The $800 Challenge...can you do better?

[johnhardy1]

By searching the forum I've seen a number of similar posts but I thought I'd ask for myself. Im asking for opinions/suggestions for my $800 box. I'm not talking about monitor, mouse, keyboard, floppy, OS or even a sound card.
I'm certain theres many out there who are very knowledgable and up to date on things so I'm asking you to take a few minutes and inform me/everyone where the greatest values lie in hardware today. I just need the basics.

Here's what the $800 needs to pay for:

Case w/PS
MB
CPU
Memory
HD
Video
CD

Here's what I'm looking at now, what changes would you make?...

Case w/PS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811144076

MB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131578

CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116198

Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820227060
(Am I making a mistake here? Should I buy less of a more higher performance RAM?)

HD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822144010
(Thought I'd try and stay small to conserve some money)

Video http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130263
(Are there better choices?)

CD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827135046
(ooops, almost forgot this)


This budget system needs as good video performance as the money allows. I'm thinking an sli board, one vid card for now, with the idea of buying a matching card later. Does that sound right? The last few machines I put together all were AMD based. Not sure why Im going Intel other than for the best Sli. Am I making a mistake? It's been 4 years since I built my current system and things have changed quite a bit so I could really use some help here. Thanks again.

-John

 

[BigLu]

Yea, you can do wayyyyy bettter than that, my system only cost me $700 and it outperforms what you have listed.

 

[The Power]

If thats the rig on your sig, I don't really think so. I think his maybe better.

 

[johnhardy1]

Yea, you can do wayyyyy bettter than that, my system only cost me $700 and it outperforms what you have listed.

Yeah, I'm thinking like The Power. Though I wonder if going the AMD route is truly a better one these days. While I'm putting a lot of effort into this I still feel I need some input from some experienced techs out there.

 

[Jamxx]

Depends on what you want to be doing. Intel is better at multitasking whereas AMD is better for gaming. Well, it was that way a year ago I think, maybe it has changed.

 

[Half Evil]

Okay, you have my CPU. Let me tell you, it works great and all, but id say at least a 3.2ghz one. I love mine and all, works great, but when I play games, and browse the internet, and listen to music, I gets kinda fumbly. Although.. Still works like a charm. But I say go for a 3.2ghz. Or an intel pent D, at 3.0ghz or better.

 

[kev]

Yea, you can do wayyyyy bettter than that, my system only cost me $700 and it outperforms what you have listed.

If you are talking about the computer in your sig then no i dont think so. Even mine is better then yours. Excpet for your RAM our GPUs are pretty close. But i think my 3.6 will out perform your 3200. I could be wrong though.

 

[jac006]

Your 3.6 will outperform a 3200. Maybe even mine too. It'll be a little faster than mine, but of course, not in gaming. If I oc my cpu just giving it a 3 mhz push in fsb, yeah...

 

[JustinMcG67]

Get an AMD based system. Athelon 64 processors outperform their counterparts in nearly every catagory. So, go with AMD.

Also, don't buy that 6800. Try somethign different, such as an ATI X1600XT. It's got more pixel pipelines, better clock speeds, and cost less! Along with that, you're good to go.

 

[Gamingfreak]

Your 3.6 will outperform a 3200. Maybe even mine too. It'll be a little faster than mine, but of course, not in gaming. If I oc my cpu just giving it a 3 mhz push in fsb, yeah...

yes it would outperform and 3200+ but he has it at 2.4Ghz which is actually 200mhz faster than urs so i have to say the 3200+ is better there in my opinion and mine is even faster than that, i think amds are a far better cpu overall because theyre cooler, reliable, overclock well, run games amazingly and are pretty good about doing everything else as well whereas intels run very hot, can crash quite a bit (if overclocked), they dont overclock to well (well not as good as amd), they run games ok but not nearly as good as an amd and they can do all the usual pretty well but my amd does all the usual really well (internet, music, word processing, etc) this is just my opinion of course but everyone loves amd for a reason...