Is this gaming computer with 600 dollar budget?

[Alphapanda]

Hello,
I'm planning to build a new gaming rig readying for BF3 but with a budget around 600 dollars so I don’t plan on overclocking. I've come to pick out these parts. Opinions?
Mobo: (ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157236
CPU: (Intel Core i5-2500) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073
RAM: (CORSAIR XMS3 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145218
Video card: (ASUS 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
PSU: (Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182199
----------------

EDIT: Updated spec: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/311538-28-gaming-spec-overclocking#t2342972

 

[iam2thecrowe]

yes, a very capable PC without overclocking. Its a shame you picked an absolutely horrible PSU that will probably blow up and destroy your computer. Rosewill are poor quality PSU's that will not produce their rated power or last very long. Also you really want 8gb ram. spend a bit extra on the PSU and get something good like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030 its a proven seasonic design

 

[Alphapanda]

Haha thank you, I will consider getting that PSU instead. And I'm hoping to hear some more opinions before purchasing it.

And 8gb of ram? 4gb is just right nowadays isn't it or is it at the point where 8 gb does matter now.

 

[Proximon]

ts a shame you picked an absolutely horrible PSU that will probably blow up and destroy your computer. Rosewill are poor quality PSU's that will not produce their rated power or last very long.

Not true.

Review:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/881

The Rosewill Green series is a good ATNG platform, and considered a good budget choice. Obviously if a Seasonic-built PSU can be had for a similar price it's the better deal, but not all Rosewill PSUs are bad.

Rosewill, like most brands, do not make or design PSUs.

 

[shanky887614]

yes but if you read what he said they go quite quickly becasue of poor quality of internal components

you never want to keep costs down with psu

id rather have his build with a core i3-2100 if i couldnt afford it otherwise and upgrade later

 

[sarinaide]

I would look at a P67 or Z68 board, though the H61 is a good platform to use temporarily to see how the CPU and MOBO market plays out in the next year or so.

Also the 2500 would be overkill, a 2100 is more than capable and saves you for the future upgrade that will be needed.

For RAM:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231394

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189

 

[sarinaide]

Then you would certainly want a better motherboard and faster RAM.

Will BF3 really not work on a i3, I have my doubts about that. On the specs provided the OP will not get high FPS anyway so the build is wrong.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

First of all this is more of a system build question then a CPU question. So let’s do a couple things to help you out. The Intel® Core™ i5-2500 is a very nice processor that should do what you are looking for out of the processor. Now to the H61 series board, will the processor run on this board? Yes, but the board is a low end board that may not have all the features or lifespan that you are looking for. So upgrading to the H67 might be a smart move for you or if you really want to have this be a better gaming system the P67 or Z68 chipset based boards are better designed for gaming.

Of the items that you have on your build the memory is the one thing that I really am concerned with. With the 2nd generation Intel Core processors you want to make sure that you are not running memory that is above 1.5v, the memory that you have selected is 1.6v so you most likely would want to change it out to some memory rated at 1.5 or below. There are a number of good DDR 3 1600 memories out there that are running at the same cost as the 1333.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[Alphapanda]

I've done my research on the h61, h67,p67 and z68 and came to conclusion that I don't really need all that feature so I assumed It was ok to go with h61. But I will take those considerations now. I've switched ram with 1.5v and looking for a better motherboard since I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon so I want to make the best of it w/ 600 dollars.

I know it limits from all the high end tech but feel free to recommend any motherboard you think that can fit in my 600-dollar budget.

Thank you guys. I appreciate the thoughts. Please keep them coming guys.

Oh as for hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
DVD ROM? Just a typical dvd-cd combo drive

 

[sarinaide]

First of all this is more of a system build question then a CPU question. So let’s do a couple things to help you out. The Intel® Core™ i5-2500 is a very nice processor that should do what you are looking for out of the processor. Now to the H61 series board, will the processor run on this board? Yes, but the board is a low end board that may not have all the features or lifespan that you are looking for. So upgrading to the H67 might be a smart move for you or if you really want to have this be a better gaming system the P67 or Z68 chipset based boards are better designed for gaming.

