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Hey all. My friend would like me to build him a budget gaming machine. I was hoping to consult with you all before embarking on the build to get him the best bang for his buck. That said, on to the standard questions:
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc.
He greatly wants to have a dedicated gaming machine.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Budget is $700, shipping and tax included. I also don't want him to spend his money just to spend his money, if coming in under budget doesn't harm performance significantly.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible
Northern California (couple hours north of Sacramento).
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.
It will be a complete machine, the case and all internal components. He will not need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or OS.
Thus:
Case
PSU
RAM
CPU (plus HSF if needed?)
GPU
HDD
MOBO
CD/DVD reader/burner
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
No parts will be reused from his previous machines.
6) Will you be overclocking?
No, he wants his machine to be as stable and long lived as possible at stock.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
He has two monitors, he is willing to use either (or both?)
Monitor 1: 19" 1280 x 1024 Sony SDM-HS95P
Monitor 2: 19" 1280 x 1024 HP f1905b
I know those are fairly old/small monitors, but it is what he has on hand and he wants to put his full budget into the machine itself. I would guess that he would buy a new monitor down the line when budget allows.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Sooner rather than later, but it is not super time sensitive, beyond the fact that he is currently limping along on an old laptop that has a question mark in the "continued functional lifespan" column. He could probably wait a little while if a big price drop was coming down the tech pipeline.
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.
No special mobo requirements.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, I have an extra copy of Windows 7 64 bit I will give him.
So, thoughts? What can I put together for him for maximum efficiency/longevity for his money?
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc.
He greatly wants to have a dedicated gaming machine.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Budget is $700, shipping and tax included. I also don't want him to spend his money just to spend his money, if coming in under budget doesn't harm performance significantly.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible
Northern California (couple hours north of Sacramento).
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.
It will be a complete machine, the case and all internal components. He will not need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or OS.
Thus:
Case
PSU
RAM
CPU (plus HSF if needed?)
GPU
HDD
MOBO
CD/DVD reader/burner
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
No parts will be reused from his previous machines.
6) Will you be overclocking?
No, he wants his machine to be as stable and long lived as possible at stock.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
He has two monitors, he is willing to use either (or both?)
Monitor 1: 19" 1280 x 1024 Sony SDM-HS95P
Monitor 2: 19" 1280 x 1024 HP f1905b
I know those are fairly old/small monitors, but it is what he has on hand and he wants to put his full budget into the machine itself. I would guess that he would buy a new monitor down the line when budget allows.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Sooner rather than later, but it is not super time sensitive, beyond the fact that he is currently limping along on an old laptop that has a question mark in the "continued functional lifespan" column. He could probably wait a little while if a big price drop was coming down the tech pipeline.
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.
No special mobo requirements.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, I have an extra copy of Windows 7 64 bit I will give him.
So, thoughts? What can I put together for him for maximum efficiency/longevity for his money?
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