Is this setup worth it for $500? HD4890 Options

[Shad0w99]

Hi there,

I found this on ebay. The seller is asking for $500.

Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400 2.8ghz Black Edition
Powercolor 1GB HD 4890
4GB DDR2 800mhz
DVD Burner
Corsair 650W PSU
500GB 5400rpm HDD
Antec 900

Is this a good deal or can I get a better bang for buck if I build something myself or can I make it better with some upgrades?

Thank you

[Zertz]

Warm deal at best if you compare pricing to brand new parts. Looking at the processor makes me think the rig is probably a good 2 years old and got a video card upgrade along the way.

If I were to choose between this and a custom, self-built rig, I'd take the latter

[Shad0w99]

Thanks for the reply. Do I have many options with $500? I could stretch it to $600 if I really had to. I already have the monitor, keyboard and mouse and everything else. I just want the ability to play modern games atleast through next year. I'm really not that experienced with hardware. I have been reading and reading and the amount of options out there are scary. Do you guys think you could recommend me a nice build for $500 - $600. I have never built a desktop before but I'm willing to give it a try. I'm sure it would be a rewarding experience.


Thank you

[OCFreak]

That is a fairly tight budget, but absolutely possible. Give me 10 minutes to build you up an example.

Here is a system I have done up for about $560, and there are several pieces that you may want to swap out etc. but this is definitely a good start. In my opinion I would much rather have new equipment than used. $500 for that system you have listed is too much, at least that is my feeling.

 SystemBuild.JPG ( 114.83K ) Number of downloads: 51


This post has been edited by OCFreak: Nov 3 2009, 05:51 AM

[tkrow21]

I wouldn't get the build the poster above me made for you (Rosewill isn't exactly the best).

The ebay deal is actually pretty damn good.

[BizaroStormy]

Here is what I put together, It has a better CPU and power supply.
Don't get that Ebay peace of junk
 Cheepbuild.JPG ( 180.2K ) Number of downloads: 55

[xly15]

The computer that is being hawked on Ebay is a POS. BizaroStormy has the best configuration spec wise I would go with that one. OCfreak's suggestion does not make the most use of your money.

[actionstan]

Here is what I put together, It has a better CPU and power supply.
Don't get that Ebay peace of junk
 Cheepbuild.JPG ( 180.2K ) Number of downloads: 55

yea this is probly the best build... personally id go with the blackedition dual core phenom ii 550 before the athlon triple core IF your going to overclock, if your not overclocking stay with the athlon. Also in neweggs error, the western digital harddrives i believe run at 5400 rpms, i could be wrong but thats what alot of reviews say anyways.. id go with a black or blue western digital at least

This post has been edited by actionstan: Nov 3 2009, 08:56 AM

[Shad0w99]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm really excited to see some guidance! I really like Bizarooos build! It seems like it will handle everything I want it to do. An unexpected sale of some of my stuff at craigslist has given me some extra money. I can increase the price up to $750 if there is any need for it. Maybe a few improvements on the build, phenom 550 & scorpio black? 5770 seems like a very capable card. I don't really need to play all the games at the highest resolution possible but I would like this build to perform good for atleast a year.

Thank you

[Zertz]

The build he linked is excellent, you could upgrade the processor without spending too much more

[fearspartan117]

I'll also +1 Bizaro's build

though with that expanded budget, you could pick up a WD Caviar Black or Samsung Spinpoint F1/F3, get some extra HDD performace over Caviar Green


Also, it would be helpful if you gave us your monitor's resolution. Gaming nowadays relies more heavily on the GPU than the CPU, typically. So getting a more suitable GPU for your resolution is ideal over a better cpu.

dont get me wrong, the 5770 is a great card, but probs around the performance level of a 4870 when it comes to DX10, and there's really no DX11 games out atm and it probs won't become a standard for a while (like DX10 took a while to catch on)

5770 will probs be sufficent for a year, if that's what your aiming for, but if you wanted longer, you could prob fit in a GTX 275 or a 5850 (if 5850s are ever in stock)

This post has been edited by fearspartan117: Nov 3 2009, 12:33 PM

[unknownuser200]

if u have a few extra 10$$$ upgrade the cpu... also a nice after market cooler might be instore... also a copy of windows that might be a good idea lol... keyboard mouse and monitor also there they green drives dont run at a consistant speed they rev up when needed.. 5400-7200 rpm.... 1tb + has 32 Mb cache 1tb and under has a 16mb cache... any other questions feel free