Jan 2012 $650 Price/Performance Build

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samuelspark

samuelspark

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The other builds for different budgets: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/332705-31-looking-gaming-computer-builds-budgets-click-here

i5-2400 ($189.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074
MSI H67A-G43 (B3) 1155 ATX Motherboard ($99.99) ($20 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130616
HIS Radeon HD 6870 ($159.99) ($20 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161389
Crucial 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333 MHz RAM ($18.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148262
Enermax NAXN ENP450AST ($39.99) ($5.99 shipping)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194090
WD 400GB 7200RPM HDD ($64.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236104
Rosewill Destroyer ATX Gaming Case ($49.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144
ASUS x24 DVD Burner ($18.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Total = $642.92 + $5.99 shipping + $40 rebates
 
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kevinlnyc

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hi samuelspark, im completely new to building pcs but i think this build and price will be great for me. i want to upgrade this to 8gb, how does that affect the rest of the components?

thanks
 
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lunyone

lunyone

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I'd suggest any of these wireless adapters (I have the nano version and it's great):
Edimax Wireless Adapters

I'd also suggest getting 8 gb's of RAM, due to the really cheap price right now and than you probably won't need to upgrade later.

The PSU you selected will be okay, but isn't 80% efficient certified or better, so it'll cost you some more electricity to run and might run a bit warmer than a PSU that is certified to run more efficient (it's up to you). I would consider this PSU:

$65 - $20 MIRc - $15 Promo card = $30!!! Has 36A on the 12v rails (Enermax is 30A), comes w/2 x PCI-e power connectors for your GPU's, and is Modular (so you have less cable clutter in the case = better airflow). Comes with 3 yr. warranty too, just like the Enermax.
OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
 
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Instead of getting the i5 2400 why not get an I3 2100 and 6950 with the money saved for the video card. Better value for gaming IMO.
 
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proxxshot

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At the price your at you could get a 6 core AMD cpu, 8 gigs of ram, a larger harddrive, and a better mobo.............but you go with intel??? i completly understand for a highend build choosing them over amd but at that budget its amd all the way unless your only going to b gaming on this pc i highly suggest that route......
 
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Cam_Durack

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Agreed!
 
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proxxshot

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Glad someone agreed this is what i purchased sunday its suppose to be here in the morning!!

1. XION Predator Gaming Series AXP 970 $74.99

2. AMD FX-6100 Zambezi 3.3GHz Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor $159.99

3. TOPOWER ZU-500W PSU $28.99

4. ASUS M5A97 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS $99.99

5. CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3\ 1600 $48.99

6. COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3 $17.99

7. Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $84.99

8. LITE-ON DVD Burner $19.99

9. ASUS EAH6670/DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 $99.99


TOTAL= 635.91

AFTER COMBO DEALS AND MAIL IN REBATE = 582.91

Perfect all around balanced system will b able to handle anything you throw at it mind you at this price theres plenty of room to add on with the money saved and or upgrade sum of these existing parts (ex. video card, harddrive)

i highly suggest you take a route like this get out of the internet forum mindframe and really think about everything your gonna want to b doing on your new pc.

An Intel chip is like a Mercedes you buy it and you drive it , an AMD chip is like a Honda if you treat it right and add on sum nice componets it will outrun and outlast that Mercedes everytime........

 
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G

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So AMD is better than an Intel?, give me a break. Most apps/games use 1-2 cores and Intel without a doubt has more efficient cores. My overclocked @ 4.8 ghz i5-2500k will crush ANYTHING that AMD has to offer.
 
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proxxshot

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So AMD is better than an Intel?, give me a break. Most apps/games use 1-2 cores and Intel without a doubt has more efficient cores. My overclocked @ 4.8 ghz i5-2500k will crush ANYTHING that AMD has to offer.
Click to expand...

Where in my previous post did you conceive that answer.................. i simply stated that with an AMD CPU in a budget build like this your gonna get more bang for your buck. your gonna have more options to customized your PC and it will b better balanced in the end.....


Furthermore i posted this 2 post back
" I completly understand for a highend build choosing them over AMD but at that budget its AMD all the way unless your only going to be gaming on this pc i highly suggest that route......"


Conclusion
You need to learn how to perceive thought and interpret the English language better or maybe just read............. :pt1cable:
 
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lunyone

lunyone

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Either the i3 2120 or an AMD 960T would be a good start for a gaming build around the $500-700 price range (depending on your budget). Either will be good for all around performance with the Intel doing a bit better in single threaded applications.

