Hardware Revolution

Hi and welcome back for the 4th post of the gaming computer series. You can see all the latest computer builds that I posted on Hardware Revolution by checking out the Computer Systems page.

Seeing as there is quite a large gap between the A gaming computer for $500?! You bet! v3.0 and The $800 gaming PC, to frag them all! system, I’ve decided to post a build that would be halfway between them, to fill that gap. So today’s post will focus on a $650 gaming system.

I’m starting from scratch with this computer, as there’s no previous version to it.

The computer parts:

Featured in the more expensive The $800 gaming PC, to frag them all!, the E5200 makes a comeback in this system.

This cpu will be plenty enough to run today’s games, because it is based on the new Wolfdale core, runs at 2.5GHz and features 2MB of cache. While not the best cpu on the market, it offers the best performance available at this price point.

Also keep in mind that the E5200 at stock runs on a 200MHz front side bus, with a 12.5X multiplier and is manufactured on a 45nm process. That means that this chip will overclock very easily, even on stock cooling, also that means that the motherboard that doesn’t need to reach very high FSB. Same goes for the RAM.

RAM is pretty simple and to keep costs down, I’m suggesting that you buy a DDR2 800MHz 2 x 1GB memory kit from pqi

Next up on your list is the motherboard. Let’s start with the features that you want from this motherboard:

• Wolfdale 45nm core support
• DDR2 800MHz dual-channel support
• On-board sound
• One PCI-Express 16X slots
• A low price tag

Featured in many of my budget builds, the GIGABYTE GA-EG31M-S2 Motherboard makes yet another comeback, in this system this time. It’s a great motherboard, which answers all of your needs and most importantly, it’s reliable! It’s considered the best G31 motherboard by many, including myself.

According to gigabyte, it officially supports FSB 1600 through overclocking, which mean that this motherboard won’t limit your cpu overclock, as you’re starting to overclock at FSB 800. Which mean that you can go up to 5.00GHz on your E5200 before your motherboard may limit your overclock. Quite frankly, your cpu will be the limit here.

Let’s move on to the video card. The best part of this system is the GTX 260 video card. It is your best option if you want a great powerful mainstream single gpu/video card solution, starting as low as $219.99 with the mail-in rebate, or $249.99 without it, as I write this.

Of course, to handle the powerful GTX 260 and the rest of the system, you’ll need a solid power supply that can provide a lot of reliable power, especially on the 12V line. With two 12V lines working on the video card and two other to handle the rest of the system, and the reputation of OCZ to offer great powr supplies, the OCZ StealthXStream 600W is my recommendation to properly handle this system and have some overhead if you plan to overclock.

You’ll need a case to secure all those parts in and to ensure that everything stays cool. The COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 comes with two 120mm fans, the drive bays are tool-less for easy installation. The expansion slots have individual flip down levers to lock your cards in place. The convenience doesn’t stop there, the front panel has USB, FireWire and audio ports so you don’t have to reach around to the back of your case.

Of course, you’ll need storage space, for the OS, games and other applications. In order to keep costs down, I went with a Western Digital 500GB Hard Drive here. Plenty of space, SATA and coming from a reliable hard drive manufacturer.

For the optical drive, I wanted something reliable, fast and inexpensive and the SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner is my choice here.

Finally, in order to keep the system cool, with all those parts producing a lot of heat, especially the video cards, I suggest getting a third case fan, to put in the front, for air intake. The Scythe SY1225SL12M “Slipstream” Case Fan , at 88 CFM for 33dBa, will take care of that, while not being too noisy.

Optional Components:

Time for other components that you may need or want for this computer system. Rest assured, these are optional and are not required if you already have your own similar parts or don’t need them.

Operation System: Every computer needs an OS and Linux is not an option for a gaming PC, at least not for now. Seeing as you’ll be using 2 Gb of RAM, it’s wise to stick with Windows XP Professional SP3 here, to make sure that you get the maximum performance out of your system.

Monitor: As you’ll be using quite a powerful video card in this build, I’m suggesting a 22″ monitor, with a 1680×1050 resolution and a 5ms reaction time. Anything bigger will have a resolution too high for the 4850 to handle properly. Here’s my suggestion: Acer Black 22″ 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor HDCP

After-market CPU Cooler: If you decide to overclock your cpu, I highly recommend that you get an after-market heatsink/fan combo, along with some high-quality thermal paste. Why? They will help you reach much higher speeds than if you stick to the stock Intel cooler, which will do a correct job at cooling a stock cpu but isn’t designed to handle the extra heat output from overclocking and raising voltage.

The ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm CPU Cooler is my recommendation here, as it’s in the same league as the Tuniq Tower, but won’t break your motherboard due to excessive weight and it comes with a 120mm, which is nearly silent on the low settings and is powerful on the high setting.

Don’t forget high quality thermal grease, which will fill the miniscule gap between your cpu and your heatsink, to ensure maximum thermal transfer and lower cpu temperatures. Put all the odds on your side if you want a great overclock! Here’s my suggestion: The ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 , which is known as one of, if not the best thermal paste widely available on the market. Superior to Arctic Silver 5, while being not conductive!

Keyboard: While playing long gaming sessions, which can last several hours, comfort makes all the difference. A cheap keyboard will not cut it, as you’ll feel pain and won’t be comfortable and that will reduce your ability to dominate your enemies.

Wired for instant reaction time, ergonomic for a long utilization comfort, the Logitech Wave Keyboard is my suggestion here.

Mouse: The one device that can make a gaming session a pleasure or a disaster, as a gamer you can’t afford to skip on a good mouse. Wired for optimal reaction time, optical for quick and precise movements and with an excellent design for comfort of use, the Logitech MX518 Wired Optical Mouse is a mouse renown by gamers worldwide. Many of my gamers friends use it and love it.

Speakers: Quality sound will make all the difference when you play games, especially as you can hear where your enemy is coming from, which will help you react faster. Here are a few suggestions:

For simple and inexpensive speakers, that I can easily recommend, as I bought a pair for a friend of mine and found them so good for the price that I bought myself a pair as well, go for the Logitech X-140 2.0 Speakers.

If you’re looking for something that had more punch, along with a dedicated subwoofer, I suggest these: Logitech Z-4 2.1 Speakers.

Let me resume this computer for you, with every part and its price:

Components	Part model	$USD Price
CPU	Intel Core 2 Duo E5200	$83.99
Motherboard	GIGABYTE GA-EG31M-S2 Motherboard	$52.99
RAM	DDR2 800MHz 2 x 1GB memory kit	$32.99
Video Card	GTX 260	$249.99
Hard Drive	Western Digital 500GB Hard Drive	$64.99
Optical Drive	SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner	$22.99
Case	COOLER MASTER Centurion 534	$49.99
Case fan	Scythe SY1225SL12H “Slipstream” Fan	$8.99
Power supply	OCZ StealthXStream 600W	$79.99
Total price	Entire Computer System	$646.91

Conclusion: What’s your opinion on this computer system? I think that it will be a great gaming computer for those of you who want a great gaming computer to play video games with some eye candy on! I think that I did a fine job, but do you think you could do better? I challenge you to do so. If you think that you could improve this computer, while keeping the price around $650, let me know how you would do it in the comment section. After all, there’s a reason why this is called a custom computer.

Did you like this computer build? Would you like to see more computer systems? Head over to the Computer Systems page right now!

Do you have any requests for me, to build a computer just for you? Contact me and it will be my entire pleasure to assist you!

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