Would this be a good build for my gaming rig under $700

[violentrl]

I want to build a gaming rig under $700 and this is what I've thought up so far. I want to play Battlefield 3, Skyrim, The Witcher 2 and Dark Souls which will come out on PC. I already have a 1080p monitor and a windows 7 disk so for that, I'm set.

What do you think? Let me know if there adjustments can be made.

 

[dudewitbow]

the sapphire 6850 is 150 with 10% off coupon at the moment i think

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908

 

[Lieutenant Awesome]

6950? 850 is a little old. Sure you're going to fit that all in that tiny case, is the case any good too? You might want to get a better mobo and 1600Mhz RAM, Corsair Vengeance.

I'd really recommend an intel CPU like an i5 2500k or at least an i3, AMD CPUs really aren't very good at all.

 

[dudewitbow]

Disregard whats in spoiler, its for Newegg.com. trying to working on .ca deals. they have so much less D=

Spoiler

also you can combo the case with gskill ripjaw for 87$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.904022

or if you want to keep the value series the combo is

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.904023

78$


If you magically live near a micro center, you can spend 100$ on an i3-2100 and use the rest of the money and convert your motherboard into a socket 1155 one.(intel also usually have much more motherboard+cpu combo deals compared to what amd has)



combo deal for sapphire 6850 with 650w bronze ocz for224$-15 from 10% off sapphire card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.868348


LOL the 650w ocz psu comes with a 20$ promo card as well suprisingly


Also since your prices are higher than my prices, im assuming you live in canada? if so then i cant really combo deal with it and you are going to have too look for them on your end =X

Be right back, doing this using newegg.ca method

 

[spankmon]

About the Rosewill Ranger M case... be sure to read the reviews on Newegg. Looks like a good case, but you gotta install things in a certain order or you'll run into problems. Bare motherboard first, then psu. Put the hard drive in its bay before installing the ram and heatsink on the cpu. Probably should put the DVD drive in early also. Or get a different case that's more sensibly designed.

 

[mitunchidamparam]

6950? 850 is a little old. Sure you're going to fit that all in that tiny case, is the case any good too? You might want to get a better mobo and 1600Mhz RAM, Corsair Vengeance.

I'd really recommend an intel CPU like an i5 2500k or at least an i3, AMD CPUs really aren't very good at all.

Okay you say that AMD CPU are not good, i guess i believe you.
Then you say get a i5 . and an i5 costs 250 $.
An i3 costs 110 $ and it is a dual core one and it is locked so cannot be OC.
Then as shown by toms review the FX4100 and i3 have the same performance.
Then comes the point where you game, have a browser open that is where the quad core processor will be able to give a constant frame rate.
A quad core is future proof.
Now where does it say that AMD CPU is not good, please give me a reason.

 

[Outlander_04]

You can get the CM 430 elite case for $40 . Its a budget case but it is a mid tower and the cooling is good .

I'd replace the cpu with the FX 4100 .

The money you save on those would let you get an ATX motherboard with a 970 series chipset so you have a proper AM3+ rig

 

[Outlander_04]

6950? 850 is a little old. Sure you're going to fit that all in that tiny case, is the case any good too? You might want to get a better mobo and 1600Mhz RAM, Corsair Vengeance.

I'd really recommend an intel CPU like an i5 2500k or at least an i3, AMD CPUs really aren't very good at all.

The 2500k is an awesome gaming cpu .
BUT there is no way to build a sensible gaming computer with that cpu in this budget .
I look forward to you putting that parts list together . I need a good laugh

Are you planning on donating the rest of the money needed ?

As for AMD cpu's not being good :
In this price range he can afford an i3 2100 which wont game better at stock speeds and once you OC a phenom or FX 4100 it wont even be close

And since the FX 8150 performs better than a 2500k in most applications you are also wrong there

 

[violentrl]

6950? 850 is a little old. Sure you're going to fit that all in that tiny case, is the case any good too? You might want to get a better mobo and 1600Mhz RAM, Corsair Vengeance.

I'd really recommend an intel CPU like an i5 2500k or at least an i3, AMD CPUs really aren't very good at all.

I like this case because its pretty compact which is good for me to carry around hooking it to TV then back to my monitor. Though I don't mind larger cases at all. 6950 is nice but as my spending limit is $700, it would easily exceed it.
I thought about 6870 as well but I think the 6850 is better for price/performance.

My last rig had AMD CPU which I didnt have problem with. Ive been comparing the 965 to Intel i5-2500 but Ive read that AMD has similar performance but it's much cheaper and would run games like BF3 just as well.

the sapphire 6850 is 150 with 10% off coupon at the moment i think

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908

This one is definitely better. I'll be going with the Sapphire over ASUS then.

