700 Dollar Gaming PC

[kouzyang]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Before 2010-02-28 hopefully (that's when the rebates end XD)

BUDGET RANGE: 700 dollar limit before/after rebates


SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 2 XD) and surfing the web a little of course



PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, Monitor, and Operating System



PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Zipzoomfly.com (I love their no tax+no shipping charge, I live in MN), Newegg.com, Tigerdirect.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: Always a well known brand only!

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, Hence the BE AMD CPU (first time trying though...)

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: NOPE



MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680 x 1050, 1680 x 1200



ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Pretty much a newb here when it comes down to the technical terms of the PC world, but I do know how to put PC pieces together XD. Love to game and I hope to use this PC for a long time (3-4 years). Hoping to get the "best bang for my buck" mid-range gaming PC. Would also like to put in a wireless card for wireless activity, but can't decide which brand to go with. Would love to OC this CPU, but this CPU will be my first try at OCing! For now just trying get the tower together, already have everything else needed. Any advice or comments appreciated. Thanks Guys/Gals!

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Parts Chosen So Far:

OCZ OCZ3P1333LV4GK 4GB PC3-10666 (DDR3-1333) Dual Channel Memory Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011079

AZZA CSAZ-910 ATX Helios 910 SECC Mid Tower Case Black Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011750

MSI DH-24AAS-17 24X SATA DVD Burner Black Drive Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011359

AEROCOOL DCC-C900 EN51187 Aluminum Intel/AMD CPU Cooler Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011540

AMD HDZ550WFGIBOX Phenom II X2 550 BLACK EDITION 3.10 GHz Socket AM3 Desktop Processor
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010530

SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB Buffer Hard Drive Bulk
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010067

ASUS M4A78LT-M LE AMD 760G AM3 Phenom II/Athlon X4/Athlon X3/Athlon X2 Socket AM3 5200 MT/s PC3-14400 (DDR3-1800) mATX Motherboard Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011719

OCZ OCZ600MXSP 600W SLI/CrossFire Active Power Supply Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009333

SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 11163-02-20R 1GB GDDR5 PCI Express x16 (2.0v) Video Card Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011975

Price so Far: 698.92
after 100 dollars MIR: 598.92

So you see that I have about 100 dollars spending room (which is nice) but i was hoping that could be used towards a good wireless card? Once again, First time building a NEW gaming PC from scratch… Hopefully everything will work out? Thanks again in Advance!

 

[r_manic]

Have you considered the $700 system of the last SBM? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/value-pc-build,2506.html

 

[DearSX]

I think that is a system I would not mind having, Its similar to what I already have. But given an extra $300 bucks ( I paid $400), I'd go for more Gpu power. I got a 4860 which is about as fast as a 5770 and 2.8ghz C2D and 3gbs of ram.

Getting a more affordable chip like an X3 (-$25), more affordable memory like A-data (-10), a more affordable case/power supply (-$20)(I have a Sonata/500wt), no cooler (-20) and less expensive burner (-10), would free up room for a HD5850, which is more or less 2 5770s combined. I think i'd be pretty close to $700 bucks, with similar cpu power, and a lot more GPU. As good if not better than the $700 build on tom's.

 

[kouzyang]

@r_maniac
Hmmm yeah i have given consideration to the 700 dollars build that they have on that link, but it doesn't seem to be what I was looking for.

I didn't like that fact that it used two 4870 cuz I wanted DX11 for the future and I remember reading somewhere that it uses a lot of power too compared to the 5770. also i really wanted to try a AMD BE chip and saw that the phenom ii x2 550 BE was a good bang for your buck cpu if you attempt to OC? So I was trying to go more towards AMD parts...

@ DearSx
could you give me a link to the parts you suggested, i would like to look at them and compare prices and reviews and it does sound promising If I could Squeeze a 5850 in my build (I don't want to upgrade to my First GPU card anytime soon XD)

 

[kouzyang]

@zipzoomflyhigh
Man that ASRock board looks pretty good... I just dont like the reviews it had on the link you provided... same thing with the msi board... since they are a cheap board, I guess I can't expect the best right but yeah maybe we can go higher on the MB, I don't mind spending about >100 for a MB... I do have about an extra 100 to spare. thanks for those links though, I completely forgot about ASrock.

