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Cheapest way for Gaming PC

tkepongo

tkepongo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 31, 2007
102
0
Oregon State University
I'm thinking of buy or making a gaming pc but its FREAKIN EXPENSIVE!! I just wanna play some RTS online. Im thinking of having:

dual processor (amd or intel)
at least 2 gb ram
at least 512 vram for video card
windows xp
decent sound card

that's all i really need...what would you guys recommend i do?
 
Building it yourself is pretty much guaranteed to be significantly less expensive than buying it assembled. Hardware wise, I'd recommend Intel over AMD in general at present, and probably a 8800 GT or 9600 GT for a GPU (pretty powerful and won't break the bank). Depending on what you want to play, I wouldn't worry too much about being cutting-edge; RTS's usually aren't as taxing as the latest FPS's.
 
You can build a nice computer with XP, 2.2Ghz processor (e4500 intel), 2GB 800Mhz PC-6400 memory, 630i board, 8800GT 512 superclocked, etc. Not the latest and greatest, but absolutely incredible for the $500-$700 price.

Go to Micro Center and ask a few questions :)
 
One word: Newegg

Buy a cheap Core 2 Duo processor (I have an e6300, which is older now).

Buy a nice, cheap, good overclocking motherboard (I have a Gigabyte DS3-L).

Buy a new, better cpu fan (around 50 dollars, zalman has always been good for me)

Overclock (I overclocked my e6300 from 1.86ghz to 3.01ghz)

Buy 2x1 gig sticks of ddr2 800 ram (ddr2 800 is cheap these days).

Buy a good graphics card (I have an 8800GT)

Buy a case (doesnt matter)

Buy a power supply (at least 550-600watts)

Buy a dvd drive (30 bucks)

Buy a hard drive (preferably sata II 3 gb/s)

You could probably do all of that in around 600-700, maybe 800 dollars.

Then there's other things you don't necessarily need, such as sound cards, speakers, etc.
 
Eidorian said:
Ain't got Company of Heroes.
Click to expand...

That game is published by microsoft, so it's only a matter of time until it comes out on xbox. And even if it that particular game never comes out on a console, who cares? There are tons of great games for all the game consoles and these days there's little question that it's a much better choice to buy a console for your gaming needs instead of a computer.
 
motulist said:
That game is published by microsoft, so it's only a matter of time until it comes out on xbox. And even if it that particular game never comes out on a console, who cares? There are tons of great games for all the game consoles and these days there's little question that it's a much better choice to buy a console for your gaming needs instead of a computer.
Click to expand...



I disagree. IMO, there's so much more you can do with a game on a computer. You can make mods, download addon's etc. There's also usually a bigger online community, in the experiences I've had.
 
motulist said:
That game is published by microsoft, so it's only a matter of time until it comes out on xbox. And even if it that particular game never comes out on a console, who cares? There are tons of great games for all the game consoles and these days there's little question that it's a much better choice to buy a console for your gaming needs instead of a computer.
Click to expand...
I know of two companies that might want to talk with you.

Console != Gaming PC

Ain't nothing like the real thing.
 
Get a cheap core 2 duo processor like an e4300 and overclock it on stock cooling. You can save hundreds. Dont get a soundcard, just use the MB sound. Get a motherboard thats aroung $100 so it overclocks well.

Its pretty easy to build a cheap gaming PC but you didnt give your definition of "expensive"
 
stainlessliquid said:
Get a cheap core 2 duo processor like an e4300 and overclock it on stock cooling. You can save hundreds. Dont get a soundcard, just use the MB sound. Get a motherboard thats aroung $100 so it overclocks well.

Its pretty easy to build a cheap gaming PC but you didnt give your definition of "expensive"
Click to expand...

um..i was thinking about $400-500 :rolleyes:

i mean, i already got a 360...so i just want something mediocre that can run rts like command and conquer 3, world in conflict and company of heroes
 
I'm running CoH just fine on my computer. (30-65 fps at High Settings) Keep in mind I got the nice ~$550 price since I have a copy of XP and a spare SATA drive.

You can get a much better deal now with the 9600 GT and the newer E22xx Series.
 
motulist said:
That game is published by microsoft, so it's only a matter of time until it comes out on xbox. And even if it that particular game never comes out on a console, who cares? There are tons of great games for all the game consoles and these days there's little question that it's a much better choice to buy a console for your gaming needs instead of a computer.
Click to expand...

