The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

SOSTrooper

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So people have suggested a master thread to rid of all the 'help me build a PC for X amount of money' threads. This thread will be a work in progress, and may or may not be as helpful as we might think. If after a period of time this thread has proven to be useless or unhelpful, we'll kill it. In the mean time, we can give it a try.

Quality part suggestions are welcomed. I may even put up detailed instructions on how to build a PC (with pics and links to videos by other people) in the placeholder posts below. Please be patient as this thread will be updated constantly (usually at night when I'm home).

Please be aware this is not a 'deal' finder thread. Prices merely reflect the retail prices at which Newegg sells the parts for. You can find your own deals or better pricings on another website.

Special thanks to RAMSTORIA, CoffeeEdge, crystalkear64, Hydro2Oxide, Droenixjpn for their builds and insights.
FAQs:
Should I buy X now or wait?!?
You should always wait if you can control yourself. Prices will go down 99% of the time and/or a new platform is always around the corner. Its the way technology works.

Updated 06/06/2010

Components:

  1. This list contains quality parts delicately selected and strongly recommended by your fellow CAGs for your computer build. These selections are based on a) brand reputation, b) price, and c) features.
  2. If you want to check out the 'actual' building process before contemplating on building your own, please refer to 2nd post.
  3. Many items may have Mail-In-Rebates (MIR) involved, clicking on the item will bring you to Newegg's site which will give you the most updated price. Other websites such as Amazon, ZipZoomFly, eWiz may have better prices due to sales. There is also cashback available via www.bing.com. So you should do your own research on the best prices when you're ready to take the plunge.

Processors: (updated 05/31/2010)
Intel: The Future: Ivy Bridge, the successor to Sandy Bridge is supposed to come out in Q1 2012.

Intel
LGA775 (out of date socket)​
LGA1156​
LGA1366​
AMD

AMD Future Processors: Llano, a CPU that has a built in GPU is releasing on June 30 in the FM1 socket. Bulldozer, the successor to the Phenom series is being released in Q3 2011, (probably Septemberish, although there were rumors of a late July launch). Bulldozer will use the AM3+ Socket and the 9xx series chipset.
Socket AM3 (will work on both AM2+ and AM3 motherboards)​
Motherboards: (updated 05/31/2010)
(trusted brands: Gigabyte, Asus, DFI, Foxxconn, MSI, EVGA)

For Intel CPUs
LGA775​
LGA1156​
LGA1366​
For AMD CPUs
Socket AM2+​
Socket AM3​
Memory/RAM: (updated 01/08/2010)
(trusted brands: Crucial, Corsair, Patriot, OCZ, Kingston, mushkin, G.SKILL)

DDR2DDR3Video Cards: (updated 02/13/2010)
(trusted brands: EVGA, XFX, Sapphire, Diamond, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Zotac, BFG)

ATI/AMD
Lower Mid-Range:

Higher Mid-Range:

High End:

nVidiaSound Cards: (updated 06/05/2009)
Use onboard sound to save money.Hard Drives: (updated 06/05/2009)
Solid State Drives:

(60GB usually boot drives, 100 to 120GB is ok for system)


Optical Drives: (updated 09/26/2009)Power Supplies: (updated 07/03/2009)
(trusted brands: Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, SeaSonic, OCZ, Silverstone, Thermaltake, Antec, Enermax)

Cases: (updated 06/08/2009)

Cases only:Case + Power Supply Combos:Media Center Cases:Monitors: (updated 06/08/2009)
(trusted budget brands: Acer, Asus, Hanns·G; trusted name brands: Samsung, Dell, LG, ViewSonic)Accessories: (updated 01/08/2010)

Input Devices:Case Fans:3rd Party CPU Fans (for overclockers):
Socket 775/AM2+/AM3
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Sample Builds:

Here we have provided some sample builds suggested by experienced CAGs for those who don't want to select every single component by themselves. Links are to Newegg's public wish lists, which allow you to add/subtract parts that you may or may not like to have.

For example, if you do not play games, but want to do video editing with $700 budget, simply select a cheaper video card and upgrade the CPU to a Quad core. Also, please add your own DVD burner, I intentionally left them out because when they go out of stock, the build lists become glitchy.

