Custom CyberPower setup... how's it?

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runo

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So this is yet ANOTHER new thread about new PCs/parts and I swear it's the last one I'm making for a while. While I vastly appreciate the advice from you all, and hate to keep switching up on you guys as to what I am doing with my money -- I'm buying a brand new PC from CyberPower. I'd like you all to help me get the most bang out of my buck!

My debate is this, keep my mostly-mint condition 9800GT 512mb video card that has very occasional graphics issues (which I think are heat-related), or order the brand new 9500GT 1GB card that's part of the CyberPower custom PC's build - but slightly lesser in power? It'd save me $60-$80 - almost 10% of the build plus a 5% rebate - to just put the old 9800GT in there, buuut. Anyways, if I get rid of the card (if it's worth it) and toss the old 9800GT in there, I can probably grab a nice 24" LCD, but that may not be much of an upgrade since I have a 19".

Note: I could also just skip the 24" LCD and install BOTH the 9k-series cards and switch to dual monitor mode on the custom PC's setup for SLi AWESOME-ness.

The total on the deal was $628. I couldn't decide between a Biostar or MSI mobo, and I went for a 2.93GHz CPU that was only .07GHz slower than another dual core that was $64 steeper in price.



Here's the configuration:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saving/show.aspx?id=2295584
Let me know if the link is broken. Here's the list view:

# *BASE_PRICE: [+519]
# BUNDLE: None
# BLUETOOTH: None
# CD: 16X DVD ROM [-8] (BLACK COLOR)
# CD2: None
# CAS: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel [-25] (Black with Red Lightning)
# CASUPGRADE: None
# CS_FAN: Default case fans
# CPU: (Sckt775)Intel? Core? 2 Duo E7500 CPU @ 2.93GHz 1066FSB 3MB L2 Cache 64-bit [-64]
# FAN: INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
# FREEBIE_RM: None
# FA_HDD: None
# FLASHMEDIA: None [-3]
# FLOPPY: None
# FREEBIE_OS: FREE! (Microsoft? Flight Simulator X Deluxe) Game
# HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+5])
# HDD2: None
# IEEE_CARD: None
# KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
# MOUSE: None [-3]
# MODEM: None
# MULTIVIEW: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
# MONITOR: None
# MONITOR2: None
# MOTHERBOARD: MSI G41M-P33 Intel G41 Chipset LGA775 DDR3 mATX Mainboard w/ 5.1 Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
# MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory [+44] (Corsair or Major Brand)
# NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
# OS: Microsoft? Windows? 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)
# OS_UPGRADE: None
# PRINTER: None
# PRINTER_CABLE: None
# POWERSUPPLY: 700 Watts Power Supplies [+44] (SLI/CrossFire Ready Power Supply)
# RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
# SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
# SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
# SPEAKERS: None [-5]
# TEMP: None
# TVRC: None
# USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
# USBHD: None
# VIDEOCAMERA: None
# VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 1GB 16X PCI Express [+15] (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA [+5])
# VIDEO2: None
# VIDEO3: None
# VC_PHYSX: None
# VC_GAMES: FREE GAME - Street Fighters IV
# WNC: None
# _PRICE: (+628)

This is all a VAST improvement, IMO, over my Dell XPS I upgraded, which sported:
WinXP Media Center Edition
Some cruddy old motherboard Dell provided
Core 2 Duo E6200 (or 6600.. I forget) [Not OC'd]
nVidia 9800GT 512mb
3GB (2x2GB Corsair + 2x512mb off-brand Dell provided)
400W PSU

Thanks in advance, all!
 
u know you could go to the 2.66 GHZ 6MB cache, for +0 $ lol. faster and better :)
 
Go quad-core now......no reason to stay dual-core anymore.

Get a better mobo, P45 and up atleast

Definitely get a better GPU, get an ATI 5770 if ur on a budget or get a 5850/5870 if u want higher end
 
I switched the mobo to a P45, as I can't really afford anything better. As for the CPU, the processor I chose was an Intel Core 2 Q8300 at 2.5Ghz with a 4MB L2 cache.

Is it worth the extra $40 to go up to a 2.66GHz w/ 6MB cache? I can potentially squeeze out the extra dough to nab that, but I literally CANNOT go over $700.

