Building gaming desktop for ~$600-700

[hedshotx]

Hello, this is my first shot on tomshardware, so I apologize if this is not the right place to put this. I am looking to build a new gaming desktop for about 600-700, mostly for games though also for surfing and for occasional movies. I built a desktop roughly about 7-8 years ago back when the ati radeon 9800 series was really high end . My knowledge of computer building and computer mechanics in general has been mostly forgotten though, but I've been trying my best to get back in the groove. I am open to any suggestions from you guys, I am really just trying to get the best performance from my computer as possible. I don't care about whether its Intel or AMD, ASUS or Gigabyte, but I do care about future upgradeability to an extent. So here is what I've come up with so far.

CPU:
Intel I5 2400 : 189.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074

Intel I5 2500 209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073

Note: Is the I5 2500K better? Is it worth spending more on than the 2500?

AMD Phenom II X4 955 124.99 (out of stock)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

AMD Phenom II X4 960T 124.99 ($15 rebate not included)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103995&Tpk=960t

The specs for them all are someone similar, though prices are not and I've read opinions that say they are not as well. Can someone explain this please and help me out?

Note: The only hardware websites I am aware of are newegg.com , tigerdirect.com, ncix.com, and frys.com which I can't find CPUs on for some reason. Are there any cheaper websites or local stores for parts?

GPU
Just as a kind of reference point, the two games I am looking to really meet head on with somewhat high settings (if possible) is Diablo 3 and Battlefield 3. With that being said, let me know if I need a better GPU.

Geforce GTX 560ti 189.99 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125401

Radeon 6950 209.99 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150523

I am not so sure about what I need for GPU, which is why I gave less options!

MOBO

This obviously is dependent on which CPU, but I have been researching a bit and have found a few options for starter points.

GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 (AM3+) 104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128519&Tpk=gigabyte%20ga-970a-ud3

I don't like this one that much because it only has 1 PCIe 2.0x16 slot and a pci 2.0x4. This means I can't dual GPU right?

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 (1155) 121.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271&Tpk=ASrock%20extreme3%20gen3

This also has 2 PCIe 3.0 slots I think.

After thoughts
I found this prebuilt computer on Newegg that has great reviews and looks like it has nice hardware for the price which is someone near my range. Also in one of the reviews someone says their son played the newest "Battlefield" on highest settings, which if true would be great. Though I'm guessing might be BS eh?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=83-227-383&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo

Also, most of the guidance for buying a new rig has come from this guy's building chart: http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png
I think it looks like a pretty good chart, let me know what you guys think!

I have a decent wireless mouse and keyboard that I can use right now, the desktop itself is more of a priority. Thanks in advance for any helpful pieces of advice you can give me!

 

[subrata4web]

Hi Hedshotx,
Grab this beast


Intel Core i5-2500K $229.99 newegg price
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 (1155) $121.99 newegg price
XFX Radeon HD 6950 $209.99 newegg price
Antec 620W PSU $65 newegg price
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) $46.99 newegg price
HDD7200RPM Western Digital[160GB] $70 newegg price[**Hard Drive Prices Won't Recede Until 2013.So later upgrade to 1TB]
NZXT Cabinet $40newegg price
DVD WRITER SAMSUNG $15 newegg price

Later get some knowledge about oc & grab a good CPU cooler.

Total $798.96[Approx]

 

[azeem40]

Yes, the unlocked version is definitely worth it. It will help in overclocking, and now that overclocking is safer than before, you can bet that your system, with adequate cooling, perform very optimally.

Since I am not so good at low-budget builds parts-wise, I direct you to http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/332962-31-recommended-builds-price and http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/269162-31-recommended-builds-usage .

 

[e56imfg]

Don't even bother with AMD CPUs now. They're out of the CPU market Even the i3 2100 can outperform some of the higher end AMD CPUs. Ivy Bridge, the successor to Sandy Bridge is coming out in April. The new CPUs won't make a huge performance difference on games but they are more power friendly (which is an absolute huge plus for me)
If you can't wait, get a i3 2100 right now and upgrade to Ivy Bridge in the future, get the ASRock mobo since it has native PCI-e 3 support when Ivy Bridge comes out. But you can also go for the i5 2500K or the non-K 2500, 2400, 2300 if you want the best performance right now.

For the GPU, again new GPUs are about to come out, Keplar (NVidia 600 or 700 series) and the rest of the AMD 7000 series. But if you can't wait, the 560 Ti would be personal preference. Both cards perform about the same so get which ever one is cheaper.

