Quiet, Low-budget Gaming

[prestermatt]

I'm planning to build my first computer later in the summer. After spending a while doing research in the forums, etc., I want to run my ideas past you all.

This computer is intended for 95% gaming, 5% backup system for my graduate work if my powerbook dies suddenly. However, my idea of gaming is a bit atypical: no shooters, mostly strategy, and I'm 2+ years behind the times since I refuse to pay more than $20 for a game (preferably with all of its expansion sets bundled in). I enjoy games, but I don't have the time or the money to make spending lots of money worthwhile.

Here's what I'm upgrading from: Dell Dimension 2100, 900mhz celeron, 128mb RAM, Intel 82810 integrated graphics. To top it all off, it's running WindowsME...

Yes, I do actually play games on that. The surprising thing is that I've still been able to find new and enjoyable games to play on it as recent as January. Thank God for Europa Universalis II. Unfortunately, it's gotten to the point where even $10 games won't run, so I want something new. I also really hate the fact that the Dell is really, really noisy. I would like this new computer to be as quiet a system as I can get without extensive modifications.

Here are the games I'm planning to get for this computer, in relative order of purchase:

Already own, but cannot play: Medieval Total War, Port Royale 2
Planning to buy at some point: Morrowind, Neverwinter Nights, Pirates!, Rome Total War, Sim City 4, Civilization 4

Oblivion is in my sights, but it'll be a while before it reaches my price point, and by then I'll be thinking about another upgrade. If my new computer can play it at all, however low the settings, I'll be happy. Thus you can see my relatively low demands. Before you start suggesting that I absolutely need some SLI 7900's or something, keep in mind that I have very, very low standards. I've never even played a game on a real graphics card before.

Sorry for the long post, but I figure that I'm not the typical builder here, and I want you all to know where I stand. One more thing: I do not plan to overclock.

Here's what I've got so far: Newegg Wishlist

Antec SOLO Case: It feels odd spending a lot on the case and the psu, but I do want a quiet system, and I like the style. I figure that if any components can be reused in a future upgrade, it will be these. I was also thinking of the Coolermaster Centurion 5. Thoughts? I'm planning to use a passive video card, so please let me know if it would be too hot for the case.

SeaSonic S12-330 ATX12V 330W Power Supply - Retail I've spent some time over at spcr, and Seasonic seems to be an excellent, and quiet brand.

AM2 Sempron 2800+: (I know the wishlist has the 3000.) This should be all I need for the immediate future. I'm planning to upgrade to a dual core processor in 2-3 years. Is it worth the extra $10 for the extra 128mb of cache in the 3000?

Gigabyte GA-M55plus-S3G Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail: I need Firewire so I can connect to my powerbook easily if I need to.

pqi POWER Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model MAC41GUOE-X2 - Retail: I'm not sure about pqi. Should I pay the extra $13 and get Corsair? I want to build as cheap as possible, but I also want quality products. Remember, I'm not going to be overclocking.

And Windows, of course. I have a couple of old hard drives, and I'm hoping to harvest the DVD-ROM from the Dell. Those will all be upgraded eventually, but this way I can spread out the cost. I'm also not going to be buying a video card right away -- the 6100 has got to be at least a little better than what I've been using. When I get one, it will be passive, however. I'm thinking about either a 7300gt or a 7600gs, depending on prices at the time that I get it. If you think I could get away with a 7300gs, please let me know.

Well, this is long enough, and I can always provide more information if you need it. Thanks for your advice. These forums are really helpfull.

 

[boltizor]

damn, you sound alot like me, lol..

I am upgrading from a dell 4500 (P4 2.0ghz, 40 gig HD 2mb cache, geforce 4 mx420, 768 ram pc2100, to this

msg xgbox ninja lighting atx case well ventilated/450 watt PS
amd athlon 64 3500+ 2.2ghz venice core
asus a8n5x mobo
msi nvidia 7600gt 256mb pci-e
1gig ddr400 pc3200 ram
160gig HD sata 8mb cache

760$ total CANADIAN DOLLARS! lol


and this new pc i am building will play all games on high, including oblivion, so you shouldnt have a problem building a budget gaming pc, lol.

sorry i couldnt give any advice, just dont listen to people when they say you need all this dual core crap and a 500$ video card to play good games, because you do not.

