Parts, Parts and more Parts

[Aspencierra]

I have read many threads on here, espousing many different parts. What I would like is a straight list of what parts to buy if my budget is X and I want to run Third Generation MMORPG games.

$1000.00
Case:
Power Supply:
Motherboard:
CPU:
RAM:
Video Card:
Hard Drive:
DVD/CD Read/Write Drive:
Extras:

$2,000.00
Case:
Power Supply:
Motherboard:
CPU:
RAM:
Video Card:
Hard Drive:
DVD/CD Read/Write Drive:
Extras:

The date on the sticker on my computer is 1997. I have upgraded the Motherboard, CPU (currently AMD less than 1.5), RAM (currently 512Mb), Video Card (currently Radeon 9800)and more, but I think it's time to start over from scratch, so any help here is appreciated.

Thank You!

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

What I would like is a straight list of what parts to buy if my budget is X and I want to run Third Generation MMORPG games.

This is hard because you can go so many different ways.

Normally, I'm very budget computer, most bang-for-your-buck minded, but I can't recommend a $1000 computer right now. So instead, I'll recommend some parts, and you can mix match to your heart's content. This is all assuming you're not planning to do much overclocking.

Processor:

The (Core 2 Duo) E6600 is just so much more processor than anything beneath it, that it's the way to go. $300 right there, though. Going above this chip nets you some, but not a ton. This is really the sweet spot for processors if you're talking about next-gen games.

Motherboard:

Doesn't matter to much so long as it's LGA775 (Socket T), though not all boards natively support C2D. I recommend that it support at least 4 gigs of ram (the higher the speed, the better). After that, it's really up to you. Here's a couple that'll work.

ASUS P5L-MX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131041) Decent board at $75. 4 gb of 667 DDR2 Ram

If you want to step-up, then Intel's BLKDQ96GFEKR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813121057) has 8 gb of 800 DDR2 Ram. It's $110, though.

Ram:

Get 2 gigs at whatever speed your motherboard will support. You don't really need more than 2 gigs now, but the ability to go bigger later will likely pay off. Lower timings are better, but honestly, unless you're looking to overclock alot, it doesn't really matter. I just picked these based on specials. Pick whichever one you like.

667 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820144046)
800 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820211066) Note - Going 800 speed will set you back $40 more, but won't be a substantial gain immediately.

Video Card:

If you want to pay for it, then nVidia's 8800 cards are top-of-the heap, simply killing anything else on the market (and they'll likely be even faster once games are taking advantage of DX10).

GTX - about $550
GTS - about $400 (the GTX isn't $150 better than the GTS, but it is better)

If you want to budget down some, then you've really got two options:

X1950 Pro - about $200 It only has 256 megs of video memory, but it kicks the butt of most any other card for the money. This is a card that will definately make you viable for awhile, but it's not as future-proof (as if there is such a thing) as the 8800s.

Then, really budget - 7600GT (make sure it's the GT and not the GS), for around $100. Great card for the price.

Hard Drive:

There are about 8 ways to go about this. Here's three:

One decent drive for everything. The faster the drive, generally, the faster it is, but I find the perpendicular drives are about as fast as a 12,500 rpm disk and much cheaper. 320 gigs of perpendicular storage $95. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148139)

You can also get a small, fast drive, and a slow, large drive and put your games and OS on the fast drive, then your media on the large one. If you don't keep alot of media, then this option is pointless to you.

Finally, Raid. Since we're talking about a gaming rig, then raid 0 is an option. Basically, you set up two identical drives and have them function as one drive. It's (obviously) twice as expensive as option one and more complex to set-up, but it is faster.

DVD Drive:

The faster the drive, the better. Just make sure it's a DVD-R/W. I find I do like the Lightscribe feature if you want to spring $10 for it (it lets you silkscreen the DVD rather than use lables). Expect to spend something like $25 on this part.

Power Supply:

Other than, spend more than $60 on your PSU, this one is wide open. 500 watts is overkill for any of these things we've put together. I like Seasonic, Silverstone, and FSP quite a bit, but most PSUs will do you just fine so long as you stay out of the bargain basement. The thing to watch for is the 12v rail. Two rails is nice, and make sure they both have at least 16 volts. There will be alot of division on this as everyone has companies they swear by.

Here are some:

Fancy Seasonic - $130 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151027)

Silverstone - $90 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817256001)

Case:

No help on the case. Basically, get whever looks good to you. If you're not overclocking and don't have special safety needs (like destructive children for frequent lan partys), then any case will be just fine. Make sure it's form factor fits your motherboard (get a mid-tower case and you'll be fine). True, some of them have great features, like removable motherboard tray, tooless installation, etc, but ultimately, those things don't matter much to your average user. 120-mm fans are nice, though.

Others:

Be sure to pick up an OS. XP Pro with the free upgrade to Vista Business is probably your best bet currently. You can get it OEM for just over $100, but you'll only be able to install it on that particular computer.

You probably have a mouse and a keyboard - those things translate pretty well. Whether fancy ones will benefit you, only you can say.

If you're a big fan of fancy sound, you'll need a soundcard. Let me know what you're looking for here if you do care about this.

