Istorya.net's CPU Builder

[carmicael]

Bon giorno. I've noticed that there are a lot of 'Build me a CPU for this budget' threads lately.
So, to help out our fellow n00bs, an older n00b would try and make a roundup of the best
build a certain pricepoint can buy from our local shops.

SUGGESTIONS and CRITICISMS are welcome.

JULY 2010

The Recession Rig (10,000)
The Recession Rig is a little contraption that can do office work, surf the net,
and play legacy games without any sweat.
Of course, this box is not for hardcore stuff, only for those who are into casual computing.

Spoiler! 

Processor: Athlon II X2 240 @ 2595
This is a no-brainer. The 240 is probably the best processor you can buy @ 2.5k.
At this price point, you won't be rendering 1080p videos or editing 4k vids.

But then again, you can enjoy the merits of having a procie with more than 1 core.

Motherboard: ECS A740GM-A @ 1995
This board is packed up with the necessities you should see in a budget/entry-level board.

You can see a brief review here.

GPU: Included in the motherboard
This is probably the ATI 2100 graphics.

RAM: Kingston Value 1GB DDR2 800 @ 1095
The only RAM you can buy to fit within the 10k price range and still pack a punch for the said segment.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB @ 1795
It is unreasonable to recommend a 250GB or 160GB HDD when they differ only by a hundred pesos.
WD is just a personal preference, a Seagate Drive is fine too.

ODD: Any dual-layer DVD drive@ 1000
'nuff said.

Casing: Any generic casing@ 1300
'nuff said.

PSU: Included in the casing
'nuff said.

TOTAL: ~Php 9780.00

Alternatives: Intel E5300; Asus P5KPL-AM.

The Junior Playa' (15,000)
The Junior Playa' is a low-end gaming rig. You can play legacy and previous generation
games without a sweat, and the latest games with a few eye candy disabled. This is just
the Recession Rig stuffed with a beefier RAM and GPU.

Spoiler! 

Processor: Athlon II X2 240 @ 2595
This is a no-brainer. The 240 is probably the best processor you can buy @ 2.5k.
At this price point, you won't be rendering 1080p videos or editing 4k vids.

But then again, you can enjoy the merits of having a procie with more than 1 core.

Motherboard: ECS A740GM-A @ 1995
This board is packed up with the necessities you should see in a budget/entry-level board.

You can see a brief review here.

GPU: Palit 9800GT Green Edition 512MB @ 4095
This is the Green Edition of the 9800GT as manufactured by Palit. If I am not mistaken, it does not require
any external power source.


RAM: Kingston Value 2GB DDR2 800 @ 2050
The only RAM you can buy to fit within the 15k price range and still pack a punch for the said segment.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB @ 1795
It is unreasonable to recommend a 250GB or 160GB HDD when they differ only by a hundred pesos.
WD is just a personal preference, a Seagate Drive is fine too.

ODD: Any dual-layer DVD drive @ 1000
'nuff said.

Casing: Any generic casing @ 1300
'nuff said.

PSU: Included in the casing
'nuff said.
DISCLAIMER: getting a decent PSU is recommended. (cheapest @ 2-3k)

TOTAL: ~Php 14830.00

Alternatives: Intel E5300; Asus P5KPL-AM.

The Casual Playa' (20,000-30,000)
The Casual Playa' is essentially the Junior Playa's big bro. This baby can probably crunch some
newer games better than the younger sibling. This baby can play at resolutions offered
by 20" monitors.

Spoiler! 

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 @ 5195
A Core 2 Duo is still capable of packing a punch for today's applications and games.
Dubbed as Intel's Athlon killer, this baby is no push over.

SSE instructions improve multimedia performance as well.

Motherboard: Asus P5QPL-AM @ 2595
This board is packed up with the necessities you should see in a budget/entry-level board.


GPU: PowerColor HD 5770 1GB @ 7795
DX11 goodness for the masses. You can definitely play all previous games with medium to high
settings, and all the latest games at moderate settings. What this card lacks in bus width, it makes
up with memory speed.


