I think it's about time Hardware and Overclocking had a sticky for best buy / performance for PC components... I Know it would be changed almost weekly but it would help alot of peeps who need impartial advice etc... --------------------------VALUE--------------------------BEST BUY-----------------------PERFORMANCE CPU =-------------Athlon 64 3200+ (939)--------Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (939)-------Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (939) Alternative------------Opteron 144 (939)--------------------------------------------------------FX60 or 4800+ CPU Cooler =---------------Stock----------------------Tt Big Typhoon SLI MoBo =-----------Abit AN8-SLI-----------------------Asus A8N-SLI Premium---------Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe* Alternative----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DFI SLI-DR X-Fire Mobo=--------------------------------------------Asus A8R-MVP-----------DFI LanParty UT RDX200CF-DR VALUE RAM =---GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 Value Dual CAS2.5 -------------------Crucial 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 CL=3 BEST BUY RAM =---------------------------------Corsair DDR500/PC4000, 3-4-4-8 PSU =--------------Antec TruePower 380W----------Tagan 580W Easycon--------------Enermax Liberty 620W Alternative----------------------------OCZ ModStream 520W or Hyper Type R 580W----------Seasonic S12 600W Harddrive = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------WD Raptor 74GB or 150GB ----------------------------------------------------------Hitachi 7K400--------------------------+ 500GB Hitachi 7k500 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Seagate 7200.9 Nvidia Graphics Card =---------------------------7800 GT 256MB PCI (XFX, BFG)------XFX 7800GTX Extreme Gamer ATI Graphics Card =----Sapphire X800 GTO2------------------------------------------------X1900XTX Monitor = ---------------------------------------------Samsung 940b 19"---------------------Dell 2405FPW Keyboard = -----------------------------------------------Logitech G15 Mouse = -----------------------------------------------Logitech MX518-----------------------Logitech G7 Alternative-----------------------------------------------Razer Copperhead Headphones = ------------------------------------Speedlink Medusa 5.1------------Plantronics Gamecon Pro 1 Sound Card = ----Creative SB Audigy SE 7.1----------SB X-Fi Xtreme Music------------------SB X-Fi FPS Alternative = DVD Writer =----------------------------------------NEC ND 4551 (all groups) Case =--------------------------------------------------Akasa Eclipse 62---------------------Lian Li V2000* Surge/UPS=-----------------------------------------------Oneclick P7NFOC Speakers =---------------------------------------Logitech's THX Z-5300e 5.1 Well then "Price, performance, availability balance".....what do you think they should be? Yes I know unanimous agreement is impossible but a general consensus is better than nothing. * Do not combine - compatibility issue with heatpipe and upside down case design. ============================================================================= Useful build guides and websites The Hitmans gaming PC Bit-tech build guide Sharky High End and Budget PC kit list Hard OCP System Guide Guru of 3D Buyers Guide Firing Squad's Hardware Upgrades 2005 and Super PC PC World Best of 2005 100 Build Your own PC website http://sysbuild.corsairmemory.com/report.aspx?id=2&sid=1 http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer.ars
I think a few columns would make more sense, a pick for each budget category ie 1GB value ram, 1GB performance ram, 2GB performance ram depending on budget
I intend to write a guide on selecting components for your PC very soon which covers budget, mid-end and high end stuff. Should be done in a few days
Consensus at the momet seems to be that 300Gb is about the best size/price of hard drive at the moment, just for the record like.
Great Hitman, Looks Fantastic so far, included link. Any Mods readin this is this OK, can you help? I just think it would be a great resource...for example I'mm lookin for a headset but do not know where to start. Yes I know there are plenty of online reviews but hey how many are impartial and rec'd by real world peeps Cheers All, Matt
Something along these lines would be a good sticky once its up and running. I'll keep an eye on it and sitckify it if it is stick-worthy Ill have a bit of input here: hard drives: budget: anything current gen, around 160GB+, whatever is cheapest best buy: 250-300GB Hitachi 7k500 or samsung P120, in that order performance: WD 74GB raptor (or the new one when its out) + best buy drive PSU: budget: antec 350w, which comes with the case id suggest best buy: Tagan, Hiper, Antec, Enermax, around 450w/£65 Performance: PCPnC, OCZ or a high end Zippy or Seasonic CPU: Budget: A64 3000+ besy buy: A64 X2 3800+ Performance: A54 X2 4400+ (theres always the 4800, but its unlikely to clock much better, if at all, so a waste of money over the 4400 imo - until the FX60 pops up next week) RAM: Budget: corsair or OCZ value PC3200 2x512MB Best Buy: too many choices here, 2x512 PC4000+ kit is ideal, Crucial Ballistix, OCZ or Corsair performance series Performance: 2x1GB of PC4000 - Crucial Ballistix, OCZ 4000EB, Mushkin Redline XP4000 CPU cooler: Budget: if not stock, then a Thermaltake Big Typhoon Best Buy: Thermaltake Big Typhoon Performance: water, but thats a whole other thread in itself DVD Writer: Budget: NEC 3550/4550 best buy: NEC 3550/4550 Performance: you guessed it, NEC 3330/4550 Sound: Budget: onboard best buy: onboard? dunno tbh Performance: X-fi FPS (or an EMU 1820 if youre more serious about music than gaming) you forgot GPU off the list btw, thats a funny one any way for a gaming rig, is something like an x800XL/6800GT budget now? or is that the 6600GT area? with best buy, is that 7800GT area or x800/6800 and performance, while a couple of 7800GT/X in SLI is obviously the best performance, imo a single card, either a 7800GT/X or a x1800XT, makes more sense
