$1500 game machine - critique me

[tjpark1111]

AMD 3200+ Single-Core Socket 939 Venice E3 2.0 Ghz 512KB 90nm MicroProcessor - $154 shipped @ NewEgg

EPoX 9NPA+ Ultra nForce4 Ultra ATX Motherboard - $98 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

Patriot 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR400 PC3200 (2-3-2-5) 2x1GB Memory - $189/$134AR shipped @ ZipZoomFly

ATI R520 Sapphire X1800XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 16x Video Card - $285/$255AR shipped @ NewEgg

Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 16MB Cache SATAII 3.0/Gbps 7200RPM Hard Drive - $125 shipped @ NewEgg

Antec Performance One P160W Quiet ATX Mid-Tower Case - $99 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

Enermax Liberty EL400AWT 400W Modular Quiet PSU - $75 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

ViewSonic VX2025wm Black/Silver 20? 8ms Widescreen Digital LCD Monitor - $350 shipped @ NewEgg

Logitech X-530 Black 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - $60 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

(4) Clear Blue LED D12SL-12 Yate Loon Quiet Case Fans - $32 shipped @ Petra?s Tech Shop

Components from Various Vendors - $1467/$1382AR shipped

Thermalright SI-120 Aluminum CPU Heatsink w/5 Copper Heatpipes
3.5g of Arctic Silver 5 All-Silver Thermal Compound
30ml Articlean 1 and Articlean 2 Thermal Compound Remover
Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 Heatpipe Copper VGA Cooler w/Quiet 60mm Fan
Swiftech MCX159-Cu All-Copper Northbridge Heatsink w/18dba 40mm Sunon Fan
(2) 4-Pack Anti-Vibration Rubber Fan Mounts For Fans With Open Corners

Components from Jab-Tech - $121 shipped

Total System - $1588/$1503AR shipped

I decided to go with single-core since I am quite satisfied with my current PC w/a slow single core celeron, and my main reason to build this rig is to play games, not more processing power to get apps to load faster(although thatd be nice)
I recently posted a build around $1250, but it seems like spending $1500, as suggested in the AT article, is wise. So I've rethought my components and this is what I've came up with. Would appreciate any help.

 

[EffeX]

Hmm well im building a new rig for 1400-1700 and im using X2 4200 and 7900GTX so you might wanna look into that. Its a lot better than the 3200+. Also if your into gaming I would advise you to go with a Viewsonic CRT since newegg got rid of thier last Samsung 997mb
Also OCZ Platinum ram is better and runs at 2-2-2-5 even though it says 2-2-3-5.

 

[m1ldslide1]

Originally posted by: EffeX
Hmm well im building a new rig for 1400-1700 and im using X2 4200 and 7900GTX so you might wanna look into that. Its a lot better than the 3200+. Also if your into gaming I would advise you to go with a Viewsonic CRT since newegg got rid of thier last Samsung 997mb
Also OCZ Platinum ram is better and runs at 2-2-2-5 even though it says 2-2-3-5.

$2k does seem a little high for a machine with a 3200+. You've got a lot of sweet accessories that you're adding in though, and I'm sure you can get a sweet OC if you're into that. Between the Epox board and aftermarket CPU HSF you should be able to get 2.6ghz no problem.

I personally like your choice in memory. The patriot does 2-3-2-6 @ 220mhz easy in my abit mobo (you can see my final OC in sig), but I've read several places that the OCZ Plat in the same price range doesn't OC nearly as well. If you can spring for the $250 OCZ Plat DDR500 then that's different, but it's a lot of money for something that you can get pretty close to with that Patriot at half the cost. Also latency timings don't affect performance NEARLY as much as max HTT speed. I made that mistake once and was sure disappointed.

I also like your monitor choice - I haven't played widescreen but I did go from a 17" CRT to a 17" 8ms Viewsonic about a year ago and I have been really happy with it. No ghosting, colors are rich and crisp, and you can't argue with the added desktop space you have left over.

 

[Twsmit]

You have a very nice setup. The only things I would change would be possibly the powersupply for something beefier, maybe the mobo for a DFI NF4 Ultra, and move over to a single core Opteron. Should allow for more OC headroom plus more cache.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: EffeX
Hmm well im building a new rig for 1400-1700 and im using X2 4200 and 7900GTX so you might wanna look into that. Its a lot better than the 3200+. Also if your into gaming I would advise you to go with a Viewsonic CRT since newegg got rid of thier last Samsung 997mb
Also OCZ Platinum ram is better and runs at 2-2-2-5 even though it says 2-2-3-5.

CRT? Why a CRT, those things are heavy and bulky. The LCD he selected is very nice, I have it, and I game on it.

