XS Official Rig Building Guide 2009

INTEL
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Intel Sub-$650 "Light Gamer" System

Intel Pentium Dual-Core E6500 Wolfdale 2.93GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - $95
BIOSTAR TForce TP45HP LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - $110
OCZ Flex EX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Ehanced Bandwidth Desktop Memory - $66
POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-PH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $100
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM - $75
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $70
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular- $60

SubTotal: $604.99

Total w/Shipping: $624.99

Intel Sub-$850 "Casual Gamer" System

Intel Core i5 750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB Cache No-HT LGA 1156 Quad-Core Processor Model - $196
MSI P55-CD53 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - $120
OCZ Special Ops Urban Elite 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit - $85
ASUS Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video - $160
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM - $75
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
SILVERSTONE ST50F 500W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - $75

SubTotal: $819.99

Total w/Shipping: $849.99

Intel Sub-$1,250 "Mainstream Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB Cache LGA 1156 Quad-Core Processor Model - $289
MSI P55-CD65 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - $160
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $100
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular - $110

SubTotal: $1,141.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,229.99

Intel Sub-$1,750 "Hardcore P55 Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB Cache LGA 1156 Quad-Core Processor Model - $289
MSI P55-CD65 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - $160
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular - $140

SubTotal: $1,646.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,729.99

Intel Sub-$1,900 "Hardcore X58 Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - $280
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - $290
G.SKILL Trident 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Desktop Memory - $150
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular - $140

SubTotal: $1,817.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,899.99

Intel Sub-$2,450 "CrossfireX Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - $280
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - $290
G.SKILL Trident 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 15000) Desktop Memory - $150
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular - $170

SubTotal: $2,371.99

Total w/Shipping: $2,439.99

Intel Sub-$2,850 "Hardcore CrossfireX Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - $280
EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED "Overclocker's Pick" 3-Way SLI + PhysX 1366 Intel X58 EATX Intel Motherboard - $405
G.SKILL Trident 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model - $165
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular - $170

SubTotal: $2,741.99

Total w/Shipping: $2,849.99

NOTE: **Please Use Aftermarket Thermal Paste With Your Intel Rigs To Avoid Intel IHS Damage**

ALL PRICES FROM NEWEGG UNLESS MENTIONED OTHERWISE.

AMD
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AMD Sub-$650 "Multi-Tasking Gamer" System

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model - $99
GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - $90
OCZ Flex EX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Ehanced Bandwidth Desktop Memory - $66
POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-PH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $100
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM - $75
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $70
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular- $60

SubTotal: $589.99

Total w/Shipping: $629.99

AMD Sub-$800 "Casual Gamer" System

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail - $120
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - $125
OCZ Special Ops Urban Elite 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit - $85
ASUS Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video - $160
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM - $75
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
SILVERSTONE ST50F 500W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - $75

SubTotal: $750.99

Total w/Shipping: $799.99

AMD Sub-$1,100 "Mainstream Gamer" System

AMD Phenom II X4 Processor 955 3.2GHz AM3 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition Processor - $199
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 DDR3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $140
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $100
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular - $110

SubTotal: $1,031.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,099.99

AMD Sub-$1,650 "Hardcore Gamer" System

AMD Phenom II X4 Processor 965 3.4GHz AM3 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition Processor - $245
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $164
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular - $150

SubTotal: $1,615.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,649.99

AMD Sub-$2,400 "CrossfireX Gamer" System

AMD Phenom II X4 Processor 965 3.4GHz AM3 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition Processor - $245
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $164
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
ASUS Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $260
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $170
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular - $170

SubTotal: $2,308.99

Total w/Shipping: $2,399.99

AMD Sub-$2,650 "Xtreme CrossfireX Gamer" System

AMD Phenom II X4 Processor 965 3.4GHz AM3 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition Processor - $245
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $164
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model - $99
XFX HD 5870 1GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported - $380
XFX HD 5870 1GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $170
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular - $170

SubTotal: $2,548.99

Total w/Shipping: $2,649.99

ALL PRICES FROM NEWEGG UNLESS MENTIONED OTHERWISE.

