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Budget Build for D3

O

osuguy89

n00b
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
13
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Diablo 3, SC2

2) What's your budget?
$500-$550 (After rebates and shipping)

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

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
CPU,GPU,RAM,HDD,CASE,PSU,MOBO

6) Will you be overclocking?
If necessary

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

Thanks everyone.
 
I am assuming you left out question #5 because you aren't reusing anything. However, question #7 we need to know what size monitor you have or plan to have as it will effect the video card selection. I am also assuming you left out question #9 because you don't know what kind of features you need/want or you have no specific needs for any features. Understandable there, but we do need to know if you have an Operating System and what kind of Operating System it is; it can effect how much RAM we intend to set you up with.
 
I already have an OS, Windows 7. Monitor size is 17'' I believe max res 1280 x 1024
 
Prelim build:

$139 - Intel Core i3-2120 + Samsung DVD Burner Combo
$90 - Intel BOXDH67BLB3 Intel H67 mATX Motherboard
$20 - G.Skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNT 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$117 - Asus EAH6770/DI/1GD5 Radeon HD 6770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$91 - Hitachi 7K1000.D HDS721050DLE630 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$43 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
----
Total: $550 shipped.
 
Decided to up my budget. What you guys think about this?


Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$69.99


Western Digital Caviar Blue WD2500AAKX 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$79.99


RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Power Supply, New Version with Build-in ...
-$15.00 Instant
$54.99
$39.99


ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$129.99


Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...
$224.99



SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL

Combo: GPU RAM COMBO $170 after rebate

Total Shipped AR: $713
 
That case is not a good choice, since it's cramped on the inside. The hard drive is significantly slower than the one Danny recommended. The PSU isn't capable of sustaining it's rated power rating at all. Might be able to hold 300W, but 530W is not gonna happen. That AsRock motherboard is of poorer quality, plus it has a much shorter warranty comparability to other motherboard in it's price and feature range. That CPU is a good choice and you should just go with Danny's build, but use that CPU instead with a CM 212+ cooler. That GPU is about equivalent to the GPU Danny suggested as well.

What is your new budget? $750?
 
I stopped at the power supply. Definitely not somewhere you want to scrimp and penny pinch. The case isn't HORRIBLE, but it's going to be cramped, and that hard drive is pretty expensive for what you're getting.
 
HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721050DLE630 (0F13178) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$84.99


ASUS EAH6770/DI/1GD5 Radeon HD 6770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$109.99


Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W Continuous Power ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$44.99


G.SKILL Value Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT
Item #: N82E16820231421
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$19.99


Intel BOXDH67BLB3 LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
$89.99


Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...

$210

$50 Case

$625 Total
 
Pylor said:
I stopped at the power supply. Definitely not somewhere you want to scrimp and penny pinch. The case isn't HORRIBLE, but it's going to be cramped, and that hard drive is pretty expensive for what you're getting.
Click to expand...

What PSU u recommend?
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028 - $60 with promo code and you can get a $10 rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130584 - $70 after rebate + free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136771 - $80. Hard drive prices still have not fallen fast enough, but expect them to return to normalish levels later this year.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146077 - $50 with free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118067 - $18, $1 shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424 - $37, free shipping. No need for ram any faster than that.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077 - $128 w/ free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009365 - 1080p monitor at $130 + $9 shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561 - $145 after rebate and free shipping.

Total: $708. I didn't include tax or shipping, but I minimized the shipping costs by choosing the parts somewhat carefully.

D3 is a blizzard title, so we know it will be about as threaded as software was back in 1995. That monitor you currently have is way too wimpy and you're way better off upgrading the monitor than you would be on spending the extra cash for a z68 + 2500K chip, as that resolution is overkill for that processor and any overclock is overkill upon overkill. I can guarantee you that the 6870 + core i3 will play D3 at its highest settings with all settings maxed. Blizzard titles aren't demanding, and this one is going to be a console port :p You're way better off going with a more well-rounded PC than you would be with a great overclocker but a shitty low res monitor.
 
If you basically have $150 more to spend, so upgrade a few components in Danny's build. Since the games you are playing are from Blizzard and Blizzard's current games are CPU intensive games (WoW, SC2) so we'll do a CPU upgrade to a quad core, plus we'll give you a little more juice on the GPU as well. I also doubled your RAM.


$190 - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz
$90 - Intel BOXDH67BLB3 Intel H67 mATX Motherboard
$40 - G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
$165 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB
$91 - Hitachi 7K1000.D HDS721050DLE630 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$43 - Antec NEO ECO 400C 400W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$19 - Sony Optiarc 24X DVD Burner
----
Total: $688

Alternatively, we might have enough in the budget to get you the 2500k processor, but we'll have to spend a little more on the motherboard with a chipset better suited for overclocking. However I don't think it's needed and it will most likely put you a tad over budget.
 
^ on a 17" monitor? That's wayyyyyy overkill...

D3 is a console port and therefore DX9 unless Blizz decide to introduce some extras for the PC, but whether it's DX9, DX10 or DX11, it doesn't matter at 1280x1024 resolution.

Are you planning on upgrading that monitor? I'd highly suggest a monitor upgrade to be included in that build, otherwise you're overspending on overpowered components senselessly.
 
Overkill, yes.

Way easier to upgrade a monitor than anything else in the computer.
 
