Best computer for $600?

it's pretty hard to have a good pc with just 600$ and with os and monitor, my suggestion :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G860 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($68.24 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M-GL Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($67.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($38.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Samsung S19B150N 60Hz 18.5" Monitor ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.19 @ Amazon)
Total: $595.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


All from newegg and amazon, it's total is $598.35 not including rebates.
With led monitor, os, a decent card, 8GB, and a dual core.

hmm, well maybe i can chip in a couple more dollars. what would you upgrade if i increased the budget some?

Add an i3 : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80637i33220 and this ram instead : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/patriot-memory-pgd38g1600e...
Add a 7850 : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-fx785aznl4
or 650 ti : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n650ti1gd5o...

Add a 23" monitor : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/acer-monitor-umvg6aab01

Agree, wholeheartedly.

Also, 18" monitor is really small. 21" at the smallest if you don't want to feel cramped. They aren't much more expensive.

What is your current computer? Is there anything we can reuse? DVD drive? Hard drives?

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

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 PRO3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($77.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($23.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($99.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: LG E1942S-BN 18.5" Monitor ($86.98 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $595.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-25 23:43 EST-0500)

Base Total: $612.82
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $7.56
Total: $595.38

4gigs of ram for now, a quadcore processor+7700. good case+ps.

ur all set for gaming  

a decently old dell inspiron 350 desktop. and it is the loudest computer i've ever heard, it freezes a lot and it's just not a fun time  

well droidj the question is u want 4processors or 2 ok processors in ur pc?

i can build u an intel as well. but think amd is a better deal.

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

CPU: Intel Pentium G870 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-P31 (G3) Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($49.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Samsung S19B150N 60Hz 18.5" Monitor ($88.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $587.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-25 23:54 EST-0500)

Base Total: $599.83
Promo Discounts: -$7.99
Mail-in Rebates: -$15.00
Shipping: $10.98
Total: $587.82

but i find the amd build for 12$ more is worth it.

the intel gets better benchmark than the amd

If it is loud, you probably have a bad/dirty fan. Might just need some canned air. (do you mean Inspiron 530? not sure there was a 350)

Anyway, does that have a decent sized SATA hard drive and CD/DVD drive? If so, you just saved yourself about $75 in your build, which could pay for another tier up in graphics and processor.

yeah it's a 530, sorry for the confusion. i'll open it up tomorrow and see what all is in there, and be back tomorrow with results

not in multitasking thats for shur, if u want gaming and multitasking go with amd, if u want purely gaming get the intel build.

will the amd handle the games i play well? i have no problem with tuning the settings on the games, but it's always nice to have the best settings on

yes, it will, 4cores for overall stability and multitasking purposes is always nice. + it overclocks good and games well.

If it's 530, then I already know. I had one! run some diagnostic on the hard drive (seatools) and if it checks out OK, then you can reuse it. They used pretty nice HD501LJ hard drives in those that were rated very well and extremely reliable. I still use one of mine. The CD/DVD is definitely reusable, so just plan on that. RAM is going to be DDR2, unfortunately, so not usable and the case is too small to be any fun.



Should make the budget a little easier to hit.

Reusing your drives, we can do this:

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

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI 880GMS-E41 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master GX 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Zalman MZ215ED 21.5" Monitor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $590.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 00:16 EST-0500)

not bad

You know, here I am suggesting reusing a 4 year old hard drive to save $50. I wouldn't run my whole computer on a 4 year old drive. I think this is one of those cases where sticking to the budget perfectly does you a disservice. We can squeeze something together by cutting a bunch of corners, but if you are shopping for a $600 computer you can't be dirt poor. Just add a little more money into the pot and do it right the first time.

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

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.67 @ Amazon)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Zalman MZ215ED 21.5" Monitor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $808.57
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 00:40 EST-0500)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zDd0
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zDd0/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zDd0/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 880GMS-E41 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $562.82
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 00:44 EST-0500)

Base Total: $610.63
Promo Discounts: -$7.99
Mail-in Rebates: -$45.00
Shipping: $8.98
Total: $566.62

i can re use the cd/dvd and i'll run a test on the hard drive, i'm not really a huge fan of reusing parts from that computer (it used to make me so mad) hahaha. i'm assuming an AMD 6 core is the best i can get for my money?

yes, thats right, 6core is the best u can get for ur budget  

so for the price i wrote u get new pc and new everything   amd is good, there getting back in the game.

dont beleive what intel fanboys tell u there just bias.

thanks for the help everyone!!

here with monitor i came up with this quadcore machina  


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

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 880GMS-E41 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 6770 1GB Video Card ($86.97 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: LG E1942S-BN 18.5" Monitor ($86.98 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $588.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 10:53 EST-0500)

Base Total: $610.82
Promo Discounts: -$7.99
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $10.97
Total: $588.80

i just clicked on the motherboard link and the review said that the processor isn't compatible

its compatible beleive me.

64bit AMD® FX, Phenom II X6/X4/X3/X2, Athlon II X4/X3/X2 and Sempron CPU.

thats a phenom 2 processor x4  

i'm thinking about going with the amd 6 core

the one i made u?

possibly lol

sounds like a plan  

i also offer free tech support whenever u need me and im online.

hehe

thanks a lot!!

shur anytime bro, pm me and ill give u my info if u need help  

For your budget i would keep an eye on newegg's daily shell shockers. Head over to techbargains.com, that site keeps track of online deals and if you watch it enough you will get a good idea of what is a hot vs warm vs cold deal.