Gaming PCs:
$400
  1. Intel: 1) E6500 + GTS 250 Build (updated 06/04/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Athlon II X2 240 + 5750 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$500


$600
  1. Intel: 1) i3-530 + 5750 Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) AMD Athlon II X4 635 + 5770 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$700
  1. Intel: 1) i3-530 + 5770 Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X4 925 + 5770 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$800
  1. Intel: 1) i5-750 + 5770 Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X4 965 + 5830 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$900
  1. Intel: 1) i7 860 + 5830 Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X6 1055T + 5850 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$1000

$1200
  1. Intel: 1) i7-930 + 5850 Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X6 1055T + 64GB SSD + 5870 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$1500
  1. Intel: 1) i7 930 + 5870 + SSD Build (updated 05/31/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X6 1055T + 128GB SSD + 5870 Build (updated 06/06/2010)
$2000

Non-Gaming PCs
$200 (Possible? Mmm not so much anymore.)
  1. Intel: 1) $240 Intel Dual-Core Celeron Build (updated 09/26/2009)
  2. AMD: 1) RAMSTORIA's AMD Athlon 64 X2 Build (updated 03/08/2010)
$300
  1. Intel: 1) E5200 Build (updated 02/13/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Athlon II X2 240 Build (updated 02/13/2009)
$400
  1. Intel: 1) i3 530 Build (updated 01/19/2010)
  2. AMD: (updated 06/04/2009)
$500
  1. Intel: 1) i5 750 Build (updated 01/19/2010)
  2. AMD: (updated 06/04/2009)
Media Center PCs
$400
  1. Intel: 1) E6500 + HD 5450 + Blu-ray HTPC Build (updated 06/04/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) AMD Athlon II X2 250 HTPC Build (updated 02/13/2010)
$500
  1. Intel: 1) i3 530 HTPC Build (updated 06/04/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Athlon II X4 620 + 9600GT HTPC Build (updated 02/13/2010)
$600
  1. Intel: 1) i3-530 + HD 5450 + HTPC Build (updated 06/04/2010)
  2. AMD: 1) Phenom II X2 550 + 5570 + Blu-ray HTPC Build (updated 02/13/2010)
[/INDENT]***********************************************
 
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How to build a computer placeholder

For now, Maximum PC has a very nice step by step pictorial instruction on how to put together a $800 gaming PC. Head on over and check it out. Thanks to Sokkratez for the link.

PC Perspective has a good article complete with videos on how to build a new PC as well.



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FAQ placeholder

FAQ

Q) How hard is it to build a computer? If I've never done it before, is it something I should try?
A) The difficulty to building a computer varies from person to person, from computer to computer. Generally it is quite a daunting task for most newbies, as they don't have a clear mental image of what the computer looks like inside. You can read about how to put a computer together in the above post; a link to Maximum PC brings you to a pictorial instruction on how to put a computer together. That computer in particular, is very similar to many of the $600 - $800 computers we've recommended in the first post.

Q) What is the most difficult step in building a computer?
A) I'm going to have to say that connecting the case wires (hard drive light, reset switch, power switch, power light) to the motherboard is the most difficult part. Why? Because you simply can get the direction wrong. Each of those wires have 2 smaller wires intertwined together, one is usually white, the other colored. The colored wire end (Refer to this image) should face the direction of pin 1 on the motherboard. In other words, the entire pin set on the motherboard counts from 1 to about 20. All of the colored wire end on the case wire should face pin 1. The pin 1 indicator is often printed on the motherboard. This is a picture of what it usually looks like. You see the pin 1 and 2 in the left red circle, and pin 9 and 10 in the right circle. So that means all colored wire faces left, the direction of the arrow.



Useful links

  1. Power Supply Calculator - Select the parts you are planning to get and estimate the amount of power used at 100% load and 75%-80% efficiency
  2. Best CPU Cooler Performance - Brought to you by Benchmark Review.







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I very much look forward to using this thread in the near future, I may end up building my father a new multimedia and editing PC since the pre-built ones seem to go sour in a few short years. And heed CoffeeEdge, his advice that I didn't need an Antec 900 instead of the 300 was right on the money, all those LED fans are an eyesore that can't be left off and the flimsy top was wrecked in shipping (getting my refund though :bouncy:)
 
nice, glad to see you do this. i was going to do it today. ill post my build later.

