next to no budget!

[cerealkilla]

My uncle being my uncle, has decided that as a "birthday/graduation/congrats on getting into college/sorry for missing your last 4 birthdays/im too rich for my own good" gift he is paying for my computer for school. He told me not to worry about the cost and to get whatever I want. I was talking to a friend of mine about it and told him I decided to build a custom rather than go with a premade one. I'm not great with computer stuff (I don't think I could build my own w/o blowing something up), but I know enough to know that a custom is much better than a premade in the area of cost efficiency. My friend pointed me to this forum and said you guys might be able to help?

As for what I like: I'm a bit of a gamer, so I would love for this computer to be able to play the newest games at the best video settings (I'm assuming its something like Oblivion or Doom 3?). But at the same time, it is still intended for school work, so I would like to be able to multitask fairly well. If you need more specific details, I can try to explain better. Generally, I would like to try to keep the cost to about $3000, but it is flexible.

 

[aliasaid]

i'm not gonna put a build together.. but something like this..

cpu: core 2 duo e6600
memory: 2gbs of ddr2 800 ram
hard drives: 2 small raptors in raid 0 for OS and games, 1 320gb HD for storage
video card: x1900xt or 7950gtx2, or go multi gpu solution


something like that!

 

[cerealkilla]

hard drives: 2 small raptors in raid 0 for OS and games, 1 320gb HD for storage
video card: x1900xt or 7950gtx2, or go multi gpu solution


something like that!

huh? lol. OK, so aparrently I was wrong. I don't know much at all. Is compatability an issue?

 

[Yoad]

i'm not gonna put a build together.. but something like this..

cpu: core 2 duo e6600
memory: 2gbs of ddr2 800 ram
hard drives: 2 small raptors in raid 0 for OS and games, 1 320gb HD for storage
video card: x1900xt or 7950gtx2, or go multi gpu solution


something like that!

-sarcasm- ^ very usefull ^ -/sarcasm-


OK So now seriously here goes, first off I'd like to ask what is the computer intended for? Gaming? Office works?

Now my guess is its also for gaming so here goes some REAL specs:

CPU: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80860

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131025

RAM:
Either this: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85025-7
or this[same ram just 1 clock cycle slower]: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85025-6

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121017

or if above is too costy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121554

[Or if you can wait like a week or two, the X1950XTX should be out and its even better than both of above]

Hard Drives: 2 of theses on RAID [RAID is an array of combining two or more Hard drives into one, very fast drive.] this is for storage and games, this is for your OS: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=101221-1

Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103931

and I don't know if you need new case or not, but just incase: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811233004

Anything else is needed that Iforgot to add? if so just tell me.

-Jo

 

[Snake-Eyes]

Yoad's got it. Though, i absolutely hate when people suggest the WD Raptor HDD's. 10K RPM is so useless, IMO. Save some money, and get more hard drive space by buying a 7200 RPM drive.

 

[Yoad]

^Above, totaly agree, for storage raptor is utterly pointless any simple sata drive in raid would do same or better, BUT for the Os I would always suggest a raptor :S ,unless the person has tons of money then i'd suggest IRAM lol.

-Jo.

 

[cerealkilla]

It is for gaming a good bit, but it is also intended for multitasking stuff for school work. Does that motherboard have onboard sound? Is there a bigger HD? And just a general wondering... How come prebuilt comps are advertised at like 4.0 ghz, but almost all the processors i have seen are like 2.8 ghz at the most?

As for that being too expensive... think I should get 2 of 'em? lol. (no, it's not too expensive, my budget is a VERY flexible 3000).

 

[Yoad]

OK I'll answer it all.

Multitasking, the conroe E6600 eats multitasks like nothing, heck I think you can open Oblivion while ripping a dvd and still get quite good frame rates with that cpu

It has onboard sound.

Yes there is, sorry, this was my mistake I forgot ot post the link for the 2 Harddrive that suppose to be in RAID [the 36gb is only for the operation system] here are the two I ment: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144701

Prebuilt usualy use CPUs that has very high CPU clock speed, but the work per cycle that those CPUs do is poor, therefor a very good cpu at 2ghz clock speed, will do as much work as a poor cpu at 4ghz clock speed [Because a good cpu can operate slower but it will still do much more work per each cycle]

lol, no no dont get two 7950GX2!! get just one its already SLi, but I think you should really wait two weeks or so for the X1950XTX to come out..... its much better as far as I heard.. and will cost the same or less.

-Jo

 

[Snake-Eyes]

Good job Yoad! All your information is spot on.

 

[Ridlyn]

Here is a cheaper e6600 and put the $60 into a bigger hdd.

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202730357&spf=1&sp=1
.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144423


EDIT: and i believe the x1950xtx has gddr4 memory. Im not sure.