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[NovemberMike]

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3003&p=9

Here is an example of what I was talking about. If you look at the graphs, they all say total system power consumption (and all are below 200 watts, although this is likely without a graphics card).

 

[lexi]

So budget is $600, mid-range is $800, high-end is $2400.

Got it.

 

[SRG01]

Yeah, there's absolutely no reason to buy a 6-7-1.5kw power supply unless you're doing some serious RAID configurations with SLI on your dual Xeon motherboard or something. I dunno. A quality 450-500w power supply is *more* than enough. Especially for the rig in the OP.



"My recommendations:

1) Switch your processor for the E4400.
2) Find a cheaper motherboard.
3) That seems a bit high for the 8800GT."


Almost agreed on all points.

The e4400 or even e4500 is a great midrange choice.
The abit IP35 or Gigabyte P35-DS3L?R? the 90$ one both seem to get very positive reviews.
However, the 8800GT is currently super stretched on supply. The prices got jacked up day one (Newegg "Shifted" the prices of some of the units up by 10-20-30$ after the first few sold out on the SAME DAY). You can order a stock clocked 8800GT direct from eVGA for like 259$, and that's on the low-ish end, but that's still more expensive than they should be.

We "used" to have some stock clocked eVGA 8800GT at Futureshop for 259.99 CDN. They got snapped up pretty quick. I'm assuming the Christmas stock would be better though. If the OP is willing to wait a few months, I'm sure the supply will even out.

 

[Roat]

So budget is $600, mid-range is $800, high-end is $2400.

Got it.

There's high end and ultra high end. A recent high end would use a 8800gtx and Q6600-6800, an ultra high end would use a 8800ultra (or 2x in SLI) and an 'extreme' processor. The actual difference between high end and ultra high end is miniscule compared to the extra cost. Just because you're spending a bit it doesn't mean you have to piss it up against the walls.

Those that spend an extra $500 for a few extra percentage points are mostly doing it for the benchmarks, anyway.

 

[PantherLotus]

So budget is $600, mid-range is $800, high-end is $2400.

Got it.

budget = 600
mid range = 800
hardcore = 1200
ridiculous = 1600
fucking stupid = 2400

 

[Roat]

fucking stupid = 2400

It has a far better ring to it than 'ultra high'

 

[firex]

personally I would put together a similar system, but with a cheaper case, 4gb memory and sufficient PSU and it would still be quite good at $1300 or so. maybe less... I'm not sure. Of course it's also a system that will take advantage of the Jan 08 new line of intel processors coming out, unless those have been pushed back. I just can't pass up on a true quad core (even if it won't have great gaming support right away, it's less likely to be bottlenecked in the future) for a little more than the q6600/e6850 right now. then again I'm on the quad core bandwagon... and this might require an X38 motherboard. I'm not sure.

but that's a high-end system anyway, which is what I want to build next. not bleeding edge, but something that won't require major upgrades (which mostly means a new GPU and/or new/more memory should 64-bit Vista ever get good support) for the next couple years.

 

[Mr. Spinnington]

budget = 600
mid range = 800
hardcore = 1200
ridiculous = 1600
fucking stupid = 2400

I am currently taking notes.

 

[lexi]

There's way more bitching about price then I would have expected. I would have thought $1100 is a perfectly reasonable price for a midrange-to-highend PC, given the popularity of the perpetuation that you need $2500 to play last years PC games.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"So budget is $600, mid-range is $800, high-end is $2400."

This is actually the complete opposite of what I said and is closer to what *you* have been saying.


"There's way more bitching about price then I would have expected. I would have thought $1100 is a perfectly reasonable price for a midrange-to-highend PC, given the popularity of the perpetuation that you need $2500 to play last years PC games."


I'm sorry, next time I'll just lock the thread and sticky it so everyone can gaze at your perfect build.

 

[lexi]

This is actually the complete opposite of what I said and is closer to what *you* have been saying.

I was referring to Panther's post with that comment and it was in jest. My reference point for budgets is

$600: Budget
$1200: Mid-range
$1800: High-end
$2400: Hardest of the hardcore; Core2Extreme with SLI'ed 8800 gtx's

I'm sorry, next time I'll just lock the thread and sticky it so everyone can gaze at your perfect build.

Thanks.