Perkam

OLD INTEL Guide

Intel Sub-$600 System

Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - $73
ASRock P45TS-R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - $99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ - $75
SAPPHIRE 100255HDMI Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP - $76
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $55
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - $80

SubTotal: $559.99

Total w/Shipping: $599.99

Intel Sub-$750 System

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model - $170
ASRock P45TS-R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - $99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ - $75
SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 - $105
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $75
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply - $90

SubTotal: $714.99

Total w/Shipping: $749.99

Intel Sub-$1,300 System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $290
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $199
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - Retail - $120
EVGA 896-P3-1255-A1 GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 - $225
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-8B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - Retail - $130

SubTotal: $1,206.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,249.99
Intel Sub-$1,600 System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $290
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $250
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - Retail - $120
EVGA 01G-P3-1281-AR GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP - $340
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-64GB 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail - $140
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $150
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - Retail - $130

SubTotal: $1,541.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,599.99

Intel Sub-$2,000 System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $290
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $290
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit - Retail - $199
BFG Tech BFGEGTX2951792E GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $500
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $234
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $150
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC - $150

SubTotal: $1,934.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,999.99

NOTE: **Please Use Aftermarket Thermal Paste With Your Intel Rigs To Avoid Intel IHS Damage**

OLD AMD Guide

AMD Sub-$600 System

AMD Athlon X2 240 2.8GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Black Processor - Retail - $90 (April 2008)
Unannounced AMD AM3 Budget Motherboard - $99 (April 2008)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ - $75
SAPPHIRE 100255HDMI Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP - $76
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $55
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - $80

SubTotal: $575.99

Total w/Shipping: $599.99

AMD Sub-$750 System

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail - $150
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 DDR3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $140
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ - $75
SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 - $105
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $75
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $80
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 Power Supply - $90

SubTotal: $734.99

Total w/Shipping: $749.99

AMD Sub-$1,100 System

AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model - $176
ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 DDR3 AMD 790GX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $140
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) OCZ3P1600EB4GK - Retail - $120
POWERCOLOR AX4870 1GBD5-PPH Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $220
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-8B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified - $100

SubTotal: $998.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,049.99

AMD Sub-$1,500 System

AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition - $199 (April 2009)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $180
OCZ Platinum 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) OCZ3P1600EB4GK - Retail - $240
POWERCOLOR AX4970 Radeon HD 4970 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $299 (April 2009)
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-64GB 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail - $140
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $150
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - Retail - $130

SubTotal: $1,459.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,499.99

AMD Sub-$1,900 System

AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Black Edition - $230 (April 2009)
ASUS M4A79T Deluxe AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $200
OCZ Platinum 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) OCZ3P1600EB4GK - Retail - $240
ASUS EAH4870X2/HTDI/2G/A Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - $485
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $234
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $150
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC - $150

SubTotal: $1810.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,899.99

Perkam

Lmk what you think.

Perkam

Are you talking budget builds or xtreme builds? Or maybe both for each Intel and AMD.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jellyrole

Are you talking budget builds or xtreme builds? Or maybe both for each Intel and AMD.

---

As with the last guide, I'll be doing 5 builds for each platform.

Budget
Mid-Budget
Mainstream
Mainstream High
High End

Perkam

Budget Rigs Done. LMK what you think.

P.S. All rigs will be 45nm + DDR3 without exception.

Perkam

Intel Sub-$400 system

Asrock P43Twins1600 - $80
Intel E5200 -- $73
Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1066 -- $54
Antec earthwatts 430W -- $50
Cooler Master Elite RC-330 -- $35
Western Digital Caviar SE 320GB -- $50
Lite-On 22x DVD Burner -- $22
Radeon HD 4670 512MB -- $76

Subtotal -- $363.93
Shipping -- $26.54
Grand total -- $390.47

My thought is all systems except that budget system have to be DDR3. The budget system should be 65nm/45nm and DDR2, because of cost restrictions. The price of DDR3 is getting quite competitive (with DDR2), but the price of a good DDR3 board is restrictive still.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bobsama

My thought is all systems except that budget system have to be DDR3. The budget system should be 65nm/45nm and DDR2, because of cost restrictions. The price of DDR3 is getting quite competitive (with DDR2), but the price of a good DDR3 board is restrictive still.

