Improve My MicroATX Build - Need well rounded, mid-level build that can game

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jrstriker12

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Jun 13, 2013
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My 4 year old PC (Phenom II X3 720 CPU, Radeon 4870, 4 gigs ram, Windows Vista) is slow and can't handle newer games so it's time for a new build.

Looking to build a fairly well rounded, mid-level machine that can also handle some of the upcoming games (BF4, Titan Fall) at mid to high levels at 1920x1080.

I need some advice on whether the parts below would make a decent build and how I might make improvements or save costs.

The info on the build is below. Thanks in advance for your help.

1. Note/Questions
2. Parts List
3. Detailed Requirements

1.Notes/Questions:
-Budget:$1000-$1400 prefer to spend less but I can stretch a bit to future proof.
-Being able to play BF4 and Titan Fall at mid to high levels at 1920x1080 is high on the list of what I want.
-Plan to use the DVD drive from my old build.
-I've added a new 1TB hard drive to my old machine and I could transfer that over to save cost, but would like to consolidate my data which i spread across 3 hard drives on a new drive.
-Case: Micro ATX version of the BitFenix prodigy should drop later this year. May wait, but also considering the Cooler Master N200 enclosure.
-Will probably not overclock - will the stock CPU cooler work?
-GPU: Looking ahead do you think it would be better to go with a AMD GPU since both both the Sony and MS next-gen consoles will be running on AMD APU? I wonder if AMD will have an advantage since ports of these games will be optimized for AMD chips.
-OS:Windows 7 or 8?
-Gaming mouse and keyboard can be added later.

2. Pcpartspicker Parts List:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.63 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($395.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G700 Wireless Laser Mouse ($64.00 @ Amazon)
Other: Bitfenix Prodigy M-ATX??? ($100.00)
Total: $1375.50
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-13 23:11 EDT-0400)

3. Detailed Requirements:
Approximate Purchase Date: By December 2013
Budget Range: $1000-$1400 prefer to spend less but I can stretch a bit to future proof.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: 1. Web/Email/Streaming Videos 2. Productivity (MS Office etc.) 3. Gaming 4. Watching Movies 5.

Are you buying a monitor: No - Currently have AOC e2752Vh 27" 2ms that I recently bought and plan to use.

Parts to Upgrade: Everything - need to be a new build.

Do you need to buy OS: Will need to buy either Win 7 or Win 8 - not sure which yet. Leaning towards Win 7.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg or Amazon. Also have a microcenter close by.

Location: Falls Church, VA

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, can go either AMD or Nvidia on the GPU.

Overclocking: Probably not.

SLI or Crossfire: No- single GPU

Your Monitor Resolution: My monitor is limited to 1920x1080 and I don't plan on buying a new one any time soon.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Old PC to slow to run newer games.
 
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J

jrstriker12

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Bump....

Here's my updated build. Dropped the after market cooler and figured I only need 8 gigs of RAM.
I'm still open to any suggestions to make the build better or decrease price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.63 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($395.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G700 Wireless Laser Mouse ($64.49 @ Amazon)
Other: Bitfenix Prodigy M-ATX??? ($100.00)
Total: $1335.01
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-18 17:02 EDT-0400)

Well - answer to one question:
Windows 7 over 8 as it looks like BF4 alpha does not have support for windows 8
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/FPS-Battlefield-4-E3-2013-Windows-8-32-bit,23112.html
 
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jrstriker12

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Thanks for the input.

The i7 that I see closest in price ($200) to the i5 Haswell in my build is the i7-3820 but it's Sandy Bridge and uses a 2011 socket.

Do you have any suggestions for other i7 CPUs closer to $200? Seems all the other Ivy Bridge and Haswell i7s go for about $300.

I think if I spend an additional $50 or $100 I'd probably put it into the GPU instead.
 
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jrstriker12

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Updated my build. - Feedback is appreciated!

Note:
-Updated build drops nearly $200 off my last build.
-Will not overclock so went with the i5-4570 and H87 chipset for a good performance to price ratio.
-Decided to go with a smaller mid-tower case.
-Went with Windows 8 since BF4 will support direct x 11.1 - (It is worth it to get the Win 8 pro?)
-Switched to Radeon 7970 since they have some big discounts on the card right now. Almost $100 less than GTX 770's.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($298.50 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master NSE-400-KKN2 ATX Mid Tower Case ($50.92 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($57.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($44.23 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Mad Catz R.A.T. 5 Wired Laser Mouse ($57.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1170.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 14:19 EDT-0400)
 
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Dark Lord of Tech

Dark Lord of Tech

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($120.14 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($298.50 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($44.23 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Mad Catz R.A.T. 5 Wired Laser Mouse ($57.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1197.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 14:34 EDT-0400)
 
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jrstriker12

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I'll have to try piece together the full specs later as my old computer reused some parts from an older build.
Here's what I was able to pull from some older records.

- AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor
-BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX 128M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
-CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
-MSI R4870-MD1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0
- ENERMAX Whisper II EG565P-VE FMA(24P) 535W ATX12V Ver 2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Power Supply (Note: Bought the power supply in 2005, still runs - LOL!)

Never tried unlocking the 4th core. I might have time to do the build, but not much time for overclocking/etc, reason I went with a non-k processor and H87 chipset.

Hmm... Didn't think of going the upgrade route. Most of this stuff is 4 years old if not older so I was thinking new build. I will need a new case for sure as my old case isn't that great and it's falling apart. I'll have to price it out, but I think it would almost be a new build even if I keep the mobo (new CPU, RAM, GPU, Power Supply, SSD, OS - win 8)

Seems like Toms puts the AMD piledriver chips a step below the newer i5's. Productivity wise I'd probably be okay as my current Phenom II X3 seems to do okay, but what about gaming wise?
 
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ps3hacker12

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Never mind, your mobo isnt that great xD , it doesn't support the latest piledriver processors, but if you managed to unlock that fourth core and maybe a little OCing and a new graphics card, you could give this machine a new lease of life, the phenom II series is still relevant today, people still buy em (admittedly only the 955BE nowadays) but its a good performer, but ofcourse if your looking for an ultra high end rig, a completely new build is probably best.

If you do manage to unlock that fourth core or even if you don't and get a good after market cooler and OC, you could go for anything up to a 7950 without huge bottlenecking.

Its just games like battlefield are the ones that show up a CPU. Overclocking and the fourth core would really help though.

Heres a previous discussion i remember:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/332684-33-6950-bottleneck-system-phenom

If you think that the system still isnt up to scratch you could then do a completely new build transferring over the graphics card and the aftermarket cooler.

Before people jump on me, I was just showing the OP a possible upgrade path, and yes i agree a new build is best, but not the best value for money.
 
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jrstriker12

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Thanks for the feedback!!!!!

-So it might be better to go with two 8gb sticks instead of 4gb - I'm assuming you might get better performance using dual channel?
-Better power supply (looks like higher amps - +12V@53A)
-Nit picky thing - I tried to like the looks of the cougar case. I'm sort of meh... It's getting good ratings though. Like a more sleek look or a mesh front. Maybe I just spend more and for something like a Fractal Design Define R4.

 
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jrstriker12

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I appreciate the feedback. Got me to think about a different path. Honestly, at this point. I'll just donate the old PC to the kids and kids. They can use that for Netflix and Facebook and leave me alone to game. Probably won't go the OC/unlock route, but that's some good info. Thanks.
 
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jrstriker12

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:D

I think this may be a keeper! Thanks!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H87M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($120.14 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($85.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($298.50 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250UBE 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($44.23 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Mad Catz R.A.T. 5 Wired Laser Mouse ($57.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $1232.75
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 15:58 EDT-0400)
 
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jrstriker12

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Yeah this will be pretty beastly! Thanks. Been researching specs for about 2 months. I'm actually jumping the gun a bit since I'm a bit tired of my old machine. The official specs for BF4 aren't out yet, but I figure this should be more than good enough to run it with decent graphics considering I'm playing BF3 on console.
 
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jrstriker12

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LOL! Got an adrenalin rush from making that purchase. Don't know how I missed that????

Picked up the mobo and CPU last night. Mobo was the last one in stock at that sale price! Win!

BTW thanks for the suggestions!
 
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jrstriker12

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I will keep you updated. I'm also documenting the build. I'll have some pictures up.

Only thing that is holding me back is for some reason Amazon is really slow on shipping my PSU. It's the ONLY part I need to get started. If I had the PSU, I could at least start assembly and work on cable management...

All the parts I ordered from Newegg and NXIC (sp??) came through no problem. Amazon has been a pain in the rear. Taking almost a week to put some of my items in shipping status. I'm not talking about transit time, I'm taking about packing things up and getting them out the door. I understand that shipping (travel time) can take a while, but don't get how an item can be labeled "Now shipping" for 3 days and I don't have a tracking number 4 days into the delivery window. I called and complained so much that they sent one of my orders next day, unfortunately the PSU wasn't in that order.

.... Sorry, just had to vent.

tl : dr -Amazon induced shipping rage!
 
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