Pre-AM2 Mid-Range Buyers' Guide, May 2006
by Jarred Walton on May 9, 2006 6:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
System Summaries
Amazingly, we're actually under the $1500 budget with both systems this time. Some of you might argue that $1500 is still too much for a midrange system, but considering that you get everything other than the software and applications, we think that's a pretty reasonable cost. Drop the keyboard, mouse, display, and speakers and you're down to $1000, but of course you need to add in $90-$150 for Windows XP. All told, you may not get the same level of service that you get with a prebuilt OEM system, but the quality of components and performance offered will almost certainly be higher - much higher should you choose to go the overclocking route. Here are the system summaries, but if you're looking for additional options remember to check out the individual component pages where we have listed some alternatives.| AMD Mid-Range System | ||
| Hardware | Component | Price |
| Processor | Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2x512K 2.0GHz (939) - Retail | 297 |
| Motherboard | DFI nForce4 SLI Infinity | 115 |
| Memory | Patriot PC-3200 2x1024MB EPLL (2-3-2-5-1T) | 190 |
| Video Card | EVGA GeForce 7600GT CO 256MB (580/1500) | 184 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital SATA3.0Gbps 250GB 7200RPM 16MB Caviar SE16 | 95 |
| Optical Drive | NEC 3550A (OEM) | 37 |
| Case | COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW | 61 |
| Power Supply | ENERMAX Liberty ELT400AWT ATX12V 400W | 86 |
| Display | BenQ 20 inch 8ms Widescreen LCD FP202W | 325 |
| Speakers | Logitech X-530 5.1 70W Speakers | 62 |
| Keyboard and Mouse | Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 | 32 |
| Bottom Line | 1484 | |
| Intel Mid-Range System | ||
| Hardware | Component | Price |
| Processor | Pentium D 930 2x2MB 3.0GHz (775) - Retail | 212 |
| Motherboard | ASUS 945P P5LD2 Deluxe | 151 |
| Memory | G.Skill PC-5300 2x1024MB Extreme LA (4-4-4-12) | 148 |
| Video Card | EVGA GeForce 7600GT CO 256MB (580/1500) | 184 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital SATA3.0Gbps 250GB 7200RPM 16MB Caviar SE16 | 95 |
| Optical Drive | NEC 3550A (OEM) | 37 |
| Case | COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW | 61 |
| Power Supply | ENERMAX Liberty ELT400AWT ATX12V 400W | 86 |
| Display | BenQ 20 inch 8ms Widescreen LCD FP202W | 325 |
| Speakers | Logitech X-530 5.1 70W Speakers | 62 |
| Keyboard and Mouse | Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 | 32 |
| Bottom Line | 1393 | |
If you're looking for a system that can do just about anything well, both of these qualify. Without any extra tweaking, the AMD system will usually be faster, but the Intel system certainly isn't bad. If you're looking for more performance from the Intel side of things, you might want to try the Core Duo + AOpen + Overclocking route, or else wait for Core Duo 2 to launch. Both systems as configured currently lock you into an "outdated" platform, but we don't generally recommend building systems for upgradeability. You end up spending more money for the potential to upgrade, and when the time comes to finally upgrade you often find that it's better to simply build a new system and sell off your old one.
As always, comments and questions are welcome - either via email or in the comments section. There is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" computer, so naturally it is possible to tweak the component choices in order to improve performance in the areas that you need it most. Upgrading the graphics card and downgrading the CPU, for example, is something to consider for gamers. I would still rather just spend the money on a faster GPU and go a bit over budget, however, because I really like my dual core systems.
If you're looking for something significantly cheaper, our next Buyers' Guide will be covering the budget sector, followed by a high-end Buyers' Guide once AMD AM2 platforms have begun shipping. We may also look at doing an HTPC Buyers' Guide in the future - let us know if you're interested in that one.
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Griswold - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Shouldnt always go for the bigger number at a similar price. There are more important numbers with PSUs than the absolute wattage.KorruptioN - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Even though it's only rated at 400W overall (yes, wattage is not the best indicator of overall output), it can do 30A on the +12V output alone (360W divided by 12V), which is a good amount for a non-SLI configuration. Even two 7600GTs wouldn't be enough to push this power supply past it's limits. I think it is a good all-around choice.JarredWalton - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
I've got a system very similar to this, only with a 7800 GTX, an overclocked X2 3800+, and two 250GB hard drives... all running off a Thermaltake 410W PSU. Maximum power draw hits about 315W - and that's not even counting for PSU efficiency (i.e. that's measuring at the outlet).I mentioned several alternative PSUs that people can consider. Why do I like modular units? Sleeved cables, reduced cable clutter, and for an extra $15 I'm willing to go that route. Opinions vary, naturally - this guide is basically my opinion, after all.
IntelUser2000 - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Sure about that. Only 35%?? I think 35% will be the absolute minimum over Netburst in Netburst optimized apps.
peternelson - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Difficult to make comparisons of "same price" netburst cpu, because Intel roadmap will make FURTHER REDUCTIONS in price of 930,940,950 after Core Duo 2 launches through November.950 probably isn't going to compete with the new chips on total performance, but may not be that bad in bang for buck in comparison.
JarredWalton - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Rough estimate, and it could be more or less depending on benchmarks. Core Duo T2300 costs a bit more than Pentium D 930. Looking at *stock* performance, AutoGK encoding for example should be around 55 FPS for the 930, while the T2400 get 44 FPS. Even with a 25% boost in performance, the Core Duo 2 $210 CPU is probably going to about equal PD 930.The flipped side is that some benches (games especially) will be more than 35%. PD 920 at 2.8 GHz maxes out at 63 FPS in BF2, roughly. (Doesn't matter about resolution - 800x600 still gets ~63 FPS.) Gary got 83 FPS with T2400 at stock, and 112 at 2.8 GHz. If CD2 gives another 25%... we're looking at maybe 104 FPS for a 1.83 GHz Core Duo 2. Assuming such a chip costs $210, it's got a 65% performance advantage. :)
Anyway, I'll tweak the text slightly.