Gaming Build under $700 - please help

JasonJJJ

Honorable
Oct 19, 2015
115
3
10,685
Hi All,

I'm in the process of building a gaming PC for my nephew for under $700 (already above budget). Can you please let me know your thoughts on the below?


Motherboard:

Option 1: $124.99

ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132567&ignorebbr=1


Option 2: $109.00

ASUS ROG STRIX B250H GAMING LGA1151 DDR4 HDMI DVI M.2 B250 ATX Motherboard with USB 3.1

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132975&ignorebbr=1


Option 3: $98.99

GIGABYTE GA-Z270P-D3 (rev. 1.0) LGA 1151 Intel Z270 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Motherboards - Intel

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128975



Processor: $214

Intel Core i5-7600K Kaby Lake Quad-Core 3.8 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80677I57600K Desktop Processor

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...ProcessorsDesktops-_-19117728-S0F&ignorebbr=1



Video Card: $169.99

EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti FTW GAMING ACX 3.0, 04G-P4-6258-KR, 4GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487294



Cooler: $34.99

CRYORIG H7

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4UF2DZ6565&ignorebbr=1



Memory:

Option 1: $109.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-16GXM

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231615&ignorebbr=1


Option 2: $120.99

G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-16GSR

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231627&ignorebbr=1



Power Supply: $79.99

CORSAIR CS-M Series CS650M 650W 80 PLUS GOLD Active PFC Haswell Ready ATX12V & EPS12V Modular Power Supply

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139060&ignorebbr=1



Thanks!


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Solution
You're welcome. If you really prefer Intel, here are my thoughts on your initial parts lists you posted above:

Motherboard:
The first option, the Z170-chipset, is a mobo that supports overclocking 6th-gen Intel "K-series" CPUs out-of-the-box. If you want to use 7th-gen, you may have to update its BIOS using a 6th-gen CPU. To eliminate this issue of incompatibility, stick with the 7th-gen CPU on a motherboard which supports both 6th or 7th-gen CPUs out-of-the-box (i.e., the B250, H270, and/or Z270 chipset mobos).

The second option, the B250-chipset, is a mobo not intended for overclocking -- which is usually paired with a non-"K" Intel 6th/7th-gen CPU. If you don't plan to overclock (ever), then, this is a good affordable...


Here's an alternative to the parts you listed (for better price/performance}:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350M Pro4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB SSC GAMING ACX 3.0 Video Card ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $649.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 12:31 EDT-0400
 

JasonJJJ

Honorable
Oct 19, 2015
115
3
10,685



Thanks so much for the help John. I really want to stay intel and not AMD to be honest.


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You're welcome. If you really prefer Intel, here are my thoughts on your initial parts lists you posted above:

Motherboard:
The first option, the Z170-chipset, is a mobo that supports overclocking 6th-gen Intel "K-series" CPUs out-of-the-box. If you want to use 7th-gen, you may have to update its BIOS using a 6th-gen CPU. To eliminate this issue of incompatibility, stick with the 7th-gen CPU on a motherboard which supports both 6th or 7th-gen CPUs out-of-the-box (i.e., the B250, H270, and/or Z270 chipset mobos).

The second option, the B250-chipset, is a mobo not intended for overclocking -- which is usually paired with a non-"K" Intel 6th/7th-gen CPU. If you don't plan to overclock (ever), then, this is a good affordable chipset choice.

The third option, the Z270-chipset, is a mobo intended for overclocking -- which is usually paired with a "K" Intel 6th/7th-gen CPU.

If you want better OC stability, pick a Z270 mobo that has a high number of power phases.

Processor:
Your only listed option, the i5-7600K, is an overclockable, 4-core/4-thread CPU, and has no included CPU cooler out-of-the-box. Due to the recently-released AMD Ryzen 5 CPU's (which is all overclockable, has hyperthreading, and lower TDP with a decent stock cooler included) has lessen the i5's value in price/performance. Due to this, you might want to consider the i7-7700K instead for longevity as games are starting to use more cores/threads.

If you do not plan to overclock, the i7-7700 is an alternative (with an included stock cooler already).

However, as Intel has less price/performance compared to Ryzen, expect to spend more on this platform.

Video Card:
The GTX 1050 Ti listed is good mid/entry level 1080p/60Hz video card, suitable for budget builds. Dual fans help in dissipating heat at lower noise levels.

Cooler:
The Cryorig H7 is a great-performing CPU cooler for your overclockable Intel CPU (as the "K" CPUs require an aftermarket one). If you opt for the non-OC'able CPU, the Cryorig M9i will suffice as a replacement for the stock CPU cooler.

Memory:
All your listed memory (DDR3) are not compatible with the build. The motherboards/CPU require DDR4 RAM.

If you opt for the Z270-chipset mobo + "K" CPU, better to get a faster speed RAM at 2666MHz up to 3200MHz to take advantage of OC'ing features. If you opt for the B250 or H270-chipset mobos + non-"K" CPU (non-OC'able), get the 2400MHz as that is the max. speed the non-OC mobo and CPU can support.

Good choice on the 16GB (2 x 8GB) kit, as that capacity is the recommended memory nowadays (although 8GB is still enough). The 2-stick kit also takes advantage of the dual-channel memory architecture of your mobo/CPU which is faster than using just a single stick.

Power Supply:
The listed PSU could be better (in quality and ample wattage). The 650W is overkill for this system (a good-quality ~400W-~450W will suffice). Consider a good-quality ~500W-~550W PSU for better upgradability/efficiency which is more than enough wattage for OC'ing and future changes/additions to more powerful components.

Modified suggestions, taking into account Intel CPU preference (note that only the parts listed are modified):

OPTION 1: Definite Non-OC Intel Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock - B250M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team - Dark 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($107.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB OC Edition Video Card ($143.40 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $644.23
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 14:52 EDT-0400
****************************************

OPTION 2: Definite OC Intel Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI - Z270 TOMAHAWK ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($126.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB OC Edition Video Card ($143.40 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $802.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 15:01 EDT-0400
****************************************

OPTION 3: Affordable Gaming Intel Build with Intent to Upgrade to OC later on

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($74.89 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI - Z270 TOMAHAWK ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($126.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($116.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB OC Edition Video Card ($143.40 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $532.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 15:02 EDT-0400
 
Solution

JasonJJJ

Honorable
Oct 19, 2015
115
3
10,685



Thanks so much for all of your help! That 3rd option actually looks really good, think I might go that route.


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cisco001

Honorable
Sep 18, 2012
289
0
10,860
If it has to be under $700, may be non oc i5 7500? I assume you need to include OS within $700?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B250M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($59.92 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB OC Edition Video Card ($143.40 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black/Blue) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($92.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $693.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-07-07 15:34 EDT-0400