Mobo = ASRock, note PCI-e 3.0 isn't supported until you get an Ivy Bridge CPU which is going to come out in April. This mobo supports Ivy Bridge with a BIOS update.

Don't go for that pre-built. It has a non-Ti 560 and an absolute rubbish CPU, 6100.

Did you already decide on the case? I'm a huge case fanatic and could help you

 

[subrata4web]

Don't even bother with AMD CPUs now. They're out of the CPU market Even the i3 2100 can outperform some of the higher end AMD CPUs. Ivy Bridge, the successor to Sandy Bridge is coming out in April. The new CPUs won't make a huge performance difference on games but they are more power friendly (which is an absolute huge plus for me)
If you can't wait, get a i3 2100 right now and upgrade to Ivy Bridge in the future, get the ASRock mobo since it has native PCI-e 3 support when Ivy Bridge comes out. But you can also go for the i5 2500K or the non-K 2500, 2400, 2300 if you want the best performance right now.

Don't go for that pre-built. It has a non-Ti 560 and an absolute rubbish CPU, 6100.

Did you already decide on the case? I'm a huge case fanatic and could help you if

+1

 

[azeem40]

Don't even bother with AMD CPUs now. They're out of the CPU market Even the i3 2100 can outperform some of the higher end AMD CPUs. Ivy Bridge, the successor to Sandy Bridge is coming out in April. The new CPUs won't make a huge performance difference on games but they are more power friendly (which is an absolute huge plus for me)
If you can't wait, get a i3 2100 right now and upgrade to Ivy Bridge in the future, get the ASRock mobo since it has native PCI-e 3 support when Ivy Bridge comes out. But you can also go for the i5 2500K or the non-K 2500, 2400, 2300 if you want the best performance right now.

For the GPU, again new GPUs are about to come out, Keplar (NVidia 600 or 700 series) and the rest of the AMD 7000 series. But if you can't wait, the 560 Ti would be personal preference. Both cards perform about the same so get which ever one is cheaper.

Mobo = ASRock, note PCI-e 3.0 isn't supported until you get an Ivy Bridge CPU which is going to come out in April. This mobo supports Ivy Bridge with a BIOS update.

Don't go for that pre-built. It has a non-Ti 560 and an absolute rubbish CPU, 6100.

Did you already decide on the case? I'm a huge case fanatic and could help you if

I agree with everything here except the PCI-e 3.0 part. ASRock may have the 3.0, but to fully make use of it, you would need a x79 chipset (from what I have heard).

 

[canyoudigit489]

yeah, agree with subrata's entire build except the HD,
this 500gb is the same price with the promo code:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

also, if you plan on overclocking you'll be needing a aftermarket CPU fan/heatsink.

is an OS and monitor included in your budget?

 

[e56imfg]

I agree with everything here except the PCI-e 3.0 part. ASRock may have the 3.0, but to fully make use of it, you would need a x79 chipset (from what I have heard).

Seriously? There has been so much debate if it's supported or not so it gets a little confusing. But benchmarks reveal that there are no differences between 2.0 and 3.0 right now and I thought that was because it's not fully supported yet so it's running on 2.0 currently.

 

[hafronix]

heres a nice 560 ti only 190$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125401&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=rxo20g9ibga

and i found this combo PSU and RAM bot are good however the PSU is 600 instead of 620 and its approx $85 total
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.796755&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1m8ujo45wkbrh

both after rebate if thats not an issue


Edit: Also I dont happen to have one nearby but if you Microcenters tend to have really cheap i5 2500k processors around 180$ according to the website

 

[subrata4web]

Same Config with some change & Using Another site

CPU -> Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard -> ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.86 @ Newegg)

Memory -> Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)

Hard Drive -> Hitachi 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card -> Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($152.55 @ Newegg)

Case -> NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply -> Corsair 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($41.98 @ Newegg)

DVD WRITER -> SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner ($17 @ Newegg)

Total: $670.35
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2012-01-29 10:42 EST-0500)


50 dollars over budget but i think worth it- if you ever want to crossfire your going to need a more powerful powersupply though. Like 650 to 700 watts-possible this one ? OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular High Performance Power Supply like 20 dollars more after rebate then the 500 watt power supply

 

[hedshotx]

You guys are amazing! I was expecting to have maybe one or two comments in the morning, instead I have about 10 before bed!

