S-2GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231121
$54.99 -$16.00 Instant = $38.99


CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072
Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116072


TOTAL
$494.20



Crytek recommended the Shuttle SG31G2 themselves so it must be fine, and from reading a bit on it the 250W Power Supply is ridiculously efficient such that it can support any video card you can fit inside, and even some you have to cut a hole in the side for. While apparently that doesn't leave much power left over for any significant amount of overclocking, I doubt Crytek recommended it for that anyway. And for $160~ for the whole package (Open Box, $200+ otherwise) it seems like a good deal.

640GB Hard Drives are supposed to offer the best speed and size and price ratio (high density 320GB platters should make it faster than 250/500/750GB drives) and this one has 32MB cache plus Seagate's 5-year warranty for $90.

The 512MB 8800 GT is an upgrade over the 8600 GT Crytek recommended, and while it is ordinarily not the best deal (the 4850s should be better) this one comes with Frontlines: Fuel of War - a $40~ value. Without going dual-slot (and thus not requiring a hole cut in the case) and slightly shorter (and thus a better chance of fitting inside better) than the single-slot 4850s this seems to be the preferable option.

The G.SKILL RAM is reported to work with the Shuttles just fine from reviews on Newegg. I could get 4GB for $30~ more but I'm sticking with my old copy of Windows XP for now so I figure I can always get the other 2GB when I finally upgrade to Vista.

The new Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 was just released and while only $20 more than the E2180 Crytek recommended it brings 45nm process technology and twice the cache (doesn't make much of a difference in most games but it does seem to make the most difference in UT3 and thus Unreal Engine 3 games and of course 2MB is always better than one).



What does everyone think?

 

[Goldrusher]

Question: can you import PC hardware from US to Europe ?
As long as the PSU accepts 240V everything "behind" it should be fine, right ?

And does anyone know good webshops shipping to Europe ? I always hear about newegg, does something like that exist for Europe ?

 

[Tokubetsu]

Here's my take on the Crysis Warhead Box recommended by Crytek, updated for new hardware:



Case+PSU+Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856101039R
Open Box: Shuttle SG31G2 Intel Socket T(LGA775) Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Duo / Dual-Core / Celeron 400 serial support Intel G31 Barebone
Item #: N82E16856101039R
$161.24


HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148335
Seagate ST3640323AS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148335
$89.99


Video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133232
PNY VCG88512GXEB-FLB GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814133232
$110.99


RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231121
G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5S-2GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231121
$54.99 -$16.00 Instant = $38.99


CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072
Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819116072


TOTAL
$494.20



Crytek recommended the Shuttle SG31G2 themselves so it must be fine, and from reading a bit on it the 250W Power Supply is ridiculously efficient such that it can support any video card you can fit inside, and even some you have to cut a hole in the side for. While apparently that doesn't leave much power left over for any significant amount of overclocking, I doubt Crytek recommended it for that anyway. And for $160~ for the whole package (Open Box, $200+ otherwise) it seems like a good deal.

640GB Hard Drives are supposed to offer the best speed and size and price ratio (high density 320GB platters should make it faster than 250/500/750GB drives) and this one has 32MB cache plus Seagate's 5-year warranty for $90.

The 512MB 8800 GT is an upgrade over the 8600 GT Crytek recommended, and while it is ordinarily not the best deal (the 4850s should be better) this one comes with Frontlines: Fuel of War - a $40~ value. Without going dual-slot (and thus not requiring a hole cut in the case) and slightly shorter (and thus a better chance of fitting inside better) than the single-slot 4850s this seems to be the preferable option.

The G.SKILL RAM is reported to work with the Shuttles just fine from reviews on Newegg. I could get 4GB for $30~ more but I'm sticking with my old copy of Windows XP for now so I figure I can always get the other 2GB when I finally upgrade to Vista.

The new Intel Core 2 Duo E5200 was just released and while only $20 more than the E2180 Crytek recommended it brings 45nm process technology and twice the cache (doesn't make much of a difference in most games but it does seem to make the most difference in UT3 and thus Unreal Engine 3 games and of course 2MB is always better than one).



What does everyone think?

Wow, I might be getting a better gaming pc sooner than I though. I'm not too interested in Warhead but I wanted to get a new gaming pc before Dawn of War II and Dragon Age caught me with my pants down. While both games aren't out yet, This looks like It'd run them both fairly well.

 

[Cheeto]

Real men use paperclips.

I touch two wires together in mine like I'm hot wiring a car.

 

[zoku88]

IIRC, the memory wasn't that big of an issue. It was more apparent in the GeForce 4 era. I remember that the GeForce4 Ti 4200 at 64MB was actually much faster than it's 128MB counterpart or something... but I think that was about clock speeds of the RAM itself rather than the amount the board could handle... dunno been too long.

