How to Build a Kick-ass $800 Gaming PC
Posted 12/18/08 at 12:00:00 PM by Benson Hong & Florence Ion
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1. Mount the Power Supply
Traditionally, the PSU is mounted at the top of the case. But in this instance, the Antec Three Hundred case reserved room for the power supply at the bottom. Start by removing the four screws that are meant to hold the PSU in place. Then, slide the unit down into place, making sure you keep the wires inside the case and avoid pinching any underneath the power supply. This Power Supply should be oriented so that the rear fan is to the left of the power switch. With the screwdriver, insert the four screws into the appropriate slots to finish mounting the power supply.
2. Drop in the CPU
You may have thought with the end of CPU pins that installing your processor was safe and worry-free. It can be, but if you’re not careful, installing your new CPU can still bork your mobo. It’s still one of the most delicate steps in building a PC, which is why we usually recommend installing the CPU before you mount the motherboard in the case. First, remove the black protective shield covering the socket and store it in a place you won’t forget. It’s good practice to save this plastic covering since most motherboard manufacturers require it to be in place if you ever need to RMA a defective board.
The next step is to unlatch the metal arm next to the socket and lift the retention plate. Then, look at the CPU and the socket and match up the notches on the CPU with the notches on the socket. Drop the CPU in carefully while keeping it parallel to the socket (ie. not tilted at any angle). Make sure the marked corner of the CPU’s heat spreader matches up with the marked corner of the socket. Do not slide the CPU around when it is in the socket or it may damage the processor or motherboard. Once the CPU is aligned in place, drop the retention clamp and then slowly and carefully push the metal locking arm down, making sure it clicks into position. You will feel some resistance while pushing the arm down, but this is normal.
With the CPU in place, it’s time to attach the heatsink.
3. Lock in the Heatsink
The retail version of our CPU comes with a stock Intel cooler. In our experience, stock coolers deliver more than sufficient cooling for most users, especially if you’re not planning on overclocking your processor. The stock Intel cooler keeps things simple with pre-applied thermal paste and an easy-to-install, though not necessarily secure, locking mechanism.
First, make sure that you remove any protective film from the cooler’s thermal grease. Leaving that on will definitely cause your processor to overheat. Then ,line up the legs of the heatsink with the holes on the motherboard and let the heatsink rest on top of the CPU. Make sure each leg’s locking mechanism is in the install position with the arrows facing outward, away from the center of the cooler. Press firmly on the first leg until you hear a click and feel the locking mechanism snap into place. Then, do the same thing on the leg opposite the first one you locked.
Once all four legs are locked, you can flip the motherboard over and you should see all four legs sticking out slightly from the bottom. If a leg is not fully secured or the heatsink still feels loose, turn the locking mechanism counterclockwise with a flathead screwdriver so the arrows face in, pull the leg straight up and repeat the steps mentioned above.
After the cooler is safely fastened to the motherboard, plug the fan’s four-pin power cable into the corresponding four-pin header on the motherboard—typically it’s near the socket. Make sure your wires won’t get caught in the CPU fan though!
Wow thanks for this, I would
Submitted by sandra34 on Fri, 11/13/2009 - 3:55am
Wow thanks for this, I would love my PC to be a full on gaming PC such as this, its fantastic!
Submitted by damen1786 on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 5:14pm
great article nice guid to follow if your building your own pc www.customgamingrig.com
You Might be Better off Spending a little more money with
Submitted by joeyjr on Tue, 05/19/2009 - 8:40pm
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$99.99 N82E16811129021
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
Model BX80570E8500 - Retail
$189.99 N82E16819115036
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
$31.99 N82E16835186134
GIGABYTE GV-R489-1GH-B Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16
HDCP Ready Video Card - Retail
$239.99 N82E16814125276
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
Internal Hard Drives - OEM
$99.99 N82E16822136284
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$139.99 N82E16813128369
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE Model SH-S222L - OEM
$23.99 N82E16827151176
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS750QBL 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI
Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire ... - Retail
$119.99 N82E16817703019
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual
Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600EB4GK - Retail
$84.99 N82E16820227286 @1333 FSB
$1,030.91 total price as of the date of this post at New egg. Add 324.99 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail for a total of $1165.91.You could buy or build a budget Core i7 or AMD 955 for about 1000-1200 dollars right now.
