BleepingComputer.com: Gaming Build Wanted <$750

I want to get a new gaming computer with the best Performance I can get under $750.
Here is my build from CyberPowerPC.




* *BASE_PRICE: [+529]
* CASE: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel (Black with Red Lightning)
* CASEUPGRADE: NONE
* CS_FAN: Default case fans
* POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts Power Supplies [+34] (CyberPowerPC XF800S Performance ATX 2.0 Power - Quad SLI Ready)
* CPU: AMD Athlonâ„¢II X2 250 Black Edition Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
* FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
* MOTHERBOARD: Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2H Intel G41 Chipset with PCIe slot DDR2 SATA/IDE MB w/ Built-in X4500 Graphic Core,GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio [+3]
* MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
* FREEBIE_RM: None
* VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express [-4] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
* VIDEO2: None
* VIDEO3: None
* FREEGAME_VC02: FREE GAME - Street Fighters IV
* MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
* MONITOR: NONE
* MONITOR2: NONE
* HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
* HDD2: NONE
* USBHD: NONE
* CD: (Special Price) LG 22X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Dual Layer Drive (BLACK COLOR)
* CD2: NONE
* SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
* SPEAKERS: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers
* NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
* MODEM: PCI 56K V.92 FAX MODEM W/ VOICE [+12]
* KEYBOARD: NONE [-4]
* MOUSE: NONE [-3]
* TEMP: NONE
* WNC: NONE
* FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
* VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
* PRINTER: None
* PRINTER_CABLE: None
* IEEE_CARD: NONE
* USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
* FLOPPY: NONE
* OS: Microsoft® Windows Vistaâ„¢ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 [+104] (64-bit Edition)
* OS_UPGRADE: None
* FREEBIE_OS: FREE! (Halo 2) Game
* TVRC: None
* CARE1: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
* CARE2: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
* SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
* RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
* _PRICE: (+709)

That's not good IMO. You will get more for your money if you build it yourself. $750 can go a long way if you build it. First, the CPU isn't good. The Athlon II's are a major step forward for the line, but the Phenom II X2 will deliver better performance. The motherboard is also not the ideal choice for an AM3-based processor, it is by a good brand, though. I guess Cyberpower is wanting to cut costs by going for AM2 and DDR2. The graphics card will also, if you play high-end games, not be ideal. If you do want to build yourself a new PC, post to the System Building and Upgrading part of the forum and the BC members will be glad to help.

If you're willing to build your own system- do it. It is worth it.

I second the Processor upgrades and the RAM speed upgrade. When I first built my system, Vista was rating my RAM as my slowest component, and its DDR2 800.

FWIW: Building a PC is not very difficult...merely requires a bit of patience and attention to detail.

How-to guidance abounds on the Internet, some of these links might be useful: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=b...+PC&aqi=g10

Louis

Thanks for the assistance. Anybody wanna help me with a build? As in, select the best parts for me.

I'll ask the moderators to move this thread over the system building section since you're going that route. $750 will get you a good PC that will probably be more powerful than the one above.

Case: Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-US-BA-WOPSU Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - This case is large enough to handle the increased size of the newer graphics cards. $74 (Before $25 mail-in rebate)

Motherboard: ASRock M3A780GXH/128M AM3 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - ASRock makes very good motherboards. This one will handle the latest AMD processors and you can use more than one graphics card, if you so choose. $89

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz - This is AMD's best processor. The Black Edition means it has the multiplier unlocked for easy overclocking. Sadly, it is out-of-stock at Newegg with an ETA of 8/17, If you're unwilling to wait, the AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz can be had for $30 less. $199

Graphics card: ASUS EAH4870 DK/HTDI/1GD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB - Since the release of the ATI HD 4890, this card has come down in price. The 4890 offers a slight improvement over this card, but the 4870 is still a very good choice for gaming. $149 (Before $20 mail-in rebate)

Power Supply: OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W - This offers more than enough power for this PC. However, if you later choose to upgrade, you will have more than enough to spare. $99 (Before $20 mail-in rebate)

