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Search Tech-Forums - link takes you to our Forum's search page. Note: The following is only a text archive! To view the actual forum discussion, please visit our website at http://www.tech-forums.net Pages:1 $450(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)Posted by: Ellothar121 Is there any possible way to make a computer that will run most current/new PC games at decent settings for about/less than $450? My friend is trying to convince his dad to get a family computer, but they don't have too much money to spare. I told him that if he convinced his dad, I'd try to find something (with some help from you guys). I don't know how he does, but if even if his dad says no, if he sees what kinds of "outrageously low" prices you guys come up with, he might change his mind. :D Budget: $450 Must-Haves: 512MB, 2.xx (or higher) processor, OS, S-Video/Composite capabilities. Nice-To-Haves: Decent VGA, Optical Drive with at least DVD-ROM capabilities, Modular PSU. Price Includes: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, Case. NOTE1: What is the best/lowest-priced high-speed internet deal out there? Could you recommend one, because they don't have internet either. NOTE2: Please, no AGP mobos, or old socket-types... Thanks, everyone! EDIT: Sorry, I forgot something: I managed to get it down to $440, but wanted to see what you guys came up with. Here's mine: [url=http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811164040]Case[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813138051]Mobo/VGA[/url] I didn't recommend a PSU, but I added in $50 for that. [url=http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819112206]Proc[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820220171]RAM[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822135106]Hard Drive[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16832116169]OS[/url] Posted by: PnkFloyd27 Your friend should use Linux, it will be harder to get the games to play on it, but it would be worth it to save money and be able to get better hardware. Posted by: Ellothar121 Is the linux GUI the same as windows? His dad isn't too computer-savvy, and my friend's only familiar with XP. Posted by: Ellothar121 Bump; Same question as above (What is the Linux UI like? Can someone post a picture?), and another one: Is there a program that can allow Windows games to be played on Linux? Is there a free/inexpensive OS that plays Windows games (that isn't Windows) and has a similar GUI? Posted by: Elbatrop1 If your intent is gaming, then Windows is better, hands down. Pretty much all games that are released only have Windows in mind. Posted by: Ellothar121 Okay, Windows XP Home should do him fine, as that's about the only thing he's ever seen ^.^ What is the best performance/price card for under $80? I was looking at the 7600GS, but I realized that the biggest thing he'd be using this for (at the moment) would be WarCraft 3, so I considered sticking a 7300GS in instead, and getting a slightly better motherboard. EDIT: Also, which of these two would you go with? [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813123014[/url] [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813138046[/url] EDIT2: I've changed a few things, here they are: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811144042]Case/PSU[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822135106]Hard Drive[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106040]Opt. Drive[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820220171]RAM[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819112206]Processor[/url] [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16832116169]OS[/url] Now, you're all thinking "OMG CASE/PSU!!!" but apparently this PSU has a good reputation (amongst the people that it didn't come DOA...), but if you can find a PSU for $20 and a cool-looking, inexpensive case, I'll switch them. *sigh*... NewEgg sometimes has too many options... Posted by: reggie_da_man That power Supply isn't the greatest but I'm running a 7900GS VM and an X2 3800+ on 18A so you should be alright. Plus a celeron is a piece of craaaaaap. Posted by: Ellothar121 sounds good, reggie. Thanks ^.^ Yeah, don't I know it. I have a celeron M 3xx in my laptop (can't remember exactly what model, hence the x's). The good news is, I can use my computer when it's freezing out, and still not need a blanket! If you can find a better (read: non-celeron) processor for under $50, I'll gladly put it on there. Otherwise, I'll inform them that the first thing they should change is their processor. This is just to get a computer in their house. The most intensive program they'll be running is WC3, as I said before. EDIT: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813138046]this[/url] motherboard has onboard video. Will that work for the time being? I'll be able to put in a slightly better processor, and maybe another stick of memory. I realize onboard video isn't that good for gaming, but they'll end up with it in there at some point, just not right away. What do you guys think? EDIT2: [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231125]this[/url] has replaced the other RAM, because the other RAM is out of stock. Posted by: vernong1992 u were going to use celeron? its teh worst for gaming, my 1.6 ghz P4 outperforms that 3.3 ghz celeron Posted by: Ellothar121 Yeah, I put in a 2.66GHz Pentium D and kept the 7600GS. Subtotal: $464.93 Rebates: $20.00 Shipping: $30.57 Total: $475.50 Posted by: ShootThru dude get better processor... try 2 get that intel dual core one they cheap and fast Posted by: Ellothar121 There's not much you can get when you've only got $450 to build an entire system. Pentium D's are the least expensive dual cores there are. Posted by: fastrandstrongr [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103036[/url] seems like it'd be a better choice than the PD Posted by: Ellothar121 Than all PD's? I found a 4MB Cache Pentium D [url=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819116253](here)[/url] , and it's only $12 more. I have to go, my dad's shutting off my power cord, and my battery hasn't been functioning well lately. Tell me what you think, please ^.