Good Mid Range Gaming Rig?

[Artemix]

Hey, throwing together a new Rig to use at home for running some newer games, and to play some games coming out this year (Diablo III, Guildwars 2)

Just wondering if this PC will be decent enough to run some newer games on decent settings, and if its upgradeable in the future.

I have been out of the computer building scene for some time, thus have lost my place in all of this.

Rig that im putting togethers Specs:

Case: Galaxy 3 gaming case With 450W PSU
Processor : Intel E5300 Dual Core 2.6ghz 800mhz
Hard Drive : 500gb 16mb Cache Serial ATA
Memory : 4gb DDR3 1333 PC10660
Motherboard : Asus P5G41C-M
GPU : Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB GDDR5
Optical Drive : 20x Lightscribe DVD Writer

OS: W7 Ultimate 32x

Total Cost: £370.00 - $550.00 - €413.00

All any any help, tips, or improvements would be much appreciated, thanks.

-3.6Ghz Intel Single Core Oc'd
-2GB 1333ghz DDR2 RAM
-PNY GeForce 8400GS 512MB
-120GB HDD
-22" Sony Bravia HD Monitor

 

[WayOut]

Yeah, you should be good to run on a medium-high mix for most games. I dunno really about the 5670's performance, but I'm assuming it's a little less powerful than the 5770, which can run Fallout 3 on a mix of high and ultra-high, so yeeah. I'd suggest you just run a few games on it and see what you can do!

edit: Oh yeah, what's your budget? You could stand to upgrade a bit; considering you're running a 775 setup.

 

[deadlysyn]

Hey, throwing together a new Rig to use at home for running some newer games, and to play some games coming out this year (Diablo III, Guildwars 2)

Just wondering if this PC will be decent enough to run some newer games on decent settings, and if its upgradeable in the future.

I have been out of the computer building scene for some time, thus have lost my place in all of this.

Rig that im putting togethers Specs:

Case: Galaxy 3 gaming case With 450W PSU
Processor : Intel E5300 Dual Core 2.6ghz 800mhz
Hard Drive : 500gb 16mb Cache Serial ATA
Memory : 4gb DDR3 1333 PC10660
Motherboard : Asus P5G41C-M
GPU : Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB GDDR5
Optical Drive : 20x Lightscribe DVD Writer

OS: W7 Ultimate 32x

Total Cost: £370.00 - $550.00 - €413.00

All any any help, tips, or improvements would be much appreciated, thanks.

-3.6Ghz Intel Single Core Oc'd
-2GB 1333ghz DDR2 RAM
-PNY GeForce 8400GS 512MB
-120GB HDD
-22" Sony Bravia HD Monitor

First off, to the forums! There are a few things I would like to address here. The first, and absolute most important, is the choice of PSU (power supply unit) you have. We really can not stress enough that you are much better off staying away from the ones that come in a case bundle. I would try looking for the same case without the power supply, and use the extra money saved toward a quality unit, like a Corsair, Antec, or the like. There is a sticky in the power supply section with a list of tried and true units.

Next up, is your choice of CPU and mobo. LGA775 is pretty much a dead platform at this point. About all you really have for an upgrade path is to a Core 2 series quad core. I would recommend looking into either i3 or i5 if you are on a budget, since there will be a bit more of an upgrade path. Also, it appears that you have chosen DDR3, which may not be compatible with 775 boards, although there are some that will run it.

For the GPU, I would be more likely to go with a 5850, 5870, or 5890 if I were to go with ATI. For mid range, those 3 seem to be the most popular choice. If you aren't too preferential toward ATI, the new Nvidia cards should be coming out soon, which may help drop prices on some of their older offerings, as well as a possible price drop on the ATI side.

 

[Artemix]

Thanks for the speedy replies and feedback!

I just wanted to say, the GPU I have chosen has good reviews, and can run games like MW2 on Max Settings, and is a great value for money card. The Board does support DDR3 Components, so that is not an issue, and the PSU is supplied by a local and reliable hardware shop, with great customer feedback on their products I would consider stepping up onto a 5850+ series card, but I don't currently have the available capital to do so.. I just want a more basic card that I can run newer games on decent settings until I get the money to upgrade again in the near future. also I will be able to enjoy HD video feedback straight away, the only other choice I would have would be to stick to the on board graphics which are the Intel GMA4500 Graphics 1GB, which are not the worst of on board, but Definatly not geared towards any graphic intense applications

 

[deadlysyn]

Is there any way we can talk you into getting us the brand and model of the PSU that will be included? The company that is selling it to you may have a good reputation, but that doesn't mean that it is a qualty PSU. I have seen local shops with a good reputation throw in a $20 (if even that much) PSU, and calling it good.

I would still recommend moving up to an LGA1156 setup, just because you have a broader upgrade path later on if you decide it's not fast enough. If you go with i3, you may be able to keep it in the same price range, and still have the option to upgrade to i5 or i7 later on.

 

[Duraiden]

Maybe you should go for and AMD system since they are fairly cheap at the moment, and unless you're going to use triple channel then DDR2 which is considerably cheaper is the way you should go.

 

[A-Dub]

Maybe you should go for and AMD system since they are fairly cheap at the moment, and unless you're going to use triple channel then DDR2 which is considerably cheaper is the way you should go.

1366 is the only platform that uses triple channel memory right now, and I'm guessing an i7 setup is out of the OP's budget.

