Under 700 budget gaming. Help me pick cpu and videocard

Froze

Honorable
Dec 7, 2012
2
0
10,510
Please help me pick a cpu and video card to complement my under 700 system?
No need for os or monitor. Got them both down already.
Those are already bought. I hope I didnt screw up too badly. I basically tried going for stuff I saw on sale and had a good brand?

Another question. Is just running on 1stick of ram that bad? Do I really have to buy another one?
I am thinking of just relying on my 180gb ssd for storage, is that feasible?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rj0G

Spent(264dollars so far) Trying to stay under 700.

Motherboard:Biostar TZ77XE3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard(70)

Ram:G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (25)

SSD:Intel 330 Series 180GB 2.5" Solid State Disk(93)

Case:Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case(30)

Power Supply:Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply(30)

Optical Drive:Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer(16)


 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
For under $700 I'd consider dropping the SSD entirely, and I'm in the minority when I say I really hate Intel SSDs. Having 1 stick of RAM won't hurt but to get the full benefit of dual channel you will need two.

Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($200.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $725.46
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-07 15:21 EST-0500)
 

assasin32

Distinguished
Apr 23, 2008
1,356
22
19,515
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rn1s

Motherboard does support Ivy Bridge from what I gather on the reviews on newegg so you should be good. Went with one of the cheapest good quality boards I could find to free up funds elsewhere. The case while not pretty supports a lot of fans, newegg will give you more details on that so you can factor in another $10-20 on fans to get superb cooling. Downside to this the H61 doesn't have any 6gb sata connections.

i5 3470, radeon 7950, 2x 4gb cas 9 1600mhz ram, 1tb hd, mirco atx h61 mobo (if it gets the job done who cares), CM Elite 371 case, corsair 600w PSU

$737 - 40 mail in + 2 shipping = $699

Edited in:
Forgot dvd burner make that $716
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rn4n
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


You have to have an existing CPU in order for H61 to support Ivy Bridge because a BIOS update is required before you can use the CPU with that motherboard. Out of the box you will need H77.
 

jackacid

Honorable
Apr 28, 2012
12
0
10,510
The way I read it, the OP has all the parts listed and wants recommendations on just a cpu and gpu for under the $436 left in the budget.

You could go with an i5 and a 7870. Or, if the graphics card is more important you could with and i3 and put the money saved toward a 7950. The games you are interested in will help determine where to make the split, as well as whether to look at Nvidia or AMD graphics cards.

Where did you find a Biostar TZ77XE3 for $70? Or any of those prices, for that matter. Perhaps am I reading it wrong.

---edit----

The 180gb ssd will do for now, but save up for a mechanical drive for more storage down the road (~$75 for 1 to 1.5TB)
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


That motherboard is part of a combo deal at Micro Center - you can only get it if you go to the store and pick it up.

I'd personally get the HD first and get the SSD later - that Intel is not a good choice as it's based on a very outdated Sandforce controller. It's better to get something that uses Indilinx (OCZ Vertex 4) or Marvell (Crucial M4, Samsung 830), or Toshiba NAND (Sandisk Extreme).
 

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