********** SHOP LIST **********
 
NOTE: This is my second(2nd) version of the similar guide I wrote 6 months ago. The main difference between these two(2) guides are the prices ($631 vs $456), CPU (E6300 vs E4300), RAM (1GB vs 2GB), and Graphics Card (7300GT/X800GTO vs 7600GT/X1650XT), and as you could compare, this latest guide's recommendation is not only better than the previous setup, it is also $175 cheaper. The list of item that I recommend here are solely based on a low budget system (and will remain a budget system), and would definitely achieve the results of hitting at least 3GHz. You might think that some items don't suit you, instead of other alternatives, which might be cheaper and better, if that's the case, go ahead and purchase that instead, but I can't guarantee that you'd achieve the same result as mine, as you might get better/worse results. Some might argue that X1650XT is a better graphic card than 7600GT, but I prefer 7600GT, as it could be purchased for a cheaper price after rebate. My personal advice, read from this guide, learn from it, and shop smart, and buy whatever fits within your budget. There is always a difference between $456 spent on a 3GHz system, compared to $2000 spent on a 4GHz system, but whether that kind of money is available to everybody, would be a question to be answered individually. I personally think for the price you're paying for this system, would definitely be good money spent.
 
CPU: Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale (Retail Box with HSF) - $114
HSF: Stock HSF - $0
M/B: BioStar TForce965PT (Open Box) - $52
RAM: 2x 1GB SuperTalent PC2-5300 DDR2-667MHz CL5 - $56
GPU: 7600GT 256MB GDDR3 - $75 ($110-$35MIR)
HDD: Seagate 7200.10 160GB SATA2 (3.0Gb/s) - $52
DVD: 16x DVD Writer - $29
FDD: 1.44" Floppy Disk Drive - $5
PSU: ChiefMax 650W $20
CASE: Generic Case (without PSU) - $12
FAN: 4x 8CM Fan ($1.50 each) & 1x 12CM Fan ($5 each) - $11
 
TOTAL: $426
 
 
Price Updated on June 12, 2007.
 
 
********** EXPLANATION OF CHOICE **********
 

As this is the cheapest C2D available on the market, and a proven great overclocker, I chose this processor. These Allendale cores has a 2MB L2 cache, instead of the 4MB on other higher end Conroe models. But benchmarks have proven the 2MB in cache differences only accumulate up to a mere 2-3% increase in performance, which I personally think doesn't do any justice for the price difference.
 

You may want to purchase a better HSF, which will cost you more money, but the stock HSF shouldn't have problems getting you above 3GHz for the time being. Since we're low on budget, we don't want to spend more money on something we've got, that we've already paid for along with the retail box CPU.
 

I chose this motherboard as this is the cheapest proven overclockable motherboard on the market. I've purchased two(2) of these, Open Box OEM from NewEgg and both has proven to work flawlessly. This model does not come with RAID, but if RAID is desired, purchase the Deluxe edition of the same model. Other alternatives would be to purchase Gigabyte's lineup of motherboards with the P965 chipsets, especially S3/DS3 which has been proven to be of great value. Since we're building a budget system, we'd avoid RAID, as RAID motherboard costs more, so do extra HDDs. But if you want to have a RAID system, go for the other alternative motherboard recommended above, or even purchase a RAID Controller Card later in the future.
 

If you've been staying around and reading reviews on RAM modules recently, SuperTalent have been producing pretty good RAM modules. The best RAM modules in the market are equipped with Micron D9 chipsets, but they come at a higher price. I have personally got great success from these  SuperTalent modules, and the price is unbeatable. Since our goal would be to hit 3GHz, we aren't really putting much stress on the RAM, therefore it makes sense to go with the choice I've chosen above.
 

Since we're building a budget system, we need to make sure we're spending good money for our graphic cards. After looking at all the graphic cards below $100 available, we came to conclusion that 7600GT and the X1650XT were the best cards for the money. The X1650XT produces a slightly better raw performance in games, compared to 7600GT at stock speed, but it can be countered with a mild overclock. The $35 Mail In Rebate offered is unbeatable. The other reason to stick with DirectX 9 cards would be that none of the DirectX 10 card in the market justify the price of its performance, unless you have money to spend on 8800GTS, which could be purchased for $219 after rebate. The only card falls under the $100 from the DirextX 10 models are 8500GT, and the performance compared to what we've chosen is totally unacceptable, whereas the 8600GT is priced around the $150 region, with a very mild advantage over 7600GT, which doesn't justify for its $75 price tag difference. It'd be wise to stay with 7600GT for the time being.
 

