Budget gaming build

[manny1222]

After seeing pictures of my rig and setup, a co-worker asked me to build a computer for her boyfriend for his birthday, to replace his old rig which he is fed up with. He primarily plays Skyrim. He's stated previously that he'd like to be able to play it on the highest settings. And she says she'll be taking over his old PC, so no reusing parts.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Internet and gaming (Skyrim)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$700 out the door (or computer screen).
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Lansing, Michigan. There's a MC about 85 miles away, but if I drive there it will be at my own expense
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.
CPU, MoBo, RAM, PSU, GPU, HDD, DVD burner, Case, OS
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None. Oh, except monitor.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Nope
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
24 inch 1080P
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within 2 weeks
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 really. Oh I should say she doesn't know.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Nope

This is what I came up with
CPU - Core i3-4130 $129.99
Mobo - AsRock H81M $64.99
RAM - Crucial Ballistix 2x4gb $56.99
PSU - XFX 550W $61.24
GPU - PowerColor HD7850 $149.99
HDD - WD Blue 1TB $62.99
DVD - Lite-On DVD $17.99
Case - NZXT Source 210 $39.99
OS - Windows 7 HP $90.91

Total $682.41 (shipping included).

I am not set on anything, so all suggestions are welcomed. Like Danny Bui, I don't factor mail in rebates into the cost because they are not guaranteed. You think 8gb of ram is needed or can he get by with 4gb? Is the HD 7850 a good choice for a single monitor? My current selection is to keep things cheap/reasonable, but provide a little quality and some future proofing (I know you can never future proof, but at least for a while). And yes, I'm partial to intel over AMD. Thanks for your replies

 

[Dangman]

That particular HD 7850 isn't a good choice since it's a 1GB model (Skyrim with certain mods can exceed 1GB of VRAM usage) and it seems to have some QC issues. I would aim for a more reliable HD 7850 2GB model for just $10 more:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0083W9KXA?tag=intercept-kb-20

PSU wise, while that's a good PSU, it's a tad overpriced from Newegg at $76 shipped (There are far better quality PSUs in that price range). However, at $62 shipped from Amazon.com, that's when it's a good deal:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RJ8EKI?tag=intercept-kb-20

Finally the case: You can save $17 by going with this case instead:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005869IUY?tag=intercept-kb-20

Might as well get the HDD from Amazon.com since it is $7 cheaper there:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088PUEPK?tag=intercept-kb-20

All of those changes should get you under the $700 budget.Yes, stick with 8GB of RAM considering that RAM prices have been increasing lately.

 

[manny1222]

Thanks Danny. I made changes to the original list to include the products from Amazon.

 

[Dangman]

Wrong case to go with: You've linked the NZXT Source 210. It's not a good buy when the Source 210 Elite only costs a little more and comes with front-panel USB 3.0 and a 140mm fan. Totally worth it considering that the regular NZXT Source 210's single fan probably isn't enough.

Here are the cases again:
$43 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite Black ATX Case

Motherboard wise, I recommend getting this slightly more reputable MSI mobo instead:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D12OASW/?tag=extension-kb-20

 

[manny1222]

Don't mean to make you feel like I ignored you Danny. I never heard back from her until today when she said she'll give me a check tomorrow. I have been doing some thinking and decided to give him one of my WD Black 750 from my raid setup so I can use the money saved from a hard drive towards a better video card and possibly a quad core processor. So this is what I have come up with today to buy in the morning. Some of the deals expire tomorrow, so I really hope she comes through.

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147183
MoBo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130703
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116895
GPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127722
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233192
DVD - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136259
OS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Total (shipping included) - $696.69

I know I could probably find somethings cheaper on amazon, but I haven't looked yet.

 

[Dangman]

The case isn't a good choice because it is cramped l.

 

[tiraides]

If you're buying everything within the next 24 hours, buy this RAM instead:

$56 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM (included 15% discount promo code EMCXLVS46, expires 9/30)

You can save some money with the following combo deal:

$235 - Intel Core i5-4430 and Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H combo deal

If nothing else, buy the OS from Amazon:

$91 - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM DVD

With the above changes (processor, motherboard, RAM, OS), the total drops down to around $652 before taxes and shipping.

The case isn't a good choice because it is cramped l.

The simplest solution is to swap out the Rosewill case for the $60 Corsair 200R. The overall total rises to about $671 before taxes and shipping.

 

[manny1222]

That bundle doesn't make sense. 1150 processor with 1155 board?

Since most boards have dual channel memory, wouldn't it be better to go with a 2 x 4gb memory than a single stick of 8gb?

For the case I might go back the NZXT source elite. I only picked this one because it was cheaper (if only by $10), allowing me to stay under $700.

 

[tiraides]

That bundle doesn't make sense. 1150 processor with 1155 board?

I don't know how I missed that. NewEgg combo deals normally pair motherboards and processors of the same socket together.

