$600 Gaming Build?

[Classikly]

So.. things happened, and now I'm looking at a $600 budget instead of a $1000 one. Still looking for a decent rig that'll play most modern games.

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP

Budget Range: $600 total

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.ca, ncix.ca, canadacomputers.com, tigerdirect.ca, directcanada.com

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Parts Preferences: Should I go for a i3-2100?

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

 

[nsouter853]

Here's what I would do with a $600 budget:


CPU: i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core w/ Hyperthreading
$129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116775

Mobo: ASRock Z75 Pro 3
$84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600MHz
$44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

PSU: Corsair Builder CX500
$59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

GPU: MSI Radeon 7770 GHz Edition
$134.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127664

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 7200rpm (switch to a lower-capacity hard drive if you need)
$84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236339

Case: Cooler Master HAF 912
$59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Total: $599.93 on Newegg before tax/shipping, and that might be different for you since you are in Canada.



Really though, I would advise just saving for a bit longer and getting a better rig. This is something you will most likely have for years, buying a much worse one just to save some time now doesn't make much sense.

 

[Classikly]

I'm down to these parts:

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116775

Mobo: ASRock Z75 Pro3
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

GPU: MSI Radeon HD 7770
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=68459&vpn=R7770-2PMD1GD5%2FOC&manufacture=MSI%2FMicroStar&promoid=1084

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB HD103SJ
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB 22X DVD Writer SATA Black OEM
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=16950DR7068

PSU: Corsair Builder CX500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

Case: Antec Three Hundred Two
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=67326&promoid=1066

Total: $746.34
Trying to keep it around the $600's here. Should I get a cheaper mobo?

 

[nsouter853]

Yeah I thought that would be a little more in Canada. I really stress that you should just save for longer and get a more mid-range build. I mean, the one that you have suggested is a very entry-level rig right now, and will be just-okay in gaming. And it's still over your budget.

Why not just save a little longer and get a better rig? If you upgraded the graphics card $100 more (to a 7850 or 7870) and the CPU $100 more (to an i5 3570k) you would see exponential gains. I really think it would be worth it to just wait.

 

[Classikly]

Yeah I thought that would be a little more in Canada. I really stress that you should just save for longer and get a more mid-range build. I mean, the one that you have suggested is a very entry-level rig right now, and will be just-okay in gaming. And it's still over your budget.

Why not just save a little longer and get a better rig? If you upgraded the graphics card $100 more (to a 7850 or 7870) and the CPU $100 more (to an i5 3570k) you would see exponential gains. I really think it would be worth it to just wait.

Trust me, no one wants to upgrade this thing more than me, even if I have to wait it out a bit. But in my current situation $600 is what I have to deal with, so I'm trying to make the best of it.

 

[nsouter853]

Trust me, no one wants to upgrade this thing more than me, even if I have to wait it out a bit. But in my current situation $600 is what I have to deal with, so I'm trying to make the best of it.

Okay good, knowing that you want to upgrade is important.

If you are planning on upgrading sooner or later, what you might want to consider is getting a really good motherboard, power supply, and solid case. These three items will be the foundation from which you can build on.

I would almost say, get an i3 with integrated HD4000 (the most powerful HDxxxx right now) and scrap the graphics card. This will save you some money and also allow you to get better parts in other areas of your build. Then, when you have enough, buy a nice graphics card.

You may also be able to save money on the hard drive if you already have one. Can you use your current hard drive?

EDIT: About the HD4000 then upgrade later idea; don't feel too bad about getting an integrated graphics solution. There is kind of a stigma against them, but they have come a long way. Just look at these benchmarks: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/intel-hd-graphics-4000-2500_6.html

That's showing the HD4000 running BF3 at 40fps with a high resolution. I also know from experience that it can play Guild Wars 2 with 30+ frames. While it's not a long-term solution, it should serve fine as a placeholder.

 

[Classikly]

Best answer selected by Classikly.

 

[Classikly]

I'll definitely consider using that as a temporary fix until upgrading. But first I'm going to consult with a guy I know at one of those computer stores. If things work out I might even get the parts for a cheaper price.