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Budget Build Help

P

Paulitix

n00b
Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
13
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing?
-I will be using it as a general PC with a slight trend towards Games. I have a PS3 for almost all of my gaming and a Laptop for most computing, but I'd like a PC to run things like the new SimCity well, Starcraft 3, Diablo 3, etc... I won't be playing (or don't intend to at least) FPS or the type, but you know how it is with new toys...

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
-I'd definitely like to keep it below $1000. $500 is even better, but I will make concessions for stuff like Graphics cards. I tend to spend a little more for the next better option...

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

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
-Mobo, CPU, RAM, GPU (HD too, but I'll spec that out myself...so for budgeting puposes, we'll assume I'll reuse one)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
-I'll use the case from my current PC, could probably use the PSU as well, but will take suggestions since I cant remember make/model...I think its 700W

6) Will you be overclocking?
-I doubt it

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
-24", 1920x1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
-Any time before Februrary

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, SATA 6Gb/s, eSATA

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, 64-bit Windows 7 Professional.


Forgive the vagueness, I wish I could say what parts I had in mind, but I can really go any direction with this. I used to prefer Intel exclusively, but that is no longer the case.
 
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February is far, but not much will change in the consumer space between now and then.

You should dedicate between $190-$220 for your video card. A HD 7850 would be perfect for your performance needs at 1080p, especially when overclocked. It should easily hit 1000MHz on stock voltage and 1050+ if you're lucky from a stock speed of 860MHz. The single fan reference designs should all be able to overvolt if needed. Multi-fan designs seem to be spotty with locked voltages but will obviously run quieter and cooler. The $230-$250 range will get you a GTX 660 which is faster than a stock 7850 across the majority of titles including Starcraft II (but both get over 60fps already anyways...). I highly recommend a 7850 if you are not already set on an Nvidia model.

For CPU, an i3 would be enough for your needs and a good way to cut costs. An i3-3220 or i3-2130 would fit the bill.

Looking through the Z75/Z77 ATX boards on Newegg, the cheapest board with eSATA is $120, with the next one being $150. If you can give up the need for eSATA, the MSI Z77A-G41 looks great to me at ~$100, unless you need more than two SATA 6gbps ports.

For RAM, anything 1.5V or lower, 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz memory with decent reviews is fine. Under $40, the price differences are negligible so just pick one you like. I'd go Patriot or G.Skill.

VGA..$220
CPU...$130
mobo...$100
RAM...$40

That brings you to $490. I don't know anything about your current PSU but 700W is overkill and if it is an old unit, I would get a new PSU in the 400-450W power range. Someone else will have to comment on which one exactly but you can expect to pay around $80 for a decent one.
Your i3 will not be overclockable but if the noise of the stock cooler becomes a concern for you, you can always grab a cheap CM Hyper 212 and slow down the fan.

Final cost will be $600. Not too shabby.
 
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Is an Intel Core i5-3570K for $179.97 a good deal, worth $50 more than the i3-3220 or i3-2130, and more importantly, do you think it'll get much cheaper than that before Feb?
 
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Can you narrow down your purchase time frame any further?

Paulitix said:
Is an Intel Core i5-3570K for $179.97 a good deal, worth $50 more than the i3-3220 or i3-2130,
Click to expand...
If you're a Canadian and can buy that CPU for $180 CAD, you should definitely get it as Canadians don't get that many good CPU deals. With that said, for D3 and SC2, you'd probably won't notice a difference between the three CPUs you listed. However Sim City looks like it'll be very CPU heavy as with a lot of Sims games. So it may be heavily multi-threaded as well which means that you should notice a huge difference between the i5 3570K and any of the Core i3.
Paulitix said:
and more importantly, do you think it'll get much cheaper than that before Feb?
Click to expand...
No.
 
Haha, thanks. I got a bit click happy and ordered it already. So, now I guess I'm overclocking. I already have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO lying around from a previous build, and I think I'm gonna go with an Asrock Z77 Extreme3 for $120 (and an extra $30 rebate on top). The question is, what kinda RAM should I go with to support a conservative OC. From what I've been reading, I should be able to get over 4 with no problems.

This always happens, and is why I tried to set the bar low, cuz I always exceed my target. I went with the Extreme3 instead of the Extreme4 for the rebate (if it comes) and the fact that I will never use more than 1 GPU. The Extreme4 is currently $130 at the same store.
 
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