$550 Budget Gaming Computer

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
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Hi, I'm new to this site and am looking to get some help with my computer build plans. I have always wanted to build a computer but this is my first time and I am a little rusty on the theory. Planning on building it this month.

The purpose of this build is to run Starcraft 2 and possibly in the future run Crysis 2 after a graphics card upgrade (is motherboard/CPU good enough?). Then again, I might just build a newer more expensive system to run new games like Crysis 2. Justification for CPU/GPU choices come from benchmarks for Starcraft 2. I feel this setup is very inexpensive and neither the CPU or GPU are bottlenecking performance (they are about equal according to this benchmark).
link: http://www.techspot.com/review/305-starcraft2-performance/

I live in Canada (remember shipping costs) but will also show prices in US currency using a 1.03 multiplier from US to CAD. All prices are pre-tax. Websites I looked on are bewawa.com, ncix.com, newegg.ca, tigerdirect.ca.

I am not 100% sure yet if all the components listed are fully compatible with eachother. For example, I was looking at the back of the case and I am not sure how the motherboard ports will manage to fit through those holes. Should I pick a new case? Please let me know if you feel they are not compatible.


My budget is $534 US which is $550 CAD.
This is what my build looks like:

Amd Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition - $111 US ($114 CAD)
link: http://www.bewawa.com/amd-cpu-hdz55...-555-black-edition-3-2ghz-am3-80w-retail.html

GeForce 9800 GT 512 Mb - $78 US ($80 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45674&...cture=Gigabyte

Asus M4A77TD - $71 US ($73 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?s...nufacture=ASUS

OCZ 2x 2GB DDR3-1333 Mhz - $77 US ($79 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/index.php?s...y&promoid=1058

Gigabyte ATX Mid Tower - $22 US ($23 CAD) - Is this compatible with my motherboard? See back of case and motherboard ports.
link: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...240&CatId=1842

OCZ 500W Power Supply - $58 US ($60 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=33040&...Z%20Technology

Western Digital 500 GB Hard Drive - $39 US ($40 CAD)
link: http://www.bewawa.com/wdc-500gb-int-3-5-in-sata-3g-16m-7200rpm.html

HP DVD Burner - $22 US ($22 CAD)
link: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...241266&CatId=4

Total Cost Before Tax: $477 US ($491 CAD)


Being below budget is not bad because that leaves me $59 to buy stuff like PC Toolkit, ethernet and other cables, Thermal Paste, cooling fans or heat sinks, anti-static stuff (gloves?) for when I build it (do I need all these things?). I also need to buy a new monitor so the spare cash will help me scrape together some funds for it.

Was wondering what you guys thought of the build and if you have any suggestions (budget monitor suggestions welcome also). Also do you think I can save some more money from the power supply?

Here are two more power supplies (at a lower cost):

Ultra 550-Watt Power Supply (Lifetime Warranty) - $53 US ($55 CAD)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3276574&CatId=1079

DiabloTek 550-Watt Power Supply - $47 US ($48 CAD) after rebate
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4252527&CatId=1079


Planning on running Windows 7 Home Premium Edition - 64 Bit OEM. Also, I would really appreciate advice about keeping the system running efficiently for a long time (ie. security software (not-pirated please), reformatting, defragmentation, use of an external hard drive, how to use Win 7 effectively, etc.)

I am not against overclocking the CPU (was told that this CPU is only worth it for OCing) however I will need to learn much more and feel that I can do so safely.

Thank you in advance for reading this. If you wish to help me out I really appreciate it.

Chris
 

Sp12

Senior member
Jun 12, 2010
799
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76
Gigabyte 870a ($107)
Asus Radeon 4870 1gb ($90)
AMD X4 6XX (~100$)
Corsair 650 ($70)
G.Skill Eco 4gb (2x2) DDR3 1600 ($105)/other reputable RAM
Spinpoint F3 1tb 75$
DVD ($20)
Scythe Katana ($29)
Antec 900 (90$)

Copied from a thread in the motherboard section. Definitely higher performance, but closer to 600$.
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
64
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0
Gigabyte 870a ($107)
Asus Radeon 4870 1gb ($90)
AMD X4 6XX (~100$)
Corsair 650 ($70)
G.Skill Eco 4gb (2x2) DDR3 1600 ($105)/other reputable RAM
Spinpoint F3 1tb 75$
DVD ($20)
Scythe Katana ($29)
Antec 900 (90$)

Copied from a thread in the motherboard section. Definitely higher performance, but closer to 600$.

