I haven't made any purchases yet, and I likely won't for another 1-3 months (hopefully just the one), but here's what I am thinking for my new set up. I can't believe how much this system is going to trump my current one for nearly 1/3 of what my current one originally cost. If only I knew then, what I knew now.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-M57SLI-S4 ATX AMD Motherboard
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ 2.1GHz Socket AM2 65W Processor
Video Card: EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320-P2-N811-AR Video Card (320MB)
RAM: 2GB (all I need for now, upgradeable to 16GB if I ever need to rule the world from my PC)
PSU: Rosewill 500w Stallion Series
HDD: A Seagate Barracuda 3.0GB/s 250GB SATA drive
Throw in a nice dual-fan case, a PCI coolant fan (AMD chips run hot), some cheap speakers and...
My grand total for all of this comes to: $652.02 with shipping.
I am one happy camper right now, especially since some of these prices could fall more in the next month or two. Playing some of the games I have been on my current AGP card has been a trial in temper, especially after being used to my 360's smooth performance in 1080i (no HDMI cables for that thing yet, nor will I probably for a while).
But with money coming my way thanks to taxes and some design work, this little system is but a month or two away I think. Can't wait to take the day it all arrives off and piece it together. I'm sure I'll want a new monitor shortly thereafter, but the 19" 4:3 LCD is good for now.
What say you fellow geeks? Does this set up look good for the price or what?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
Looks like a nice rig... very comparable to the one I am looking to build. The one I'm pricing has a higher price tag attached, but it also has a 21' widescreen flat panel ViewSonic with it. I've been dragging my feet on ordering it, but I think I finally have enough money set aside to do it. Anxious to see what this new rig can do.
I seriously suggest to reconsider and get yourself a Core-2 Duo based system.
Those are just better these days, check any benchmarks.
I agree with Anonymous that Intel currently rules (or is that rulez?) over AMD at the moment, giving you more CPU bang for your buck.
I would also like to advise you to check how much more expensive the 640 MB Geforce 8800 GTS is than the 320 MB one, because the difference in performance is astounding. If the 640 MB version doesn't break your budget, you should get that one.
Other than that, nice system, especially at this low price.
@Tobold and Anon:
I'd definitely prefer an Intel system, but price is an issue. AMD is slower in most regards across the board, but not by too much, and the power of the 8800GT would more than make up for any shortcomings of the processor when I'm gaming.
But I will see how much more the 640MB video car is. I'm trying my best to keep it below $700. But we'll see what I can swing when the time comes.
Switch up the card to the new 9600 Nvidia card. It's cheap and performance is around the 8800 GT level, but uses newer chip design. The GTS cards are somewhat outdated now in terms of price/performance.
I would also vote for an Intel chip. My newer system is Intel, while my older (1 year) system is AMD, and I have to say the Intel one just feels a lot more stable. The AMD system has some major heat issues, even though the case itself uses top-end fans.
You weren't kidding, Syn. I just looked up those new 9600GT series cards and they are right up there with the 880GT series... and $100 cheaper.
I added an intel MoBo and processor, and switched the video cards, and I'm now around $730. Which is much more manageable than the 850 the Intel based MoBo and 8800GT would cost me.
Mmm... now the hard part comes.
Waiting.
I would consider a more robust power supply than Rosewill 500W. A 600W minimum, becuse those next gen video cards are very power hungry and do not forget about cooling fans. I heard that 8800 get very hot so cooling will be a very important part of it. Not sure about 9600 series though.
Yea I'm going to pick up a 9600 Wednesday to replace a malfunctioning 7900GTX (such a waste, my 1.5yr old comp has now removed both 7900GTX that it came with, SLI is awful)
You do need to be careful with the power supply. While 500w MIGHT work, 600+ would be much safer. I don't know how much more that costs, but having low power will really do some funky stuff to your system, and it looks like the 9600 is a little more power-hungry than previous mid-range cards.
Aye, I know all about the PSU issue. Just about 4-6 months ago when I bought the Radeon x1650 as my last AGP card ever, I needed to replace a 250w PSU with a 400w one.
I've increased my PSU to a 600w one, but I'm hesitant to go any further up, because the price starts to escalate rapidly with 600w+ PSUs.
I picked up an evga 9600gt to replace my 7900gt that was getting ready to blow up. The 9600 series cards don't quite match the 8800gts for performance, but they are cheaper, cooler, and less power hungry. I wouldn't worry about the power supply too much, as the new cards and cpus coming out now actually require LESS power than the generation before them (finally) and those giant power supplies are just overkill.
I also agree with the core 2 duo suggestion. I've given up on dell ever putting out reasonably priced gaming computers again and am going back to homebuilt for my next machine. My goal is to grab a Core 2 Duo E8400 whenever I can find one. Excellent CPU with an fantastic price-to-performance ratio, but they're currently almost impossible to find, other than overprice on ebay.
Brave man going with AMD. But I see you have been warned already.
I need a new video card as well my 7950 is starting to show its age
Post a Comment