$500 Build Challenge - Advice please

[kmote]

I just suggested a few things to save him some money since he was $10 over budget already and he needed a better PSU.
I believe the graphics card I suggested is better than the one he picked, I also got a better PSU, nicer case and the whole list came to about $483. That CPU is 300MHz slower and has 1MB less L2 but it's also nearly $50 cheaper.
Like I said though I know nothing about GPUs anymore.

 

[MaximumAsh]

^ You gave him a slower processor and a smaller hdd. The build he has already is fine. Except for the power supply, which I already recommended a good one.

Only thing he could change on his build is the HD3850, he could spend an extra $10 for a 9600gt:
Newegg.com - MSI N9600GT-T2D512-OC GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

Yea I wasn't sure on the vid, and I was thinking maybe a 9600GT as an alternative. If it's better, it's worth the $10 to me. Thanks gt7sanremo

 

[MaximumAsh]

Ok here's the modified version, price went up a tiny bit, but seems a little more solid than my original build. What do you guys think?

PC Power & Cooling 500W Silencer - $60
Core 2 Duo Wolfdale E7400 2.8 Ghz L775 - $120
Rosewill Mid-Tower ATX Case - $27
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX - $100
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 SDRAM 1066 (PC2 8500) - $55
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache - $75
LG Black DVDRW/CDRW - $25
SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 - $100

TOTAL = $562

Still not sure on that vid card... what do you guys think?

 

[Evolv]

Looks like a solid build. You'll be happy with the 4830. It will handle L4D and Source games just fine.

 

[SapperX]

4830 is a great card, you have the build I juuuust recommended to one of my closest friends now. Get it!

 

[MaximumAsh]

Ok - I'll pull the trigger then. Thanks all - appreciate the help!

 

[dario03]

The e7400 is a better chip but when on a budget I think the e5200 is a great choice. Its nearly as fast and on Newegg is $47 cheaper. Getting that and making a few other changes like finding a deal on some ddr2 800 ram (plenty fast for a e5200 actually even for a e7400) would get you down to $500. But either way you should be good.

Heres some good ram for $36 after rebate
Newegg.com - OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Or other good ram for $41 no rebate
Newegg.com - OCZ Gold 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

I own ram similar to both of those and they work great.

 

[Whirlwind]

That is a very nice build for the price.

That 4830 video card is a great card for the price....that is the best bang for the buck card, IMO.

Enjoy your new rig.

 

[MaximumAsh]

It's been suggested that I save a few bucks by knocking the RAM down a notch. I found a few on newegg (similar to the cheaper ones noted above). From what I was told, the DDR2 800 is fine, I don't need to spend the extra $ on the higher end stuff. I might go that route.

I'm still wishing I could cut the cost of the case/PSU some more. $90-100 for the combination hurts. Anyone know of an option that could get me down to something more in the $50 range for a PSU/Case?

 

[majistic]

You don't want to cut the cost of the PSU down to much. You want it to last and also not to fry anything else. Spending another $10-$20 for a better PSU will end up saving you money in the long run. IMO, the GSKILL RAM is just fine although, I have had some trouble with quite a few defective sticks of the OCZ Gold series sticks.