300-400 High School Student Build (1st build)

First off you need a better powersupply that Apevia. you really should get an 80+ certified PSU, but the are some good non 80+ PSU's like the antec VP450. right now the Antec 380 is on sale a newwgg its small but very solid and will power the APU and a mid ranage GPU if you expand later on.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
this is also a good one for building
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

an A8-3870K APU should be fine for LoL:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=703...

for a good budget case I recommend this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The Gigabyte GA-A55M-DS2 is a good budget MB its a good choice.

your build with one of the PSU's I recommended should be just fine for what you need it to do

another option is a G850 Pentium dual core CPU/MB with a HD 6670. that would run about $412 including shipping with $15 MIR brings it under $400. You get USB 3.0 Sata 6g and a good entry level GPU.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

id personally save to 600 and get a nice 6870 in my rig. look at jerreddredds post first though

I've got 4 quick questions.

Are you sure that 380W would be enough? I have a 4 year old computer with a 300W power supply and it freezes quite often. If I go with 450W, is there a big difference between 500W and 450W?

Also, should I wait for Trinity to come out? I want this to last at least until junior year. I'm a freshman.

Will the i3 2105 with Intel HD 3000 be enough for 60 fps? My main use will be homework, and other stuff that would need more raw processing power, but I still want to be able to play LoL in my spare time at full fps. If Intel HD 3000 will run LoL at 60 fps, I'd choose it over AMD's APU. (I've heard AMD is not good for much outside of graphics and gaming)

Also, I went with Fractal for looks. (lol) Would it be worth upgrading to the Core 3000? I didn't want to go Mid ATX, since I thought for such low spec computer, it'd be overkill, but recently I've heard that MicroATX cases get really cramped. I can be a little flexible with the price, so I can go a little over 400 if I need a case that fits everything.

if you need more wattage, pc power and cooling mk3 400w is another option. sometimes sells for 29.99 after MIR

it will last for 2 years

hd3000 wont get you very far but it might be enough for LoL

if its a miccro-atx board you are using, get the core 1000

I am using a Micro ATX Board, but based on reviews, the Core 1000 is exceptionally small, and I don't want it to be too difficult to put all the parts in; I've never built a PC before. It'd only cost 15 bucks more to go Mid ATX, is it worth 15 bucks? The Core 100 is 175x355x420mm

there is no problem using a small case. everything fits and just works

if you are on a budget and want a atx case, check out the antec one
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TVQU6C/?tag=pcpapi-20

has usb3 as well

Wow, that seems really roomy, and I like the price. I saw the Antec 300 case in the related topics, and it looks almost identical to the Fractal Core 1000. Is it glossy? I want a matte case  

BTW, since I'm only gaming casually on this computer, will I need 1600 Mhz RAM? From benchmarks there doesn't seem to be a major difference. Would it be worth the money to go for 1600 Mhz RAM?

Edit: I won't need a CPU cooler, will I?

in canada, we have a all black antec 302  

you can pay 10 bucks more for the antec 302 (which has more room for gpus (the one has 10.5in of space))

check the antec one and the antec 302 for yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlhclcOoUu4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubX0pKrtZiI

Nice! Haha

I've heard that Fractal cases are generally quieter. Is the Antec quiet as well?

Is it just the Fractal Design R3 cases that are really quiet? Are the Core cases not focused more on soundproofing? Because if the Core cases aren't really that quiet, I'd immediately switch to the Antec lol

either one wont be quiet since they are optimzed mainly for airflow. they should be just as loud (not really since stock antec and fractal fans are nice). neither one will be loud enough to bother you

the define r4 (upgraded r3) are very quiet but they are out of your budget

i personally have a 550D from corsair (should have gotten R4 but bought it too early) and it would be dead quiet until you put your face near the case. its also quiet given the D14 is ran passively and everything is on voltage reducers

for $500 including OS, you ca do a decent A8 build, with a 6670:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A8-3850 2.9GHz Quad-Core Processor ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-A55M-DS2 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 6670 1GB Video Card ($56.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill R101-P-BK MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.49 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 430W ATX12V Power Supply ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($90.76 @ Amazon)
Total: $464.15
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-29 18:36 EDT-0400)

This will do games pretty well at 1600x900

I'm not a gamer, so I won't need CF 6670 but thanks so much for the advice  

I think I'll use the RAM you found, thanks!

Also, should I wait for the A10 Trinity to come out before buying, or will Llano be just fine? The Integrated Graphics of the A10 are supposed to be the equivalent or better of the AMD 6670 card. It's also benchmarked better than the i5 2500k

if you dont game, the i3 2120 or the pentium g620 would be better choices

People on Youtube who've made videos say the Intel HD 3000 runs LoL @ 30-45 ish fps (w/o FRAPS)

Even though I only game casually, I still want an enjoyable experience. (at least 50 fps) I have a Pentium right now (an older one), and it seriously isn't working out for me. I run 18 fps on lowest possible settings -_-

Is Trinity worth waiting for? I'm not in any sort of rush.

if you are budget gaming yes. looks promising but then intel is going to release haswell next year so yeah

This is a temporary 2 year fix until I get a job... I'm going to wait for SkyLake. Neat sounding name too. Thanks for all your help  

trinity looks good, and is due out for the next 2-4 months. dunno if it'll be this inexpensive

sorry for the late response, I have been traveling oversees. The Antec 380 is a very solid 80+ rated PSU and it is capbable of putting a over 330 watts on its 12V rail (CPU and GPU use these) this is more than a lot off 500w psu's can. it used to be a favorite in the budget build system category, but the price went up over $50 and it fell out of favor. the VP 450 is also a very strong PSU, but isn't as efficient as the antec 380. both are good choices for a buget build. if you are running your rig all day and night I would get the 80+ certified 380, if not then the VP 450 is the choice.

