Help me build a 450$-700$ Gaming PC

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

Hey guys,

I already have a beast computer for myself, but I'm going to help a friend build his own PC... He doesn't have the same type of budget I had for my PC lol....

we're talkin between 450-700$. He plans on using it for:

- Web surfing
- Editing Documents
- Gaming

Here are the parts I need your help with:

- CPU
- GPU
- HDD
- RAM
- MOBO
- PSU

All the other parts we don't need... Speakers, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other acessories... we got those...

I know where to look for almost everything except for the CPU... I'm used to intel, I don't know much about AMD... Since AMD is cheaper, we should go that way...

Let's say this: Let's say we want to be able to play any recent game title @ 40-50FPS @ at least High settings (maybe not Ultra settings...)

What type of AMD CPU and GPU combination are we looking @ ?
What type of power draw and therefore, what type of PSU?
What type of MOBO will be compatible with that AMD CPU and GPU combo?
What RAM will work with that combo?
What's the cheapest 500gb-1tb HDD we can find?

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

FX4100/i3 2100 (I personally prefer 2100 since its a tad faster in non-gaming situations. About the same in gaming: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-4100-core-i3-2100-gaming-benchmark,3136.html)
Cheapest Mobo which is not gimped (Whatever you can find for AMD, H61 is fine for Intel)
Cheapest HDD (they are still expensive :mad:

)
2x2Gb, but try to make it 2x4GB, whatever timing you can get
Quality 400w Corsair, Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake all good brands
GTX560 (Ti) or 6870, if budget still fits

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

isn't 400w a bit low for the 6870 and fx4100 power draw?

MxPhenom 216 · May 5, 2012

CPU: i5 2500k
Memory: G. SKill sniper 2133mhz 8GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock Extreme4 Z77
GPU: MSI HD6870
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2
HDD: Its hard to find a HDD right now because of the price hikes.

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

jonathan1107 said:
isn't 400w a bit low for the 6870 and fx4100 power draw?

6870 maxes out at 180w, and that is when you punish it. Will not see much higher than 130w in regular gaming, so that leaves plenty of power for the FX4100 (which maxes out at about 140w), you can even overclock both a bit and still be safe (not that I would).

techguy31 · May 5, 2012

CPU: i3-2120
GPU: 77xx series or 78xx
SSD: 120GB SSD (< $120)
PSU: Corsair HX650W
MOBO: H61 (No Overclocking Though)
Memory: Corsair or Kinston 8GB Ram

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

Nvidia, can u link the items u listed? Especially the Mobo, can't find it... I find 3 diff models with same name... phase 2 phase 4... have no clue what the difference is

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

jonathan1107 said:
Nvidia, can u link the items u listed? Especially the Mobo, can't find it... I find 3 diff models with same name... phase 2 phase 4... have no clue what the difference is

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6...
I think its this one he is referring to

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

and why are the HDDs more expansive of late ???

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

jonathan1107 said:
and why are the HDDs more expansive of late ???

No, HDDs are expensive since last year due to floods in Thailand and the manufacturers are still very keen on maximising their profits
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165350

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

how were the prices be4 ? for instance, the 500gb 7200rpm HDD I'm looking @ are around 55 to 70$...

I think I got my 2x 500gb western digital drives for 100$ (which puts em @ 50$ each if I'm right...)

Also, IS THE SSD worth it ??

The build I like the most up to now, is Nvidiaintelftw's....
For that particular build, would an SSD help all that much... I know it speeds up the booting process but aside from that...?

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

Loading times for games will also improve drastically. If your friend can live with 120GB for now (and possible HDD upgrade in the future) go for it, the difference is pretty major.

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

btw THX for all your help and advice, I already know a lot about computers, and I built mine... but I'm not just familiar enough with all the AMD CPU market...

Also is there a clear advantage into combining an AMD cpu with an AMD GPU... or does it not?
As of right now MY pc has a combo of i7 CPU with 2x AMD GPUs... was that a mistake? or it doesn't matter...?