This is basicly what my new system has in it, but I already had the case and the IDE optial drives. Add a Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer, and 4 more G of Ram, and Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit which got a 1685 rating on Performance Test 7 Bench Mark. That would add anouther 490 dollars to the cost though. Idles a 2G @ 27 Deg C and using Eazy Tune can over clock to 3.6 @ 1600 MHZ FSB eazy. The system is cool and quite. The new GPU uses 60 watts at idel and 190w loaded, so you could add a second one if you like because thers plenty of power. I also added Antec 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - Retail $17.09 for the side of the case and a Thermaltake XCONTROLLER 5.25" Drive Bay Kits - Fan Controller w/ LED Light - Retail $12.99 the slow down the 4 total 120mm case fans which realy cuts the noise down. I have them all blowing into the case. The 200mm fan on top set to hi all the time is enough to get rid of the heat in the case. I can play Crysis on high at 1600 x 1200 using DirectX 10 and Stalker on High with the same resolutionwith no problem. Thats good enough for me for now. Later I will down grade it and make it my desktop/media pc.
Building a budget system is a great way to stay in the game and if you have some parts to start with to keep the price down, it will not cost as much. As far as I can see, but then again it depends on what performance level your after. 500, 800, 1000, 1200 ect... is alot all at once, it takes time and there is always something new or better. You have to start someware. I went with the 775 socket for now because I am not sure the newer mobos and processors yet and if I wait the prices will surely come down. Then maybe I will upgrade in a year or so. Shoot, I am still running a 3.4 P4 prescott CPU and AGP GPU that still can do alot. Peace out and game on dude!
joeyjr
Submitted by cyrsisbeast on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 1:41pm
ok dont do this it is overpriced i can get an e8600 3.33ghz 2 9800gt 512mb graphic cards extreme cooling 580w vista 64basic mouse and keyboard 320gb sata II hard drive 72000rpm 4gb of ddr3 ram corssfirex and much more for only 945 so ok 145 dollars more but comon
Submitted by luckyeight on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 5:54am
I didn't have 800 bucks kickin around....
Case- (Broadway w/550w PSU 39.99).....Mobo- (Asus M2N68-AMSE2+ 49.99)....Proc- (AMD64X25800+ 58.99).....RAM- (Corsair 4gig DDR2800 19.99)....HSF- (Thermaltake TR2-R1 19.99).....Video (ATI HD3850 59.99)......HDD (Seagate 500gig 54.99).....CD/DVD (Lite-On 22x sata 24.99)
All this adds up to 323.92.....now thats a gamer on a budget..
Also, i added and ACER 22" LCD....169.99, so i spent less than 500 on a COMPLETE machine that runs ANY game out right now....Crysis, COD5, Stalker, granted it won't run em all on high settings but very acceptable framerates......also slightly OC'ed system to 3.4ghz with air cooling....for all u peeps who want a score for this system....stock 3DMark06 score= 8712, OC'ed score=11487.....this is a GREAT price-point...
Peace Out......
Submitted by suspectdevice on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 2:27pm
Below is what i came up with on NewEgg, I already have multiple hard drives, so the capacity on the one in the package is not an issue for me.
