Challenge: The fastest cheap-*** system around!

**Mark Larson** · 09-11-2002, 04:43 PM

OK.... i'm somehow going to scrape up the fundage for a new box, but it has to be reeaaaally cheap this time.
We're looking at below $ 500 - that cheap.

However, i'm an avid gamer, and don't want to lose any game-playing capabilites. Ofcourse, i won't be able to play Doom III, but i do want to be able to play RTCW, JK, etc etc, at acceptable framerates at 1280x1024. As a side benefit, i'll luxuriate in the beauty of being fragged in CS at >100 fps in 1600x1200.

So, the tentative hardware list is as follows:
PC3000 Mushkin RAM - $ 120. This has already been purchased. Its new.
AthlonXP 1600+ - $ 53. (Newegg)
Epox Motherboard, model EP-8K3AE Retail - 85 at newegg. (This is a tentative. I don't know how good this mobo is, and how well it'll deal with my stick of Mushkin - anyone have any recommendations?)
$ 45 - CD-RW (probably Lite-on, going to wait until i see some deal or suchlike on [H] FS/FT.
$ 65 - Case (Evercase with a separately bought 350W Antec PSU)
$ 50 - HDD. I'll see the FS/FT forums for a good deal. Can you guys recommend any new that would be good?)
$ 150 - Video card.

-------------------------------
Total = $ 568...

I wasn't able to come to a < $ 500 price, and the shipping is not included.

This rig HAS to be overclocked, and that is why i'm not going for the newegg combo ($ 104 for both AthlonXP 1600+ and something mainboard), and that's why i went for the Mushkin PC3000 and the 1600+...

So, tell me what other choices i have, and how i can make it come to cheaper.

Thanks

**Totally_Bug_OuT** · 09-11-2002, 04:59 PM

No one said building your own PC would be a cheap task.....

**joerg** · 09-11-2002, 05:10 PM

all this is at newegg

epox 8k582 90
athlon xp 1600 54
msi geforce 4 ti4200 64meg 135
maxtor 40 gig ata133 78
sony 24x10x48 45
chieftec/turbo case with 420 watt psu front usb and aluminum 115
Dr Thermal TI-S8640L heatsink fan 8
total well never mind wasnt as cheap as i had hoped you expensive ram fouled it all up darn.

but anyway thes items are the cheapest i could find and it goes just above $600 but i would bet that you could push that 1600 to 1.9ghz and get some extra out of that msi ti4200 and maybe you could get a score of around 10000 in 3d mark. I wouldnt go with a used hdd if i were you but im not so. That heatsink i included is a great buy. I have one on my 1600+ and with no oc it is running idle at 34c and load at 41c so i think you could easily do a pretty good oc with it.

**Bothware** · 09-11-2002, 05:37 PM

No point in expensive case on a budget system.

XP1600+
ASUS A7S333
CoolerMaster cooler - for budget or get a ThermalTake Volcano for something better with spending too much.
R8500LE or maybe stretch to Ti4200 64Mb (ASUS{faster to start with} / Leadtek {OCs better}) - R8500LE 64Mb is only $88 though! - R9000Pro is also great for money and OCs well (apparantly).
Cheapest suitable case
Enermax 350W PSU - or 430W is not too much more
40Gb IBM 120GXP HDD - or maybe an older model / poss other brand if cheaper whilst retaining 7200rpm.
Either onboard sound or a SoundBlaster Live! Player 5.1 OEM
48x LiteOn CD-RW - but if too expensive then just get a 24x/32x drive - make sure its burnproof.

What about monitor / keyb / mouse - or do U already have them???

**Mark Larson** · 09-11-2002, 05:43 PM

Yep, i already have a mouse and keyboard, and the cost of a monitor isn't going to be included in the system.

What better case would you recommend? I'm going for an Antec PSU cos i've heard Bad Things about other makes, esp about low +5v and +12v rails on the Enermaxes.

EDITS:
Yep, i'm going to use onboard sound - not much of a problem till i get better speakers.
The RAM is 512 MB, and it was such a good deal i couldn't pass it up...

**Bothware** · 09-11-2002, 06:03 PM

Enermax are one of the best PSU manufacturers on earth! - Antec is also great though - I know the 350W Enermax dual fan units are now very affordable in UK so...

Basically any Midi Tower case. - the cheapest one that looks OK. - should be < $20 without PSU!