---

Bobsama, your budget rig is much appreciated. However, this is the XS Rig Building Guide, not the Poor-Man's Rig Building Guide.

It represents the no-compromise hardware for every price range. I would prefer if people would recommend different options for items in the same price range.

Also, the Sub $1,100 rig has been added for both AMD and Intel, do let me know if they are ok.

Perkam

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

Bobsama, your budget rig is much appreciated. However, this is the XS Rig Building Guide, not the Poor-Man's Rig Building Guide.

It represents the no-compromise hardware for every price range. I would prefer if people would recommend different options for items in the same price range.

Also, the Sub $1,100 rig has been added for both AMD and Intel, do let me know if they are ok.

Perkam

---

An HD4670 is hardly a crippled card. It'll do fine for most gamers. And what are the compromises of an E5200 instead of an E7400? Overclocking solves them all. The only difference between Wolfdale-2M and Wolfdale-3M is 1MB cache--there's not a single compelling feature, outside of raw clockspeed. 300MHz and 1MB cache (let's be generous and call that a 2% boost in performance, the cache that is). At most a 14% boost in performance for 64% increase in price. Again, able to be mended by overclocking. Besides, there's plenty of people here who are "poor". Do realize that a good portion of enthusiasts are high school or college students who can't afford a $1100 "mid-budget" rig.

All listed prices are current.

MSI X58 Pro- $190 @ Newegg price
Intel I7-920-$230 @ Micro Center
Crucial 3x2gb tri channel kit DDR 3- $105 - Egg
PC P&C 500 watt Silencer- $60.00 after rebate - Egg
SILVERSTONE KUBLAI Series KL03-B - $110 after rebate - Egg
Western Digital Caviar SE 320 $50.00 - Egg
MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OCv2 $200 after rebate - Egg
Sony Optiarc AD-7220S-0b 22X DVD Burner $25.00 + shipping ($10.00 ? ) - ZZF
Thermalright "Limited Edition" TRUE Black Ultra-120 eXtreme $75.00 (+ $10.00 shipping) Fzn CPU.com


Under $1,100...:up:

Shipping prices may vary...:shrug:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jason str

All listed prices are current.

MSI X58 Pro- $190 @ Newegg price
Intel I7-920-$230 @ Micro Center
Crucial 3x2gb tri channel kit DDR 3- $105 - Egg
PC P&C 500 watt Silencer- $60.00 after rebate - Egg
SILVERSTONE KUBLAI Series KL03-B - $110 after rebate - Egg
Western Digital Caviar SE 320 $50.00 - Egg
MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OCv2 $200 after rebate - Egg
Sony Optiarc AD-7220S-0b 22X DVD Burner $25.00 + shipping ($10.00 ? ) - ZZF
Thermalright "Limited Edition" TRUE Black Ultra-120 eXtreme $75.00 (+ $10.00 shipping) Fzn CPU.com


Under $1,100...:up:

Shipping prices may vary...:shrug:

---

Now THAT's what I'm talking about. Simply Brilliant. Give me a few to incorporate this into the build. :up:

EDIT: Mind you, the Core i7 920 is available in most places around $290, so $230 isn't the average price and thus won't be used.

@Bobsama, I understand your point. I'll see if I can fit a Sub-$500 rig in there, but I'll see how the rest of the rigs play out first. NOTE: Budget Intel rig now comes with a Quad Core standard.

Perkam

3 Rigs Now Posted for each platform.

Feel Free To Comment.

