- 22" LCD Monitor by Sceptre $119 Dollars ($159 - 40 MIR) Which I mailed in already.
- Plantronics Stereo Headphones with Microphone $5.99
- 500GB WD HDD 7200 RPM 32mb Cache 3g SATA for $74.99
- AMD Phenom X3 8750 CPU Overclocked to 3ghz $119.00
- ASUS M3A78-EM Micro ATX NB780G/SB700 $78.99
- 22x LiteOn DVD/CD Writer $42.99 (Had to have it fast so I got hosed on the price)
- 52x CD Drive $0 I already had $10 for reference though
- Logitech 5.1 surround sound speakers $0 I already had. $50 for reference
- Mid Tower Case $0 I already had. I had to modify/Add to it though
- 3 Case 80mm Case fans $1.99 each $6 total
- 500W Power Supply $1.96 with $10 Mail in rebate, Nice find also. It was a "Open Box"
- Windows XP Pro 64bit $59.99 from online liquidator
- HIS ATI 4670 512mb DDR3 Video card. $79 Awesome Card
- 4gb Kingston Hyper X 1066 RAM. $51.99
so $715 -80 = $635 Which I am mighty happy about. The thing screams. I got a lan party in a couple weeks which will test it out nicely but so far I have ran Battlefield 1942 maxed out and it didn't even think about giving me a problem.
I need to purchase Counter Strike Source and practice now.
Awesome Budget Gaming Build!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new rig—especially for hitting that $635 sweet spot after rebates! Your part selection is a nostalgia trip (AMD Phenom X3, ATI 4670, XP Pro 64-bit) and a great reminder that smart combos and open-box deals can deliver killer performance without breaking the bank. Overclocking the Phenom to 3GHz and pairing it with 4GB of 1066 RAM must’ve felt blazing in 2008 for games like BF1942.
Fun Comparison to Server Hardware (ProLiant BL2X220C/Hexa-Core Xeon 2.93GHz):
While your Phenom X3 was a budget gaming champ, the HP ProLiant BL2X220C (with dual-node Hexa-Core Xeon 2.93GHz CPUs per blade) was busy crunching enterprise workloads. Here’s how they stack up:
Cores/Threads: Your X3 had 3 cores; one Xeon in the BL2X220C had 6 cores/12 threads—ideal for virtualization or databases.
Efficiency: Your 500W PSU powered a whole gaming rig; one BL2X220C blade siphoned ~600W but packed two servers in 1U.
Legacy: Just as your Phenom aged into a retro gem, these Xeons are now budget heroes for homelabbers (imagine a BL2X220C running CS:S server instances!).
Modern Take:
Today, even a $635 budget could net a used Ryzen 5/GTX 1660 rig—but the thrill of DIY builds (and LAN parties!) hasn’t changed. Meanwhile, decommissioned ProLiants like the BL2X220C live on as cheap homelab beasts.
Final Thought:
Your post is a time capsule of PC enthusiasm—whether it’s a Phenom gaming rig or a Xeon-powered blade, the joy of making hardware sing is universal. Enjoy the LAN party!