Building a gaming system for $800... help!

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Ok I am realy new to the whole builing a computer thing. And unfortunatly work over the last couple years has thrown me into the stonage ara. *sigh* But it is time for me to get my feet wet again and I need some opinions.


I want to build a computer that will alow me to play multiple games and do my homework at the same time. I have $800 to do this not including sound screen and kb/mouse. A friend of mine has sent me some recomendations (listed) and I am trying to follow them. I have a few ideas for some but I am in a dead lock for the motherboard and processor. Everything else I have choices but I think after the mobo and stuff is done the rest will be easier.

Soooo I have $800 cdn aprox. to spend.


Case : NP 450w min Done.

Processor : (Recomended)

AMD will give more bang for the buck versus Intel
Single core (64 bit) $100+
Dual core (64 bit) $175+
And he recomended going to www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html


Could someone tell me which would be better. Friends and various sites/forums say one is better than the other from both sides. And is dual core better for what I want to do?


These were what I am looking at.
AMD:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14416&vpn=ADA3200BPBOX&manufacture=AMD

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14418&vpn=ADA3800BPBOX&manufacture=AMD similar to the previous but which one is better

dual:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18462&vpn=ADA3800CUBOX&manufacture=AMD (so far liking this one best)


If I were to streach my money, I was thinking this one (but I don't think I will have enough)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16795&vpn=OSA170DAA6CD&manufacture=AMD

Motherboard:

Recomended: $100-$150 gets a quality one that will inclued onboard surround sound as well.

Well I don't know how to tell if it has surround but this is what I was looking at.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18719&vpn=775Dual-VSTA&manufacture=ASRock

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15822&vpn=945P-A(1.0)&manufacture=ECS/ELITEGROUP (looks ok)

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15720&vpn=NF4-ULTRA-INFINITY&manufacture=DFI

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18777&vpn=M2N-SLI DELUXE&manufacture=ASUS ( I am leaning towards this one)

Memory : will be decided when I have the motherboard.

Video Card:

Rec:
one of the more important puchases!
ATI is more band for buck in this sector (vs NVidia)
$150 will get something quality, with dual DVI and video out to the TV


Asus:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18872&vpn=EN6600SILENCER/TD/51&manufacture=ASUS

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16981&vpn=EAX1600PRO/TD/256M&manufacture=ASUS

ATI:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=20526&vpn=100-435712&manufacture=ATI

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=19317&vpn=100-505111&manufacture=ATI

Not realy leaning to anyone.

hard drive:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=16141&vpn=WD2500KS&manufacture=Western Digital

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18410&vpn=ST3320620A&manufacture=Seagate (bigger unit) Leaning towards this one.

optical drive:

one or the other

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=17208&vpn=SHW-160P6S&manufacture=Liteon (this one my dad has and we havn't had any problems)

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18136&vpn=SHM-165H6S&manufacture=Liteon



Please let me know asap. The site is having a sale and some of the things will only be on sale up till close tomarrow and if I save with some I spend on others. currently 2:16 pm pst. Thank you very much.
 
You could go either the Intel or the AMD route, and there will be people who will suggest you go in different suggestions. Currently the newest Intel CPUs (the core 2 duo lineup) is the best CPU on the market in just about every way.

However, with AMDs price drops they are still is competitive and sometimes the better choice at the low budget level.

The choices you have listed above are... all over the place and incompatible with each other!! lol. You have AGP cards, PCI-e cards, socket 939 boards, AM2 boards...

Here (in my opinion) is the first thing we need to know before anyone can help. You said:
I want to build a computer that will alow me to play multiple games and do my homework at the same time.

What exactly do you want to be able to do? When you say gaming, what are the names of the games you play? Are we talking some online flash based smurf game, or first person shooters? This will greatly change your system if you need a gaming graphics card for today's newer games. What software do you use for your homework?
 
DonNagual said:
The choices you have listed above are... all over the place and incompatible with each other!! lol. You have AGP cards, PCI-e cards, socket 939 boards, AM2 boards...

What exactly do you want to be able to do? When you say gaming, what are the names of the games you play? Are we talking some online flash based smurf game, or first person shooters? This will greatly change your system if you need a gaming graphics card for today's newer games. What software do you use for your homework?


lol like I said no clue about the guts. And as far as gaming goes I have been short on choices because I use my dads computer. Not much room n'such. But I have been playing first person shooters, online rpgs, stratagy etc.

I do want to play a couple games at a time when I am not in groups. As far as homework, right now just ms programs, word, excel, etc. But come january I will be taking buisness, herbalism and language courses and refreshing my programing skills (been soo long). So multitasking is essential.

I currently have 18 browsers up and 3 programs. and I am not doing bad, but as soon as this computer starts media or real it slows down if not freezes. I know I should run less things at once but I find it takes tooo long and I get nothing done.

With this said. Can you help me? What did I have listed will be compatable? And as far as software I will be looking into it for better programs. If you have any suggestions, they will all be accepted cause I have no clue what is out there anymore.

I feel 100yrs old and I am only 21. Just tells you if you don't have access to the info and have time you fall behind, hell my email accounts are sooo full it will take me a year to clean them all up and get back to my friends. lol
 
MetalX included it in his price but forgot to list it. He is also suggesting this CPU:
Athlon64 3200+ AM2

I think he has done a great job of picking parts out for you there. You'll of course need an optical drive as well.

That CPU he has picked for you is a good one. It is not dual core however. If you feel you'll need dual core (for multitasking) and have the extra cash to blow, here's the one that will work in that system:

Athlon64 X2 3800+ AM2


I don't really see any areas in which you could cut corner's in order to save money and get the dual core in the same budget. You don't want any less than 1Gb of ram, that graphics card is a great one for the price, and if you play 3D first person shooters, you wouldn't want to go any cheaper there.
 
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