 

[Mamesj]

nvm

 

[Roat]

Come on guys we're all PC enthusiasts here, there's not many of us left

 

[lexi]

So what if you switch out the motherboard for a standard P5K ($82.99), and the CPU for a E4400 ($129.99), maybe that's a better option then and closer to the mecca of the fabled mid-range.

 

[Mamesj]

on the other hand, if you're going to spend $600-800 on a PC, you might as well just work a few extra hours and go all the way.

Once you get a taste, it's hard to not want more power.

 

[zoku88]

on the other hand, if you're going to spend $600-800 on a PC, you might as well just work a few extra hours and go all the way.

Once you get a taste, it's hard to not want more power.

Not everyone wants a powerful pc. There are people who don't us pcs for games, but just hate buying from OEMs cuz they (the buyers) like to be in full control (or want a sense of pride)

 

[miyuru]

Is this in USD or CDN? :lol

I keed, I keed.

 

[d[-_-]b]

PNY VCG86512GXPB-OC GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail $149.99

Forgot to post my video card that I bought for my budget PC.

 

[Mamesj]

Not everyone wants a powerful pc. There are people who don't us pcs for games, but just hate buying from OEMs cuz they (the buyers) like to be in full control (or want a sense of pride)

I was with you until the second clause of the second sentence. then I just couldn't figure out what you were trying to say...


also, this is a pc gaming thread, so I'm posting under the assumption that someone wouldn't by this rig to make myspace look ultra 1337 or something :lol

 

[zoku88]

I was with you until the second clause of the second sentence. then I just couldn't figure out what you were trying to say...


also, this is a pc gaming thread, so I'm posting under the assumption that someone wouldn't by this rig to make myspace look ultra 1337 or something :lol

yea, i was typing that was thinking "no way anyone is going to understand this."

I meant to say, sometimes ppl build their own pcs because they like feel like they're in control.

I guess you have a point. I just remember stuff from OT about ppl building regular pcs.

 

[Bildi]

Btw, for Australians:

Western Digital 500G SATAII 7200 rpm HDD(16Mb Cache) - $132.00

Wow, hard drives have really come down since I looked a few months back - time to get another one so I can actually backup some stuff. Thanks!

 

[cprime85]

budget = 600
mid range = 800
hardcore = 1200
ridiculous = 1600
fucking stupid = 2400

What if you're Curt Schilling(a known hardcore MMORPG player)?

He made $5730 per pitch last season.

 

[TerryLee81]

How important is a good mainboard? Will the whole system be faster if you buy an expensive one? Or is any mb with a 1333 fsb the same?

 

[plague]

What if you're Curt Schilling(a known hardcore MMORPG player)?

He made $5730 per pitch last season.

http://h20435.www2.hp.com/

 

[mashedpotatoes]

How important is a good mainboard? Will the whole system be faster if you buy an expensive one? Or is any mb with a 1333 fsb the same?

The most expensive motherboards will only be faster if you take advantage of the high-end overclocking options. Otherwise just get the cheapest motherboard you can find with the features you need. It's the most likely part of a PC to fail though, so it's best to look around and see which motherboards are favoured in the community for reliability.

 

[SapientWolf]

I think that budget systems are the most interesting, because you can squeeze some great performance out of some cheap, outdated parts. Budget gamers are like the MacGuyvers of the PC community.

 

[PantherLotus]

What if you're Curt Schilling(a known hardcore MMORPG player)?

He made $5730 per pitch last season.

fucking stupid is still fucking stupid, because the price of "fucking stupid" will be half that in a year, regardless of what you make in a year. Or in this case, per pitch.

 

[bee]

food break from crysis , i'll do one for the UK, well mid range anyway

Mobo : Abit IP-35E £61.10
Cpu : Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2180 £54.27
Ram : GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 800MHz £32.89
Gfx Card :512MB EVGA 8800GT PCI-E 2.0 £176.11
HDD : 320 Gb Western Digital WD3200AAKS £45.81
DVD : Pioneer DVR-212D 18x18 DVD±RW Serial ATA £19.96
Case + PSU : Antec Sonata III Piano Black Quiet Mid Tower Case - With 500W EarthWatts PSU £70.99

Total : £461.13

maybe keys + mouse + ebay audigy soundcard to push it to a round £500 then hook it to your hdtv, job done.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

That rig should come in way under 400 watts, so I don't see the point in a larger supply.