^ Posted by: fastrandstrongr yeah, i think the 65nm x2's are better than PD. you can overclock it to have it match the low C2D cores (e6300/e6400/e6600) Posted by: Apokalipse [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103046[/url] Athlon 64 X2 3600+ Brisbane - $95 [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130063[/url] MSI K9N4 Ultra-F - $62 [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231125[/url] G.SKILL 512MB DDR2-667 -$35 [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130075[/url] eVGA 7600 GS - $90 total for these is $282 Posted by: Ellothar121 Thanks! As I understand it, Linux can be put into a graphical user interface with the use of something like Ubuntu or Kubuntu (etc.), right? ...How would I go about getting a copy of Linux, and how much would it cost me? EDIT: ...Is Linux not compatible with AMD Processors? T.T ^ Never mind, I found Ubuntu 64-bit ^.^ Apparently you can buy it for $1.95 from a 94% Positive Feedback Retailer off of Amazon.com (From amazon directly, it is $9.95) What can I use in conjunction to Ubuntu to allow it to play Windows games (I'm currently including the processor Apokalipse mentioned) Thank you all thus far! Posted by: Ellothar121 New development: My dad has offered to give my friend an old Monorail 6200, free of charge. He'll give him a relatively older monitor, and a keyboard/mouse/speaker set. I figure the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers are good no matter what, but I wanted to know if a non-PCI Mobo w/ a Celeron is worth having... It works for the Internet, and would come with Windows 98 pre-loaded. Would this be good for now, and later we can upgrade the mobo/CPU/VGA, and add in a bigger hard drive? The HD is only 4.3GB's, so that'd need to be upgraded ASAP as well... Posted by: Ellothar121 Sorry, I forgot to mention the specs: (This is straight from inside the case) Monorail PC Product Line 6200 Line, Int. 3D Aud & Vid, 3.5" Floppy Intel Celeron 366-MHz with 128k Cache 32MB PC100 SDRAM (1 DIMM) (Shared Memory: 8MB Dedicated to video) 4.3GB Ultra ATA Smart EIDE Hard Drive MS Windows 98 1 Year Parts and Labor Warranty 40x EIDE CD-ROM 56k v.90 PCI Modem ~~~ Oh, and also: I've got my laptop dual-viewing on the monitor, and it looks great ^.^ It's 19 inches, not widescreen, but my laptop won't let it go to the 2048 x 1536 that the Settings window in XP's Display Properties shows... >.> Posted by: Ethereal_Dragon Lol, not a bad start, but good luck getting Warcraft running on that at an 'acceptable' speed... I KNOW it SHOULD work, but would be slow and choppy and the like, but I could bare with it. I was among the last of my friends with a PC. Mine came from a cousin that got it from work during a Y2K upgrade, it was a 100 Mhz Intel P1 (with 133 Mhz evergreen upgrade.... ZOMG!) 72 meg of RAM, and ALL ISA cards, not a single PCI card. I actually had Diablo 2 RUNNING on that PC for the first few months I got it.... (averaging 1-2 FPS.....)... Geez, I still have that PC too... Posted by: Ellothar121 Thanks much! I found out from my dad that there were a few upgrades, so let me amend that: Monorail PC Product Line 6200 Line, Int. 3D Aud & Vid, 3.5" Floppy Intel Celeron 366-MHz with 128k Cache [b]256MB PCxxx SDRAM (1 DIMM)[/b] (Not 32MB, not sure of speed) (Shared Memory: 8MB Dedicated to video) [b]28.6 GB Ultra ATA Smart EIDE Hard Drive[/b] (Not 4.3!!! YAY!) MS Windows 98 (Fresh install!) 1 Year Parts and Labor Warranty 40x EIDE CD-ROM 56k v.90 PCI Modem ~~~ I'm thinking Mobo/VGA/CPU come first, RAM second, and then another hard drive... What do you guys think? EDIT: Actually, Windows XP comes first, Mobo/VGA/CPU second, RAM Third, and then HD... What about that order? Posted by: jerry5739 are you just using the monorail for the case? lol Posted by: Sora [url]https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.asp?ID=3707169[/url] X2 3800 AM2 Board w/ 4 RAM slots 7600GT 1GB DDR2-677 and more $441 I was thinking of the X2 3600 but then you need a cooler for it too...I decided to go with 1GB as 1 gig these days is pretty needed but you could just go with 512 and use the extra 30 bucks somewhere else. Still that is a powerful computer and will play most games at say 1024x840 Res on high. Posted by: Sora If you want to really cut some more cost but not performance then he could always go with a cheaper case and lower watts as the 7600GT only uses 35w I believe and it will easily run on a 350w PSU. The case doesn't look as cool though of coarse but hey at this low of a budget he shouldn't be complaining lol. [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147010[/url] I bet once his dad see's he can get a GOOD Dual Core X2 3800 (not a crappy PD) a GIG of ram rather than 512, a pretty powerful video card and stuff he may just extend his budget to 500 and then you could fit a 7900GS in heh. Still the Apevia case is really nice so you can stay either way, just depends on what he wants. EDIT: Just Though I'd mention that with that motherboard you can overclock that X2 3800 pretty nicely. vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2003, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. PPC Management vB Easy Archive Final - Created by Xenon |