I know usually, nvidia goes well with intel, but do Nvidia GPUs fit in AMD mobos and match AMD cpus?

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

Can someone link me the cheapest 64 and 120 gb SSDs ?

ShiBDiB · May 5, 2012

Ur shorting urself by sticking to amd.. intel holds the crown right now and for the forseeable future.

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

Yes I understand intel CPUs are better... but what about the GPUs?

Is it terrible to combine a Intel CPU with an AMD GPU? (for instance, i5 2500k and AMD radeon 6870) ? or should the i5 be combined with an NVIDIA card ???

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

jonathan1107 said:
btw THX for all your help and advice, I already know a lot about computers, and I built mine... but I'm not just familiar enough with all the AMD CPU market...

Also is there a clear advantage into combining an AMD cpu with an AMD GPU... or does it not?
As of right now MY pc has a combo of i7 CPU with 2x AMD GPUs... was that a mistake? or it doesn't matter...?

I know usually, nvidia goes well with intel, but do Nvidia GPUs fit in AMD mobos and match AMD cpus?

No, there is no clear advantage to go AMD-AMD, or at least not that I know of. Same with all other Nvidia-Intel-AMD combinations. If there is, its probably quite small. What matters more is that Intel's CPU is slightly more consistent than AMD's, and Nvidia posts better min framerates than AMD in general, for the same price bracket.

jonathan1107 said:
Can someone link me the cheapest 64 and 120 gb SSDs ?

You can take a look at this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-storage-value,3184.html

SSDs are a pain to recommend, every few dollars difference will make one option slightly better than the other, especially the low end stuff. Crucial M4, OCZ Agility 3 and Intel 330 are my go-to recommendations right now.

jonathan1107 · May 5, 2012

OK 1 Last important question:

NVIDIAintelFtw's BUILD is my favorite right now, I like it a lot... And I believe my friend will go for it... BUT ----- > the bill goes up to 788$ + taxes and shipping... that's tad bit high...

Here is the build he recommended:

CPU: i5 2500k
Memory: G. SKill sniper 2133mhz 8GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock Extreme4 Z77
GPU: MSI HD6870
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2

Is there a way to reduce the cost?
Are there CHEAPER options for the 3 following elements:

Memory: G. SKill sniper 2133mhz 8GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock Extreme4 Z77
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2

Fourstaff · May 5, 2012

550w is enough

Memory can drop down to 1600Mhz, SB doesn't post significant gains after 1600Mhz (at whatever timings)

You don't really want to cut the motherboard if you are planning to overclock in say 2 years time to squeeze some more usage. Alternatively, if overclock is not really considered ( I would sacrifice this for a slightly better GPU), you can get a H61 board and i5 2400.

baggpipes · May 5, 2012

<<< look at my rig.... its right on with your budget...

ShiBDiB · May 5, 2012

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR...

^^ RAM

Open Box: MSI P67A-G45 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SAT...

^^MOBO (Yes its open box, and yes it works fine.)

baggpipes · May 5, 2012

and agreed that i5 cant use more than 1600mHz... if you go FX build go with 1866 mHz RAM...

Crap Daddy · May 5, 2012

I'd say

i3-2120
H61 mobo
HD 7850
Cheap 2x4GB RAM
400W PSU
500GB HDD

Forget the 6870, if it's gaming we're talking about then get the 7850

1nf3rn0x · May 6, 2012

What resolution of his monitor?..

Darkleoco · May 6, 2012

jonathan1107 said:
OK 1 Last important question:

NVIDIAintelFtw's BUILD is my favorite right now, I like it a lot... And I believe my friend will go for it... BUT ----- > the bill goes up to 788$ + taxes and shipping... that's tad bit high...

Here is the build he recommended:

CPU: i5 2500k
Memory: G. SKill sniper 2133mhz 8GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock Extreme4 Z77
GPU: MSI HD6870
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2

Is there a way to reduce the cost?
Are there CHEAPER options for the 3 following elements:

Memory: G. SKill sniper 2133mhz 8GB DDR3
Motherboard: Asrock Extreme4 Z77
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2

Definitely drop the ram down to 1600 mhz and you don't have to grab an ivy bridge compatible board if he intends to stick with this setup for awhile.