RAMSTORIA's April 2009 Build sub $700

I built this PC this April and love it.

MOBO - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz $165
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

GPU - EVGA 512-P3-N873-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130376

RAM - Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $50 (I bought 2 for 8gb total) *now OOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104060

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395

DVD - LiteOn Black 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe - $26 *now OOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106288

CASE - HEC 6C28BBX585 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121002


Total $616 w/4gb of RAM, $666 w/8gb

Runs Vista with 5.6 rating (out of 5.9, cpu is 5.6 all other rankings are 5.9)
Team Fortress 2 100-200 FPS (high settings 1920 x 1080)
Crysis 30-50 fps (high settings 1920 x 1080)

I can post screen shots of games and/or ratings when I get off work. I added a few other things that brought the price over $700 including a memory card reader, 2nd HDD and wif adapter. I'm not overclocking so the stock fans for the CPU and case have been more than adequete.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=11804166
 
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What I would appreciate is (which makes my life easier), if you have a build, whether it is your own build, or a build you would like to get, create a wish list of it on Newegg. Then make the wish list public so everyone can see it. I will link your public wish list in its appropriate price range in the post credited to you

:)
 
Might as well use this thread, since it's computer hardware related...

I'm looking for a new Keyboard, since I need to use my old one on a different machine (and it'd be too much hassle carting the keyboard around with me). I noticed the Logitech G11 was on clearance at Target for under 40 bucks. Anyone have any experience/comments about it?
 
I think the Logitech G-series keyboards are great if you will take advantage of its features like macros. $40 for G11 is a very good price, I don't think it will disappoint you. I have a G15 on my other computer, the keys are rock solid even though it took a beating every day for the past 2 years. The blue backlit is a bit on the dim side even at brightest level, but it's probably not too big of a deal to many people.
 
Good thread, but keeping these prices up to date is going to be rather difficult.

Also, a LOT of your prices list a price that includes a mail in rebate. That's highly misleading to at least not note that the price shown is due to MIR. I got my hopes up when looking at the Gigabyte EP45-UD3P.
 
So...what exactly IS socket 775? What's 775 mean? Must I choose between Intel or AMD? Is their a hybrid? Are they the only two manufacturers in the world?
 
[quote name='Riyonuk']So...what exactly IS socket 775? What's 775 mean?[/quote]
It's the socket that the CPU plugs into. There are different sorts, for different sorts of processors. You need to make sure that you buy a processor that is compatible with the CPU socket on the motherboard.

Must I choose between Intel or AMD? Is their a hybrid?
Yes, and no, respectively.

Are they the only two manufacturers in the world?
Technically no, but if you're building a desktop PC, then yeah, they're really the only practical choices.
 
I agree that keeping up with prices is going to be quite difficult. But computer components tend to drop in prices over time, I probably would be more worried about me not being able to keep up with listing newer models of the parts. This is a guideline on how to pick components and to help everyone blue print their build. All the prices are approximate, with or without rebates, and doesn't include any tax or shipping or even the cost of the OS, but I'm just hoping the purpose of this thread is to give people a good starting point in looking to upgrade or build a new PC.


I'm not sure if my formatting of the thread is understandable and uncluttered. Let me know if there's some things I can do to make it even easier to read or to find certain thing.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Tagging my interest in this thread. I'll be glad to offer advice and recommendations for the budget-conscious. :)[/QUOTE]

Since you are offering ;)

I'm looking at getting the GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L motherboard. I'm not really a PC gamer, the only pc games that I would play are Company of Heroes, Warhammer, or maybe some emulators. Is the onboard video sufficient?
 
[quote name='SOSTrooper']I agree that keeping up with prices is going to be quite difficult. But computer components tend to drop in prices over time, I probably would be more worried about me not being able to keep up with listing newer models of the parts. This is a guideline on how to pick components and to help everyone blue print their build. All the prices are approximate, with or without rebates, and doesn't include any tax or shipping or even the cost of the OS, but I'm just hoping the purpose of this thread is to give people a good starting point in looking to upgrade or build a new PC.


I'm not sure if my formatting of the thread is understandable and uncluttered. Let me know if there's some things I can do to make it even easier to read or to find certain thing.[/QUOTE]

I'd honestly just leave the prices off, or somehow indicate after MIR. Half the motherboards on there have some sort of MIR attached for those prices.
 