Of the items that you have on your build the memory is the one thing that I really am concerned with. With the 2nd generation Intel Core processors you want to make sure that you are not running memory that is above 1.5v, the memory that you have selected is 1.6v so you most likely would want to change it out to some memory rated at 1.5 or below. There are a number of good DDR 3 1600 memories out there that are running at the same cost as the 1333.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

I see you were also looking at the XMS3 with a weary eye.

Z68 is probably the best or at least the most sound option.


GSkill seem to have the best prices for 1600C9/C8.

 

[Alphapanda]

I've done my research on the h61, h67,p67 and z68 and came to conclusion that I don't really need all that feature so I assumed It was ok to go with h61. But I will take those considerations now. I've switched ram with 1.5v and looking for a better motherboard since I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon so I want to make the best of it w/ 600 dollars.

I know it limits from all the high end tech but feel free to recommend any motherboard you think that can fit in my 600-dollar budget.

Thank you guys. I appreciate the thoughts. Please keep them coming guys.

Oh as for hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148767
DVD ROM? Just a typical dvd-cd combo drive

If I were to get a z68 isn't better to get i5-2500k? But like I mentioned earlier I don't plan on overclocking and don't need a board that has the feature which I don't need :S

 

[sarinaide]

You can use any processor in the 1155 generation on a Z68 motherboard, so you can still use the 2500.

The benefits of the Z68 (or P67) boards is faster RAM support, DDR3 1600 is where you want to be.

 

[Alphapanda]

You can use any processor in the 1155 generation on a Z68 motherboard, so you can still use the 2500.

The benefits of the Z68 (or P67) boards is faster RAM support, DDR3 1600 is where you want to be.

Yea, sorry I meant isn't it better to get the 2500k instead of 2500 since it will allow overclocking without limit w/ z68 board. But regardless that wasn't my intention:

Here is my updated spec with around 640 dollars. I don't wish to push it.
Should I stick with i5-2500 or spend another 10 dollars for i5-2500k? Opinions?

CPU: (i5-2500) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073
Mobo: (BIOSTAR TZ68A+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138319
Ram: (4gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233141
Video Card: (Asus 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
PSU: (Antec NEO ECO 520W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

 

[mdd1963]

another possible compromise is the i5-2400, saving another $40 or so over the 2500....; still more than capable, and still quad-core

 

[Alphapanda]

I was considering that too but I'll wait for some more opinions on my updated spec. Thank you

 

[iam2thecrowe]

Not true.

Review:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/881

The Rosewill Green series is a good ATNG platform, and considered a good budget choice. Obviously if a Seasonic-built PSU can be had for a similar price it's the better deal, but not all Rosewill PSUs are bad.

Rosewill, like most brands, do not make or design PSUs.

yeah, i did read that review. but having seen many rosewills die early deaths, testing them for a few minutes on a bench doesn't quite reassure me. For the same money id rather a more reputable brand.

 

[sarinaide]

Yea, sorry I meant isn't it better to get the 2500k instead of 2500 since it will allow overclocking without limit w/ z68 board. But regardless that wasn't my intention:

Here is my updated spec with around 640 dollars. I don't wish to push it.
Should I stick with i5-2500 or spend another 10 dollars for i5-2500k? Opinions?

CPU: (i5-2500) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073
Mobo: (BIOSTAR TZ68A+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138319
Ram: (4gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233141
Video Card: (Asus 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
PSU: (Antec NEO ECO 520W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

1] The i5 2400 will do what a 2500 and 2500k at stock will do and at a significant knock off.

2] The RAM module is correct, just look for it in 2x2GB or 2x4GB sets, obviously it is easier to go straight to 8GB now rather than trying to match later when you populate your DIMM slots, but 4GB is theoretically enough and 8GB right now is more than enough.

