Does this look like an okay budget build? ($600 W/ OS)

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redviper911

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Sep 4, 2013
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This would be used for gaming (and writing papers later on) on a 1440x900 resolution monitor. I don't even want it to be future proof (academic reasons).
So pretty much my question is this: Will all of these parts work together (I assume they would) and are all of these parts even "that good" (could I do better for the $$$)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Challenger-U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.88 @ Amazon)
Total: $603.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-28 22:16 EDT-0400)

 
Solution
Onus
Yes, for 1440x900, that would do quite well. Your PSU is bigger than it needs to be, but it is hard to argue with a well-reviewed unit like that one for just $50.
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ScrewySqrl

ScrewySqrl

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Aug 2, 2010
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newegg is probably the most reliable store for omputer parts on the Web. It has a excellent reputation dating back to the earliest days of the web.

I have a slight tweak of your build here: I swap out the CPU for an AMD 6300, which will come out ahead in multi-threaded tasks, including games, zip files, and general multitasking. price is roughly the same

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 PRO3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Blu Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.98 @ Mac Mall)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Challenger-U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.88 @ Amazon)
Total: $605.35
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-28 23:07 EDT-0400)
 
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Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
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I don't disagree with ScrewySqrl's comments about the CPU, but I'd get a slightly better mobo, with heatsinks on the VRMs, and add a decent but cheap air cooler like the Xigmatek Gaia. It is cheaper, but superior to the more often parroted Hyper212 EVO:
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/07/07/review-xigmatek-gaia-sd1283/7/
http://www.techreaction.net/2011/11/27/review-cooler-master-hyper-212-plus/4/

Unlike the Hyper212 EVO (ignore the URL; it IS the EVO they tested), the Gaia never throttled, although it wasn't always the coolest depending on the fan used. Both got awards, but if you factor in the price, the Gaia wins hands down.
This is probably the cheapest mobo I'd get: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128627 ; it's a true 900-series board, but it also has the VRM heatsinks.
As you've no doubt noticed, this option ends up being a little more expensive. If it's too high, you will NOT be suffering by any stretch with the hyperthreaded i3 you selected originally.
 
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R

redviper911

Honorable
Sep 4, 2013
39
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well is this build better?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($71.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill Challenger-U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.88 @ Amazon)
Total: $598.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-29 00:00 EDT-0400)

The fx-6300 is actually $120 but comes with a 20 dollar gift card to newegg, so i could just use that to purchase a cpu cooler.
 
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Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
37,037
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Hard to say; I think it would really benefit from the aftermarket cooler. Take a look at this quarter's $650 SBM build for an idea of how the FX-6300 performs in productivity tasks. Note they didn't need to include the cost of the OS, so they bought a more powerful video card. You've got a better mobo in your build though.
 
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