A pc to play Sacred 2?

[Timotheus 416]

Numero uno: Timotheus' $600 Sacred 2-ready and future games-ready computer build

 

Note: excluded are keyboard, mouse, monitor, floppy drive and modem, because they will be usable from your current pc. You can reuse cd/dvd drives and perhaps your harddisk, and, when normal Atx/mAtx size, you can even keep your current case plus, if powerful enough, maybe even your powersupply as well to reduce costs.

 

-Based on items currently in stock at newegg.com @ 14/11/2007-

 

Case and PSU: ATX or mAtx, really your choice. I don't recommend getting a built-in PSU. Make sure the power supply gives enough amps on the 12v lines when considering this build, I will go for a pretty heavy graphics card. A total of 30 amps should certainly be enough. It should be 400 watt to avoid any possible power issues with whatever will go in your case (as sound cards or any other stuff you might be reusing). I don't recommend going under the 350watt-level. My 300watt psu is barely managing with my current setup, and it hasn't got anything flashy in it like extravagant graphics cards or multiple drives/harddisks. Plus, a 400 watt power supply will work at it's maximum efficiency when the proposed system is under load. This one is perfect.

Cost ~$60-80

 

Motherboard: Any mobo supporting Dual Core processors will do. mAtx depending on your case of choice. Options I recommend: DDR2, PCI-e slot, s-Ata, some nice on board audio (5.1), gigabit lan. And please, do check whether your motherboard matches the socket of your CPU!

Cost ~$75

 

CPU: Depending on mobo or preference of manufaturer: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ 2.4GHz AM2 or the Intel E2180 2.0GHz Dual Core. I would choose the Athlon because of the higher stock speeds.

Cost ~$90

 

RAM: 1GB sticks in certain types seem to have a price advantage. We'll go with OCZ Value Series 1GB DDR2-667. Take two, RAM is cheap these days.

Cost ~$50

 

Hard Drive: You may have a good harddrive, and if so, might be able to reuse it. We'll upgrade to make use of the mobo's 3.0Gb/s SATA interface. (I'm on the same page as masteff here. Reuse if you want to save some bucks, or upgrade to sata.)

Cost ~$55

 

DVD drive: A basic cd/dvd burner drive, preferably SATA since it's a less complicated and smaller connector!

Cost ~$30

 

Video: Like I said, take a 3850. It will last longer than any card out at this time for the money you need to spend. The 8800GT is optional, when you really want a powerhouse card for under 300 dollars (270 to be exact).

Cost ~$180

 

Operating System: If you're not running at least windows XP, then you'll need to update your OS. XP and Vista upgrades are available for $70 to $100. We'll count this as optional since most users have XP.

 

Shipping: Estimated to masteff's home town, $35.

 

Sales tax: Estimated to masteff's home town, it's zero, since he doesn't live in a state where newegg has facilities.

 

Total cost: ~$600 (about $700 with optional Windows XP/Vista OS).

 

 

Optional: casefans, etc. if the cooling proves insufficient, and for the graphics card, when willing to pay more, go for an 8800GT 512 MB for about $270.

 

This list has been created by using masteff's post on the SIF as a template. Thank you masteff!

 

 

-UPDATE-

And now for the less fortunate among us: The Timotheus Budget Build!

 

 

 

 

 

NEW UPDATE

 

The Timotheus Budget Build v2.0!

(The October 2008 edition)

 

Here's my latest addition to the budget section, created for Silearth.

Note, however, that it doesn't include:

- Shipping

- Assembly

- Harddisk

- DVDrom

- OS

 

I don't know your tech level but you might be able to put it together yourself.

Also, you can re-use some stuff from your old pc like the harddisk and dvd drive to save money.

 

So sad, I've bought a PC a year and a half ago for almost 3 times that price, but it's performing worse... lol

Edited October 29, 2008 by Timotheus

[gogoblender 3,068]

That was a great read Timo.

I really want to see if I can get what I need for Sacred 2 at a decent price. Great reference for me when going out shopping.

Ty

 

 

gogo

[Schot 407]

Great reference material Timo and proof that a system built for Sacred 2 doesn't have to be expensive.

[Timotheus 416]

Another point that may be interesting: check auction sites like eBay. They could save you a lot of money.

I'm trying to find an 8800GTS 320MB on a Dutch action site, you can find them for about €170 and they are stronger than the ATi 3850 series.

Too bad it's proven quite hard to find cards with warranty there...

 

 

 

More news, from a guy with sources in Nvidia or something.

Or he works at a webshop.

Or he works for Nvidia distribution.

Seriously, I really don't know.

 

D9P (G94) which will be known as the Nvidia 9600gt (> x600, so it will be a mainstream card. According to my experience, this product should be priced at about 150 euro.)

