Ok so I have been around here for a while, but the last time I was building a PC was a while ago, so at the moment I am stuck with a 900Mhz dell POS. Anyway on to now. I'm looking to build a core 2 duo rig. I have a case and a PSU already. I also have 2 SATA drives, a dvd slot load player and a dvd burner. Along with a 19" screen and nice speakers. Also have a sound blaster live drive (I know a bit defunct now really) So what I am looking to do is put together a combination of Mobo, gfx, chip and Ram. I want to use Vista on it, and get a proper WOW factor Where I have been away from the scene a while, I don't know which manufacturer of mobo is best to go for. I have been a loyal nvidea user so I would like to stick with something they do. I like toys as well, so lit mobos and stuff like that work well for me! Budget: well £200 ish. give or take a bit. so suggestions please!
Have just put one together myself. Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.86ghz Socket 775 FSB800 2MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor - £85.05 Intel BOXD946GZISSL 946GZ Socket 775 Core2Duo ready DDR2 mATX - £45.98 Corsair 1GB Kit (2X512MB) DDR2 667MHz/PC2-5400 XMS (TWIN2X1024-5400C4) CL4-4-4-12 Subtotal: £173.57 Total: £203.96 inc Free Shipping
Try and get somthing on a more current chipset than the 945 if you are interested in overclocking the low end cd2 to get a bit more "wow" http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/114958 £ 65inc vat Will do 333fsb no worries but isnt a extreme board. Other wise for a flat 200 quid thats as good as your going to get.
Id get the mobo / ram / cpu now and wait till you have at least another £100 to blow on graphics. I have little idea on current stuff either but £200 doesn't seem like a vast amount to spend on a brand spanking new rig (unless you get the graphics later).
He needs graphics card too £200 IMO is not enough for graphics, memory, motherboard, and processor, since the processor alone takes up over half the budget, so forget the graphics for now or get some more fundage
I'm afraid that 'wow' costs greater than £500. £200 wouldn't even get you a mid-range rig. I'm not meaning to be cruel. That's just the way it is. £200 won't even get you a basic gaming machine. I would suggest that the minimum specs for a respectable machine that can play current games would be something along the lines of: - E6300 @ £120 - 2 x 1GB DDR-667 @ £110 - P5B or similar mobo @ £80 - 7900GS @ £120 This is completely off the cuff, but I think it demonstrates my point. You could halve the memory and drop down to a 3800 X2 or an E4300, but you are still above £350 - and this machine wouldn't wow anybody. On the other hand, if you want to ditch an old Dell and you have £200 to do so then knock yourself out. But if you can beg borrow and steal a few more pennies you will get much better value...
CHANGE OF DESTINATION Right I see I have been away too long. I obviously can't get a spanking rig for £200. New Idea is this. I want a Good MOBO that will take lots of upgrades and has lots of features. a Basic grafix card that will do the job (doesn't need to play games at the moment) Ram that I can expand on later when money comes in. and a chip that is good value (ie not the fastest but worth it for now) Now I know that future proofing does not exist. What I want to do is get on this rung of the ladder so that I have something a lot faster than this coal powered machine I have now. So your new suggestions please (bear in mind that I already have SATA drives, a case, monitor, speakers, and an ample power supply)
How about taking the kit I mentioned above, but downgrade to an E4300 and a 7600GT... should save you £70. You could always opt for 1GB RAM int he short-term to save a few more £££.
