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Since our last Budget Badass update back in July, the hardware industry has made some dramatic turns as far as new technology goes. With the release of the energy-efficient Penryn core from Intel, we took a side step away from the Kentsfield core and took a swing at the Q9300. While the Q9300 sports a slightly smaller cache than the Q6600, we found the Penryn to perform better in our tests. With the extra leeway we had in the budget from the previous configuration, we also swapped out the Radeon 4870 for a beefier GTX 280 while keeping the final price tag under $1500. Now this, my friends, is what we would like to call a Budget Badass!
Videocard
With the drop in video card prices, we couldn't help but to move up the graphic card chain to the next best thing. The GTX 280 is faster across all benchmarks against the Radeon 4870 and features all the video-processing capabilities available on the 9000 series cards.
One of our best budget motherboards to date. Offering stellar performance with a price tag hovering around the $100 zone, this motherboard will meet all your budget standards and more.
Despite the chip's smaller cache size, the 5-percent clock-speed advantage and its faster benchmark results were enough to put this chip ahead of the Q6600.
Memory seems to be getting cheaper and cheaper these days, giving one more reasons to go for the full 4GB. Since Vista is known for it's memory thievery, it wouldn't hurt to stock up on the extra GB.
Comments are closed on this article
Major Hurtin
January 09, 2009 at 12:50am
O.K. I'm looking at pricing a "budget" system all through NewEgg. I thought I'd settle on lookin at the Q6600 for the processor. I was excited that we could finally get deliveries to Canada from Newegg. Well, I'm not excited anymore. When I added the proc. to my cart I got a shock to say the least. This is what I saw.
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
- Item #: N82E16819115017
- Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
- $229.99
Subtotal:
$229.99$30.06
Calculate Shipping
Postal Code:UPS Standard -- $11.75UPS Expedited -- $39.32
$12.97A $30 handling fee as well as $12.97 for shipping. Bye bye Newegg, you aren't getting my business. Anyone know what gives? $43 extra to get a processor. Maybe duty?
bear
January 21, 2009 at 12:08pm
- Handling fees include Canadian sales taxes paid at the border on your behalf, in accordance with
the following table. Please refer to the included table and diagram below for the applicable tax rates for you province.
Tax is applied to the items in your order as well as the $1.00 USD customs brokerage fee.
Tax is not applied to the cost of shipping.
Province (Code)GSTPSTHST
Alberta (AB)
5.00 %
N/A
N/ABritish Columbia (BC)
5.00 %
7.00 %
N/AManitoba (MB)
5.00 %
7.00 %
N/ANew Brunswick (NB)
N/A
N/A
13.00 %Newfoundland & Labrador (NL)
N/A
N/A
13.00 %Northwest Territories (NT)
5.00 %
N/A
N/ANova Scotia (NS)
N/A
N/A
13.00 %Nunavut (NU)
5.00 %
N/A
N/AOntario (ON)
5.00 %
8.00 %
N/APrince Edward Island (PE)
5.00 %
N/A
N/AQuebec (QC)
5.00 %
7.875 % *
N/ASaskatchewan (SK)
5.00 %
N/A
N/AYukon Territory (YT)
5.00 %
N/A
N/AN/A = not applicable
* Effective QST rate after application of QST to GST as required (7.5% QST rate plus (7.5% QST on 5% GST, 0.375%) = 7.875%.)
lil insn3
December 29, 2008 at 2:00am
Would it be possible to go with a PC Power & Cooling silencer 750 watts for only $10 more? If not why wouldn't i be able to. Also what would be a good substitute for the motherboard because i can't seem to find it on newegg.com.
learning, please don't slander me with crap
fnordfnord
November 29, 2008 at 2:30pm
@theevildarkmage
I recommend the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P. Newegg sells it for about $100 after rebate. It uses the newer Intel P45 chipset.
In the guide I would replace some of the above items with these:
Antec nine hundred case
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard
Intel Q6600 processor
Corsair Dominator 2x2gb 1066 ram(only if you are overclocking if not you can get the 800 version)
Ati HD4870 graphics card
theevildarkmage
November 25, 2008 at 9:14am
Newegg.com no longer sells the MSI P35 Neo2-FR. Could you please recommend a new motherboard for your next build? Also will there be a update in time for Christmas?
schuck116
November 24, 2008 at 12:28am
MS Vista Home Premium99.99PC Power&Cooling 750W124.99Antec 1200179.99LG Blu-Ray/HD Combo139.99Patriot DDR2 1066 - 8 GB 169.98EVGA nForce 780i SLI249.99Samsung SH-S223Q DVD27.99EVGA 896-P3-1260-AR GTX260259.991TB Samsung HD103UJ114.99Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550304.89MS live.com rebate searches-121.22 1451.58
Add in the $900 Dell 3007WFP-HC I picked up, and this thing is rockin!
joeyll
October 23, 2008 at 9:03am
I think a much better quality, better stability and better looking MB for this rig is the
EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel MotherboardIts gonna cost about $40.00 more but you'll get a $20.00 mail in rebate. You're getting the 750i chipset and this board has an awesome northbridge cooler that comes on it. Just my opinion...
