GPU Less Than $100

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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
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Hello All,

So, I've been working on deciding the parts for the first build I will be attempting this summer. I've got most of the parts nailed down, the two ones I'm not quite set on are the RAM and GPU. My budget is $1,000; or at least as close to that as physically possible. As it stands right now, without a GPU, I'm sitting at about $910. Thus, I was wondering what GPU would you recommend? I'll be using the computer mostly for semi-casual gaming, school-work, SolidWorks, and, of course, Netflix. What would you recommend?

Thanks!
 
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woltej1
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($294.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries...
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
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Please define all the spec u choose so far because semi-casual gaming and Solidworks won't cut it with just $90 worth GPU. with 1 grand sure you can optimize here and there for the GPU to fulfill ur Solidworks and semi-casual gaming needs.

Edit: yes I agree with above comment mentioning 7770, but it all depends on ur monitor bro, so please kindly define all other specs u choose so far for other consideration.
 
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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
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Well, it ended up coming down to priorities. I went for the best processor I could, and a mid-range motherboard. I'm looking at finding a different power supply at the moment (apparently, the one I picked had way too much power, I'm brand-new to this), and might be able to cut some cost in RAM, but for the most part woltej1, you're right. Here's a link to the build as it stands:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MjAc

Like I said, if what I'm getting from some other forums is correct, it looks like I can cut cost by getting a different power supply, and the RAM I think I might be able to as well.

And Seladon, what do you mean by "demanding game", because I'm not really a hard-core gamer by any means, I do it maybe 7-10 hours a week and don't really get into it, it just strikes me that if I'm building a computer, I might as well make what I play look good. I don't need my eyes to melt from the resolution, I don't have a screen to do that, but I would at the very least like to be able to handle things like dynamic shadows.
 
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
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For real??? as i suspected. drop the z87 mobo if u really want that procie, it is not K series so u won't need z87 board, find cheaper H87 board. Now u don't need 1 kWatt PSU for this rig, even 850Watt is overkill if ur GPU is not high end. go to this link (below) and calculate ur power consumption need for rough estimate then times 1.25 factor to be safe. I suggest something around 750 - 850 Watt at most. after that, find a decent GPU with those extra budget, maybe a R9-270X or something.

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine
 
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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
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Here's the problem: I need wifi since my room in my house doesn't have a LAN connection port. Running off of LAN while I'm at University would be fine and ideal, but since I only spend 2/3 of my year there, I need wifi for that last third. That's one of the reason I went with the Z87 mobo: The way I see it, it's a solid system which should allow me not only to upgrade when I need to, but also last me for more 4 years that also has built-in wifi, which, as far as I see, reduces the number of parts which I have to install which likewise reduces the number of places I could install something wrong. It was a combination of spend-now-to-save-later and reduce-number-of-components. If you have any suggestions for a mobo with build in wifi which is more along the h87 lines, I would definitely take that.
 
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
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There are a lot of choice especially in micro-itx form factor. but really, a normal h87 board + a TPLink wifi receiver is far more cheaper. and it is overkill to buy z87 for a non K procie.

I remember Asrock, MSI, ASUS and gigabyte mainstream H87 board has wifi built in but i forgot (and im in the middle of working right now so i don't have the time to search lol, here's one http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Intel-6Gbps-Motherboards-GA-H87N-WIFI/dp/B00D94X4DO). Just check around the web and reconsider again bro, u can still optimize ur build with ur budget. and don't forget the PSU.

Edit: concerning upgradeability of the Z87 mobo that u pick, if u plan to upgrade later, upgrading from a non-K i7 to a K i7 is a very big waste of money, imagine 4 years later u already got money to spend for upgrade just to increase a mere 5% performance by changing the procie from non-K i7 to K i7. why not take it from the beginning, that way u get to keep ur mobo choice and the only thing to resolve is just the PSU.
 
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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
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Hold on, the terminology is confusing me. What do you mean by "k i7" and "non-k i7"? The only K I've found is something with reference to overclocking, basically making it easier to overclock the processor from the bios. What would that do with my motherboard, and how would that fix my GPU problem?
 