- Launch mid Feb '09

- Performance between 8800GT and 8800 GTS (revision), ~10100 3DMark06

- single slot, ~8" card carrying 512MB DDR3

Edited December 15, 2007 by Timotheus

[Timotheus 416]

Geforce 9600 is G92 cut down

CES 2008: A same chip with 64 stream processors

 

Nvidia plans to launch its Geforce 9600 series and we can tell you that it is the same old G92 chip. The specification of the card won't be that much different from 8800GT but we can tell you that the stream processor number will be cut in half.

The chip will have 64 stream processors and it should fit to sub $150 market and fight the Radeon 3850.

 

It should launch by middle of next month.

[Timotheus 416]

A nice kick upwards for this thread.

 

The low budget build.

It won't show everything, but it should be running on medium on normal resolutions.

[Schot 407]

Wow Timo. Nice! 362 dollars and change is very affordable. Can those prices of the parts be found at a local pc shop generally or would we need to buy online?

[Timotheus 416]

Good question: you would need to buy online. From my experience in Europe, local pc dealers usually charge you an additional 20-30 dollars on the more expensive parts like processors and gfx cards. That pushes the price up, a lot!

[fRACTAL 0]

America is too cheap >_> that lot would cost about £700 here (translating to $1400)

still a good guide timo!

~Doom

 

Oh for the budget I'd get the 9600 for a slight price hike ?$40? It performs about 2x better than the 8600

Edited April 14, 2008 by TimOfDoom

[stubbie 21]

Are you basing your builds on the recommended specs for Sacred 2 or the minimum?

 

Nice thread btw.......thanks.

 

stubbs

[Timotheus 416]

@Stubbs:

First one: recommended. It will run Sacred 2 at full.

Second build: low budget build to provide you with a smooth online gaming experience with running on medium at best.

 

@ Tim

Please note that the first build was created before the 9600GT was out

And the 8600GT is for the low budget build, I chose the DDR3 version because the memory is faster on that one and it can get some higher clocks. OC'ing that card is the way to go.

 

The reason for not taking a serious card was a budget decision. You can keep pumping it up, but everyone has their limits. I do agree that the DDR3 version of the 8600GT is somewhat expensive though, but Newegg doesn't sell any reasonably priced 1950 PRO's or 7900GS anymore, those would really shine in that build.

An ATi 3650 would be the red camp alternative to the 8600GT btw, also a good card.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Timotheus

[gogoblender 3,068]

I want to say again how much I appreciate this thread Timo. The time is soon coming on me having to get a new rig. The one I'm using now is pure Dell...and I'm unable to salvage the case and just stick components in it. Sigh. I'm going to have shell out for pretty much brand new everything with the exception of monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers...so I guess I'll be saving some money...but not looking forward to how much a card is gonna cost...

 

 

gogo

[Timotheus 416]

Well I still have a recommendation to everyone building a pc and being on a budget: USED parts.

I think my next pc will be built from parts found on several online auction sites. There are enthousiasts out there getting rid of perfectly good parts for reasonable prices (think along the line of 70% of the value compared to a new product) and that makes a cheap good build.

Also, a lot of people sell so called upgrade kits with a motherboard, memory and a cpu. That's a nice combo deal.

[gogoblender 3,068]

Interesting...which of the parts on a new comp would be good value to buy second... the case? Do you think that buying parts that have had current running through them could possibly have reduced their longevity?

 

Certainly not the video card, right?

 

 

gogo

[Timotheus 416]

Parts will outlast their usage usually. I'd even buy everything second-hand!

My pc was new, but now has a 8800GTS 320MB and a second harddrive which are both used parts. But I would buy a used processor as well.

Only a motherboard and memory are things I might buy new. Memory since it's at a price point where I don't feel I have to look for used modules (they're cheap) and motherboards since they are a pain to replace. A GFX card or any other part is quite easily replaceable. Well OK, a processor could be a pain too, but as long as you know it works there shouldn't be a problem.

 

Few tips:

Check if you can find some info on your reseller. I visit an auction site which has a point system comparable to ebay, and the option to give comments. > Easy to find info about their actions as a reseller.

Also, check whether they sell more parts. You could purchase an almost complete setup if you're lucky.

If possible, always pick up the item. You might get the chance to test it.

If you're not picking up the item: ask for a photo and a test screen. This could be a screenshot from CPU-Z for a processor, from ATi-Tool for a GFX card or from a HD-Tune test of a harddisk. Just to make sure it's working properly.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Timotheus

[stubbie 21]

I would be very wary of buying either a cpu or a graphics card secondhand as these are the two components that are usually overclocked by people.

Overclocking can reduce the life span as well as do real damage.

 

If I was buying either of these two items I would at the very least want some sort of warranty from the seller (keeping in mind that the manufacturers warranty will be void if they were overclocked).

Preferably I would like to see them in operation and tested before buying.

