EggXpert

Hi. I am looking to build a computer with around an $800-$900 budget. I am looking to use an Intel Dual processor, HD48XX or Nvidia., and everything else is freely adjustable. I will use the computer mainly for gaming and web design. I also want the computer to last me around 3-4 years at least. Please do not include the case in the build, I already haev one. Also, if you can, adding a good monitor to the price would help a lot. Thanks.

A monitor will make it tough to get $800-$900, but here's what I came up with.

CPU: E8400 $170 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

 Mobo: AsusP5Q $140 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299

RAM: 4x2gb G.Skill DDR2 800 $80 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

HDD: WD 500gb $70 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136149

         WD 80gb $38 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136195

GPU: Sapphire 4870 $250 (after MIR) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102769

Total: $748

Monitor: ViewSonic 19" 2ms $190 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116088

Total w/monitor: $938

I'm not 100% on this monitor, but it's cheap and has a fast refresh rate.

You can knock some off if you don't want two hdds, but I'd recommend two: one for apps one for files. you could also get a slightly slower CPU, but for gaming the E8400 will serve you well for a while. Also, I didn't include a PSU because you said you have a case so I thought you might have a PSU, but just in case:

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 750W $130 after MIR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009

This will definitely last you a good couple years. You can always throw in another GPU for more graphical power later on.

If I said Nvidia and AMD works fine too, would you be able to produce a better build?

lonewolf80:

If I said Nvidia works fine too, would you be able to produce a better build?

Better how? It might be slightly cheaper, but a lot of people claim that ATI GPUs are better than nVidia. I, frankly, prefer nVidia, but I'm trying to keep my opinion out of it when people ask about parts for builds

Possibly if you wanted to go with the 9800GX2, being offered by evga for 285 right now.  Its a better card even though it is slightly more expensive

I hope you already have an OS cause with the monitor included you will be pushing closer to the $900 end of the budget depending on your choices. I tried to give you room with your performance versus your budget by showing you choices from low end to medium since high end would blow your budget out of the water I left these alone. I also tried to keep your build current with room to upgrade in the future if this is something you desire if not we could always backup to a P33 or P35 mobo and go conroe or allendale for your cpu. So here is what I came up with.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020%201301919996%201109917865%201397429071&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16824009127%2CN82E16824009108%2CN82E16824009094 monitor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010200280%20107172615%201075707618&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16813138122%2CN82E16813128347%2CN82E16813128345%2CN82E16813186148%2CN82E16813128344%2CN82E16813131295%2CN82E16813131299%2CN82E16813131296%2CN82E16813138118%2CN82E16813128346 mobos

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010340343%2050001157%201389627502%201051707842%201302820275&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16819116072%2CN82E16819115052%2CN82E16819115132%2CN82E16819115038%2CN82E16819115037%2CN82E16819115036 cpus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010320058%201131509966%201230113790&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16817703015%2CN82E16817139004%2CN82E16817703005%2CN82E16817139005 PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147%201052108080%201052308477%201395428464&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16820211066%2CN82E16820227198%2CN82E16820145590%2CN82E16820227124%2CN82E16820227139%2CN82E16820145034%2CN82E16820227239%2CN82E16820227181%2CN82E16820145043 RAM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048%201305520549%20106792627&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16814121253%2CN82E16814129112%2CN82E16814103060%2CN82E16814127359 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014%201035915133%201035507776%201035424340%201036007800&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16822148288%2CN82E16822148335%2CN82E16822152100%2CN82E16822148298%2CN82E16822152102%2CN82E16822148274 HDDs

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010100005%201038406820&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16827151171%2CN82E16827106263%2CN82E16827136149%2CN82E16827151173%2CN82E16827106073%2CN82E16827135157%2CN82E16827135156%2CN82E16827106057%2CN82E16827106072 ODD

I did not include an aftermarket heatsink & fan we can talk about that after you decide on the other componets.

coolbob222:

Possibly if you wanted to go with the 9800GX2, being offered by evga for 285 right now.  Its a better card even though it is slightly more expensive

A lot of people on here and newsy things I've seen have said that ATI 48xx series cards are the best out there, even better than the GTX280. Maybe not the one I posted, but one of em. Fankly, I feel a lot of them are so close that it's more a brand preference (or loyalty, in my case)

what if I throw AMD in the match? Will AMD be to intel as what Nvidia is to ATI?

Hog, good call on the comparisons. However, I would recommend a 2ms monitor if the OP can afford it. Mine's 5ms, and I can see the issues just watching Futurama DVDs.

As for the RAM, I'm not sure how good A.Data is, but I've not heard anything about it. Then again, I'm not one to take risks with brands I'm not familiar with unless someone has first-hand positive experience

But with the  rest, good choices on brands, parts, and such (cept for maybe the E5200, but I know that's because you were giving a wide range from low to medium, like you said)

lonewolf80:

what if I throw AMD in the match? Will AMD be to intel as what Nvidia is to ATI?

Only if price is the issue. Intel is better in all other respects for most CPUs

I see...well then, I would want the best for my money, so I think I should stick with ATI. So far, I am quite sure about the following:

 

Monitor(Kinda Optional, But Again, Not Really): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009127 

or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116088 

Motherboard(Loosey Goosey here again, anything eual or better would work too.): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128344 

CPU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036 ( E8400 is fine too, if they can both OC to the same speeds)

GPU: Unsure, 4850 or 4870, although I would prefer a quieter solution, maybe with a pre-installed aftermarket heatsink + fan. I was looking towards the Sapphire 4850 Toxic, but then it was deactivated. Looking towards The 4870 more now, due to more reviews of working better on Crysis.