3] That particular Biostar Board I did a 2500K build on for someone else recently and for low end cost you get pretty high end performance and features. It does have a draw back though, first it is only crossfire supported at 16x/4x, if you ever go that route which you can't with an Nvidia card anyways then you will have sync problems, second it has no USB front headers and also the I/O panel is rather limited with only two USB2.0 and two USB3.0 ports, this is only a minor hiccup as you can buy USB PCI extentions anyway. It is a well endorsed board that can give you ASUS and Gigabyte performance (around about) and the knock off is worth it.

 

[Alphapanda]

1] The i5 2400 will do what a 2500 and 2500k at stock will do and at a significant knock off.

2] The RAM module is correct, just look for it in 2x2GB or 2x4GB sets, obviously it is easier to go straight to 8GB now rather than trying to match later when you populate your DIMM slots, but 4GB is theoretically enough and 8GB right now is more than enough.

3] That particular Biostar Board I did a 2500K build on for someone else recently and for low end cost you get pretty high end performance and features. It does have a draw back though, first it is only crossfire supported at 16x/4x, if you ever go that route which you can't with an Nvidia card anyways then you will have sync problems, second it has no USB front headers and also the I/O panel is rather limited with only two USB2.0 and two USB3.0 ports, this is only a minor hiccup as you can buy USB PCI extentions anyway. It is a well endorsed board that can give you ASUS and Gigabyte performance (around about) and the knock off is worth it.

Yea I was looking through newegg some more and discovered this board:

MSI P67A-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130571

Only 10 dollars more. What do you think?

 

[sarinaide]

As a barebone board it is fine, it will take away any future crossfire/SLI options and give you sufficient enough performance at low cost.

When you consider a build don't build around a GPU or CPU, I would always start on a Chassis, PSU then Motherboard. Spend a decent amount on a PSU and Motherboard and you have far more future proofing.

1] Get a P8P67 Pro (REV 3.1) or Z68 V/V-Pro which is high quality at good cost.
2] Drop to a I3 2100 if necessary and upgrade only the CPU in 2 years or so.

As I say, never try and future proof a GPU as they become redundant after 2-3 years while a CPU can last a long time, particularly the 2500k. A i3 with a GTX 560 and good RAM will in 95% of games today give you pretty similar gaming FPS, I know that people look at the i3 as "only being a dual core" but it is effectively a dual core with near on high end quad core performance. Synthetic benchmarks will score the quads well above the dual cores, but in real life scenarios the i3 2100 is so close that the $100 upfront saved can be used on getting the core of a machine build, then you can buy a 2500k next year some time at a knock off too likely.

 

[oby20]

yeah, i did read that review. but having seen many rosewills die early deaths, testing them for a few minutes on a bench doesn't quite reassure me. For the same money id rather a more reputable brand.

hey bro, i understand you know something about psus, my brother is planning to buy a cheap psu for his new desktop, he has no choice but an imaster brands or a coolermaster gx series and a thermaltake lite power series, do you think iMaster psu is good psu? better than coolermaster gx or thermaltake lite power series?

 

[Alphapanda]

As a barebone board it is fine, it will take away any future crossfire/SLI options and give you sufficient enough performance at low cost.

When you consider a build don't build around a GPU or CPU, I would always start on a Chassis, PSU then Motherboard. Spend a decent amount on a PSU and Motherboard and you have far more future proofing.

1] Get a P8P67 Pro (REV 3.1) or Z68 V/V-Pro which is high quality at good cost.
2] Drop to a I3 2100 if necessary and upgrade only the CPU in 2 years or so.