 

[aniruddha23]

am selling my PC. used only 3 weeks.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=45&threadid=1857825

3800 X2 + X1900XT + a lot more. Can remove monitor from deal if u dont need it.

pm if interested.

Good Luck

 

[fire400]

get a better PSU

antec truepower 2.0

+500w because you will want it

 

[tjpark1111]

you guys really think 20A on each 12V rail won't be enough? (32A combined max)
I really don't want a DFI since there's no way to replace that noisy chipset cooler(NO im not getting the jingting), there's been reported problems with the DFI boards anyway with weird glitches(I've heard), and overall the EPoX is an excellent overclocker in its own right. I think a 3200+ would be good enough OC for me, especially since opteron 146's are going upwards of $200 and the steppings are getting questionable now.

$2k does seem a little high for a machine with a 3200+

It's $1500 btw, where did you read $2k? it even says $1500 in the title! With 2k, id prolly have an opteron 165 and an X1900XT, along with a bunch of other stuff.

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: fire400
get a better PSU

antec truepower 2.0

+500w because you will want it

Wrong wrong wrong.

The 400W liberty will be fine. The only part in there that is even remotly power hungry is the X1800XT, even then it's not going to stress a good 400W PSU.

If you want really low noise then think about a thermalright VGA cooler, they take up a fair bit of room but they are the quietest and/or offer the lowest noise of any coolers around without going for water.

 

[tjpark1111]

Originally posted by: EffeX
Hmm well im building a new rig for 1400-1700 and im using X2 4200 and 7900GTX so you might wanna look into that. Its a lot better than the 3200+. Also if your into gaming I would advise you to go with a Viewsonic CRT since newegg got rid of thier last Samsung 997mb
Also OCZ Platinum ram is better and runs at 2-2-2-5 even though it says 2-2-3-5.

i wonder if you read my post at all(?????)

 

[InlineFour]

that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

 

[sourceninja]

My computer only cost me 1420.00 See the specs.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

He has an LCD in there, that is $350 of the price. (dang, I paid $425 for the exact same LCD ) so $1500 - $350 = $1150.

 

[InlineFour]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: InlineFour
that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

He has an LCD in there, that is $350 of the price. (dang, I paid $425 for the exact same LCD ) so $1500 - $350 = $1150.

$1150 is still a lot of money to work with. he should at least be able to get a x2 3800+.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

Dells have nowhere near the customizability of a home-cooked PC. Besides, part of that money is for the joy of building a computer yourself. Plus, a Dell most likely not be fine-tuned so that the computer runs smoothly (i.e. memory becomes a bottleneck before CPU or GPU does, etc. etc.).

 

[InlineFour]

Originally posted by: guoziming

Originally posted by: InlineFour
that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

Dells have nowhere near the customizability of a home-cooked PC. Besides, part of that money is for the joy of building a computer yourself. Plus, a Dell most likely not be fine-tuned so that the computer runs smoothly (i.e. memory becomes a bottleneck before CPU or GPU does, etc. etc.).

for $1500, i can get a dell with a pentium d 940 (x2 3800+ equivalent.), 20" widescreen lcd, 1gb of ram, etc., etc.

i agree that building yourself is better, but he did not choose his parts wisely. i mean come on, $1500 for single core?

 

[alimoalem]

i guess you could keep the single-core and upgrade in 6 months-a year. i would do the following changes, though:

PSU: get the fortron 450w...you'll save like $20
HDD: get the 250GB version...save $35
CPU: if you're willing, get the 3000+ and overclock. you have the cooling for it. you'll save $30

this gives you $85 to play with. if you get $50 more you can get dual core or you can somehow get $90 more and get the x1900xt....i guess it really matters on what you play or will be playing. i personally would save the money until conroe if i were you. it should be well worth the wait

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: InlineFour
that's a terrible use of money. you can only get a amd 64 3200+ box for $1500? i'd get at least a 4400+ for that much. you're spending too much money on accessories. for $1500, you're much better off buying a dell than building a computer with those parts.

He has an LCD in there, that is $350 of the price. (dang, I paid $425 for the exact same LCD ) so $1500 - $350 = $1150.

Yeah, $1150 is what I paid for my Opteron 144 + X1900XT setup. He can do way better if he manages his money a bit better.

