Help with $700 build

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valvemin

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Sep 7, 2012
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I'm building a light gaming computer, mostly running TF2, Portal, or other source games. This will be my first time. Right now, I have
CPU Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core
Motherboard ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155
Memory Patriot Viper Xtreme Series, Division 2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Storage Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM
Video Card MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB
Case Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower
Power Supply Corsair 430W ATX12V
Optical Drive Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer
Monitor Acer S201HLbd 20.0"
Keyboard Microsoft ANB-00001
Prices are here, but I would prefer buying everything from newegg and maybe one other site.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gQVc

Right now, that adds up to about $670. Help with optimizing this would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if I should sacrifice my GPU for a better CPU- An i5 2310 is $180, which would put me $50 overbudget.
 
Solution
mocchan


Difference between the two cards are HUGE, way different ball park for each card. That goes along with the price range as well IMO :lol: http://www.hwcompare.com/12033/radeon-hd-7770-vs-radeon-hd-7850/

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135-6.html <- HD7770, BF3

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-6.html <-HD7850, BF3

These benches are quite dated now considering the MASSIVE improvements that came along with the most recent...
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MotherFerJones

MotherFerJones

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Sep 2, 2012
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The Hd7770 will handle just about anything on 1920x1080 res in the highish settings. The i3 is a good CPU if your not interested in overclocking at all. If you had the extra money you could get an SSD for around .75-.90 cents a GB right now ive seen as low as 59.99 for 120GB, if you went over budget for an SSD you would not regret it.
 
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valvemin

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Sep 7, 2012
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I won't be overclocking, but I want this build to last at least 3 years. Will the i3 still be handling well then? SSD's, from what I've seen, are somewhat of a hassle, because of the space management I would need, especially as the program files are all in :C. I might take a look at them later in the road, but probably won't be buying now. Where would I find a $60 120GB SSD?
 
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mocchan

mocchan

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Dec 28, 2011
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($117.10 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer S211HLbd 21.5" Monitor ($117.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $708.02
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-07 22:54 EDT-0400)

This is what I would personally purchase in this price range.

1) If compromising your CPU means you can invest in a better GPU, ALWAYS go for this option. The i3 will still have a decent life ahead of it, most likely another 2-3 years if you don't mind for game settings.

2) HD7850 is a much beefier GPU than the HD7770, it will be able to play any game at the moment without a hassle with very reasonable settings.

3) 1080p monitor - you will most likely want 1080p AT LEAST for games today, this is the sweet spot in terms of resolution for gamers today :)

4) SSD is not necessary, but it will definitely enhance your overall computing experience. I didn't include one in this rig due to the budget.

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know :)
 
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valvemin

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Sep 7, 2012
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Thanks for the help! Seeing as you went to a microATX motherboard... could I fit my build into a microATX case? I really wanted to build it in a microATX, but I'm not sure how different it would be from a standard mid-tower. If the i3 will require settings to be turned down, then why invest in such a nice graphics card?
 
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mocchan

mocchan

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You won't have to turn down any settings on the i3 to run an HD7850 with it :) I meant compromises like this -

You have two options.

1) i5-3450 with Radeon HD7770
2) i3-2120 with Radeon HD7850

You will want to choose Option 2 due to the beefier graphics horsepower. Most games nowadays are still 99% GPU reliant, so that will determine your overall performance.

Also, do you have any MicroATX cases in mind? Because, yes, you can fit this entire rig into a MicroATX case :) It's about half the size of a Mid-Tower case (I think, this may be over-exaggerated a little bit).
 
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valvemin

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I don't know of any microATX cases at all- any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. How big is the difference between the 7770 and 7850? Will it be the difference between say, med-high settings to high-very high with AA on?
 
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mocchan

mocchan

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Dec 28, 2011
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Difference between the two cards are HUGE, way different ball park for each card. That goes along with the price range as well IMO :lol: http://www.hwcompare.com/12033/radeon-hd-7770-vs-radeon-hd-7850/

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7770-7750-benchmark,3135-6.html <- HD7770, BF3

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-6.html <-HD7850, BF3

These benches are quite dated now considering the MASSIVE improvements that came along with the most recent drivers, so please bear that in mind :) But this is a great example of how big of a performance gap there is between these two cards.

On a side note, any MicroATX case I'm looking at, at the moment, will bring the total cost way out of budget :(
 
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valvemin

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Sep 7, 2012
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TF2, my most played source game, runs choppy on the best of $1000+ systems, so I'd probably be running it on medium anyways... so what would you recommend for microATX cases?
 
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valvemin

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Sep 7, 2012
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Indeed... This Fractal Design looks pretty good though, and a lot cheaper. A lot of the ones I've been looking at have pretty poor cooling, only this one has decent fans at a good price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352009&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
Also, are you sure that a full ATX power supply will fit in this case? Because I saw that they also sell "microATX power supplies".
 
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mocchan

mocchan

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Yes, it will fit. As long as it isn't a very long 1200w PSU or anything of the like, it will fit without a problem.
 
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