Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L Motherboard--$60
Gskill 2X2GB--$55
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro--$27
Seagate 640GB HDD--$80
Antec 500W PSU--$50
Sapphire Radeon 4830--$130
CM Centurion 5 Case--$55 or the Antec 300--$55
Vista 64-bit Home Premium--$100Optical Drive-$26 Total Cost: $667 Granted, this system isn't going to break any performance records or amaze anyone, but it's sufficient to play most modern day games at middle resolutions with mostly max settings at playable framerates. Let's face it, most of us are probably going to upgrade many of our components within 3 years. It makes no sense to try and ''futureproof'' your PC with $300 components when even these will be superseded in a matter of months by better performing parts. Your money is better spent in future upgrades, when you'll inevitably get a lot more performance for your dollar. I'll try and justify each of the components I've selected:
- The E5200 is one of the best value CPU's you can buy. Although AMD does offer some cheaper processors and you can snag an E2200 for $73, these cheap dualcores may not be enough for upcoming games. The key is to spend just enough so that you can run all games smoothly. If you have a slightly larger budget, consider the E7200, E8400, or E8500. I don't recommend the Q6600 since I don't think it's very well suited to gaming (at least not until developers begin optimizing their games for quadcores) and it isn't really a budget part. If you need a PC for heavy multitasking, consider waiting a few more months for Intel's Nehalem lineup to hit the streets.
- The motherboard is one of the areas where you can save the most money. It's hard to justify spending $150+ on a motherboard when you can get a functional one for less than half the cost. Granted, you won't be able to overclock much, hook up a bunch of hard drives in RAID configurations, or go for an SLI/Crossfire setup, but these are all features that are better suited for high-end rigs. For 90% of gamers out there, a board like the Gigabyte GA-G31M will work just fine.
- My choice of memory might be a bit controversial. 4GB is probably overkill in a sub-$700 rig, but DDR2 memory has really dropped in price. This isn't the best RAM for overclocking obviously, but the goal of this build is to try and save money, not break performance records.
- The Arctic Cooler is probably one of the most popular CPU coolers and for good reason. It's relatively small, inexpensive, and has MX-2 thermal paste pre-applied. Since we aren't going to be heavily overclocking, you could probably entirely forgo using a CPU cooler, but the benefits of using one are that you'll have a quiter system that won't overheat. Not only will the Arctic Cooler keep your CPU cool, the added circulation in your case will actually help keep the temps down of all your components. This is a great way to extend the longevity of your components.
- I picked a 640GB HDD because prices have really come down in the past few months. Noticing a trend here? Although you may be tempted to go for a 250 or 320 GB drive, you can get double the storage space for only a few more dollars. Considering how much memory games and high-definition videos take up, this seems like one area where you don't want to go cheap.
- Antec's best selling PSU's are probably their Earthwatts. Since we're going to be using just one GPU, I don't see the point in springing for a 850W+ PSU. I imagine that 90% of gaming PCs don't ever use more than 500W. If you need more power for whatever reason, consider the 750W PC Power and Cooling PSU.
- The GPU is probably the single component that is going to most influence the kind of performance you get in games. That having been said, if you aren't going to be playing a higher resolutions then there's no need to spend a lot. For a truly budget build, consider the Radeon 4670 for $80. I personally recommend ATI's new 4830 for $130 (or a 9800GT if you can find one for a good price). It's a little more expensive, but it has the extra oomph that you'll need for more demanding titles like Crysis and upcoming games. If you're playing at 1680X1050, consider getting the 4850.
- The case you select doesn't really matter as long as you like it. Since the case is probably the part of your PC that is going to last the longest, it makes sense to invest in a quality one. I recommend the Cooler Master case due to its low cost, decent build quality, and ability to keep all your components cool as long as you don't overclock. The Antec 900 or Antec P182 are also popular choices.
- The OS is a matter of personal preference, but since I've selected 4GB of RAM, going for Vista 64-bit isn't a bad idea (although keep in mind that 64-bit applications do use up more RAM). If you want to stick to XP that's fine, but Vista has improved dramatically with the latest patches and Service Pack 2 is just around the corner. Whatever you do, make sure you know the limitations of getting an OEM OS.
