Help Building a 700 dollar gaming PC 2012. (Budget)

[Muggah]

Hello,
I'm looking to build my own PC, because my budget is getting the best of me and I think it would be a fun project
Approximate Purchase Date Anytime within the next month, whenever some advice gets written I’ll basically start).

Budget Range: No more then 700 $ before / After Rebates: 800$

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
Gaming, School Work...

Parts Not Required: Pretty Much Everything, Incept a Keyboard
Preferred Website(s) for Parts e.g.: newegg.com anywhere’s in which price is reasonable
Country: I'm currently in Canada

Parts Preferences: I would most defiantly prefer a Intel Processor, nothing AMD.. Unless its a good build its basically whatever runs best for video games.

Over clocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 20 to 24 inches, 1920x1080 or 1920x1200.

Additional Comments: I'm new to building computers, but very interested, if I should take any information into consideration, just drop me a comment and I will appreciate it a lot! Also, if any guides are available for newbie’s like me, I'd appreciate that even more!

 

[o1die]

In that price range, I would look for a used monitor and case on craigslist. Windows 7 should also be cheaper; I've found the pro version on craigslist for $70 unopened.

 

[nekulturny]

You should check with your college about getting into Microsoft Academic Alliance. You can get Windows7 for free. That would save 100 bucks there. I was in the same boat as you, my student loan paid for my build.

O1die is right, I'd try to find a decent deal on a used monitor.

Since you prefer Intel, that leaves you pretty much stuck with an i3. Personally, I think a quad core Phenom II 965 is a better choice, same price, as an i5 probably wouldn't fit in the budget. But your call, you're the one who has to be happy with it since its your money. i3 cannot be overclocked btw Phenom IIs can.

CPU- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077
Mobo- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157246
RAM- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220558
Video card- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161389
PSU- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
Case- http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912


If you want a comparable AMD change the CPU and motherboard to this and set the multiplier in BIOS to 18.5x (this will effectively give you a more expensive 980 model at the 965's price:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157305

 

[quilciri]

I like Nekulturny's build, but unless you're a tv/film, comp sci, or engineering student (that uses CAD software a lot), then the most processor intensive thing you'll use the PC for is gaming.

With that in mind, you'll get better gaming performance by dropping down to a pentium G series processor and using the money on a stronger video card. The 2120 is a lot more CPU than the 6870 can use. The G series is a socket 1155 chip, so you could still get an ivy bridge mobo and just drop in a new processor a couple years from now *if* you feel you need it.

here's a build you can use as a starting point. (prices via newegg)

PSU $45 ($35 with mail in) CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2
CPU $88 Intel Pentium G850
Mobo $110 ASRock Z77 Pro3
RAM $45 G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD $85 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB
Case $40 LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58
Optical $17 LG DVD Burner 24X
Video $240 HIS H785F2G2M Radeon HD 7850
Monitor $110 Acer G215HVAbd Black 21.5" 1920x1080

$780 ($770 after rebate)

 

[quilciri]

Actually, I can squeeze in a 2120 at the same gaming performance, but your system will consume more power as it involves swapping the 7850 for a gtx 480. On the plus side, the 480 is an evga card, so you have a lifetime warranty (make sure to keep the proof of purchase, though).

$45 ($35 with mail in) CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2
$125 Intel Core i3-2120
$110 ASRock Z77 Pro3
$45 G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
$85 Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB
$40 LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58
$17 LG DVD Burner 24X
$210 EVGA 015-P3-1480-KR GeForce GTX 480
$110 Acer G215HVAbd Black 21.5" 1920x1080

$787 ($777 after rebate)

p.s. yes, the PSU can easily handle a 480. it has a 28a 12v (i.e. 336 watt output). the 480 uses 250w at full load, so it doesn't even go over the 75% load peak efficiency window for PSU's.

 

[nekulturny]

I knew there was something missing in my build recommendation.. Harddrive *facepalm*. BTW, Z68s support Ivy, and I think even some H61s will with a BIOS update.

 

[quilciri]

I knew there was something missing in my build recommendation.. Harddrive *facepalm*. BTW, Z68s support Ivy, and I think even some H61s will with a BIOS update.