[quote name='jlew']I'm looking at getting the GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L motherboard. I'm not really a PC gamer, the only pc games that I would play are Company of Heroes, Warhammer, or maybe some emulators. Is the onboard video sufficient?[/QUOTE]

If I'm not mistaken, the onboard video on that board is the Intel GMA 3100. It will run CoH, but just barely. You'd have to set the quality to lowest, and run it at 800x600, to get playable framerates. Regarding Warhammer...do you mean DoW? That'd also have to be set pretty low, I'm afraid.

Emulation of anything PS1 and N64 should be okay, though.

[quote name='mtxbass1']I'd honestly just leave the prices off, or somehow indicate after MIR. Half the motherboards on there have some sort of MIR attached for those prices.[/QUOTE]
If you're not willing to deal with mail-in rebates, then PC building becomes a lot more expensive.
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']I'd honestly just leave the prices off, or somehow indicate after MIR. Half the motherboards on there have some sort of MIR attached for those prices.[/QUOTE]

I can't really leave prices off, even though they're not accurate all the time, it's important to have them there to serve as some sort of reference. I can indicate rebates, but I think most people nowadays are accustomed to buying stuffs that have rebates. Price is not a very crucial part of this thread, it just gives people ideas that building a $400 PC is possible. And with your help of drawing up sample builds, inexperienced computer builders will have a good sense of direction on how to start their builds. So don't worry too much about individual part pricings, but I would like to get feedbacks on different builds that you can come up with within some of those price ranges.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']
If you're not willing to deal with mail-in rebates, then PC building becomes a lot more expensive.[/QUOTE]

It has nothing to do with that at all. I'm referring to indicating that the prices listed have rebates attached to get that price.

[quote name='SOSTrooper']I can't really leave prices off, even though they're not accurate all the time, it's important to have them there to serve as some sort of reference. I can indicate rebates, but I think most people nowadays are accustomed to buying stuffs that have rebates. Price is not a very crucial part of this thread, it just gives people ideas that building a $400 PC is possible. And with your help of drawing up sample builds, inexperienced computer builders will have a good sense of direction on how to start their builds. So don't worry too much about individual part pricings, but I would like to get feedbacks on different builds that you can come up with within some of those price ranges.[/QUOTE]

At least indicate MIR's for that price. It can easily be misleading for someone new to come in here, see "build this PC for $400" and then have to put $500 out of pocket because of all the rebates. That's the only issue here.
 
well then:
[quote name='crystalklear64']Heres an improved/cheaper version of the build, now under 900$ shipped before rebates. Cost is about 800$ after rebates.

Prices are from a combination of the cheapest prices between ZZF and NE (zipzoomfly/newegg) and are marked in the pricing column.


The gear-

PSU-
corsair 650tx
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007111&prodlist=celebros

VIDEO CARD-
radeon 4850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

MEMORY-
2gb patriot ddr2 800
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=83731&prodlist=celebros

PROCESSOR-
e8400
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007603&prodlist=celebros

MOTHERBOARDS-
ASUS P5Q-E (don't care about xfire)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131296&Tpk=p5q-e

CASE-
Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=141806&prodlist=celebros

HDD-
Seagate 500gb 32 cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148136

-------------------------------
HYBRID PRICE:
COST|REBATE PRICE|SHIPPING
98$ (78) (free)- psu (ZZF)
195$ (165)(free)- vc (asus, 4850) (NE)
50$ (30) (7.28)- ram (x2 sticks) (ZZF)
190$ () (free)- cpu (ZZF)
160$ () (9.39)- mobo (non xfire) (NE)
48$ () (11.50)- case (ZZF)
80$ () (free)- hdd (NE)

821$ (751)(779.17)

Final+Ship
849.17$

Final AR+Ship
779.17$


If you wanted to add support for full x16 crossfire with the new x48 chipsets, simply swap the P5Q-E motherboard with the ASUS P5E Deluxe.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131317

This will add about 60$ to the overall price, and you will be able to take advantage of full x16 crossfire in the future if you so desire. Note, that this is not needed unless you intend to play at resolutions higher than 16XXx12XX.

