$1k Budget Gaming PC. Is This the Best I Can Get?

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dannyboy2233
Here is a much better build. This contains a better GPU, as well as an SSD boot drive for extremely fast boot times :)
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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB...
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dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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May 24, 2013
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Here is a much better build. This contains a better GPU, as well as an SSD boot drive for extremely fast boot times :)
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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Dominator 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1005.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-04 23:26 EDT-0400)
As for the Microcenter things, simply order them from Newegg; the prices will be similar. The processor will be a bit more, but I guess that is the nature of a deal :p
 
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Solution
dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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IMO, get Windows 7; however, it's up to you. That will be about an extra $80 for Windows 7/8 OEM (it was not included in your build, so I did not include it in mine).
 
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D

DiegoBoricua

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Um, I'm not the creator of this thread. lol.

 
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dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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Oops. Sorry, meant to type "his" not "your". It's been a long day :p
 
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waterise

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I mentioned not to use Microcenter.
So I'll have to buy the i5 for $238.
& my cousin is giving me Windows 8 on a USB.

I'll get a SSD soon enough too. My cousin is also giving me a 760GB hard drive for free so I prolly won't need the 1TB.

If you could re-post a build w/out the Microcenter prices, that'd be great.
'Cause if I get the i5, it's $239.99 at Newegg & the SSD is $2.00 more on Amazon than Microcenter, so that's $42.00 more on the build. I can still afford it, but I'd like to keep the budget, at max., $1,030.00.

Do I really need the Sapphire video card? I know the intel i5 + GeForce 760 is a combo buy, which can save me like $15.00 when I buy them together. How significant is the Radeon 7979 to the 760? Multiple people has told me the 760 can run basically all games at max settings perfectly fine, which is all I need.
 
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dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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The 7970 GHz is worlds better than the 760; they can't really be compared, as they are in completely different price brackets. However, the 760 would do alright; not as well as the 7970 GHz (not nearly as well), but it could play most games at high/max at reasonable FPS, and you could always buy a second one if you wanted.
 
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waterise

waterise

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So, if we take out the cost for the 1TB HDD, since my cousin is giving me a 750GB one, what could we put that extra money towards on the build?
& how does the optical drive compare to the one I had in the OP? What's the differences?
Thank-you.
 
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jryder

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You could put the money towards a better GPU, like dannyboy suggested.

 
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waterise

waterise

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A better GPU? The Radeon 7970 is already $300 and, as I've read on numerous sites, an amazing card. I've also read the same about the 760.
On some comparing charts, the 760 seems to have some advantages. Hmmm
 
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jryder

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There's always the 770 if you can find a way to afford it . . . :)

 
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jryder

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Use your cousin's hard drive and add an SSD later.

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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($125.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($403.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($108.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1005.88 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-05 17:01 EDT-0400)
 
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dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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No! No SSD later! That will involve moving the OS to the SSD, which is a huge pain in the backside. Go with the SSD from the start.
 
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JMer806

JMer806

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Honestly OP I think your first build was fine. A 760 is a strong card - yeah the 7970 is better, but depending on what games you play you might not even notice it. And your build already had a 128GB SSD. I wouldn't upgrade to the 7970 at the cost of halving my SSD.

If you drop the cost of the 1TB drive and get a cheaper case like the HAF 912 or Corsair 300R then you'll save enough money to keep the larger SSD and still get the 7970.

Edit - Ok, I think you must have edited your build since you started the thread, since I looked again and noticed you had already taken out the mechanical hard drive. So your current build is at like $970, drop down to a cheaper case and use the money to get a 7970 would be my advice :) or do the same and up your budget by $50-$100 and buy a 770.
 
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Surya Mylvahanan

Surya Mylvahanan

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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1dBtc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1dBtc/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1dBtc/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $225.00)
Motherboard: MSI B85M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($65.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Rosewill Stallion 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $995.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-05 17:14 EDT-0400)
 
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dannyboy2233

dannyboy2233

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First of all, the 770 will perform just as well as an OCed 7970... no need to go up in price there. Also, it has less memory and a smaller interface.
And another thing; why not get the A-Data 128GB SSD, as it only costs $30 more for four times the storage?
Also, your motherboard has a chipset which disallows overclocking; either drop the processor, or bring the motherboard up to an Asrock Extreme3 Z87.
 
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waterise

waterise

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Edit: Edited build in OP.

So you think I should just get a cheaper case & just use my cousin's free 750GB HDD, so I can have both the SSD & 7970? Hmmm....

I plan on playing games like RuneScape, WoW, Aion, and maybe stuff like StarCraft & Bioshock Infinite. I'll dive more into PC games once I get the PC that can run them on max settings perfectly fine, haha.
Can the 760 run those listed games all on max settings w/out any FPS lost?

Edit2: Should I upgrade my power supply from 550w?
 
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DiegoBoricua

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Operating System(Windows) and Drivers. You then back those up on your HDD
 
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JMer806

JMer806

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No need to upgrade the power supply with that build.

And yes, I think that's the best way to go - you can always buy more storage later, but it won't affect your system performance like a GPU and SSD will. Plus their prices fluctuate quite a bit due to sales, so might as well wait until you can get a really good deal with a Newegg Shellshocker or something similar.



Put your OS, drivers, and small basic programs (things like your browser) on the SSD. Store your games, pics, videos, music, and documents (pretty much everything else) on the HDD. Remember when you are putting the build together and installing the OS, ONLY put the SSD in at first. Don't install your HDD until your OS is already installed on the SSD and it's set first in your boot order.
 
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