Open Box: MSI DKA790GX AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813130191R
Return Policy: 30 Day Non-Replaceable Policy $84.99
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black ATX-612WEB 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811156078
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
RAIDMAX RX-600AF 600W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817152041
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
- $20.00 Instant
- $20.00 Combo
- 30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$129.98
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103471
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT25664AA80A - Retail
Item #: N82E16820148212
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy-$40.00 Instant
-$17.50 Combo
$268.49
HIS Hightech H485FN512P Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814161259
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
HIS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Game DVD Gift - Retail
Item #: N82E16800997041
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy-$10.00 Instant
-$49.99 Combo
-$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$139.99
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116490
Return Policy: Software Return Policy
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148262
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
-$54.99 Combo
$179.99
Subtotal: $803.44
After -$40.00 Mail in rebates and $41.39 shipping, total is $804.83
Submitted by Xyberz on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 4:28am
Ok, I have some parts already aquired and I would like to use on my new rig because my current system is kinda old and it needs go to. Below is the list of parts I have already:
All Aluminum Black Case
Thermaltake 600W PSU
Thermaltake Big Rig water cooling kit
Danger Den Maze 4 Waterblock
1 - 750GB SATA, 1 - 500GB SATA, 1 - 400GB IDE, 1-350GB IDE
Soundblaster X-FI sound card
I use my computer mainly for downloading stuff, converting videos so maybe dual video card setup would be great, and sometimes online gaming but nothing really hardcore. Any suggestions on what kind of system and pricing? I'm kinda frugal so I don't mind shopping around for prices including places like Ebay
E8400 vs. Q6600 vs. Q9300
Submitted by joel96 on Sat, 01/03/2009 - 2:07pm
Back in the <a href="http://dl.maximumpc.com/Archives/MPC0608-web.pdf">June 2008 issue</a> (page 10-11), MPC did a comparison between the Q9300 and the Q6600. The Q9300 won.
Now, the recommendation for both the Pro Gaming PC buyer (~$2500) and the $800 version use the same Dual Core CPU, the E8400. MPC's baseline system uses the Q9300. The rationale for using the E8400 is that multithreaded applications are still in the future. I agree. There isn't a big price difference between the two, with both at around $115 on eBay.
Have there been benchmarks comparing the performance difference in most applications between the E8400 and the Q9300?
Chaintech nForce4 Zenith VE
1GB pc3200 cl3 DDR, Athlon 64 3200+, 300GB Seagate HDD, Thermaltake PurePower 480W PSU, ATI x800 Radeon 256MB PCIe, IOMagic DVD16DL, Audigy 2SE.Soon to be mobo: MSI P45 Neo3 Platinum.
Submitted by herarmyman on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 9:06pm
I"m trying to get a opinion of the masses for my next build: I'm gonna be working with a cash cap of about $1200.
First I'm going to be using the PC primarily for Gaming (ie: Flight Sim X, WoW) so not really intense games. Then it's secondary purpose will be TV recording strait to my PC.
Should I go with:
PROCS: AMD or Intel, Dual-Core or Quad - Core
MOBO: 2 x PCIE 2.0 or 3x slots?
GRAPHICS: Nvidia or ATI?? who's the best?
Also should I got with internal or external TV recorder?
Thanks to all the Maximum PC fans for you help!! GO ARMY!!!
Submitted by chaching on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 8:27pm
*breathes in*
CASE:
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme-AM2-BP= $70
Cold cathode kit = $7
Thermaltake Spedo =$200
OCZ 700W ModXStream Pro Power Supply =$106
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner = $25
CORE COMPONENTS: Xtreme Phase design w/ CrossfireX support, TurboV= $80
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P10664GK = $50
AMD Phenom 9950 Agena 2.6GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor =$130
STORAGE, GPU: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"$120
HIS H487QT1GP Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported IceQ 4+$165
MONITOR, KEYBOARD, MOUSELG W2242T-BF Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor =$200Logitech Deluxe 250 Black 104 Normal Keys USB Standard Keyboard=$25RAZER DeathAdder RZ01-00150100-R3M1 Black 5 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Optical 1800 dpi High Precision Gaming Mouse =$50
$268
+$410
+$285
+$261
=$1, 224
SITES=newegg and crazypc. oh and ur welkom. dunno about tv crap, but for another 100 you can get a tv tuner
Why Oh Why....
Submitted by cj100570 on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 8:50pm
would you use a Core 2 Duo when a Core 2 Quad can be had for about the same price?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
Submitted by cbenoit7 on Sun, 01/04/2009 - 5:39pm
i was told that it is more expensive to surround the quad core components then it is with dual core.. so if you got the money go for it!!
Submitted by nomad33fw on Mon, 12/29/2008 - 7:11pm
First I already have a great case, a Silverstone L10M (HTPC) and Windows Vista Premium so I don't have to buy those. This PC would be mainly used in my home theater with just a little part time gaming.
