Building for my dad

[bstranger]

I built a mostly all intel rig and put a msi 560ti frozen throne in there... I got up to around 1200 $


My dad mostly plays rpg games and some starcraft/rtsg and internet browsing. His computer is 4 years old, and was a budget computer back then.

So my question is, what is really the best build now for under 600$

1. processor.... trying to see if he would be unhappy with the amd phenom 2 x4 black edition deneb 3.4 vs the i5-3750k
2. graphics card..... can he run most games on low or even medium with the hd 4000 graphics that is on the i5?would he be unhappy with it?
3. MOBO..... is there a motherboard out there that is still good, cheap, and can run everything necessary for the latest tech?
4. ssd/hd..... should he just go with an ssd now because they rock and get an hd later?
5. case...... what case is necessary and how bad can you skimp here?
6. What memory is the best for the cheapest $?
7. What is the cheapest and best psu?
8. Should he try to build a windows 8 build? wondered if costs would be down as it is new and black friday...

He will use his old monitor but still, with getting a good graphics card/processor we go over... please help with your opinions... thank you.

 

[tiny voices]

i3 + hd7850 for sure. Will play all his rpgs at great settings. When buying a PSU, only buy from brands like Antec, XFX, Corsair, Seasonic.

 

[tiny voices]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nrUn

I would do this.

 

[bstranger]

I would do that too! I think with the cost of an operating system and a few other things he might get nervous and want to back off on the price of a graphics card. So that is where we got into the discussion on whether or not the i5 would have enough on its onboard graphics card to push most games. I don't think he would want to go over 150, and would be more tickled staying under 100.

 

[bstranger]

And if ivy isn't that big of a deal I would think hard about this mobo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188097

 

[bstranger]

XFX HD-677X-ZNFC Radeon HD 6770 1GB 850MHz
(48)
$107.55

can you tell me anything about this card?

 

[Onus]

I'd look for a HD7770 before a HD6770, but I like tiny voices' build too.
A HD7770 can play Guild Wars 2 (a MMORPG) on "good" settings at 1920x1080.
The integrated HD4000 should be able to play "some" newer games, but on their lowest settings and/or lower resolution. I would not inflict that on a gamer. For around $120, a HD7770 is a good deal. For around $100, you can get a HD7750. This card can play on "decent" settings; lowered but still enjoyable. I wouldn't go any lower than this for games though.

 

[azathoth]

This build would be more than sufficient for your fathers needs, it uses the A10 APU. And a 120GB SSD as its only drive, which should again as long as he doesn't store tons of movies to watch on it, will hold his games and OS.

It includes the Windows 8 OS, and comes in at $450 after shipping and taxes are included. A very capable build that certainly fits into the budget.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A75M-DGS Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston Blu Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Rosewill FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $453.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-13 14:09 EST-0500)

 

[Onus]

The Corsair Builder V2 is built by CWT, not Seasonic, using Samxon capacitors from a line known to experience early failure. Links available on request, but it starts at HardwareSecrets, a site I trust for information about PSUs. An Antec Earthwatts or VP-450 would be better choices, and they aren't much more expensive.
Furthermore, the Agility 3 is one of those Sandfarce drives that was plagued by issues. Has the firmware been fixed? Is that a chance worth taking? I wouldn't; not for myself, and not for a PC I was building for someone else. I also would not choose Windows 8 for my father unless I were running it myself.
The IGP in the A10 is not as strong as a HD7750. It can play, but not as well. I really think Tiny Voices has the better build.

 

[tiny voices]

Take my build but drop the 7850 to a 7770. The 7770 will perform better and use less power than a 6770 and cost about the same.

 

[bstranger]

Best answer selected by bstranger.

 

[bstranger]

Ok. so what would you do if you had another two hundred dollars?

 

[tiny voices]

might actually be able to squeeze a 7950 in there maybe

 

[tiny voices]

GEt an i5 3470, better motherboard, and 7870

 

[bstranger]

might actually be able to squeeze a 7950 in there maybe

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7191450&csid=_61

What do you think of this card, at this price range. I think once he starts to get above 150 bucks he can't justify spending more on the graphics card, than the cpu. But, I think it is easy