I know, but z68's with a pci-e 3.0 slot run about the same price.

 

[nekulturny]

I know, but z68's with a pci-e 3.0 slot run about the same price.

True... Although I'd be a bit gun-shy to be one of the first people to try out Intel's new chipsets after that Cougar Point fiasco.

 

[jerreddredd]

Actually, I can squeeze in a 2120 at the same gaming performance, but your system will consume more power as it involves swapping the 7850 for a gtx 480. On the plus side, the 480 is an evga card, so you have a lifetime warranty (make sure to keep the proof of purchase, though).


p.s. yes, the PSU can easily handle a 480. it has a 28a 12v (i.e. 336 watt output). the 480 uses 250w at full load, so it doesn't even go over the 75% load peak efficiency window for PSU's.

you forget the CPU's use the 12v rail as does the hard drive, optical drive and system fans. my general rule is CPU (65w) +55w =115 + 250 of the GTX 480 = 365. this number should error on the safe side and only be 90% of the max power out of the 12v rails

I wouldn't run a GTX 480 on that PSU. a HD 6870 will game just fine and cost a lot less. I would upgrade the CPU to a i5 2400 or 2310, future game will eventually use more than 2 cores.

Not even the GTX 680 use the bandwide that PCIe 2.0 has, so there is no benefit in 3.0, go with a H61 MB that has usb 3.0 and maybe SATA 6G, hes not going to be over clocking any non K series CPU's anyway.

this is a Budget system right?

 

[quilciri]

you forget the CPU's use the 12v rail as does the hard drive, optical drive and system fans. my general rule is CPU (65w) +55w =115 + 250 of the GTX 480 = 365. this number should error on the safe side and only be 90% of the max power out of the 12v rails

I wouldn't run a GTX 480 on that PSU. a HD 6870 will game just fine and cost a lot less. I would upgrade the CPU to a i5 2400 or 2310, future game will eventually use more than 2 cores.

Not even the GTX 680 use the bandwide that PCIe 2.0 has, so there is no benefit in 3.0, go with a H61 MB that has usb 3.0 and maybe SATA 6G, hes not going to be over clocking any non K series CPU's anyway.

this is a Budget system right?

Fair enough on the PSU. OP can use
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
and still stay under budget.

However, I still strongly recommend the mobo for future proofing. Two years from now, it's much more likely that cards will exceed the bandwidth of pci-e 2.0. You'll be able to drop a late-model Ivy bridge processor and a new video card in without worrying whether it will be hindered by the 8gb/sec of the 16x 2.0 slot.

The highest end cards are already beginning the feel the pinch in 2 card xfire/SLI, so those cards already need more than half the lanes in 2.0
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5458/the-radeon-hd-7970-reprise-pcie-bandwidth-overclocking-and-msaa

 

[jerreddredd]

Two years from now the architecture could drastically change its actually cheaper to build a new midrange system every 2-3 years than throwing money into a top of the line system with future proofing bells and whistles.

Again on the PCIe 3.0 - only works with Ivy Bridge. - A $500 GPU doesn't even use the 2.0 bandwidth.
1-2 years in the future, lets say a $500 cards does use enough bandwidth. so you buy one. it would like putting a HEMI engine in Honda Civic. the CPU would now be bottle necking the GPU performance. I you have the $ to buy a GPU like that you have the $ to upgrade an entire system. My 2 cents.

Here is my take on a good gaming system in your budget range using all solid parts and a fast Intel Quad Core couple with a good gaming GPU. I didn't include an OS that will be an extra $120 for Win7/64

NCIX Canada (shipping is by weigh and they are pretty good I hear)
Intel Core i5 2380P Quad Core Processor LGA1155 3.1GHZ Sandy Bridge 6MB No Onboard Graphics
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=68355
$189.98

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Fermi 850MHZ 1024MB Superclocked GDDR5 PCI-E 2.0 2XDVI-I Mini-HDMI Video Card ($10 MIR)
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=61198&promoid=1058
$149.99

Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case Black 3X5.25 1X3.5 5X3.5INT No PS W/ Fan Controller & Temp Display (Free Shipping)
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=57910&promoid=1058
$49.99