Anyways, for starters, subrata4web, you are awesome, and thanks for the build advice. I noticed you altered just about every part of your build in the second post. The 150 dollar save is great since I was really hoping to stay around 600-700. You chose a different MOBO, RAM, and GPU, which were among the parts that really stood out ( I understand why the lesser PSU). Why did you change those 3 parts though? What is different about them? I don't mind paying a bit more for higher performance. I don't totally understand the differences in MOBOs or in different brand RAM. I'm assuming that GPU in the second build is a little weaker too. I can definitely spend 20 bucks more for a 200 watt stronger PSU also.

@azeem: I'm not planning on OC'ing. I understand that OC'ing is a bit safer nowadays, but I had some scares with heatsinks years ago and the speeds that cpu's ship with seem great anyways. I may OC in the future once I feel like I understand it a bit more and know how to ensure that I don't mess anything up! Everyone seems to favour the 2500k regardless of overclocking though (from what I'm taking in at least), so I guess I'll go with that one. And it's the only part of subrata's builds that he kept . I'll check those links in the morning.

@e56imfg: Good to know about those Ivy Bridge CPU's. Will those be compatible with that ASRock Mobo that subrata is recommending? I guess it doesn't totally matter though, I am assuming that the price of the new cpus will be a bit out of my range! I haven't decided on Case though, I do love visual asthetics such as internal LED's and such, but as I said, I have other college related fees unfortunately, and am trying to stay underbudget. This desktop will actually most likely be used for alot of comp sci studies! I'll most likely end up going with the cheap ones that subrata has suggested, plz feel free to show me what you got tho!

@canyoudigit489: OS and Monitor are not included in the budget. Hopefully I can find that old Windows 7 disc around here, if not I'll have to buy one :/. As for Monitor, I'll end up buying one eventually actually. For the moment I'm probably just going to use my TV as make shift. Suggestions for where to buy both of these would be appreciated if you have any.

@hafronix: I read something about Microcenters on another thread in this forum. I have never heard of that store in my area, but tomorrow I'll give them a look and see if there are any nearby.

Thank you all again!

 

[subrata4web]

Microcenters stores are famous for good product with descent & cheapest price.

If budget is not issue then just go for:-

XFX Radeon HD 6950 $209.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) $46.99 [You can overclock this]

 

[e56imfg]

If you aren't going to OC (which you really should since the 2500K is "idiot-proof" for beginners) go with a non-K 2500 or even a cheaper 2400 that performs very similar. The non-K 2500 performs EXACTLY the same as the 2500K only the 2500K can OC.
The Ivy Bridge equivalent 2500K (3570K) is (hopefully) going to be the same price as the original 2500K (unless they go monopoly since AMD is out of the main CPU market).

The ASRock mobo should be compatible with Ivy Bridge with a BIOS update.

I guess the NZXT case will do if you want to go cheap. I like paying a lot for cases because not many people know the importance of a case. Just install some dust filters in the front somewhere along the way.

Invest in a good CPU cooler, too. The last thing you want is when you're doing an essay and the CPU explodes from overheating (not really).

 

[hedshotx]

Alright, sounds like I think I'm ready to buy! A couple more quick questions for you guys. First of all, how has computer building progressed? I remember when I built years ago, you had to be extra wary because one mistake and you fry your whole system. This scared me, and still scares me to death thinking about building a new rig. I still remember screwing in the mobo to the tower and wondering how in the world conductive metal wasn't going to fry my mobo. I guess what I'm saying, is building somewhat 'idiotproof'? I really just don't want to end up blowing $650.

Secondly, can someone give me about an estimate of how well this build will deal with Diablo 3 and Battlefield 3? I understand D3 isn't out yet, but can someone give me an idea of about what settings I'll be able to play Battlefield 3? If the cpu is really that easy to OC, perhaps I will buy an aftermarket heatsink in the near future and give that a try if it'll help my gaming. Same goes for the RAM if the alternative that subrata suggested is overclockable.


Note:

I was just looking at some of the parts in the build that subrata put together for me, and I was wondering about switching out a the mobo and gpu for something else. Look at these and let me know what you think please!

For the mobo, I'm not sure if you meant to do this subrata, but in the first build the mobo actually links to this cheaper $70 mobo. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157236&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=kka9mwh8rm03
It lacks PCIe 3.0 as well as lacking a few more usb ports, but other than that, from a noobs eye it looks somewhat similar? And since there are few 3.0 GPUs on the market right now, would this mobo be something to consider to save a little money? The Z68 is about $120, so I would be saving $50.

