$550 gaming build for my best friend - need advice please!

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ivandurago

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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming (World of Warcraft/ Starcraft II)
2) What's your budget? $550 w/ shipping
3) Where do you live? Bandera, Texas (perhaps could go to Frys in Austin)
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, mobo, video, power, hdd, maybe a case
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? maybe a case, monitor, keyboard, mouse, maybe a HDD
6) Will you be overclocking? perhaps the cpu/ video in the future
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have? small crt atm, 22-24" in the near future
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? If a good build can be done for less than $550, then in the next week.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? nothing special
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? x64 win7 already owned

This build is for my best friend in Texas who has not built a PC in the last several years. I believe his last system was a socket478, 9700pro and 1gb of ram :D

I believe he could get a amd quad core, 4gbs of ram and a 5770/460 for around $550, hopefully. Would consider getting a case if there is a good package deal at Frys/neweeg where the case is nearly free w/ a power supply or something. Please give any advice you can, as he has not built a PC in a long time and would love some great advice.

ram - $55 (4gb DDR3)
HDD - $55 (1TB Black/ Spinpoint F3)
cpu - $100 (AMD quad)
mobo - $100 (890gx?)
video - $180 (6850 or 6870?)
power - $60 (?)
 
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I'm assuming that you need a case as well:

$170 - AMD Phenom II X4 925 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard Combo
$132 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Cooler Master M600 RS-600-AMBA-D3 600W Modular PSU
$110 - Sparkle SXS4501024D5SNM GeForce GTS 450 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$55 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
----
Total: $522 plus tax and shipping.

If you are reusing a case, please tell us what case you're reusing.
 
Thank you for the quick reply.

I think it would be worth it to cut costs somewhere and spend $28 more and get a 6850 or something similar, do you agree? Also it looks like he could a 1TB Samsung F1 for $55 as well, do you you think the speed of the F3 overrides the extra 500gb? ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433 )

Not sure about the case he has, a cheaper atx case from 7-8 years ago? He probably would like to get a new case I am sure, but I will double check when he reads this email about this thread tonight.

ram - $58 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144478)
HDD - $55 (Spinpoint F1 1TB)
cpu/mobo - $170
video - $185 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348)
power - $78 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139019)
case - $18 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147090)
~$564

So maybe we can cut off a few bucks here and there & maybe get a better case somehow?
Appreciate the help, and I would appreciate any and all opinions:
Basically want a cheap quad core/mobo , cheap 4gbs DDR3, fastest possible video card for the budget.
So I guess cut all costs on case, cpu, mobo, hdd, ram and get the best psu and video card for the price range (unless you think this is a bad idea.)
 
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ivandurago said:
Thank you for the quick reply.

I think it would be worth it to cut costs somewhere and spend $28 more and get a 6850 or something similar, do you agree? Also it looks like he could a 1TB Samsung F1 for $55 as well, do you you think the speed of the F3 overrides the extra 500gb? ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433 )

Not sure about the case he has, a cheaper atx case from 7-8 years ago? He probably would like to get a new case I am sure, but I will double check when he reads this email about this thread tonight.

Appreciate the help, and I would appreciate any and all opinions:
Basically want a cheap quad core/mobo , cheap 4gbs DDR3, fastest possible video card for the budget.
So I guess cut all costs on case, cpu, mobo, hdd, ram and get the best psu and video card for the price range (unless you think this is a bad idea.)
Click to expand...

The problem is that there is nowhere else to cut costs besides the CPU. The RAM, PSU, case, and hard drive that I selected are already the lowest priced cost-effective parts available. Any lower and you're gonna get shittier parts. The only way to fit in the HD 6850 is by dropping the CPU down to this:
$124 - AMD Athlon II X3 445 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard Combo

Figure out for yourself if the loss in CPU is worth the increase in GPU.

HDD wise, I say the performance is worth it over the Seagate 1TB. But if storage is a priority, go for the Seagate.

If the case is that old, it's not gonna be suitable for a modern system.
 