As I say, never try and future proof a GPU as they become redundant after 2-3 years while a CPU can last a long time, particularly the 2500k. A i3 with a GTX 560 and good RAM will in 95% of games today give you pretty similar gaming FPS, I know that people look at the i3 as "only being a dual core" but it is effectively a dual core with near on high end quad core performance. Synthetic benchmarks will score the quads well above the dual cores, but in real life scenarios the i3 2100 is so close that the $100 upfront saved can be used on getting the core of a machine build, then you can buy a 2500k next year some time at a knock off too likely.

Going with your words.

I may go with this route with your suggested mobo and cpu which holds be below 600 dollars. roughly around 590.

mobo: (ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131773
CPU: (i3-2100) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
Ram: (GSKILL 4gb - 2x2gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231427
Video Card: (Asus 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
PSU: (Antec NEO ECO 520W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

But feel free suggest to make the best of it

 

[sarinaide]

Going with your words.

I may go with this route with your suggested mobo and cpu which holds be below 600 dollars. roughly around 590.

mobo: (ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131773
CPU: (i3-2100) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
Ram: (GSKILL 4gb - 2x2gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231427
Video Card: (Asus 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
PSU: (Antec NEO ECO 520W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

But feel free suggest to make the best of it

I would go with this board of the options:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128512 at $149, it is $10 more but has a bit more features to it and better XFire/SLI options.

CASE: $50 (Roswill Challenger)
PSU: $55 it is a 40A PSU which may be a squeeze, it will mean down the line when you change the GPU (if you do) then you will likely need to upgrade the PSU also.
MOBO: $150 GA-Z68XP-UD3
CPU: $220 i5 2500k or $190 i5 2400, I don't know anything about Battlefield3 but apparently it is quad designed, the 2400 is as good on stock as the 2500k.
Cooler: $30 Coolermaster hyper 212+ (if you go with the i5 2500k)
RAM: $34 or $60 GSkill Ripjaws in 4GB or 8GB
GPU: $180 ASUS GTX 560
Optical: $20 most optical devices are under $20 so I will just round off.
HDD: $40 Seagate 6gb/s drive
OS: $95 Win7 Home 64bit

Total Lowest: $814
Total Highest: $900

I would seriously look at a PSU with 42-52A just to be safe.

Corsair GS600 or TX650
Silverstone Strider Series PSU's (ST60 gen)
Antec HCG 620 or 750

there is this PSU from Xigmatek that many are suggesting on the PSU side after MIR it is $65 dollars at that price and its good reviews, 80%> efficiency rating and the fact it is a 54A PSU might be a good option to go for:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817815010

offer ends in August (31/08) so if this is good after some reseach, it is the cheapest you can get a 700w rated PSU of this kind. Just research it first before going headlong.

In short with that build you are looking at $800-950 after rebates, shipping and the lot which to be perfectly honest is doing very well with what you got.

 

[Alphapanda]

Here's another potential build using combo deals
Mobo + CPU:
5-2500K + MSI P67A-G43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.660242
GFX + PSU:
XFX 6870HD + CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.718310
RAM: (GSKILL 4gb - 2x2gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231427
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767

All come to 680 dollars but 620 with MIR


Or another one here w/ 668 dollars w/ PSU option 1. 689 w/ PSU option 2. Excluded video card's price since they're almost identical so I just rounded both to 200

Mobo: (GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128512
CPU: (i5-2400) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074
RAM: (GSKILL 4gb - 2x2gb ddr3 1600 - 1.5v)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231427
HDD: (500gb 7200rpm Sata 6) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
Video Card option 1: (Asus 560 gtx) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121446
Video Card option 2: (AMD 6870) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150506
PSU option 1: (Antec NEO ECO 520W) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030
PSU option 2: (XIGMATEK NRP-PC702 700W ATX12V) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817815010

 

[sarinaide]

Its all looking good and it has come down a lot from $1100 to $700

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The Intel® Core™ i5-2500K is my favorite processor we have released in a long time. It has a rare ability about to be near the top of the performance scale while having a price point that is high mid range pricing. Heck I paid more for my Intel Core 2 Duo e6400 than the Intel Core i5-2500K is going for now.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team