Advice for a Diablo 3 build?

S

safehaven

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
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My son wants a system to play Diablo 3. It does not need to be able to run Crysis at the highest level with 8X AA. He might like to play Tribes Ascend as well. But again, if it can play Tribes at even medium settings, that would be fine.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

Gaming. Would like it to play Diablo 3, Tribes Ascend, and World of Warcraft. It would probably be nice to max D3 and WoW out on video settings. Not necessary to max out Tribes (or FPS's in general). As long as the FPS's are playable, that is fine.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

Is $600, including shipping, doable??? If not the budget could possible be stretched a bit, but would like to try and hit the $600 mark.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

US, Oregon.... Fry's nearby. No Microcenter.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

Case, CPU, GPU, hard drive, RAM, PSU, mobo, DVDRW.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

None.

6) Will you be overclocking?

It might be nice to have the flexibility to OC, but is not of paramount importance either.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

The monitor right now would actually be a 32" TV. So max res. would be 1366x768. With monitors being fairly inexpensive right now, lets assume that he will be making the switch to at least a 24", 1920x1080 in the near future.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

Immediately. He wants to get this going to play Diablo 3 as soon as possible.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.

Nothing in particular needed.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

No copies of windows available to use. A 64-bit version of Win7 needs to be included in the total. OEM is fine.
 
Last edited:
Should be doable:
$152 - Intel Pentium G850 CPU + Intel BOXDH61BEB3 Intel H61 mATX Motherboard
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$118 - XFX HD-677X-ZNLC Radeon HD 6770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$90 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$22 - Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE SATA DVD Burner
$53 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
---
Total: $605 shipped
 
I researched this all thoroughly tonight, and it would be a powerful Diablo 3 system with an ideally small form factor.

Cheaper option
Case: $99
Mini ITX with PSU
http://www.frys.com/product/5895753

Motherboard : $65
Mini ITX w/ SATA 6/gbps
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186211

CPU: $70
2-core sandy Bridge without Hyperthreading (Pentium G620)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116399

Graphics Card: $160
Geforce GTX 560 @ Fry's for about $160, or here:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?sku=770542&Q=&O=productlist&is=REG&A=details

Memory:
DDR3 1066 (this is the max memory data-rate supported by the Pentium G6xx series) $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146746
Surprisingly good timings, made in USA, cheap.

Hard Drive:
Synchronous (faster than asynchronous) SSD: $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226246

DVD/RW Drive:
The MITX case fits a slim DVDRW drive, heres a good one; $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106371
Cable adapter:$5
http://www.compbargains.com/_e/Conn...mline_SATA_to_SATA_Adapter_with_Power_F_M.htm

Total without Windows; $535, not bad.

Cheap option 2
Case: $99
Mini ITX with PSU
http://www.frys.com/product/5895753

Motherboard : $71
Mini ITX w/ SATA 6/gbps & USB 3.0
http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4less/H67M-ITX

CPU:
Core i3 2100 @ Microcenter for $90
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0359809
Someone who lives close to a Microcenter could get this for you. I do.

Graphics Card: $170 after $20 rebate.
Geforce GTX 560 Ti
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1781498&CatId=3669

Memory:
DDR3 1333
7-7-7-21 timings @ 1333mhz $32
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276

Hard Drive:
Synchronous (faster than asynchronous) SSD: $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226246

DVD/RW Drive:
The MITX case fits a slim DVDRW drive, heres a good one; $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106371
Cable adapter:$5
http://www.compbargains.com/_e/Conn...mline_SATA_to_SATA_Adapter_with_Power_F_M.htm

Total without Windows; $577, much better.


Optional add-ons:
A cheap traditional hard drive for storage.
 
Last edited:
Xpl1c1t said:
CPU: $70
2-core sandy Bridge without Hyperthreading (Pentium G620)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116399
Click to expand...
That might be too low-end. Remember that Blizzard games are very CPU heavy. Hence why I upped the CPU to the G850.

Xpl1c1t said:
Motherboard : $65
Mini ITX w/ SATA 6/gbps
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186211
Click to expand...
Unfortuantely that mobo appears to be of very low quality.
Xpl1c1t said:
Graphics Card: $160
Geforce GTX 560 @ Fry's for about $160, or here:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?sku=770542&Q=&O=productlist&is=REG&A=details
Make sure to get the full version with 384 Stream Processors!
Click to expand...