$170 - AMD Phenom II X4 925 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard Combo
$132 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Cooler Master M600
$185 - HIS H685F1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$18 - Rosewill FB-01 Black ATX

~$570 - I think I will recommend him something like this, for the length of time he keeps his systems I think it is worth it for him to get a better video card & maybe he will want to spend a bit more and get a bit better case and still sit under $600.

Do you think it is worth it to get the ram/psu i listed or do you think the psu you listed is better than corsair? Corsair is the only brand I am kind of a fanboy for, as stupid as it is to be one.
 
That's a bad build mainly due to the case: That case's single 80mm fan is not gonna be enough to cool such a system. You're gonna screw over that system in the long-run. I wasn't kidding/lying/messing around when I said that the Coolermaster case is the cheapest case that you should go with for a modern ATX system.

The PSU I listed is better than the Corsair and is $20 cheaper. That Corsair 550VX is way too overpriced. I could think of half a dozen PSUs off the top of my head that would be better buys than that Corsair.
 
ivandurango,

Unfortunately, that Rosewill case is equally as ill-suited to a modern system as your friend's old case: As stock, it comes with only one 80mm fan, which is woefully inadequate for today's very-hot-running components. What's worse, it can only accommodate three 80mm fans at most without major modifications and metal-cutting. Three 80mm fans combined barely outperforms one single 120mm fan (and even the single 120mm fan is inadequate for a modern system).
 
$170 - AMD Phenom II X4 925 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard Combo
$132 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Cooler Master M600
$185 - HIS H685F1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$50 - RAIDMAX ICEBERG ATX-012WS Silver 3mm
~$590

This is the build I will offer him as a suggestion unless anyone has any further suggestions. Appreciate all the feedback!
 
Sorry for the TLDR to follow, but it is it the conversation I had with Tim and thought this the best way to convey his wishes:

Tell me what you think. I went down on the video as I dont need the newest imo. I feel you will disagree but i could get a second at some point for crossfire, yes??? are there issues then with them not making this card in the future? what if i get the 2nd reasonably soon? and what if i just went with one of them? also there is a deal on the CPU and Mobo here. in my cart total for all this comes to $603

Video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102859

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103656

MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402

HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

Power
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

My relpy:

Single video cards are always the best unless you have a 30"+ monitor (iirc.) As such, at least in my opinion, when building a budget gaming pc your most expensive single purchase should be your video card (and monitor.) Especially since you can get a good quad core and 4gbs of ram for so cheap, and you can always OC your proc to 3.6 ghz very easily with one or two simple bios adjustements.

That case is overpriced atm, usually sells for ~$50, you might be able to find it for that on tiger direct or another retailer for around that price. Perhaps look at neweggs free shipping cases under $50 and see if there another one you like, perhaps the harforum will have another suggestion for you.

That ram/ psu is a good combo, the hardforum is pretty anal about PSU's, so I am not sure if your suggestion will meet their standards, but they definitely know what is up.

Also why change the mobo/cpu combo? Do you think the extra money is worth it?

dvd - $17 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175
mobo/cpu - $170 - AMD Phenom II X4 925 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD
$132 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Cooler Master M600
$185 - HIS H685F1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
~$50 case
= 609 still in your price range and video that will last you a while, $185 is pretty damn cheap imo for video, i paid $225 i think for my 4870 1gb in dec 08 & still think it was a good investment

just my opinion though


He is also reading this thread for this record, so you can sorta communicate with him :p
 
ivandurago said:
Sorry for the TLDR to follow, but it is it the conversation I had with Tim and thought this the best way to convey his wishes:

Tell me what you think. I went down on the video as I dont need the newest imo. I feel you will disagree but i could get a second at some point for crossfire, yes??? are there issues then with them not making this card in the future? what if i get the 2nd reasonably soon? and what if i just went with one of them? also there is a deal on the CPU and Mobo here. in my cart total for all this comes to $603

Video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102859

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103656

MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402

HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066

Power
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

My relpy:

Single video cards are always the best unless you have a 30"+ monitor (iirc.) As such, at least in my opinion, when building a budget gaming pc your most expensive single purchase should be your video card (and monitor.) Especially since you can get a good quad core and 4gbs of ram for so cheap, and you can always OC your proc to 3.6 ghz very easily with one or two simple bios adjustements.