System Name	Brutus
Processor	i5 4690k @4.7Ghz (Watercooled)
Motherboard	z97 MSI Gaming 5
Cooling	NZXT Kraken x61 AIO watercooler
Memory	Gskill Ripjaws 8gb (2x4gb) 1600mhz 7-8-7-24
Video Card(s)	MSI Gaming GTX 980ti x2 (sli)
Storage	1 SSD 64GB (OS) + 2x500GB WesternDigital RAID 0
Display(s)	YAMAKASI Catleap q270 SE 27inch Glossy 2560x1440
Case	NZXT Phantom
Audio Device(s)	ASUS Xonar DX
Power Supply	Antec TPQ 1200w
Software	Windows 7 (64 bit)

System Name	Orange! // ItchyHands
Processor	3570K // 10400F
Motherboard	ASRock z77 Extreme4 // TUF Gaming B460M-Plus
Cooling	Stock // Stock
Memory	2x4Gb 1600Mhz CL9 Corsair XMS3 // 2x8Gb 3200 Mhz XPG D41
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Nitro+ RX 570 // Asus TUF RTX 2070
Storage	Samsung 840 250Gb // SX8200 480GB
Display(s)	LG 22EA53VQ // Philips 275M QHD
Case	NZXT Phantom 410 Black/Orange // Tecware Forge M
Power Supply	Corsair CXM500w // CM MWE 600w

System Name	Brutus
Processor	i5 4690k @4.7Ghz (Watercooled)
Motherboard	z97 MSI Gaming 5
Cooling	NZXT Kraken x61 AIO watercooler
Memory	Gskill Ripjaws 8gb (2x4gb) 1600mhz 7-8-7-24
Video Card(s)	MSI Gaming GTX 980ti x2 (sli)
Storage	1 SSD 64GB (OS) + 2x500GB WesternDigital RAID 0
Display(s)	YAMAKASI Catleap q270 SE 27inch Glossy 2560x1440
Case	NZXT Phantom
Audio Device(s)	ASUS Xonar DX
Power Supply	Antec TPQ 1200w
Software	Windows 7 (64 bit)

System Name	Ryzen Reflection
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570S Aorus Master
Cooling	2x EK PE360 \| TechN AM4 AMD Block Black \| EK Quantum Vector Trinity GPU Nickel + Plexi
Memory	Teamgroup T-Force Xtreem 2x16GB B-Die 3600 @ 14-14-14-28-42-288-2T 1.45v
Video Card(s)	Zotac AMP HoloBlack RTX 3080Ti 12G \| 950mV 1950Mhz
Storage	WD SN850 500GB (OS) \| Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (Games_1) \| Samsung 970 Evo 1TB (Games_2)
Display(s)	Asus XG27AQM 240Hz G-Sync Fast-IPS \| Gigabyte M27Q-P 165Hz 1440P IPS \| Asus 24" IPS (portrait mode)
Case	Lian Li PC-011D XL \| Custom cables by Cablemodz
Audio Device(s)	FiiO K7 \| Sennheiser HD650 + Beyerdynamic FOX Mic
Power Supply	Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum 850
Mouse	Razer Viper v2 Pro
Keyboard	Razer Huntsman Tournament Edition
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64-Bit

System Name	Orange! // ItchyHands
Processor	3570K // 10400F
Motherboard	ASRock z77 Extreme4 // TUF Gaming B460M-Plus
Cooling	Stock // Stock
Memory	2x4Gb 1600Mhz CL9 Corsair XMS3 // 2x8Gb 3200 Mhz XPG D41
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Nitro+ RX 570 // Asus TUF RTX 2070
Storage	Samsung 840 250Gb // SX8200 480GB
Display(s)	LG 22EA53VQ // Philips 275M QHD
Case	NZXT Phantom 410 Black/Orange // Tecware Forge M
Power Supply	Corsair CXM500w // CM MWE 600w

