Best Cheap Gaming Build?

[T4C Fantasy]

i would like to see what everyone can come up with for the best cheap gaming build, no budget limit, however it must be cheap for the performance that it can achieve, i would like to see what parts people recommend, including mobos, heatsinks, ram, cpu, gpu, psu, ssd or hdd, monitors and cases.

any resolution you feel is the very best for gaming

form factor you decide which is best

you can decide on peripherals if they are needed

you already have windows xp professional sp3 / windows vista sp2 ultimate / windows 7 ultimate CDs

preferred if it was capable of running skyrim on max settings, just for a standard.

I'll start

BIOSTAR TZ77B LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - $89.99
BIOSTAR TZ77B LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U...

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - $16.99
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X...

Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy bridge Bridge 3.3 GHz - $124.99
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65...

GeForce GTX 480 - $219.99
EVGA 015-P3-1480-KR GeForce GTX 480 (Fermi) 1536MB...

G.SKILL 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) - $20.49
G.SKILL Value 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC...

Titan DC-155A915Z/RPW 95mm Z-AXIS CPU Cooler - $16.99
Titan DC-155A915Z/RPW 95mm Z-AXIS CPU Cooler

Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans and 550w PSU - $99.99
Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, L...

Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III SSD - $76.99 *Optional Extra*
Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Inte...

Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM HDD - $99.99
Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB...

ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P LCD - $179.99
ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widesc...

Total: $869.40 + $76.99 for optional extra is $946.39 <-- may seem like alot but first look at what your getting, 10-15 second average boot time with all programs loaded immediately, atleast 30 FPS in all games on medium settings, 1080p, and descent cpu

i thought through my list however it will change as i look harder for better things.... u can get cheap keyboard and mouse for 20 dollars

 

[Avelict]

What resolution of gaming?

Is there a desired form factor?

Are peripherals included in the build?

 

[newtekie1]

Do you already have a copy of Windows, or will you be buying a new copy?

 

[T4C Fantasy]

What resolution of gaming?

Is there a desired form factor?

Are peripherals included in the build?

i updated thread

Do you already have a copy of Windows, or will you be buying a new copy?

yes you already have windows xp professional sp3 / windows vista sp2 ultimate / windows 7 ultimate CDs

 

[entropy13]

I wouldn't include overclocking if it's supposed to be "cheap" enough.

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Bru... - $40
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65... - $125
BIOSTAR H61MU3B LGA 1155 Intel H61 USB 3.0 Micro A... - $67
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 43... - $45
Team Xtreem Dark Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3... - $25
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM ... - $100
MSI R7770-2PMD1GD5/OC Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1... - $132

TOTAL: $534

 

[T4C Fantasy]

I wouldn't include overclocking if it's supposed to be "cheap" enough.

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Bru... - $40
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65... - $125
BIOSTAR H61MU3B LGA 1155 Intel H61 USB 3.0 Micro A... - $67
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 (CMPSU-430CXV2) 43... - $45
Team Xtreem Dark Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3... - $25
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM ... - $100
MSI R7770-2PMD1GD5/OC Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1... - $132

TOTAL: $534

oh comon 430 watt power supply when i posted a 700 watt for 5 dollars cheaper? lol best price for performance still includes psu

 

[Avelict]

Drop the HDD down to a 500GB or 750GB and we could probly get that $534 a lot closer to an even $500.

 

[Fourstaff]

oh comon 430 watt power supply when i posted a 700 watt for 5 dollars cheaper? lol best price for performance still includes psu

You call that piece of shit a power supply? Take a look at Apevia:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=92

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Apevia-Turbolink-ATX-TL450W-BK-Power-Supply-Review/1212/9

Enjoy your 700w fireworks.

 

[baggpipes]

Um spend more money on a better video card... like the 6850 is $150 and better performing... or the 7850 would be better with its video memory if ya cans affords.... games are using more and more video memory these days...

EDIT: You want to get a good power supply... that cheap one is gonna fail....

 

[phanbuey]

without a set resolution and a target detail level (or a target FPS) this thread is pointless. I can get a $250 emachine off ebay, put in a used 5770 and it will game great at 720p on low settings.

you need to set a target. without a target you have nothing - my Ti-85 plays Dope Wars great- there - $50 bucks for a gaming machine.