I got interested in video cards at the start of the FX series, so I don't really remember that.

The problem with the 9800Pro was that the 128MB version used a 256-bit memory interface whilst the 256MB version used a 128-bit interface (or something like that.)

It was pretty strange, but the 256MB version was somewhat crippled :lol

 

[arena08]

Hey guys, I dont need a new pc, just a new soundcard. I have decent speakers and I want to play my PS3s sound through them. They're connected to my PC so the only way i can think to get it to work is to use an optical cable, what cheapish 5.1 soundcards are there with optical in?

 

[Blizzard]

Yet another question regarding 4850's. Someone mentioned the good (limited lifetime) warranty on the VisionTek 4850's. The cheap Asus 4850 doesn't even mention any warranty as far as I can tell. Does anyone know about it?

 

[JoeMartin]

Run caseless, use screwdriver to start via short

Well, I'm not THAT desperate to get the thing going. It just sucks having all the parts staring me in the face and not being able to use them. Plus I don't want to have to dismantle it to get it all back in the case.

I also realized I left my arctic silver at home, so I'll have to use shitty generic paste on the CPU sink for now I guess.

 

[ColdDeckEd]

Yet another question regarding 4850's. Someone mentioned the good (limited lifetime) warranty on the VisionTek 4850's. The cheap Asus 4850 doesn't even mention any warranty as far as I can tell. Does anyone know about it?

VisionTek has the best warranty deal, no doubt about it. Asus has a 3 year warranty (http://support.asus.com/repair/repair.aspx?no=201&SLanguage=en-us as well as listed on the box), doesn't mention what kind though, but it does have some kind of coverage.

 

[subrock]

since most of the experts are in this thread, I have a laptop-age question.

am I dumb for wanting this?
vaio laptop - the $1399 one since it seems to be having a hard time linking directly to the computer

looking for something that packs a bit of a punch to be a stable DJing rig and be somewhat futureproof. anything else in the slightly over $1000 range off the top of your collective head?

 

[zoku88]

I'm guessing those are not gaming, right?

I've never been a fan of Viao's > 13" I don't think Sony is a good OEM...

I'm not sure what a good DJing laptop would be....

 

[Cheeto]

since most of the experts are in this thread, I have a laptop-age question.

am I dumb for wanting this?
vaio laptop

looking for something that packs a bit of a punch to be a stable DJing rig and be somewhat futureproof. anything else in the slightly over $1000 range off the top of your collective head?

Since your concern is DJing, I'd suggest you drop the Blu-Ray drive and look for something with better audio output options.

 

[subrock]

I think I'm mainly looking for something with a 320gig HD at a reasonable speed, 4 gigs of fast ram, and that doesnt look like my dads office laptop. seems like most of these rigs come with a core 2 duo around the 2ghz range so I'm not really too concerned with getting the cream of the crop on that.
dell, I'm worried about the quality
apple, I'm worried about the price/compatiblity
HP, worried about the quality and the looks.
vaio, I had heard were an okay oem but really I'm here to see if I can find out otherwise.

any others I am open to suggestions.
(sorry for the slight derail btw)

 

[subrock]

Since your concern is DJing, I'd suggest you drop the Blu-Ray drive and look for something with better audio output options.

the soundcard will be external (vestax VCI-300) so all I really need is a USB port and something that can run the software , serato itch. would be nice if the laptop could be slightly futureproof just so I dont have a $1000 laptop for a singular purpose.

 

[zoku88]

Sony's quality prolly isn't that much better than Dell's. It might even be worst. I don't think Dell's ever suffered from overheating issues that Viao's sometimes do.

Why 16"?

 

[Valpurgis]

Yay, posting from my new rig. build went without problems. I'm pleasantly surprised by Vista, looks very slick (sorta like mac os now ) Downloading TF2, can't wait to check what this beast can do.

Thanks to all that contributed, the input was appreciated.

 

[subrock]

not picky about size I just had the sonys reccomended. I'll have another look at the dell website

 

[Cheeto]

I'd say stay clear of Acer...everything else is pretty much the same.

 

[DarthWoo]

How's this for a budget video card? ASUS EN9500GT MAGIC/DI/512M GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail Would it run stuff like Battlefield 2 and Starcraft 2 ok?

The lack of user reviews worries me, but the rebate and price simultaneously entice me. I can assume that the "D-Sub" in the specs is the VGA connection right? I see a lot of cards going through NewEgg that seem to no longer have a VGA plug, but this one looks like it has one. My old Trinitron works fine and is something I'd rather not have to replace.

 

[Blizzard]

Hmm...I guess I'm waiting a couple of days to see if more discounts on PSU's, motherboards, and/or power supplies come up. If I build now it'll be like $1000-1100 at least. That's hardly budget. Does anyone have advice regarding which PSU's to watch for or how often you typically have to monitor newegg?

