Building a new Low-end/Mediocre PC (budget PC with gaming in mind)

Arsha

Distinguished
Feb 27, 2011
3
0
18,510
(Wow, it’s a very busy forum)

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I have built a new PC. Things have changed during this time so I need a bit of help from you all. I use the conventional template:

Approximate Purchase Date: this week
Budget Range: Not determined, less is better. I hope the title (low-end/mediocre) guide you through this.
System Usage: (general computing (surfing the internet, watching movies, office), gaming)
Are you buying a monitor: No.
Parts to Upgrade: Nothing, I guess I can’t use old PATA DVD RW anymore.
Do you need to buy OS: No.
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I visit newegg for prices.
Parts Preferences: I prefer Intel CPUs over AMD. Good quality parts and low prices. Reputable brands.
Overclocking: Maybe (I always overclock but this build is for my cousin who may not have proper technical knowledge)
SLI or Crossfire: NO.

Currently I have the following in mind:

CPU: For gaming i3-2100 is preferred over Celeron G530/Pentium G630. Although I am always a fan of Celeron.
MoBo: Currently there are many chipsets available for sandy bridge. I think H61 would be a reasonable option. But it doesn’t support CPU overclocking and core i3 doesn’t support Turbo Boost Technology?! But I don’t like to pay more for overclocking.
Memory: 2 x 4GB DDR3-1600 (I think it’s a better option than 2 x 2GB)
Hard Drive: Considering price/GB, It seems 1TB hard drive is the most optimal capacity today.
Video Card: Radeon HD 7770 is more than enough. I like the latest generation of video cards. So no HD 6xxx. As I don't know about the budget yet, I may choose cheaper ones. So any suggestion for this second option (cheaper and really good performance/price ratio) is also welcome.
Case and PSU: Please suggest.
Optical Drive: DVD ReWriter.

Please tell me about changes, suggestions, ..
Thank you
 
Solution
Try this:


SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151244
$13.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Brush / Plastic” ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$39.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146075

Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ/ST500DM005 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152181
$69.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

GIGABYTE GV-R777OC-1GD Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video ...
Item #: N82E16814125415
$109.99...

amkronos

Honorable
Jun 15, 2012
80
0
10,640
Try this:


SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151244
$13.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Brush / Plastic” ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$39.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146075

Samsung by Seagate Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ/ST500DM005 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152181
$69.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

GIGABYTE GV-R777OC-1GD Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video ...
Item #: N82E16814125415
$109.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125415


CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817139026
$44.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL
Item #: N82E16820231426
$43.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426

Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120
Item #: N82E16819115077

ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813157236
$178.98

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.989362


Total: $523.25

$40 in rebates to bring it further down.

FYI: Add in bout $70 more and get an i5 with that same motherboard.

i5 2400 combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.989418



 
Solution

ddan49

Honorable
Mar 13, 2012
1,549
0
11,860
My suggestion:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H61ICAFE ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.86 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($57.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $624.34
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Now, this 6870 is WAY better than the 7770. You could go 6850 in a pinch. Keep in mind that 6xxx to 7xxx isn't all that different ( I mean, the 6850 isn't the same as the 7850, but the 6870 > 7770). Just look at benchmarks. If you want 7770, take it, though. I'd go with an ASRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 mobo if possible to have Z68.l