RAM: Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 - This motherboard will only take DDR3 memory. Remember, you need a 64-bit operating system to use 4GB or more of RAM. $70

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Green WD7500AADS 750GB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - More than enough space. $59

Optical Drive: SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - You need a basic one, and this is it. $28

Operating System: You need an operating system, preferably a 64-bit one. Here is where things get tricky. You can purchase Windows Vista 64-bit now for $100 and get a free upgrade coupon to Windows 7 when it is released. Or you can download the free Windows 7 Release Candidate from Microsoft and then purchase Windows 7 sometime before March 2010. If you choose to use the release candidate, you must download the operating system before August 20th. By downloading the RC, you put off purchasing the OS until later, allowing you to spend the $100 elsewhere. Here is the link if you want to purchase Windows Vista. If you want to download the Windows 7 Release Candidate directly from Microsoft, click here. Just make sure you get the 64-bit version.

Grand Total: $774 (Price after rebates: $709) - The cost of Windows Vista is not included, I assumed you will be downloading Windows 7.

I like djbpace's setup much better too

That was a good build, would there be any dignified way to cut enough costs to add in a monitor, the price of Vista 64-bit, and still keep it under $800 or even under $700? Also, I'll need some instructions on building this thing.

I thought that since the monitor was not included in the build you posted, you didn't need or want one. No problem, we can make adjustments though I doubt you'll be able to go more than $100 or so (after rebates) lower. I'm going to assume for a monitor, you want a 19-inch one. Specifically, the Hanns·G HW-191DPB Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers since it is a good price with an excellent set of features. With Vista x64 and the monitor included, we need to shave about $200 off the price before rebates. Here are some changes you can make. You don't have to do all of them, you can choose some of them to meet your financial needs.

Reduce the graphics card: A graphics card is easy to replace so this will be one of the first things cut. If you play alot of high-end games, you may not want to cut back too much. Games such as WoW or The Sims don't require high performing cards. I suggest using ATI cards since the motherboard will allow you to combine two or more of them to make a Crossfire system. The XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB for $119 is the next step down in terms of performance. The next down the list is the MSI R4830-T2D1G OC Radeon HD 4830 1GB, but the difference in price between the 4850 and the 4830 make it relatively pointless.

Reduce the power supply: Under normal conditions, the an HD 4870 will require 500W of power to run, or 600W to run in Crossfire. I added 100W to the power needed as a comfort zone and suggested a 700W PSU. When a company makes the power requirement suggestions for their graphics card, they usually use a top-to-the-line power supply unit. Thus, a power supply that can provide power beyond the suggested amounts is always advised. The OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W can be had for $75 before the $20 rebate. Keep in mind that rebates are a pain and a payout is not guaranteed.

Change the CPU: Changing a CPU is more involved than swapping out a graphics card or power supply and should be considered only as a last resort. You can go with the Phenom II X4 945 I suggested above to save $30. Next down the list would be a triple core processor for $119, the AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz. Gamers really shouldn't get processors that go below 2.8GHz. as they just aren't fast enough for non-multi-core enabled games. I would suggest going for an AM2/AM2+ motherboard, but an AM3 motherboard has much more upgrading options if you want to perform one in the future.

Change the case: A full ATX tower is suggested due to its depth and cooling capacity. However, you can make do with a mid tower. Unfortunately, with the larger graphics cards, you may not be able to install more than one into the smaller mid-ATX case. If you don't see yourself going for a high-end Crossfire setup or getting one of the larger cards yet-to-be-released, a mid-tower can be a viable option. The COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 comes highly suggested for $50.

Go for Windows 7 RC: It's free and you can put off paying for an OS until March. You can download the 64-bit Windows 7 Release Candidate now and get the product key from Microsoft. Doing this is strongly suggested given the amount of money you want to save.

As for building a new PC, there are a number of guides available on the net. Buildapc.com has a good guide, but it is a little old. PCMech has a good guide here, plus, they have a videos available if you want to see what they are doing.