Cheap gaming rig.

[biglonstud]

Hey everyone, I am thinking about building a cheap gaming rig so that me and my bros can play guildwars, warcraft 3, starcraft, ect, together.

This is the list of parts I am thinking about getting:

NEC Beige IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM $37.99 (I need a good DVD burner to burn some of our family videos for friends and family)

SAPPHIRE ATLANTIS RADEON 9600 Radeon 9600 256MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail $58.99 (68.99 - 10.00 rebate)

CHAINTECH AV-512 6 (5.1) Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail $9.99 (cheap sound card)

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail $76.25 (1 gig of ram should work fine, i think)

AMD Sempron 64 2600+ Palermo 800MHz FSB Socket 754 Processor Model SDA2600BXBOX - Retail (ill overclock if I need that extra 400-800khz of power)

BIOSTAR K8NHA Grand Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail (Combo with Sempron 64 2600+ for $110)

APEX PC-115 Beige Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply - Retail $24.99



Subtotal $326
Total $388.98

200gb Maxtor Harddrive $29.99 (I already bought this, so it is not included in the price)


How do you think I could improve on the above list, without going much over $450.

I do need a monitor though... I might get one from Bestbuy, they are currently having a CRT monitor for $100 with a $50 rebate, that is only $50. Or I might be able to use my grandparents old monitor.

Now do you think that the above PC would outperform my current PC?

FROM DELL
2.4 ghz Pentium 4
80gb harddrive
512mb ram
9800 Radeon 128mb

with this pc i can run most games(UT2004, GuildWars, WC3, Halo) on very high settings(a slowdown if AA is maxxed, or when everything is maxxed in Halo, UT2004, and GuildWars)


Thanks,
Big Lon

 

[ckj]

Drop the sound card, the motherboard should have onboard sound. Also, upgrade the videocard to at least a 6600 or a 9800 like you've got. In addition, get a nice 300w fortron/sparkle power supply. I wouldn't trust the powersupply in that cheap case. A CRT with a deal like that is a fine choice.

 

[DumbstixLars]

Shell out the extra couple bucks and get the 2800, the 256 cache will be worth it. I built the 754 setup in my sig for $400 (had the ram and HDD already) and I can play BF2 on it. Mine is in an Aspire Q-pack case though.

 

[Harres12]

Sounds good to me CRT is good if you have the space and dont have alot of cash to drop on a display. But do increase the card for video. I would say 6800GS or ATi GTO whatever your preference. I use ATi on Intel and Nvidia on AMD.

 

[biglonstud]

What do you guys think about this new and updated list:

NEC Beige IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM $37.99
APEX PC-115 Beige Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply - Retail $24.00
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail $76.25
AMD Sempron 64 2600+ Palermo 800MHz FSB Socket 754 Processor Model SDA2600BXBOX - Retail
BIOSTAR K8NHA Grand Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
APEX PC-115 Beige Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply - Retail $24.99
Thermaltake TR2 W0070 ATX 430W Power Supply - Retail $29.99

Ok that is $289.23 from newegg. $348.04 shipped.

I cant decide on a graphics card, im thinking of either a 256mb Radeon 800GT, or a 6600GT 128mb card. Any help choosing a graphics card would be great.

I check out 6800GS card before, but it is alittle expensive, I would get it though, if it worked with the motherboard.

 

[rseven]

I have no faith in TT PSU's. If you have to go cheap at least make it a Fortron. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104952

 

[biglonstud]

Yeah, I really want a reliable PSU. Thanks Rseven.

I still cant decide on which Graphics card to get though...(im willing to go to $550 for the entire PC, but I realy dont want to spend more than $600)

 

[orionlion82]

Drop the sound card, the motherboard should have onboard sound. Also, upgrade the videocard to at least a 6600 or a 9800 like you've got. In addition, get a nice 300w fortron/sparkle power supply. I wouldn't trust the powersupply in that cheap case. A CRT with a deal like that is a fine choice.

quoted for truth.

 

[ckj]

Well if you wanted a 6800GS, you'd have to change your motherboard to an Nforce 4.
I'd go with this abit board here. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127220 because abit makes good motherboards.

The 6800GS would be nice, but I'm not sure you'd be able to swing it with your budget. It's probably better to just get a 6600GT, you'll still have no trouble running all the latest games. Your other option would be to pick up that x800 deal here.
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=433292 <--- This is my reccomendation for a videocard since it will allow you to stay as close to your budget as you can.

 

[biglonstud]

Good News: I might have an old computer case 6-8 years old. Mabey I could use that PSU... Ill have to look into it, that could save me almost $60+.

Bad News: some of the Items I was looking at are no longer onsale.

Hmm... mabey I should just buy parts as I see em go onsale.

 

[ckj]

You would need a more modern powersupply as most motherboards need an additional 4-pin connector and a 24 pin motherboard connector (as opposed to a 20pin). Really, to power your computer, all you need is a $30 fortron powersupply, and the cheapest case they've got. I wouldn't skimp on the powersupply, especially since it isn't really a bankbreaker.

If you're having trouble staying under budget, you might want to try searching through www.retrobox.com . They've got used corporate computers that have been tested to make sure it works and are very cheap. They only thing you'd need to add would be a videocard and maybe some ram.