Yep Mr T, Harddrive - Wow, when is the new Raptor out? PSU - OK an Antec for Value (with Case) perhaps a modular PSU for Best Buy The Tagan easycon 580 seems to be the best around at the moment. Zippy PCPnC hard to get hold of in UK, the new Seasonic's are luverly CPU - FX-57 dare I say it..... Big Typhoon - The Zalman Flower (120mm) is good alrounder if a bit big. RAM - This is gunna be hard changes daily plus prices. DVD - The plextor and Pioneer DVR-110D are good but guess what I have Sound - Best Buy = Onboard, now thats just silly Tad, you can pick up amazing deals at the moment. Perhaps not the latest stuff. I know peeps hate Creative does anyone else have any alternatives M-Audio Delta 66, or Terratec Aureon 7.1. Added Graphics card.... Anyone else have some ideas - Thnx in advance Matty
I've done that too last week, I haven't uploaded it to my site yet. Quite easy to do, but the problem being you have to update it every couple of months :/ For GPU, the performance one would be two 512MB 7800GTX in SLi, no doubt (for now).
the server edition is as good as out, the gamer edition shouldnt be too far behind I have both the 110D and the 4550, i definitely prefer the 4550 over the pioneer, it feels better built (ie the tray mechanism), its quieter and afaik its better with more 16x media than the pioneer yeah youre right, i just checked on the cheapest x-fi and it was £100, didnt really notice that there are good cards for loads less not imo, while it is obviously the fastest there is I dont think it belongs in the performance category. Id consider "performance" a category that would be for high, but not limitless budgets. To me it doesnt make sense to spend over £1000 on graphics (if you can even get hold of them) when a pair of 7800GTs for half the price doesnt really lag far behind in the real world. I reckon a single 7800GT/X would be more suited, 2x7800GT at most. to me 2xGTX512s belong in a no expense spared category with dual 280s, a SCSI/SAS disk subsystem and 4GB+ of ram maybe rather than ambiguous labelled categories, a specific budget should be set out like £500/800/1200?
You bet, Hitmans thread is brill and should be stikified NOW this is intended to be a summary of key components not a detailed guide! Hence the Linky......... You have a good point regarding the price bracket and availability Tad, unfortunately a moving target Matt
Why is the X2 4400+ the performance CPU choice? You have a budget, and value option, so surely the fastest CPU should be in there? WHy not the 4800+ or the FX57? Just cos the 4400 clocks as high (maybe) is not the point.. not everyone overclocks, and it's currently the fastest dual core AMD chip.
the same reason the I dont think 2xGTX512 should be in for graphics. At the end of the day this is supposed to help people and a 4400 is a lot more accessible to people than a 4800, and 9% more performance for 50% more cost? for 2 cpus that are likely to clock exactly the same? I for one don't see the point (I mean, come on dude, my 165 eats your FX57 for brekkie xD). Everyone has a budget (tbh even with unlimited funds I still wouldnt get the bar-none fastest CPU or graphics) and nobody wants to spend more than they need to. And I reckon its pretty safe to assume that the vast majority of people reading suych a guide would be interested in overclocking the system. Just my 2p i guess. ok so you lost me there
I disagree, the rightmost column is headed "performance" and if you want performance, you get the best, I agree with Pookeyhead, the best processor and best graphics cards should be under the performance category.
I have to agree with Mr T on this one Pookey (You do have a valid point) but we should weigh up the balance between availability, cost and performance for all categories. Lucy I think you are refering to "Hitmans" Gaming Rig guide.... Bungle - WoW Check out http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/kl.asp?bn=10483 I have added the 144 to the budget certainly worth considering. Yes the DFI board is very OC friendly but can be a bit "fussy".... Willy if we go for Pure performance then we end up here which is pointless really. I will list as alternative no doubt they will drop in price soon anyway. Thanks All, Matt
the best? well then thats dual 280s (pity theres not a 4-way SLI board ), a 15k SAS array, a nice solid state drive to go along with it, why not 8GB of ram and throw in a couple GTX512s and a PCPnC 1kw. Add to that 2x Dell 3007s and you have yourself the "best" gaming system. Hell why we're at it why not chuck a 10gb ethernet in one of the pci-x slots. does anyone see my point yet?