The reason I chose Seagate was because of the fact that the 7200.10 models are running on Perpendicular Recording Technology. You could go with any SATA2 (3.0Gb/s) HDD you're comfortable with.
 

Need I explain further?
 

Some may need it, some not,  but this definitely comes in handy when you want flash your bios, or even running MemTest86+ on a bootable DOS floppy disk. (NOTE: BioStar's motherboard has built-in MemTest)
 

If there's any parts that I have doubt in my guide, it would be this power supply. I have had bad experiences with ChiefMax, and some good ones. My first ChiefMax PSU I used for a Core 2 Duo setup was about 3 months ago on a E6300, and has proven to be a reliable power supply for me. After since, I've built 4 systems on top of this ChiefMax model, and has yet to have any problems. After overclocking, the Vcore fluctuates 0.08V between idle and load, which is indeed very good. 650W is way more than enough for the parts I recommended above, and even if ChiefMax can't supply 650W of pure power, anything between 400-450W would power up this system easily. You may choose another brand of PSU which comes at a higher price tag, but I would stick with ChiefMax till I face problems with them. According to some reviews, some of ChiefMax's PSU may be shipped Dead On Arrival (DOA), and you may want to check for such problems and get it replaced ASAP.
 

Since we're building a budget system, we don't want to be spending too much money on a case. Better branded casings may have better air ventilation, but this can be solved with adding more fans.
 

Since we're using generic casing, which doesn't promote good air flow circulation, we'd need plenty of extra fans to counter that issue. Some may perfer to go with 12cm fans instead of 8cm ones, if you do, purchase a casing that would allow you to install them.
 
 
 
 
 
********** INSTALLATION/SETTINGS **********
 
*** NOTE: Each system reacts differently, and these settings might differ on others, but shouldn't have problems achieving 3GHz, as I've achieved (9x 412MHz) 3.708GHz with a full load temperature at 66C, but decided to bring it down to 3.573GHz running 60-61C at full load. Your settings may (most probably) be different, especially Voltages, precisely Vcore and Vdimm, therefore take extreme precaution and test it based on trial and error. If you have any problems/questions regarding the settings, feel free to ask them, and I'll be helping you out with it, as long as I still own the same setup, I could still fully support/help with troubleshooting, etc.
 
1) Assemble all the parts, and install all those Fans to increase casing's air flow circulation.
 
2) Flash Bios with Latest version. (P96RH404)
Note: Customized hacked Bios available from http://www.lejabeach.com/Biostar/965pt/
 
3) Enter Bios Settings
 
********** FOR BIOSTAR TFORCE965PT **********
CPU Thermal Control: Disable
Limit CPUID MaxVal: Disable
C1E Function: Disable
Execute Disable Bit: Disable
Virtualization Technology: Disable
Shutdown Temperature: 70C (Auto Shutdown if CPU above 70C)
*** CPU Voltage: 1.40V ***
FSB Termination Voltage: 1.4V
(G)MCH: 1.55V
Memory Voltage: 1.80V
PCIE Clock: Fixed 100MHz
System Memory Frequency: 533MHz (1:1 Ratio)
CPU Clock: 334MHz
DRAM Timing: 5-5-5-15 (NOTE: I have successfully run 4-4-4-12 @2.1V)
 
 
********** FOR GIGABYTE MODELS **********
Advanced BIOS Features
 - Disable CPUID Max to 3
 - Disable No-Execute Memory Protection
 - Disable C1E
 - Disable TM2
 - Disable EIST
 - Disable Virtualization Technology
 
