Most powerful gaming rig for $400-$450?

[Unicef]

What i've got:

• Case
• 250GB SATA Western Digital HD
• Sony CD/DVD Burner
• 500W PS (+12V1@16A +12V2@18A)
• Fans

What I Need:

• Mobo
• Processor
• Graphics Card
• Ram

Preferences:

• 2 GB RAM
• HDCP Ready Graphics card

So if you could please post links to the best mobo, processor, graphics card, and ram I can get for a total of $400-$450 I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, it has to beable to work with the power supply stated above for a different power supply that would be put into the budget. Thanks to anyone that helps. I know a fair amount about pc's but i'm not quite up to date on the newest hardware.

The best i've found so far is: 2GB G.SKILL RAM $35, AMD AM2 6000+ 3.0Ghz Processor $159, Asus Mobo $135, Geforce 8800GTS 320MB EVGA Card for $115. Thats $444.00 before taxes but after mail in rebates :/.

[MentaL]

[NoPeace]

What you have there seems good enough. See how much a e6600 is as that would be a better processor. Should be about the same range.

NoPeace - out

[Unicef]

What you have there seems good enough. See how much a e6600 is as that would be a better processor. Should be about the same range.

NoPeace - out

Thank you for your response!

Will the hardware I have listed be fine under the power supply ive got?

[NoPeace]

Should be more then enough for one high end graphics card and a quad core or dual mid range graphics cards and a quad core.

That is if you have enough plugs for it.

NoPeace - out

[AnDy]

Should be more then enough for one high end graphics card and a quad core or dual mid range graphics cards and a quad core.

That is if you have enough plugs for it.

NoPeace - out

he said gaming rig, no games even support quad cores as yet, only thing quadcore is good for atm is numbercrunching and to say *my pc owns*

benchmarks on games says the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 8MB cache ( 3ghz x4) vs the Core 2 Duo E8400 6MB cache (3ghz x2), the quad is only slightly better...due to the cache, and it around 600

[Dr Who]

For $400 thats

[omen]

8400gs sucks epic balls

[NoPeace]

[QUOTE=AnDy;3258189]he said gaming rig, no games even support quad cores as yet, only thing quadcore is good for atm is numbercrunching and to say *my pc owns*

benchmarks on games says the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 8MB cache ( 3ghz x4) vs the Core 2 Duo E8400 6MB cache (3ghz x2), the quad is only slightly better...due to the cache, and it around 600

[Dr Who]

Ok if you want to push the buget to

[Mazo]

Dr Who, he said dollars not pounds. His budget is $450 and

[Dr Who]

Well if you want a computer wiv a geforce 9400 it will cost that.
For only $400 that

[NoPeace]

[QUOTE=Dr Who;3266605]Well if you want a computer wiv a geforce 9400 it will cost that.
For only $400 that

[omen]

[QUOTE=Dr Who;3263718]Ok if you want to push the buget to

[hjdtrytgfbhg]

What you have there seems good enough. See how much a e6600 is as that would be a better processor. Should be about the same range.

NoPeace - out

I got the E6600 last month, it works great for me, and it's for $231 at a deal site

dealstudio.com :: View Deals - :: Deals, Coupons, Rebates, Freebies, Discounts, Bargains

[NoPeace]

I got the E6600 last month, it works great for me, and it's for $231 at a deal site

dealstudio.com :: View Deals - :: Deals, Coupons, Rebates, Freebies, Discounts, Bargains

Been looking around an the e6600 is just overpriced. Most goes for $225-250 but you can get a q6600 for as little as $200.

Makes no since in my opinion. Since the q6600 is two e6600 dies on the same chip.

NoPeace - out

[Unicef]

Thank you all for your opinions :). I decided to increase my budget a bit as Newegg was having a great deal on quadcore processors. I ended up spending $506.00 before my mail in rebate of $20. But I got an AMD Phenom 9600 Agena 2.3Ghz (saved $44.99), EVGA GeForce 9600GT Superclocked 512MB, 2GB G.Skill RAM, and this mobo.

The only problem i've had so far is that I found out I cannot use SLI with this motherboard?? Apparently it only uses crossfire (ati only?). I haven't built a computer in quite some time so i'm not really up to date with all the new features. What I do know is that I can play Crisis at 1024x768 at high settings with all the eyecandy on and 16x AA but if in future I would like to play it on higher settings I would have to SLI, no?

So if anyone could point me in the direction of a nice cheap (under $100) motherboard that is compatable with all my specs and can do SLI I would really appreciate it. I can't seem to identify whether a motherboard handles SLI or crossfire by just looking at them? Most of them seem to just say how many PCI E slots there are.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Mazo]

You have no chance of getting 16x AA on Crysis with a decent framerate. I have an 8800GTX and even at that resolution I don't even get 60fps with no AA. Admittedly my CPU is bottlenecking the GPU but still goes to show.

[Ramuthra]

the 790x indicates its a Ati chipset, you're looking for something with 750i/650i (i think they're the reasonably priced nforce boards, not up on my nvidia boards)

[Unicef]

You have no chance of getting 16x AA on Crysis with a decent framerate. I have an 8800GTX and even at that resolution I don't even get 60fps with no AA. Admittedly my CPU is bottlenecking the GPU but still goes to show.

How can I check my framerate? It's pretty lagless untill a grenade goes off beside me or i zoom in with the bonoculars.

the 790x indicates its a Ati chipset, you're looking for something with 750i/650i (i think they're the reasonably priced nforce boards, not up on my nvidia boards)

Thanks!

[omen]

install fraps - fps on anygame

[NoPeace]

How can I check my framerate? It's pretty lagless untill a grenade goes off beside me or i zoom in with the bonoculars.


Thanks!

There is a command in the game console that shows it.

Though you are not running it at 16xAA. Trust me. At that rest with dual 8800 Ultra and a Qx6800 you still wont be able to run it lagless.

NoPeace - out

[Unicef]

I checked my framerate and it was like around 15-25 :/. I guess i've just been used to a shitty framerate from having a shitty pc for so long lol. The game recommends medium settings for me so I turned it down to medium turned the res up abit and turn the AA all the way off. The difference in the framerate tho is minimal o_O.

I still seem to be having trouble distingiushing between the crossfire and SLI mobos when looking at them on newegg :/

[NoPeace]

CF and SLI is down to the chipset. SLI is only on nVidia chipsets (nForce series). Intel, AMD, and ATI chipsets supports CF.

NoPeace - out

[Ramuthra]

Nvidia SLI:
680i
650i
790i
780i
750i

ATI CF:
790fx
790x
780g
770
690

Basically check which one of the above shorthands is in the motherboards name somewhere and check which multi-gpu it supports. (intel boards not listed since i have no idea which chipset is the latest etc)

[Alfons]

Intel / ATI CF:

P35
X38
P45
X48

For as far as I know :P