Qty.Product DescriptionSavingsTotal Price1
- Western Digital Caviar GP WD5000AACS 500GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
- Item #: N82E16822136149
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
- $59.99
1
- VisionTek 900241 Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
- Item #: N82E16814129112
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
- $184.99
- $179.99
1
- CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
- Item #: N82E16817139002
- Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$40.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
- $189.99
- $149.99
1
- CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail
- Item #: N82E16820145590
- Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
$13.00 Mail-in Rebate
- $32.99
1
- Open Box: MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
- Item #: N82E16813130180R
- Return Policy: Open Box Item Return Policy
- $74.99
1
- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
- Item #: N82E16819115037
- Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
- $164.99
1
- LITE-ON Black 6X Blu-Ray DVD ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model iHES106-29 - OEM
- Item #: N82E16827106270
- Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
- $104.99
Subtotal:$767.93
Submitted by chaching on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 8:31pm
add about $20 for a 4 gigabyte kit and you can roll like none other. I also recommend the his iceQ4+ 4870 for another 20-something dollars
Submitted by cooper on Sun, 12/28/2008 - 5:49pm
I love this article, namely, because I am within a day or so from buying and configuring my first gaming pc.
I have a tight budget, which is closer to $700 than $800. Until I read this article, I was really close to buying the following. Thoughts? Mistakes?
Seagate Barracuda 500GB $58
Termaltake Steel Mid Black Tower Case w/ 2 fans $83
AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple Core Processor 2.4Ghz Cache 95W $142
Pioneer DVR-216 20X SATA DVD Burner Drive $28
MSI DKA790GX Platinum AMD 790GX AM2+ Phenom FX . . . Motherboard $162
OCZ 500W SLI/Crossfire Active Power Supply Retail $72
Patriot DDR2 (1066) 2 X 1GB $94
EVGA Geforce 9800 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 (2.0V) Video Card $128
Submitted by chaching on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 8:40pm
get a diff brand name RAM. 4 gig kits sell 4 50 bucks. that money you can use to buy a gtx 216(because the 9800 sucks balls while the gtx 260 gives impressive kicks [when ran wit 4 gigs of course]). you also forgot the cpu cooler. for about 60 bucks the thermalright 120 extreme is kickass(even maxpc said so). it runs 30 degrees on average more than a stock cooler. now thats kickass(sorry to be redundant). ♂
A nice one I built for my kid:
Submitted by joe1991 on Sun, 12/28/2008 - 7:09am
Rosewill R5605-BK ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $59.99
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-DS3 AM2+/AM2 Motherboard - $78.99AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz Socket AM2 - $56.99
SAPPHIRE 100245L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 - $144.99
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 #:TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - $54.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $64.99Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V Power Supply - $38.99
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - $20.99Rosewill RCX-Z1 CPU Cooler - $19.99
TOTAL: $520
All parts from Newegg
Submitted by VinceG480X on Sat, 12/27/2008 - 6:11pm
Why don't you go AMD, the price is a lot cheaper and you really won't notice a huge performance hit unless you do very extreme computing, which I think that most people with 800 dollar computers dont do. Though I my self am an Intel fan-boy, I have to say that AMD still provides cheap & powerful CPU's+MOBO's for the budget range.
Here is a good + powerful budget computer which is configured with AMD, I think that it would play crysis and perform modern games/Apps moderatly well...
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM $24.99
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.95
Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST3500320NS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $89.99
ASUS M3A78 AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $79.99
Total-$723.89
Submitted by GAMER456 on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 2:47pm
Sorry Brad, but AMD is far behind Intel. Sure it's cheaper, but I'd rather have performance over price anyday.
Submitted by Arkhon on Fri, 05/01/2009 - 3:16pm
This is supposed to be a budget gaming PC. With an emphasis on the budget part. Emphasis on performance over price is not what we are talking about here. It's about balancing the two, and AMD chips can do that slightly better. You have to remember to spend money on graphics, too.