Joey
dqbeat
October 22, 2008 at 9:33am
i think it would be better w/ a quad core processor and no monitor?
bigjoe2269
October 20, 2008 at 1:01pm
I feel under 1k for a pretty good gaming machine is a good deal and for just everyday web browsing and doing household stuff you can spend under 500 bucks
komaya
October 19, 2008 at 3:51pm
I think Maximum PC uses the term "Budget PC" too lossely. The general definition of a budget PC should be something that almost anyone can afford but still deliver performace to run and play most applications and games out there. I understand that when you're building a PC, people tend to get overzealous but we read this magazine for guidance so that we don't have to do the research.
Here is what a "Real" budget PC should be. Keep in mind that the below configuration can be had for less depending on how much you shop around or buy from more than one vendor. I would think that people who are interested in Budget PC would shop around (or wait for sales) and buy parts from various vendors that offer the best price. The items below are as of 10/19/2008 and all from Newegg. An explanation of choices also follow after the Total Price.
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1
- Item #: N82E16811129024
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
- $149.99
- $129.99
1
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD502lJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
- Item #: N82E16822152098
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
- $69.99
1
- Item #: N82E16814130393
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
- $104.99
- $99.99
1
- Item #: N82E16820145184
- Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$25.00 Mail-in Rebate
- $74.99
- $69.99
1
MSI P35 Neo2-FR LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
- Item #: N82E16813130098
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
- $119.99
- $114.99
1
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7200 - Retail
- Item #: N82E16819115052
- Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
- $119.99
Subtotal: $604.94
Antec Sonata III- I've personally used this case on several builds and it's a simple but very effective with good cooling and accessibility. It also comes with a good 500W P/S. I've seen sales on these for somewhere around $50-60. At that price it's a bargain!
Samsung Spinpoint F1 500GB Hard Drive - THe Samsung F1 drives have been getting numerous praises, and at $69, you can't beat it.
EVGA 9600GT 512MB 256-Bit - I personally use this in my main rig. Granted, I don't play Crysis on high settings, but this card is on par with 8800GT and runs majority of games out there without a hitch. The "Key" word being "majority".
Corsair 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-800 - Memory is pretty much the same across the board with most reputable manufacturers. Almost all carry life-time warranty. I personally prefer Corsair. If I found another brand like Patriot for $20 less, I'd probably purchase that.
MSI Neo2-FR - I agree with Maximum PC that this is helluva motherboard. It is build with quality components, overclock extremely well, and is reliable.
Intel C2D E7200 CPU - This is a bargain for a well performing CPU that also overclocks well. This will run at 3.0GHz stable on stock cooling although your success may vary. Why pay $250 for a Quad core when most applications out in the market isn't designed to use multi-core? As far as gaming, if you've read reviews from any hardware review site, you should know that 2 core vs. 4 core makes negligible difference.
As you can see, the price put us at around $604. If you live outside California, you won't be paying taxes. If you count the MIR ($55) the final price is $549.
FascistNation
October 18, 2008 at 7:13pm
I find it ridiculous that you hand gys $1,500 and call it budget. Darned few real world buyers would agree. $500 including tax and shipping (without a monitor, with keyboard/mouse and Vista). Now that would be a budget.
Freedom's the Answer.
What's the Question?
MrOps
October 22, 2008 at 10:42am
You people are out of your minds. Of course you can out together a "pc" for $500 or $800 or $1000. But that is not the point of this series of updates. For one, it is called a "budget badass" aimed at power user/gamer, not just a functioning personal computer to surf web, watch video and play WoW and Peggle. Those computers can certainly be made for cheaper but in no way are entitled to the term "budget badass" they would be closer to just "budget pc"
The other thing is, they are not telling you to go and put this rig together. They are simply putting forth a template of compatible parts that are rated for performance, while leaving it up to the user to say "i'll go with a gtx 260 or 4870, move down to a 500 gb hard drive, skip the soundcard, and then plop a velociraptor in there." Which is a perfectly sensible idea for that particular user.