I wouldn't buy any video card less than a 7770 which can be had on deal for $90 i see 22" 1080p monitors for around $100 all the time, win7 64 goes for about $80 now, plus an optical drive for $15-20. Honestly i would really consider upping you budget a little because gaming performance will see a considerable boost, especially if you can find a way to get a 7870($180 on a hot deal) which will max out all current games at 1080p, also a 120gb SSD will boost performance considerably as well and can be had for about $80. Those 2 parts are by far the most important basics for a fast capable system. 8gb of ram is kinda a rule of thumb too which can be had for $30, dont splurg on super fast ram, almost all ram will do 1600 even if it is rated 1333. If your old dell has sata connections for the hard drive and optical drive then you can reuse them no problem.

amd 7870 = $180
120gb SSD = $80
1080p monitor = $100
8gb Ram = $30
Any Case = $40
optical drive = $20
Power supply = $30 (i see a 500w corsair builder series on newegg for $30 right now and thats hot)
$480 total so far
os = $80 or ? (am i allowed to say windows loader 2.12, honestly i dont know anybody who doesnt use it)
mobo = ? (i saw an msi am3+ mobo & amd phenom II x6 1045t 6core processor for $100 the other day)
cpu = ? (get a quad core, if its overclockable, add $20 for a hyper 212 cooler)
That would total $680 if you include everything i said with the cooler and os and it would be very capable.

heres the deals that i saw, although their not active, they will come back on again:

cpu, mobo, case, ram, power supply = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/332148
$180

video card = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/332339
$195

hard drive = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/333554 (scroll down a little)
$80

os = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/332437
$80

monitor = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/332405
$100

optical drive = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/331791 (scroll down a little)
$48

Thats $683 total including barebones, 7870, 1080p monitor, bluray writer, ssd and os
could skimp to a $18 dvd burner bring it to $653, skimp to a 7850 for $139 and bring it to $597

dvd burner = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/333408
7850 = http://www.techbargains.com/news_displayItem.cfm/332691

looks good except that cpu is outdated bro.

yeah i know, at least its am3+ socket. hes kinda strapped for cash. adding $80 to the cpu and taking $80 away from the video card isn't going to help him much in the gaming department. the ssd is a must to saturate cpu as saving $30 for a traditional hard is just going to slow down an fx based cpu even more. only savings i see for him is going with a 7850, the dvd burner, and adding $50 back to the cpu to maybe get him an fx4100, which is an option but brings him to roughly $650

the system i made runs quite nicely actually.

Dell can put whatever they want in their Inspirons, they're OEM so if they wanted they could put a Caviar Black, the Samsung you mentioned(also SeaTools don't work on Samsungs, yes they're made by Seagate but they won't work), or a crappy Hitachi. Just because you got a good drive, doesn't mean he got the same thing.

Besides I wouldn't reccomend using such an old drive, it will bite you later once you lose all your data and have to buy a new one.

The six core is not the best you can get for your money, for gaming, a Phenom 965 x4 will serve a lot better, and is cheaper too.

yes and yes.

the 7850 is near twice the power of a 6770, and yes, if he can find a 955 or 965 combo for the same price them by all means do it.

i agree but dont think it fits in his budget, id recommand a black edition over some crappy 6core anyday.

i agree clock for clock the 4 core are much better than the 6 core and their overclockable, but he wants to game and its hard not to recommend a quad is he can afford it but the video card is where hes gonna get his power from.

here is toms own guide for $500, g850 are you kidding me lol, but, on the same note, a 2500k @4.5 with a 6770 WILL NOT be better at gaming than this system
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-gaming-do-it...

i agree, but 500$ wont get u much tho.

can i get a system with amd black with everything (monitor, keyboard, mouse, os, etc.) for around $675-$700 total?

yes,

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

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 880GMS-E41 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 6770 1GB Video Card ($86.97 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($32.00 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: LG E1942S-BN 18.5" Monitor ($86.98 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Gigabyte Force K3 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($27.99 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Cooler Master SGM-2000-MLON1 Wired Optical Mouse ($32.54 @ NCIX US)
Total: $649.33
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 15:03 EST-0500)

Base Total: $671.35
Promo Discounts: -$7.99
Mail-in Rebates: -$25.00
Shipping: $10.97
Total: $649.33

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($98.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($49.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($36.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($30.95 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Zalman MZ230ED 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($16.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $691.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Base Total: $711.52

If you need cheaper get a 650 ti : http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n650ti1gd5o...

Best answer selected by DroidJ.

thanks droij anytime u need help u can pm me  

You've wasted too much money on keyboard and mouse in that build and you don't need an upgraded cooler unless you are overclocking. I'd also strongly question the value of a 6850 at that pricepoint. 650 Ti is considerably better and available cheaper.


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

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI 880GMS-E41 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.44 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 620W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Zalman MZ215ED 21.5" Monitor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.16 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($16.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $690.41
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 16:14 EST-0500)


650 Ti vs 6850: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/539?vs=680
You can get the fx-6300 for $125 at newegg with a promo code listed on product page.

Source 210 case looks like it would have limited airflow due to the solid front, but reviews are good. Either that or this HAF 912 I mentioned should be good for the money.

nope, that build is quite nice,

and ive seen reviews for the 210 there quite alright mate.

he wanted gamign keyboard and mouse. so he got it