More than likely that $160 price is AR. So not exactly a valid price listing. However, even at $180 shipped, the GTX 560 isn't that good of a choice when the similarily priced HD 6870 outperforms it.

Xpl1c1t said:
Memory:
DDR3 1066 (this is the max memory data-rate supported by the Pentium G6xx series) $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146746
Surprisingly good timings, made in USA, cheap.
Click to expand...
A few issues:
- While DDR3 1066 is the max RAM speed supported, you forget that RAM will downclock itself to the highest speed supported by the CPU/mobo. As such, the DDR3 1333 RAM I linked to will downgrade to 1066 if needed
- That's a 2x2GB set. Since mITX mobos only have two DIMM slots, you've effectively limited that mobo to 4GB of RAM max
- At $25, it's a bit overpriced considering that the 4GB set I linked to is $20 and that a 8GB DDR3 1333 set costs $39 these days
- Dual channel and lower timings offers a very miniscule performance increase with the SB platform
Xpl1c1t said:
Hard Drive:
Synchronous (faster than asynchronous) SSD: $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226246
Click to expand...
Not that great of a buy when this more reliable and larger SSD costs the same:
$80 - Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SSD

However both SSDs have fairly crappy price to GB rations considering that this exists:
$125 - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SSD
Xpl1c1t said:
DVD/RW Drive:
The MITX case fits a slim DVDRW drive, heres a good one; $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106371
Click to expand...
You're missing the mini SATA needed to connec that slim drive to ther motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812186155
 
Danny Bui said:
Should be doable:
$152 - Intel Pentium G850 CPU + Intel BOXDH61BEB3 Intel H61 mATX Motherboard
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$118 - XFX HD-677X-ZNLC Radeon HD 6770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$90 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$22 - Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE SATA DVD Burner
$53 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
---
Total: $605 shipped
Click to expand...

Thanks so much.... You have always been super helpful.

I was wondering though... I would like to get a rough idea on how well this build will perform. How would this build stack up against my archaic system? Better, worse, or about the same?

My system:
Core 2 Duo E6320 OCed @ 3.2 GHz
4 GB DDR2 1000 RAM
512MB 9800GT

I don't play RPG's. But just as a reference, with my current setup, I can play Crysis2 on low settings @ ~35 FPS and 1680x1050. Tribes Ascend on medium settings @ 45-55 FPS and 1680x1050. I borrowed and dropped a GTX460 768MB in my system for a day and it would do Tribes at max setting and 1680x1050.
 
Any of the current Sandy Bridge Pentiums will stack up to your overclocked Core 2 Duo just about equally, albiet a small bit faster - even the low end G620. If you are more interested in increasing the power of your CPU, the Core i3 2100 is Hyperthreading enabled, allows overclocking, and can run in turbo mode.

Core i3 2100 @ Microcenter for $90
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0359809
Someone who lives close to a Microcenter could get this for you. I do.

The Foxconn motherboard should be fine, its laden with good capacitors and overall is a great deal considering its price. If you would like to have USB 3.0, this refurbished ASRock motherboard is absolutely good quality. It also has built-in wireless.

ASRock H67M-ITX: $70
http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4less/H67M-ITX

At $160 for this CPU/Motherboard combo, you are getting: faster CPU with better functionality (Core i3 2100, hyperthreading, turbo boost), smaller form factor with mini itx (658 cubic inches vs 2,595 cubic inches), chipset-supported Sata 3.0 and USB 3.0

Thats the combo to beat.


Edit: you will need to purchase a set of DDR3-1333 sticks for this, this one is good
7-7-7-21 timings @ 1333mhz $32
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276
 
Last edited:
Danny Bui said:
- While DDR3 1066 is the max RAM speed supported, you forget that RAM will downclock itself to the highest speed supported by the CPU/mobo. As such, the DDR3 1333 RAM I linked to will downgrade to 1066 if needed
Click to expand...