Hopefully, that was somewhat helpful. I love to talk hardware, so tell us how we can help.

[Aspencierra]

This Video Card?

Leadtek PX8800 GTS TDH
Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GTS TDH GeForce 8800GTS HDCP Video Card Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GTS TDH GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card (Mail In Rebate $25.00 Expires 01 06 2007)
Dealer Part # N82E16814122018 Manuf Part # PX8800 GTS TDH

Its from Newegg

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

This Video Card?

That'd work just fine. The only difference (that I can see) between all of the 8800GTS cards on newegg is the Foxxconn which comes overclocked, but it's fairly pointless to spend more for that one.

Another to consider is the eVGA card, which is $5 more, but they have a step-up program (that's a pain to use, but it can save you some when you upgrade).

That said, any of the 8800's will handle anything today just fine.

When you pick an OS, be sure to get one with a Vista (not home basic) upgrade) so you can take advantage of DX10.

[Aspencierra]

Here is what I have so far (meaning shopping wise)
GeIL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
194.99

PNY VCG88GTSXPB GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
409.99

Intel BLKDQ965GFEKR Socket T (LGA 775) Intel Q965 Express Micro ATX Intel Motherboard – OEM
109.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor – Retail
322.00

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3320620A 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM
94.99

SILVERSTONE SST-ST50EF ATX12V 500W Power Supply 90 - 264 V - Retail
87.50

MadDog Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 5X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE DVD Burner – OEM
25.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case – Retail
49.99

Microsoft XP upgradeable to Vista $110.00

194.99 + 409.99 + 109.99 + 322.00 + 94.99 + 87.50 + 25.99 + 49.99 + 110.00

1405.44

If I can go up to $2,000, what parts should I upgrade?

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

Microsoft XP upgradeable to Vista $110.00

I like Pro, but that's just me. Since you didn't link it, I'm not sure what version of Vista it upgrades too. From the price, I assume you've got XP Media Center which upgrades to Home Premium, which should be just fine. Beware of XP Home, which upgrades to Vista Basic, which will be missing some features I'm sure you'll want.

You might also consider going with the cheaper board. Since you're not going for the faster ram (which is really only of benefit if you overclock), there's not alot of benefit in the more expensive board.

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

If I can go up to $2,000, what parts should I upgrade?

I'd upgrade to XP Pro/Vista Business. But other than that, a fancy widescreen monitor (I love widescreen)?

Thowing a little more money at this won't make a huge difference. If you really want to up the money and get a little more performance, upgrade to the GTX video card and get another hard drive so you can set them up in a RAID 0 configuration. Hard drive speed can make a big difference with MMOs since disk access is so frequent - but it won't be a super-huge difference.

[Aspencierra]

Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2b 1pk w/Upgrade Coupon for Vista - OEM
139.99

So you like Striping without parity? What advantage is that to performance? Will the system write concurrently to both hard drives?

As for a monitor, I got a nice Samsung for $500.00 from Best Buy last year, so not ready to upgrade that yet.

Again, thank you for the information.

PS: I do have my MCSE, but you have to remember this joke. How many MCSE's does it take to change a light bulb? It can't be done, MCSE's don't do HARDWARE!

[DENIRO]

Hello All Was Woundering If My Comp Would Run Vanguard?

Processor=amd Athlon 64x2 Dual Core Processor
4600+true Multi-tasking
2048mb Ram
Nvida Geforce 6150 Le
Supermulti Dvd Burner With Lightscribe Technology
250gb Harddrive. I Beleave Its 1.8mhz... But In Duel's I Think That Meens (2) 1.8mhz? Right

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

So you like Striping without parity? What advantage is that to performance? Will the system write concurrently to both hard drives?

To over-simplify, what it does it put the information on both disks, which allows it to pull information from both disks at the same time. So instead of pulling 1 gb from a drive, you're pulling half a gb from each. Of course, it's more complicated than that, but that's the idea. Basically, you'll have two 320gb drives that will function as one fast 320gb drive.

Raid 0 configurations have a higher occurrance of data loss than standard configurations (Raid 1 is very secure, but it's slower than a single drive), but it's still not a big risk (I've never lost anything).

Originally Posted by Aspencierra

PS: I do have my MCSE, but you have to remember this joke. How many MCSE's does it take to change a light bulb? It can't be done, MCSE's don't do HARDWARE!

Good. Then you can help me when I can't figure out the software as I am relatively clueless there.

Originally Posted by Deniro

Hello All Was Woundering If My Comp Would Run Vanguard?

In a word, yes. However, your video card is only barely up to the task and I'd doubt you'll be happy with its performance, even on low settings. You might consider an upgrade there. Do you know if your card is AGP or PCI-E?

The rest of your computer is more than adequate.

Originally Posted by Deniro

250gb Harddrive. I Beleave Its 1.8mhz... But In Duel's I Think That Meens (2) 1.8mhz? Right

I'm not entirely sure what you mean here. You have dual hard drives? If so, the amount of storage you have depends on how they are configured. That said, having at least 20 gb of storage is really the only requirement on a hard drive (for VG), so you should be set.

[DENIRO]

ok ty all, ill look into a new graphices card then