(this is the best thread to spam, ever...you guys must hate be by now >_>)

Oh, and regarding that Gigabyte motherboard...some people had no problems with it, but I see a -lot- of comments with people having glitchy/BIOS problems with it in comparison to other hardware. Anyone think it's worth finding a different one? <_<

*edit again* Okay, I specifically see a comment from someone who said that the Gigabyte board DOES NOT BOOT with the e8400 without the latest (F5?) BIOS. Yet other people mention problems with the latest BIOS version? And if you're only getting the board with the e8400, how do you flash the BIOS to begin with? >_>

 

[godhandiscen]

So I'll be buying a 4870x2 in the next 2 weeks, and I want to know what are your experiences with the card. I am a longtime ASUS customer, and my loyalty has always been rewarded, however this time MSI is offering an OC version for the same price.
Should I go for the MSI card of the ASUS one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=4870x2

BTW, if there is an OC version out there with a special cooling kit I am sold.

edit: I am upgrading from a 3870x2 OC.

 

[zoku88]

I'd say stay clear of Acer...everything else is pretty much the same.

I think gateway sucks too.

I believe in the three tier thing for laptops, altho I'm sure people would disagree with me

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Thanks for the detailed thoughts. XD Unfortunately most all of your suggestions are like "Here, spend a little MORE!" When do you think the GDDR5 cards will be coming out though? I want to order sooooon. Like, tonight. ;_;

Don't need 600W, don't need 750GB (don't need 600 GB for that matter). Shouldn't need the more expensive case. Fair enough point about the Lightscribe. I'll see if I can find a normal DVDRW drive for a similar price.

Most of my suggestions aren't deal breakers though.

600W future proofs you a bit for SLI or cross fire.
750GB gives you 698GB of usable space for just $5-8 bucks more.
Lian-Li case--- while more expensive, it's the last PC case you'll need to buy.
Also since you're waiting now for the 4850 w/ GDDR5--- still go with the VisionTek for the warranty.

 

[Blizzard]

So after being wary of the Gigabyte board, I notice this has very high ratings for $120: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186148

I wouldn't be using a lot of those options (an extra $35 or so for 16 GB RAM space, dual PCIe16 slots, and so forth), at least at first, but does anyone think the board is worth the extra price? I really like the feedback, sounds like it'd go well with the e8400. Someone commented about dual channel memory (and I also notice it says memory standard DDR2) not working -- is this anything I'd need to be worried about with the Corsair memory? Oh, and I'm not planning on adding extra cooling unless neccessary.

*edit since I just saw VictimOfGrief's post*

I was planning to just eat the $185 VisionTek cost -- it seemed like the best bet as far as 4850's now. Why would the GDDR5 be worth waiting for? Do you think the other 4850's will get a price drop? That'd be ideal for me since from everything I've heard, even the regular 4850's now can handle everything up to Crysis (though perhaps not maxed out).

 

[MWS Natural]

Are there any video cards on the market that can pass 5.1 audio and video over HDMI?

I guess no one uses HDMI on their PC's or have it hooked to an AVR?

 

[brain_stew]

How's this for a budget video card? ASUS EN9500GT MAGIC/DI/512M GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail Would it run stuff like Battlefield 2 and Starcraft 2 ok?

The lack of user reviews worries me, but the rebate and price simultaneously entice me. I can assume that the "D-Sub" in the specs is the VGA connection right? I see a lot of cards going through NewEgg that seem to no longer have a VGA plug, but this one looks like it has one. My old Trinitron works fine and is something I'd rather not have to replace.

Its a piece of crap. By spending just a little bit more you'll get an enormous increase in performance. An 9600GT should be the lowest you set your eyes on and they can be had for less than $100.

E.g.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133239

 

[DarthWoo]

Its a piece of crap. By spending just a little bit more you'll get an enormous increase in performance. An 9600GT should be the lowest you set your eyes on and they can be had for less than $100.

E.g.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133239

Thanks, I'll look into the 9600s (is nVidia the best way to go with video cards these days?), although that specific one lacks a VGA output, which would be problematic for me.

 

[Kosma]

Thanks, I'll look into the 9600s (is nVidia the best way to go with video cards these days?), although that specific one lacks a VGA output, which would be problematic for me.

I'd say Radeon is kicking as atm with the 4850 and 4870 cards. But then again I haven't been keeping up since two months now

 

[Wallach]

Thanks, I'll look into the 9600s (is nVidia the best way to go with video cards these days?), although that specific one lacks a VGA output, which would be problematic for me.

They're pretty close right now. I think the market below the 4850 belongs to nVidia completely and ATI has nothing for that segment that competes. The 4850 and 9800 GTX+ are pretty much in a dead heat, though ATI is ahead in terms of how fast they're dropping the price (the GTX+ is at $199 and most stock 4850s are around $180). Above that, it goes back and forth as you move up towards the 500$+ segment, with the GTX 280 being the fastest single-GPU card and the 4870 X2 being the overall most powerful single-slot card on the market.