If it were my budget PC I would make a few changes.E5200 over E7200I would probably take the time to see if I could find an old and maybe used p965 board like the Commando or P5B series. If not, there are better OCing P35 mobos for $80 or so.I'd also try to aim for some Crucial Ballistix RAM. Good clockers.A lot of the time a 9800GT/8800GT outperforms ATi's new card. I would probably go with that as they are both cheap.Sub-$700 Gaming Build
[QUOTE=''webstaxero'']If it were my budget PC I would make a few changes.E5200 over E7200I would probably take the time to see if I could find an old and maybe used p965 board like the Commando or P5B series. If not, there are better OCing P35 mobos for $80 or so.I'd also try to aim for some Crucial Ballistix RAM. Good clockers.A lot of the time a 9800GT/8800GT outperforms ATi's new card. I would probably go with that as they are both cheap.[/QUOTE]The E5200 is probably a better choice, I'll make the change. A 9800GT is also a good buy, but only if you can find a deal with a rebate. Besides, the 4830 is quite a bit more powerful than the 9800GT in a few situations. Since this isn't a build meant for overclockers, I've tried to save some money on the motherboard and RAM.
+1 for the E5200, easily booted it at 3.6Ghz (1.365v) although I'm using stock cooler so temps were high.Getting a CPU cooler soon so will bump my overclock up, but 3.0 to 3.2Ghz should be fine on even stock cooling (mine runs at 1.2v). It's an excellent budget CPU! BTW I also built my computer on a budget, but I'm in the UK so can't really compare prices!:)
It may cost a bit more, but an SLI MOBO and 2 9600GT's SLI'd produces frames rivaling the 9800GX22 9600GT's can be had for around $150.
[QUOTE=''FunkWeasel'']It may cost a bit more, but an SLI MOBO and 2 9600GT's SLI'd produces frames rivaling the 9800GX22 9600GT's can be had for around $150.[/QUOTE]Yes, but then you have to deal with the added cost of the motherboard, driver issues, and a louder PC that consumes more power. The point of this build is to try and save money and make things as easy as possible for the user. Most people in the market for a sub-$700 PC don't want to have to deal with drivers and game incompatibilities.
a few months ago i built a budget gaming build for $350 here is what was in it.C2D e46002gb crucial ballistix ramGigabyte radeon 3870120gb hdd680watt psuantec p160 caseDVD-burner
thats a good one ferret, now, change the PSU to a 450VX by corsair and the card for a 4850 and youre set
[QUOTE=''GTR2addict'']thats a good one ferret, now, change the PSU to a 450VX by corsair and the card for a 4850 and youre set[/QUOTE]no, i bought it a few months ago
[QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']It was once an oxymoron to say ''budget gaming PC'', but luckily this is no longer the case. Recent price drops in the GPU, CPU, hard drive, and RAM markets have allowed for truly budget builds to become a reality. Here is a potential budget PC for anyone looking to save a bit of cash on their next gaming rig:Intel E5200 CPU--$84
Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2L Motherboard--$60
Gskill 2X2GB--$55
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro--$27
Seagate 640GB HDD--$80
Antec 500W PSU--$50
Sapphire Radeon 4830--$130
CM Centurion 5 Case--$55 or the Antec 300--$55
Vista 64-bit Home Premium--$100
Optical Drive-$26 Total Cost: $667[...] [/QUOTE]I think you have it ironed out BlueBird, Your explanation were very thoughtfull and undoubtably helpful for first time builders... I would just like to tweek some things... toss this out for recomendations.1st) Foxconn Mobo. Better/More IO ports. Supports up to 8GB's. Better Audio onboard.2nd) Rosewill Mid-Tower. Better build quality (IMO) than the CM above. Brand is owned by Newegg, so you know its built to last.3rd) Seagate 400GB Hard Drive. Little less space, but tossing a 2nd HDD into a computer is a cheap upgrade for later. 4th) ASUS Optical Drive. Same specs. Saves $6.5rd) Remove the aftermarket cooler. Its not needed, and the one that comes with the processor works more than fine.Total savings so far: $102
Total cost as of now: $565
--------------------------------Now for upgrades to hit that $700 mark:1st) 8GBs of G.Skill ram.
I have always used this brand and have had no problems.adds $75... BUT YOU GAIN 6GBs OF RAM.2nd) Intel Core 2 Duo.