Once again, you could also choose to spring for a HD4870 video card, which will add 100$ to the build, still keeping it under 1000$.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131113[/QUOTE]
pricing doesn't really matter right?
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']If I'm not mistaken, the onboard video on that board is the Intel GMA 3100. It will run CoH, but just barely. You'd have to set the quality to lowest, and run it at 800x600, to get playable framerates. Regarding Warhammer...do you mean DoW? That'd also have to be set pretty low, I'm afraid.

Emulation of anything PS1 and N64 should be okay, though.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah I was talking about DoW. Gaming isn't that big of a deal and I could always add a video card later on. I think I'm gonna go for this board, it seems like a good value.

Thanks for your help.
 
[quote name='jlew']Yeah I was talking about DoW. Gaming isn't that big of a deal and I could always add a video card later on. I think I'm gonna go for this board, it seems like a good value.

Thanks for your help.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely, it's a good board, and indeed, if it ever even becomes necessary, you can always wait till later to add a graphics card.

You're welcome. :)
 
Wishlists aren't working for me. Do I need to register or login to newegg? Also, great thread. Thanks for doing this. Should be good learning material!
 
I'll be slowly writing and updating the FAQ which will answer many basic questions on building a computer. If you guys have read a good question somewhere and know the answer for it, please write it in a Q and A format and PM it to me. I'll add it into the post credited to you.

Wishlists aren't working for me. Do I need to register or login to newegg? Also, great thread. Thanks for doing this. Should be good learning material!

For wishlists, you have to log in to your newegg account, and create a wishlist which include the parts (give the wishlist a name so you can manage them). Once you check box the "share" option on your wishlist to the public, you can link it to us and we should be able to see it.

[quote name='mtxbass1']At least indicate MIR's for that price. It can easily be misleading for someone new to come in here, see "build this PC for $400" and then have to put $500 out of pocket because of all the rebates. That's the only issue here.[/QUOTE]

I'll do my best to indicate when MIR is involved. I'm only one person, and there are thousands of parts on Newegg :) I wish there is a feature when I can toggle on and off an option to allow selected users to be able to edit the post as well. That would be great haha.
 
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I just built my brother a nice gaming machine / workstation. He had a relatively large budget so it was easy to pick the near leading-edge components.

CPU = Intel i7 2.9 GHz @ $559.99
Mobo = ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 @ $302.42
RAM = 12GB of PC3-12800/DDR3-1600 @ $336.00
Vid = 2 x eVGA GeForce GTX 285 2GB ea @ $838.00
OS HDD = 2 x WD Raptor 10k RPM SATA 300GB ea @ $458.00
Data HDD = 2 x Hitachi 7200 RPM SATA 1TB ea @ $170.00
PSU = Corsair 1000w HX Series 12v ATX SLI @ $280.00
Monitor = 2 x ASUS VK246H 24in @ $479.60
Blu-ray = LG GGW-H20L @ $199.00
Case = Antec Nine Hundred Two @ $125.94

I can't decide between the Antec 902 case or the ThermalTake V9. Is there another case out there that is a slight mix of the two? Arg, too many to choose from.

I got everything but the video cards from Amazon.com and got free 2-day shipping (prime) and no sales tax. I got the video cards from TigerDirect.com w/ no sales tax and $1.99 shipping.

Total I think is $3,748.95 and a $30 rebate on the PSU.
 
I hope this link works, this is 440 dollar build (Plus or minus rebates, shipping and tax) that I personally use and runs great.

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=10289525

Source engine games run maxed out with 8xAA at 1280x1024 averaging around 80 FPS. Runs Crysis on mostly highest settings at around 30-40. Just add in a hard drive and CD-DVD burner and you're set. You may want to bump the CPU up though if you've got the cash, that's the only real bottleneck here.
 
Damn these $400 -range builds are sounding awesome. Thanks for sharing guys. This will definitely be the route to go once I'm ready to get a new pc.
 
Hey, guys thanks for not bashing me on my "Source Gaming Pc whatever" thread and giving me some solid options. Moxio posted this originally from Coffeeedge which was in Moxio's summer building thread.

I am interested in spending right at $400 to build a PC for gaming.

Originally Posted by CoffeeEdge
Check this out:
Total cost: $421.88 after rebates, all shipped free. And that is everything you need (see footnote two posts down, however).

Buy these parts. Assemble the computer. Be amazed that you managed to get a computer this powerful, this cheap. Enjoy. Thank me later.

