Cheap yet upgradable gaming rig

[Solution0]

For fun I made a cheap gaming pc for everyone to check and if you have any modification you think is better say so. Of course this pc would have to be done again once a month or so because price change, technologie change and what i call the "price step" move from time to time. Here is what i came up with for this month.

Computer case: Raidmax Smilodon with 500W PSU = 89.99$

Motherboard: BIOSTAR 945P-A7A = 78,99$

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 = 220,00$

RAM memory: GeIL 2GB DDR2 667 = 194,99$

Hard disk drive: Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache = 94,99$

Video card: Asus EAX1950PRO = 189,99$

DVD burner: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD = 37,99$

Total: 906,94$

Of course, no screen, no mouse/keyboard with this.

This, in my opinion is really nice as it let you upgrade a fairly good bit after you buy it. Maybe could change for an SLI board for even more upgradability but it means cost more.

This should run Vanguard fairly well.

That was made for my pure amusement, if it helps someone i'll be glad.

If anyone want to voice their opinion i'm open to them 100%

[Nil]

Nothing wrong with any of the choices you picked, but many folks can save some money.

Unless you're a big overclocker, the 667-standard boards will do the job just fine (and include a decent amount of overclocking headroom for C2D systems, not to mention that the FSB on intel's next processor is lower than the C2D).

Biostar has a great board, the 945P-A7A with up to 4 gigs of ram (how many budget-minded folks will be using more than 4 gigs, even a year or two into the future?) that will set you back $50 fewer.

GeIL has some good 667 ram for $194, saving another $25.

I also question why anyone would spend that much on a 7900 GS when the 7600GT is nearly as good and $40 cheaper. If you're going to skirt $200 on the video card, get a X1950pro ($190 on ZZF!) that will completely kill the 7900GS.

That out of the way, I really like many of your recommendations.

The E6400 is a great buy at $220 - especially considering how stupidly far you can overclock them - on air, no less. Shame it doesn't have the 4 mg cache, but I'm not sure that cache is worth $100.

And the Barracuda drives always get my recommendation. I love those things.

Great list, Sol. So many ways to build a computer. That's what makes it so much fun.

[Solution0]

The only thing with the board that you showed is that you are stuck with Ram memory at 667 and that you can't put c2d extreme version on it. But i guess to make a cheap pc some sacrifice are needed. So I'll edit my previous post to fix what you said as i mostly agree.

For the video card I'll be honest I did not take the time to check all the benchmark to compare them but I'll trust you and change this also.

I'll try to make a new pc once/month or maybe 2 month to keep up to date.

I would so love to be able to build one pc a month!!
Smell of brand new electronic stuff. I like it!

[Eyse Gage]

The Nvidia Geforce 7900GS is a decent card, but for just a bit more you can blow that out of the water with an Ati Radeon X1950Pro,

I personally just bought a 8800GTS today to take advantage of the dell 22" widescreen...I also bought today, lol

You can find a nice list of benchmarks at www.tomshardware.com. Great site. The forums are also good for research.

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Solution0

you can't put c2d extreme version on it

Yeah, but it's unlikely we'll ever be considering a budget computer with a C2DE. They're just too expensive, and by the time the price is reasonalble, they're replaced. Just ask the 6X-FX series processors.

Originally Posted by Solution0

I would so love to be able to build one pc a month!!
Smell of brand new electronic stuff. I like it!

Agreed! That would be pretty awesome. Of course, what would I do with them after that? I can just imagine my daughter's show and tells...

[dirtymeat80]

Originally Posted by Nil

Agreed! That would be pretty awesome. Of course, what would I do with them after that? I can just imagine my daughter's show and tells...

I have a Tiger Direct store a few blocks from the house (it's my version of church) and it has a huge bin of old computers that people donate. I never see anything good in there - bunch of monochrome & P66's, so maybe you can start a new trend


kidding of course - personally, I would probably stack em up out in the garage, cause I have real trouble throwing away computer parts, no matter how old they are.

[Nil]

Originally Posted by dirtymeat80

kidding of course - personally, I would probably stack em up out in the garage, cause I have real trouble throwing away computer parts, no matter how old they are.

I'm the same way. I still have my C64, a 2 mb harddrive (man, that was big time!), a cassette tape drive, and a 1 mg ram chip in my collection.

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Solution0

I would so love to be able to build one pc a month!!
Smell of brand new electronic stuff. I like it!

If we could do this, we'd almost have to make a calendar.

Here's Ms. January, showing off her giant hard drive. Wow! Has she got bandwidth!

[Solution0]

HAHAHA

Don't say that my GF will be getting jealous!

I would sure love to have this kind of money

Just imagine: Playing game on a super pc + a projector 1080p for a 100" screen

Projector: VPL-VW100

[dirtymeat80]

with that big ole screen, you'll be living the game, not playing it