Huge Performace Boostadds $33... but its a good long term investment. 2nd) Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit.
Ya need 64bit for the ram/video card adds $0...3rd) EVGA 9800GTX(G92) 512MBsadds $30... Huge gains compared to the above card. -----------------------------
Total Cost now: $703
-----------------------------:)Old Specs:
- Pentium Dual Core
- 2GBs of Ram, Max 2 slots
- 640GB HHD
- Radeon 4830
- Intel Core 2 Duo
- 8Gbs of Ram. 4 Slots
- 400GB HDD
- Geforce 9800 GTX (G92)
why not go a little bit higher and get the 4850 which will outperform the 8800gt in pretty much every game.
[QUOTE=''johnny27'']why not go a little bit higher and get the 4850 which will outperform the 8800gt in pretty much every game.[/QUOTE]because a 4830 is cheaper and a quick overclock can get it to 4850 standards or better
Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: All of your suggested components have lower ratings on Newegg. I realize that Newegg customers aren't always the most knowledgeable bunch and a lot of people who have negative experiences with a product tend to post reviews (thus skewing the ratings), but I would rather spend a few more dollars and have more reliable components. I don't think the Rosewill is any better than the Cooler Master or Antec 300, although it is a little cheaper. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost. The 4850/9800GTX are good GPUs but a little bit expensive for a budget build.
[QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: I'll replace the case and optical drive to save a few more dollars. I'm not sure about that Foxconn motherboard, it has fairly low ratings on Newegg. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost.[/QUOTE]dont change the cpu the e5200 with a aftermarket cooler can overclock to 4.0ghz
[QUOTE=''ferret-gamer''][QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: I'll replace the case and optical drive to save a few more dollars. I'm not sure about that Foxconn motherboard, it has fairly low ratings on Newegg. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost.[/QUOTE]dont change the cpu the e5200 with a aftermarket cooler can overclock to 4.0ghz[/QUOTE]For the record, I've changed the post you quoted.
[QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS''][QUOTE=''ferret-gamer''][QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: I'll replace the case and optical drive to save a few more dollars. I'm not sure about that Foxconn motherboard, it has fairly low ratings on Newegg. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost.[/QUOTE]dont change the cpu the e5200 with a aftermarket cooler can overclock to 4.0ghz[/QUOTE]For the record, I've changed the post you quoted.[/QUOTE]oh, i didnt see that
[QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: All of your suggested components have lower ratings on Newegg. I realize that Newegg customers aren't always the most knowledgeable bunch and a lot of people who have negative experiences with a product tend to post reviews (thus skewing the ratings), but I would rather spend a few more dollars and have more reliable components. I don't think the Rosewill is any better than the Cooler Master or Antec 300, although it is a little cheaper. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost. The 4850/9800GTX are good GPUs but a little bit expensive for a budget build.[/QUOTE]I really don't see the point in stating that lower specs are acceptable over higher specs if the price range is still the same.Saying that the specs are too high for a Budget build, even though the high end parts meet the budget is the equivalent of having a Lamborghini and a Honda, both priced at the Honda's level and stating that the Honda should be chosen because it fits the ideas of a ''budget''. Also, I have no doubts that the older processors being able to hit higher GHz speeds, but higher speeds to not always equate to higher performance. To top that off, I have been able to hit 3.6Ghz on that C2D with the stock fan. Although, you have to figure which processor will give the best performance out of the box, as the majority of first time builders will not overclock.... Also, That Rosewill case is solid. I have played/looked with both at the local Frys and the Rosewill has a better build quality for half the price. As for the ratings:-The G.Skill ram is a mainstream brand and has 5/5
-The Processor has 5/5, is newer and has better overallspecs.
-The GPU is rated 5/5, and EVGA has the best warrenty/upgrade plan in the bussiness.
-The Seagate has 4/5 with a 150+reviews
-The Rosewill case is made by newegg. It has a 5/5 rating with 40+ reviews
-The Foxconn is 4/5, ans a mainstream brand.Not trying the be vicious or anything, i just dont see your logic.