Perkam

why did u list the 500GB WD drives those things are slow and only $5 cheaper than the 640GB, and the corsair 850W i would say is better than the silverstone 850 since its cheaper

and u should include mx-2 with the intel builds since the stock paste ruins the IHS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

Now THAT's what I'm talking about. Simply Brilliant. Give me a few to incorporate this into the build. :up:

EDIT: Mind you, the Core i7 920 is available in most places around $290, so $230 isn't the average price and thus won't be used.
Perkam

---

OOPS sorry i did not realize you were looking for retail prices on equipment.

Sure hope you will still consider the stuff for the build though. ;)

On the bright side im pretty sure Micro Center will ship for that price plus shipping of course.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zanzabar

why did u list the 500GB WD drives those things are slow and only $5 cheaper than the 640GB, and the corsair 850W i would say is better than the silverstone 850 since its cheaper

and u should include mx-2 with the intel builds since the stock paste ruins the IHS

---

Ty for the advice. I changed the 500GB to the 640GB ones and added the Corsair 850s to the higher end rigs.

As for the stock paste, I left a note at the end as most people have aftermarket paste lying around etc.

@ Jason, np and ty for your build, which I've used as much as I could.

Perkam

Just a thought, would it be better for the users to have rigs go along the lines of

$500 - Budget
$1000 - Mid Budget
$1500 - Mainstream
$2000 - Mainstream High
$2500 - High End

So you could get a better outlook of how performance scales with prices linearly instead of having $750 $1100 $1700 etc?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ensamvarg

Just a thought, would it be better for the users to have rigs go along the lines of

$500 - Budget
$1000 - Mid Budget
$1500 - Mainstream
$2000 - Mainstream High
$2500 - High End

So you could get a better outlook of how performance scales with prices linearly instead of having $750 $1100 $1700 etc?

---

I tried using arbitrary figures in my first few guides (2007) but it always felt like I was sacrificing quality for $10-$20 just to fit into the different value envelopes.

That's why these are open ended and is need-based, not value-based, hence the XS guide being different from most other guides out there.

Perkam

This is just my opinion here, but I don't think anyone is buying a i7 940 right now. The 920's just clock so damn well, people are either buying a 920 or 965(for the unlocked multi). I just don't feel the extra cost of the 940 is worth it. Maybe others will chime in on this, but again, just my opinion.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Avan

This is just my opinion here, but I don't think anyone is buying a i7 940 right now. The 920's just clock so damn well, people are either buying a 920 or 965(for the unlocked multi). I just don't feel the extra cost of the 940 is worth it. Maybe others will chime in on this, but again, just my opinion.

---

Hmmm...you have a good point.

I'll take it into consideration.

Perkam

no SSDs?

Interesting material and right in line with what I shop for.

Keep going :up:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

Hmmm...you have a good point.

I'll take it into consideration.

Perkam

---

The price difference is that of an HD4870 at a minimum. Anyways--about my $400 suggestion, that can be have a quality bump with little more than a better graphics card or a different power supply. The Antec 80PLUS lineup is decent, with most of the units made by Seasonic (great) or Delta (good). Truth be told, I could get away running my (low-end) rig on a 300W PSU.

@One Hertz

Velociraptors are for men, SSDs are for pansies :p: :D

@ CyberDruid, ty :)

@ Bobsama, Because the way the rigs are ending up, I WILL end up putting sub-$500 rigs, but not right now.

Perkam

Sub $600 Rigs posted.

Intel High End Modified to include 920 instead of 940, replacing GTX 285 with 295 with remaining cash and still ending up with extra cash, reducing overall price of high end PC by $200 to $1,800.

Perkam

Phenom II 940 and 920 are am2+ only, ddr2 board's.
you might want look over that AMD list.

