|
The (new) Official PC building thread!
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 00:02 |
Link to this message
|
|
I mean, or at least the 9500. To put into perspective, the 9500 beats the 7700, which in turn beats the 7000. There's a full copper version of the 7000, or there's the half and half version which is even cheaper. The 9700 beats the hell out of all of them, and the Thermalright Ultra 120 beats the hell out of the 9700. What's worse, the Ultra 120 isn't even expensive any more. And look at the GPUs, a pair of 8800GTs. I would have expected GTXs in a system worth $5000. You'd have to win that system, it just isn't worth paying a small fraction of its RRP for.
|
|
Advertisement
|
 |
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 00:08 |
Link to this message
|
|
If I got it I would probably sell it and then build myself another one. I don't need a 5 grand PC which will perform less than a 3 grand one.
|
|
LNXTinman
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
22. November 2007 @ 00:19 |
Link to this message
|
just finished building mine....runs very well.
vista home premium
XFX Gforce8800gts 320mb
750gb barracuda 7200
ASUS p5k3 deluxe/wifi mob
intel core 2 duo quad q6600
thermaltake 750 watt psu
sound blaster x-fi xtremegamer 7.1
2 gb corsair DDR3 sdram
thermaltake Soprano black case
dvd burner
cd burner
and yes...a floppy drive
my vista performance spec is 5.6 ....
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 00:23 |
Link to this message
|
Let's see, I don't know how much the case is worth, but I bet you could build a PC to that spec over here and it cost less than the currency equivalent of that PC. (You know, after the VAT and import taxes etc). That means it has to be done for less than £2428.
Silverstone Strider 1000W: £175.31 (What a waste of money, a 500W PSU would suffice)
EVGA 680i board £139.83
E6850 CPU £164.84
The CPU cooler's outclassed by a Freezer 7 Pro, so I'll just use the cost of one of those, £15.73
2GB Dominator PC6400C4 £55.98
2x 8800GT £352.22
Hmm, "Creative Labs X-Fi". Nice and ambiguous. Let's pick the Extreme gamer one, even though it could just be the standard model. £58.52
2x Seagate 500GB 16MB £137.46
Lite on 20x DVDRW Lightscribe £23.74
Mitsumi Media drive £14.68
Vista Home Premium 32bit £65.68
G15 Keyboard £53.65
MX-518 Mouse £32.89
The page is corrupted where they tell you which 22" Viewsonic it is, so let's go with the most expensive one just in case, the 2255WMB at £266.22
X-240 speakers £25.31
So let's see, total price excluding the case and the t-shirt, an unremarkable £1582.06
Custom made cases are quite expensive, so let's leave a broad £200 in there for that. Around £1800 total. That's a 35% markup before we add VAT and then the import tax which increases the cost of UK components. You're looking at around a 55% markup on that PC. That's right, over a third of the entire cost of the PC is profit margin.
So this is basically a plea for people who are after high end PCs, for god's sake, do it yourself!
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. November 2007 @ 09:35 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by sammorris:
So this is basically a plea for people who are after high end PCs, for god's sake, do it yourself!
:claps hands: Finally you say something worth listening to sam....hehehe...j/k. I've been telling a friend of mine the same thing. He's looking at a HP or something with low end everything except the HDD and he can build a computer that'll run circles around it for the same money or just a few pennies more. :D ....about $800 USD btw......
@Lp531,
Click on the link provided in my previous post and it includes the ODD's with free shipping from the EGG. You don't see many deals cheaper than that. Most of the drives are $35 delivered or less one or two are even less than $29 delivered. :D
.....gm
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. November 2007 @ 12:02 |
Link to this message
|
may be a good day to pickup that extra Pioneer DVR-212 i was wanting
Antec 1200 Full-Tower Case/Thermaltake 750-Watt PS/ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 Mobo/Western Digital Black WD500 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache/NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card/CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM 16GB DDR3 /Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo)/CORSAIR Hydro High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler/3-Asus DRW-24B1ST Sata Drives/Samsung 2493HM 24" LCD Monitior 1920x1200 resolution,5ms respone time/OS Windows 10 Pro SP1 64-bit
|
AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 12:07 |
Link to this message
|
|
I finally bought some RAM!!! Anyone wanna buy my 8800GTX as well? lol
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. November 2007 @ 12:15 |
Link to this message
|
Hi,
I've got most of the parts on order for my Phenom build. I thought I'd present the list and see what you think so far. I'm trying to keep it under $2000.00, so far that has gone well.