Submitted by Brad1776 on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 1:57pm
Why not use an AMD CPU and MOBO? They're much cheaper... Is the performance really that much worse than Intel's?
In my experience, stock
Submitted by ron.irvin on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 10:29pm
In my experience, stock heatsinks are terrible. I recently installed the very same one youhave here and was getting temps of around 65-70 C when idling. I replaced it with an aftermaket, $18 heatsink and used some Arctic Silver paste, $6 and it now idles at 30. Very sweet system otherwise!
What we do in life, echoes an eternity. - Maximus, Gladiator
Hmm...
Submitted by maniacm0nk3y on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 10:13pm
cool
Submitted by -it- on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 8:49pm
lol,i doubt the 3870 will outrun a 4850
Submitted by andrew30 on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 6:22pm
I think that I've come up with a machine that beats all of these at the price point
SUPERMICRO MBD-C2SBA+-O LGA 775 Intel G33 ATX Intel Motherboardand
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Wolfdale 3.33GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor combo for369.98
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20
Rosewill Stallion Series RD500-2DB 500W ATX12V Power Supply combo for 46.98
DIAMOND Viper 3870PE31G Radeon HD 3870 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card for 189.99 plus 25 dollar mail in rebate
Western Digital Caviar GP WD5000AACS 500GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for 59.99
RAIDMAX AZTEC ATX-619WB Black/ Silver 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case - Retail
for 69.99 plus 35 dollar mail in rebatetotal is $776.92-60 in rebates comes to a total of 716.92
Submitted by TheDorkSide on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 1:47pm
Yeah, I've been on the Antec PSU hater bandwagon as well...what's happened to them. BTW, the Egg has got a PC Power and Cooling 500w PSU for $70 before rebate and a 610w for not that much more as of this post. Check it out
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703015
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005
I would also go for the classic q6600. As for the video card. I'm gaming on a 19" 4:3 panel at 1280x1024 anyway, i'm sure that 4850 will do just fine.
And MaxPC, I love these guides. Even though I've been building for a while I like to see what other people are doing and borrow ideas. Keep up the good work.
Submitted by rayatwork05 on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 5:31am
LAWL! NO OS? +$100
The OS is calculated into
Submitted by dreamreality on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 1:08pm
The OS is calculated into the price but was not included in the list.
Submitted by minneyar on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 12:25pm
That seems pretty doubtful to me. The prices listed here add up to $740; even if you cheap out and get Vista Home, that'll bump it up to $830.
Those also look like list prices to me, which means you have to add in sales tax and shipping. All of the parts together before you get an OS will probably be around $800 by themselves, which means that with Vista Home (plos the cost of sales tax on that) it'll actually cost you about $900.
And honestly, if you're a serious gamer who wants to build your own systems, you're gimping yourself by getting Vista Home. If nothing else, that 16 GB RAM limit will bite you -- sure, that's a lot right now, but just give it a few years. Back when XP first came out, 1 GB was considered massive for a home desktop system, but nowadays you won't find any decent systems that don't have at least 2 GB. Anyway, getting Vista Ultimate instead will make the price closer to $1000.
Submitted by The_PhoenixX on Sun, 12/21/2008 - 10:06am
As a gamer hes limiting himself with 16 gig? Not exactly How many games use 8 gigs?And im talking just for games, Not saying hes running photoshop, Maya while rendering and playin crysis and full settings. By the time ANYONE needs 16 gigs of ram to play games we'll prob have gone through 3 new rigs. My system is only 4 gigs, well technically 3.25 with the rest in the page file but I havnt needed more. I do rendering in maya and ripp cds while playin games once in awhile too.
