Budget gaming pc help

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Yep I figured it was probably too old to use it's been sitting in the attic for quite some time and I just decided to bring it down today and check. As for my laptop I assume that none of those parts can be used on a PC ?

Budget and build wise I want to make something cost effective that can play at 1080p nothing higher on better settings then the xbox and can hopefully last a little while or has upgrade capability. The plan is to get a good build for college I still have time, but that's my plan. To hopefully have myself a little like "tech corner" setup thing going on. I enjoy technology and computers and setups lol. Then I figured I could maybe pickup a small Chromebook to bring to class then sync the files with my pc when I get back to my dorm. My only concern is i don't know how it would work with making a PC that can be upgraded without "wasting" money

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/pc.build/saved/Lk8Ff7
^^^^
This is my "dream build" I don't know how good it is, but this is what I thought a solid build would be. It's obviously expensive so if you guys could help I'd love to bring the price down. My goal is to be able to play total war on 1080p good settings along with other games that I traditionally played on console. Sorry this is so long, but I hope we can get a good build going:)
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plywrlw
Oh I see, you mean to check your overclocking are stable?

People use all sorts like Super Pi, Furmark, Prime95, Memtest 86.

Your best bet is to read online or start a post once you're up and running with your new setup.

I have overclocked on an older system but it doesn't really float my boat so don't bother these days!
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Oaklandmurphy

Oaklandmurphy

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There are a couple of problems with that build, the first is that the motherboard you have selected does not support overclocking and you have an overclockable cpu. You need a motherboard with the Z170 chipset to overclock. It also seems to me at least that you are allocating your budget wrong, this pc could be significantly better if you spent less on your case and got a better graphics card or a larger ssd. A word of warning abou tthat keyboard, it has a reputaion for the keycaps literally wearing away after a couple of weeks like in this image:https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Hl5C4ND0L._SL256_.jpg

If I could make some modifications I would do something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($54.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Mini ITX OC Video Card ($385.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: BitFenix Neos ATX Mid Tower Case ($56.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.88 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.00 @ B&H)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I PCI-Express x1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VS229H-P 21.5" Monitor ($116.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: AZIO L70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($21.95 @ B&H)
Mouse: Cobra E-3lue Wired Optical Mouse ($10.05 @ Amazon)
Speakers: Logitech Z213 7W 2.1ch Speakers ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1385.05
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-12 19:15 EDT-0400

it is a much better gaming build for the same price, and the only thing I had to downgrade was the case.
 
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Thanks man I would have never known about the motherboard over clocking. Also thanks on the keyboard its very much so a place holder until I can get better peripherals. I'll probably just pick up speakers and mouse/keyboard at a local store. Yes I am definitely managing my budget wrong if possible I would like to bring the price of this build down so that my first pc build won't be too expensive. My goal is 1080p on pretty good settings with good fps. I am not sure if there is a way to make a pc that can easily be upgraded to this potential, but I think that it would be easier if I could start small then purchase the big ticket items. I just don't want to totally waste parts. If I am unclear I'll try to clarify thanks
 
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plywrlw

plywrlw

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Oh and avoid that 3TB Seagate drive, it has a terrible reputation for premature failure.

I'd also consider swapping out the PSU for a more reliable one like a Seasonic M12ii 520w or 550w Rosewill Capstone which are both similarly priced (probably cheaper)
 
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Thanks but for now I think I'll just buy one of those base model logitech wireless mouse and keyboard for like $20 I definitely will be getting more peripherals in the future just want to keep it simple for now.



Thanks for the tips on which parts are good and not i changed to a 1tb but if that's not enough I can change to a 2tb I am not really sure what's the reccomended size. I also changed the psu. I made a modified cheaper build that I'll link below my question is that should I start cheap and upgrade or go all in the first build? have never built a pc so I don't know about if I would overclock. Thanks

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/pc.build/saved/CQxZxr
 
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plywrlw

plywrlw

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1Tb is a good size to start with and you can always add another drive if it gets full.

As for overclocking, some people are into it and some aren't, it's very hard to predict whether you would want to or not. But if you think it might interest you it's probably worth the extra $$.

Dropping to a non-K processor and B150 motherboard would reduce the price to ~ $1110

Why don't you read a guide to overclocking and see if it interests you?

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/faq/id-2920787/beginner-guide-overclocking-cpu.html
 
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Thanks once again man I don't even think of that stuff I made some changes to bring the price down into a more comfortable range for me especially with some Christmas/Black Friday sales. I think that this should be able to handle 1080p gaming at great settings. Also should I get some case fans or should the stock be good ? Also ram I suppose the higher the number the faster ? Maybe I could even pick up 16gb ram during a Christmas sale or something instead of 8gb. Lastly about overclocking i am not sure if I do need it if the machine handles it itself then I'd be fine but I don't want to risk ruining parts. One more thing sorry if I see a higher psu on sale does it matter like can I get one that's 1000w when I only need 600w?

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/pc.build/saved/CQxZxr
^^^^new build cheaper and more in my budget
Ps if I have a windows 7 key on my laptop can I transfer that to my pc or is it bonded to the laptop?
Thanks !
 
