I have $300 help me build a beast? ( updated with PSU info )

If it's possible with $300 :P...here are my current specs

Windows 7

Intel core duo e4500 2.20 Ghz

4GB DDR2 RAM

ATI Radeon HD4850 GPU

EVGA E-7150/630I Motherboard

22" Samsung 1920 x 1080 Monitor

I have decided to put it together myself with some help from you guys and the how to above in this section.

I don't want to upgrade for a long long time so I am hoping I can do something with $300...if you guys culd help me pick some good hardware I would greatly appreciate it

save up some money for now until you can afford a better system. For now you can try overclocking that cpu to around 3 ghz. You will need a better cooler. You can also upgrade your video card if you want.

tbh id just swap the cpu for a pentium dual core e6750 which would be all of a 90 dollar transaction id then put the rest towards a better gpu like say an hd 5830 EE from sapphire

thatd be about the best decision you could make system wise. the alternative is save up a bit more and got a complete replacement @ say the 500 dollar price tag

tbh id just swap the cpu for a pentium dual core e6750 which would be all of a 90 dollar transaction id then put the rest towards a better gpu like say an hd 5830 EE from sapphire

thatd be about the best decision you could make system wise. the alternative is save up a bit more and got a complete replacement @ say the 500 dollar price tag

ionusX

Would that CPU work with my mother board....I'll look into it cuz I don't think I can round up more money at this point lol my wife isalready annoyedha

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116370

+

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102878

AND you get a free tv-tuner out of it worth about $45

total under - 250

I dont know why more people don't recommend the 6950 1gb. It is stronger than the 560 ti, costs less money and unless you really care about physx theres no point in getting it over the 6950 1gb. Here it costs $230, plus has a $30 mail in rebate...so thats $200 for a card STRONGER than a 560 ti

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=58456&vpn=HD695XZNDC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1320

I dont know why more people don't recommend the 6950 1gb. It is stronger than the 560 ti, costs less money and unless you really care about physx theres no point in getting it over the 6950 1gb. Here it costs $230, plus has a $30 mail in rebate...so thats $200 for a card STRONGER than a 560 ti

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=58456&vpn=HD695XZNDC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1320

blaznwiipspman1

please insert credit(s) to continue..

http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=59492&vpn=AX6950%201GBD5-2DH&manufacture=PowerColor&promoid=1320

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116370

+

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102878

AND you get a free tv-tuner out of it worth about $45

total under - 250

ionusX

what about this CPU with the card you showed?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115207&cm_re=775_cpu-_-19-115-207-_-Product

Here's what I would do. Upgrade your CPU and motherboard to these, keeping your DDR2 RAM-

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

ASRock A770DE+ AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

That will cost you just shy of $200. If you can spend $340 or $350 instead of $300, you could also upgrade your GPU to something worthwhile.

Here's what I would do. Upgrade your CPU and motherboard to these, keeping your DDR2 RAM-

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

ASRock A770DE+ AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

That will cost you just shy of $200. If you can spend $340 or $350 instead of $300, you could also upgrade your GPU to something worthwhile.

hartsickdiscipl

I think I could round up and extra 50 for a new GPU...doesn't seem like a bad idea

Here's what I would do. Upgrade your CPU and motherboard to these, keeping your DDR2 RAM-

That will cost you just shy of $200. If you can spend $340 or $350 instead of $300, you could also upgrade your GPU to something worthwhile.

hartsickdiscipl

he could do that but only if the motherboard supports the new bulldozer chips, then that would make his ddr2 ram useless. So there is no point in spending money to get the amd board and cpu when he could just upgrade to a quad core 8400, which is without a doubt faster than a phenom II. You can get a core 2 quad on kijiji for cheap

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q8200-2-33GHz-1333MHz-FSB-4MB-LGA-775-W0QQAdIdZ277295885--->core 2 quad for $120 no fans

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q6600-W0QQAdIdZ274381993-->core 2 q6600 for $130

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

Here's what I would do. Upgrade your CPU and motherboard to these, keeping your DDR2 RAM-