I believe in the here an now, so I would just go with with the A8. Trinity may or may not be worth waiting for, and then at what price will it be? I would get the A8 and if later you need more graphics power you can always drop in a graphics card.

Case wise, the Fractal Cases that are designed to dampen the sound are really quiet. Fractal cases like the 1000 and 3000 will be quieter as the Fractal fans are really well built and quiet. these case do not have any sound dampening foam in them like the Mini, R3, R4 and XL do, so they won't be as quiet. the case is always a personal choice, Fractal, Antec and NZXT all moake good cases. I have build with them all, there is not wrong choice here. choose which one you like the best.  

The only reason I'd go with the Antec is for USB 3.0. What are the benefits of USB 3.0, and will I need it if I don't plan on using an external hard drives?

I think I'm going to go with Corsair for the PSU, they're supposed to be nice. I found an 80+ certified one, thanks for the advice on that  

Edit: Also, could I buy extra Fractal fans, if they're nice and quiet?

USB 3.0 is very, very fast at data transfers. There are USB 3.0 thumb drives, external hard drives, and other periphrals

Well I'm not going to use external hard drives so...

I think I'm going to go with the Antec. Mostly because of value; it comes with 2 fans, whereas the other cases only come with one

In the end, I came up with this:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g5Va
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g5Va/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/g5Va/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A8-3870K 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-A75M-S2V Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard ($64.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 430W ATX12V Power Supply ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($21.48 @ Amazon)
Total: $372.41
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-30 17:13 EDT-0400)

Its 50 dollars more, but I think it was worth it. It's still in my price range as well. Thanks for all of your help  

seems good. do you really need the overclocking?

SUP HOME SKILLET

I3 2120 (I HAVE THIS AND ITS BALLIN DAWG)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

ASROCK H61 DGS (I have this little beast also)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CORSAIR 430W (I ALSO HAVE THIS)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

DEAL OF THE YEAR HARD DRIVE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CASE
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

DVD DRIVE BURBNERFSA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

TOTAL WITH SHIPPING IS $387.27

I SUGGEST AFTER YOU BUILD THIS YOU SAVE UP TO BUY A GRAPHICS CARD

guerrero: i thought you have a pentium g620

NOPE I HAVE MY OG I3 2120

oh you upgraded? last time i checked you said you were getting the g620

I got the 2120 instead of the G620 but all i need is a GPU

i got my nice gtx670. now i need windows

Well ima get a gf tomorrow bro LOL

GF?  

GIRLFRIEND  

Its questionable. I've got no background in overclocking, and I really don't want to screw up this system until I'm about to buy a new computer. All the computers I've had in the past have had locked multipliers and stuff. Will the 3850 have the same IGP, and offer similar performance?

Also, congratulations on getting a girlfriend guerrero, but seriously. Off topic bro  

Shes not my gf yet broski and I would not overclock on a first build

aight broseph

the 3870 has 100 MHz more speed than the 3850 (3.0 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). it's not hard to overclock (Tom's had an article on it), but I'd leave that until you are ready to try it

The guy in the article had a fancy MOBO. How can I tell if overclocking will be easy/possible on my MOBO?

overclocking is very easy. just go to the bios and up the cpu multiplier to 40 and you get a nice 4.0ghz oc. if it is unstable, add a little voltage until its completely stable. you use prime95 to test for stability.

Get a good cpu cooler

wait... i can get 4 ghz on this cheap processor? you're joking right? no. way.  

is there a risk that goes along with my overclocking? i was planning on eventually going for like 3.7, not that high. is 3.7 relatively safe? i'm going to buy 2 more fans, so i think that'll help with cooling?

something like a 30 dollar hyper 212 evo should do the trick. it all depends on the CPU as well (how good the specimen is)

I'm going to get a GELID Solutions CC-Siberian-01 80mm Hydro Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler. Spins faster, and quieter than the EVO. Will it do the trick? I don't know much about coolers, and assumed that higher rates and lower db would be better.

That cooler is no good get the 212 Plus or Evo

you cant go wrong with the hyper 212. just the instructions are kinda whack (from what i heard). there are many guides on youtube to help you out

It's more expensive though   What makes the Hyper so good in comparison to the Gelid?

1: it pushes nearly double the amount of air
2: it wont get you 70c idle temps. its supported tdp is 82w.

read some newegg reviews and you would know

It's over twice as expensive. Will I need such fancy cooling if I only OC to 3.7?

Damn.... I'm 50 bucks over original! Haha

At this price point, I'm thinking of going for an i3...

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gbXE
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gbXE/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gbXE/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD A8-3870K 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-A55M-DS2 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($62.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 430W ATX12V Power Supply ($27.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($21.48 @ Amazon)
Total: $386.40
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-31 19:35 EDT-0400)