I'm not forgetting anything here, buying a set rated for 1066 ensures a XMP profile for that speed. The 7-7-7-21-2N timings will beat whatever fallback profile the higher speed-binned sticks will have.
 
Xpl1c1t said:
Likely the best GPU deal you can find right now;
Geforce GTX 560 Ti for $170 after $20 rebate.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1781498&CatId=3669
Click to expand...
It's a ZOTAC though so quality might be a problem.
Xpl1c1t said:
I'm not forgetting anything here, buying a set rated for 1066 ensures a XMP profile for that speed. The 7-7-7-21-2N timings will beat whatever fallback profile the higher speed-binned sticks will have.
Click to expand...
Beat it in synthetic benchmarks. It's been shown time and time again that SB setups do not benefit that much from lower timings
safehaven said:
How would this build stack up against my archaic system? Better, worse, or about the same?
Click to expand...
Definitely better.
 
safehaven said:
My system:
Core 2 Duo E6320 OCed @ 3.2 GHz
4 GB DDR2 1000 RAM
512MB 9800GT
Click to expand...
I just wanted to let you know that my wife played the D3 beta on a C2D @ 2.4 GHz, 4 GB Ram, and 8800GT 512MB, and it ran just fine at 1920x1200. Your CPU and GPU are both faster, and your resolution is smaller, so you'll be able to run Diablo 3 on your current system just fine.

So, in short, Diablo 3 is not a reason to upgrade your computer, though it can certainly be an excuse. ;)
 
Timobkg said:
I just wanted to let you know that my wife played the D3 beta on a C2D @ 2.4 GHz, 4 GB Ram, and 8800GT 512MB, and it ran just fine at 1920x1200. Your CPU and GPU are both faster, and your resolution is smaller, so you'll be able to run Diablo 3 on your current system just fine.

So, in short, Diablo 3 is not a reason to upgrade your computer, though it can certainly be an excuse. ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. However, I am not looking to upgrade for myself. My son wants a new system so he can play.

I was merely looking for a comparison to my own computer to get an idea as to what kind of performance Danny Bui's build suggestion would have.
 
Danny Bui said:
Should be doable:
$152 - Intel Pentium G850 CPU + Intel BOXDH61BEB3 Intel H61 mATX Motherboard
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$118 - XFX HD-677X-ZNLC Radeon HD 6770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$90 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$22 - Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE SATA DVD Burner
$53 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM
---
Total: $605 shipped
Click to expand...

Got it ordered! The only thing I changed was I got an Antec 300 Illusion for $10 more. But some of the other stuff was less expensive today. So, the total, including shipping was $591.43.

Thanks again!!!
 
safehaven said:
Got it ordered! The only thing I changed was I got an Antec 300 Illusion for $10 more.
Click to expand...
I would not have gone with that case since it's rather cramped and has little to no cable management. The only redeeming feature about the 300 Illusion is the extra fans. However you could have added extra fans to the NZXT Source 210 Elite and get significantly better temps.
safehaven said:
Does the CPU come with a HSF?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
I have read enough of the build threads to know that you would not like the case choice.LOL

I did not like the look of the one you linked to at all. In fact, it might just be the ugliest case I have ever seen. But, to each their own. My wife always says "fashion before function". My son will probably like the LED's on the Antec.

I thank you again. Couldn't have done it without you.
 
Xpl1c1t said:
Are generalizations like this what brought you to mod status? I hope not.
Click to expand...
Yup, Totally.
Xpl1c1t said:
The SF-2281 controller is a proven performer, enough to warrant a 6 page article at [H];
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/08/07/nand_flash_faces_off_synchronous_vs_asynchronous
Click to expand...
The performance is there. No doubt about it. However, Sandforce based SSDs selected/made/branded have accrued enough bad reputation to make me not want to recommend those types of SSDs in general. The only Sandforce SSD I can recommend is the Intel 520 series since I know they thoroughly test and modify the firmware of their SSDs to get higher reliability. Sandforce SSDs by everyone else, I don't trust. So why should I recommend hardware I don't trust to other people?

But again, this discussion is moot since the OP already bought his SSD.
 
I'm playing D3 and the graphics kind of suck. You'll be able to run it fine with a midrange pc, no need to go all out.
 
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