Building a Budget Computer (<$600)

[firebird365]

Hello everyone, I'm trying to build a computer for about $550 that is suitable for games (not necessarily at the highest resolution, but playable). I do not need the monitor, mouse, keyboard, or graphics card.

Note: I currently have a BFG Geforce 6600, which a friend gave to me after he realized he couldn't use it. I need help optimizing the performance and reliability/price, and to make sure all my parts actually work together!

Anyway, this is what I've come up with so far:

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 1GHz FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L200S0 200GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
AMS PP-4603EPS EPS12V 460W Power Supply 90
x2 Crucial 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory

I believe that leaves the motherboard, the case, and the cd/dvd drive. What should I look for in these components? Is it viable to get a case with a smaller form-factor for mild mobility (transportation to friends' houses, for example)? How future-proof is this computer, with regards to gaming and/or components?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Powerslave]

Get a seagate hard drive and corsair, or ocz ram.

 

[rkf76]

Hello everyone, I'm trying to build a computer for about $550 that is suitable for games (not necessarily at the highest resolution, but playable). I do not need the monitor, mouse, keyboard, or graphics card.

Note: I currently have a BFG Geforce 6600, which a friend gave to me after he realized he couldn't use it. I need help optimizing the performance and reliability/price, and to make sure all my parts actually work together!

Anyway, this is what I've come up with so far:

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 1GHz FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L200S0 200GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
AMS PP-4603EPS EPS12V 460W Power Supply 90
x2 Crucial 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory

I believe that leaves the motherboard, the case, and the cd/dvd drive. What should I look for in these components? Is it viable to get a case with a smaller form-factor for mild mobility (transportation to friends' houses, for example)? How future-proof is this computer, with regards to gaming and/or components?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I'd go w/a Seagate Barracuda HD 7200.9 SATA
an NEC DVD/CD burner
the case is gonna be up to you cause only you know what you like
and mobo, I can tell by the tone of your typing, hehe, that you're gonna want to overclock your setup at some point to get a little more oomph out of it, so I say go w/a DFI LanParty mobo
Never heard of your PSU, but if you want a dependable, cheap one, look into Skyhawk, or spend a little more and get a Sunbeam, Antec, Fortron, OCZ PowerStream........