Oh, and yeah I don't plan on unlocking cores... with all these talk and stuff about instability and debates about how it can't work and that it is locked for a reason... I don't want to chance it on my first build. I just want to OC the chip as high as I can for now.

 

[daggs]

how about this mb? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2%2050001314%2040000022%20107191003&bop=And&SpeTabStoreType=1&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE it's 75$ after mail rebate

 

[kouzyang]

@Daggs

umm... it just shows a listing of Gigabyte MBs from newegg.com...
which one were you referring to? I was aiming for a mATX board to fit snuggly into a mid-tower.

Also does anyone have any good suggestions for a cpu cooler and mid case that will fit all these parts? I'm hoping to OC my CPU and keep it stable for a long time xD

 

[kouzyang]

Thanks to all so far for their comments and tips, I'm currently looking at newegg.com to see if I can find some combo for making a lower cost build for an radeon 5850... Hopefully I can pull it off!

 

[randomkid]

I think the HD5770 is good enough for your 1680x1200 monitor. It should play almost all games at highest graphics settings.

If you want to OC and do not want to unlock, spend the extra money on the X4 955 which will get you higher OC potential and 4 cores to boot for only $70 more. And get a mobo with two PCIex16 slots. While you say you don't want to crossfire now, it will be nice to have the option say 2-3 years from now where you can plug in another HD5770 there. Your X4 955 should be able to handle it...

 

[daggs]

@Daggs

umm... it just shows a listing of Gigabyte MBs from newegg.com...
which one were you referring to? I was aiming for a mATX board to fit snuggly into a mid-tower.

Also does anyone have any good suggestions for a cpu cooler and mid case that will fit all these parts? I'm hoping to OC my CPU and keep it stable for a long time xD

my apologies, here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392

 

[kouzyang]

@randomkid
Yeah that's what I had thought of at first, but then I didn't want the build to be so expensive. After all the research I did about GPU's and CPU's effect on gaming, I saw that High End GPUs are all you need really… And I was aiming for the phenom ii x3 720, but they are always out of stock and I need to put in my order before the 2/28. I was pretty content with just trying OCing the two cores above 4.0… which is why I was aiming to keep the cpu cooler. But with all this talk about unlocking my cores, maybe I should consider it?

@Daggs
yeah that board looks awesome, but i was trying to aim more towards a mATX board so i can have more room to build this pc. My first time and im aiming for a mid-tower, so I would like a mATX board to make things easier for me.

 

[daggs]

yeah that board looks awesome, but i was trying to aim more towards a mATX board so i can have more room to build this pc. My first time and im aiming for a mid-tower, so I would like a mATX board to make things easier for me.

ok, here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130247
costs abit more, your could take up to 8GB, this can take up to 16.

 

[kouzyang]

@Daggs
Yeah this thing looks great… a little more expensive, but it might just do the trick for the next 3-4 years… thanks.

Now I just need to figure out how to make this build just right to fit a 5850 in with my AMD phenom ii x550 BE! XD

 

[randomkid]

@randomkid
Yeah that's what I had thought of at first, but then I didn't want the build to be so expensive. After all the research I did about GPU's and CPU's effect on gaming, I saw that High End GPUs are all you need really… And I was aiming for the phenom ii x3 720, but they are always out of stock and I need to put in my order before the 2/28. I was pretty content with just trying OCing the two cores above 4.0… which is why I was aiming to keep the cpu cooler. But with all this talk about unlocking my cores, maybe I should consider it?

Ha ha ha... you really should. I heard that the chances of unlocking with good cores is higher since yields in the chip production are better and AMD just lock cores not because they are bad but because there is much demand for X3 and X2. So if you can get the X2 550 then by all means unlock it. Mine is a 720 that was unlocked and I can OC it to 3.6Ghz easily. I bet I can get more if I have a good cooler.

By the way, do you still opt for the Aerocool cooler in your first post? It seems like an low end cooler and you will be dissappointed with the temps later when you OC. Consider CM Hyper 212 or Xigmatek Dark Knight S-1283v or even a Megahalems.

 

[kouzyang]

@Randomkid
yeah I would really like to try it out, cuz it seems very appealing. But I'm just worried about raising cost and then frying the darn CPU… I've had pretty bad luck starting this year. lol.

