My $800 intel core Gaming Computer

[wdmjys]

Hi guys. I'm building a new computer. I enjoy gaming and watching videos. I'm ordering all the parts from this site (Superbiiz.com - Build Gaming Computers, Build Gaming PC, Gaming Computers for Sale, Games Computer, Computers for Gaming, Build Computer, Build PC.). This place was recommended to me by a coworker.

Here's the current build list:

• Case: Antec Six Hundred No PS Mid Tower Gaming Case
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E7500 2.93GHz 1066MHz 3MB LGA775 CPU, Retail
• Motherboard: Asus P5N-D Core 2 Quad/ nForce 750i SLI/ DDR2-800/ SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
• Memory: Kingston KHX8500D2K2/4G DDR2-1066 4GB HyperX Memory Kit
• Video Card: GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD4550 512MB DDR3 DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card
• Hard Drive: Seagate ST3500418AS 500GB SATA2 7200rpm 16MB Hard Drive
• Optical Drive: Samsung SH-S223C/BEBE 22X SATA DVD+/-RW Internal Drive (Black), Bulk w/o Software
• Power Supply: Topower/Epower ZUMAX ZU-500W 500W 20/24pin ATX V2.0 Power Supply
• Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit(1-Pack), OEM
• Monitor: Acer V193WEJbd 19 inch Widescreen 50000:1 5ms DVI(HDCP) LCD Monitor (Black)

Any advice on that would be appreciated.

[JPMiller]

Superbiiz seems to have a high rating...
I've never used or heard of it...
your list is OK/compatible, but a little dated..
without the prices, or easy to use links (I certainly don't feel like searching each item)
I cant tell if its a better deal than you'd find from Newegg
I'm pretty sure you can do better for $800

[ShyguyXPC]

$800 gaming rig with a low end video card and a 500W Power supply?


not much of a gaming rig with that vid card listed, its pretty low end. if your opting for a G15 Keyboard, usually a sign of a more "serious" gamer, then one would expect to have a much more "Serious" gaming video card in the PC.

Add to that you have an Nvidia SLI based Motherboard with an ATI video card...

Waste of money, since ATI Crossfire and Nvidia SLI are NOT compatible with each other unless your running a Lucid Hydra Chip based Motherboard (If I remember right its a $400 motherboard for Intel Socket 1156 or 1366 only), that can run different cards together.

[ShyguyXPC]

Better DVD burner: Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Writer

Same Case: Newegg.com - Antec Six Hundred Black Computer Case

Better Hard drive: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Better Monitor: Newegg.com - Acer G205HBbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 50000:1(ACM), 1000:1

AMD 880G motherboard (one of latest Chipsets): Newegg.com - MSI 880GM-E41 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD/ATI Radeon 5670 (A GOOD Budget gaming video card, also Radeon 5550 and 5570 would be bare minimum for ATI video cards for gaming, all of them are at least double the performance and then some over the 4550 in your original list):

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100287L Radeon HD 5670 (Redwood) 512MB 128-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity


Decent 430W Good Quality Brand Name Power Supply: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 CMPSU-430CX 430W ATX12V Active PFC Power Supply

(Could spend less, but this leaves a bit extra head room for a bigger video card down the road)

G15 Keyboard (really killing the budget, because of this Item I had to search for some other options like the better monitor for less than the other one, lesser CPU, and what not):

Newegg.com - Logitech G15 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard

4GB DDR3 1066: Newegg.com - GeIL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model GV34GB1066C7DC

Decent budget Dual Core for gaming rig: Newegg.com - AMD Athlon II X2 245 Regor 2.9GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX245OCGQBOX

Win7 64-bit: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems


Total, $802.55 after shipping. $25 worth of mail in rebate cards.



For the $800-ish budget AMD is the better choice for CPU/motherboard.

normally I'd recommend Intel, but with Intel Releasing yet another new Socket design Next year, Socket 2011 (supposedly from what I read), with Socket 1156 released a year ago, and Socket 1366 2 years ago, their track record is not real good for people who don't have much to spend.

AMD has at least kept the same socket design and only upgraded it incrementally, mainly through power requirements and bandwidth upgrades, Socket AM2, AM2+ and AM3 are all the same 940 pin sockets, but just upgrades from the prior one.

and supposedly AMD's new CPU's out end of year, sometime next year, will also work on AM3 as well, so makes sense to just go with AMD period.

the G15 Keyboard was really killing the budget, its not really needed, and other comparable, and in some ways better gaming Keyboards can be found for a bit less.

the Mouse is more important for gaming than a hardcore gamers keyboard.

the Acer 20" display has a slightly higher resolution of 1600x900 instead of the 19" models 1440x900 and costs less as well.

Radeon 5550, 5570 and 5670 are all good Budget Gaming cards to start with, and MUCH better performing than the 4550.

The Corsair 430W PSU is a good unit, has plenty of power to run Video cards twice the power of the 5670, and even a bit higher.

Though there is a Coolermaster 400-ish Wattage PSU, that has less "flash" but is still suitable for this build that costs less...

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 460 RS-460-PSAR-J3 460W ATX12V V2.31 Power Supply

which could save you some extra cash.

spend a bit more, an extra $17-18 more, and you with that Coolermaster PSU, you can get the next best card up from the 5670, a Radeon 5750, Newegg.com - HIS H575Q1GD Radeon HD 5750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

means spending a bit more, but your nearly doubling graphics performance.

Ditch the G15, and get a decent $20 or so range Keyboard, and you could probably even get the Corsair PSU and a better Video card.

Grabbing this Logitech G110 with out the LCD screen for a bit less, brings the total down to just over $805 after shipping, using the Coolermaster PSU and the Radeon 5750 video card.

Newegg.com - Logitech G110 Black USB Wired LED Backlighting Gaming Keyboard

[Jnapo87]