Companion Cube

[K1tty]

Is what I'll call it!

Hello everyone. I'm looking to build a gaming capable computer to have in my nerd room for friends/family to use when we both want to play a game together. This would be instead of them schlepping their computer over to my house for all night gaming sessions etc. It can also serve as a computer in the future for my boy.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, other basic tasks
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Total budget max $500 but the cheaper the better ($300 would be quite amazing )
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Atlanta - I am near a MicroCenter (got killer deal on my build) don't see too much in deals now though.
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/Videocard/Case - think that's it
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I have a Sammy hdd, logitech keyboard/mouse, and an Antec Basiq 500w psu I could re-use
6) Will you be overclocking?
Would like to if possible, if not no big deal.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
This will be running on a 20" 1680x1050
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I've decided what to buy
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
Just basic
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, 7 ultimate 64-bit

Appreciate any input! Thanks~

 

[tonytnnt]

You can get an AMD 965 Black Edition build or an Intel Core i3-2100 in this price range given the parts you need. Currently the Georgia stores are out of stock of the AMD option so I've listed the Intel one below:

Microcenter:
$100 - Intel Core i3-2100
$20 - MSI H61M-P23 mATX Motherboard
$38 (before $10 MIR) - Thermaltake V3 Black Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Tax: $9.48
Total: $167.45

Newegg:
$180 (before $20 MIR) - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB (comes with a free copy of Dirt 3)
$100 (before $20 MIR) - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W and G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 and free Kingston 4GB Micro SDHC Flash Card Model SDC4/4GB
Shipping: $0
Total: $279.97

Grand Total: $447.42

Case Alternative:
$40 - NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Brush / Plastic” ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

AMD Alternative:
$120 - AMD Phenom™ II X4 965 Black Edition and Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2P Socket AM3+ 760G mATX

I tried to figure out how to get the $150 Intel Core i5-2400 into the budget but it won't bundle with the motherboards online. It might be worth calling the store or stopping by and seeing if they won't sell you the MSI H61M-P23 for $20 with a Core i5-2400 for $150. Also, I would not use the Antec Basiq 500w as it's not considered to be that great of a power supply (which is why I included a very reasonably priced power supply in the above build.)

Another alternative would be to get a Core i5-2500k for $180 and a motherboard (there's a few bundles on this page but if you decide to go that route I can try to pull something together for you.) You'd be looking at increasing your budget by at least $125-$150 though.