 

[dudewitbow]

Combo if you want to pay a bit more for a better psu if you REALLY want to use a phenom 4 965

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.868985

im scavenging newegg.ca for better deals at the moment. be right back. If you want to upgrade any parts, i suggest cutting 1 tb down to 500 gb but w/e.


ALSO, if you want to use a amd processor, their potential is only unlocked when you are overclocking them. if you have a cheap mobo, then overclocking isn't the biggest of options you have.

 

[violentrl]

Combo if you want to pay a bit more for a better psu if you REALLY want to use a phenom 4 965

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.868985

im scavenging newegg.ca for better deals at the moment. be right back. If you want to upgrade any parts, i suggest cutting 1 tb down to 500 gb but w/e.


ALSO, if you want to use a amd processor, their potential is only unlocked when you are overclocking them. if you have a cheap mobo, then overclocking isn't the biggest of options you have.

With the Mobo I have, is it good to overclock it to 3.6 ghz or higher?

Also, the main reason Im favoring AMD over Intel CPU is because I always had the impression that AMD combo fits better for a budget build, if that's true at all

 

[hapkido]

Option 1 -
CPU + Mobo: Intel Core i3-2100 + ASRock H61M-VS $169.98 (before $15 off w/ promo code EMCNFHN52, ends 4/26)

Option 2 -
CPU + Mobo: Intel Core i3-2120 + ASRock H61M-VS $170.98

Option 3 -
CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 $189.99
Mobo: ASRock H61M-VS $54.99
Subtotal: $244.98

RAM + PSU: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 + Rosewill Green Series 430W Continuous 80 PLUS Certified $72.98
GPU: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB $239.99
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB 7200 RPM $79.99
DVD: ASUS 24X DVD Burner $17.99
Case: HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition $39.99
Subtotal: $450.94

Shipping: $7.33

Net Totals (after shipping and promo) -
Option 1: $613.25
Option 2: $629.25
Option 3: $703.25

Options 1 and 2 are dual cores with hyperthreading. i3-2100 is 200MHz slower than i3-2120, but it's $16 cheaper with the promo code. I normally wouldn't have suggested an i3-2100 because the i3-2120 is a better chip for $1 more, but the promo code makes it a viable option. Option 3 is a quad core. If you can stretch for option 3, that's my recommendation. I've been recommending 7850s a lot, because I think it's the best priced card right now. It has 6970 / 570 performance for 6870 / 560 pricing. I think anyone with a $650 should be getting that instead of other options.

 

[dudewitbow]

@above, hes from canada, the prices are much higher and there are less combos, hence why im trying to tweak a build

 

[Outlander_04]

Option 3 -
CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 $189.99
Mobo: ASRock H61M-VS $54.99
Subtotal: $244.98

RAM + PSU: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 + Rosewill Green Series 430W Continuous 80 PLUS Certified $72.98
GPU: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB $239.99
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB 7200 RPM $79.99
DVD: ASUS 24X DVD Burner $17.99
Case: HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition $39.99
Subtotal: $450.94

Shipping: $7.33


Option 3: $703.25

Options 1 and 2 are dual cores with hyperthreading. i3-2100 is 200MHz slower than i3-2120, but it's $16 cheaper with the promo code. I normally wouldn't have suggested an i3-2100 because the i3-2120 is a better chip for $1 more, but the promo code makes it a viable option. Option 3 is a quad core. If you can stretch for option 3, that's my recommendation. I've been recommending 7850s a lot, because I think it's the best priced card right now. It has 6970 / 570 performance for 6870 / 560 pricing. I think anyone with a $650 should be getting that instead of other options.

The i5 . Really good gaming build for $700. Far better than the dual core intels
If you had another $40 then add a Z68 motherboard like
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157279

 

[dudewitbow]

Violentrl. remove the 110$ hdd and the 50$ case replace with this combo

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.905651

combo is 172$ 172$-110$ hdd from above = 62 then coupon code CEMCNFJB49 is 10 dollars off that combo so the case final price is 52$, yess which is more than the 50$ case, but the case has 1 more fan and should be overall better (i would believe adding 2$ to a case to make it a bit roomier and add an extra fan is worth it)

 

[odwillia]

How about this?

Quad Core, AMD, 7850 GPU:

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 64.99
SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply 85.99
AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor 114.99
ASUS M5A97 AM3+ AMD 970 94.99
Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)40.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 79.99
PowerColor AX7850 2GBD5-2DH Radeon HD 7850 2GB 249.99

Total $731.93

 

[dudewitbow]

since his original build ended at 626$, i made an assumption that shipping costs count toward his 700 budget. if it doesnt, then there are several changes I would like to advise.