 

[brain_stew]

Thanks, I'll look into the 9600s (is nVidia the best way to go with video cards these days?), although that specific one lacks a VGA output, which would be problematic for me.

It'll come with a DVI-VGA adapter like every other graphics card you can buy today. I doubt you'll find any PCIe graphics card with an actual VGA port, its simply not necessary and takes away dual link DVI functionality.

ATI are pumping out some very nice cards at the moment, but it just so happens that at ~$100 the 9600GT is very hard to argue with. If you've an extra $50/$60 then by all means pick up an HD 4850 as its a stonking card for the price but that just may be out of your price range.

 

[Blizzard]

Since I'm waiting on motherboard (and maybe videocard) deals, I'm thinking I may grab certain things with free shipping and get my box piecemeal. I noticed some things seem to have a habit of suddenly going out of discount/free shipping.

I need power supply guru wisdom, though! I'm looking at these two:

Antec 300 ATX mid tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
$70, free shipping (it was cheaper like last week but still isn't bad...I like the feedback and specs better than the more expensive case the other poster recommended)

Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W ATX 12V 2.0 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
$60, or $35 after rebate.

Both of these have free shipping and great feedback. I assume the sizes would work with whatever motherboard I end up with. My main question is: Even though it's a 500W power supply, the rails are only like 14A and 15A. If I'm running a hard disk/DVD drive/e8400/HD 4850 (ESPECIALLY the 4850), will this be close to marginal powerwise, or am I good? Thanks in advance!

 

[Hazaro]

Since I'm waiting on motherboard (and maybe videocard) deals, I'm thinking I may grab certain things with free shipping and get my box piecemeal. I noticed some things seem to have a habit of suddenly going out of discount/free shipping.

I need power supply guru wisdom, though! I'm looking at these two:

Antec 300 ATX mid tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
$70, free shipping (it was cheaper like last week but still isn't bad...I like the feedback and specs better than the more expensive case the other poster recommended)

Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU 500W ATX 12V 2.0 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
$60, or $35 after rebate.

Both of these have free shipping and great feedback. I assume the sizes would work with whatever motherboard I end up with. My main question is: Even though it's a 500W power supply, the rails are only like 14A and 15A. If I'm running a hard disk/DVD drive/e8400/HD 4850 (ESPECIALLY the 4850), will this be close to marginal powerwise, or am I good? Thanks in advance!

$70 AR
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WU2FGK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

$55 AR
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UF28V4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I have Prime so free 2 day shipping for me.
Newegg has shipping charges.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

And yes 450W will be enough.

450w if you don't plan on upgrading to anything that eats more energy.

*You do realize the Antec 300 has no PSU right?

**Tankguys.com has put up their E0 stepping E8400's for $182, not as cheap as other places, but you know what you are getting. I've bought from them before, they are a nice small business. Return I worked with them was flawless as well.

http://www.tankguys.com/product_info.php?products_id=1828

 

[fatigues_gasolini]

Anybody have any suggestions for a cheap laptop or computer for my mom? Shes using an old gateway from about 5 or 6 years ago and it crashes when she wants look at a photo? How are the EEE boxes?

 

[Blizzard]

$70 AR
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WU2FGK/?tag=neogaf0e-20

$55 AR
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UF28V4/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I have Prime so free 2 day shipping for me.
Newegg has shipping charges.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

And yes 450W will be enough.

450w if you don't plan on upgrading to anything that eats more energy.

*You do realize the Antec 300 has no PSU right?

**Tankguys.com has put up their E0 stepping E8400's for $182, not as cheap as other places, but you know what you are getting. I've bought from them before, they are a nice small business. Return I worked with them was flawless as well.

http://www.tankguys.com/product_info.php?products_id=1828

Thanks. I was planning on putting the PSU I linked (500 W) in the Antec 300. I wasn't worried about the wattage as much as the 14/15 A on each 12V rail. There is free shipping on both of those items right now on newegg (or was earlier).

 

[Blackface]

Anybody have any suggestions for a cheap laptop or computer for my mom? Shes using an old gateway from about 5 or 6 years ago and it crashes when she wants look at a photo? How are the EEE boxes?

Acer Aspire one (1gb, 120gbHDD, Windows XP one).

Best netbook in the world IMO.

 

[Valpurgis]

Anyone can recommend a good free partitioner for Vista 64? Seem to have missed the HDD partition making when installing..

In other news I got Crysis and it's every bit as gorgeous as everybody was saying. Playing on high and it's pure eye candy. The game is great too, much better than Farcry both in story and pacing. Just wish I hadn't bought from that EAstore online. That thing is a pain in the ass.