Help and advice needed on my first build (budget)

[Jeejaye]

Hey guys this is my first build and Im looking for the most bang for the buck computer build. My budget is $600. I'm asking for your feedback and any suggestions to help with the components. Also looking to do some overclocking. Thanks.

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3 AM3+
GPU: Radeon HD 7770 1GB
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X 8GB (2 x 4GB)
HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912
PSU: Antec BP550 Plus 550W
Optical Drive: Samsung DVD Burner

Total: $626

 

[djangoringo]

In my opinion, the intel i3 smokes the x4 965, even oc, for gaming you need a much better card, the i3 draws less power and it's better overall.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($56.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $588.48
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


This gets cheaper, with a much better card, an i3 and a modular psu.

Or an i5 + lower card, but still better than the 7770 :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($56.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $602.28
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[Jeejaye]

Wouldn't the 4 physical cores of the phenom be better than the i3 for gaming/general tasks?

 

[djangoringo]

No, the i3 is better, faster cores, the hyper threading of the i3 is better than the four slow cores of the x4 965.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/11/26/intel-core-i3-3220-review/5

 

[full_out]

Don't go AMD. I went that way and regretted it big time! The cool thing with the i3 is you will have the necessary socket to upgrade to the i5-3570k when you get some cash in the future

 

[Jeejaye]

I apreciate the feedback guys!

I might be going intel now but the reason why I went with amd was I read good reviews on the phenom 965 and theres a $15 off code on newegg going right now. I guess I'll have to dish out the extra cash and go with an i5. Can you guys recommend me a i5 gaming build around $800?

 

[quilciri]

No, the i3 is better, faster cores, the hyper threading of the i3 is better than the four slow cores of the x4 965.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/11/26/intel-core-i3-3220-review/5

Actually, this isn't completely true anymore. Tom's has started reccomending the four core AMD chips over the the G series because four-core use in games is picking up.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,review-32612.html

...I'm sure they meant to use $ instead of £ here

Although it isn't yet live on the site, we just finished up the testing for our latest sub-£160 gaming CPU comparison. Without going into detail on our findings, we saw that, more than ever, today's games require a quad-core processor to realize their best performance. This shouldn't come as a revelation to anyone, but it does have a significant impact on our gaming CPU recommendations. We no longer plan to recommend dual-core chips like Intel's Pentium. Also, AMD's lower-priced quad-core models tend to look a little better.

We're not suggesting that dual-core Pentiums are suddenly bad gaming processors. In most games, they're still quite potent. But with new titles like Far Cry 3 utilizing additional threads at higher detail settings and CPU-dependent FXAA becoming more popular, the recommendations need to be shifted. Our gaming CPU hierarchy chart is modified this month, too, accommodating our evolving perspective. This may get tweaked in the months to come, though.

Also, when four threads are in use, the bullpiles & higher end phenoms win over the hyperthreaded I3.

Each I3 core would have to be more than twice as fast as each phenom/bullpile core (accomodating each thread + the hyperthreading overhead) for that chip to perform better in four thread workloads, which certainly isn't the case for similarly priced chips.

 

[djangoringo]

Actually, this isn't completely true anymore. Tom's has started reccomending the four core AMD chips over the the G series because four-core use in games is picking up.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,review-32612.html

Although it isn't yet live on the site, we just finished up the testing for our latest sub-£160 gaming CPU comparison. Without going into detail on our findings, we saw that, more than ever, today's games require a quad-core processor to realize their best performance. This shouldn't come as a revelation to anyone, but it does have a significant impact on our gaming CPU recommendations. We no longer plan to recommend dual-core chips like Intel's Pentium. Also, AMD's lower-priced quad-core models tend to look a little better.

We're not suggesting that dual-core Pentiums are suddenly bad gaming processors. In most games, they're still quite potent. But with new titles like Far Cry 3 utilizing additional threads at higher detail settings and CPU-dependent FXAA becoming more popular, the recommendations need to be shifted. Our gaming CPU hierarchy chart is modified this month, too, accommodating our evolving perspective. This may get tweaked in the months to come, though.