Silverstone Strider Essential ST50F-ES 500W Power Supply ATX 24PIN 120MM Fan 34A 80+ Black ($10 MIR)
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=49495&promoid=1058
$56.63

Crucial CT2KIT25664BA1339 4GB 2X2GB PC3-10600 DDR3-1333 240PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=47642&promoid=1260
$24.99

----------
$471.58


NEWEGG Canada (somethings have out of this world shipping attached)

Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ/ST500DM005 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (Free Shipping)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181
Item #: N82E16822152181
$79.99

HANNspree By Hanns-G HF225DPB Black 21.5" Full HD WideScreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers ($9 shipping)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262011
Item #: N82E16824262011
$129.99


MSI H61MA-E35 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard ($12 Shipping)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130629
Item #: N82E16813130629
$68.99
-------
287.97

total we have $759.55 CAN (-$20 MIR), newegg shipping is $21, NCIX Shipping is by weight, but the big item (Case) has free ground shipping)


Shipping in Canada can eat up you budget really fast.

if you find more $ in your budget I would lean toward this MB to satisfy the future proof talk:
ASRock Z77 Pro 3 ATX LGA1155 DDR3 CrossFireX 2PCI-E16 1PCI-E1 2PCI SATA3 HDMI USB3.0 Motherboard ($30 MIR)
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=70901&vpn=Z77%20Pro%203&manufacture=ASRock
129.99

 

[quilciri]

Two years from now the architecture could drastically change its actually cheaper to build a new midrange system every 2-3 years than throwing money into a top of the line system with future proofing bells and whistles.

Again on the PCIe 3.0 - only works with Ivy Bridge. - A $500 GPU doesn't even use the 2.0 bandwidth.
1-2 years in the future, lets say a $500 cards does use enough bandwidth. so you buy one. it would like putting a HEMI engine in Honda Civic. the CPU would now be bottle necking the GPU performance. I you have the $ to buy a GPU like that you have the $ to upgrade an entire system. My 2 cents.

Calling a $110 motherboard high end is a pretty big stretch. And Ivy bridge processors won't bottleneck anything 2 years from now. A core 2 Q9400 games as well as a phenom 965 black, those aren't even the fastest core 2 quads, and that processor is almost five years old now!

 

[quilciri]

Actually, Intel has a pretty laid out schedule of processor updates. It's probably even posted on it's wiki.

Personally, I'd rather not have to spend another $70 on a mobo 2 years from now.

 

[nekulturny]

Actually, Intel has a pretty laid out schedule of processor updates. It's probably even posted on it's wiki.

Personally, I'd rather not have to spend another $70 on a mobo 2 years from now.

Why not? Upgrading a CPU without upgrading your motherboard is like porting the heads and installing a turbo on your car engine and bolting it onto the stock unmodified transmission. Its not the proper way to do things. Does it work? Yes. But it doesn't give you the full potential.

 

[quilciri]

Why not? Upgrading a CPU without upgrading your motherboard is like porting the heads and installing a turbo on your car engine and bolting it onto the stock unmodified transmission. Its not the proper way to do things. Does it work? Yes. But it doesn't give you the full potential.

This seems to be blatantly just your opinion. What "full potential" are you talking about? Some evidence would be helpful instead of metaphorical rhetoric.

In addition to my previous comments, the 2500k is also over a year old, and I don't see it hampering video cards any time soon. Intel is *still* debuting new sandy bridge chips, as well.

 

[nekulturny]

This seems to be blatantly just your opinion. What "full potential" are you talking about? Some evidence would be helpful instead of metaphorical rhetoric.

In addition to my previous comments, the 2500k is also over a year old, and I don't see it hampering video cards any time soon. Intel is *still* debuting new sandy bridge chips, as well.

1. DDR4 in 2-3 years. (fact)
2. Chipsets (system integrity)
3. SATA IV maybe? (Speculation)

I agree with you that the 2500k will be a capable CPU for quite some time, which is why I stand by my "opinion" that upgrading a CPU and a motherboard together is the smartest thing to do. You're also assuming that Intel will continue to use the LGA1155 socket for years, history says they don't, history also says Intel likes to break backwards compatibility. LGA1156, LGA775, etc. It doesn't make sense to put a brand new CPU on a 3 year old motherboard.