 

[LW07]

Originally posted by: tjpark1111
AMD 3200+ Single-Core Socket 939 Venice E3 2.0 Ghz 512KB 90nm MicroProcessor - $154 shipped @ NewEgg

EPoX 9NPA+ Ultra nForce4 Ultra ATX Motherboard - $98 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

Patriot 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR400 PC3200 (2-3-2-5) 2x1GB Memory - $189/$134AR shipped @ ZipZoomFly

ATI R520 Sapphire X1800XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 16x Video Card - $285/$255AR shipped @ NewEgg

Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 16MB Cache SATAII 3.0/Gbps 7200RPM Hard Drive - $125 shipped @ NewEgg

Antec Performance One P160W Quiet ATX Mid-Tower Case - $99 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

Enermax Liberty EL400AWT 400W Modular Quiet PSU - $75 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

ViewSonic VX2025wm Black/Silver 20? 8ms Widescreen Digital LCD Monitor - $350 shipped @ NewEgg

Logitech X-530 Black 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - $60 shipped @ ZipZoomFly

(4) Clear Blue LED D12SL-12 Yate Loon Quiet Case Fans - $32 shipped @ Petra?s Tech Shop

Components from Various Vendors - $1467/$1382AR shipped

Thermalright SI-120 Aluminum CPU Heatsink w/5 Copper Heatpipes
3.5g of Arctic Silver 5 All-Silver Thermal Compound
30ml Articlean 1 and Articlean 2 Thermal Compound Remover
Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 Heatpipe Copper VGA Cooler w/Quiet 60mm Fan
Swiftech MCX159-Cu All-Copper Northbridge Heatsink w/18dba 40mm Sunon Fan
(2) 4-Pack Anti-Vibration Rubber Fan Mounts For Fans With Open Corners

Components from Jab-Tech - $121 shipped

Total System - $1588/$1503AR shipped

I decided to go with single-core since I am quite satisfied with my current PC w/a slow single core celeron, and my main reason to build this rig is to play games, not more processing power to get apps to load faster(although thatd be nice)
I recently posted a build around $1250, but it seems like spending $1500, as suggested in the AT article, is wise. So I've rethought my components and this is what I've came up with. Would appreciate any help.

I would try getting a PSU with more wattage, like an Enermax 500W Liberty.

 

[Tig Ol Bitties]

Id try cutting back on the accessories...those can be picked up later on and arent as important as the hardware. Like the Swiftech northbridge and thermal compound remover, and rubber fan mounts and do you really need that many fans?

Save up here and there, pick up a Fortron 450W, modular is way overrated IMO, you end up using most of the cables anyways, but Enermax is a solid product.

Cutback to 250GB on the HDD...if you need the space you can get another one later, 250GB should way more than enough unless you're like saving movies or something. Hell, on your budget, Id probably get a 160 GB.

Pick up an OEM Opty 144 from Monarch.com for like $140, it comes w/o a HSF, but you're gonna use an aftermarket one anyways, and theres the extra cache and more headroom than that 3200 for OCin.

Get a Centurion case from Coolermaster from newegg, quite decent airflow for all their models and its $50 cheaper. Save up and get a X1900XT, thats where your performance in gaming is gonna shine.

 

[bX510]

I think u really only need 1 fan for case, 1 good cpu fan. 3 at most.

 

[Jjoshua2]

I know the Patriot 2gb memory was discussed a bit in this thread. I was reading the reviews on Newegg and some said it wouldn't work with some memory dividers. I'm thinking of getting this memory (not sure 1gb or 2gb), but I need to run the memory at something like 7/10, because my HTT is at 322, with my Opty at 2.9.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i dunno how you're spending 1500 for a 3200 and a x1800xt. you're buying so much stuff that you dont need. 1. try the stock cooling for a bit then if you're unsatisfied, then upgrade. you're wasting your money on aftermarket when stock can be just as good. save some money off those bad quality speakers and get some good quality 2.1's instead. you'll enjoy them later when you grow to like sound quality over boomyness. i'd go for something along the lines of a 3700 or 4000 single core and a x1900xt(x) xtx if u want the top of the line gpu to date.
u can save money buy not purchasing those fans (+32), AS remover, SI120, NF4 chipset cooler, rubber, and acelero cooler. try the stock. really. you're wasting your money on last years parts.

 

[Boom782]

ATI R520 Sapphire X1800XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E 16x Video Card - $285/$255AR shipped @ NewEgg

How? This is the card im currently looking for and waiting for a price in that range but all I see is $305 shipped?

 

[imported_Imp]

The 3200+ isn't bad, I just got one during Christmas and it's pretty good running stock. However, dual cores have dropped quite a bit in price and you may want to consider jumping on that wagon. Also, like others said the PSU could be better. Don't get me wrong, it's probably good enough for now, but if you want to upgrade down the road, it's going to be a write off with just 400W. And the premium you pay for modular is questionable; may or may not make it neater since I've seen people talk about how they had to plug in every cable on a modular which defeats the purpose.