Also, when four threads are in use, a hyperthreaded I3 doesn't outperform a higher-end four core phenom or bullpile. Each I3 core would have to be more than twice as fast as each phenom/bullpile (accomodating each thread + the hyperthreading overhead) core for that to be true, which certainly isn't the case.

Did you see what is the cpu recommended for 120$ ?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-3.html~


"Hyperthreading has helped the Core i3 in games for a couple years at the very least.
Lots of benchmarks to prove that, this is not new. That's why the Core i3 has been recommended for gaming duty for a long time.

As far as the i3 eliminating competing CPUs near the price point, isn't that the case? You should notice the i3-3220 gets the sole recommendation at $130. The FX-4300 gets an honorable mention for coming close and having an unlocked multiplier for overclocking duty, something the i3 does not possess."

"Not a huge shift, really. The hyperthreaded Core i3's still beat out AMD's best, but the margins are much lower. It's the dual core Pentiums that took a real hit. Of course, they're still better than Athlon II and Phenom II X2s, but we're just saying stay away from all 2 core/2 thread CPUs for a bit of futureproof-ness if you're building a rig."

That's the editor words of the charts/benchs : http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

 

[quilciri]

You need to analyze the reason behind that.

That is a gaming CPU reccommednation, and the majority of games still only use two cores, which the I3 will beat the 4300. However in four core workloads, it is the 4300 that wins not the I3. The hyperthreading on the I3 means the 4300 wins by a smaller margin over that chip than a pentium G when four threads are going, but it's still behind.

The reason that the I3 got the reccomendation is because it beats the 4300 in two core loads, and doesn't lose too badly to the 4300 in four core loads, but it *does* lose. Going forward more and more games will be dropping four core workloads on the CPU, which is also part of the reason the 4300 got an honorable mention. I wouldn't be surprised if those two CPU's swap places in the future, with the honorable mention going to the I3.

 

[djangoringo]

In my opinion the i3 is the best option at that price, with the hyper threading it beats four slow cores from the amd fx series, not to mention the lower power consumption.
It gives an upgrade path for the i5 or i7, more features in the intel side.
What i do recommend is if possible doing it all now, like getting an i5, i made a second build with total base with the i5 and 7850, it might prove to be valuable in the long term for the op.

 

[quilciri]

In my opinion the i3 is the best option at that price, with the hyper threading it beats four slow cores from the amd fx series, not to mention the lower power consumption.
It gives an upgrade path for the i5 or i7, more features in the intel side.
What i do recommend is if possible doing it all now, like getting an i5, i made a second build with total base with the i5 and 7850, it might prove to be valuable in the long term for the op.

I totally agree on the upgradability, and nothing beats an overclocked 3570k. However, from a hassle perspective, the 4300 looks pretty good.

Without a time frame on when the upgrade will take place, we're at a bit of a loss. The OP will either have to deal with selling the I3 when he wants to upgrade, or taking the loss on it's value.

The 4300 will gain ground on the I3 in game performance as time progresses, and while there is little upgrade path on the piledriver chips, when he does finally need more performance, it's just an aftermarket cooler and an overclock away. (a full stable overclock puts the 4300 at i5-3470 performance)

Granted, this requires a willingness to overclock, and less of a concern about power consumption. On the other hand the $100 difference between the i3 and the I5 is more than the extra power he'd use from an overclocked 4300. It would take 13 hours of *full load* use for the 4300 to use 1 more kwh than the i5, and a kwh is $0.12 where I live. On top of that, we've no idea how much you'll be able to get from selling an I3 down the road.

 

[djangoringo]

The thing is the i3 beats the FX-4170 or FX-4300 overall :

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/fx-8350-8320-6300-4300_5.html#sect1
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/fx-8350-8320-6300-4300_6.html#sect0
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/fx-8350-8320-6300-4300_8.html#sect0
http://techreport.com/review/23750/amd-fx-8350-processor-reviewed/9
http://techreport.com/review/23750/amd-fx-8350-processor-reviewed/5
http://techreport.com/review/23750/amd-fx-8350-processor-reviewed/4

In my opinion the i3 is the best choice as toms hardware choice in the lot for 120$ cpu.
The i5-3470 kills any amd cpu, it might prove to be a good choice if he goes with that.