Uh, it's nice to have some room for growth, you know. Having to install a new power supply everytime you add something that might exceed the capabilities of the current power supply can be quite annoying. And I can not recommend the Corsair PSUs enough. Fucking awesome.

 

[Scrow]

what's OEM exactly and what difference will it make to me when buying hardware parts for a new PC?

 

[Teknopathetic]

"what's OEM exactly?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer


Multiple terms for it depending on the context

Think like the copies of XP/vista that come on Dell/Gateway/whatever PCs pre-packaged. There's also OEM hardware that generally doesn't have the same warranty/complete packaging that a retail unit would have. OEM software has stricter licenses (like limited to one activation only or some such).

However, it also applies to companies like Gateway/Dell themselves or the original hardware companies that Dell buys the hardware/repackages from.

Confusing as fuck.

 

[IzumiK]

Hmm I got my 8800GT at a lower price.

But in Canadian dollars.

I assume that USD pricing?

 

[Teknopathetic]

Depending on who/when you bought an 8800GT, you might've gotten it cheaper. Once it was clear that demand was high (within 12 hours) prices climbed by a good 20-30$.

 

[zoku88]

However, it also applies to companies like Gateway/Dell themselves or the original hardware companies that Dell buys the hardware/repackages from.

Are you talking about companies like Clevo, Asus, and Quanta? I think they're usually referred to as ODM (original design manufacturers) instead of OEMs.

 

[dark10x]

Hmm, that's a good price there. I'm so very tempted to climb back into PC gaming for some reason. I miss the old days of buying new hardware and setting it all up.

If only I had a comfortable spot for using it. My TV is my main display now and the coffee table just isn't that comfortable and I don't want to use those lap boards.

I'll figure something out eventually, I suppose.

 

[IzumiK]

Depending on who/when you bought an 8800GT, you might've gotten it cheaper. Once it was clear that demand was high (within 12 hours) prices climbed by a good 20-30$.

I was lucky to get mine at the original 250 price. The local place I got it at said they sold out so fast that they labeled it discontinued.

But they didn't spike the price even though I got the very last XFX 8800GT. All the EVGA ones were gone.

 

[Apharmd Battler]

Nice thread! <thumbs up>

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Never buy it all at once. Stagger your shit.

 

[anachronous_one]

I always assumed "mid range" meant "below $800."

yeah, kinda odd only having a ~$100 gap between "mid-range" and "ultra-high end".

nice op, nonetheless.

 

[∀ Narayan]

Ah, you finally got to it, eh lockii?

Will you be updating every now and then?

 

[calder]

While we're all throwing out definitions for nebulous price ranges I personally think "mid range" is under $1300. I'm going to be building or buying a new computer in the next few months (likely after xmas) and I'm looking at spending around $1400, which is a bit higher than mid-range to me but I need a full computer with OS etc and I don't want to have to do much to it for at least a year or two.

Fine, since you're all dying to know my full made up price ranges:
Entry level - under $900 (I'm not sure how good a gaming comp you can make for that little to be honest, but I consider being able to play a reasonably modern FPS smoothly with good graphics settings a minimum requirement)

mid range - $900-1300 (a lot of options and a fair range here)

high end - $1300-2000 (either a shit load of optional stuff, a very good SLI setup, multiple HDDs or something similar)

luxury - over $2000 (the crazy setups with everthing deluxe)

Again, for me when I build or buy a computer it has to have pretty much everything there, I'm not going to cannibalize the existing PC at all.

 

[Thermite]

I think this is as good of a thread as any to post this in. With Christmas coming around I've got two choices: I can either use all the money I get, upgrade my PC, and hopefully buy a few PC games, or I can buy a bunch of console games. I've decided to upgrade my PC. Providing, of course, that I get enough money to cover the costs.

Here's the parts I'm looking at now:

Monitor - Acer 19'' Widescreen Monitor
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Processor
CPU Cooler - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
Video Card - EVGA GeForce 8600GTS
Ram - OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB)
Power Supply - APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply


If you guys see something that needs changed, PLEASE let me know. The last thing I want to do is spend all this money, and not have something work right.