 

[Pezcore27]

The Haswell 22nm CPU's comming in 2013 will use the 1150 socket (reportedly), so Ivy Bridge is the last CPU on the 1155 socket.

 

[nekulturny]

The Haswell 22nm CPU's comming in 2013 will use the 1150 socket (reportedly), so Ivy Bridge is the last CPU on the 1155 socket.

See what I mean? LOL. Thank you for doing the leg-work for me. I did enough legwork already this afternoon since someone basically called me a liar in another thread about Metro 2033 fully playable at max settings with my 550 TI, I was gonna have to go after this issue next.

 

[quilciri]

It makes perfect sense to have bought a motherboard with a pentium D and later dropped in say a core 2 e7600

I picked up my motherboard with a x3 435 and dropped int eh 4170 i'm using now.

It *doesn't* make much sense to spend $70 on a motherboard and $100 on a processor only to have to spend another $70 on a motherboard and another $100 on a processor in order to get equivalent performance.

....and the way you're talking, he'll have to replace his RAM as well. you're asking him to spend quite a bit every 2 years whereas he could have the same performance for less by spending a bit more now.

 

[quilciri]

1. DDR4 in 2-3 years. (fact)
2. Chipsets (system integrity)
3. SATA IV maybe? (Speculation)

2. could you clarify here? You seem to be claiming that the older platform will somehow be less stable. If anything, the older platform will be more stable than the newer one due to more mature drivers & BIOS.

3. throughput increases of ssd's are outpacing SATA. Intel seems to be betting that SSD's will continue to migrate to pci-e with the inclusion of 4 lane pci-e 2.0 slots on IB motherboards. Even now, a 480gb toggle NAND sandforce drive fully saturates SATA 3.

 

[nekulturny]

2. could you clarify here? You seem to be claiming that the older platform will somehow be less stable. If anything, the older platform will be more stable than the newer one due to more mature drivers & BIOS.

3. throughput increases of ssd's are outpacing SATA. Intel seems to be betting that SSD's will continue to migrate to pci-e with the inclusion of 4 lane pci-e 2.0 slots on IB motherboards. Even now, a 480gb toggle NAND sandforce drive fully saturates SATA 3.

I said integrity, not stability. And like it or not, its true that the system may or may not be as stable. Now we're on the topic of your motherboard that originally had a 435. What motherboard was it? One with lower Hyper Transport? No USB 3.0s? If so, you aren't getting the full potential of your system. The older the motherboard gets, the capacitors age, the mosfets age, etc. While capacitors certainly have a longer life-span then they did in the early 2000s, they do not have an indefinite life. This especially applies if you're overclocking, as you are.

I don't understand why you're arguing with me, I really don't see a reason to be so combative. Once again, you're assuming LGA 1155 is going to remain the standard Intel socket for quite some time. As mentioned, Ivy Bridge is going to be the final LGA 1155. They're already changing the sockets on us. How are you going to upgrade if you have nothing to upgrade it with?

SSDs very well may migrate to PCI, they may not. Right now PCI based SSDs cost far too much to even be a consideration for mainstream home users.

And it absolutely is cheaper to buy a cheaper system and rebuild it ever couple years than to buy an expensive one today and try to keep it performing well for many years.

The only "future proof" parts in your computer build would be your Optical Drive, your case, and your power supply.

I think you misunderstand me.. So let me give you my experience.

10 years ago for my 16th birthday I was given a top of the line (at the time Dell 8200 system) It cost about 3200 dollars. It was a Pentium 4 with 256mb Rambus and Geforce 2 card, 21 inch CRT monitor (the very best you could get form Dell). I used that computer for a long time, but it showed its age an inability to do modern things for many of its final years. Jesus, that computer couldn't even play Runescape High Detail, (now thats sad) But I was stuck with it nevertheless. Since that computer was bought, 64 bit CPUs came out, dual cores, tri-cores, quad cores, RAM standards changed 3 or 4 times, RIMM, DDR, DDR2, DDR3. The monitor died about 4 years into the computer's life (and it was a 600 bucks alone- this was pre-LCD and big CRTs cost a fortune) I missed out on all of that because so much money was shelled out on that system which by the time dual cores rolled around it was a boat anchor.

