Medium gaming / general use budget build

B

barakandl

n00b
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
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The computer i used as a file storage box for my roommates and myself tragically died. The power supply sparked brightly and smoked. When this happened it also took out my mobo. I would like to use my current desktop as the file sharing box and upgrade to a new desktop computer that i would use daily for games, web browsing etc.

I have built all my computers in the past but honestly i am way out of the scene i really do not know whats what anymore so i am looking for some advice. I can get an employee discount through dell, but i am not sure if a pre built system is what i am looking for.

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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

This would be my main computer which i would use for gaming (probably be playing starcraft 2, diablo 3, maybe some FPS but i have not played one in a while). I do some dvd authoring / transcoding but this is not a priority. Web browsing, mild photoshop work etc.


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

budget between 600 and 800 after tax

3) Where do you live?

Columbus Ohio. I am not opposed to ordering off the net or picking up stuff at microcenter. i figure ordering off the net would be the cheapest way.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

Case (tower style, need room for 2 hard drives, one optical drive), PSU (probably see next q), mobo, cpu, video card pci express, sound (on board fine), NIC card wired (on board fine)

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

SATA 500 gig hard drive western digital
IDE Toshiba DVD burner SH-S222A
IDE 320gig hard drive Maxtor
24" wide CRT monitor HP A7217A
Logitech mouse / keyboard (usb) G500 / G15
5.1 boston speakers uses standard jack. i think it is 2.5mm or whatever

When my PSU burned up i purchased a corsair 400w 80 plus efficiency. Only to find out when the PSU burned it also took out the motherboard as it no longer posts or even gives any type of beep code. i am not sure if this PSU is powerful enough for what i want to do so i am willing to get a new one if needed. i have not found if it took out my hard drives yet but if so i can replace those later.

6) Will you be overclocking?

not likely

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

I have a 24" wide CRT that i will not replace at this time. Run desktop in 1920x1200 and used to play WoW in that resolution. I may upgrade at a later time to similar sized lcd.

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

very soon. i would like to order by this weekend.

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

SATA Raid for hard drives, At least 2 sata ports, i plan on purchasing a PCI Explress vid card, onboard sound and network, able to use at least 2 ide devices

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?

Plan on using windows 7 64 bit. Have a legit key and dvd already.
 
barakandl said:
This is looking to be less expensive then i thought it might be, which is a good thing.

this is the power supply i have. would it be sufficient?
CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=corsair_power_supply-_-17-139-008-_-Product
Click to expand...

If you decide to go with the 5770, I'm gonna say it should be enough. (though I do suggest waiting for more replies from other folks) Also if you want, you could get a 5850 and that'll give you more joy to your new rig if you don't mind spending a bit more for eye candy.\

edit: I didn't include ram on my previous post, since I don't really know which are the good ones.
 
i'm just gonna list a build that I was thinking of making in that price range.

CPU - I7-860 or I7-875K (not listed on the web) at microcenter for $200 + tax

Case and RAM - Antec 300 Illusion (more fans) and G. skill ripjaws 2x2gb ddr3 1600 150

PSU and mobo - Corsair HX 650W and ASUS P7P55D-E Pro $270-20MIR=$250

GPU - Radeon 5770 [B[]$160[/B] though you can sometimes find them onsale for around $20 less

Total - $760 + any tax/shipping you may incur

the 650W may be overkill, but I like the extra power just in case I ever decide to put more parts in, I don't have to worry about if I have enough power. also, HX quality > TX, and modular is useful, especially in the less spacious 300 Illusion case. As a note, I did not actually buy this spec and ended up spending more for other parts. I just bought them today, so don't ask me about performance. That's just what my research came up with
 
Unfortunately the lack of free shipping on the Antec 300 Illusion case effectively negates the combo savings of the RAM and GPU. In other words, not a good deal at all. In addition, since the OP isn't overclocking, no need to get the i7 875K since it has no HSF. Which means another $30 in what is already a tight budget.

I recommend this setup instead:
$200 - Core i7 860 from Microcenter
$105 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 mATX Motherboard
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$55 - Antec 300 ATX Case
--
$765 plus tax

Faster video card, actual HSF, and similar quality PSU.

EDIT: Have just been informed about the price hike for the Core i7 CPUs. Not worth it at this point in time. Go with this CPU + mobo combo instead:
$290 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 AMD 870 ATX Motherboard

Should be about $750 shipped with the above AMD setup.
 
Danny Bui said:
Unfortunately the lack of free shipping on the Antec 300 Illusion case effectively negates the combo savings of the RAM and GPU. In other words, not a good deal at all. In addition, since the OP isn't overclocking, no need to get the i7 875K since it has no HSF. Which means another $30 in what is already a tight budget.

