Ideas to Save money?

tuganu

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May 23, 2012
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Hey here people, Im planning a build for gaming and some editing and have basicallt decided on everything. but the total price is 1, 830$ and i would like it as close to 1500 as possible. if you have any ideas on how I might save money i would appreciate it

CPU: Intel i5 3570k
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670
CASE: NZXT Phantom Black and White Edition
MainHDD: 128GB Crucial M4
Secondary HDD: 1TB WD Caviar Blue
OPTICAL DRIVE: Pioneer DVRW
MOTHERBOARD: AsRock Z77 extreme4
POWER SUPPLY: Antec HCG-750
RAM/MEMORY: G.skill Ares 1600Mhz (2x4GB)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
Keyboard: Roccat Isku
Mouse: Roccat Kova [+]
MouseMat: Roccat Sense
COOLER: Hyper 212 EVO
-ANTI-STATIC WRIST STRAP
-CABLE TIES

Also I am buyinf of of www.pccasegear.com.au
 
Solution

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Lose the anti-static wrist strap - those are completely useless. So is the mouse mat.

And your power supply will come with more than enough cable ties, there's no need to buy extra.

As far as ideas to save money - there's really no need to buy an $85 keyboard and $50 mouse - there's already almost $200 of your budget wasted on expensive peripherals and other useless things.

You could also scale back the PSU to a 650W if you're not going SLI, perhaps get something like this: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=17211

And if you don't need the SSD you could also drop that and save money there, add one in later.
 
if you already have another desktop computer you can save money by using parts from that system likelike the optical and hard dives maybe even the keyboard and mouse. he is looking to save more than 5 bucks so stay with the wrist strap for added safety. do you really want some freak static charge wrecking your $1500.00 bulid? also just go get one locally. mouse mats are useless unless you are using an old mouse with a ball it it.

also you can skimp on some parts like the GPU by getting one of the 5xx geforce and less ram and upgrade them down the road. you could also drop the SSD now and see if they get bigger and cheaper down the road too
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


I have worked on tons of systems in the last ten years - I've never had the need for one. Only if you're working with live (powered on) equipment do you need an anti static wrist strap. But for the most part you'll have your system off before you get everything hooked in. Build your system on a clean, dust-free surface and you'll be fine, there's no need to waste money on something like that.

also you can skimp on some parts like the GPU by getting one of the 5xx geforce and less ram and upgrade them down the road. you could also drop the SSD now and see if they get bigger and cheaper down the road too

Bad idea. On a gaming build - it's never a good idea to skimp on the GPU, you want the strongest GPU you can get for the money as it can often make or break a build's performance. On a gaming build most tasks are GPU intensive, not CPU intensive, and for that getting the strongest GPU you can get for your money.
 


but again you can find one for under 10 bucks so might as well stay with it if it makes him feel better
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Again I will say don't pay money for the illusion of safety - it's not necessary. Don't waste your money on things you don't need and will never use again, that's why I don't recommend things like tool kits, static wrist straps, cable ties, things of that nature.
 


and as i said he can skimp IF he can go back later and UPGRADE IT!!! dude you are just coming off as an arrogant rich kid. not all of us have unlimited funds to build a computer
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


How exactly am I coming off as an arrogant rich kid? I'm saying don't waste money on crap you don't need - he can save like $300 if he makes the necessary changes, and that on a gaming system your money should go into the GPU, skimping or cutting corners on that is always never a good idea. You don't want to by the same part twice if you can help it. I'm saying if you configure this right and don't waste money on junk it's entirely possible to get the best GPU you can get and still come in way under budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($245.00 @ Mwave Australia)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($179.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($57.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($95.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($479.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred ATX Full Tower Case ($125.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($112.00 @ Mwave Australia)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($22.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $1353.00
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
 

MANOFKRYPTONAK

Distinguished
Feb 1, 2012
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Fried a MOBO without an anti-static wrist band. Depends on a number of factors though. I would get one IMHO, only 5-10 bucks. :hello:
 


welcome to the world of computers kid you will always have to upgrade the same parts down the road no matter how current the parts are.but if he is really looking to save some money then i am trying to give him the most optimal ways to save on his build right now. if he is not able to upgrade down the road then do not do it simple as that. he could go with something like the 5xx series for now, deal with the loss of the 2 or 3 extra FPS the 6xx series would have given him and then down the road he may be able to get a better price on a higher end GPU. i suggested the GPU as a possibility because it is the easier part to upgrade than trying to skimp on something like the CPU or motherboard where you would practically have to disassemble the entire computer just to replace them plus the PSU he is getting seems powerful enough for any new GPU's coming out now anyway
 

MANOFKRYPTONAK

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Feb 1, 2012
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Excellent build, I don't know where to skimp on price to be honest. You could save and buy parts only as you see them on sale one or two at a time. I am a big fan of this PC build though! :eek:

EDIT: Students save money on microsoft software!
 
Solution

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Got news for you - I've been doing this since the 486 era (early 90's), I'm no kid when it comes to this stuff.

My philosophy on builds is simple:

1. Don't cut corners
2. Don't waste money on things you don't need
3. Don't buy junk brands
4. Get the best GPU you can get for your budget on a gaming rig, get the best CPU you can get for your budget on CS5 builds.
5. Don't overspend on any one particular area if it means cutting corners in another.
6. Build systems for longevity with the fewest upgrades possible.

I offered ways to save money - don't buy the same part twice (cable ties), lose the expensive peripherals, and forgo the SSD for now. That saves like $300.
 


Rosewill makes a good programmable keyboard for $25, but for a gaming mouse - especially if you play first-person shooters, $40 is really the cheapest you can get a good one for. You want a high negative tracking threshold, high DPI and DPI switching.

rosewill RK-8100
logitech G400
 

tuganu

Honorable
May 23, 2012
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10,680

Ok well Im sure you know what you are doing but I will buy an Anti-static wrist strap. even if it doesnt work it will give me confidence that nothing will go wrong and thats the only real safety thing you need... confidence it is 6 dollars and im willing to spend that. but for the periferals... would you be able to pick out some replacements for the peripherals?
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


I usually don't recommend those as they're mainly personal preference, I just don't recommend spending a lot of money on them - get a cheap keyboard and mouse set for now, get the expensive ones later.
 
Calling g-unit a kid just makes you look stupid. Do us a favor and stop being a douche captain. Oh, and before calling someone kid, be sure to know the meaning of the word. Calling a 32 year old guy a "kid" is stupid.

OP, build looks good. Suit yourself on the wrist strap. I have built my computer on carpet without a wrist strap. All I did was touch the case every few mins.
 

tuganu

Honorable
May 23, 2012
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10,680

Okay thanks, If this was your build...
is there anything you would change?
 

nafoni

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May 18, 2012
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Do yourself a favor and get the Gigabyte version of the GTX 670. I have an EVGA 670 myself (they use the reference design), and it's very loud at higher fan speeds. The Gigabyte version won Tom's Hardware's test of the GTX 670 cards, and will only cost you a tiny bit more.