Instead of

1. WD3200AAKS
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500410AS 500GB @$60 free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148377

2. SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1
HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.B 0A38016 1TB @$88 Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822145233

those hitatchi are hideous unless u get an ultrastar or cinistar

i'd use an ssd on the last intel build..... apart from that i think youve chosen really well.... wish i was building them.... good luck....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

Intel Sub-$1,300 System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $290
MSI X58 Pro LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $190
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - Retail - $120
EVGA 896-P3-1255-A1 GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 - $240
2 X Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $150
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
LIAN LI PC-8B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC - Retail - $130

SubTotal: $1,261.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,299.99

---

This is a minor quibble but I thought I would ask anyway, why have you chosen this video card over a 1gig 4870 and/or not simply bracketed both these cards together?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Chad Boga

This is a minor quibble but I thought I would ask anyway, why have you chosen this video card over a 1gig 4870 and/or not simply bracketed both these cards together?

---

I choose the fastest cards in their price range, and the 260 Core 216 is the fastest in that class.

ATI users can always substitute the card with a 1GB 4870, but right now the 260 is faster (and at the same price) and I have no intention of using "OR"s every 2 lines as that would make the builds confusing.

I have used the 4870 1GB with the AMD build as an alternative.

@ SSDs, this is the XS Rig Building Guide, not the "How To Increase Your Boot Time" Rig Building Guide, not to mention that there isn't room for SSDs or Velociraptors due to price constraints, and as most XS users need the space...the speed comes from the Raid 0 implementations.

Perkam

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

@ SSDs, this is the XS Rig Building Guide, not the "How To Increase Your Boot Time" Rig Building Guide, not to mention that there isn't room for SSDs or Velociraptors due to price constraints, and as most XS users need the space...the speed comes from the Raid 0 implementations.

Perkam

---

I think you are a bit behind on the times. Adding a decent SSD to the system is probably the largest impact on general performance you can make. RAID 0 doesn't impact performance in most situations. Read the raid sticky in the storage section if you want to know why. The price constraint is definitely there for cheap systems, but for the high end ones an SSD can be easily justified over say 12GB of ram.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by One_Hertz

I think you are a bit behind on the times.

---

:eek: :eek: :eek: !!! That Hurts :( !!

Et Tu, One Hertz? Then Fall Perkam :( X_X

:p: Added the SSDs to high end rigs as requested.

Perkam

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

:eek: :eek: :eek: !!! That Hurts :( !!

Et Tu, One Hertz? Then Fall Perkam :( X_X

:p: Added the SSDs to high end rigs as requested.

Perkam

---

:rofl:

In terms of the SSD you put there, possibly something a good deal better (that GSkill may stutter depending on usage patterns) is coming late this week (the OCZ Vertex). We'll need to look out for reviews and possibly update the list :).

128GB isn't really needed for most people as an OS drive. Around 60GB should be fine (and even 30 for some people) and then a big HDD for storage. SSDs are used just to make day to day things a lot quicker.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by One_Hertz

:rofl:

In terms of the SSD you put there, possibly something a good deal better (that GSkill may stutter depending on usage patterns) is coming late this week (the OCZ Vertex). We'll need to look out for reviews and possibly update the list :).

128GB isn't really needed for most people as an OS drive. Around 60GB should be fine (and even 30 for some people) and then a big HDD for storage. SSDs are used just to make day to day things a lot quicker.

---

The OCZ Apex Series is too expensive (60GB for $200? This isn't 1992 !!). I saw the Core Series from them which is similar to the Gskill in price but don't know if its THAT much better.

Perkam

Good Idea perkam, but there are a lot of things imho to change.

When I've got time I post them.

nice initiative perkam.. hopefully someone will come with a similar thread for watercooling

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

Intel Sub-$2,000 System
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $290
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $250
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit - Retail - $199
BFG Tech BFGEGTX2951792E GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready - $500
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $100
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $234
LG Black 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech - $22
GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $150
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC - $150

SubTotal: $1,894.99

Total w/Shipping: $1,999.99

NOTE: **Please Use Aftermarket Thermal Paste With Your Intel Rigs To Avoid Intel IHS Damage**

Perkam

---

I would replace the P6T with Gigabyte EX58-UD5 (same price AFAIK but less bugged).
I dont know the case but I would suggest the Antec 902.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by One_Hertz

128GB isn't really needed for most people as an OS drive. Around 60GB should be fine (and even 30 for some people) and then a big HDD for storage. SSDs are used just to make day to day things a lot quicker.