For a final note, I'm putting in my 512MB 9800GT and leaving out any sort of card in the actual case I order, since upgrading the mobo and CPU cost a fortune. That also means no monitor, but I have a 19" so I can deal!

Here's the results so far - any further critique?: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saving/show.aspx?id=2297998

(List view in case CyberPower is stupid and doesn't work!)
*BASE_PRICE: [+519]
BUNDLE: None
BLUETOOTH: None
CD: 16X DVD ROM [-8] (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
CAS: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel [-25] (Black with Red Lightning)
CASUPGRADE: None
CS_FAN: Default case fans
CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel? Core™ 2 Quad Q8300 @ 2.5GHz 1333FSB 4MB L2 Cache 64-bit [-20]
FAN: CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan [+19]
FREEBIE_RM: None
FA_HDD: None
FLASHMEDIA: None [-3]
FLOPPY: None
FREEBIE_OS: FREE! (Microsoft? Flight Simulator X Deluxe) Game
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+5])
HDD2: None
IEEE_CARD: None
KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
MOUSE: None [-3]
MODEM: None
MULTIVIEW: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MOTHERBOARD: GigaByte GA-EP45T-UD3LR Intel P45 Express Chipset LGA775 FSB1600 DDR3/1600 Mainboard w/GbLAN [+49]
MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory [+44] (Corsair or Major Brand)
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Microsoft? Windows? 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)
OS_UPGRADE: None
PRINTER: None
PRINTER_CABLE: None
POWERSUPPLY: 700 Watts Power Supplies [+44] (SLI/CrossFire Ready Power Supply)
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None [-5]
TEMP: None
TVRC: None
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBHD: None
VIDEOCAMERA: None
VIDEO: None [-42]
VIDEO2: None
VIDEO3: None
VC_PHYSX: None
VC_GAMES: None
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+678)
_view_: d
 
yes pay the extra $40 and go to the Q9400 2.66ghz.....its faster and has more cache and all that, you can also OC to get best bang for your buck.

you should talk to Bl4sph3my, hes building a system very similar and said that he was able to upgrade to the Q9400 for +$0

Also, dont got DDR3 if ur on a budget like urs, just go with plain and simple DDR2, you probably won't notice the difference
 
I think he must have been using a different base configurator than I was, but I'll shoot him a PM!

Is it safe to OC though with a setup like that? I've never bothered overclocking before, so I'm kinda new to it.

How would I go about switching to DDR2 instead of DDR3 with the configurator? I didn't see the option, though it's possible I am blind and just fail. lol

Do you think that'll save me that much money though?
 
you'll probably have to use a different configurator for DDR2, also if your 9800 is glitching and its near new, you might still be under warranty, so you should check with your manufacturer.

and at the moment you only have a DVD READER in there, NOT a DVD BURNER, which means you wont be able to write DVD's, just read them.
 
yea u probably need to switch configurators.....hit him up about which one hes using....DDR3 is cheap now anyway so its not bad to go DDR3 if u want
 
I prefer this AMD build:http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/cart/showcart.aspx?url=%2fsystem%2fBack_To_School_2009%2fdetail&ref=add#

?*BASE_PRICE: [+555]
?BUNDLE: None
?BLUETOOTH: None
?CD: 16X DVD ROM [-8] (BLACK COLOR)
?CD2: None
?CAS: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel [-10] (Silver with Blue Lightning)
?CASUPGRADE: None
?CS_FAN: Default case fans
?CPU: AMD Phenom?II X4 965 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+100]
?FAN: CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan [+19]
?FREEBIE_RM: None
?FREEGAME_VC02: None
?FA_HDD: None
?FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
?FLOPPY: None
?FREEBIE_OS: None
?HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
?HDD2: None
?INSTRUCTION: *** This system is not eligable for all promotions, rebates, or discounts. ***
?IEEE_CARD: None
?KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
?MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
?MODEM: None
?MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
?MONITOR: None
?MONITOR2: None
?MOTHERBOARD: GigaByte MA770T-UD3P AM3 DDR3 770 Chipset 1666+/1333/1066 with PCIe slot SATA RAID MB w/GbLAN [-5]
?MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
?NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
?OS: Microsoft? Windows? 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
?OS_UPGRADE: None
?PRINTER: None
?PRINTER_CABLE: None
?POWERSUPPLY: 700 Watts Power Supplies [+44] (SLI/CrossFire Ready Power Supply)
?RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
?SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
?SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
?SPEAKERS: None
?TEMP: None
?TVRC: None
?USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
?USBHD: None
?VIDEO: None, or Onboard ATI Radeon 2100 based Integrated Graphics [-30]
?VIDEO2: None
?VC_PHYSX: None
?VIDEOCAMERA: None
?WNC: None
?_PRICE: (+665)
?_view_: d
 