RAM: Kingston Value 2x2GB DDR2 800 @ 4100
4GB of RAM is all you need for casual gaming and multimedia. You can even get dual channel babies at some stores
for the same price, or a little over.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB @ 2200
It is unreasonable to recommend a 250GB or 160GB HDD when they differ only by a hundred pesos.
WD is just a personal preference, a Seagate Drive is fine too.

ODD: Any dual-layer DVD drive @ 1000
'nuff said.

Casing: Any generic casing @ 1300
'nuff said.

PSU: Silverstone Essentials 500W @ 2900
You don't want to let that generic PSU power your HD5770 now, would you?

TOTAL: ~Php 27085.00

Alternatives: AMD Athlon II X4 (Quad Core for the masses); Asus M2N68-AM.
A GTS250 for nvidia die-hards or those with less money to spend. Maybe 2GB of RAM should be better for slashing prices off.
For office/multimedia applications, an i5 setup should work minus the dedicated vcard.

The Gaymen Rig(30,000-40,000)
The Gaymen Rig is for those with 24" monitors and want to play with a little more eye candy.

Spoiler! 

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 @ 6695
Core 2 Quad. Quad Core goodness. This baby would crunch workloads without breaking a sweat.
GTAIV anyone?

SSE instructions improve multimedia performance as well.

Motherboard: MSI P43-C51 @ 4000
This board packs some extra goodies, especially for beginners in overclocking. (Easy OC Switch)


GPU: PowerColor HD 5850 1GB @ 12895
DX11 goodness for persons with deeper pockets. You can definitely play all previous games with medium to high
settings, and all the latest games at moderate or even high settings.


RAM: OCZ Gold 2x2GB DDR2 1066 Dual Channel @ 4780
4GB of RAM is all you need for casual gaming and multimedia. These babies come in dual channel.

HDD: Hitachi DeskStar 1TB @ 3195
1TB of HDD space is really the thing today. My 320GB got full in a matter of months. This
model is probably Hitachi's first breed, but 1TB of space is nothing to sneeze at either.

ODD: Any dual-layer DVD drive @ 1300
'nuff said.

Casing: Antec 300 @ 3300
A good and decent case from Antec.

PSU: Silverstone Essentials 500W @ 2900
You don't want to let that generic PSU power your HD5850 now, would you?

TOTAL: ~Php 39365.00

Alternatives: AMD Phenom II X4 965; Asus M2N68-AM; GTX465
A 5770 should suffice in monitors of smaller resolutions and should let you save a lot more money.

Green and Red Half Hundred Rig(50,000-70,000)
The Green and Red Half Hundred is for AMD afficionados/gaymers with cash to burn up to 70,000. They will enjoy
no compromises computing and gayming.

Spoiler! 

Processor: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T @ 9650
Six Cores for the masses. Well, not really masses but just the rest who couldn't afford Chipzilla's overpriced behemoth,
or for AMD fans who wish nothing more than to be with AMD's best


Motherboard: MSI 890FXA-GD70 @ 9650
This board packs some extra goodies, especially for beginners in overclocking. (Easy OC Switch)


GPU: PowerColor HD 5870 1GB @ 18495
DX11 goodness for persons with deeper pockets. You can definitely play all previous games and all the latest games at high settings.


RAM: Extreme Performance Sector 5 G Series DDR3 1600 2x2GB @ 7800
4GB of RAM is all you need for casual gaming and multimedia. These babies come in dual channel.

Boot HDD: 2x Seagate Barracuda 500GB via RAID 0 @ 4190
Far better space for boot/os/apps than any other SSD option at this price point.

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB @ 3895
1TB of HDD space is really the thing today. My 320GB got full in a matter of months. This
model is probably Hitachi's first breed, but 1TB of space is nothing to sneeze at either.

ODD: Any dual-layer DVD drive @ 1300
'nuff said.

Casing: Antec 900 @ 7250
A good and decent case from Antec.

PSU: Silverstone ST60F 600W Modular @ 6450
You don't want to let that generic PSU power your HD5870 now, would you?

