Will this make a good gaming system ??

[mat_k]

my little brother has asked me to build him a box that will be good for internet and playing games on ( he can't tell me any of the games he wants to play as he doesn't remember the names of them) building the box is not a problem i'm just unsure of the specs i am considering as i have never built a gaming pc before and am not that much of a gamer (online poker is about all i play ),the total budget i have been given is $950 aud which is around $620 usd
the parts i'm looking at are,

Mobo - Asus M2N68-CM AMD Mainboard - 4x DDR2 / 4x SATA / 1x IDE / Giganit Lan / On-board VGA/DVI ( $148.50 aud / 96.50 usd )

cpu - AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000+ 3.0GHz (AM2)
( $90.20 aud / $58.34 usd )

graphics card - Asus EN9400GT-HTP-1G GF9400GT, 1GB, DDR2, 550Mhz, PCIE, HD CP, HDTV, DVI-I ( $104.50 aud / $67.60 usd )

or maybe a XFX 9500GT 1GB, DDR2, 128bit, PCIE, DVI Dual Link, VGA/TV Out, Fansink (PV-T95G-ZAF7 ( $138.50 aud / $89.60 usd )

hdd - Seagate Barracuda 250GB 7200RPM 8MB SATA 3Gbs ( $93.50 aud / $60.47 usd )
( i may be able to get hold of a samsung 750 gb hdd for $99 aud / $64 usd)

ram - Kingston DDR2 4GB PC-6400/800 (2x2GB) CL5 Value Ram ( $79 aud / $51.10 usd )

os - vista basic oem edition ( $151.80 aud / $98.20 usd )

case - cheapy with a 550 watt psu ($49.50 aud / $32.02 usd )

monitor - viewsonic va2026w 20" ( $189 aud / $122.25 usd )

all the above will set me back about $950 aud / $615 usd which is just at the budget limit

any suggestions would be much appreciated.

(lol i hope that i haven't put in to much detail being the noob that i am )

[KarmaKiller]

Hi, and welcome to TechIMO.
I would change a couple of things if I were you.
1. I would opt for at least a 8800gs/9600GSO or maybe a 9600GT. See if you can find one in your budget. The cards you listed really aren't that good for gaming.
2. I would not go anywhere near Vista Basic. I would upgrade that to at least Premium if you can find it. Make sure it's 64bit too, otherwise your not gonna see all 4 gigs of RAM.
3. And by far the most important. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE POWER SUPPLY. You will regret it. A cheap PSU is a very bad idea. You are risking all the parts in your PC by just saving a few dollars. I would highly recommend you get something from a reputable name.

Just my two cents, good luck!

[mat_k]

ok so after another look i can get vista premium 64 bit for $193.60 aud / $125.30
Asus EN9600GSO-MG-HTDP-512 GF9600GSO, 512MB, DDR3, PCIE2.0, VGA, 2xDVI, HTDV, HDCP for $ 108.90 aud / $70.45 usd
and maybe a Cooler Master Elite 340 Black/Silver Tower Case (420W)
Key Features:

• Meshed front panel design provides the superior airflow and maximum cooling performance.
• Built-in washable front air filter
• 120mm fans can be installed in the front and rear to give your PC the best ventilation while maintain silent cooling solution.
• Side I/O panel for easy access
• Solid construction makes the chassis durable and sturdy

Specifications:

• Available Color: Black
• Dimensions: (W) 195mm x (H) 370mm x (D) 385mm
• Material: Plastic bezel with metal mesh, SECC chassis
• Motherboards: Micro-ATX
• 5.25" Drive Bay: 2 (Exposed)
• 3.5" Drive Bay: 2 (Exposed); 2 (Hidden)
• I/O Panel: USB 2.0 x 2, MIC x 1, SPK x 1 (IEEE 1394a is optional)
• Cooling System: One 120mm front fan (optional),
• Expansion Slots: 4
• Power Supply: Standard ATX PS2 420W
• would that be any better or am i heading the wrong direction ?
  

[KarmaKiller]

well, Coolermaster PSU's are OK. I wouldn't consider them good nor bad. Kind of the middle of the road.
But the case you have picked out only supports Micro-ATX boards. Which you have a standard ATX board picked out.
Where are you getting your parts from?

[mat_k]

lmao trust me to do somthing as silly as that.

CentreCom Online - Notebooks & Computers

that is the web site for the shop that i will be getting all my parts from they are nice and to close to where i live and seem to have prices that are even better than what i can get at most of the local swapmeets

[KarmaKiller]

Centre Com Online
PSU

Centre Com Online
CASE

Centre Com Online
CPU

Centre Com Online
MOBO

Centre Com Online
GPU

Centre Com Online
RAM

Centre Com Online
HDD

Then add burners, OS.. I'm not really even sure what the total is, but IMO, that is the bare minimum I'd use to build a decent gaming system.

[mat_k]

thanks for all the awesome help, looks like your suggested parts plus vista premium and a dvd drive will cost around $1015 aud which is not a bad price at all, i will now have to try and get him to strecth his budget lol

[KarmaKiller]

Good luck.
If I had to drop anything on that list, it would probably be the HDD, and just swap it out for a 160Gb maybe. Save some dough..