@reflex: I actually looked into my warranty, and they helped me troubleshoot it; the 9800GT isn't damaged at all, so I'm going to strip the tower I'm getting from CyberPower of ANY card and tossing the 9800 in there. As for the DVD reader/burner I think I'm gonna skip that for now and just nab one later if need be. My brother's PC, that I'm on now, has one, so I should be good if I ever need one between now and then.

@PewPewBangBang: It was military discounts on upgrades that I don't have access to. ;( I'm stickin' to DDR3 for now, though.

@BigWilly: I've actually never tried AMD, I'm more used to being an Intel guy.. but that looks to be a fair amount of difference in money. I'll have to consider that build!
 
Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I was looking for critique on my semi-finalized list of new parts! I've decided to stick to Intel and nVidia, but went with a dual core with a much higher clockrate than the quad cores I was looking at. Dumbing down the video card and changing from a quad core saved me some serious cash, so I upgraded the power supply and CPU clockrate.

CASE: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower
PSU: 700W SLi/Crossfire-Ready Power Supply
CPU: (775 Socket) Intel? Core? 2 Duo E8500 CPU @ 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache (64-bit)
HDD: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD
MOBO: GigaByte GA-EP45T-UD3LR Intel P45 Express Chipset LGA775 FSB1600 DDR3/1600 Mainboard
MEMORY: 4GB Corsair (2 x 2GB) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory
AUDIO: On-board HD 7.1
VIDEO: EVGA nVidia GeForce 9500 GT 1GB
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Edition

PRICE: $759 (total) + $65 (S&H)

Now if you're wondering why I have such a mediocre graphics card (1GB EVGA 9500 GT), I'm going to be using that 'til my birthday in April and upgrading to the best $200 nVidia card money can buy.
 
runo said:
Sorry to bump up an old thread, but I was looking for critique on my semi-finalized list of new parts! I've decided to stick to Intel and nVidia, but went with a dual core with a much higher clockrate than the quad cores I was looking at. Dumbing down the video card and changing from a quad core saved me some serious cash, so I upgraded the power supply and CPU clockrate.

CASE: Azza Orion Gaming Mid-Tower
PSU: 700W SLi/Crossfire-Ready Power Supply
CPU: (775 Socket) Intel? Core? 2 Duo E8500 CPU @ 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache (64-bit)
HDD: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD
MOBO: GigaByte GA-EP45T-UD3LR Intel P45 Express Chipset LGA775 FSB1600 DDR3/1600 Mainboard
MEMORY: 4GB Corsair (2 x 2GB) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory
AUDIO: On-board HD 7.1
VIDEO: EVGA nVidia GeForce 9500 GT 1GB
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Edition

PRICE: $759 (total) + $65 (S&H)

Now if you're wondering why I have such a mediocre graphics card (1GB EVGA 9500 GT), I'm going to be using that 'til my birthday in April and upgrading to the best $200 nVidia card money can buy.
Click to expand...

honestly......there is no way in hell that thing is worth $800...........a duo-core with a somewhat crappy graphics card for $800?!?!? that thing is more worth like $500
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229134
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227173
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227177

These are more worth it..........the 2nd one is obviously the best of them all and is like 100x faster than the setup you picked out.