PC Health Status
 - Disable Smart Fan Control Method
 
Motherboard Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.)
 - Press Ctrl+F1 for Advanced Settings
 - CPU Clock Ratio (CPU Multiplier) at 9x
 - CPU Host Frequency (FSB) at 334MHz
 - PCI Express Frequency at 100MHz
 - Disable CIA2
 - System Memory Multiplier at 2.00 (1:1 Ratio)
 - DRAM Timing at 5-5-5-15 (NOTE: I have successfully run 4-4-4-12 @2.1V)
 -DDR2 OverVoltage Control NORMAL (1.8V)
 - FSB OverVoltage +0.2V (1.4V)
 - (G)MCH Voltage +0.1V (1.55V)
 - *** CPU Voltage at 1.40V ***
 
*** Your settings may vary. Some may achieve stability at higher voltage, whereas some may achieve stability at a lower voltage. ***
 
 
 
Room Temperature: 25.9C - 28.1C (Reading from my Room's Digital Thermometer)
CPU Temperature: 39C (Idle) - 55C (Full Load)
Passed Prime95 Torture/Stress Test for 15 Hours 26 Minutes.
Passed MemTest86+ 1.65 for 11 Hours 21 Minutes.
 
 
 
 
 
********** PICTURES (NEEDS UPDATE) **********
 
The pictures below were not updated, as I did not have a MMC card reader to upload the pictures from my latest system I built 2 days ago, which is similar to the setup I had above. I will update the pictures as soon as I get  a MMC card reader.
 
The pictures below are from E6300 running at 3GHz, which was my previous version of the same guide, priced at $631. The new setup should look slightly different, and better as well, since the major difference here is an upgraded 7600GT, as opposed to the 7300GT/X800GTO in the previous guide, and 1GB vs 2GB of RAM.
 
- Invoice (Red-Boxes are censor box. Had to do it to protect my privacy, and my part's serial number for registration/warranty purposes, and yes I'm paranoid)

 
- Parts

 
- Case: Front

 
- Case: Side (Closed)

 
- Case: Side (Opened)

 
- Case: Side Panel

 
- Case: Inside

 
- Full Load after more than 10 Hours 50 Minutes

 
- Passed Stress/Torture Test for 10 Hours 52 Minutes with 0 Errors and 0 Warnings

 
- SuperPI
 
 
- 3DMark2001SE
http://img166.imageshack.us/img166 [...] jm2.th.jpg
 
- 3DMark06
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199 [...] oq2.th.jpg
 
- PCMark05
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175 [...] tw3.th.jpg
 
 
 
 
 
********** EXTRAS **********
 
This system can definitely overclock much higher (Intel's specified max temp is 61.2C, but I've seen friends who run 24 hours stable at 67C). What I'm trying to prove here with the settings and temperature is that, these settings can be easily achieved, with a mere $456. I will try to post more pictures, and possibly more benchmarks, so check back soon.
 
Wilson

Nice guide.  However, I am very skeptical about temperatures with a stock hsf @3Ghz.  Are you stressing it with TAT or just Orthos/ Prime95?  TAT seems to increase the temperature much more than Orthos at full load.  I have a E4300 @3GHz, 1.29V, an ACF7P, x23 TIM, and many case fans.  I idle at 27C and TAT load at 54C, but Orthos load is only 46C, both read from speedfan.

I stress them with Prime95, on two instances.
I've got plenty of fans running through the casing, which dropped the temperature by 6C, as opposed to without any fans. Those $11 invested in fans in exchange for 6C during load, helps out a lot.
 
Besides that, I have not encountered a E4300 that wouldn't overclock to at least 3GHz that I've personally dealt with on stock HSF. This is my 4th E4300 I'm overclocking since February.
 
Anyway, I'm going to attempt to lower the Vcore slowly, till I achieve absolute stability at the lowest Vcore possible, and therefore expect the CPU temperature to be lower.
 
To lower your temp, you might want to consider lapping your HSF.

I actually did lap the heatsink.  However, I do suspect the cpu is slightly concave.  I suggest you try running Intel TAT and see what temps you get @ 3GHz and stock cooling.  I bet you it is Much higher that you get with dual Prime95.  What I mean is the temperature as read by Speedfan while TAT is running, not on TAT itself (it typical reports 15Chigher than actual).  Let me know the results.  I am curious.

