The Great Adverts.ie PC Build

cherryghost

So I decided a few months ago to myself to attempt a good PC build, all stemming from 2nd hand components from dear old adverts.ie

My main objective was to get the cheapest possible build. So it basically consisted of myself regularly checking adverts.ie and spotting a bargain of a bargain (cheapest items possible basically). And now I can finally say I finished it!

Motherboard: MSI G31 S775 - 20 euro (bought nearly a year ago at this point I think)
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3ghz with Heatsink - 20 euro (Bought almost a year ago too, maybe a Core 2 would have been better, but again, I'm looking to get the cheapest build possible)
Hard Drive: Maxtor 80GB IDE Drive - Free (adverts free section)
Ram: 2GB Kingston and Hylix ram - 15 euro (2x512mb Kingston, 1GB Hylix)
Graphics Card: POV 8800GT - 35 euro (bought just last week)
DVD Drive: LG DVD Rom Drive - 12 euro
PSU: Onyx 600w - 20 euro (bought a few months ago)
Keyboard and mouse: Logitech mouse, Gateway keyboard - Free (free section once again)
Case: One lying around, dont necessarily need a case tho :P
OS: Windows XP lying around already
Monitor: Free 15" CRT

Total: 102 euro


Right. First thing was first, installed XP onto the drive, all neccessary drivers, and everything booted fine.

Overclocking time. That P4 doesnt pack much of a punch.
The bios read it as an FSB of 200 and a multiplier of 15. After some hit and miss tests, I managed to get it running smoothly at 3.65ghz. Everything was running a bit snappier now.

Gaming Benchmarks:
I played COD4, CSS, GRID, GTAIV and DiRT2 as test platforms, on stock clock, and then overclocked.

Call of Duty 4:
1024x768, Max settings, 4x AA
@3ghz: Average FPS: 75, Min FPS: 31
@3.65ghz: Average FPS: 83, Min FPS: 33

Counter Strike Source:
1024x768, Max Settings, 8MSAA
@3ghz: Average FPS: 163, Min FPS: 140
@3.65ghz: Average FPS: 176, Min FPS: 166

GRID:
1024x768, Max Settings, 8MSAA
@3ghz: Average FPS: 45, Min FPS: 36
@3.65ghz: Average FPS: 48, Min FPS: 40

GTAIV:
1024x768, Medium Settings, Definition On
@3ghz: Average FPS: 26, Min FPS: 18
@3.65ghz: Average FPS: 27, Min FPS: 23

DiRT2:
1024x768, Max Settings, 8MSAA
@3ghz: Average FPS: 42, Min FPS: 30
@3.65ghz: Average FPS: 43, Min FPS: 34

So there you have it. Call of Duty 4 runs really well except when things get smokey. Counter Strike Source, as expected, performed exceptionally well. GRID wasnt too bad, very playable as it is a racing game. Grand Theft Auto IV settings were reduced to medium settings as the memory allowance on the card restricted it to that. Still, looked on par with console graphics with about the same FPS too, slightly higher at times. DiRT 2 was playable, but overclocked was the best scenario to play it.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks/months when I add a Core 2 processor in there and rerun all the tests identically to what I done here

Blazer

you cheap fúcker
But at least I can game at 1920x1200

cherryghost

yeah but... i got a quad build with a gtx295.... this was just an experiment on the side

witnessmenow

Am the only one suprised at the results after O'clocking it by over 20%, the average FPS is even worse on COD!

cherryghost

sorry, thats actually a typo, fixed

Mister Man

lol that is class!! 102 euro for a PC that can actully game is amazing (Even if it is a P4) Good Job

Deano12345

cherryghost wrote: »

sorry, thats actually a typo, fixed

Great FPS for .I'm thinking of doing an el cheapo PC myself.

E2200 based system in an Xbox case though,should be fun

cherryghost

Deano12345 wrote: »

Great FPS for .I'm thinking of doing an el cheapo PC myself.

E2200 based system in an Xbox case though,should be fun

would love to see the outcome of that. would you use a heatsink or just some laptop-type low lying copper piping?

Deano12345

cherryghost wrote: »

would love to see the outcome of that. would you use a heatsink or just some laptop-type low lying copper piping?

I'm thinking of a Dell PSU from a very small Dell we have at school (cant think of the name off hand)I should be able to pick that up(the whole PC) cheap on adverts and salvage the bits (DVD drive from it will be very useful).

Get a cheap 775 board,I have the E2200 here and probably put something like a Scythe Mini Ninja on it.

Gonna probably have to get a riser card fro the graphics card to fit,and the graphics themselves would be one of ATi's cheaper 5 series options.I wont be doing it till the summer though,if at all

Very nice cherryghost. With a little know how and some ocing skill you can make very very decent machines for very little. A little off topic but im currently messing with a mates discarded (20euro) e5200 and and have it clocked at 4Ghz stable. Amazing processing power for 20euro. Everest cpu benches give it same results as a stock E8400!!

RoyalMarine

very impressive find and build!

congrats on getting it stable and rockin so well!

Solitaire

Deano12345 wrote: »

E2200 based system in an Xbox case though,should be fun

Fire up that camera and throw up a build log on Tweaking & Modding!

Deano12345

Solitaire wrote: »

Fire up that camera and throw up a build log on Tweaking & Modding!

lol

I'm being very optimistic about it though,I wouldn't have the the money to do it probably,unless its would be a sponsored build......or I get a job this summer.