 

[Howard]

That's a nice case. I don't know if pqi's quality control is as good as the established brands (Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, OCZ, Kingston), though.

 

[Trey22]

Can't get to your wishlist... tried clicking the link, copy/paste, drag/drop.

What's your budget, I might of missed it but didn't see in your OP.

I've had good success w/ pqi RAM. I especially like their POWER series, as they have decent timings, overclock fairly well, and are affordable.

 

[Rockhound1]

prestermatt,

Welcome to the forums.

You obviously know what you are looking for and have done your research. I like the Antec SOLO case that you have selected. It is a very "clean" looking and sould serve you well. Antec builds quality cases. I have bought many Antec cases and have always had good luck with them. It also has some features that should help control the noise.

Your choice of power supplies is very solid. I have an S-12 and am very please with it. Enough said.

The Sempron 2800+ is a good choice for your needs. The most important thing here is that you have chosen to go with Socket AM2, so you are obviously looking toward the future and keeping your options to upgrade as open as possible. I would choose to go with the Athlon 64 3000+ for the extra $10, but that is just me. I like the little boost in performance that the extra chache would give you. I assume you are planning to use the boxed fan/heatsink that comes with the processor? If noise is a concern, as you say it is, then you might want to consider an aftermarket cooling solution. Maybe something from Zalman.

The motherboard looks like a solid choice. I typically use ASUS, but Gigabyte has a good reputation and should work well for you. It has passive heatsinks which should keep things quiet. It also has a PCI Express x16 slot for future expansion.

The memory you have selected (for $64) should work with the system you have described. However in the past, I have chosen to go with "slower" memory and have lived to regret it. I have some PC2100 memory gathering dust in a box that I can't use in any of my systems. If I were you (and had the budget), I would try to buy faster memory. That way, when you decide to upgrade your processor in the future, you will not need to upgrade your memory. It will save you a little money and hassel. There is some Corsair XMS2 at NewEgg for $104 (after MIR) that is DDR2 800.

Again, I commend you on your research and your choices. Good luck with the build!!

 

[imported_fx]

AMD Athlon AM2 3000+
ASUS M2NPV-VM (6150)
Corsair XMS2 1GB (2x512) RAM
Powercolor X1600XT [Link
Antec Sonta II w/450watts

Total=$537

I think I've read that Sonata II is quiet case with power supply included from somewhere on the Internet.

 

[prestermatt]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm sorry if the link doesn't work. I'll try to get it fixed, but then I've been having problems loading Newegg for a couple of days now.

Trey22: there's no real fixed "budget", other than wanting to spend as little as possible and still have decent components. Once I upgrade HDD and optical, and buy a graphics card, I'd like to spend $600-800 -- or less, if possible.

Rockhound: For now, I'll use the stock fan/heatsink, and we'll see how it goes. If I need to, I can add a better cooler down the road. As for the memory, 800 would be wonderful, though I've heard that the difference between that and 667 isn't that great -- especially since I'm not really an enthusiast. Maybe the prices will drop a bit by the time I buy it, though.

I was looking at the ASUS boards, but their cheaper AM2 boards been getting terrible reviews on Newegg. Of course, that particular GB board hasn't received *any* reviews, but the mATX has a couple of decent ones. This is my first build, and I'd prefer to avoid as many problems as I can.

fx: I might go for the Athlon 3000, depending on when I buy and the status of price cuts, availability, etc. But if I plan for the Sempron 2800, anything better would just be a bonus! Unfortunately, I really don't like the look of the Sonata. I'm still open, though.

Again, thanks for the advice!

 

[DaveSimmons]

How about the Antec SLK3000 or (desktop) NSK2400 ($80 shipped with quiet PSU at buy.com)

If you plan to keep the CPU for 2-3 years you could also go with socket 754 or 939 now, sure "it's a dead end" but by then so will be AM2.