Motherboard:
GA-MA790X-DS4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128075
One of the first boards with the 790 AM2+ chipsets. This is one of two listed at Newegg. I wanted a Gigabyte so this is it.
RAM:
Crucial Ballistix DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820148069
Basically it matches the motherboard specs and is reasonably priced as well as being recommended here. Thanks!
HDD:
Samsung SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152052
Sam recommended this instead of Raptors in RAID 0. This was much less expensive! Thanks Sam.
PSU:
Thermaltake W0116RU 750 Watt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153038
750 Watts, modular cabling, $70.00 rebate, Good reputation.
Case:
Silverstone Kublai Series KL02B-W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811163094
Subtle looks, A clear side to display the excellent parts, 120MM fans. A reasonable price for a Silverstone I think.
DVD burner:
Samsung S203B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827151153
Very quiet and fast enough for the 8X DVD media I burn.
DVD ROM:
Asus SATA E616A3T
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827135151
I have four of these already. This will be #5.
Floppy:
Samsung
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16821103203
$6.99.
OS:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16832116059
XP Pro. One day I will try Vista.
Total with shipping from Newegg: $936.22.
It should be here Monday.
The Phenom 2.2 Ghz is backordered at Tankguys. Cost with Shipping is 286.95.....Quote:
Availability is extremely tight on the product. Rough ETA from AMD is the week of November 26th. This date is not guaranteed, and is subject to change.
Items I haven't bought yet.
Video cards:
2 Radeon HD 3870 cards in Crossfire. Mainly because I can't use crossfire with 8800GTs and even if I could the cost would be more than I wanted. I suspect the HD 3870 cards will be adequate for Flight Simulator X. Listed for $219.00 at Newegg. Hopefully that price will hold or drop but I'm starting to doubt that...$438.00 for two. No stock until Nov 26th.
CPU cooler:
Zalman CNPS9700 LED:
This will be adequate for moderate overclocks and is eye candy...$59.99
Sound Card:
Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio:
Meh, I just want something that sounds better than the onboard audio. I may use it in another PC if it causes airflow problems for the video cards.... $45.99 after $20.00 rebate.
Happy thanksgiving to all my friends at AD. This is our unique U.S. holiday, a time to reflect on the good things in our lives. I hope all of you are doing well and may your blessings be many and misfortunes few.
|
AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 12:27 |
Link to this message
|
|
The CPU is more important for flightsim than the GPU. Many times the 8600GTS will outperform the 8800 ULTRA, just because it doesn't rely on the GPU much.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. November 2007 @ 12:53 |
Link to this message
|
Hi abuzar,
I've got Flight Sim on my E6850 with 640 Mb 8800 GTS cards in SLI. That's what I'm hoping the Phenom will match. I did order the slowest Phenom so I can upgrade when faster versions become available next year. I think the mobo/RAM platform is sound and will give whatever Phenom I put in a chance to keep up with a C2D. It will be interesting to see what happens. I'm also hoping that newer drivers will become available for the 3870 card and improve it a bit. It still looks like a better value than the 8800GT to me at this point.
Edit:
Newegg has the Phenom 2.2 in stock:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103226
I'm ordering it along with the sound card and heatsink. All I need to get are video card(s).
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. November 2007 @ 13:39
|
AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 13:50 |
Link to this message
|
|
I would go with the ATI card also. I've heard Sam say that it has better image quality, and isn't that the point of video cards, that games look better?
|
Senior Member
|
22. November 2007 @ 16:43 |
Link to this message
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 23:20 |
Link to this message
|
Unfortunately I have some bad news regarding Flight sim X:
firstly, SLI and Crossfire don't work with it. Secondly, the game is completely CPU limited, and locked to the drivers. Consequently with an E6850, nvidia cards are locked to a max of 25fps, and ATI cards locked to a maximum of 20fps (but most of the time don't exceed 18)
The HD3870 is better than the 8800GT in my opinion almost all the time, but for Flight Sim X, a single nvidia card is pretty much the only way the game is at all playable at most settings. ATI drivers simply can't handle the game.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. November 2007 @ 23:51 |
Link to this message
|
Hi Sam,
How do you tell what you are getting for frame rates in Flight Sim? I've got the frame rate slider maxed out. I know that doesn't mean a thing as far as what I'm actually getting. It seems like I'm getting more than 20-30 fps though. Wouldn't it look choppy?