Agreed. This is exactly why I even have a Mac right now. I'm a recreational gamer, so obviously, when buying a computer I have to buy a computer that can be spec'd to run games. That was until I bought a XBox 360. I paid about 3-400 after it was all said and done, with games, accessories, xbox live, etc... However, this allowed me to buy a MacBook and switch to Mac in order to game, because I didn't have the money or the desire for a MBP, because disregarding the graphics card, there is nothing I desire in the MBP. That is my opinion about gaming. This is coming from an old school, hardcore pc gamer.
 
Do you have an Intel-based Mac? If so the cheapest method would be to buy a copy of Windows (XP or Vista) and use Boot Camp. It'll cost you about $100 - $150.
 
I agree, it is better to buy a console than a gaming rig. PS3 costs 600 dollars, I think, in the US, while a gaming rig will be 2k+ and in 2 years it will get old enough if not less, but PS3 has a lot of potential and you won't need to upgrade it in the long run, well, except the day when PS4 comes out, but that's probably in 10-15 years?
 
dog24 said:
I agree, it is better to buy a console than a gaming rig.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this but that's because I find the games on the PC much more interesting than those on console. And besides, tkeponogo said he wanted to play RTS games. As far as I know there are no (or at least good) RTS games available for console.
 
Going through newegg.com you can find a nice setup with good overclocking potential from between $475 to $600 depending on the parts you choose.

For a minimal config.
$70 Pentium D e2160 1.8Ghz Allendale O'c to 3Ghz easily
$67 Gigabyte GA-G31M Motherboard Good O'c Option and Reviews
$165 GeForce 9600GT
$40 2GB DDR2 800
$61 Case with PSU 400W
$46 160GB HD
$26 CD/DVD Burner
$475

Better, PSU, Cooling, CPU, and storage
$125 Core 2 Duo e4500 Allendale 2.2Ghz O'c to 3.2Ghz easily
$27 CPU Cooler
$6 Arctic Silver 5
$67 Gigabyte GA-G31M Motherboard Good O'c Option and Reviews
$165 GeForce 9600GT
$40 2GB DDR2 800
$25 Cheapo Case
$45 500W Power Supply
$70 320GB HD
$26 CD/DVD Burner
$596

Although you can probably skimp by with the 400W powersupply I would say to get the cheap case and 500W PSU. As for the CPU even clocked at the same speed the Core 2 Duo gets better gaming performance than the Pentium D probably because of the higher L2 cache since they are both based on the Allendale design. As for the CPU cooler you can overclock some without an aftermarket cooler but it does make you CPU run cooler and increases the overclock potential.

The motherboard is pretty skimpy on features, no SLI, 2 RAM slots, no firewire I chose it since it is cheap and has good overclocking features and the northbridge goes to 1333mhz FSB so you can overclock the CPU without overclocking other components; the CPU's listed are made for 800mhz FSB so that is a potential 67% O'C without affecting other components assuming the CPU can handle it:eek:. Due to the lack of RAM slots you may want to go to 4GB instead of 2GB.

Edit: These price are before Shipping and Handling and I am assuming you already have a keyboard, mouse, monitor and a copy of Windows.
 
For $500 the best thing to do is recycle parts from an older computer, like HDD/DVD/Case/RAM if it has ddr2. Upgrade only the critical components.

Why are people suggesting he get a console? He already said he has a 360. He wants to play strategy games, strategy games usually dont go to a console and when they do they are HORRIBLE.
 
minicoop503 said:
^^ Those parts aren't too bad, but don't get the pentium d. Core 2 Duo is much better.
Click to expand...
Its not a pentium D, its a Pentium Dual Core, its based on the Core 2 Allendale however cheaper. And there great little chips.

Pentium D and Pentium Dual Core are completely different.
 
I'm badgering my dad to let me build a gaming PC, but I have found some really cheap parts that will make a blazing fast machine:
  • AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition (for overclocking)
  • Asus M2N-SLi Mobo
  • 4GB Corsair Value Select Ram
  • 2 500GB Samsung SATA HDDs
  • Albatron GeForce 8800GT 512mb (possibly in sli, still deciding)
  • A cheap dvd drive
  • A dlink wireless dongle
  • CoolerMaster case
  • Thermaltake 750W PSU
 
The phenoms DO NOT win the price-performance category, nor do they overclock like a core 2. So why buy it?
 
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