Budget 720p Gaming PC

[bennieboy2290]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
----Gaming, HD video watching/streaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
----$500 shipped
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
----Seattle, WA, Near Fry's but no MC
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, Mobo, CPU, RAM, VGA card, SSD, wireless KB/mouse
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
----Corsair CX500 V2, 2.1 speakers, 720p HDTV
6) Will you be overclocking?
----He probably won't OC the CPU, but I'll probably help OC his VGA a little if temps allow
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
----He's gonna plug into his 37" 720p HDTV via HDMI
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
----Now, but he's willing to wait to see Black Friday deals
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.
----USB 3.0, at least 1 SATA 6GB/s
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
----Yes we can get Windows 7/8 through our University.

He wants a case that is fairly portable, he may drag it into my room to LAN occasionally, but I'm sure a plastic/aluminum mid tower will be light enough, no need for micro/ITX or anything.

This is the build we're considering (he already bought the PSU, and case was just thrown in there, he's not set on a case yet at all): http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mvCf

I know the GPU is a little overkill for 720p, but the 7750 isn't much cheaper right now and the 7770 will give him a bit for freedom if he ever comes into my room and uses one of my 1200p monitors when we LAN.

 

[Dangman]

I recommend these cases:
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case

You can save $6 by going with this mobo + RAM combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1083538

Now is he fine with that $590 price tag or does he absolutely need it to be under $500? You haven't received the MIR nor are those guaranteed so I'm not counting those.

 

[bennieboy2290]

Thanks, I'll see if he likes those cases, any other goods ones under $100? I think he might be willing to spend the extra $6 to have everything inside black/blue, speaking of aesthetics, hows the cable management in these budget cases? Are those holes next to where the mobo screws in for tucking cables into?

Also, is there usually any during Black Friday worth waiting for? I usually seem to remember mainly TVs, electronics that go on sale..

 

[Dangman]

Thanks, I'll see if he likes those cases, any other goods ones under $100?

Yes:

ATX:
$60 - Cooler Master HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 ATX Case
$75 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$80 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case

mATX:
$100 - Silverstone PS07B mATX Case
$100 - Silverstone TJ08B-E mATX Case

speaking of aesthetics, hows the cable management in these budget cases? Are those holes next to where the mobo screws in for tucking cables into?

Pretty decent for a budget case. Yes.

 

[bennieboy2290]

Thanks for all your help guys, especially Danny Bui! I think I remember you were the one to help me with my system in my sig ~5yrs ago!

My roommate had a blast putting his first PC together and everything is running great! Pretty pleased with the cable managing we were able to do with a non-modular PSU and $30 case!

Final build:
NZXT Gamma Classic
Corsair CX500
Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H Micro ATX
Intel i3-3225
Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 (2x4GB)
Crucial M4 128GB
Sapphire HD 7770 1GB

Final Price: ~$550

 

[Dangman]

I wouldn't have gone with that case or PSU but you're welcome!

Though I highly recommend getting a second fan ASAP as either a side intake or top exhaust. That'll go a long way in preventing future issues with temperatures.

 

[bennieboy2290]

What's wrong with the PSU? The 430W version scored a 9 at Jonny Guru, plus it was only like $40 before MIR.

I would have gone with a case that included more fans and USB 3 front panel as well, but he liked the look and price. I dug out a spare 120mm fan I had and we'll probably install it over the video card, but I wanna check temps when he's gaming and see if its even necessary right now. He doesn't have anything USB 3 right now but when he does, his setup will allow him to plug it into the back without much more difficulty than in front.

 

[Dangman]

What's wrong with the PSU? The 430W version scored a 9 at Jonny Guru, plus it was only like $40 before MIR.

Hate the pricing for it. There are better quality PSUs in that price range.

 

[wtourist]

CX500 is fine, especially on sale.
I would not worry about heat
the 3225 is a 55 watt processor, the HD 7770 maxes out at 175 watts and cools efficently.

Case has nothing to block airflow, should cool well, and a reasonable reputation.

Source 210 cases are stronger with better cable management, but they are $40 and you need +$10 for the Elite model to get two fans.

ABOUT $46 SHIPPED an mATX case
http://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Desig...1&keywords=computer+cases+mATX+FRACTAL+DESIGN

USB3.0
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-E...=8-102&keywords=computer+case+usb+3.0+adapter

 

[teletran8]

I don't like chiming in late to your party, but I can't believe no one recommended a AMD Trinity APU they have a 65 Watt version Quad Core with a built in 7660D. 10 watts more for Quad Core and GPU seems worth it, heck it's cheaper as well (on Newegg at least by 20 buckaroos.)

I like your PSU, dunno about that case I'm a Lian Li fan and you could have gone mini ITX hmm damn I hate saying this but if anyone builds a build like this I would think smaller is the ideal. I would love to build something like your friend for my Living Room TV it's a GREAT idea, but I would go small as possible. Yet I'm sure your friend is 100 percent satisfied anyhow. He has more power efficiency and stronger GPU so that is a plus. SSD is a nice touch what does he use for keyboard or mouse wireless? Also he should get a 360 controller or the like imho for emulators or games. Nice build!

 

[Dangman]

I don't like chiming in late to your party, but I can't believe no one recommended a AMD Trinity APU they have a 65 Watt version Quad Core with a built in 7660D. 10 watts more for Quad Core and GPU seems worth it, heck it's cheaper as well (on Newegg at least by 20 buckaroos.)

There's a 3rd party GPU in that system. Therefore, an AMD APU is a poor recommendation.