I recommend this setup instead:
$200 - Core i7 860 from Microcenter
$105 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 mATX Motherboard
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$55 - Antec 300 ATX Case
--
$765 plus tax

Faster video card, actual HSF, and similar quality PSU.
Click to expand...

Actually, the i7-860 now costs $230 at Microcenter. This makes neither the i7-860 nor the i7-875K as good of a deal as many people think.
 
Danny Bui said:
Read my edit :D
Click to expand...

I just saw the edit - after I made the posts. Fair enough, in this case.

By the way, Microcenter's price on the 860 tends to alternate between $200 and $230 from month to month. This month, it's at the $230 price whereas last month it was $200. Who knows whether next month's price on the 860 will be $200 or $230?
 
yes, as i posted on every post where Danny decides to rape me, i was not aware of the price increase. Go with AMD in that case, or get a lower i3 or i5

I was gonna buy a HSF anyways, so that was my personal justification for 875K. Also, I was personally tired of using AMD for so many of my computers

Danny Bui said:
Unfortunately the lack of free shipping on the Antec 300 Illusion case effectively negates the combo savings of the RAM and GPU. In other words, not a good deal at all.
Click to expand...

I made that build last week, and the shipping was listed as less and it was actually only $55 then (oops, forgot to double check before posting).
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone. I have got some thinking and a little bit more research to do. I found out my one roomate works for Redemtech which is the same parent company as microcenter so he gets a discount there. I guess it is some percentage above wholesale cost. Not sure how much of a difference that would make for mobos. etc.

Once i figure out what i am going to do i will post back here.
 
quidproqu0 said:
yes, as i posted on every post where Danny decides to rape me, i was not aware of the price increase. Go with AMD in that case, or get a lower i3 or i5 ...
Click to expand...

dont take it personally, he just posts in nearly every single thread. :p
 
quidproqu0 said:
yes, as i posted on every post where Danny decides to rape me, i was not aware of the price increase.
Click to expand...

As Enginurd noted, don't take it personally: I really do post in a majority of the threads out there. In addition, most of the time, the OP of a thread will not read other threads so there was a good chance that someone would have followed your advice had I not responded. Just trying to help the OP.
 
barakandl said:
$105 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 mATX Motherboard
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$55 - Antec 300 ATX Case
$290 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 AMD 870 ATX Motherboard

this is what i just ordered. thanks for the advice
Click to expand...

You should not have bought the P55 motherboard because you have no Socket 1156 CPU to put in.
 
1 x ($109.99) MEM 2Gx2|GSKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
$109.99



1 x ($54.95) CASE ANTEC|THREE HUNDRED BK RT
$54.95



1 x ($99.99) MB GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 RT
$99.99



1 x ($199.99) CPU AMD|PH II X6 1055T 2.8 G AM3 RT
$199.99



1 x ($239.99) VGA XFX|HD-583X-ZNFV HD5830 1G DDR5
$239.99



1 x ($99.99) PSU XFX|P1-650X-CAG9 650W RT
$99.99



1 x ($-35.00) DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #421100
$-35.00



1 x ($-10.00) DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #424103
$-10.0


I messed up when i was copying and pasting on the last post. this is my actual order
 
Last edited:
That is exactly what i'm looking into getting. Looks like a nice rig. Post back with how you like it.
 
Should arrive on Wednesday. Downloading some FPS games to test out. I will report back later!
 
barakandl said:
$105 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 mATX Motherboard
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$295 - XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5830 1GB PCI-E Video Card + XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$55 - Antec 300 ATX Case
$290 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 AMD 870 ATX Motherboard

this is what i just ordered. thanks for the advice
Click to expand...

lol that had me worried for a minute..
 
Yeah i just fail at copy paste :)

I got it today, hardware went together just fine. Windows 7 is installing now. Thought i read i need to set up the ram special so i just gotta do some research.

Yay

Thanks
 
barakandl said:
Here we go. It is up and running. First time really using and setting up a windows 7 OS. Some stuff is a little different but still easy to figure out. About to install some new sniper fps game to try out. The latest catalyst driver does not seam to like my monitor. It will only run in 2304x1440. Installed one version older and it then i can pick any resolution / refresh.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4288/screenshotsy.png

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/8161/dsc01059m.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks pretty good there. The only thing that's holding you back a little is that you have a slightly older version of the 500GB WD Blue (the two-platter version; currently manufactured versions of that same drive are single-platter designs)--although admittedly I could never achieve a WEI score of greater than 5.9 on the HDD even with 500GB platters.

In addition, I found the WEI scores all but useless. In fact, only if that score is abnormally low do I sense a bottleneck.
 
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