 

[jessterman21]

Check out this build - you shouldn't get an HD 6950 (and probably can't), but the case is the exact same as the Ranger-M. And I admit I have a shameless crush on that little dude.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-gaming-pc-overclock,3159.html

Check out my comments and responses from the author about the cooling in that case.

 

[violentrl]

Violentrl. remove the 110$ hdd and the 50$ case replace with this combo

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.905651

combo is 172$ 172$-110$ hdd from above = 62 then coupon code CEMCNFJB49 is 10 dollars off that combo so the case final price is 52$, yess which is more than the 50$ case, but the case has 1 more fan and should be overall better (i would believe adding 2$ to a case to make it a bit roomier and add an extra fan is worth it)

That is definitely a nice looking case. It also has 1tb which is good

since his original build ended at 626$, i made an assumption that shipping costs count toward his 700 budget. if it doesnt, then there are several changes I would like to advise.

Well including the shipping fee, it easily goes over $700 but I don't mind if the rig itself without the shipping costs $699 or around that.

 

[dudewitbow]

if so, then i would suggest using in i3-2120(i5-2500k would be out of budget) along with a good z68 mobo.(a flashed bios z68 mobo is compatible with gen 1 ivy bridge processors if you ever want to upgrade, only difference between a z68 mobo and a z77 is 77 has innate ivy bridge support, built on usb 3.0 and a few other experimental kinks). A good z68 mobo would allow you to decently have a good range of room to upgrade your processor if you need to in the future.

OR

spend rest on upgrading that mobo and/or gpu

There are pros and cons of deciding between an i3-2120 and a 965 be

965 be Pros: Can be overclocked, Quad Core, Does video benchmarks better(i.e video encoding), certain games that utilize all core threads will run better on the 965 be than the i3-2120

i3-2120 pros: lower power consumption, sandy bridge architecture tends to do better in gaming in general. z68 mobo choice is a solid pick. Lower temperature.

Both have just about the same amount of power

 

[violentrl]

if so, then i would suggest using in i3-2120(i5-2500k would be out of budget) along with a good z68 mobo.(a flashed bios z68 mobo is compatible with gen 1 ivy bridge processors if you ever want to upgrade, only difference between a z68 mobo and a z77 is 77 has innate ivy bridge support, built on usb 3.0 and a few other experimental kinks). A good z68 mobo would allow you to decently have a good range of room to upgrade your processor if you need to in the future.

OR

spend rest on upgrading that mobo and/or gpu

There are pros and cons of deciding between an i3-2120 and a 965 be

965 be Pros: Can be overclocked, Quad Core, Does video benchmarks better(i.e video encoding), certain games that utilize all core threads will run better on the 965 be than the i3-2120

i3-2120 pros: lower power consumption, sandy bridge architecture tends to do better in gaming in general. z68 mobo choice is a solid pick. Lower temperature.

Both have just about the same amount of power

Out of those two, 965 is definitely better for me. It benches a lot higher and overclocking it to 3.6 or higher will definitely make it worthwhile.

Here is the new look:

 

[Outlander_04]

Of all these builds the i5 2400 and the Radeon 7850 is by far the most powerful .

It absolutely eats the phenom x4 and FX 4100 options , and the gaming potential is vastly better .
If $703 is available then do it

 

[mitunchidamparam]

Of all these builds the i5 2400 and the Radeon 7850 is by far the most powerful .

It absolutely eats the phenom x4 and FX 4100 options , and the gaming potential is vastly better .
If $703 is available then do it

For getting the i5 2400 , you are better off with a FX6100 which will destroy the i5 inevery benchmark.
I think for gaming a FX4100, or other cheap quad core + a high end GPU is the most important thing.

 

[Outlander_04]

For getting the i5 2400 , you are better off with a FX6100 which will destroy the i5 inevery benchmark.
I think for gaming a FX4100, or other cheap quad core + a high end GPU is the most important thing.

There is definitely no point using more than 4 cores for gaming , so your statement the 6 core FX 6100 is a better option confuses me .
Do you have any benchmarks you can refer me to to show that ?

 

[mitunchidamparam]

There is definitely no point using more than 4 cores for gaming , so your statement the 6 core FX 6100 is a better option confuses me .
Do you have any benchmarks you can refer me to to show that ?

I dont have any benchmark to support you but i can give you simple facts, BF3 gives 80 FPS on all processors, as it is seen here :
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/battlefield-3-graphics-performance,3063-13.html
Then comes the thing where you have a browser open, skype open, IM open, all these tasks can be run on the extra cores on FX without any decrease in FPS of the game.
So the point I am saying is a FX 4100 would be a better buy than a i3 because all the benchmarks are taken with a single application running, but in the real world , multiple applications are always running where a cheap quad core would be better than a expensive dual core.
Do u get my pint, I am just saying logic, correct me if my logic is wrong.