Submitted by dreamreality on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 2:17pm
Sorry for the confusion. we had to use a different PSU for the test rig in this setup. The parts listed in the $800 budget PC (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/budget_pc?page=0%2C1) add up to $803 because of a cheaper PSU. For this test rig we used a 550w neopower which costs $40 more than the earthwatts PSU.
ohhh damnnn
Submitted by 420ku5h on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 1:17am
check this deal
XFX nForce 750a SLI Motherboard - Qty: 1
$129.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5800+ Processor ADA5800IAA5DO - Qty: 1
$79.99
Corsair 4096MB PC6400 DDR2 - Qty: 1
$54.99
Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 500GB Hard Drive - Qty: 1
$59.99
XFX GeForce 9600 GSO Video Card - Qty: 1
$79.99
CoolerMaster CM690 nVIDIA Edition ATX Case - Qty: 1
$99.99
Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply - Qty: 1
$79.98
$559.99 <<cheap real cheap
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4320034&csid=_22
just missing a cd drive and u can get a dvd & lightscribe burner for $30 at tiger direct
Not so fast, Buster
Submitted by Bender2000 on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 12:01pm
Seriously, an Athlon x2? Not even a Phenom? Not even in the ballpark! Add $100 to get a top Phenom X4 and you are at $650, which is still a good price. Athlons are dirt cheap but they are just out of their league these days.
Submitted by 420ku5h on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 12:59am
XFX nForce 780i 3-Way SLI Motherboard with 3 pci express x16 slots also comes with
an intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0ghz Processor
$360 after rebateHitachi 1tb Hard Drive
$80 after rebateHP Lightscribe and DVD Burner
$304gb Corsair Dual Channel
$20 after rebateXFX GeForce 9800 GT - 512MB GDDR3
$100 after rebate750-Watt / Quad PCI-Express power supply
$120 after rebate$710 thats it, without a computer case,
this is all $710 after rebates from tigerdirect.com ... yes it is crazy .. i know, probably best deal!!!!
if you want direct links to this stuff email me at cmp_007@yahoo.com
Submitted by FusilliJerry82 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 9:49pm
That means they support a 1333Mhz FSB MAX. They will support CPUs with 800 and 1066 (sometimes even 533). No need to search for a motherboard that only says 1066.
Submitted by silvershad on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 12:01pm
this is a great read, however, i think things could have gone better with the choices. if you could have cut the prices on a few products, you could have gotten some even better products. here is what i mean.
LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner $29.99
NZXT TEMPEST $109.99 before $30 MIR
SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB $54.99
GIGABYTE GV-N98TOC-1GH GeForce 9800 GT 1GB $162.99 before $20 MIR
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RP-600-PCAR 600W $69.99
OCZ Fatal1ty Edition 4GB (2x2GB) $35.99
XFX MB750I72P9 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI $149.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 $189.99
total is $803.92 ($753.92 after MIR) all from newegg.
so if you adjust the price that you are giving to your PST and your graphics cards (the low ends ATI cards are more expensive), as well as shave off a little here and there, you can increase your performance by quite a lot. i got 2 more gigs of ram, a better mobo, 100w more power (not to mention just a better PSU imo), better graphics and i am assuming double the ram on the graphics because it was not posted, and a better case.
also, where did you get the prices? were these the manufacturers sugested prices? were they from newegg?
PS, whats with all the editors posting? NO BS PODCAST FTW!!!!
Submitted by maniacm0nk3y on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 10:18am
I love reading these and seeing what people chose, but when I needed it most it doesn't really help.
I have a E6600 and my motherboard crapped out, too bad all the new mobos have a 1333FSB (or whatever is the norm now) so I only can choose a mini-atx or open box.
At least Christmas is here....
your e6600 will work with
Submitted by royboy81 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 3:18pm
your e6600 will work with this mb, and any other that supports 1333FSB as they are downward compatible (1066, 800, etc.)
Submitted by maniacm0nk3y on Sat, 12/20/2008 - 10:16pm
It's going to be hard to not sound like a pessimist, but every Christmas gets worse.
I had a forum post about this, and what new motherboard to get....but nobody ever mentioned downwards compatibility.
Edit x2: Well let me just hope by the beginning of summer I have enough money for the new i7 rig I plan to build, so at least my plan for a media setup/main rig go smooth.
On top of college.
Submitted by OCed_5150 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 10:12am
If you are going to use a ATI 4850, use a Crossfire ready motherboard for a better upgrade path. The Asrock P45XE ($94.99 @ Newegg) and use a OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS SLI ready PSU ($74.99 @ Newegg). Get an addtional ATI 4850 at a later date.