But now I have this build, initially the final price was 912 bucks. (But I spent more a month later adding a 2nd hard drive and a better case). 3 years from now, I can upgrade the mobo CPU, video card (and RAM if necessary) and reuse everything else. I won't have to spend money on a case or a new power supply, so that knocks a couple hundred bucks off the rebuild price right there. That absolutely makes more sense than buying/building a computer that has more power than you actually need at the time and trying to upgrade it when it finally falls behind the curve. Because that more power than you needed 3 years ago is yesterdays news by the time you need to upgrade. Thats only point I was trying to make. I don't like throwing perfectly functional (albeit out of date) equipment away either, but thats something you're gonna have to get used to if you want to take up PC building as a hobby.

It makes perfect sense to have bought a motherboard with a pentium D and later dropped in say a core 2 e7600

Depends on the motherboard.


---Edited

 

[quilciri]

I agree with you insofar as it's better to buy a midrange system every few years than an expensive system to try to last with. In execution, though I think you're going too far in the opposite direction.

I had the x3 with the same motherboard that's in my sig. usb 3.0 sata 3, etc.

You're swapping tenses mid-conversation on the ssd front. My comment on pci-e ssd's was in reference to your sata IV point, so referring to how much they are now is irrelevant.

I'm not talking about trying to keep a system for 10 years. I'm saying you can easily have the system last 4, rather than buying a new one every two (referring back to the q9400 still being able to handle anything thrown at it).

I'm sorry you got stuck with a rambus-based p4, that does explain your bias, but that doesn't negate all the good upgrade paths like I've already laid out. Corporate IT practices agree with me, and while their machines may not have the latest doodad, They are quite adept at maintaining viable machines at the cheapest price.

 

[nekulturny]

I don't know how many corporations you've worked in, but I've worked in enough technology reliant industries (mainly logistics) to know that more often than not, the computers are old junk that barely function. BTW, my resume even includes a brief stint in a warehouse that ships Machintosh products (guess what computers we used?)

At any rate, we're talking about modern gaming systems, not a generic computer that just needs to access the online company database to process a shipment and draw up a bill of lading.

Currently I'm an IT student, made Deans List last semester and will this semester. Now, I'll admit I have much to learn, but my professor (who also runs her own PC repair business) would tell you to throw the dinosaur away.

You're swapping tenses mid-conversation on the ssd front. My comment on pci-e ssd's was in reference to your sata IV point, so referring to how much they are now is irrelevant.

I'm not sure where we're going with this, but I'll say at this current point in time, it is highly unlikely that SSDs will replace traditional hard drives as the primary storage device in say the next 5 years. Even non-pci based still cost far too much per gigabyte, and that price is not dropping quickly enough.

Yes, they have a niche with the gamer community, so its worth considering. The only reason they are slightly more viable now is because of the flooding in Thailand (a natural disaster not technological advancement with SSDs themselves) which have caused the HDD price per gigabyte to stall.

I'm not talking about trying to keep a system for 10 years. I'm saying you can easily have the system last 4, rather than buying a new one every two (referring back to the q9400 still being able to handle anything thrown at it).

Well when I threw out 2 years, I was throwing out a random number. But in 4 years, based on technological history, you're absolutely most likely going to get the best bang for your buck to replace a 4 year old CPU and the 4 year old motherboard together.

 

[quilciri]

Currently working @Rackspace with CCNA/MCITP and saving up for a rack to study for CCNP. Been with them for 2 years.

You must be thinking of Financial institutions or something that have IT departments, but most employees have low system requirements. The machines @ rackspace must stay current and viable, and buying a motherboard with an upgrade path is pretty crucial to that end.

 

[quilciri]

Well when I threw out 2 years, I was throwing out a random number. But in 4 years, based on technological history, you're absolutely most likely going to get the best bang for your buck to replace a 4 year old CPU and the 4 year old motherboard together.

Absolutely yes. Totally agree with you. I'm not trying to make a machine last past 4 years.

However, after 2 years, you drop in a new CPU (which 2 years from now, late model Ivy bridge processors may still even be in production) and you're good to go.