That case is overpriced atm, usually sells for ~$50, you might be able to find it for that on tiger direct or another retailer for around that price. Perhaps look at neweggs free shipping cases under $50 and see if there another one you like, perhaps the harforum will have another suggestion for you.

That ram/ psu is a good combo, the hardforum is pretty anal about PSU's, so I am not sure if your suggestion will meet their standards, but they definitely know what is up.

Also why change the mobo/cpu combo? Do you think the extra money is worth it?

dvd - $17 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175
mobo/cpu - $170 - AMD Phenom II X4 925 CPU + MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD
$132 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM + Cooler Master M600
$185 - HIS H685F1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
$55 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
~$50 case
= 609 still in your price range and video that will last you a while, $185 is pretty damn cheap imo for video, i paid $225 i think for my 4870 1gb in dec 08 & still think it was a good investment

just my opinion though


He is also reading this thread for this record, so you can sorta communicate with him :p
Click to expand...

Actually, you chose the wrong optical drive. The one that you chose is an IDE/PATA optical drive, and some newer motherboards have no IDE ports at all. And some of the JMicron IDE controllers do not play nice with optical drives.
 
I would not go HD 5750 Crossfire for a few reasons:
- The HD 5750 card by itself is already overpriced. The highest you ahould pay for a single HD 5750 is $115 to $120 shipped. The one you chose is $137 shipped. Stupidly overpriced at that point.
- SC2 does not scale well at all with Crossfire. WOW's Crossfire scaling is OK but still not that great. As such, for those two games, stick to the single fastest GPU possible

Get that Asus mobo + AMD CPU from this combo link to shave off $40:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.548312

With the above combo deal, that setup would only be $19 more than the setup you and I recommended. The higher quality is well worth the extra $19 IMO.

PSU, that Earthwatts PSU is a good PSU. However it is $13 more than the Coolermaster PSU once you factor in the PSU + RAM combo deal link. IMO, $13 more is not worth for 5A on the +12V rail and the loss of modular cables.

At $70, that Antec Illusion 300 case is not worth it. There are better cases for the money out there:
$75 - Cooler Master CM690 II Basic ATX Case
 
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if he needs to shave off some more cost, he could get the CM Elite 310 from Amazon, typically $40 shipped. he'll want to pickup an extra 120mm fan if he goes with this case.

check the fry's ad later this morning for any combos; though, i haven't seen any good combos in a while.
 
Danny Bui said:
At $70, that Antec Illusion 300 case is not worth it. There are better cases for the money out there:
$75 - Cooler Master CM690 II Basic ATX Case
Click to expand...

I agree with this. The Antec 300 Illusion is equally as cramped on the inside (from front to rear) as its big brothers 900 and 902. In fact, the 300 Illusion is just a plain 300 (which by itself is already overpriced at $60) with two extra fans included and blue LEDs on all of its fans. (The Cooler Master CM690-II Basic already comes with blue LEDs around its front fan - and the LEDs in front of the Cooler Master's fan can be turned off without shutting down the entire system unlike the LED in Antec's fans which are always on unless the system is powered off.)
 
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I think he is goign to order later today, could you guys give this one look through for me please:

Newegg is having insane black friday deals right now, http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/nov-0-2010/24hoursalen26/index-landing.html#IT

monitor for $99 (promo code: EMCZZNT25)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...EMC-112610-Index-_-LCDMonitors-_-24009275-L0H

really nice lian case for $69 (promo code: EMCZZNT46) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...112610-Index-_-ComputerCases-_-11112239-L014D

mobo $69 ($59 after rebate) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...2610-Index-_-AMDMotherboards-_-13128431-L016A

power $69 ($39 after rebate) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...112610-Index-_-PowerSupplies-_-17371015-L013A

dvd drive $17 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...MC-112610-Index-_-CDDVDBurners-_-27135204-L0G

cpu for $69 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0-Index-_-ProcessorsDesktops-_-19103679-L017B

video $189 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161348

ram $49 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

HDD $55 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Total = ~~$600 shipped before rebates, ~$550 after rebates and ~$650 after rebates and with the monitor
 
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