Yeah I'm looking into the CM Hyper 212 too, but I'm finding that there is two kinds, one that is 212 + and the other is just plain 212… which one should I get? And I'm still trying to mix parts around to fit my budget… I seem to be find some good deal on newegg… so hopefully I get lucky. I'll keep in mind the unlocking when selecting a MB though, which MB do you have?

 

[randomkid]

I have the MSI 790FX-GD70. Its a bit expensive at USD170 as I selected it for future crossfire and overclockability. I think any 785 or 790chipset motherboard should be able to unlock. When you check mobo in newegg, check the customer reviews as most will say if they are able to unlock cores thru it.

 

[kouzyang]

Okay thanks to all for helping me so far and I think i might be set here, but this is what i have...

ASRock M3A785GMH/128M AM3 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157168
76.99 + 2.99 shipping = 79.98

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103680
95.99 free shipping

ENERMAX ECA3170-BL Aluminum/Steel Mid Tower Case Black Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011897
54.99 - 20.00 MIR = 34.99

OCZ OCZ600MXSP 600W SLI/CrossFire Active Power Supply Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009333
74.99 - 20.00 MIR = 54.99

Sony Optiarc AD-7240S-0B SATA DVD Burner Black Drive Bulk
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010321
34.99 - 15.00 MIR = 19.99

SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB SATA II 7200 RPM 16MB Buffer Hard Drive Bulk
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10010067
59.99 - 15.00 MIR = 44.99

OCZ OCZ3P1333LV4GK 4GB PC3-10666 (DDR3-1333) Dual Channel Memory Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011079
104.99 - 20.00 MIR = 84.99

SAPPHIRE 100283VXL Radeon HD 5770 Vapor-X 11163-00-20R 1GB GDDR5 PCI Express x16 (2.0v) Video Card Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011732
184.99 - 10.00 MIR = 174.99

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
29.99 + 7.56 shipping = 37.55

So all together after shipping and tax, I should come out at:
628.46 for this package...

I Couldn't make the 5850 fit in this make unfortunately... but from what I understand and read off the articles here and you guys commments:

- I should and will try to unlock and OC the x550 BE chip as high as i can
- I should have adequate cooling for my case (vapor cooling 5770 )
- With only a 1680x1050 monitor, I should be maxed out for most games

With the extra 80 bucks i can probably just get a decent wireless card for my pc build... But is there anything else that i am missing that could make this build better or is there a combo out there that could save me some more money?

 

[kouzyang]

I'd switch that psu out with this one. It has the same amps. $49.99 after rebate plus it has a 10% off promo code right now. I've used these in many builds including my own.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341022

This one is even better for $64.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] _-17371031

Full ATX motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] _-13131603

Yeah that antex power supply looks great and its about the same amount too as my first pick power supply plus a little moer watts. Awesome

but judging by the date of the sales, im going to have to put my order in soon...

Anything else i should change or is there something else out there that is better?

 

[kouzyang]

Best answer selected by kouzyang.

 

[kouzyang]

All right... now I hope everything works out for the best and I get no surprises (bad ones) thanks everyone!

 

[amoghthegamer]

Hey I can't really help you with the main parts but you mention wifi. I have a Netgear WG III v2 and it rocks! It's $24.99 on Newegg now that the v3 came out and its solid. I bent the usb to almost a 60 degree angle, when I pushed my Pc against the wall, and it still WORKS! I'd reccommend it to you to save a lot of money.

 

[kouzyang]

@amoghthegamer
oh yeah that sounds great. thanks bro.

@zipzoomflyhigh
I already made the orders, but if it doesnt work out I'll look at it. thanks for the link though.

 

[kouzyang]

@zipzoomfly
I ordered the list that I made last in the middle of this page and swapped out the psu for the one you suggested from newegg for 64.99. You said go for it and I did. lol.

Apparently Some rebates was due on the 14th and 16th… so i had to make to order right away… and wouldn't you know it, the minute I make the order, ZIpzoomfly.com had some new stock of items that I wanted But i guess thats how life is… lol

Can't wait til I get it though.

 

[amovewmerne]

this is to see....
Stop spamming.

 

[jsc]

Closing dead thread.