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FRONTPAGE $500 Gaming Computer Recommendations?

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updawg

StarCraft II Fanatic
Joined
May 19, 2006
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I thought this would be an interesting thread, if you had a hard cap of $500 for a gaming computer with no other accessories required, what would be the best build you could come up with?

Pretend you don't have any parts from an old build: You need a Case, Power Supply, Optical Drive, Motherboard, RAM, Graphics Card, Hard Drive, CPU.

The build I have below also has $22 in saving from coupon codes not applied and is 7$ shipped coming to roughly $478 shipped, plus an additional $30 off in rebates if you count those bringing it below $450. What would your builds look like?
 

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Yes, there was an extremely similar thread to this a couple weeks ago here in the General Hardware subforum, see if you can dig it up?
 
I overlooked that thread but it looks like the lowest budget was $650, this comes in at $450 and should be a solid performer. Thanks for the link to the other thread, I was just trying to spark some interest in designing the most powerful systems at the lowest price point, sometimes at forums people want to encourage only the best and most expensive and I was trying to veer away of those type of conversations.
 
its a turd... didnt check if GPU will fit this case, but 401 after rebates

picture.php
 
$499.

better PSU, Better case with better cooling, lifetime warranty GPU. Overclockable CPU
 

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uhhh
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=143

@3.7 it is BARELY better than the build i put together, compared to the SB build the 955 is about equal and thats assuming your NOT gonna overclock the i3's which are also = to or cheaper than the 955...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=289

I like my 955 but your forcing the buyer to OC and there is no garantee that the 955 will hit 3.7 stable, historically it SHOULD for sure but it is not a garantee...

The 955 WAS great and if it were 100 or less i would recommend it but given this is a GAMING rig, i do not see as the best option TBH, though i love mine and it does 3.8 on stock voltage multi only... ;)

EDIT: I reposted this cause it is in response to the screwysqrl build but somehow this p[ost got -placed ABOVE his build... odd... so i just moved it cause it made no sense how the fprum placed it...
 
this *is* The 'Overclockers' forum. Tom's Hardware had a 955 OC to 3.8 on stock cooler as their $500 build for this quarter, and it outperformed the 2100 build from June.
 
what exactly is the computer going to built for? i mean in gaming its going to be about clock speed to a degree but then also the number of cores depending on the game. after that if its for something other then gaming then that really changes the build.
 
this *is* The 'Overclockers' forum. Tom's Hardware had a 955 OC to 3.8 on stock cooler as their $500 build for this quarter, and it outperformed the 2100 build from June.

But a OC 955 does not stand a chance against a OC 2100.... maybe OC 955 = STOCK 2011, but this *is* The 'Overclockers' forum so why would you assume the 955 gets OC'd and the SB stays stock?!?!:shrug:
 
But a OC 955 does not stand a chance against a OC 2100.... maybe OC 955 = STOCK 2011, but this *is* The 'Overclockers' forum so why would you assume the 955 gets OC'd and the SB stays stock?!?!:shrug:

You can't overclock non-K Sandy Bridge CPUs...the 2500K and 2600K are the only ones. Everything else has a locked multiplier, and the FSB is tied to the PCIe bus frequency, which really doesn't like being changed.
 
Ahhh i see, thanks, that makes more sense, then in this case, i guess a 955 is a more viable choice, thanks knufire i forgot about the "K" designation and how important it was in the SB application.... aplogies to screwysqirrle ;)
 
i think gaming wise screwysquirrls build is not worth the extra 100 bucks.... right now.... as games are built to use more and more cores, his may take the lead and his does allow for a cheap hex core upgrade down the road, like i said i love my 955, buuuuuuuut its past its prime and is old news....

my build ws 401 with the i3 clracksdale... for 500 a better option IMO would be:
My old build minus the i3, put in the i5-2300 + 85$
and a BIOSTAR H61MGC which saves 15 bucks and your in @ 470, 30 bucks cheaper and the i5 out games the 955 even if you OC the 955....
 
Why not, my first build plus the changes above i added.... OFC deal on newegg vary day too day so maybe something changed...
 
Why not, my first build plus the changes above i added.... OFC deal on newegg vary day too day so maybe something changed...

Probably because I don't trust the fireworks factory inside that Broadway case...which also has a single 80mm fan.

Cheap PSUs are just waiting to fry.
Edit: just zoomed in on your 500W PSU in that case:

+3.3: 22a, +5: 36a, +12v: 18a

That would have been a nice choice in 1987, but not today.
 
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