I'd say if you're putting together a guide not to use open box products since those are kind of a one time deal.  I'd say that you used such and such open box products, and then maybe suggest an optional non-open box product that the people using the guide could use.  Also giving links to all of the parts would be good.
 
Anyway, looks like a great guide tho.

great guide, WiZ83!
 

 
i'm planning a budget build and i will certainly use this as a place to start. thank you very much!

I did recommend a few motherboards.
 
The BioStar TForce965PT's brand new costs $90, and the Deluxe version costs $105. The difference between them is the non-Deluxe uses ICH8 Southbridge, without RAID, whereas the Deluxe version uses ICH8R, which comes with RAID. The board I used before this was the Deluxe version, and decided to give this non-Deluxe a try, and it worked out perfectly.
 
The other budget boards I recommended are Gigabyte 965P S3 and DS3, difference are Catalytic Capacitors vs Solid State Capacitors. I read some users having problems with setting up RAID on Gigabyte's motherboard, my first attempt to setup RAID on them seemed to be a bit difficult, whereas the RAID setup for BioStar's motherboard seemed to work flawlessly on my first attempt. Gigabyte's JMicron RAID Controller seemed to be not as easy to setup as Intel's on-board RAID Controller.
 
If you purchase a non-OpenBox version, you'd still be able to get the whole system around $500, which is really cheap for the performance you get. Some people had problems with OpenBox, but you get 14-days from NewEgg to test things out, and if it doesn't work as it's supposed to, send it back, and NewEgg will issue a 100% Refund on it, or replace em' if they still got them in stock. Out of the last 9 systems I built, 6 has been Open Box, and only 1 came DOA, and NewEgg handled them well. In fact, all Open Box from NewEgg I received, did indeed looked like new, and there wasn't any screw marks, or any signs of usage, and the best of all, it comes with its retail box, and full accessories.
 

 
All the temperatures from SpeedFan, CoreTemp, and Intel TAT report the same temperature, with CoreTemp's temperature 1C higher occasionally. I even had a temperature/heat sensor sticked to the heatsink and it shows the right temperature. Trust me, I know what I'm doing, this is not the first time I overclock.

Nice 1 cuz
Im not 100% convinced on the temps, but ive never tried so....
Do i smell a sticky here?

My previous guide gained almost 70k views, and most people did try to ask a moderator to sticky it, but it didn't get stickied. I personally think this guide should serve a good reference, at least for the next 3 months to come, or till a graphics card's price drop.
 
Regarding the temperature, it's only 3GHz, it's not that high, and each and every four(4) E4300 I've encountered, hit more than 3GHz on stock HSF. But like I said, I've got an ambient temperature of around 25-28C, sometimes lower as I've got AC on most of the time now.

lol, i don't see the point in tesating with TAT, if only TAT can get to them levels, and nothing else can, why test that high? nothing is going to reach it...

i would love that system at Stock Frequancys i mean Damn for under $500 thats an amazing deal  
just one year ago THG did a budget system it was was something like  
gf 6600  
amd 3000+ and 512ram or something  
It makes me want to save my cash and get somethign like that

Hello
 
is there a way you can tell me the voltage range for the memory in your guide. Is it compatible with gigabyte ds3?
 
Thanks.

excellent guide.  That's what I call a "best bang for the buck".  I'm going to build a system for a friend soon, seeing your guide gives a lot of inspirations.  Thanks again.

Vdimm can be set to 2.2V max on the BioStar motherboard, and yes, it is compatible with GA-965P-DS3. I've built a lot of systems off the S3 and DS3 motherboards.
 
If you need higher than 2.2V, you can do a Vdimm Mod.

Could you post alternatives for the SuperTalent RAM? That brand isn't too common here in Canada it seems. Is the Corsair ValueSelect any good, for instance?

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400 DDR2-800 is selling for $100 After Rebate.
 
Buy.com
$140 - $40 Rebate = $100
 
If you're a new customer to Buy.com, you could apply $5 off $50 coupon @ http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.a [...] adid=17662
 
If you're new to Google Checkout, you can save a further $10 using Google Checkout.
 
$100 - $5 - $10 = $85 (Free Shipping)
 
Hope that helps.