I'm going to move over the gig of ram I'm using now, which is also DDR2, so my memory will be up to three gigs. And, I'm going to continue using the hard drive that I'm using now. The other supplies I'm getting consists of thermal paste, a non-static wristband, and possibly an OS which brings me to one of my questions. If I move over my old hard drive to this practically new system what exactly happens? Will I need to buy a new OS, since Vista came preinstalled on this system, and I don't have a disc?

My other question is will an ATX power supply work correctly with a micro ATX Motherboard?

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

I always assumed "mid range" meant "below $800."

Interesting. I've always broken it down this way.

Low end - Designed to be budget with a crap or no dedicated graphics card.

Midrange - The peak of the price/performance curve based on a standard 1280x1024 monitor

High end - Beyond the point of maximum value, designed to push very high resolutions at high framerates.

Interestingly enough, for me, the distinction is almost entirely in the graphics cards. There are many computers with decent processors that I would consider "budget" because they lack a dedicated gpu. This all comes from the perspective from someone that looks at PC's as a means to play games though (atleast that's what the power will be going to).

I think the definitions of midrange and high end change based on your goals quite substantially.

 

[HokieJoe]

A few tips on this:

1) Don't cheap out on the power supply. It might seem like a great cheap alternative to go for that $15 generic 500W power supply, but chances are that it will come back and bite you in the ass later on. My second last upgrade I went with a cheap supply that came with the case. I got it home, put it together, a few hours later it blew. Got it replaced, the replacement blew out within an hour. Shelled out for an Antec and the system hasn't had a problem for three years. Your cheapout options are on the case, the size of the harddrive and the speed/brand of the RAM.

Excellent advice. I'm flexible on part selection, but I'm not interested in no-name parts for the crucial items. I stick with 'name' components for ram, mainboard, GPU, and PSU. Antec is my current favorite for PSU's. They're stable and reliable. Over time, your individual needs may dictate the need for more power. You may want to add an extra HDD or another DVD/BR/HDDVD drive, etc. Play it safe is my motto.

 

[Draft]

I think this is as good of a thread as any to post this in. With Christmas coming around I've got two choices: I can either use all the money I get, upgrade my PC, and hopefully buy a few PC games, or I can buy a bunch of console games. I've decided to upgrade my PC. Providing, of course, that I get enough money to cover the costs.

Here's the parts I'm looking at now:

Monitor - Acer 19'' Widescreen Monitor
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Processor
CPU Cooler - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
Video Card - EVGA GeForce 8600GTS
Ram - OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB)
Power Supply - APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 ATX 500W Power Supply


If you guys see something that needs changed, PLEASE let me know. The last thing I want to do is spend all this money, and not have something work right.

I'm going to move over the gig of ram I'm using now, which is also DDR2, so my memory will be up to three gigs. And, I'm going to continue using the hard drive that I'm using now. The other supplies I'm getting consists of thermal paste, a non-static wristband, and possibly an OS which brings me to one of my questions. If I move over my old hard drive to this practically new system what exactly happens? Will I need to buy a new OS, since Vista came preinstalled on this system, and I don't have a disc?

My other question is will an ATX power supply work correctly with a micro ATX Motherboard?

Sell some blood and upgrade to an 8800GT.

 

[InsertCredit]

Exactly. The 8600 won't cut it and you're going to be disappointed
The performance difference more than makes up for the price.

Are Club3d cards being sold in the US by any chance? Their 8800gt stock build goes for only 197 euro's.

 

[lexi]

yeah, kinda odd only having a ~$100 gap between "mid-range" and "ultra-high end".

I added that in to be snarky.

 

[Thermite]

Sell some blood and upgrade to an 8800GT.

The earliest I could afford an 8800GT would be around April '08, unfortunately. I'm not even sure if my blood could make ends meet.

Exactly. The 8600 won't cut it and you're going to be disappointed
The performance difference more than makes up for the price.

Are Club3d cards being sold in the US by any chance? Their 8800gt stock build goes for only 197 euro's.

Is the 8600 not a good card? I realize I can't play Crysis with this card, but I should able to play a majority of the other games out at max settings...right?

 

[NovemberMike]

Is the 8600 not a good card? I realize I can't play Crysis with this card, but I should able to play a majority of the other games out at max settings...right?

I would go with a good last gen card over the 8600. You might want to take a look at the HD3850 that is coming out soon, as it is supposed to be priced around $150...

 

[TemplaerDude]

just... don't buy an 8600. seriously. it's like pissing money away. save money on something older and better.