I just am not knowledgeable enough to tinker with this setup.
a)But could anyone make any suggestions to safely bring this to the $400 mark or under? What sort of system impact will these changes have?
b)I am also thinking I'll need to buy winXP because my other one is a dell XP. If I am unable to get a student copy of Xp is the OS really going to cost me another $100 and bring whatever I do to $500 regardless?
 
[quote name='ChernobylCow']
I just am not knowledgeable enough to tinker with this setup.
a)But could anyone make any suggestions to safely bring this to the $400 mark or under? What sort of system impact will these changes have?
b)I am also thinking I'll need to buy winXP because my other one is a dell XP. If I am unable to get a student copy of Xp is the OS really going to cost me another $100 and bring whatever I do to $500 regardless?[/QUOTE]


For such as setup that doesn't really stress the power supply even at full load, you can easily replace both the Antec Three Hundred case and the OCZ power supply with a case+PSU combo such as this one suggested by RAMSTORIA. It's $60 + $10 shipping so you easily saved $40 right there. I don't really see any other spots where you can cut more; MAYBE you can replace the 4GB DDR2 memory with a 2GB DDR2 to save about $10. Though I'd just stick with the 4GB even though you're thinking of getting Windows XP, but for future purpose the 4GB may come in handy once Windows 7 rolls out.

And yes OS will cost you $100 extra regardless. This thread only shows you the price for the hardware part. Software is a different ball game.
 
@ Cow
I'm am not suggesting that you do not get a case+generic psu, it is a great way to save money if you don't plan on reusing the PSU in a more powerful build and are willing to take a slight gamble. However, you should be aware of potential risks associated with doing so.

Be prepare before hand to know exactly what you can/should do IF your PSU happens to give you problems and what the telltale signs are of a faulty or failing PSU.
 
Yeah crystalklear brings up a good point. Cheap PSUs are often associated with cheap parts, which results in higher failure rate. PSU failures can be minor or 'fatal', as in, it can kill other computer components that are connected to the PSU directly (motherboard, hard drives, video card). It's a risk everyone should know when skimping on quality PSU for cheap one.
 
After years of being a diehard Mac user, I'm finally breaking down and building a small gaming PC. I've built up the entertainment center in my living room to the point where I wanted to use that as my gaming area, as well. By piping video into my TV, I a) get a huge, gorgeous image, and b) can skimp a bit on the video card since I'll be running at less ludicrous resolutions.

Tom's Hardware did a timely build of a $600 small form-factor gaming PC. They keep costs down by getting a cheaper CPU and videocard and then overclocking both. I've never OC'd a system before, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable doing it just yet, but I've tried to plan ahead for it.

Using their system as a starting point, I came up with a slightly modified build that I think better suits my needs. The primary differences, and some of the reasons behind my decisions, are included below. I haven't assembled it yet, so this may not all work out for the best, but perhaps someone will get some use from it.

  1. Different motherboard. I wanted optical output to my receiver so I don't have a rat's nest of half a dozen audio cables snaking out the back of the PC. I selected a slightly more expensive Gigabyte mb with toslink output that seems well suited for overclocking.
  2. Different power supply. I went with a SFF case so it wouldn't stand out on my entertainment center. Having a power supply with bright red LEDs shining out the back and sides seemed unnecessary. Finding a cheap, modular power supply with good reviews is trickier than I thought it would be.
  3. A low-profile CPU cooler. The TH build didn't include this, but I'm paranoid about heat, and an aftermarket cooler seemed prudent for overclocking. I'm pretty sure this will fit in the case.
I was tempted to go with a GP drive to reduce power consumption, but the machine will most likely be hibernated when I'm not using it, and while it's under load, the few watts I'd save with a green drive are going to be far overshadowed by the CPU and GPU. Green drives make a lot more sense in my file server than they do in this build.

I also checked out Thermaltake's SFF cases. They had better reviews on Newegg, but cost 50% more, and based on various forum posts I came across they don't really seem to stay any cooler or offer more room inside.

I'll be throwing in a Bluetooth adapter so I can use my PS3's bluetooth headset for voice chat. I haven't settled on wireless keyboard and mouse yet. I typically have my MacBook on the couch with me, so I'm planning to start off using Synergy to turn the laptop into a big wireless USB hub. This seems a bit decadent, but has the advantage of being free.