Depending on the game, the 5670 is on par with the 9600gt and sometimes approaches the 9800gt. It should be able to handle most games at mid settings. As others have said, if you want an upgrade path then take a look at an i3 system or even an AMD system based on an AM3 motherboard.

 

[deadlysyn]

1366 is the only platform that uses triple channel memory right now, and I'm guessing an i7 setup is out of the OP's budget.

Depending on the game, the 5670 is on par with the 9600gt and sometimes approaches the 9800gt. It should be able to handle most games at mid settings. As others have said, if you want an upgrade path then take a look at an i3 system or even an AMD system based on an AM3 motherboard.

Which is the exact reason I recommended going with something other than the 5670. Even a 5770 is a better way to go. AMD would be a good choice as well, and the reason I mentioned the i3 and i5 is because the OP seems to be moving from an Intel to another Intel. If he is willing to look at AMD, I am sure we could help him find a much better setup than that for about the same price range.

 

[bda1967]

I agree. He should look for an AM3 setup like a Athlon II X3 or X4 and a 5770. Try to get a 7200RPM 32MB cache HDD if it's in the budget and get a reliable psu.

 

[Artemix]

Wow thanks for the replies!!!

Im currently looking at the AM3 systems I can get for around the same price..

Coming in at around £313.00 I can get this setup:

Case : Thermaltake Element G
Processor : AMD Athlon X2 240 AM3 2.8ghz 4000MT/S
Hard Drive : 250gb 8mb Cache Serial ATA
Memory : 2gb DDR2 800 PC6400
Motherboard : Asrock K10N78-FullHD
Graphics Card : Onboard Nvidia Geforce 8 512mb
Optical Drive : 20x Lightscribe DVD Writer

The processing speeds are better and it is an AM3 setup, so upgrading would be alot easier.. the case is also better for cooling and better quality, I could expand the memory to 4 x 2GB if I wish to do so, and DDR2 being more affordable I could do this. It is on the downside a smaller HDD, and I would have to look at getting the RAM to at least 4GB, and again I will need to buy a graphics card.

Another option im looking at is this:

Case: Thermal take Soprano Gaming case - again with a standard 750W PSU that comes with it.. ideas for a replacement??
Processor : AMD Athlon X2 255 AM3 3.1ghz 4000MT/S
Hard Drive : 250gb 8mb Cache Serial ATA
Memory : 2gb DDR2 800 PC6400
Motherboard : Asrock K10N78-FullHD
Graphics Card : Onboard Nvidia Geforce 8 512mb
Optical Drive : 20x Lightscribe DVD Writer

Price: £298.00

And then there is my final option of an AMD Quad core system:

Galaxy 3 Gaming case - with 450W PSU..
Processor : AMD Athlon Quad Core X4 620 AM3 2.6ghz 4000MT/S
Hard Drive : 250gb 8mb Cache Serial ATA
Memory : 2gb DDR2 800 PC6400
Motherboard : Asrock K10N78-FullHD
Graphics Card : Onboard Nvidia Geforce 8 512mb
Optical Drive : 20x Lightscribe DVD Writer

Price: £277.00

Looking at these VS. the Intel system I had in mind, I mean these setups are alot more bang for the buck, and upgrades would be more easily available and cheaper, being a DDR2 setup. Thoughts on these contenders??

Thanks again guys

Artemix



EDIT: Also look at the NVIDIA Graphics Plus GTS 250 Series and lower, as well as all the ATI cards up to the ATI HD 5750 Series.

Considering these two cards at the moment:
XFX ATI Radeon HD 5750 512MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card

Would these card work on the AMD motherboards?

 

[bda1967]

The 750 watt Thermaltake PSU that comes with the case should be fine and the video cards will work too. As long as it's a PCI-e slot it will work. So you are buying a prebuilt system instead of building yourself?

 

[Artemix]

The 750 watt Thermaltake PSU that comes with the case should be fine and the video cards will work too. As long as it's a PCI-e slot it will work. So you are buying a prebuilt system instead of building yourself?

Yes, I am buying pre built system, and then upgrading it, as it looks like it will work out cheaper (I do not lack the knowledge to build a system). I have a budget of about £400 not including OS, so I am limited to what I can get. This computer is not needed to run anything spectacular, but its the best specs for that price I am looking for, to be used for newer games.

I think my best option for this would be the AMD AM3 255 X2 COMPUTER 250GB 2GB DESKTOP PC, then to add another 2GB stick of ADATA RAM, and throw in either the Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB or the XFX ATI Radeon HD 5750 512MB.

The 5750 is another £30.00 on top of the 5670, so I am wondering if it is worth paying the extra, is there much of a performance difference between the two??

Thanks,

Artemix

 

[bda1967]

You'll probably get about 10-15 fps more with the 5750 from the reviews I looked at. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/01/14/ati-radeon-hd-5670-review/8

 

[Artemix]

You'll probably get about 10-15 fps more with the 5750 from the reviews I looked at. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/01/14/ati-radeon-hd-5670-review/8

Thanks looks like to 5750 is the card for me. the 750W PSU looks good aswell, looks like a go ahread on the AMD AM3 255 X2 COMPUTER 250GB 2GB build, add another 2GB stick of ADATA RAM and the XFX ATI Radeon HD 5750 512MB GDDR5 Card.

Thanks for the help everyone! will get some pictures & results up in the next month!

Artemix