As for the GPU, I did a little looking around ( I was curious ), and found a few alternatives. I don't know if any of them are much better or not, please give a look and just let me know.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Video%20Cards-_-GIGABYTE-_-14125385&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=
I've heard Gigabyte is an excellent GPU manufacturer, and on top of that the card has 3 fans as compared to 1 by XFX. I've read reviews that the card can get hot, and since I'm using stock fans for just about everything, I wasn't sure if this would be worth the extra $20 for quality/more fans.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
This is a 2GB version of the XFX 6950 for only 30 dollars more. I've heard people say that memory size for GPU's both matter and don't matter, I don't know which is true. Will double the memory make a big difference?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150550
This is a 2GB version of the XFX 6950 as well, but a 50Mhz higher memory and core clock for 40 dollars more.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150549
This is a 2GB version for 40 dollars more but has two fans instead of one. Reviews for these 2GB cards in particular say that they can get fairly hot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150563&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Video%20Cards-_-XFX-_-14150563&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=
Lastly, a slightly cheaper alternative. This is a 6870 but with 2GB of memory. The memory clock is a bit slower however.

Alot of the reviews for the 2gb models come from people who have i5 quad core processors, and they claim that they play BF3 at or near ultra settings. Do you think that is BS or truth? Sorry for all the links and long posts guys, I really appreciate your help though.

 

[vitornob]

subrata4web build should max Diablo 3 at all.
BF 3 would be very playable at high setting (not ultra.. but you really not losing that much..)

Yes, the CPU OC is truly easy. In Asus mobos btw you just click OC in asus software, and wait. The software auto OC, and does a small stability test, it can't beat the manual, try and try method, but comes pretty close.
If manufacturer software not that easy friendly, just go into bios, and raise a bit the multiplier... very easy.

In sandy-bridge platform, due to cpu architecture, you won't have any gains if you OC the memory. You won't have gains even if you go beyond DDR3 1333mhz. Just look for some gaming benchmarks (synthetic doesn't count at all).
Only AMD Llano platform have real gains going from DDR3 1333 to 1866 due to the iGPU architecture.

 

[hedshotx]

Check my last post again! I made some edits and am wondering about a few replacement parts whether they would be good or not.

 

[hedshotx]

Bump... Can someone answer those questions for me please? In a bit of a rush because a lot of those parts have sales that end tonight!

1. Would it be beneficial to spend an extra 40 or so dollars on a 6950 with 2GB of memory? If so, which of the ones that I linked a couple posts ago is the best?

2. With this current rig or with one of those new GPUs, on what settings do you think I will be able to play Battlefield 3?

3. How hard is it to build computers now adays? Is it easy to completely fry and destroy your system, or have things become a bit more "idiot-proof".

And lastly, all of these parts will fit and work together right?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Don't...
Bump posts
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/283384-33-read-first

 

[e56imfg]

Dude, if you're getting a H61 mobo, don't even bother with K series CPUs. Get a i5 2400 or i3 2100. You can not OC with H61 mobos.

Don't pay for extra core clocks or higher memory unless you're using a res higher than 1920x1080. 1GB is enough for full HD. Just get the Gigabyte 6950 because you can OC GFX yourself and it's much easier than OCing a CPU.

You could play BF3 on Ultra with full HD with 40 to 60 FPS.

Building PCs now is easier than ever. Just don't spill your lemon tea and don't apply force AT ALL on CPUs. Standoffs on the bottom.

Yes, everything will fit fine.

 

[hedshotx]

Sorry about the bumping! I did not know you couldn't! At least I had depth to my message though .

Also, are you sure the extra GB of memory will not be put to use? The difference in cost is really fractional, like 30-40 dollars, so I guess my question is, should I pay the extra 30-40 dollars to get the extra GB, or will it not help my computer run games any better than 1GB.

And as far as OCing the Gigabyte card, why can I OC that one, is it the only one? Also, I am not planning on getting any aftermarket cooling or fans, so should I be OCing the GPU at all?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Sorry about the bumping! I did not know you couldn't! At least I had depth to my message though .

That's the only reason I didn't lock the thread but for your own sake don't do it again.

 

[e56imfg]

Yes you can OC any GPU above 100mhz easily with pretty much any fan. There has been reports that BF3 uses more VRAM so if you can afford it, just get it.

 

[hedshotx]

In your opinion, which of those 2GB cards are the best? Also, will they fit in the mobo/case? Thanks!

 

[azeem40]

8 GB of memory is enough for gaming.

 

[e56imfg]

The 6870 is a better deal. It'll run BF3 on Ultra 30 - 50