Anyway, get off their back about the budget badass and start researching and building a rig however the hell you want it and leave this template for the rest of us
Ops
bigjoe2269
October 17, 2008 at 7:33am
ok got my stuff and slapping to togtehr - also got a 21mm fan for the front for $6 shipped free from newegg and there are a total of $90 in rebates bringing my cost under 1k -I already have my 22" monitor and g15 keyboard and my trusty mx 510 mouse - have older speakers too klipsh 4.1 setup
russ2650
October 14, 2008 at 10:18pm
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail.........$70Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - OEM..$180MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail.............$90ASUS EAH4870/HTDI/1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16....$270PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V - Retail.............$90CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 - Retail..........$57Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s - OEM.....$80SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM.......................$26OCZ OCZTVEND2 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail................................$40This is my ideal budget badass. ~$900
bigjoe2269
October 09, 2008 at 5:57pm
just bult and ordered today from newegg lemme know what you guys think
$139.99
$129.99
1 x ($-35.00) DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #130496$-35.00
Total Amount: $1070.62
that Linux guy
October 06, 2008 at 3:27pm
I noticed you recommened Ubuntu Linux as a potential OS for this rig. I'd like to note that the sound systems in the Linux kernel (ALSA or OSS) don't fully support the Creative X-Fi series sound cards. Any other mainstream card and you're fine. Auzentech and HT Omega all have great cards using C-Media 8xxx audio processors. And they have full Linux compatability to boot!
Keith E. Whisman
October 07, 2008 at 6:18pm
The xfi problem is a driver problem that is actively being solved as we type. I've heard of some success. I'm awaiting success with the 400mhz Xfi Extreme gamer cards. Right now the Extreme Music works but that's basically an enhanced Audigy Processor.
da_samman
October 06, 2008 at 5:56am
Actually, OEM means that it comes straight from the factory. In the case of a CPU, it means jsut the CPU and no heatsink.
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
Keith E. Whisman
October 05, 2008 at 10:21pm
Is there anyway that we can hold off on the CPU and work a little overtime and with more money in hand go purchase a C2Q Q9550 or faster or slightly slower CPU. I just don't believe in buying a CPU that is cut down so much. 6megs of cache when for just a little bit of extra cash you can get 12megs and a 2.83ghz or faster CPU.
da_samman
October 04, 2008 at 8:10am
The components individually run about $100 more at Newegg.com, so yes it is not too bad at all, except that the CPU is OEM, so you will need to buy a heatsink/fan separately. All in all, it still isn't too shabby. You could use the $100 you save towards a TwinOrb heatsink and probably still have a little left.
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
brokenmoth08
October 05, 2008 at 11:30pm
Thank you sir. I was planning on buying a seprate heatsink anyway. I wasn't sure if OEM was a way of saying non-overclockable. I think I'll wait untill I7 comes out and the costs drop.
da_samman
October 06, 2008 at 5:57am
OEM means straight from the factory. In the case of a CPU, it means without a heatsink.
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
Bender2000
October 01, 2008 at 12:18pm
I came up with a list last week while planning a PC to play Starraft 2 (I got time now) and came up with a similar rig. What you haven't done in two years is set up a HTPC based on Vista. I'm really interested in what the vidcard you'd use. I'm taking my current box (Athlon X2 4200, 2GB DDR2 800, Elite Group AM2+ Mobo with hybrid SLI, 500w PSU, Vista Home Prem.) and stuffing it into a HTPC case. Its time to revisit that setup.
da_samman
October 01, 2008 at 1:40pm
Maximum PC may want to start going to Newegg more often. I just went there and they said this is a deactivated item, emaning they may not carry it anymore. Any other suggestions for a mobo for this system would be greatly appreciated. Also, won't there be issues with trying to have 4 GB in XP Pro?
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
da_samman
October 04, 2008 at 7:58am
No, I use the 32-bit because drivers are more available and so is software compatibility, unless 32 bit software can run on 64-bit OSes.
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
mlee19
October 01, 2008 at 11:13am
cant you read?! they arent using seagate, they are using a SAMSUNG HDD!
russ2650
October 14, 2008 at 10:23pm
Seagate's prependicular recording that MPC loves so much as well as Samsung's Spinpoints are both very faulty drives. I would stay clear of both, but you're right it's Samsung.
marshall834
October 01, 2008 at 10:42am
I guess I'm not the only one who thinks "budget" means under 1K. I think Budget Badass is
good at 1.5K, but MaxPC should consider a Budget PC under 1K for us who are cheapies, but
still want a decent rig, like me!
plaskon
October 01, 2008 at 10:26am
Given that our next OS is based on Vista, how well do you suppose this banger would run Windows 7?
Fuzzmaster
October 01, 2008 at 10:24am
Is it just me, or does Newegg not have this card for $389? Can anyone else find the price quoted?
dreamreality
October 01, 2008 at 3:43pm
It is currently out of stock, but it is on their site for $389 after rebate.
da_samman
October 08, 2008 at 11:51am
Speaking of out of stock, the motherboard on their parts list for budget badass is not only out of stock, it isn't even listed. Anyone out there got any ideas for a suitable replacement?