Well, why not include it in the build then? It makes far more sense to add a monitor and skimp on the CPU (remember, it's a blizzard title) than it would be to have a too-powerful PC with a monitor that's dragging it down. Don't be fooled into thinking Blizzard multi-threads their games well. Blizzard titles are made to run on a wide range of PCs and have to account for the technically weak PCs as well, and this is especially true of Diablo III as it's a console game ported to the desktop.

50FPS looks far better on 1080p than does 140FPS on a 17" monitor.
 
You've never played SC2 have you? That game is very CPU intensive. It's better for the OP to build a rig that can handle 1080P now, then upgrade to a 1080P monitor a month or two from now than it is for him to build a computer around a 17" 1280x1024 monitor and upgrade all of it later. Likewise, with his still low budget it's best to just build a rig that can handle 1080P now and get a 1080P monitor later.

If it were me, I'd build the system to handle 1080P; Then get 1080P later.

Also that build you recommend him is way more than $708. It's closer to $770, we don't factor in MIRs in with a budget since MIRs are not 100% guaranteed; not to mention they require money up front which most of the time the OP doesn't have. Also that RAM you recommended is OOS.

Therefore, if we include an additional $82 in the budget, then we can easily drop that GPU back to the one Danny originally recommended which will save an additional $48, then drop back another $20 from going with 4GB of RAM instead of 8GB with the RAM Danny recommended and we'll have $150 for a 1080P monitor. However, that'll put the budget to $770, not $700.
 
OP, I recommend sticking with Skillz's build. Early reports are saying that the D3 beta is actually scaling decently beyond two cores. In fact, it's stressing quad-core CPUs a bit according to some reports.

As such, I'd recommend the Core i5 2400 over the Core i3 2120. Yes the Core i3 2120 will provide good performance but the i5 2400 will provide even higher/better performance if the early reports are right about D3 scaling beyond two cores are right.
 
I'd go with i5 2500K/ASRock Z68 Extreme3/Gen3 and GPU combo, hands down. Looks like you'll be able to save some money by doing that.

That's a good board, ASRock is a spun from ASUS.

Everything else I'd just follow Skillz's/Danny suggestion. There's a black version of the suggested case that's a few dollars cheaper. Definitely find a reputable PSU.

You'll be able to OC pretty easily with an aftermarket cooler, it'll let your $$$ go just a little longer. i3 2100 and i5 2400 will be fine for D3 but they'll show their age much earlier than a mildy OC'd 2500K.
 
spayced said:
ASRock Z68 Extreme3/Gen3

That's a good board,
Click to expand...
No it isn't. Read the HardOCP reviews of AsRock's Z68 motherboards:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/11/09/asrock_z68_extreme4_gen3_motherboard_review/
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/12/07/asrock_z68_pro3_lga_1155_motherboard_review/

That first one is the higher-end version of that ASRock Z68 Extreme3/Gen3. Yet it did very poorly. So imagine how bad the lower-end version might be.
spayced said:
ASRock is a spun from ASUS.
Click to expand...
They were spun off from Asus. However that was several years ago and they don't share much in common these days as evident by the above two reviews and warranties. Remember that AsRock was formed with the goal of making cheap and budget motherboards and parts. Clearly that's still mostly their bread and butter these days.
 
I have read that review before but I found my experience was quite different from theirs when I recently put together a system using the Extreme3/Gen3 and not the Extreme4/Gen3.

I feel it's competitively priced/marketed towards a budget gaming build. not too many boards with similar features at that price range.

I love hardocp reviews but at the end of the day I need more than just one opinion so to speak.

Thanks for the clarification and you are correct in regards to ASRock and ASUS. I probably shouldn't have just left it at that. I didn't mean to imply they still share similarities but merely the origins of ASRock.
 
spayced said:
I have read that review before but I found my experience was quite different from theirs when I recently put together a system using the Extreme3/Gen3 and not the Extreme4/Gen3.

I feel it's competitively priced/marketed towards a budget gaming build. not too many boards with similar features at that price range.

I love hardocp reviews but at the end of the day I need more than just one opinion so to speak.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.

I'm still not going to recommend that AsRock mobo to anyone considering the HardOCP reviews as well as their short 1-2 year warranty.
 
+1

I wont recommend an AsRock motherboard to anyone.
 
Rezion said:
If he went with Gigabyte Ultra Durable VGA Series Radeon HD 6850 1GB GDDR5
$159.99 - 13% = $139.19 (Also has $20 MIR to bring down to $119.19 AR)

Would this be an acceptable card even if he upgraded to a 1080p monitor? Just seeing if he could drop his cost slightly since he is mainly planning on running D3.
Click to expand...

It would be acceptable but requires the OP to buy that card within six days if he wants to take advantage of that 13% off deal. If he can't buy within that time frame or if he can't take advantage of that promo, that HD 6850 isn't worth buying at $160.

Though I'd highly recommend sticking with the HD 6870 since 1920x1080 is still fairly demanding even for Blizzard games.
 
Rezion said:
If he went with Gigabyte Ultra Durable VGA Series Radeon HD 6850 1GB GDDR5
$159.99 - 13% = $139.19 (Also has $20 MIR to bring down to $119.19 AR)

Would this be an acceptable card even if he upgraded to a 1080p monitor? Just seeing if he could drop his cost slightly since he is mainly planning on running D3.
Click to expand...

Granted his title leads us to believe D3, the OP also mentions SCII. Therefore the 6870 does nearly 18 FPS more than a 6850 in SCII.
 
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