Help me build a 450$-700$ Gaming PC

jonathan1107

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MxPhenom 216

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Darkleoco

System Name	Home Theatre
Processor	i5 750
Motherboard	Gigabyte P55 USB3
Memory	4GB ADATA 1333
Video Card(s)	Sapphire 1GB ATI 5670
Storage	32gb Kingston SSD (Os)/ 1TB and 640GB Caviar Blue (Storage)
Display(s)	Sony KDL40HX800
Case	Cooler Master HAF 922
Audio Device(s)	HT Claro Plus
Power Supply	Corsair HX650
Software	Windows 7 64-bit

System Name	[Daily Driver]
Processor	[Ryzen 7 5800X3D]
Motherboard	[Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS]
Cooling	[be quiet! Dark Rock Slim]
Memory	[64GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 3600MHz (16GBx4)]
Video Card(s)	[PNY RTX 3070Ti XLR8]
Storage	[1TB SN850 NVMe, 4TB 990 Pro NVMe, 2TB 870 EVO SSD, 2TB SA510 SSD]
Display(s)	[2x 27" HP X27q at 1440p]
Case	[Fractal Meshify-C]
Audio Device(s)	[Steelseries Arctis Pro]
Power Supply	[CORSAIR RMx 1000]
Mouse	[Logitech G Pro Wireless]
Keyboard	[Logitech G512 Carbon (GX-Brown)]
Software	[Windows 11 64-Bit]

System Name	R2D2
Processor	AMD FX-4100
Motherboard	MSI 970 G45
Cooling	Stock
Memory	Kingston T1 8GB 1600 DDR3 @ 1800mHz
Video Card(s)	AMD Sapphire 6850
Storage	RAID 0 WD Caviar Blue 1TB total
Display(s)	Acer 19" widescreen and Sony 32" Bravia 1080p 60hz
Case	NZXT Gamma Series
Power Supply	700w OCZ Mod Stream Pro
Software	Windows 7 Professional
Benchmark Scores	hit 4.5ghz stock cooler....

System Name	Old Fart / Young Dude
Processor	2500K / 6600K
Motherboard	ASRock P67Extreme4 / Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 DDR3
Cooling	CM Hyper TX3 / CM Hyper 212 EVO
Memory	16 GB Kingston HyperX / 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws X
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte GTX 1050 Ti / INNO3D RTX 2060
Storage	SSD, some WD and lots of Samsungs
Display(s)	BenQ GW2470 / LG UHD 43" TV
Case	Cooler Master CM690 II Advanced / Thermaltake Core v31
Audio Device(s)	Asus Xonar D1/Denon PMA500AE/Wharfedale D 10.1/ FiiO D03K/ JBL LSR 305
Power Supply	Corsair TX650 / Corsair TX650M
Mouse	Steelseries Rival 100 / Rival 110
Keyboard	Sidewinder/ Steelseries Apex 150
Software	Windows 10 / Windows 10 Pro

System Name	Omen
Processor	i7-4710HQ
Cooling	Dual fan/heatpipe
Memory	16GB
Video Card(s)	4GB GTX 860M
Storage	256GB PCIE SSD/256GB PNY UHS-1 SD Card
Display(s)	15.6' 1080P
Case	Aluminium
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Brick
Software	Win 10

System Name	Red Giant
Processor	Intel Core i7-12700K
Motherboard	MSI Pro Z690
Cooling	Corsair H100i elite
Memory	Corsair Vengeance Pro 32GB
Video Card(s)	MSI 4070TI Super
Storage	960 GB Sandisk SSD
Display(s)	27 inch Predator 144 hz 2k
Case	CoolerMaster HAF X
Audio Device(s)	Onboard
Power Supply	Corsair AX1200
Mouse	Logitech G502 Hero
Keyboard	Corsair K95 Platinum
Software	Windows 11 Pro