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Best Value Build, Longest Lasting Performance (~$800 max)

Tags:
  • CPUs
  • Systems
  • Motherboards
  • Performance
  • Graphics Cards
  • Build
Last response: in Systems
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Anonymous
November 19, 2013 1:13:58 AM

So I'm a casual gamer, looking for decent specs at a good price. My only consideration is getting the most bang for my buck, and getting the most life out of my system before it needs to be upgraded or replaced. So my goal is to get the best possible value in terms of performance, not to necessarily spend X amount of dollars.

Reading online, the best value at CPU would be an i5, but which one of the series gets me the most for my money? And at VC the GTX 760 looks like a good value, but is it? I wasn't sure, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the month.

Budget Range: ~$800 max, but I'd prefer to spend less if more cost effective.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming only.

Are you buying a monitor: No.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: No preference.

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Parts Preferences: No preference.

Overclocking: Yes.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, if cost effective.

Additional Comments: Regarding the case, I'm looking for the cheapest, sturdiest option that gets the job done. A little room for upgrades doesn't hurt, but I don't care at all about the appearance of the case.


Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

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November 19, 2013 3:18:09 AM

$800 is a nice budget, even including an OS. You have plenty of options to consider. You didn't list a display resolution, that might be useful to know. For overclocking, you said "yes". This limits you to "k" series Intel processors, as all of the rest are locked.
If you want an SSD, that's going to eat into your budget a bit. It's not an absolute must have, but it's definitely nice.
For the OS, I'm using Win7 as its cheaper. You can easily swap for Windows8 if you prefer.

Your problem is that squeezing in an overclockable i5, suitable motherboard, and a graphics card of GTX760 level is near impossible for $800, especially if you add in a CPU cooler.
Having said that, I've just about managed it, though it's pretty heavily reliant on discounts and rebates.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($170.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill REDBONE U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.50 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Classic 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $801.08
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-19 06:06 EST-0500)
It uses a HD7950 over a GTX760 due to the huge price difference and not dramatic performance gap. No proper CPU cooler, but it's something you can add later. Case is about as cheap as you can get, but it's surprisingly well featured. Ugly as sin, but needs must.
The PSU isnt modular, despite what it says, but its great value when alongside the Corsair CX600M.
It's a slightly oddly balanced build, you'd usually expect the graphics card to be (by a good margin) the most expensive component, but due to the necessity for an expensive processor, and a great deal on the HD7950, it ends up a little mismatched.

You mention the possibility of spending less and getting more value for money. There's a lot of scope here. A non-overclockable i5 such as a 3470 or 3350P (or even a 4430 if you want the most modern variant) will save you a significant amount, and mean you need to spend less on the motherboard too (a B75/78 or H77/78 will suffice).
At that price bracket, the FX6300 and 8320 are both serious contenders too. Both can be overclocked without paying a premium.
At that price, the HD7950 is hard to beat, I would suggest alternatives but there aren't really any. Usually the 7870XT is a fair bit cheaper and offers better value, but today the price difference is $6.
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