Put the money you save into buying an A64 3000+ or 3200+ instead of a Sempron, and buy a motherboard that's been out for months and has the bugs worked out.

 

[Juno]

prestermatt, you might want to check onto the motherboard's manual to see the list of memory brands/models that are compatible with the motherboard.

you might want to get rid of sempron and get either 3000+ or 3200+ orleans.

 

[prestermatt]

DaveSimmons: I might look into the SLK3000 a bit more, but I really don't like the design with that door in front. Saving money would be nice, but not if I'm going to be irritated by my computer every time that I look at it. The NSK2400 is a nice design, but my space won't accomodate a desktop format. I thought for a while about the NSK3300, but the reviews haven't been as good as I was hoping, and it seems a bit limited. The more I think about it, the more I realize how sensitive I am to noise. I probably care more about that than performance.

As for AM2, even if they don't release any other new processors for it, I've still got the ability to put in a nice, dual core processor down the road. It may be old and somewhat obsolete by then, but then so are the games I play. If they're good enough for cutting-edge gamers now, they'll be fine for me in a few years. To be honest, I've even considered getting an old PCI card and some more RAM for the Dell, to try to get another year out of it. If it didn't sound like a lawnmower, and if I had a 1ghz Pentium instead of a 900mhz Celeron, I just might do it. If I get 754 or 939, I'd have to get a new motherboard and new RAM down the road. I'd love to be able to buy only a new processor, another gig of RAM, and a new budget video card in 2009, giving me another few years of use for minimal cost. Also, it doesn't seem like I'd save a lot of money going with the older sockets: CPU and RAM prices are about even, and I'd probably only save $20 or so on the motherboard. The point about the established, reliable motherboard is a good one, but it seems like the upgrade potential is worth it.

Juno: Thanks for reminding me to check on compatible memory. I'll definitely do that.

 

[Howard]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811127060

How about that one?

 

[acegazda]

gigabyte makes a silent 7600gt if you want a passive video card with a little more oomph... down the road of course. Also: the samsung spinpoints are very quiet hard drives... might want to look into that and both the tuniq tower and scythe ninja are good cpu coolers that have the ability to run passive, but also have a 120mm fan for extra cooling.

 

[pkme2]

I would wait till the "new stuff" is out in a month or 2. Prices should get better, new or used. Check the AT 'for sale' forums. Maybe a great deal can be had.

 

[prestermatt]

Howard: Still having problems loading Newegg, so I don't know what you're referring to. Is this a universal issue or what? I don't have problems with any other sites, so I'd have a hard time believing it's my system.

Acegazda: Yes, my eye has been on that 7600gt. It's definitely a possibility if the price goes down a bit. I'm already planning for a Samsung down the road. I've got one in an external enclosure as a backup for my powerbook, and it's great so far. I'll keep the cooler suggestions in mind, but I'm going to try use the stock one at first.

pkme2: I'm not buying immediately, so I will wait and see what the prices do. And to see how the motherboards pan out. Of course, I'm guessing that the Semprons won't drop too much (from what I've read, maybe from $65 to $53), but it might make the low-end Athlons more affordable. I'm probably not going to go used, though thank you for the suggestion. This is my first time building, and I'd rather get all of the parts new and from one place, just to make it easier.

Seriously, everyone, -- and please correct me if I'm wrong -- for the games I've listed above, do I need anything more than a Sempron 2800/3000? Dawn of War recommends a 2.4ghz P4, Civ4 is 1.8. None of the rest of the games recommend, much less require, anything more than 1ghz. I know that the Sempron isn't an Athlon, but surely it can handle these games, at least to some degree. Sure, if I can get an Athlon for a few dollars more I will, but if a $60 Sempron will play the games just fine, why spend $40-50 for extra power I won't need for several years -- I can save that money to help towards a dual-core K8L or something in the future, when I need it.

 

[Rockhound1]

As I said in my previous post, the Sempron will do everything you need, but for $10 more, I would go for the Athlon 64 3000+, but that is me.