---

For me 120GB would be the bare minimum. If you install a few games, here the capacity goes. If you answer to put them on the platter drive, the purpose of the system SSD is highly undermined.

So I agree with perkam choice of a 128gb average-speed ssd (not sure if that model stutters). Intel 80gb MLC is still $400 I think, so it wouldnt fit in that budget.

For an over $2000 rig, we can discuss about Vertex, multiple intels etc.

Sub-$1600 Intel Rig and Sub-$1500 AMD Rig Added w/ SSD

High End $2000 Intel Rig now has P6T Deluxe V2.

High End AMD system now comes with Asus Triple-Fan 4870X2.

AMD Sub-$1500 Rig Comes With Powercolor 4970 (TBA).

Perkam

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by perkam

I understand your point. I'll see if I can fit a Sub-$500 rig in there, but I'll see how the rest of the rigs play out first. NOTE: Budget Intel rig now comes with a Quad Core standard.
Perkam

---

You can pick up a Q6600 for less than a Q8200 and they OC better and have more cache.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by initialised

You can pick up a Q6600 for less than a Q8200 and they OC better and have more cache.

---

Not in this universe :p:

Average price for Q6600 = $195
Average price for Q8200 = $170

Guide is ALMOST done.

Perkam

Guide is in limbo until CEBIT finishes.

Perkam

Hey guys.

Thanks for the thread.

1 suggestion if I may or request.

Can you add the breakdown of one of those custom built ultra low power mini-PCs or PC version of a netbook.

Im dieing to know how much it would cost and what kind of build I can get for about $500.

Going to be using a mini-PC for my home telephone server soon :)

for the 2 budget intel rigs i would rather go with one of these boards:

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L - $98.99

GIGABYTE GA-EG43M-S2H - $102.99

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3LR - $102.99

ASUS P5Q SE PLUS - $102.99

i could go on but hey. even the asus p5q pro is $120 or the ud3p for $135

I was bored so I made this for $1500 budget (including 28" LCD monitor):
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=13372988

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by clayton

I was bored so I made this for $1500 budget (including 28" LCD monitor):
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=13372988

---

That would be a sub-$1000 build in the guide. A very nice one.

I'm going to update the build in the next week or so, bring it up to speed with the new hardware.

Perkam

perkam no updated guides yet?

Updated Guide coming after launch of Core i5. I want to stay away from offering 775 solutions if they will be replaced in a few months by the i5.

Intel delayed the i5, so this guide is delayed as well. :(

Perkam

i7...i5...i9 ugh. So confused. Guess ill just wait till the i9 to do a upgrade.

e6600 serve me well until then! please!

I'll have this guide up when P55 boards hit newegg.

If I don't, spam my PM box :p:

Perkam

what about the new amd stuff in october along with 5000 series and gtx 300's will that be up then ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pingpong1455

what about the new amd stuff in october along with 5000 series and gtx 300's will that be up then ?

---

The new GFX from AMD and P55 will launch around the same time. Nvidia's GTX 300 is a tad later.

Remember that new CPU platforms require new processors, motherboards and sometimes new memory, whereas a new GPU platform is just drag and drop, so these guides are built around newer CPU platforms, not newer GPU platforms.

Perkam

It's coming VERY soon :)

Perkam

woooot

Done.

Intel Sub-$600 System

Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5400 Wolfdale 2.7GHz

I would get Intel Pentium E6300 Wolfdale 2.8GHz @$84

Typo :)

Intel Sub-$1,100 System

Intel Core i5 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz

Intel Sub-$1,700 System

Intel Core i5 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz

Perkam can you please tell me where I can get those 5870 Radeons please? :p: BTW how did you know they are 512bit?

AMD system for over 2k ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lightman

Perkam can you please tell me where I can get those 5870 Radeons please? :p: BTW how did you know they are 512bit?