Yes that is $136 out of budget (assuming those are US prices before tax). And also, I don't know where you found a radeon 4870 for $90.
 

somethingsketchy

Golden Member
Nov 25, 2008
1,019
0
71
I am not 100% sure yet if all the components listed are fully compatible with eachother. For example, I was looking at the back of the case and I am not sure how the motherboard ports will manage to fit through those holes. Should I pick a new case? Please let me know if you feel they are not compatible.


My budget is $534 US which is $550 CAD.

Being below budget is not bad because that leaves me $59 to buy stuff like PC Toolkit, ethernet and other cables, Thermal Paste, cooling fans or heat sinks, anti-static stuff (gloves?) for when I build it (do I need all these things?). I also need to buy a new monitor so the spare cash will help me scrape together some funds for it.

Was wondering what you guys thought of the build and if you have any suggestions (budget monitor suggestions welcome also). Also do you think I can save some more money from the power supply?

Here are two more power supplies (at a lower cost):

Ultra 550-Watt Power Supply (Lifetime Warranty) - $53 US ($55 CAD)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3276574&CatId=1079

DiabloTek 550-Watt Power Supply - $47 US ($48 CAD) after rebate
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4252527&CatId=1079


Planning on running Windows 7 Home Premium Edition - 64 Bit OEM. Also, I would really appreciate advice about keeping the system running efficiently for a long time (ie. security software (not-pirated please), reformatting, defragmentation, use of an external hard drive, how to use Win 7 effectively, etc.)

I am not against overclocking the CPU (was told that this CPU is only worth it for OCing) however I will need to learn much more and feel that I can do so safely.

Thank you in advance for reading this. If you wish to help me out I really appreciate it.

Chris


Some points to cover with some of the questions you asked....

1. Short of a manufacturer completely screwing up the building process for a case (and I doubt it would have made it out of the assembly line), nearly all motherboards' slots will fit within a case. Grant you have to pick the correct motherboard size for the case...you can't fit an E-ATX (Extend ATX) motherboard into a SFF (Small Form Factor) case. Won't work. What you have chosen, should work for your needs, although you will need to be careful if the thermals of your computer parts are more than what the case can handle...not enough airflow could equal to hot parts.

2. Most of the parts you have chosen will work, although the processor may be on the underside for handling SC2...what resolution do you plan on playing the game? It's probably enough to handle Crysis 2, but then again I wouldn't know, I've never really played the first or second games.

3. I'm not familiar with Ultra brand PSUs, but my guess is, if the reviews are generally good, go with the cheaper PSU. Otherwise pony up some more cash and get a well-known brand such as Corsair, for example.

4. Your budget may be running on the lean side, if you plan on getting Windows 7, along with the assorted accessories that you were interested in (you don't need anti-static gloves...). In depending on the thermal characteristics of your case, you could skip on the aftermarket CPU heatsink and stick with the stock heatsink. That could give you a few extra bucks to help pay for the Windows 7 OS. As for a monitor, something like could work...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824112017

It's about the cheapest monitor (that I looked up fairly quickly) that'll output to 1080p (if that is the resolution you want to play at). It's about $150USD (so it'll go over your budget of $550CAD, but if you can afford to buy a monitor, that'll probably be your best bet.

Hope that helps you out a bit
 

Sp12

Senior member
Jun 12, 2010
799
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76
Just checked and as of now it's 105$.

Answer the stickied questions: 'When asking for help on your projects.'
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
64
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Just checked and as of now it's 105$.

Answer the stickied questions: 'When asking for help on your projects.'

Link please.

Planning to play on 1920x1200 or lower if need be.

I checked the sticked questions and thought I answered most of the important ones, I will review them.
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
64
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I do believe the one you linked is only available to the US. To Canada (on newegg.ca) the price is higher and shipping costs money. I did indicate I lived in Canada in the initial post.
 

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
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www.mfenn.com
All of that stuff looks fine except for the RAM and PSU. Neither are very good quality, OCZ DDR3 in particular has a very bad rep. when it comes to compatibility.

Linking from Newegg.ca because I'm lazy, but you might be able to find both for cheaper somewhere else.
G.Skill DDR3 1333 $87
Corsair 650TX $65 AR Apromo

I would also seriously consider going with a quad-core. Starcraft 2 only really uses 2 threads but future games will be more and more multi-threaded.
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
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All of that stuff looks fine except for the RAM and PSU.

How about the case? Someone was telling me that the motherboard won't even fit in the case (I guess because its not very long, less than 14 inches deep) can I jimmy the motherboard in? Also, the other concern someone brought up about that case was the potential for heat buildup. They suggested me one that is around 18 inches deep.

Chris
 

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
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www.mfenn.com
How about the case? Someone was telling me that the motherboard won't even fit in the case (I guess because its not very long, less than 14 inches deep) can I jimmy the motherboard in? Also, the other concern someone brought up about that case was the potential for heat buildup. They suggested me one that is around 18 inches deep.