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plywrlw

plywrlw

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That build is looking great. You shouldn't be able to make the Win 7 key from your laptop work because it's locked to your laptop. I say "shouldn't" because I know someone who was in the same situation and installed W7 on their new PC, upgraded to Windows 10 before activating and it worked! But it's not supposed to and would certainly mean the OS on the laptop would be invalid.

That build should be excellent for 1080p :)

As for PSU's, there's no huge problem going for more power than you need but it's the quality that's important. For example, if you found an Aerocool 1200W for the same price or less than that Rosewill Capstone, the Capstone would still be the better PSU because it's well-made and reliable. If you want me to see what the best prices for a quality PSU are when you're ready to hit the "buy" button just let me know and I'll have a look.

You'll probably want to get hold of another 120mm fan to put in the front of your case. Quiet ones are expensive so decide how much noise matters to you!
 
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That's a shame I wish I could save some money on these "extra" parts. You know of any cheaper ways to get an OS or any other peripherals if not I might be able to get an OS from a friend. For now I'll just be buying what I have and hope on some sales to improve ram and keep price down. Correct me if I am wrong, but around black friday and Christmas some good sales happen ? I'll definitely check back with you when I "finalize everything. You reccomend any fans? And as far as overclocking goes I think I might start a thread asking about it
 
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Oaklandmurphy

Oaklandmurphy

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Although I haven't personally done it I know that you can get an oem copy of windows for like ~$20-$30 on a couple of grey-market sites like kinguin. Their legitimacy is questionable and there is a good chance they are illegally obtained but I have friends who have gotten windows like this and they haven't had problems.

if there is a microcenter or frys near you you can usually get case fans that are under $5 (unfortunately at that price they will be quite loud).

If you are on a tight budget I would not recommend overclocking as the extra money spent on a good motherboard a K-cpu is usually better spent elsewhere.
 
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Yeah I have heard about that and looked it up but it's a bit shady I'd probably be better off with eh regular way of buying it lol. Yeah I think I have one nearby but is there a specific fan that might be recommended? I'm still looking into overclocking but if you have any ideas to save money send me the build and I'll see which I like better, Thanks!
 
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plywrlw

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If you need to cut the budget more then abandon overclocking

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($198.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: GeIL EVO POTENZA 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($32.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($65.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 6GB G1 Gaming Video Card ($294.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Deepcool TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair CXM 450W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($89.00 @ B&H)
Monitor: Asus VS229H-P 21.5" Monitor ($116.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $956.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-15 01:56 EDT-0400

With a non overclocking build you can get away with a budget motherboard, stock cpu cooling and cheaper RAM. This is currently the best value PSU right now, it's the new version of the CX with a white label - much better than the old ones with a green and black label

If you can get Windows as a student that will help too.

This case comes with plenty of fans already and is much cheaper.
 
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If the bitFenix case is better I can get that one it's marked incorrectly on pc part picker it's actually like 45$ on amazon. I find with a little searching I can beat pcpartpickers prices a lot. Thanks for a non over clocking build I am still deciding tho which way to go. How do you get a windows student discount ?

Ps do you think holiday sales could help my build ?
 
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plywrlw

plywrlw

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You might get some good black Friday deals as long as you're not specific about parts.

If you've a strong preference for the bitfenix case stick with it for sure, the listed price is way too much for that case but $45 is much more reasonable.

You can usually get Windows through the store at your university or you can go onto the Microsoft student website and log in with your university email.
 
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I am not really that specific on some parts but I'll have to see when the sale comes. I don't really have a preference I just wanted to let you know. it only gives you 10% off and I think the base price is $120 so no savings on windows unfortunately. I'll ask a friend of mine if he can check if they have it at the store at his university. I also have a friend who's mom works for Microsoft so I could see if he has a spare key or a discount
 
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Thanks ill probably go with the first one it's much better then what I had. Now with speakers and sound and all that stuff is it easy to figure out with the instructions manual because with Xbox I usually just plug the headset into my controller and go. Lastly I think Ill go with overclocking it seems worthwhile so is there any software you would recommend that I could test now on my current laptop ?

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/pc.build/saved/CQxZxr
 
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plywrlw

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Use the software that comes with the motherboard (get the latest version from the manufacturers website) for overclocking. Read lots of guides.

How are you going to output your sounds? Headset? Speakers? I wouldn't use the speakers built into the monitor because they're always rubbish!

There's just jack points on the back of the motherboard to plug stuff into. If you're not sure where to plug in audio devices, it will be very clearly explained in the motherboard manual
 
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Do you overclock ? I don't really get what you mean about the software that comes with the motherboard (is that when I buy it the driver disk or bios)? I meant more like benchmarking and monitoring tools I could farmalize myself with like FRAPS and MSI afterburner maybe even some things you can test on b4 you get into game. I have a headset, but it probably can't connect all the way to the back and I might invest in some cheap speakers too.
 
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plywrlw

plywrlw

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Oh I see, you mean to check your overclocking are stable?

People use all sorts like Super Pi, Furmark, Prime95, Memtest 86.

Your best bet is to read online or start a post once you're up and running with your new setup.

I have overclocked on an older system but it doesn't really float my boat so don't bother these days!
 
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