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cst1992

cst1992

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Nov 8, 2013
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Not easier, but possible.
The k processors support overclocking, the non k's don't.
If you get a 'z' motherboard, it supports overclocking, so get it with a 'k' processor, otherwise go with a 'h' and a non-'k' processor.

'h' boards are cheaper than 'z' boards, as the former don't support overclocking the processor.
The money you gained will help you get a good GPU.
 
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woltej1

woltej1

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Nov 15, 2010
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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2MlPy/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($294.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($92.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1010.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-03 01:57 EST-0500)

H87 mobo, just buy a wifi adapter, different case with same airflow, no need to double the price there, better quality PSU at an appropriate wattage and a much better graphics card.
 
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
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Sorry for not using the correct term, ok here it is:

basically intel has 2 kind of desktop processor in their line up, K-series for overclocking and non-K-series for non-overclocking. your pick is i7-4770 (without K in the end) so it can't be overclocked (the K series will be i7-4770K; with K in the end of the series number, indicating the procie can be overclocked).

To be able to do overclocking with intel, u need both K series procie and matching board that is unlocked for overclocking. For Haswell, socket LGA 1150, the board will be those with Z87 chipset, while other chipset is not unlocked for overclocking (B85, H81, H87).

In your case, you pick a i7-4770 (a non K series) to match with a Z87 board, which is a waste since u can't overclock because of ur choice of CPU. if u want to stick with the Z87 board of ur choice, going with ur idea of upgradeability, it is better to get a i7-4770K from the beginning rather than just a i7-4770. Because the only upgrade for this mobo and CPU of ur pick available is changing from i7-4770 to i7-4770K which is absolutely a big waste of money. If you want to upgrade to a higher range of procie, which is i7-48XXX series, you have to change your mobo also because it is in different socket.

So back to the topic, if u want to stick with ur choice of mobo, ditch the cpu, change into i7-4770K, ditch the PSU, change into something around 750 - 850 Watt and add the extra budget into better GPU than a mere 7770 or 650Ti. Or you can follow my advice in the previous comment.
 
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
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+1 This and you, Sir, just decided on my next build for a decent gaming rig for my lil bro for that budget.lol no need to post a thread then lol.
 
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woltej1

woltej1

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Nov 15, 2010
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Seems good to me, that adapter should get the job done.
 
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woltej1

woltej1

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Nov 15, 2010
3,534
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For pure gaming I would go with the 4670k and grab a z87
 
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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
18
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10,510
Wonderful. Thank-you, all. This has helped immensely, more-so than any other thread I've started with regards to this build, and has given me a system I feel confident will serve me well for quite some time. I appreciate your help immensely.
 
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ferooxidan

ferooxidan

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Apr 15, 2013
427
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10,860


Yea, but this rig is enough considering he is just a kid who doesn't know what overclocking is and i won't mess with his computer with oc-ing. all he knows is just his game runs well with no lag in his screen. the z87 and 4670K instead will be going to be in my rig later after that. lol

anyway, we just having a discussion on someone else thread. lol

Now, if u guys will excuse me before my boss angry because im not working right now.lol
 
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ewbiggers

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Feb 2, 2014
18
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10,510


If I were going for pure gaming, I might. But I'm not really. I'm barely familiar with the concept of overclocking (Kind of like after-burners for a processor, no?), it's definitely not something I'm going to be doing on a regular basis with this computer, and gaming is something I do very casually as a stress-reliever; It's highly doubtful I'll ever get into it such that I build a computer with a focus towards gaming. For the most-part, this is a chance for me to upgrade my computer, since my old one is struggling a bit with what I want it to do, and learn more about how a computer works, what's inside it, and just generally increase my technological aptitude. In fact, my next step after I complete this build is to turn my old computer into a Linux system so that I can learn more the processor-side. So, while yes the 4670k and z87 would be good for gaming, they're not really worth the investment for me at the moment.

And besides, if I decide I want to, I can replace both of those parts, right? Isn't that one of the reasons you build a PC: You know what you can upgrade and how you can do so?
 
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