Building a New Sub 700$ System Value Style

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MetalSluggX

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 30, 2003
Messages
245
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing?

Gaming exclusivly on a 1280x1024 lcd monitor

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

A little more or less 700$ USD Total

3) Where do you live?

Maine, USA

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.

Everything excluding the monitor, keyboard/mouse/sound accessories

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

Hitachi 17" monitor

6) Will you be overclocking?

Very little if at all, basically only if it's worth it.

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?

Hitachi 17" monitor

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

This week.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.

I'm inpartial to Intel/AMD, Nvidia/ATI. OK I lied :( I lean towards intel/nvidia for the general quality unless theres a value difference.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?

Yes most likely windows 7 64 not included in this budget.


I've been through computers with intel/amd chips and eventually every amd chip I've had has had a shorter lifespan while I have never had an Intel chip fail on me ever so I am leaning towards an intel cpu except that Intel prices seem to be very inflated at the moment while AMD seems to have some really good deals.
With video cards though I'm totally impartial to nvidia/ati.

I would normally love to give a list of computer parts I had in mind but I don't know where to begin.
 
I just built a list on new egg, anything I couldn't find there or was out of stock I then looked to Frozen CPU for parts.

Start with the CPU you have in mind, then go down the list from there, the case is always the last thing on the list for me.
 
Oct 13-16th 5750/70 will be in stores. I would hold off ontill them to buy or get XFX 4870 512 MB for $125.
 
 
Thank you all for such great suggestions! It looks like I am going to go the i5 route with a 3rd party heastsink for an oc and wait a few days for the 5750 :D
 
For the HDD, get a Samsung F3 or Segate 7200.12, either 500GB or 1TB, as they use the new 500GB platters, which are faster than the 333GB-platter-drives (640GB/1TB).

Post a final build list before you order, just to double check that you're getting the best bang for buck.
 
OK, I'm going to go a little over budget but I would personally spend another 20-30% more on a similiar speed but better build quality parts, this is where I am at:

Asus p55/ ripjaw / i5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.263460

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187


For the PSU should I get

Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371021
Or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

The video card is either going to be a 5750 or a 5770 depending on price/performance

For the HDD I'll take your advice and get the new platter technology, but who produces the highest quality most reliable HDD's, maybe in the 1TB range? The HDD is one part I will never skimp on.
 
Seeing those prices, I'd go the i5 route as well. Check for case/PSU combos. That will save you some bucks. And don't forget to use Bing cashback. 2-3% might not sound like a lot but that is money saved, especially if you are spending $700+.
 
Yea I was originally going to get that PSU/Case combo that you guys are talking about but I didn't know if it was worth it compared to the massive savings on that corsair PSU. What is Bing cashback?
 
MetalSluggX said:
Yea I was originally going to get that PSU/Case combo that you guys are talking about but I didn't know if it was worth it compared to the massive savings on that corsair PSU. What is Bing cashback?
Click to expand...

Here's the FAQ:

http://www.bing.com/shopping/pages/howtouse.aspx

Bing Cashback varies. If you are patient you can get very good savings though. For instance, one time TigerDirect was doing 15% Bing Cashback and I bought my EVGA Classified from them. That comes to 60 dollars cash I get back to spend later!

Right now Newegg's Bing Cashback is only at 2% but that's still 14 dollars back from 700. There have been other times it can vary from as much as 5-10% bing cashback though.
Ebay is at 8% bing cashback now but sometimes in the morning in limited windows they jump up to 10% even 15%.
I got 10% of my i7 920 processor for $25 earned with Bing cashback. Etc.
 
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