TOTAL: ~Php 68680.00

Alternatives: AMD Phenom II X6 1090T; Asus M4A89GTD PRO; HD5770 via Xfire; Silverstone Casings oh yeah.

TODO LIST:
Ultra-Recession
HTPC
Blue and Green Half Hundred
Dream Machine

NOTICE:

Spoiler! 

hello. mana ko sa akong project so balik ta diri.

i suggest we have a set release date for a month's set of computers systems. maybe every 2nd sunday of the month. then, we also should have discussions on the systems to be featured every 1st sunday until the day before the 2nd sunday. ok ra mo ani mga bro?

Recession Rig:
this rig is the embodiment of value and power at the ordinary istoryan's POV. basically, katong mga cheap products na maka kaya na ug everyday applications ug mga old games. around 10k ang price ani niya.

Junior Playa':
this rig is a low-end gaming platform. around 15k pod ni.

Casual Playa':
mas beefy ang GPU siguro ani na rig kontra sa junior. around 20-30k ni.

Gaymen Rig:
this rig is for gamers who have access to middle-end hardware. siguro sa karon na gen mga core i5 or phenom II. around 30k-40k ato price diri.

Green/Red Half Hundred:
Literally AMD/ATI @ 50k.

Blue/Green Half Hundred:
Literally Intel/nVidia @ 50k.

Verde Ultima:
AMD/ATI @ 100k

Azul Ultima:
Intel/nVidia @ 100k

Deus Ex Machina:
Performance King

HTPC:
nuff said.

So to sum-up:

• Discussions: 1st sunday - day before 2nd sunday
• Release: 2nd sunday
• Rigs: 10

you might also wonder ngano kadaghan man sa rigs. kay lain2x man price points, and to cater fanboys na mag ask:

Spoiler! 

"nganong dili man chipzilla/daamit ang gamit?"

willing ko mag spend time para mag facilitate ani na thread, para ma update monthly. and even if naa bago item na ma release sa market. maskin dili ma sticky.

also, more importantly, we need to make a editor list, say naa mag volunteer mag research para sa specific rig category. credit will be given to where credit is due. also, naa ta contributors list, kato mga suggestions na ma approve sa mga people diri.

current editors:
1.Recession - carmicaeld
2.Junior Playa' - carmicaeld
3.Casual Playa' - carmicaeld
4.Gaymen Rig - carmicaeld
5.Green and Red Half Hundred - carmicaeld
6.Blue and Green Half Hundred - carmicaeld
7.Verde Ultima - carmicaeld
8.Azul Ultima - carmicaeld
9.Deus Ex Machina - carmicaeld[ako lang jud ni please.]
10.HTPC - carmicaeld

Spoiler! 

also, if maka survive ni na thread for 3-5 months, then i suggest we start a PDF mini-mag to be released every month also, free and exclusive for istorya members. in the future if tarong jud ni, maybe we can even release it outside istorya. maka volunteer pod ko mag editor sa online magazine, but we need contributors too, i.e. graphics artists, computer experts, and sponsors for print maybe? i dunno if ok ba mo ani.

your suggestions/comments are badly needed.

[nirdle_phogi]

Kudos carmicaeld!

[Sempron Guy]

Ask lang ko asa nimo gi-base ang prices? Barato lagi. And I couldn't resist to ask y "Gaymen?"

[carmicael]

@nirdle_phogi:
thanks bro.

@Sempron Guy:
mostly GI. uban sa pcx. uban sa mga shops na nag advertise sa B/S diri sa istorya.
Gaymen. boring man ang Gaming na term. XD

[personalmgt]

The gaymen rig has a bit of a drawback.

If I'm not mistaken, the P5QPL-AM is PCI-E v1.0 as what I have read in newegg. Thus, bottlenecking the HD 5850. Correct me if I am wrong

Basing on what OP said, I think he is referring to people who are looking forward to play the most recent games and not people who want to brag about 3Dmark scores or anything. Anything above HD 5770 with 4 cores is already kickassery (I found this new word somewhere). Buffing the mobo would be a better idea so the HD 5770 won't be bottlenecked. Having the HD 5850 is, well kind of overkill but that's just me.