 

[eidairaman1]

without a set resolution and a target detail level (or a target FPS) this thread is pointless. I can get a $250 emachine off ebay, put in a used 5770 and it will game great at 720p on low settings.

you need to set a target. without a target you have nothing - my Ti-85 plays Dope Wars great- there - $50 bucks for a gaming machine.

its like having a 17" LCD monitor which Native Resolution is 1280x1024 and you run a 7970 or 680 on it

 

[T4C Fantasy]

its like having a 17" LCD monitor which Native Resolution is 1280x1024 and you run a 7970 or 680 on it

its for you to decide the best resolution, i dont need to set a limit because theres no point, theres no budget but the thing is to find a great gaming pc for cheap... maybe one that can run skyrim on max settings at 30FPS

 

[Fourstaff]

are you retarded? i read the reviews its got almost all 5 eggs you cant beat 700watts with 430watts

Enjoy your fireworks then, don't come crying when that PSU takes your entire rig down. You sound like you don't need my advice, so I shall humbly withdraw from this thread.

 

[Avelict]

Allright, so Im gonna take initiative and say I'm building a 1080p gaming rig for someone, here's what i got after scrounging teh interwebz:

$190 i5-3750k
$90 Z77 Extreme4 LGA ($90 when paired with CPU)
$280

PCPartPicker part list

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Microcenter)

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($58.88 @ Compuvest)

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.00 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Rosewill 530W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($58.98 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $653.82
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Total ~$934 after rebates.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

just built this with some help from a few of the other TPU system builder experts. $650 before shipping, everything but a OS.

 

[T4C Fantasy]

Enjoy your fireworks then, don't come crying when that PSU takes your entire rig down. You sound like you don't need my advice, so I shall humbly withdraw from this thread.

i already have a good pc,would be nice to have one for cheap that others can also rely on, from the reviews its the most reliable for its price range and a 430w at 45 dollars with roughly the same reviews isnt justified from the 700w is all im saying

 

[phanbuey]

i already have a good pc,would be nice to have one for cheap that others can also rely on, from the reviews its the most reliable for its price range and a 430w at 45 dollars with roughly the same reviews isnt justified from the 700w is all im saying

You've never had a PSU fail, I can tell... Corsair products are higher quality, so they protect your stuff more. You're buying piece of mind.

So do you want a PC that can pop at any moment under load, or do you want one that you never have to worry about?

Also the first build that you posted is imbalanced. Too much CPU power and not enough GPU power.

 

[T4C Fantasy]

You've never had a PSU fail, I can tell... Corsair products are higher quality, so they protect your stuff more. You're buying piece of mind.

So do you want a PC that can pop at any moment under load, or do you want one that you never have to worry about?

Also the first build that you posted is imbalanced. Too much CPU power and not enough GPU power.

thats not a bad thing.....

 

[DOM]

whats the point of this thread ?

start flame war on whos pus is better ? :shadedshu

 

[newtekie1]

would be nice to have one for cheap that others can also rely on

Then you definitely don't want the Aprevia.

It doesn't even have PFC... Seriously, for $40($20 AR), the corsair is such a better power supply, if you really must have more than 430w go with the CX500 V2 which is $50($40 AR), it kills the 700w Aprevia in quality.

 

[phanbuey]

thats not a bad thing.....

It is if you're building a gaming rig ($795):

Throw in the same monitor you have... and for $40 bucks more (or 4% more money) you get 50%+ more frames.

 

[T4C Fantasy]

It is if you're building a gaming rig ($795):

Throw in the same monitor you have... and for $40 bucks more (or 4% more money) you get 50%+ more frames.

http://img.techpowerup.org/120615/Untitled.jpg

mine includes a monitor..... and ssd

 

[phanbuey]

mine includes a monitor..... and ssd

What for ? its a gaming rig, and that SSD is too small to install your games on to, so it won't affect gaming at all. It will be faster on boot, which I spend about >1% of my time using the computer doing.

With the monitor that you have, my rig is 4% more expensive, but wayyyy faster in games. Also it won't explode due to that mickey mouse PSU.

 

[T4C Fantasy]

What for ? its a gaming rig, and that SSD is too small to install your games onto.

With the monitor, my rig is 4% more expensive, but wayyyy faster in games. Also it won't explode due to that mickey mouse PSU.

lol out of 34 reviews 1 confirms anything spark related, its reliable every psu has problems from some people read the reviews of bigger name brands youll find things too

combine my setup and it will be much more than a 4% differance i just did it seperately ^^ i mean placing all items together for those discounts

 

[erocker]

You call that piece of shit a power supply? Take a look at Apevia:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=92

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Apevia-Turbolink-ATX-TL450W-BK-Power-Supply-Review/1212/9

Enjoy your 700w fireworks.

lol out of 34 reviews 1 confirms anything spark related, its reliable every psu has problems from some people read the reviews of bigger name brands youll find things too

combine my setup and it will be much more than a 4% differance i just did it seperately ^^

I would never condemn my hardware or anyone else's hardware to the utter trash PSU. Regardless of the 34 reviews, it's made out of junk.