That will cost you just shy of $200. If you can spend $340 or $350 instead of $300, you could also upgrade your GPU to something worthwhile.

blaznwiipspman1

he could do that but only if the motherboard supports the new bulldozer chips, then that would make his ddr2 ram useless. So there is no point in spending money to get the amd board and cpu when he could just upgrade to a quad core 8400, which is without a doubt faster than a phenom II. You can get a core 2 quad on kijiji for cheap

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q8200-2-33GHz-1333MHz-FSB-4MB-LGA-775-W0QQAdIdZ277295885--->core 2 quad for $120 no fans

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q6600-W0QQAdIdZ274381993-->core 2 q6600 for $130

A Q8400 is slower than a Phenom II X4 955, unless you OC the 8400. It's not even really that close. You have to get a Q8000 series to 3ghz or higher to really compete with a 3.2ghz Phenom II.

Are you even sure that his motherboard supports a Q8400? I looked at the CPU support list on EVGA's website, and it made no mention of support for them.

http://www.evga.com/support/motherboard/nForce_Intel_CPU_List.pdf

Now I'm not saying that he shouldn't just buy a Q6600 and OC it. In fact, if he can find a good deal on one, I encourage it. I was just making a recommendation based on his budget and new parts. The new board won't support Bulldozer, but who cares? Coming from his current CPU, a 3.2ghz Phenom II X4 would be a massive upgrade, and would hold him for the next couple of years.

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

[QUOTE="hartsickdiscipl"]

Here's what I would do. Upgrade your CPU and motherboard to these, keeping your DDR2 RAM-

That will cost you just shy of $200. If you can spend $340 or $350 instead of $300, you could also upgrade your GPU to something worthwhile.

hartsickdiscipl

he could do that but only if the motherboard supports the new bulldozer chips, then that would make his ddr2 ram useless. So there is no point in spending money to get the amd board and cpu when he could just upgrade to a quad core 8400, which is without a doubt faster than a phenom II. You can get a core 2 quad on kijiji for cheap

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q8200-2-33GHz-1333MHz-FSB-4MB-LGA-775-W0QQAdIdZ277295885--->core 2 quad for $120 no fans

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-computer-accessories-Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q6600-W0QQAdIdZ274381993-->core 2 q6600 for $130

A Q8400 is slower than a Phenom II X4 955, unless you OC the 8400. It's not even really that close. You have to get a Q8000 series to 3ghz or higher to really compete with a 3.2ghz Phenom II.

Are you even sure that his motherboard supports a Q8400? I looked at the CPU support list on EVGA's website, and it made no mention of support for them.

http://www.evga.com/support/motherboard/nForce_Intel_CPU_List.pdf

I thought I could get any cpu with a 775 socket? Is that incorrect?

What type of PSU are you using? I'd hate for you to upgrade only to find your PC rebooting, shutting down, or otherwise because your PSU was insufficient for that fancy new card. ;)

Boz

What type of PSU are you using? I'd hate for you to upgrade only to find your PC rebooting, shutting down, or otherwise because your PSU was insufficient for that fancy new card. ;)

Boz

Bozanimal

I wondered about that too...I'll have to look at get back to you

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/85?vs=89

as you can see clock for clock the 8400 is stronger than any phenom available, usually by 10 %, so there is no point in "upgrading" to a ph II. If his mobo doesn't support any core 2 quad, even a q6600 then thats a shame, but the fact remains that going phenom II from where he is isn't a good idea.

I wondered about that too...I'll have to look at get back to you

chikenfriedrice

Good luck,

Boz

[QUOTE="chikenfriedrice"]

I wondered about that too...I'll have to look at get back to you

Bozanimal

Good luck,

Boz

it was a pre built by a local company that went out of business...then my PC crashed and their sister company ( PC Laptops ) rebuilt everything for $800 and it was a total rip off after I found out I could buy much better parts myself...this was like 4 years ago and since then I upgraded my RAM and GPU.