Chris

They are both ATX, so it should fit just fine.
 

llee

Golden Member
Oct 27, 2009
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Here's a small form factor alternative. You pay (to my knowledge) no sales tax through online purchases yet and you can get it all from Newegg CA.

Intel Core i3-530 CPU
ECS H55H-I Motherboard
Corsair 1x2GB RAM
Intel X25-V 40GB SSD
Sapphire HD5750 1GB
Silverstone SG-05 w/ 300w PSU

You could easily upgrade this system in the future by buying a second 2GB stick of Corsair RAM, upgrading the GPU to a GTX 460 or HD 5850 (with PSU upgrade), getting a DVD Drive if you need it (I just share ODDs from other PCs over the network), buying a standard storage hard drve, even watercooling with a Corsair H50. Of course, you're getting less of a value than other systems that are volume-wise 3 to 4 times larger. LAN parties would be fun and less of a hassle though.

Price amounts to about $565 at the end pre-shipping.

You know... if there are microcenters in canada, you could pick up an awesome AMD & mobo deal that's goin on right now...
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
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Okay here are the new PS and RAM parts:

Corsair TX 650 W - $78 US ($80 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=26414&vpn=CMPSU%2D650TX&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1058

And trying to decide between these two RAM bundles:

Corsair XMS3 4GB - $92 US ($95 CAD) after rebate
link: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...614&CatId=4524

or

Corsair CMV 4GB -$92 US ($95 CAD) after rebate
link: http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45301&...acture=Corsair


Also I would really like some input on the overheating potential using that small(ish) case.

Thanks,
Chris

Edit: links fixed
 
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mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
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As long as the airflow is good, it will be fine. Air mass inside a case doesn't really have much to do with the cooling.

Do you suggest I invest in more fans then? I guess the case and power supply come with fans as well as the CPU, and GPU.

Would you install a second case fan?
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
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All of that stuff looks fine except for the RAM and PSU.

Forgot to ask, what exactly was wrong with the PSU? Some of my buddies were telling me to go for a strong brand name 400W because it was enough (ie. Corsair 400W).
 

Davidh373

Platinum Member
Jun 20, 2009
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You can do much better with $550

If you can stretch to $560.93 that would be AWESOME.

Athlon II X4

MSI 740GM

4GB ram

Xion Solarus Case

Silverstone 80+

9800 1GB

320GB Western Digital

If not I'd recommend an X3 over an X2 and some mobos even have a core unlocker so you can get a full X4 from and X2 or X3 (it's just more of a gamble with the X2).
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
64
0
0
You can do much better with $550

If you can stretch to $560.93 that would be AWESOME.

Athlon II X4

MSI 740GM

4GB ram

Xion Solarus Case

Silverstone 80+

9800 1GB

320GB Western Digital

If not I'd recommend an X3 over an X2 and some mobos even have a core unlocker so you can get a full X4 from and X2 or X3 (it's just more of a gamble with the X2).

Could you provide links or at least the website where you obtained that pricing information please? Also, I will look into the X3 720 but for the same price it comes with no cooling system (newegg.ca). Do I need to buy thermal paste, a heat sink and a fan? Or some combination of those?

EDIT: The X3 720 on newegg.ca only has a 30 day warranty.
 
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mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
5
71
www.mfenn.com
Do you suggest I invest in more fans then? I guess the case and power supply come with fans as well as the CPU, and GPU.

Would you install a second case fan?

I would probably buy a to use as an intake in the front position.

Forgot to ask, what exactly was wrong with the PSU? Some of my buddies were telling me to go for a strong brand name 400W because it was enough (ie. Corsair 400W).

OCZ PSU's are not known for their quality. There was a thread recently about how one particular model would fail whenever it was asked to provide its rated capacity. When a Corsair is practically the same price, you can't lose.

The 400CX definitely be enough for your current build, but since you mentioned upgrading the GPU in the near future, I recommended the 650TX.
 

Davidh373

Platinum Member
Jun 20, 2009
2,428
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71
Could you provide links or at least the website where you obtained that pricing information please? Also, I will look into the X3 720 but for the same price it comes with no cooling system (newegg.ca). Do I need to buy thermal paste, a heat sink and a fan? Or some combination of those?

EDIT: The X3 720 on newegg.ca only has a 30 day warranty.

Sorry bout that. Newegg.ca.
 

mishimaBeef

Member
Aug 7, 2010
64
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I would probably buy a to use as an intake in the front position.

Hmm, judging from the pictures, that case doesn't seem to have a front position for an intake fan.

What is your opinion of Micro ATX boards by the way?
 
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