You are correct regarding the memory, but I am sure there will be optimiztions in the near future as the platform matures which will take advantage of the extra bandwidth of the DDR2 800. However, the memory that you have selected (PQI) should be adequate for your needs.

Really, I think you have put together a solid selection of parts for your new system. Especially in light of your stated requirements and uses.

Good luck with the build. Drop us a line when you have finished and tell us all what your final choices for parts were and how the new system is performing.

 

[prestermatt]

It's the *Sempron* 3000 that's only $10 more. The Athlon 3000 is about $26 more.

 

[Noema]

Nice job on that reaserch!

Now prepare to reap reward in form of drops of sweetest nectar, lavish ambrose...a pleasure known only to a select few, men and gods alike...

...the sound of your newly built PC booting up and POSTing for the first time.

 

[FxCMYfOB]

Are you poor? Why don't you just buy some computer from Best Buy or something. You play old games anyways.

 

[prestermatt]

FxCMYfOB: I've thought about it. I'm not exactly rolling in dough, but it's really more that I have a lot of things to spend money on, and I have to put my gaming in its place. Just because I don't need high-end processing and graphics power doesn't mean that any old thing will do. That's why I'm looking at a more expensive case and power supply. As I said in my initial post, I'm fed up with a crappy Dell that was the cheapest one my wife could get in 2001. (Oh, and I forgot to mention that it's running ME...). It became my gaming computer when we got married, because I've always been a mac-owner myself. Between my utter hatred of the Dell and my great experiences with Apple, I have a strong aversion to buying an ordinary PC in a store. Unfortuately, Macs are still too expensive to use just for gaming, and I've already got a fine (but alas, not Intel) powerbook. If the Intel Mac-Mini had anything better than GMA950, I might go for it. However, I'm tired of Intel integrated graphics. I don't mind it if games run slow, but I like them to run at all.

Plus, I like the idea of learning how to build one myself, and I can have fun customizing it to my own needs, not the needs of some middle-manager at e-machines... I also like to bake. Even though I can order pizza, I'd rather make it from scratch myself. It tastes better, and I know *exactly* what went into it.

Besides, how else could I ever experience Noema's ambrosia! (Assuming that everything goes well...)

 

[skooma]

LOL, I wouldn't have even responded to him....

Anyway, as for the solo, there are some AT user reviews here and I added some pics several posts down. Its a nice case.

I'd also go with 2 gigs ram but I understand your reasoning.

Other than that, you seem to have a good grasp of what to get :beer:

 

[prestermatt]

skooma: Yes, I've read that thread, and I appreciated the pics and comments when I was doing my planning. I'll be adding another gig of ram in the future, but since most of the games require about 256mb, the 1gig is overkill already.

 

[alimoalem]

i think you're set to go. the 7600GT looks nice. i would see how much the athlon 3000/3200 costs after price cuts. if it's like $20 more, definitely go for it. there's nothing wrong with having a little extra for a little bit more

 

[prestermatt]

Actually, I've got a question about those price cuts. It seems to me (judging from DailyTech and similar reports July 24th Price Cuts) that the cuts for single-core processors are already. The Athlon 3000 is already only $92 at Newegg, and I just may spend the extra money and get it. We'll see.

Do you think that price is going to go down any more in July? Or will those cuts just be to get the X2's down to a reasonable level? Basically, is there any point in me waiting for price cuts, if they are already here for the processors I'm looking at (aside from the almost negligible $8 cuts in the Semprons)? In fact, from the chart on the DT article, it looks like the A 3000 price might actually go *up* to $112 from its current "promotional price".

One more thing: any thoughts on whether DDR2 or motherboard prices will drop as well? I've been doing my research, but not for so long that I can predict the vagaries of component prices... If they stay the same, there may not be much point in me waiting.

 

[LW07]

For the video card, I would either get this 7600GS:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130020
$110($100 after rebate)

and I would get a PSU with a little more wattage:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151022

or this PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817194002

and I would definitly get the Athlon 64 3000+ that everyone is recommending at least,
or you could consider this 3200+ which is just $9 more:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103637

Other than this, it looks good to me.

 

[prestermatt]

Why do I need more wattage?