When I get home for lunch I will find out my PSU for you....thanks!

What type of PSU are you using? I'd hate for you to upgrade only to find your PC rebooting, shutting down, or otherwise because your PSU was insufficient for that fancy new card. ;)

Boz

Bozanimal

I added the PSU info...looks like I would need a new one? lol

Which state and city do you live in? If you don't have a problem with used components, you can find a decent deal on craigslist for lga 775 cpus.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/85?vs=89

as you can see clock for clock the 8400 is stronger than any phenom available, usually by 10 %, so there is no point in "upgrading" to a ph II. If his mobo doesn't support any core 2 quad, even a q6600 then thats a shame, but the fact remains that going phenom II from where he is isn't a good idea.

blaznwiipspman1

We're not talking about clock for clock here. We're talking about dollar for dollar. I'm recommending that he spend less than $200 on a motherboard/CPU upgrade that will give his system a massive longevity and performance boost. His mobo may or may not support the Q8000 series, but the official CPU support list from EVGA's own website makes no mention of any support. It is absolutely a good idea for him to go for a Phenom II/mobo/GPU upgrade, especially since he's said that he can probably expand his budget to $350ish. What would you have him do, upgrade to a cheap LGA 1155 mobo with a 2500k and keep his 4850? That would be right in line with your choice to upgrade from an i5-750 to a 2500k and keep your 4770, but not the best choice for the TC to get a balanced gaming rig. A 955 (especially OC'd, which is so easy with unlocked multi) coupled with a GTX 460/AMD 6850 is a much smarter gaming combo. Unless he finds a nice cheap Q6600 (and overclocks the hell out of it) or somehow confirms that a Q8000 will work in his board (and overclocks it), the AM2+ mobo/Phenom II 955 upgrade option is the best within his current budget.

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/85?vs=89

as you can see clock for clock the 8400 is stronger than any phenom available, usually by 10 %, so there is no point in "upgrading" to a ph II. If his mobo doesn't support any core 2 quad, even a q6600 then thats a shame, but the fact remains that going phenom II from where he is isn't a good idea.

hartsickdiscipl

We're not talking about clock for clock here. We're talking about dollar for dollar. I'm recommending that he spend less than $200 on a motherboard/CPU upgrade that will give his system a massive longevity and performance boost. His mobo may or may not support the Q8000 series, but the official CPU support list from EVGA's own website makes no mention of any support. It is absolutely a good idea for him to go for a Phenom II/mobo/GPU upgrade, especially since he's said that he can probably expand his budget to $350ish. What would you have him do, upgrade to a cheap LGA 1155 mobo with a 2500k and keep his 4850? That would be right in line with your choice to upgrade from an i5-750 to a 2500k and keep your 4770, but not the best choice for the TC to get a balanced gaming rig. A 955 (especially OC'd, which is so easy with unlocked multi) coupled with a GTX 460/AMD 6850 is a much smarter gaming combo. Unless he finds a nice cheap Q6600 (and overclocks the hell out of it) or somehow confirms that a Q8000 will work in his board (and overclocks it), the AM2+ mobo/Phenom II 955 upgrade option is the best within his current budget.

he has a few options that I would recommend:

a) buy a cooler and overclock the crap out of his current core 2 duo. If it reaches above 3ghz it will out perform a phenom II. Total cost would be $30

b) He could get a 955/am3+ mobo and ddr3 ram which would give him a path to bulldozer down the line and save him money. Approximate cost for this would be $100 for mobo, $135 for cpu and $40 for ram so around $280

c) He could save money on the ddr3 ram by trading his ddr2 ram on craigslist or selling it. Ive done just that recently. This would drive down his cost for am3+ mobo and cpu to $235

or he could do what you recommend:

d) buy am2+ mobo/955 for approximate cost of $200

Personally I would go with option a) or option c)

option a) gives him room to also get a good video card, while option c) will give him room for a bulldozer chip. Its a tough choice but I'd give option c) the edge since the 4850 is still a decent video card.

So do I need a new PSU before I can even do anything?