We could juggle components for this system around till the earth stood still and try to get it under 800 bucks. But buying a NON CF / SLI board just doesn't seem practical in the situation.
Submitted by FusilliJerry82 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 9:51pm
CF/SLI "for the future" makes no sense for a budget system. By the time you can afford a second, usually a newer card is out that makes more sense to replace the old one with.
Submitted by joeyjr on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 9:22am
I like the system and would build it for media. I have a few old PCI TV tunners and an X-Fi extreme music sound card that could make use of the four PCI slots and even have room for a double slot graffic card. Also, I have a few other leftover parts that I can use to cut down on the cost, but use the money saved to get a faster processor and more memory. This would make transcoding recorded TV shows to DVD, MPEG2, MPG4 ECT... alot faster than with my P4 3.4 Prescott. Should bump up the watts on the power supply for lots of hard drives and other upgrades. Hope everything gets along with vista if not I know it will with XP MC. All-in-all the 800 dollar PC is well worth the time and money spent.
Joeyjr
Game on!!!
Submitted by Bender2000 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 7:24am
Its all about balancing the price v performance. spending over $500 for core i7 cpu/mobo throws the balance off because you skimp on storage and memory. And a $45 case/psu combo? Scares me. 80GB HDD, scant even for a netbook! I think the MaxPC guys have done a great job getting the balance perfect, right on the razor's edge.
Now we get to hear the scrooges chime in on how their idea of "budget" is three hundred bucks and the whole article is therefore a lie. Show us your $300 benchmarks!
"What's up with the
Submitted by I Jedi on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 7:23am
"What's up with the gloves??"
You can damage your computer componets because your body has electricity (Small amounts, don't worry.) that courses through it and you can end up zapping some vital componet and that's the end of that!
The gloves you see are anti-static gloves.
Submitted by bloodgain on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 9:10am
Those are actually normal old blue nitrile exam gloves. I'm not sure they would do much for static, but they might. Also, the electricity in your body is minute and won't damage your computer or anything else -- it also has very little to do with building up a static charge.
They are actually using the gloves so that the pictures look better without their gnarly hands or so their hands are more clear. I believe the photographers insisted. They said so in the magazine a few months back in reply to a reader letter (if I remember correctly).
That said, I usually wear latex gloves when I work on my computer. Partially to keep my hands cleaner, but mostly so I don't get my oily fingerprints all over my electronic equipment and have a better grip.
Submitted by Phated1 on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 9:30am
The basic electrical charge in your body is minute, and has a low chance of damaging electronics. However, thats not to say you cant shock your electronics. If you build up even a small static charge it has a chance to shock your parts. Just because you cant feel the discharge when youre working on something doesnt mean it isnt there. Thats why its reccommended to use gloves/a static cable attached to the case. Even standard exam gloves are made of latex and act as an insulator to electricity.
Submitted by bloodgain on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 10:36am
I didn't say you couldn't build up static -- I said that didn't have much of anything to do with the tiny natural eletrical flow in your body. The static cable would likely be more effective than a thin layer of latex or nitrile, which may help, but I doubt would stop the thousands of volts difference in a static charge from arcing. I question the effectiveness of most of the "static dissipating" latex gloves on the market. Even these:
http://www.websoft-solutions.net/product_p/nrth-127-st-dspglv.htm
which are fairly heavy at 7 mil (~0.21mm), would only produce a gap that requires about a 2600 volts to break down (by Paschen's Law). Building up 2600 volts isn't a big deal -- you would probably barely notice the discharge. The theory is that the gloves don't "allow" static buildup in your hands, but I question that, except that they may trap moisture on your hands. I want to see the proof behind these gloves, as I don't think their small insulative capacity can stop any decent static charge.
All things considered, you're probably better off just not working on carpet and always touching the case or a grounded metal object before touching the electronics.
All that said, the fact still remains that the guys said in the magazine that they aren't really worried about static or anything else -- they gloves are for better pictures.
Submitted by Sepdawg on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 7:15am
What's up with the gloves??
Submitted by norman on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 10:49am
we have very fugly hands.
-- Norm
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