I'm considering buying a new PC and budget is important for me
I'm still with a board with no PCI-Express slot with a low cost agp8x I got from a while ago
in order to keep my system able to play new games at that time. Now i'll have to switch for PCI-E board,
I'll check the part you suggested. I was planning for a 1100-1400$ system more up to date but what you say is true, the 600$ extra will be a waste so fast i prefer getting a good system for a lower cost.
Thank you for your post.
[QUOTE=''Digital_Cowboy''][QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: All of your suggested components have lower ratings on Newegg. I realize that Newegg customers aren't always the most knowledgeable bunch and a lot of people who have negative experiences with a product tend to post reviews (thus skewing the ratings), but I would rather spend a few more dollars and have more reliable components. I don't think the Rosewill is any better than the Cooler Master or Antec 300, although it is a little cheaper. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost. The 4850/9800GTX are good GPUs but a little bit expensive for a budget build.[/QUOTE]I really don't see the point in stating that lower specs are acceptable over higher specs if the price range is still the same.Saying that the specs are too high for a Budget build, even though the high end parts meet the budget is the equivalent of having a Lamborghini and a Honda, both priced at the Honda's level and stating that the Honda should be chosen because it fits the ideas of a ''budget''. Also, I have no doubts that the older processors being able to hit higher GHz speeds, but higher speeds to not always equate to higher performance. To top that off, I have been able to hit 3.6Ghz on that C2D with the stock fan. Although, you have to figure which processor will give the best performance out of the box, as the majority of first time builders will not overclock.... [/QUOTE]you do know that the e5200 is actually newer than the e7200 and the e7200's 1mb extra cache gives it around 3/4% better performance for $40 more and doesn't overclock as well as the e5200
[QUOTE=''Digital_Cowboy''][QUOTE=''BlueBirdTS'']Thanks for all the input! Digital_Cowboy: All of your suggested components have lower ratings on Newegg. I realize that Newegg customers aren't always the most knowledgeable bunch and a lot of people who have negative experiences with a product tend to post reviews (thus skewing the ratings), but I would rather spend a few more dollars and have more reliable components. I don't think the Rosewill is any better than the Cooler Master or Antec 300, although it is a little cheaper. 8GB of RAM is complete overkill, especially for a budget system. The E7200 is a great CPU but adds nearly $40 to the system cost. The 4850/9800GTX are good GPUs but a little bit expensive for a budget build.[/QUOTE]I really don't see the point in stating that lower specs are acceptable over higher specs if the price range is still the same.Saying that the specs are too high for a Budget build, even though the high end parts meet the budget is the equivalent of having a Lamborghini and a Honda, both priced at the Honda's level and stating that the Honda should be chosen because it fits the ideas of a ''budget''. Also, I have no doubts that the older processors being able to hit higher GHz speeds, but higher speeds to not always equate to higher performance. To top that off, I have been able to hit 3.6Ghz on that C2D with the stock fan. Although, you have to figure which processor will give the best performance out of the box, as the majority of first time builders will not overclock.... Also, That Rosewill case is solid. I have played/looked with both at the local Frys and the Rosewill has a better build quality for half the price. As for the ratings:-The G.Skill ram is a mainstream brand and has 5/5
-The Processor has 5/5, is newer and has better overallspecs.
-The GPU is rated 5/5, and EVGA has the best warrenty/upgrade plan in the bussiness.
-The Seagate has 4/5 with a 150+reviews
-The Rosewill case is made by newegg. It has a 5/5 rating with 40+ reviews
-The Foxconn is 4/5, ans a mainstream brand.Not trying the be vicious or anything, i just dont see your logic. [/QUOTE]You make some good points. If you don't agree with my selection, feel free to make your own budget build. The case is largely a matter of personal taste. I happen to like the look of the Cooler Master a little better, but the Rosewill is definitely a great case for the price. I've already included 4GB of Gskill RAM in my build, I don't see the need for more. The Seagate drive you picked is also good, I just think it's worth spending the extra $30 on a drive with 240GB more. The Foxconn may indeed be a better motherboard, I will admit I don't know too much about motherboards. The great thing about building your own PC is that you have a lot of flexibility. I'm not saying that my build is the best or that there aren't other viable builds. This post was designed just to give people an idea of the kind of computer you can build for less than $700 and that it isn't necessary to spend $1000+ to be able to run the latest games.
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