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Mobo, Ram, Cpu,- Need Help choosing best options for around 500

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  • CPUs
  • Systems
  • Motherboards
  • Memory
  • SSD
  • New Build
Last response: in Systems
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August 30, 2013 2:19:39 AM

Update: I am no longer getting an SSD at the moment. I'd like to focus on the best quadcore, mobo and ram possible.

Hi I have a 750w psu, 500 gb HDD, GTX 470 and a NZXT Phantom Enthusiast case.

Im looking to purchase the titular-mentioned pc parts. I would like to place the order today. I don't have a parts preference but I would pay a little more for a reliable brand name, in your eyes. I use a 32 inch 1080p Samsung tv as a monitor.

Ill be playing Final Fantasy 14. I know my gpu can run it on max, I just need a better cpu than my dualcore 2.1ghz. I also, do not want to deal with issues multitasking while playing the game. Voice chat and listening to music mostly. And it may sound stupid but I want a faster experience surfing the web.

Im looking on Canada Computers but if you know of a better site a Canadian can use please feel free to mention it. Although, utilizing one store (canadacomputers.com) could be more efficient and economical than multiple depending on price difference. For instance, If I got to the local store to pick these parts up, there is no shipping, but I do have to pay to get there by bus.

Im looking to get the most performance for around 500 dollars, in ram, cpu, mobo and an ssd. Here is what Im currently working with. I know nothing about the features one looks for in these parts.

Ram- Corsair Vengeance Pro Blue 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1866MHz: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=2...

SSD- ADATA SX900 128GB 2.5" 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (SSD), Read: 550MB/s Write: 520MB/s: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=1...

Mobo- ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 Socket AM3+ AMD 990FX/SB950: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=2...

CPU- AMD X8 FX-8320 (125W) Eight-Core Socket AM3+, 3.5GHz CPU, 8Mb Cache, 32nm: http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=4...

Actually with tax these come to almost 600. So if you factor in tax 550-600 is acceptable.

I look forward to your suggestions.

Thank you so much for your time,

PS: Edit- For clarification; I am looking for redundancies in my choices or ways to save me money. While providing the same performance or better as what I posted, which I just threw together.

More about : mobo ram cpu choosing options 500

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August 30, 2013 7:10:09 AM

You could save the tiniest bit of money by getting 1600MHz RAM instead of the 1866 you selected, but apart from that I would say you have done the best possible considering your budget. An Intel CPU would be better but then with the motherboard being more expensive as well it probably isn't a viable option.

Hope this helps :D 
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August 30, 2013 7:19:04 AM

I agree, 1866 memory isn't necessary, save yourself a few bucks. Also, going with an intel cpu wouldn't really increase motherboard cost, he is already at a 990 chipset, those boards are comparable in price to intel boards. However, getting an intel chip that outperforms the 8320 all around means you are into the 4670k region which does add a fair amount of cost. I think your choices are all relatively solid, though I may consider going with a Samsung 840 Pro SSD instead, costs a few bucks more, but it's worth it.
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August 30, 2013 7:25:36 AM

ithar87 said:
I agree, 1866 memory isn't necessary, save yourself a few bucks. Also, going with an intel cpu wouldn't really increase motherboard cost, he is already at a 990 chipset, those boards are comparable in price to intel boards. However, getting an intel chip that outperforms the 8320 all around means you are into the 4670k region which does add a fair amount of cost. I think your choices are all relatively solid, though I may consider going with a Samsung 840 Pro SSD instead, costs a few bucks more, but it's worth it.


That's true about the motherboard actually. And regarding the SSD, Logan from TekSyndicate raves about that Adata SSD all the time so it must be a good option. Yes the 840 Pro will be better but it is much more expensive and in that price range I wouldn't have thought it is affordable.
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August 30, 2013 7:28:39 AM

If you want the best performance parts near the $500 region:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($236.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.30 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($110.40 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $526.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-30 10:28 EDT-0400)

sadly its $26~ over your budget.
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August 30, 2013 9:13:03 AM

Thank you all so much for your amazing responses and information. It gives me lots of perspective and insight.

Three updates, I hope I can squeeze some more information out of all of you:

If I take out the SSD for the time being, as its not actually needed. I can focus on better CPU and mobo. Ill be sticking with 1886 ram though.

Is Intel a smart buy in the long run? Now that I can increae my CPU price a tad. Also, I think Id rather go quadcore with more ghz, over 8 core since I hear multi core is not as important as ghz.

My preference in a ll this is to get the best performance. Imo, an additional-20 dollars Im willing to go on any of these three items for long-term gain that outweighs such a small increase in price. Because that is basically eating out twice, and I do that wayyy too often. So I'd rather put that money towards something concrete, instead of food babies.

Ill update the OP as well.

PS3hacker. Im going to take a good look at your recommendations.
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August 30, 2013 9:23:06 AM

Havoc2510 said:
ithar87 said:
I agree, 1866 memory isn't necessary, save yourself a few bucks. Also, going with an intel cpu wouldn't really increase motherboard cost, he is already at a 990 chipset, those boards are comparable in price to intel boards. However, getting an intel chip that outperforms the 8320 all around means you are into the 4670k region which does add a fair amount of cost. I think your choices are all relatively solid, though I may consider going with a Samsung 840 Pro SSD instead, costs a few bucks more, but it's worth it.


That's true about the motherboard actually. And regarding the SSD, Logan from TekSyndicate raves about that Adata SSD all the time so it must be a good option. Yes the 840 Pro will be better but it is much more expensive and in that price range I wouldn't have thought it is affordable.


ps3hacker12 said:
If you want the best performance parts near the $500 region:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($236.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.30 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($110.40 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $526.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-30 10:28 EDT-0400)

sadly its $26~ over your budget.


I hear Gigabyte isnt the best brand. And Id like an Intel cpu with more ghz. The ram is great. Ill get an SSD later.

So could you recommend a new mobo and cpu. Still around the 500 price range ^^
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August 30, 2013 12:40:05 PM

Trust everyone here when we say that the i5 4670k is the best value for money and that gigahertz don't really matter too much. If you are really fussed about GHz, then you can always overclock an i5 to around 4.0GHz fairly safely.

Also, Asus and Gigabyte are the best motherboard makers. I don't know where you heard that Gigabyte is bad, but from first hand experience Gigabyte boards, they are fantastic! Any motherboard from either of these manufacturers will be brilliant for what you need :D .
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August 30, 2013 12:57:15 PM

The i5 is definetely better in the long run and now despite less cores and lower Ghz it has significantly higher performance per core and performance per watt.

here is just one example where the i5 performs 50FPS~ better than the FX8350 (not even the 8320!):
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2013/06/12/intel-core-...
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