AMD has better mobo for the $, IMHO, so keep that in mind. Not sold on Bulldozer yet, so I'm a bit cautious with recommending them for future upgrades at this point in time. I like the unlock potential that you could get with AMD, so that can be a plus if it works out for you. In the budget category, AMD has good options to consider. If your willing to spend a bit more for a CPU (if you use CPU intensive applications) than Intel is a good option. I prefer AMD 960T with the best GPU you can buy (probably going to be the 6870 or 6950 at this point in time). You'll be able to game well with that combo for most thing right now. Sure it won't beat out a 2500k based system, but your saving ~$100 on the CPU alone, which can be put into other upgrades. The i3 2120 is a good CPU too for the $, so don't rule it out.

It all depends on what your doing with your system and which way you want to go. The i5 2400 is a good CPU, don't get me wrong. But if your on a tight budget and wanting to get the most bang for the buck in a gaming system, an i3 2120 or AMD 960T are good sensible options to consider.

If you go with an Intel build, than I'd consider getting the z68 based mobo's, because you take advantage of all of the options afforded by that chipset. I believe the p67 mobo's don't support the onboard GPU (Sandy Bridge CPU's come with built in GPU's, like AMD's Llano's do) and also Quick Sync (used for faster video encoding).

If you go with an AMD build, than I'd suggest the AM3+ based mobo's, because you'll have the option to upgrade to Bulldozer based chips later (if they improve them).
 
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lunyone

lunyone

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Most of the bottleneck issues show up more at lower resolutions. If your gaming at 1280 x 1024 than your gong to see a difference, but if your gaming at 1080p than you won't see as much of a difference. If you can afford the i5 w/6950 than do it. It would be a better solution than the AMD 960T or FX 6100, but your paying additional for that option (not that its a bad deal).
 
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deadjon

deadjon

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I would like to make a point that I have personally tested, and is well known at the moment.

4GB of RAM has started to become a bit of a bottleneck in games. I noticed this playing SWTOR. I would strongly suggest at least 8GB these days, and to be honest you can get a good 8GB kit for ~$35, and thats Corsair Venagnce or XMS3.

And I would strongly suggest you go for the i3 2100/20 and grab a better motherboard. I would happily sacrifice 2 cores and a bit of performance (That you wont notice because the 6870 is going to be the bottleneck @ Med to High Res, even with an i3) for upgradability and future proofing. Who knows when you might get the opportunity to Xfire? or go Ivy Bridge? its always a good idea to plan for those possibilities.
 
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fatalshot808

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So AMD is better than an Intel?, give me a break. Most apps/games use 1-2 cores and Intel without a doubt has more efficient cores. My overclocked @ 4.8 ghz i5-2500k will crush ANYTHING that AMD has to offer.
Click to expand...
I'm sure your i5-2500k does. But is it really cost effective?? he is looking to build a $650 PC. Why would you post intel CPU's that are decent speeds but you can't even overclock them. AMD's Phenom does a much better job if you're going to overclock and it's very cost effective too.
 
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samuelspark

samuelspark

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4GB is not a bottleneck if you stop running the additional apps in the background. Also, like I said, games are now beginning to use 4 cores. Such games are mafia 2 and battlefield3.
 
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samuelspark

samuelspark

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Read it and weep. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=363
AMD CPU's are going to be a huge bottleneck for anything stronger or equal to 6950 crossfire. The next generation of GPU's will suprass that immensely.
 
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samuelspark

samuelspark

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I see so many things wrong with that build. At 600+ dollars you need a 6870. That gpu is seriously underpowered for that budget. Second, the PSU is a piece of crap. I bet it actually only gives 300w of power. Third, you spent too much on the case and it hurt your overall build. Fourth, 8GB RAM is a luxury. 4GB is enough.
 
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deadjon

deadjon

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On SWTOR, it is a bottleneck, period.

The i3 can handle any game at the moment without becoming a serious bottleneck to any GPU - a 2120 + a 6950 would be a beautiful combination. I'm fully aware that many games use Quads now, but the i3 has Hyperthreading too. Plus its a Sandy Bridge CPU too, so its blisteringly fast as far as architecture goes, hence why it trounces all the Phenom X4s and x6s.
 
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I was referring to this sentence from your first post "An Intel chip is like a Mercedes you buy it and you drive it , an AMD chip is like a Honda if you treat it right and add on sum nice componets it will outrun and outlast that Mercedes everytime........ "
 
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