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288,

and maybe one more little one to go with it, jsut for my OS. 

DVD-RW: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171 

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231148.

 

Notes: i would get the former for the RAM, if it's able to clock back down to 4-4-4-12 @ 800 MHz, unless 5-5-5-15 @ 1000 is faster. Plus, it's free shipping. Also, is the PSU I chose good enough to supprot a 4850 or 4870 CrossFire setup?

You had best check out the following link for RAM that has been tested on the mobo less chance of conflicts arising due to incompatability to different voltages not saying that GSkill is not good memory just that some of the less experienced people have had problems with various brands of memory on various mobos. Yes that PSU will more than cover your system even if you go to CF, remember that your monitor can only handle certain resolutions and when you get these expensive VCs that do 2560X1600 at 100Hz and your monitor only runs at 1680X1050 at 75Hz that is a big waste of money that you can not utilize. So stick with the 4850 for now it has more than enough performance to support the monitor you choose and still give you the fps for games and the colors for video.

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/MemorySupport/motherboard_memory_ga-ep45-ds3r.pdf

I see..also, the only reason I wanted to get the 4870 is because of Left 4 Dead, Diablo 3 , and GTA 4, which are all coming out soon (maybe not D3). And from that pdf you showed, G.Skill doesn't seem to be on it. Is it still safe to buy it though? I could always refund it, right?

I would not recomend it since there is always the possibility of frying it or something else. As I said before the monitor and quality there of is what will limit your video card so if you want to run a 4870 you would have to upgrade to a monitor that could handle 1920X1200 at 75Hz and start out price is $300 and up which blows the budget out of the water. Mind you this is still not covering the power of the VC its just the lowest you should go to take and make the most of its abilities. This is an area that few people discuss due to the fact that monitors are way behind the capabilities of the video card unless you have the big bucks to spend.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020%201109925153&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16824001098%2CN82E16824176071%2CN82E16824113013%2CN82E16824001266 monitors

This was just to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

Lonewolf. Don't buy 1000 ram buy the 1066 ram. G.Skill will work fine in that board. If you want to make sure pick up the phone and call Gigabyte and talk to there tech support.

The major thing you will have to do with buying ram clocked higher then 800 is to manually set the voltages and timings and speed in the bios. If you are uncomfortable with that then I suggest you buy a set of ddr2 800 ram and let everything set itself.

That supported ram list is really only a simple guide. Its not the be all end all of lists. The mobo manufacture can't test all the ram so they test some as a guide.

Go with the ViewSonic monitor, not the Acer. VS is a better brand, plus it's faster (2ms vs 5ms). You wll notice the dfference between 2ms and 5ms playing high-end games like that. Like I said in an earlier post, I notice issues when watching Futurama DVDs, and those aren't nearly as graphically intense as games like D3 or Crysis

Capt. Insane:

Go with the ViewSonic monitor, not the Acer. VS is a better brand, plus it's faster (2ms vs 5ms). You wll notice the dfference between 2ms and 5ms playing high-end games like that. Like I said in an earlier post, I notice issues when watching Futurama DVDs, and those aren't nearly as graphically intense as games like D3 or Crysis

I'm not sure I agree here. A few ms is not detectable to the human eye. The 2ms response is on a grey-to-grey (GTG) scale, while acer (& others such as samsung) use the black-to-black or grey-black-grey scale (if I remember correctly). Just pointing out the 2 or 5ms response shouldn't be the deciding factor when choosing an LCD panel.

Personally, I would go with the Acer or the Asus 19" is nice as well.

 

HOGHAULER:

I would not recomend it since there is always the possibility of frying it or something else. As I said before the monitor and quality there of is what will limit your video card so if you want to run a 4870 you would have to upgrade to a monitor that could handle 1920X1200 at 75Hz and start out price is $300 and up which blows the budget out of the water. Mind you this is still not covering the power of the VC its just the lowest you should go to take and make the most of its abilities. This is an area that few people discuss due to the fact that monitors are way behind the capabilities of the video card unless you have the big bucks to spend.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020%201109925153&bop=And&Order=PRICE&CompareItemList=N82E16824001098%2CN82E16824176071%2CN82E16824113013%2CN82E16824001266 monitors

This was just to give you an idea of what I am talking about.

So you're saying that the HD4870 will not work on lower resolution monitors? Or will it not utilize it's full effects? I am not plaaning on ever gettign such a large monitor, I was planning on the 4870 to make sure it can run some games that are about to come out at acceptable rates.

 

@ sparker366

So you're saying that DDR1066 RAM is just 800 RAM overclocked? If so, can't I just buy some 800 RAm and OC them myself. Also, I've heard that the 1066-800 difference isn't that great...it's the cas timings that are important.

1066 ram gave me better performance over my 800 ram. Sure you can try to OC 800 to 1066 but it may or may not work. !066 bought is more then likely going to run at that speed if the mobo supports it and tested at the factory to work at those speeds and voltages. So yeah buying 1066 ram would be better then trying to oc 800 ram.