 

[quilciri]

I usually reccomend pentiums & I3's because I go with the assumption that the client doesn't want to overclock. Given that his original choice was a 965 BE with a hyper212 evo, there's a good chance he's willing.

Once again, this depends on his willingness to overclock. If he's up for it, 4300 all the way. Hopefully we'll hear from him before this thread extends too far

 

[djangoringo]

For that it's better then the FX-6300.

 

[Mapsx15]

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/
That's $630, but that's without windows.
Left this in last question, didn't relize you made a new thread.

 

[djangoringo]

Like this :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($77.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $644.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


It's not recommended going with a mobo lower than the chipset 970.
He could get the 7850 to lower the price down...like this one : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-fx785aznl4 or for 2GB : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r7850twinfrozr2gd5oc
But the i3 has it and with a 660 gtx under 600$.

 

[quilciri]

I like the build except for the PSU. The Sirtec-built Hive is mediocre at best. I'd go with a quality PSU over a mediocre modular unit.

XFX P1-550S-XXB9 ($54 @ NCIX)

 

[quilciri]

Also, from a quality standpoint, Zotac > PNY. Same price for their 660, and it's even got a slight factory overclock.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/zotac-video-card-zt6090110m

 

[djangoringo]

it's actually good : http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Rosewill-HIVE-650-W-Power-Supply-Review/1460/11 (it's the 650w but it applies to all of those in the series)
It's modular.
But the xfx 550w is indeed better, if he don't mind not being modular, it's made by seasonic.
I just listed the cheapest one, either way i don't think he'll get the 660 gtx it goes over the budget with the fx-6300.
Either a 7850 1GB or 7850 2GB.

 

[quilciri]

Forgot to add, PNY's "lifetime" warranty is defined as the lifetime of the product on the market, meaning once PNY no longer sells it, they no longer cover it under warranty. Zotac's 2 year warranty will outlast that.

 

[iceclock]

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

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($56.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $569.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-21 20:14 EST-0500)


Base Total: $572.46
Mail-in Rebates: -$10.00
Shipping: $6.98
Total: $569.44

 

[quilciri]

it's actually good : http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Rosewill-HIVE-650-W-Power-Supply-Review/1460/11 (it's the 650w but it applies to all of those in the series)
It's modular.
But the xfx 550w is indeed better, if he don't mind not being modular, it's made by seasonic.
I just listed the cheapest one, either way i don't think he'll get the 660 gtx it goes over the budget with the fx-6300.
Either a 7850 1GB or 7850 2GB.

Not saying it's a bad PSU, just average. All the reviews I've seen for it have been "meh"

http://www.anandtech.com/print/5674

 

[Jeejaye]

I usually reccomend pentiums & I3's because I go with the assumption that the client doesn't want to overclock. Given that his original choice was a 965 BE with a hyper212 evo, there's a good chance he's willing.

Once again, this depends on his willingness to overclock. If he's up for it, 4300 all the way. Hopefully we'll hear from him before this thread extends too far

Yes I'm willing to overclock and I've taken a look at the pentiums and i3s. The way I see it is: the phenom 965($85 newegg limited time) is only $10 more than the g860($75) and its a true quad core. I'm looking to play MMOs and FPSs, and I'm not really into high frames I just want games to be playable on med/high settings. I'm looking to get a good 2-3 years out of this because I would be upgrading. I'll probably upgrade to Haswell in a couple years so if I go with the i3 it would cost me more and the 1155 would be obsolete. So my questions are:
1) How many years does the phenom have?
2) How much of an fps increase (if any) would I get with an i3 over phenom?
3) Would it be better to cash out for an i5 3570k today?

 

[djangoringo]

In my opinion either get an i3 for intel budget system or i5-3470.
For amd get the FX-6300, do not get the x4 965 be.

For AMD :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($77.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $589.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

This goes under 626 total base.


For intel :


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($56.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.57 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $602.28
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


Those are the best choices.
If you can afford to spend a bit more get the 7850 2GB or 660 gtx.

 

[quilciri]

Dunno why I didn't do this off the bat, take a look at teh $600 build in my sig. Due to price fluctuations, it's $626 now, so slightly overbudget, but it contains an i5-3470 and an HD 7870.

cheers!