Im going to drop some dough on a PC

[t0pa2]

I was checking out some of these DIY kits from newegg like this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.361352
What do you guys think?

 

[JMMDTG]

Seems like a nice combo. What's your budget and what's the purpose of the PC. I'm going to assume you want it for gaming?

 

[b1lk1]

I don't like the idea of buy 2 older midrange cards and running them in SLI when you can spend the same amount of money on a HD4830/HD4850 that will be far faster and alot more current. Otherwise it isn't too bad.

 

[eunoia]

Pretty solid.

Like b1lk1 i much prefer a single card for a new computer, but I think you'd have to look at a 5850 to equal performance, and that's a bit more money.

Also, if you live near a Microcenter, save on the CPU and upgrade the PSU and get a better cooler.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331303

 

[Optix]

I'm not a fan of bundles unless the prices are just too good to pass up. This one may be borderline but then again I would have to convert the amount of each component to Canadian dollars and figure it out to be sure.

The 250's mentioned by b1lk1 and eunoia are essentially 9800GTX+'s with updated voltage circuitry. A very capable single card solution along the lines of the 5850 likely will not run into issues like a SLI/Crossfire setup could, what with profiles, lower performance than single card solutions in some games and other such gremlins plus you'll get all of the DX11 eye candy with far less power usage.

If you are stuck on the 250's I would beef up your PSU as eunoia said. Nvidia cards aren't really known for their low power consumption, even with the 45nm die. You -may- be ok but I remember reading that you will want about 30 amps on the 12 volt rail in a dual card setup because your video cards and CPU both draw power from it. You'll need more if you overclock.

The PSU in the bundle says 40 amps on the 12 volt rails combined but who knows how the draw is being split between them or if they even meet that specification.

For a bit more money (or less if you bag a sweet sale) you could probably get a modular Corsair power supply, which are VERY strong units.

My overall advice would be to evaluate what you want, read reviews on each component and if they seem to meet or exceed your standards then start pricing them from various locations and try to buy local if possible. Shipping charges are always a pain.

 

[MuParadigm]

Some bundles are good; not this one.

I advise against that bundle. $276 for 6GB of DDR3 1600? A Cooler Master PSU, for the same price you could get a better Corsair PSU? Two GTS 250s for the same price as an Radeon 5850? The $130 in savings on the bundle doesn't quite match the extra expense for some of the parts; you can get equivalent parts cheaper, or better parts for the same price, even after accounting for the bundle discount.

You can do better than this for $1350, if you're willing to take the time to spec it out yourself.

The Asus P6T combined with an i7 930 isn't a bad starting point. Add the Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1600 with the same timings as the Dominator for $180 instead of $276, and an overclocked Powercolor Radeon 5850 for $300.

You can work out the rest ...

That said, if the money's not important, and you just want an easy build, then most of the parts in that bundle are of reasonable quality, albeit some are a tad overpriced. So it's not garbage. But you can do better.

.

 

[Envy]

I'm not a fan of bundles unless the prices are just too good to pass up. This one may be borderline but then again I would have to convert the amount of each component to Canadian dollars and figure it out to be sure.

I thought CAD was about the same, maybe even more, then USD...