Personally I go for Full Towers with loads of bays and other things like fan mountings but on a budget theres no point.

**joerg** · 09-11-2002, 07:24 PM

It sounds mostly like you are builidng this system specifically for that 1600+ and hoping to hit 1.95 with it. SO what i would recomend is to get a epox mother board as the people with these seem to be hitting the highest speeds wiht the 1600s. I also say from experience that that dr thermal heatsink will allow you to hit the high speeds as i just hit 1.75 with my 1600 and it is just warming up i have it in a a7v333 with 512 megs pc2100 and it is doing great so far with the voltage at default i will probably stop here so as not to screw anything up. I also have aenermax psu and the 5v rail is at 5.02 so you cant say that enermax is making crap PSUs. If i were you i would stick with a good case simply because youll kick your self latter when it has shitty cooling and that processor doesnt make 1.8 because of it. Also turbo links powersupplies arent too bad at all and are probably about as realibal as a antec or enermax. But if you dead set on a case without a psu they make those same cases for about 40 without a psu. i hope you have good luck.

**BlueOval** · 09-11-2002, 08:14 PM

I tried to come up with something that would hit your target price, but was unable to do so. Then I noticed that the case you chose is what is making you go over. Any chance of using your existing case and storing/selling your old components?

**Mark Larson** · 09-11-2002, 09:58 PM

Originally posted by BlueOval
I tried to come up with something that would hit your target price, but was unable to do so. Then I noticed that the case you chose is what is making you go over. Any chance of using your existing case and storing/selling your old components?

This would be a good idea, EXCEPT for the fact that i don't have a system currently.

Yeah yeah i know, but i do have a laptop i was using to do basic stuff all this time, and the time has come to play some nicer games than Solitaire.

**BlueOval** · 09-11-2002, 10:44 PM

heh, oops! Well, then go with what some others have said and just get a really cheap case. You might even have to bite the bullet on the vid card and go with a GeF3 or 7500LE. Only things not to cut costs on would be the mobo and psu. You can always upgrade later. Good luck!

**Bothware** · 09-12-2002, 11:32 AM

I cut all my own holes in may case for the fans - so choosing a cheap case wont interfere with cooling - from what you've got know a non-OCd system would still be a very great improvement, so dont go overkill with OCability - esp. if extra money of HSF could buy the faster chip anyway!

Cheap case + 120mm exhaust + $8 CoolerMaster cert AMD XP2100+ + XP1600+/1700+

Get any decent MoBo - EPOX / ASUS / ABit / maybe ECS.
ASUS A7S333 - is a nice enough board @ good price - cheaper boards available though.

Surely U can stay under budget - I'll look @ US prices l8r if I get chance. - How much U allocated for screen? - what screen U planning on??

Get cheap keyb & mouse e.g. $6 and $4 then replace 'em with Logitech Cordless when U can afford it - Xmas / B'day / pay rise??

A Hercules R8500LE 64Mb is only $88 ! - bargain - best bang per buck!

**Mark Larson** · 09-12-2002, 04:28 PM

UPDATE:
I just bought an AthlonXP 1700+, retail, for $ 60... so that kills the need for a separate HSF for now (until i want to OC), right?
So, total i have... RAM + CPU = $ 180.

**Un4given** · 09-12-2002, 04:59 PM

If you get a board like the Epox 8K5A series, and that 1600+ is an AROIA or AGOIA stepping, you should be able to push it right to a 166MHz FSB with only little problem; you won't have to unlock it either.

**joerg** · 09-12-2002, 09:38 PM

does that 1700+ have near the overclocking capabilities of the 1600+. I thaught currently the 1600s were the only real good overclockers in the amd line. Im probably wrong though. So far you have to great componets. I would snag that 8500 from newegg. and then you would have 3 great componets

**Bothware** · 09-13-2002, 06:12 AM

Originally posted by joerg
does that 1700+ have near the overclocking capabilities of the 1600+. I thaught currently the 1600s were the only real good overclockers in the amd line. Im probably wrong though. So far you have to great componets. I would snag that 8500 from newegg. and then you would have 3 great componets

Should OC fine : just not by same % as 1600 - anyway not all 1600 units were as good as each other : The highest speed of a 1700 will still be higher than the highest 1600.

Yeah - get an R8500LE - $88 - a powerful bargain

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