AMD system for over 2k ;)

---

Hahaha! Even prices are listed! Perkam, if I PM you, can we work out shipping one to me? :D 300$ seems very reasonable!

Quote:

---

XFX HD 5870 1GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported - $299

---

Are you sure?:D

Ignore me, didnt see the shipping cost:am:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by onethreehill

Intel Sub-$600 System

Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5400 Wolfdale 2.7GHz

I would get Intel Pentium E6300 Wolfdale 2.8GHz @$84

Typo :)

---

That.

And as already suggested in the news thread, try the new intel SSD (once they fix firmware)

Great guides ill be sure and use these to help me build my next gaming rig :)
Gotta wait till Call of Pripyat comes out first though :p

@ OTH, E5400 > E6300 in highest OC.

@ 5870 = Estimate based on 4870 Launch.

@ SSD, G1 = tried and tested. G2 has problems now and may have problems down the road. It's definitely a pick for 2010, not 2009, but I might change on this, who knows.

Perkam

Just put this together for under $1000, you may be able to save a few extra $ buy using the newegg combo deals. One I noticed gives you the Case with a 350W PSU at only $10 more then the case on its own.

But for under a $1000 it makes a good everyday system, you may want to stretch to a Q9400 or even a Q9550.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q8400 - Retail $169.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $69.99
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $74.99
Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS $49.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $79.99
SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit $94.99
COOLER MASTER Elite RC-332-KKN1-GP Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $49.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK - Retail $54.99
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM $28.99
BenQ G2410HD Glossy Black 23.6" 5ms, 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $229.99
Rapoo Wireless Keyboard&Mouse BestBuy $15.00

$918.90

Since 775 is going to be around for a couple of years to come there is still plenty of life left in Intel CPUs and Motherboards. When you consider there is a 24inch HD LCD in the package its not bad for the $.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by chinaguy

Just put this together for under $1000, you may be able to save a few extra $ buy using the newegg combo deals. One I noticed gives you the Case with a 350W PSU at only $10 more then the case on its own.

But for under a $1000 it makes a good everyday system, you may want to stretch to a Q9400 or even a Q9550.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q8400 - Retail $169.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $69.99
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $74.99
Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS $49.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $79.99
SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit $94.99
COOLER MASTER Elite RC-332-KKN1-GP Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $49.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-4GBPK - Retail $54.99
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM $28.99
BenQ G2410HD Glossy Black 23.6" 5ms, 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $229.99
Rapoo Wireless Keyboard&Mouse BestBuy $15.00

$918.90

Since 775 is going to be around for a couple of years to come there is still plenty of life left in Intel CPUs and Motherboards. When you consider there is a 24inch HD LCD in the package its not bad for the $.

---

That's probably one of the weakest builds I've ever seen.

Q8400 + P43 + HD 4830 for $1,000 ?!?!? :stick:

Just get the Sub-$800 build from the guide and add a monitor m8. You'll be 10x better off.

Perkam

Nice list sir

XS Official Rig Building Guide UK Edition, Europe Edition and Canadian Edition are on their way...

Perkam

Here's the fastest gaming system for $800! This system is identical to the one on the first page (which I suspect is slightly outdated), but has a 4890 instead of a 4850. For $800 you want a 4870 at least! Of course I was only able to achieve this through the use of sales and rebates, but those are always available one way or another.

Intel Core i5 750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 180 @ microcenter
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2 LGA 1156 Intel P55 110
OCZ Gold 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 90
MSI R4890 Cyclone OC Radeon HD 4890 1GB194 @ ZZF with an extra $20 MIR
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 65 @ newegg
HP Black 24X DVD+R 31 @ newegg
Antec Three Hundred Black 55 @ newegg
OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W 80 with an extra $25 MIR

Total: 805 including shipping (all items are in stock and have free shipping!) Also has $45 in MIRs which brings the actual total down to 760 after MIR.