Sincerely yours, from FOB Striker, Iraq,
SGT Samuel E. McClard II
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride!!
Redeye
October 01, 2008 at 10:11am
Good picks, but it always blows my mind when some people say budget and roll off with $1500 machine. My idea of budget is under a grand, but still capable of creating pleasurable experiences. Oh well, good stuff.
samduhman
October 01, 2008 at 11:02am
I put together a complete system with a gamers requirements who is on a tight budget but still wants the games to look and run well. I did not go dirt cheap. All components had a decent amount of positive reviews.
Intel core 2 dou E7200 and Asus mb
4 gigs of OCZ
250g sata drive
HD 4850 video
Coolermaster case, 600w sli ps, dvd burner
$727 shipped (Newegg)
Still need to tack on OS, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc if they are needed but that gives you a general idea of cost for the core PC.
This build is what I consider to be a budget gamers pc.
You know what. I just reread the name of the article and we are barking up the wrong tree. The title says budget badass which is what they built, A badass budget system. :)
russ2650
October 01, 2008 at 11:33am
There is a large difference in price between the Q9300 ($260, Newegg) and the Q6600 ($180). Eighty bucks. I'm betting others will agree when I say the benchmarks do not justify the newer proc's price.I also like the brand new Radeon 4870 with 1GB GDDR5, which has a $300 price tag. The cheapest GTX 280 I can find is a $400 overclocked version. The 280 and 4870 X2 are top of the line and are, I think, out of place in a budget build. See for yourself how the 4870 1GB stacks up against the old 4870 and others: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3415&p=1Couldn't wait for MPC's review! I recommend PowerColor's Radeon HD 4870 1GB PCS+. They overclocked the GPU and memory, but the reason I'm recommending it is the awesome cooling solution they claim runs 10 deg C cooler than other versions (which have been reported to be very hot).
dreamreality
October 01, 2008 at 3:41pm
With the budget badass budget at $1500, we tried to get as close to that price line as possible while trying to squeeze the most amount of performance into it. So while the Q9300 is $80 more than the Q6600, there is still a performance gain. Of course, some would rather save $80 and get the Q6600 and that's fine, but for our build, we tried to push as close to $1500 as possible.
superdave33
October 01, 2008 at 8:59am
Newegg is running the power supply for 99.99 with a 20.00 MIR and free shipping right now.
schinkinatror
October 01, 2008 at 8:05am
So you can build a kick ass rig for 1500 dollars, very nice. But how about one for 1000, or a rig that would cost the same as a simple desktop and PS3(400+400=800). Or better yet a machine better than the Crysis warhead machine but for the same cost.
Springfield45
October 01, 2008 at 7:34am
I guess I am the only one this stupid, but I think I would change the P35 board for a P45. Asus has a good one with 8 phase power for about $140 at newegg, or the MSI is about $150. I would offset the price by going with a Radeon 4870 1GB video card, and still come out $60 ahead. That $60 could go toward next year's purchase of another 4870 for crossfire operation (2 8x pciexpress 2.0 slots give the same bandwidth as 2 16x pciexpress 1.0 slots.) The performance of the new 1gb cards is impressive, to say the least!
-- An armed man is a free man. --
russ2650
October 14, 2008 at 10:24pm
First, I LOVE the Budget Badass series. Thank you MPC! I really had my heart set on the July update, but now I must reconsider. I like the processor and video card updates, but I do have one concern.
I simply do not have faith in the reliability of Seagate's perpendicular recording technology. Across the internet, customers are complaining about very high failure rates for the terabyte drives. Technology and manufacturing probably both play a part. Sorry, Seagate, I will not be part of it.
*Too bad I mixed up MPC's chosen manufacturer
warspite721
October 01, 2008 at 6:41am
Given the lack of multithreading in today's or near-term games, wouldn't a gamer be better off with an E8400/E8500? It's price (~ $190), solid performance and overclocking ability should make it one of the top choices for a budget gaming rig.
Digital-Storm
October 01, 2008 at 7:42am
And you sir, are the reason why game developers do not want to move there game technology forward. A game developer looks at the broad. Does more people have duelcore or quadcore. Then they design the game toward that. Nvidia gpu's have Physx on the card too.
CrimsonKnight13
October 01, 2008 at 7:08am
I think the guide should have the option between Dual & Quad. Your suggestion would work out great for the dual core choice.I have a Q6600 & utilization of each cores varies with the games & apps chosen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Libera te ex infernis!
Pink_ Floyd
October 29, 2008 at 7:15pm
I think AMD would have been a better choice for the CPU. They are cheaper and run faster without the need for overclocking.
