New build for under $400

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Gamers anonymous

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Hello all!

So here's the situation, birthday's coming up i've asked this sort of question a lot and have decided maybe building the computer would be the cheapest solution. So, my budget is 400 maximum. What i'm looking for is a gaming computer. Now what is most important is probably the motherboard. Right now im focused on just getting a computer that will turn on. So exclude the video card for now. Also the cheapest cpu, as i can see myself replacing that almost immediately. What i want is a computer that later on *will be getting a job soon* i can add a new cpu the i7 most likely. The radeon 7870. a 700 watt psu. and 8gb ram min. So i just want a computer for now that can just turn on and do whatever until i can afford the rest. im talking dirt cheap as long as i can do what i want later. I have a keyboard and mouse already. I would like however an LGA 1155 mobo. Is this possible?

Thanks for helping with my problems!
 
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DarkSable


Go with something like this, which should be plenty of power for you. It's not much cheaper, but it helps:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($82.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD...
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xomm

xomm

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Whoah, hold your horses there.

    Why buy something you'll replace immediately? Have some patience and just wait till you have a bit more cash on hand. There's no point in getting a barebones system *now* and build it up later if your current computer isn't already crapping itself to pieces every five minutes. You'll be spending money on a system that can't do much, on parts that you'll either throw out or ebay for less than they're worth, and you're locking yourself out of any future deals that may come up.

    Some other points:
    90% of the time, the i7 is unnecessary for gaming. Go for an i5-3570K or its Haswell successor.
    A 700W PSU is also overkill for the kind of rig you're aiming for, unless you plan on getting another 7870 later on down the road for CrossFire.
    If your most intensive task is just gaming, 8GB should be your max, not your min.
 
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G

Gamers anonymous

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Mar 22, 2013
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Alright, should i start a new thread or would you answer if i asked what would be the best bang for your buck build if i wanted to down the road use sli with the radeon 7870. which would be smart to use with an i7? im not trying to spend 1000 dollars on uneeded things also, like i dont want to get too complicated with the cooling. Any suggestions?
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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Sep 27, 2012
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The i7 IS spending $1000 on unneeded things, and the 7870 in crossfire doesn't make sense.

Here's what you want as the BEST gaming PC when it comes to anything but a wasteful budget. (The i7, for example, performs EXACTLY the same as an i5 when gaming. It is no better. That means you're throwing away your money if you get it.)


PCPartPicker part list /

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Ghost (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.98 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1147.88

 
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xomm

xomm

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I agree with most of that build except for the graphics card. I'd personally get a 7950 for ~$320 or a 7970 for ~$420. Much more bang for your buck, especially now that the drivers have matured.
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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While it is true that Radeon will give you higher framerates, the 670 and the 7970 both will max out games on a 1080p, 60Hz screen.

I tend to like Nvidia more because they have lower frame latencies, making them better for playing at 120Hz.

Basically if you have a single, 60Hz monitor, it doesn't matter. If you plan on upgrading to a 120Hz monitor, go Nvidia. If you plan on upgrading to a three screen or high resolution setup, go AMD.
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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Sep 27, 2012
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Go with something like this, which should be plenty of power for you. It's not much cheaper, but it helps:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($82.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: BitFenix Ghost (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $807.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-11 23:23 EDT-0400)
 
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G

Gamers anonymous

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Thanks Man im not too familiar with that i5 will that be better then the i5-3570k that i always hear much praise from, i didnt really look at compatibility or if thats even a question but yeah what about that?
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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The build I linked you is completely compatible.

The i5 I linked will be slightly slower than the 3570k, and won't be able to overclock, but buying the 3570k AND a z77 motherboard so you can overclock will be another $70-$80, plus then another $30 for a CPU cooler.
 
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