Anyone else built a living room gaming rig? Got any advice? Words of warning?
 
This might be a really dumb question but what is the advantage to using a HTPC case over a regular one (besides size)? I am basically looking to build something to hook up to my TV that will play all of my video files (MP4, AVI, MKV, etc). I also thought about putting a Blu Ray drive in it as well. Playing games would be nice but not necessarily needed. Is there any reason to invest in one of the HTPC cases over a regular one (again, besides the size)?
 
Here is my build. After rebates and deal hunting at various websites, it comes to about $650.

EDIT: Wait, link's not working. How do I share my NewEgg wishlist?
 
[quote name='Moxio']Here is my build. After rebates and deal hunting at various websites, it comes to about $650.

EDIT: Wait, link's not working. How do I share my NewEgg wishlist?[/QUOTE]

you have to save it and make it pubic.
 
[quote name='Staind204']This might be a really dumb question but what is the advantage to using a HTPC case over a regular one (besides size)? I am basically looking to build something to hook up to my TV that will play all of my video files (MP4, AVI, MKV, etc). I also thought about putting a Blu Ray drive in it as well. Playing games would be nice but not necessarily needed. Is there any reason to invest in one of the HTPC cases over a regular one (again, besides the size)?[/QUOTE]

I think some people likes to integrate the look of their computer with all the other electronics around the TV, such as audio receiver, DVD player, PS3, etc. It's also probably easier to place a HTPC case in your entertainment center than a vertical mid tower computer.
 
[quote name='Hydro2Oxide']Just got an email from TigerDirect about a 400 dollar rig. Some people say they're bad with rebates but from what I see this is instant prices off. It also comes with a Blu-Ray player. Looks pretty good for the kind of thing you'd plug in to your TV.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...LI&cm_mmc=Email-_-Main-_-WEM1951-_-components[/QUOTE]

that looks like a great price. but are you looking for something just to plug into your tv or something to play games on.

heres a mini media pc i just built (at work, so other people feel free to look, critique and adjust), its $450, its a little more but you might like it more.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8729394

the motherboard has on board wifi for one thing. it also has on board video, geforce 9300, and has vga, dvi and hdmi out. the case is a mini atx, so it will be nice and small and could fit and just about any entertainment center (measures 12.75" x 8" x 7") it still has 500gb hdd, 4 gb ram, and blu ray.

now, it wont be running crysis anytime soon, but if you just want to have a jukebox, watch downloaded movies and blu rays then youre all set. not only that the on board graphics have plenty of power to run older games and you could even buy a couple controllers and run a MAME box among other emulators.
 
[quote name='Hydro2Oxide']I hope this link works, this is 440 dollar build (Plus or minus rebates, shipping and tax) that I personally use and runs great.

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=10289525

Source engine games run maxed out with 8xAA at 1280x1024 averaging around 80 FPS. Runs Crysis on mostly highest settings at around 30-40. Just add in a hard drive and CD-DVD burner and you're set. You may want to bump the CPU up though if you've got the cash, that's the only real bottleneck here.[/QUOTE]
Okay out of all the setups listed, this one would be the best for my needs. Just one problem. That wishlist link isn't working. Could you post it again please?
And as a current mac user (for the last eight years actually) I am pretty clueless around pc's so is your setup overclocked in any way? Is there anything you would recommend investing more money into, to make sure the computer is future-proofed? Thanks.
Edit: I mean anything besides the cpu.
 
Alright just one more dumb question from me. Now when you say upgrade mobo (motherboard?) and cpu, does that single part cover both of those areas or is there something separate that I need for the motherboard that goes specifically with the Phenom II X2?
And I'm going to start asking around in my work and friends circle to see if anyone can help me put this together but is there a resource for someone who couldn't be more clueless when it comes to assembling a pc?
EDIT: Oh yeah, one more thing...wi-fi? All the computers I use have it built in and what do I need for wi-fi when assembling?
 
Anyone have any opinions on the Gigabyte ga-ep45-ud3p? I hear it's the messiah of all P45 boards, but if I'm not overclocking, then would there be another suitable option? All I need is a stable board that I can throw an E6400 on with a 9800GTX video card.
 
bread's done
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