The cases aren't the best but the CPU's are much much better and so are the GPU's....GTS 250 = 9800GTX+ so its like a mid-high end card somewhat, will get you decent/good frams
 
Last edited:
you could use the 9500gt as a Physx card in conjunction with your 9800, then that would win

i agree that $800 is alot for dual core and 9500
 
Honestly yeah, I looked at IBuyPower's AMD setups and I found something a fair amount cheaper and presumably MUCH better. It's an AMD/ATI setup. This is the best I could come up with for around $750 total:

Gamer Mage 260
Case ( NZXT Lexa-S Gaming Tower Case - Black w/ Blue Light )
Processor ( AMD Phenom? II X2 550 Black Edition Dual-Core CPU )
Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H -- AMD 785G / SB710 Hybrid CrossFire Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR2-800 PC6400 Memory Module - Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon HD 5770 - 1GB - Single Card )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 700 Watt -- Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Processor Cooling ( AVC Silent AMD CPU Fan and Heatsink - Quiet & Overclocking Proof )
Primary Hard Drive ( 500 GB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
Data Hard Drive ( None )
2nd Optical Drive ( None )
Optical Drive ( 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD?R/?RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( None )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black )
Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium)
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black )
Total Price: $755 + $65 S&H

I intend to overclock the CPU by 10-30%, and around my birthday I'm nabbing an HD5870 or better to Crossfire the 5770 with, as well as four extra gigs of Corsair memory. How is it?
 
DDR2 is no longer worth the money, you may as well push up to DDR3.

And I would scrap the 5770 and stick with your 9800 for now, because unless you REALLY have to play Crysis maxed out you probably won't need anything beefier.

And Intel's dual core > AMD's dual core.
 
Hmm, I have another build with some more goodies for a little under $100 more, which is kind of pushing it -- but I MAY be able to blow that much on the PC, even with shipping.

I really wanna save myself a load of cash and put in the 9800GT 512MB but... my parents won't let me void the warranty on the new PC by opening the case. ;/ so they said "buy a video card or no PC at all".

Also, I know Intel is likely better, but I am heck-bent on trying an AMD/ATI setup and this is the best I can get for under $900, I think. I looked at PewPew's PCs and the custom one I'm building seems to be marginally better and vaguely cheaper, I hope.

This new build is DDR3-based, as I overlooked the fact that the past build was DDR2 (urgh). The mobo is a fair amount better, as is the memory, obviously, and it comes with Win7 preinstalled as well so that's a plus.

It's about $852, which is odd that it's about $70 more just for an upgrade to DDR3 and a slightly better case. Meh.

Case PSI CycloneX Gaming Tower Case-Silver/Black
Processor AMD Phenom? II X2 550 Black Edition Dual-Core CPU
Processor Cooling - Default
Memory 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card ATI Radeon HD 5770 - 1GB-Single Card
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H -- AMD 785G / SB710 Hybrid CrossFire Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, PCI-E MB-
Power Supply 700 Watt -- Power Supply-SLI Ready
Primary Hard Drive 500 GB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s-Single Drive
Optical Drive 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD?R/?RW + CD-R/RW Drive-Black
Flash Media Reader/Writer 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer-Black
Sound Card 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard-
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - 64-Bit
 
dkafkakdlgh I'm so indecisive. Here's an Intel setup I'm looking at that seems like it's a lot more powerful for a little less money.
Highlights include a P45 mobo, 4GB Corsair memory, an EVGA (as soon as I figure out how to order EVGA on the configurator) nVidia GTS 250 1GB, an E8500 CPU (oh yes) and it'll run me just shy of $840. I wish I could go lower on the PSU and higher on the hard drive (say 600W and 500GB respectively) but the other PSUs are actually HIGHER priced for lower wattage. It's only a $10 difference on the hard drive, but it's not like I NEED that much space.

I could technically drop the case to a NZXT-brand case that's about $13 cheaper to get the nicer hard drive, but eh... the tower I have lined up is bigger and nicer.

Intel Core 2 DDR3 Configurator
Case ( PSI CycloneX Gaming Tower Case - Silver/Black )
Processor ( Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8500 (2x 3.16GHz/6MB L2 Cache/1333FSB) )
Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-EP45T-UD3LR -- Intel P45 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand )
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 ? 1GB - Single Card )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 700 Watt -- Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Processor Cooling ( Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA )
Primary Hard Drive ( 320 GB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
Data Hard Drive ( None )
2nd Optical Drive ( None )
Optical Drive ( 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD?R/?RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( None )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black )
Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) - 64-Bit )
Warranty ( Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )
Video Camera ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Headset ( None )
Printer ( None )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( None )
MP3/MP4 Player ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
2nd Monitor ( None )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None )
Netbook / Notebook Bundle ( None )
 
I'd say go with the Intel right above me.

And you void your warranty by opening the case? heh?
How do they expect you to keep your parts clean?
 
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