Once the MIRs come in, that leaves you with $40 to put towards a CPU cooler (once they are more available for LGA 1156). When overclocked, the core i5 should be faster than any other CPU. This 4890 has better cooling than the reference model - Anandtech found an overclocked 4890 beats a GTX 285@stock on almost every test.

Here's the performance you can expect from this 4890-based system after overclocking. Pretty sure it's an i7@3.2ghz with intel SSD.
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/4...2109/18843.pnghttp://images.anandtech.com/graphs/4...2109/18845.png
http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/4...2109/18830.pnghttp://images.anandtech.com/graphs/4...2109/18828.png

All for under $800!

i5 has obsoleted LGA775 and AMD completely.

Fixing the list...

Just waiting for 57xx cards to come out. Then quite a few updates come in, including $99 quad cores from AMD.

Perkam

i would recommend this memory for the 1366 platform

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=235587

btw dont forget to update the 5870 prices :p:

edit: i cant see any reason to recommend the g1 version of the x25-m over the g2 anymore :shrug:

October 2009 Update Complete.

Let me know if there are any errors.

Perkam

The i7 860 is written in as i5 860. OTH mentioned it above.:)

Fixed, ty :)

Perkam

Sorry why different cases for Intel and Amd?

A small error in the AMD high end builds, the Phenom II 965 is listed at 3.2Ghz instead of 3.4 Ghz.

Intel Sub-$2,850 "Hardcore CrossfireX Gamer" System

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - $280
EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED "Overclocker's Pick" 3-Way SLI + PhysX 1366 Intel X58 EATX Intel Motherboard - $405
G.SKILL Trident 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model - $165
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - $380
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - $289
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - $95
SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM - $29
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - $45
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $120
CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular - $170
SubTotal: $2,741.99
Total w/Shipping: $2,849.99

Why would you use a pair of SSD's instead of a single SSD? TRIM command does not work with SSD's in RAID-0, so your performance will degrade over time and you won't be able to do anything about it. Why not just use a single 160GB SSD instead?

Shouldnt this be updated soon?

I'll look into updating it once Thuban and Fermi are out.

Perkam

when u update the amd should be on the top as amd is before intel alphabetically

This needs a update

Agreed!

Would it be possible to make a Small Form Factor build? I trust your knowledge over neweggs :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klarko

Would it be possible to make a Small Form Factor build? I trust your knowledge over neweggs :P

---

what kind of SFF are u interested in, that can go from an matx with a mini p-180 to a tinny little micro itx

and if u make a thread im sure that u will get help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zanzabar

what kind of SFF are u interested in, that can go from an matx with a mini p-180 to a tinny little micro itx

and if u make a thread im sure that u will get help

---

I am probably gonna go 50/50 in with my parents for a new computer for college, it looks more and more impossible to fit my HAF case on a desk in my dorm room lol.

Im thinking about 1 grand for all the parts (no keyboard/mouse/monitor)

CPU: core i5/i7 or possibly AMD
MB: Was thinking lanparty but since they are now discontinued i need something with more support, thinking gigabyte, or asus
Memory: depends on CPU,but probably 4 or 6 G
Single videocard (ati 5 series)
1 HD
OS: 7, but may use my college email to get one for $20 if that deals still around.

Not sure what else, im not expert by any means but ill look for some reviews on a case and MB

Update would be appreciated

Update please!!

A 2010-2011 guide would be nice

Quote:

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Originally Posted by breathemetal

a 2010-2011 guide would be nice

---

+1111111

I'll put up a new one simultaneously with HD 6000 launch in October.

Sounds great, thanks perkam :D

is XS dead or there's just been no mods for updates or spam control?

Update please :)

This is my go to link for anyone building a computer

general thought for this but maybe a category for benching such as a good base motherboard/hard drive/ram setup type thing or something along those lines

I'd love to see an XS Official Rig Building Guide 2011. Update please!!

think its due for a 2011 update!

In for 2011 update after some new CPU/MB's are released!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Klarko

In for 2011 update after some new CPU/MB's are released!

---

Yes Please!

A Sandy Bridge 2011 Guide ;)