Go with the following combo deal instead:

$202 - Intel Core i5-4430 and LG GH24NS95 combo

And grab the MSI B85-G41 from Amazon:

$80 - MSI B85-G41 PC Mate

With Amazon, you'll pay no shipping charges.

Since most boards have dual channel memory, wouldn't it be better to go with a 2 x 4gb memory than a single stick of 8gb?

There's no noticeable performance loss from using single-channel RAM (compared to dual-channel RAM). It's notable in synthetic benchmarks but not in everyday tasks like gaming.

Plus, given your $700 budget, RAM is an excellent cost corner to cut.

For the case I might go back the NZXT source elite. I only picked this one because it was cheaper (if only by $10), allowing me to stay under $700.

The price on both colors of the NZXT Source 210 Elite have dropped to around $43 at Amazon this weekend. I referenced the Corsair 200R due to Dangman's comments about the Rosewill's lack of working space.

 

[manny1222]

I just saw the prices on the source elite. Thanks
I decided to order everything from amazon. I always try to order from one place if possible.
So again here's the cart.

Case - $42.82 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005869J4O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
MoBo - $59.24 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D12OAOG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
PSU - $61.24 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RJ8EKI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
CPU - $187.98 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO8T9VC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
RAM - $64.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055LGG3Y/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
GPU - $169.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BANKXFI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
DVD - $20.42 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009F1DYF8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
OS - $90.88 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q0PT3I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Total: $697.56

I'm going back to the XFX power supply because from what i researched online, it is probably better than the CX line corsair. With the motherboard I know the one chosen only has one PCIe 3.0 and one PCIe ports, but I don't believe he's going to need more than that. He is a gamer, but not a PC enthusiast. Besides I don't believe B85 chipsets allow for crossfire or SLI. At most he'll add a sound card which can be had in PCIe. My only regret is that amazon doesn't seem to offer the free games that newegg does for buying the GPU.

 

[tiraides]

The free games are a promotional deal between AMD and the GPU vendors. They're available regardless of whether you buy the card from Amazon or NewEgg.

I have no issues with you switching out the Corsair CX500 for the XFX 550 for quality reasons. That's actually a good reason to make the change.

Regarding the MSI B85M-P33, do you believe that your friend will only need 8GB of RAM?

 

[manny1222]

As far as I know, he only (mostly, I should say) plays Skyrim. I don't know anything about it, but I don't believe it will require more than 8gb of memory as any game currently out. I'm hoping by the time he needs more than 8gbs of ram, the whole system would be obsolete.

 

[manny1222]

Alright Tiraides, I fold.
Didn't have a really good reason to get 2x4gb ram. So I got the crucial you suggested. I also figured I'll go all out so I got this board instead [http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-...=UTF8&qid=1380552145&sr=8-2&keywords=msi+h87]. Might as well go H87 . I also got the cpu/dvd drive combo from newegg to save a little extra. So my total from amazon and newegg was just under $705. I got the check this morning and just ordered the parts. I think I'm more excited about building this rig than both of them.

 

[horrorshow]

If your primary game of choice is Skyrim, I HIGHLY recommend you go with an Nvidia-based card.

I've been on the red team consistently since my old x1950 Pro etc. So obviously, I don't like admitting this:

Even with a really choice AMD card like the 7950/7970, you will not experience the same fluidity and pleasurable gaming experience as you would with an Nvidia product.

Look into an Nvidia 660 ti/760 GTX if it's not too late to change your build.

Trust me....

 

[manny1222]

Too late
It already shows items as shipped.
I am an nvidia fan all the way, but because this was a budget build I figure I'd go with AMD because every one talks of how they are usually of better value for the money. The cheapest gtx 660 is $199, which would've put added strain on the budget.

 

[PeterDLai]

Even with a really choice AMD card like the 7950/7970, you will not experience the same fluidity and pleasurable gaming experience as you would with an Nvidia product.

Can you explain a little bit why? Is it just a matter of the game being better optimized for NVIDIA or is AMD seriously lacking in some features?

 

[Dangman]

Can you explain a little bit why? Is it just a matter of the game being better optimized for NVIDIA or is AMD seriously lacking in some features?

Some games are indeed better optimized for Nvidia cards due to Nvidia and that particular game developer/publisher having a close relationship during the game's development as part of Nvidia's The Way It's Meant To be Played (TWIMTBP) program. BF3 is a good recent example of that.

With that said, AMD does appear to finally going on a counter-offensive as evident by their close relationship with Crystal Dynamics during the development of the most recent Tomb Raider game and supposedly BF4.

 

[PeterDLai]

Ah, I see. Thanks.

Do you think NVIDIA/AMD pay the game companies to sabotage performance on the other's cards? Is that legal?

 

[Dangman]

Ah, I see. Thanks.

Do you think NVIDIA/AMD pay the game companies to sabotage performance on the other's cards? Is that legal?

No and not sure.