Anyways, nice job to lessen the common inquiries in the subforum.

[carmicael]

The gaymen rig has a bit of a drawback.

If I'm not mistaken, the P5QPL-AM is PCI-E v1.0 as what I have read in newegg. Thus, bottlenecking the HD 5850. Correct me if I am wrong

Basing on what OP said, I think he is referring to people who are looking forward to play the most recent games and not people who want to brag about 3Dmark scores or anything. Anything above HD 5770 with 4 cores is already kickassery (I found this new word somewhere). Buffing the mobo would be a better idea so the HD 5770 won't be bottlenecked. Having the HD 5850 is, well kind of overkill but that's just me.

Anyways, nice job to lessen the common inquiries in the subforum.

noted. i am looking for a better alternative here sa cebu at the lowest price possible. any suggestions?

[Dondon]

Good thread. Sticky?

[personalmgt]

Don - Upon reading the thread title about 15 minutes ago, I wanted to make a site out of it. Like enter budget, type of usage then it'll generate the full specs of it. But sadly my drupal skills are kind of low. So maybe in a month or two, I want to come up with that kind of idea.

@OP - I suggest moving the P5QPL to the casual. Retain everything in the casual section then change the GAYmer VC to HD 5770. I suggest changing the board to a P45 one.

[Sempron Guy]

The gaymen rig has a bit of a drawback.

If I'm not mistaken, the P5QPL-AM is PCI-E v1.0 as what I have read in newegg. Thus, bottlenecking the HD 5850. Correct me if I am wrong

Basing on what OP said, I think he is referring to people who are looking forward to play the most recent games and not people who want to brag about 3Dmark scores or anything. Anything above HD 5770 with 4 cores is already kickassery (I found this new word somewhere). Buffing the mobo would be a better idea so the HD 5770 won't be bottlenecked. Having the HD 5850 is, well kind of overkill but that's just me.

Anyways, nice job to lessen the common inquiries in the subforum.

+ 1 on the mobo. There are pci-e 2.0 mobos just above the 3k range. I would like to air out some points that I think should be put into consideration.

Junior Playa

I wouldn't trust a generic psu powering the 9800GT even if its the green edition. So better put a disclaimer to upgrade the psu asap.

Casual Playa

The Core i3 cost within the already aging Core 2 Duo's price range. Budget H55 mobos are plummeting down below 4k. Value DDR3 ram cost almost the same if not cheaper than DDR2. It would be wise to spend on new tech, new features, its faster, and more power efficient for almost the same price. It's tolerable to settle for a single 2GB ram module for the meantime and spend the extra for the mobo and procie.

Gaymen Rig

Intel is drawing out support for LGA775. There are better offering in the AMD camp if the number of cores matter. Triple core cpus are within the 4k range, athlon x4s at 5k+. Plus new socket support. A lot of cheap AM3 mobos within 4k. Makes upgrading later a lot easier. If mo insist jud ug Intel, the Core i3 is a good choice. Dual core lang but if pang gaming, mas dako jud ika-contribute if you have a fast card and opt for DDR3 mems instead of DDR2

[regilsolon]

@TS:

instead of x2 240 & ecs 740 in 1Ok RIG

how about sempron 140 P1700.00 & redfox mcp6pb-m2+ + GF6150 P1950.00

for other option.


REDFOX Philippines

Features & Benefits


GeForce 6150

• Manufacturing process: 90 nm
• Core clock: 475 MHz[6]
• Vertex processors: 1
• Pixel pipelines: 2
• Shader model: 3
• DirectX support: v9
• Video playback acceleration: HD video acceleration
• Outputs: VGA, DVI, RCA (Video)
• Memory: Shared DDR2 (socket 939/AM2) system memory (selectable through BIOS - usually 32/64/128/256 MB)

GeForce 6 Series - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia