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1st Time Builder, Need Advice and Suggestions

Which build is the best?


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Infinite1212

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Hi. This is my first time in techpowerup forums and building my own pc. I want to build a pc for gaming. My budget is around $400-$500. I want a compact computer, not one of those bug and bulky ones. I have already tried creating 2 to 3 builds but I just don't know if I'm shooting myself in the foot or not and for the price if they are worth it. If there are better builds than the ones I have listed that cost less then please assist me. Please tell me which is the best build and recommend me to other just as good builds or better that might maybe cost less. Thanks!!
My builds are:

Build1:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/h6cG23
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/h6cG23/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB Single DDR3 ($37.99)
Mobo: Gigabyte R9 270X ($145.99)
PSUr: Sentey® Power Supply 625w Pc ($34.99)
Case: Rosewill Micro-ATX Mini Tower Computer Case with Dual USB 3.0 ($32.85)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1 TB HDD SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003 ($53.99)
Total: $505.78

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-14 17:47 EDT-0400
Note: I'm planning to replace the Ram with

Build 2:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3vsVf7
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3vsVf7/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($106.01 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($145.99)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer ($12.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $558.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-16 07:06 EDT-0400

Build 3:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qkrqNG
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qkrqNG/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($106.01 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.65 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.80 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 1TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($119.50 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $521.91
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-16 07:07 EDT-0400

Build 4:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ht9RnQ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ht9RnQ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.38 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.80 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Green 1TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CSM 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.89 @ Amazon)
Total: $582.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-16 16:53 EDT-0400


Sorry about the REALLY Long Post . Please help me to the best of your ability if possible. Please tell me if there is something or anything wrong with any of the builds. Thanks again!

Edit1: I already have the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. As for OS, I have decided to either go for Linux or use a copy of Windows currently in my possession.
 
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I would go with build1:

The combination of the AMD FX-8320 and R9 270X is the best.
 

Kursah

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Check out the Coolermaster N200 case, small footprint, great space and design, easy to work with.

I would put more $$$ into graphics than anything though. Even at the cost of the CPU for now...consider a lower-end AMD or Intel CPU. I've had AMAZING results with an Intel Pentium G3220. Though it's only a dual core. I suppose it depends on what kind of gaming you'll do but that 3220 is plenty capable with modern games. If you could get a 760 in that budget (or maybe a 280x or GTX770??) you would be set gaming-wise. Games generally need more GPU power than CPU power. Most of my games barely tax one of my cores with my 4770k. I perform many other tasks that utilize my cores more than gaming does.

A pentium G3258 can OC quite well if you ever want to venture into that...I saw one on sale new for around $60 recently. If you want a good mainboard, the Biostar B85S3+ is awesome and has great onboard audio. Not sure of it's OC potential though... But I use it for media, media server, gaming rigs and not one complaint or issue, that plus the G3220 + 4-8GB DDR3 1600 and you're set. Honestly I would go 8GB DDR3-1600, GTX760, G3220. I might do a build for you here soon.

As many PC's as I build, I see far too many folks spend too much $$ on processing power. I do prefer Intel overall with current generations for quite a few reasons.

Also an 80+ gold PSU is a good idea too... 450W will me MORE than enough for a budget gaming build. I would choose no less than an 80+ bronze. I would also consider a modular power supply to make cable management easier.

For storage I would choose something else. There are some huge sales on Newegg. A 2TB SSHD is $99 shipped. 1TB WD Blue for $69. Depending on the space you need, there are 250GB SSD's close to $100 (a sandisk iirc). Would be super fast. SSHD's are nice for OS drives in my experience. Depends on the space you think you'll need. But don't go with a 5400rpm drive for your main drive..too slow, not meant for that kind of use.

More to come...Welcome to TPU! :toast:

Edit: I took my last budget build for a customer and modified it to your needs...comes in around the $550 range. Would be a nice rig. Sure it's only a dual core, but honestly, you could slap in a quad core or quad core with HT later should you feel the need. You could also spend a little more on a Z97 chipset board if you feel you will need the features it provides. This Biostar B85 is a sweet board.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SJPC/saved/JYXV3C
 
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If there is a Microcenter close by, they have $40 off compatible motherboards when you purchase with a CPU. All the CPUs you picked qualifies for that discount.

Build 1 - it's only Sata 2 as opposed to Sata 3, slight speed difference not much noticeable unless benchmarking.

Replace the Sentey PSU with good brands like Antec, Corsair, CM, Seasonic, TT. May be that XFX too. EVGA has very good PSUs, can't go wrong with them.

You never mentioned about OS, u already have?
 

Infinite1212

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If there is a Microcenter close by, they have $40 off compatible motherboards when you purchase with a CPU. All the CPUs you picked qualifies for that discount.

Build 1 - it's only Sata 2 as opposed to Sata 3, slight speed difference not much noticeable unless benchmarking.

Replace the Sentey PSU with good brands like Antec, Corsair, CM, Seasonic, TT. May be that XFX too. EVGA has very good PSUs, can't go wrong with them.

You never mentioned about OS, u already have?

Sorry I forgot to mention it. I was thinking either go with Linux or use a copy of windows I already have.
 

Toothless

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Get a better quality motherboard and PSU for build one, and it should be pretty good. I'd say a UD3 from Gigabyte and as @suraswami said, a PSU from one of the listed brands.

What copy of Windows do you have?
 
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Get a better quality motherboard and PSU for build one, and it should be pretty good. I'd say a UD3 from Gigabyte and as @suraswami said, a PSU from one of the listed brands.

What copy of Windows do you have?

Nothing wrong with that board mentioned in Build 1, I have one in my server and build the newest version for my friend with 8320 and he is happy with it.
 

Infinite1212

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Check out the Coolermaster N200 case, small footprint, great space and design, easy to work with.

I would put more $$$ into graphics than anything though. Even at the cost of the CPU for now...consider a lower-end AMD or Intel CPU. I've had AMAZING results with an Intel Pentium G3220. Though it's only a dual core. I suppose it depends on what kind of gaming you'll do but that 3220 is plenty capable with modern games. If you could get a 760 in that budget (or maybe a 280x or GTX770??) you would be set gaming-wise. Games generally need more GPU power than CPU power. Most of my games barely tax one of my cores with my 4770k. I perform many other tasks that utilize my cores more than gaming does.

A pentium G3258 can OC quite well if you ever want to venture into that...I saw one on sale new for around $60 recently. If you want a good mainboard, the Biostar B85S3+ is awesome and has great onboard audio. Not sure of it's OC potential though... But I use it for media, media server, gaming rigs and not one complaint or issue, that plus the G3220 + 4-8GB DDR3 1600 and you're set. Honestly I would go 8GB DDR3-1600, GTX760, G3220. I might do a build for you here soon.

As many PC's as I build, I see far too many folks spend too much $$ on processing power. I do prefer Intel overall with current generations for quite a few reasons.

Also an 80+ gold PSU is a good idea too... 450W will me MORE than enough for a budget gaming build. I would choose no less than an 80+ bronze. I would also consider a modular power supply to make cable management easier.

For storage I would choose something else. There are some huge sales on Newegg. A 2TB SSHD is $99 shipped. 1TB WD Blue for $69. Depending on the space you need, there are 250GB SSD's close to $100 (a sandisk iirc). Would be super fast. SSHD's are nice for OS drives in my experience. Depends on the space you think you'll need. But don't go with a 5400rpm drive for your main drive..too slow, not meant for that kind of use.

More to come...Welcome to TPU! :toast:

Edit: I took my last budget build for a customer and modified it to your needs...comes in around the $550 range. Would be a nice rig. Sure it's only a dual core, but honestly, you could slap in a quad core or quad core with HT later should you feel the need. You could also spend a little more on a Z97 chipset board if you feel you will need the features it provides. This Biostar B85 is a sweet board.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/SJPC/saved/JYXV3C

You have opened my mind to new possibilities. I thought CPU's needed to be strong for a build to be a good build. But, doesn't it also depend on the CPU to be able to play the games in the 1st place?
 
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A few relatively pertinent questions come to mind, so you're going to have to help us deal with them.

1) Do you have an OS? The most expensive part of a mid to low cost build is usually a Windows OS. Assuming you can get a deal there, you're still looking at $80 for an OEM copy. That might be a deciding factor for you.
2) What is your actual budget? There are a lot of ways for us to help you here, and the easiest way is to say here's my budget, tell me what to buy. If we've got a usage scenario and a budget there are plenty of people here who can squeeze a surprising amount of performance from each dollar.
3) Do you plan to mod, and how comfortable are you with building? This might be a sin, but maybe you should start with a pre-built box. The warranty service for a couple of years will give you a piece of mind, some room for upgrades, and an OS. You'll have to deal with bloatware, but treading into building is much easier than being forced into the deep end.


All of this said, I'd go out and buy a $350 dual core Intel processor based vanilla box, that runs off of integrated graphics. Spend the $150 on that 270 card, and have something that should be warrantied, but perform well enough in light gaming. That will give you a bit of experience cleaning, some opportunity for mildly tinkering with the BIOS, and some support in the event of a failure. Once you are comfortable, you can buy a quad core processor, a more substantial GPU, and replace the PSU with something fit to run the rig long term.

If I had to choose any of your four options, I'd go with option 2. Decent CPU, a higher end GPU, and a decent PSU. Your upgrade options with the CPU are relatively open, the PSU has enough power for a medium range GPU, and the GPU is strong enough to carry gaming. Option 4 is great, but the extra money for that quad core could be better used on a beefier GPU.


I have windows 7 64 bit.

I hate to ask, but which version?

I ask because if you're going from a manufacturer's box (Dell, HP, etc...) to another computer you're out of luck. The license is OEM, so it is tied to specific hardware. If you've got a retail copy you're golden.

Licensing on copies of Windows is complicated.
 

Kursah

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You have opened my mind to new possibilities. I thought CPU's needed to be strong for a build to be a good build. But, doesn't it also depend on the CPU to be able to play the games in the 1st place?

Quad cores and better are good, but only some games utilize them...and really unless you want BF4 maxed out all the time...well you're not doing that on your budget with new hardware anyways...

Intel dual cores like that G3220 are faster than some AMD quad cores. I've built plenty of machines with that CPU and I've been impressed with each one...bearing in mind I have an OC'd 4770k system at home, that should say something.

I would spend more on the graphics for gaming, especially if playing at 1920x1080 or higher resolutions. You will get more for your buck now...and be able to buy a second hand i5 or i7 later should you want to save some $$ and have those extra cores. Plus don't discount the Pentium G32xx series...they are very strong performers. The G3258 OC'd keeps up with the i5 4670k in many games in comparisons. A more powerful GPU will be much more noticable at this level than a CPU in all honesty.

I'd push for you to spend the extra $$$ and have a 760, the 750 ti is good, the 270 is good...the 760 is a beast for it's price-range imho. I've seen some OC and end up as-fast-as my 770. That's impressive and where your money should go IMHO.

Spend some time researching what is suggested here and what you find out in Google land. I would consider dual booting Linux and Windows 7. That's always fun and GRUB is solid for boot management.

:toast:

+1 to suggesstions above too... buying a cheap warrantied system and slapping a cheap card in it might be a good way to go...I'd slap a 750ti, much more power efficient than the AMD competition this generation. Less PSU strain for a few less FPS.

I prefer to build, and spent the time building piece-by-piece years and years and years ago now...it's been worth it every step of the way, even with frustrations. Get on youtube, watch videos, read guides, be open to suggestions. You'll do fine! :D
 

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The 270X builds are where its at
 
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Quad cores and better are good, but only some games utilize them...and really unless you want BF4 maxed out all the time...well you're not doing that on your budget with new hardware anyways...

Intel dual cores like that G3220 are faster than some AMD quad cores. I've built plenty of machines with that CPU and I've been impressed with each one...bearing in mind I have an OC'd 4770k system at home, that should say something.

I would spend more on the graphics for gaming, especially if playing at 1920x1080 or higher resolutions. You will get more for your buck now...and be able to buy a second hand i5 or i7 later should you want to save some $$ and have those extra cores. Plus don't discount the Pentium G32xx series...they are very strong performers. The G3258 OC'd keeps up with the i5 4670k in many games in comparisons. A more powerful GPU will be much more noticable at this level than a CPU in all honesty.

I'd push for you to spend the extra $$$ and have a 760, the 750 ti is good, the 270 is good...the 760 is a beast for it's price-range imho. I've seen some OC and end up as-fast-as my 770. That's impressive and where your money should go IMHO.

Spend some time researching what is suggested here and what you find out in Google land. I would consider dual booting Linux and Windows 7. That's always fun and GRUB is solid for boot management.

:toast:

+1 to suggesstions above too... buying a cheap warrantied system and slapping a cheap card in it might be a good way to go...I'd slap a 750ti, much more power efficient than the AMD competition this generation. Less PSU strain for a few less FPS.

I prefer to build, and spent the time building piece-by-piece years and years and years ago now...it's been worth it every step of the way, even with frustrations. Get on youtube, watch videos, read guides, be open to suggestions. You'll do fine! :D

Question - when playing saying BF4 multiplayer online, say with a quad core, does the CPU still play a major role or GPU takes more hit? Single player its always a different story.
 

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Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
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Question - when playing saying BF4 multiplayer online, say with a quad core, does the CPU still play a major role or GPU takes more hit? Single player its always a different story.

I never played enough while monitoring my cores to find out honestly, I never really got into BF4...wasted my $$$. I know a few folks that run dual cores, even from previous generations, and play BF4 online and have no complaints beyond hackers.
 

Infinite1212

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Quad cores and better are good, but only some games utilize them...and really unless you want BF4 maxed out all the time...well you're not doing that on your budget with new hardware anyways...

Intel dual cores like that G3220 are faster than some AMD quad cores. I've built plenty of machines with that CPU and I've been impressed with each one...bearing in mind I have an OC'd 4770k system at home, that should say something.

I would spend more on the graphics for gaming, especially if playing at 1920x1080 or higher resolutions. You will get more for your buck now...and be able to buy a second hand i5 or i7 later should you want to save some $$ and have those extra cores. Plus don't discount the Pentium G32xx series...they are very strong performers. The G3258 OC'd keeps up with the i5 4670k in many games in comparisons. A more powerful GPU will be much more noticable at this level than a CPU in all honesty.

I'd push for you to spend the extra $$$ and have a 760, the 750 ti is good, the 270 is good...the 760 is a beast for it's price-range imho. I've seen some OC and end up as-fast-as my 770. That's impressive and where your money should go IMHO.

Spend some time researching what is suggested here and what you find out in Google land. I would consider dual booting Linux and Windows 7. That's always fun and GRUB is solid for boot management.

:toast:

+1 to suggesstions above too... buying a cheap warrantied system and slapping a cheap card in it might be a good way to go...I'd slap a 750ti, much more power efficient than the AMD competition this generation. Less PSU strain for a few less FPS.

I prefer to build, and spent the time building piece-by-piece years and years and years ago now...it's been worth it every step of the way, even with frustrations. Get on youtube, watch videos, read guides, be open to suggestions. You'll do fine! :D

I saw the same recommendation of the Gtx 760 with the Pentium G3258 on some other sites. Though, if I were to overclock it, would it be worth the cost to overclock it?
 
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Two solutions...upgrade to a quad core in the future or get a cheaper card and upgrade later too. Third solution, increase your budget. :)

Can you expect full-on $140-250 quad core experience from a $50 dual core? NO. Can you expect enough to be very usable, gameable and enjoyable? Hell yes! :D

If you want to go by max figures and best ratings, you need to double your budget. I never said the G3220 was a quad core beater, more-so that it does surprisingly good as a gaming CPU for a low budget, which you have. Building a system with a stronger GPU is never a bad thing...when that's where the most gusto needs to be for gaming. Like i stated before, if you get into overclocking, a G3258 (can be found close to $60 on sale at times), can OC to 4.0Ghz+ and has been compared to a 4670k in some games where multithreading and cores beyond 2 were not necessary and there was no discernible difference in gaming performance.

I can only speak from my experience as a system builder, tester, gamer, etc. I've done this for a long time, but like any system builder, my solution might not be right for you...it has been for a lot of my customers from SoHo to gaming. I find a combination that works for a budget, and find parts the blend well together, build, sell, enjoy happy customers that return for more business or referrals.

I haven't researched the 760 getting bottlenecked, but you can't expect a $50 CPU to perform with that card like a $200-300+ CPU does....that's just not realistic. Hope that helps clarify where I am with my budget-oriented recommendations versus what sounds like a performance-oriented comparison you were reading. Keep in mind a performance-oriented budget generally starts closer to $1000 and the sky is the limit. For a mid-range performance build, $800 is do-able w/o OS, but even then, something will be bottlenecked, held back, running too warm, not running at full bore, not doing it's absolute best.