 

Computer part prices are pretty low these days. I personally believe that buying cheap secondhand parts is false economy. In my opinion, it just ain't worth the risk

 

stubbs

[Timotheus 416]

You've got a point but that's why I said go over there and test it

 

If you are unable to test the product you buy, then the risk is all yours. That 8800GTS I bought was from a guy living in my town, and I checked it with ATiTool and about half a 3Dmark run.

 

Sure people overclock, hell I do it myself. And yeah it *can* be damaging, but you can find that out as well. Just have a look at the room where the PC is, if they have a giant bottle of LN2 or something, or some pipes with foam lying around, yeah, you'd better be on your toes. But if it's a normal looking pc, no watercooling or anything exceptional, IMO you can be pretty sure the item will be OK. And about their longevity: normal OC'ing only takes off a few years at max. When you see pc's that have been doing their job for 10-15 years without anything changed, you do the math. I don't really see the problem in that.

 

After reading a bit on google, the answer comes down to this: if the product is kept at a decent temperature, under the max given by the manufacturer, there should be no problem regarding the life span of the product. Another thing related to heat is the voltage. If both are under their max values it should be OK, and not reduce the lifespan.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Timotheus

[501105 0]

Just bought my new pc:

 

P35 Mobo

Intel duo core e8500 3,16 ghz

8800gt 512mb

Samsung Spinpoint 500 GB HD 7200prm

4GB ddr2 800 (pc6400)

Sirtec 500 Watt PSU

Casetek V. Oprheus

[trd 0]

this thread got me thinking about building a pc once again, this time for the wife's 9yr old boy. was looking for a good gaming build that will play about anything, including Sacred 2. started with the budget gaming build from toms hardware and had some input from yaga to get me going more in the right direction with recent product releases. all new, as can only scrounge a mouse and keyboard from around the house along with speakers. so total shipped to the house is ~1166 $us prior to the $65 in rebates.

 

Case: NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Power: RAIDMAX AURORA 2 RX-600F 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V LED Power Supply - Retail

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Processor: AMD Phenom 9600 Agena 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HD960ZWCGDBOX - Retail

Video: MSI R4850-T2D512 Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Memory: SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model T800UX2GC4 - Retail

CD/DVD: LG 20X DVD±R Super Multi DVD Burner Black ATAPI / E-IDE Model GSA-H55NK - OEM

Monitor: ASUS VW221S Black 21.6" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER RR-CCH-L9U1-GP 92mm Hyper TX2 CPU Cooler - Retail

Extra Fan: APEVIA CF12SL-UBL 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - Retail

Vista Home Premium

[gogoblender 3,068]

Brilliant system TRd!

 

Is it all arriving at your house built...or do you have to put it together yourself?

 

Also, does the price include warranty or anything like that?

 

 

gogo

[trd 0]

Brilliant system TRd!

 

Is it all arriving at your house built...or do you have to put it together yourself?

 

Also, does the price include warranty or anything like that?

 

 

gogo

 

no warranty, just buying pieces and assembling old school style minus the fun of jumpers, irq's and memory address fun of olden days when I used to assemble computers while poor in college. will order tonight or tommorow, give me something to do during the next week of fun after surgery.

 

both the boys will have nicer computers than I will , got to ask for an upgrade to my allowance. or just play sacred and such on their computers.

 

big thanks to tim for starting this thread and sharing the joy that is newegg! truly amazing the features one can get nowadays compared to back in the early 90s when I though a $1us per megabyte on a hd was a good deal.

[trd 0]

system has been ordered, will let folks know how it works. fixed a few noob errors on config like not having sata cdrom. did change the monitor to a bigger one too.

[gogoblender 3,068]

What kind of monitor, how much bigger? I'm definitely looking to upsize mine as well. 17" just doesn't do it for grand rez's anymore

 

 

gogo

[trd 0]

went with this AOC 2216SW Black 21.6" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail the reviews seemed decent for the price, everytime I go back looks like I missed the next best deal rofl. seems difficult to pick monitors, prices always changing. went with a higher resolution one than I had initially thought. a highend graphics computer running 1400x900 just seemed a bit odd.

 

scheduled to be here tommorow, will see how much I can get together with only a few trips to bestbuy to get cords and such. at least only 6mi oneway . never quite sure what you will need when rolling your own and my pile-o-cords is out of date.

 

the 11yr old has my old handmedown 20.1in westinghouse lcd that is a couple years old. seems quite nice and took a beating while being my work computer at the drilling rig.

[gogoblender 3,068]

Excellent price on a 21 " monitor. After hearing about yours and Llama's and Yaga's, I went and did some internet shopping of me own. Looks like there's some deals out there, and I'll be hunting something down nice as well for Sacred 2.

 

Enjoy the delivery, TRD, looking forward to how your purchase all turns out.

 

G'luck!

 

gogo