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
22. November 2007 @ 23:54 |
Link to this message
|
|
AT 18fps, it certainly would look choppy, yes. Those readings were for Ultra quality though. lower down, you may not have such issues.
|
Senior Member
|
23. November 2007 @ 01:38 |
Link to this message
|
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. November 2007 @ 01:44
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
23. November 2007 @ 01:46 |
Link to this message
|
With everything set to ultra and the framerate set to unlimited I get 30 FPS. With it set to default settings it goes up to 40. Woohoo!
I was changing the setting in Options > Settings > Display.
I am getting a pair of 3870 cards soon I hope..
The Phenom 2.2 will arrive next week along with everything else. I cancelled the Tankguys.com preorder when I saw Newegg had the Phenom for less and available.
It seems to me the prices are heading up on the 3870 cards. Maybe that's just because of the temporary shortage of these and 8800 GT cards.
Edit:
Hi Lp, Too late, everything is ordered and shipped but the video cards... It s not like I'm not going to build another PC though. Thank you for your suggestions. I always find great buys minutes after clicking the "Submit" button.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. November 2007 @ 01:51
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
23. November 2007 @ 07:58 |
Link to this message
|
Are you guys up yet?? lol
Lp531,
I found this deal waiting for me this morning at the EGG...
Sony 7190 for $25 delivered....
I have the 18X version of this drive with some L&D f/w and it's a great drive. You might look at the 7190 (20X version) and see what you think. ;)
....gm
|
Senior Member
|
23. November 2007 @ 09:39 |
Link to this message
|
I seen that ad, and the Thermaltake armor case is a great deal for $60 if yer not too lazy to mail in your rebate, like me.
Also it showed everyones fav Antec 900 case for $50
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
23. November 2007 @ 09:48 |
Link to this message
|
|
That's an absolute steal for the Armor. In my eyes the Armor is worth more than the 900 because it's a full size tower. Plus, have you seen inside it? It's huge! Unfortunately I'm not really a fan of the style of the case (or many of Thermaltake's to be honest) but from a cooling standpoint the Armor has even more potential than the 900.
|
Senior Member
|
23. November 2007 @ 16:26 |
Link to this message
|
|
Senior Member
|
23. November 2007 @ 16:53 |
Link to this message
|
Thanks for keeping an eye open LP531!!!
I must admit though, I was already bad and ordered the TT armor tower.
Also I ordered the memory I'm sure my next mobo (thinking Penryn build) will accept
Corsair DHX for $50
|
AfterDawn Addict
6 product reviews
|
23. November 2007 @ 17:01 |
Link to this message
|
here's some good deals at SVC. I'm contemplating on picking up the tuniq tower and a tube of AS5.
edit: that link doesn't work. anyway tuniq tower w/blue led fan $29.99. AS5 for $5.99 w/free shipping. very good prices on several cooler master cases.
Rig #1 Asus Rampage Formula Mobo, Intel Core2Quad Q9450 CPU @ 3.55ghz, 2gb Corsair DDR2 1066 Dominator Ram @ 5-5-5-15, TR Ultra 120 Extreme w/ Scythe 9 blade 110 cfm 120mm Fan HSF, HIS Radeon 512mb HD3850 IceQ TurboX GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, CM Stacker 830 Evo Case, Rig #2 Asus P5W DH Deluxe Mobo, Intel C2D E6600 CPU @ 3.6ghz, 2gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Ram @ 4-4-4-12-2t, Zalman CNPS9500LED HSF, Sapphire Radeon X850XT PE GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, Cooler Master Mystique Case, Viewsonic 20.1" Widescreen Digital LCD Monitor, Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 THX Desktop Speakers, http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=348351 http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=236435This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. November 2007 @ 17:08
|
Senior Member
|
23. November 2007 @ 19:38 |
Link to this message
|
|
@Deadrum33
Good buys...and you got the 4-4-4-12 timing...someone had the 5-5-5-12 versions for $35...you are better off with the ones you bought...
The only better deal that I have seen is Crucial Ballistic Tracer PC-8500 2GB for $79.99...at Buy.com...No Rebates...
I Hate Rebates...they are nothing but a scam...
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
2 product reviews
|
23. November 2007 @ 21:04 |
Link to this message
|
|
The crucial rebates worked fine for me.
|