I will say I've built systems like the one I showed you, and again...owning the systems I do (see my system specs to the left under my avatar)...I come away impressed what can be done for under $600 with the right parts. I have gone the i5 and cheaper GPU route, and wasn't all that impressed and nothing seemed any better or faster...that is my experienced opinion. I will say, if you need CPU power get CPU power...if you need GPU power (gaming), get GPU power. A budget CPU will do surprisingly well...and modern, efficient, and affordable CPU's both AMD and Intel will fit the bill. I prefer Intel haswell-based because of lower power consumption, low heat on cheaper CPU's and better per-clock-cycle performance.

When on a budget, you need to place the biggest investment in the most noticable performance area for the goal of that PC...since you're not doing encoding, heavy multitasking, or anything that requires a quad-core+ machine, a fast, efficient, Haswell-based dual core that runs super cool on stock cooling (saves more $$$...I always upsell at least a 212EVO with higher-end i5's and i7's..they run too hot on that puny cooler), the PC can be quieter, more efficient, and have plenty of gusto for most games out there.

It all depends on your needs, and also, on your budget. You can go with an i5, but compare a 750ti or 270 to a 760...not OC'd. And an Oc'd 760 can keep up with a 770...for gaming, that makes great sense to me.

:toast:
 
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Infinite1212

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Two solutions...upgrade to a quad core in the future or get a cheaper card and upgrade later too. Third solution, increase your budget. :)

Can you expect full-on $140-250 quad core experience from a $50 dual core? NO. Can you expect enough to be very usable, gameable and enjoyable? Hell yes! :D

If you want to go by max figures and best ratings, you need to double your budget. I never said the G3220 was a quad core beater, more-so that it does surprisingly good as a gaming CPU for a low budget, which you have. Building a system with a stronger GPU is never a bad thing...when that's where the most gusto needs to be for gaming. Like i stated before, if you get into overclocking, a G3258 (can be found close to $60 on sale at times), can OC to 4.0Ghz+ and has been compared to a 4670k in some games where multithreading and cores beyond 2 were not necessary and there was no discernible difference in gaming performance.

I can only speak from my experience as a system builder, tester, gamer, etc. I've done this for a long time, but like any system builder, my solution might not be right for you...it has been for a lot of my customers from SoHo to gaming. I find a combination that works for a budget, and find parts the blend well together, build, sell, enjoy happy customers that return for more business or referrals.

I haven't researched the 760 getting bottlenecked, but you can't expect a $50 CPU to perform with that card like a $200-300+ CPU does....that's just not realistic. Hope that helps clarify where I am with my budget-oriented recommendations versus what sounds like a performance-oriented comparison you were reading. Keep in mind a performance-oriented budget generally starts closer to $1000 and the sky is the limit. For a mid-range performance build, $800 is do-able w/o OS, but even then, something will be bottlenecked, held back, running too warm, not running at full bore, not doing it's absolute best.

I will say I've built systems like the one I showed you, and again...owning the systems I do (see my system specs to the left under my avatar)...I come away impressed what can be done for under $600 with the right parts. I have gone the i5 and cheaper GPU route, and wasn't all that impressed and nothing seemed any better or faster...that is my experienced opinion. I will say, if you need CPU power get CPU power...if you need GPU power (gaming), get GPU power. A budget CPU will do surprisingly well...and modern, efficient, and affordable CPU's both AMD and Intel will fit the bill. I prefer Intel haswell-based because of lower power consumption, low heat on cheaper CPU's and better per-clock-cycle performance.

When on a budget, you need to place the biggest investment in the most noticable performance area for the goal of that PC...since you're not doing encoding, heavy multitasking, or anything that requires a quad-core+ machine, a fast, efficient, Haswell-based dual core that runs super cool on stock cooling (saves more $$$...I always upsell at least a 212EVO with higher-end i5's and i7's..they run too hot on that puny cooler), the PC can be quieter, more efficient, and have plenty of gusto for most games out there.

It all depends on your needs, and also, on your budget. You can go with an i5, but compare a 750ti or 270 to a 760...not OC'd. And an Oc'd 760 can keep up with a 770...for gaming, that makes great sense to me.

:toast:

I'm glad to have a really experienced system builder helping me out. I want to try a combination of a pentium with the gtx 760. I was thinking the GTX 760+Pentium 3258. AS long as I am able to t least play the newer games on medium to high settings then it'll be alright, ex. Tom Clancy's the Division (example of a game I want to play medium settings to high on). Thanks a lot. I still need some more help picking out the other parts, but if the pentium build parts from the other build you showed me will work on this one, then I guess I can use those. Another question if you don't mind. WIll overclocking be difficult? Thanks!! :D
 
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I'm glad to have a really experienced system builder helping me out. I want to try a combination of a pentium with the gtx 760. I was thinking the GTX 760+Pentium 3258. AS long as I am able to t least play the newer games on medium to high settings then it'll be alright, ex. Tom Clancy's the Division (example of a game I want to play medium settings to high on). Thanks a lot. I still need some more help picking out the other parts, but if the pentium build parts from the other build you showed me will work on this one, then I guess I can use those. Another question if you don't mind. WIll overclocking be difficult? Thanks!! :D

Overclocking requires a Z97 or Z87 PCH (might be listed as a chipset on the motherboard information page). The other PCHs (H81, B85, Q85, Q87, H87, and H97) aren't supposed to support overclocking.

Additionally, the G3258 is the only currently unlocked dual core processor.
 
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:clap: and i forgot od :oops:
:toast:
found today that evga psu arent what they used to be http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page2293.htm. no more seasonic, 650-750 gold range 4 rail 20A max...
have some reserves about xfx too

Yeah, I saw that also, but that PSU should not have any issues with that build. It's only a 270x paired with a locked i5. If the OP is that concerned about it, he can change out the EVGA for a Corsair CX 500M for $5 more.
 
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Yeah, I saw that also, but that PSU should not have any issues with that build. If the OP is that concerned about it, he can change out the EVGA for a Corsair CX 500M for $5 more.
sure it wont but evga psus not made by seasonic means that their quality cant be unquestionable anymore.
btw check this out ;)

also i would advise @Infinite1212 to wait 3-4 weeks with purchase (or at least with vga purchase). nvidia is coming with 980 and 970 and there will be price adjustments from both amd and nvidia
 
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sure it wont but evga psus not made by seasonic means that their quality cant be unquestionable anymore.
btw check this out ;)

Ya I had the same concerns, but have had excellent experiences with recent EVGA PSU's. With the models I have experience I have seen 0 failures out of dozens installed, and have no complaints. Pretty happy with overall quality and performance. :toast:

I'm glad to have a really experienced system builder helping me out. I want to try a combination of a pentium with the gtx 760. I was thinking the GTX 760+Pentium 3258. AS long as I am able to t least play the newer games on medium to high settings then it'll be alright, ex. Tom Clancy's the Division (example of a game I want to play medium settings to high on). Thanks a lot. I still need some more help picking out the other parts, but if the pentium build parts from the other build you showed me will work on this one, then I guess I can use those. Another question if you don't mind. WIll overclocking be difficult? Thanks!! :D

Overclocking is pretty easy. Just takes patience and testing.

Some B85 chipsets can OC the G3258...I'm not 100% sure on the Biostar...Intel got upset when non z87 boards were OC-ing chips and had vendors nix that option iirc. I do know there is an OC screen in the B85 bios. You might want to research that if you decide on a sub-z97/87 chipset board. Some Z87/97 boards need newer BIOSes to OC the G3258 iirc as well. But when you get the combo that plays nicely with it...high OC's are achievable. IF YOU PLAN TO OC, please upgrade your cooling... no less than a Cooler Master 212 EVO. Also, if they allow it, buy the Intel Performance Tuning Plan...will cover CPU failure from overclocking where the factory warranty won't...cost me $25 on my 4770k in 2013.
 
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Ya I had the same concerns, but have had excellent experiences with recent EVGA PSU's. With the models I have experience I have seen 0 failures out of dozens installed, and have no complaints. Pretty happy with overall quality and performance. :toast:
those psus were seasonic or superflower/fsp made?
superflower and fsp are both descent manufacturers but i never heard about HEC guys who make bronze series.
but most of all what turns me out is multirail design of fsp made units.
if you have powerhungry l vga or cf/sli setup you never can be sure if you are overloading some rail or not (specially units with up to 20A per rail limit).
 
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