Appreciate recommendations for parts to build mid-range gaming rig for under $900

[Borg20001]

Borrowed this from one of the other threads:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

gaming, family use.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

Prefer between $800 - $900

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

US

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy,
ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

none

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

none

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

No, probably not going to OC - just run at default speeds.

8. What resolution will you be using?

Don't have a high tech LCD Monitor, it's just a 22" Staples brand, probably can't go above 1920 x 1200? or so?

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

After I get all the parts, this spring if possible.

10. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

Windows 7, and probably MS Office for Home/Student, but will only factor in OS for the above budget pricing.

Will use the PC for primarily moderate gaming, FPS but not bleeding edge stuff. Been playing on a AMD2 dual core rig with 4 GB RAM, and an old nVidia GForce 9600 graphics card and integrated sound. Can't play MW3 on the old rig so I need to upgrade.

Core items – Need the following:

Power supply - YES

Case - YES

Motherboard - YES

CPU - YES (a 2nd gen i5 or AMD equivalent. Would love an i7 but don’t think my budget can take that.

Heatsink/fan for the CPU - YES

Memory - YES (6 to 8 GB I would hope)

Primary hard drive - YES (Doesn’t have to be SolidState) preferably at least 1TB with space in case to add 1 or 2 more HDDs)

Primary optical drive – YES DVD-RW at a minimum. Probably will upgrade to BR when prices drop drastically (Budget issue again)
Video card (unless you?re using onboard video) - YES, don’t want to rely on on-board vid card.

Operaing System - YES, Win7 Home or Pro, 64 bit if possible, whatever will fit in budget

Additional software - YES, probably Home/Student version of MS Office but probably have to put that off for budget current constraints

Let me know if you have any additional questions and thanks in advance for your counsel.

 

[Ken g6]

OK, time to take mfenn's build and tear it down a bit.

i5 2400 $190, unless you live near a Micro Center, in which case you can get a 2500k for $180 in-store.
Gigabyte H61 with USB3/SATA3 $60, or potentially something cheap bundled with that 2500k above if you can get it.
Crucial DDR3 1600 8GB $37
6870 $160 AR
Crucial M4 64GB $80
Seagate 1TB $100
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair CX500 $30 AR AP ends today!
HAF 912 $50 AR
Win7 HP $100
Total: $825 AR AP

I would have aimed for a 560ti ($33 more) but it takes a better PSU too ($36 more). Still within your budget, but barely.

 

[Charlie98]

OK, time to take mfenn's build and tear it down a bit.

i5 2400 $190, unless you live near a Micro Center, in which case you can get a 2500k for $180 in-store.
Gigabyte H61 with USB3/SATA3 $60, or potentially something cheap bundled with that 2500k above if you can get it.
Crucial DDR3 1600 8GB $37
6870 $160 AR
Crucial M4 64GB $80
Seagate 1TB $100
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair CX500 $30 AR AP ends today!
HAF 912 $50 AR
Win7 HP $100
Total: $825 AR AP

I would have aimed for a 560ti ($33 more) but it takes a better PSU too ($36 more). Still within your budget, but barely.

DX the SSD and he has the cash for the 560ti and PSU... :biggrin:

 

[Borg20001]

DX the SSD and he has the cash for the 560ti and PSU... :biggrin:

Thanks Ken and Charlie. I really appreciate the input.

One question, I'm probably missing the obvious, but where is the SSD in the parts that Ken cited? I only see the regular Seagate HDD. What am I missing?

I like going with the bigger PSU and the 560ti card, though the link that Ken provided for the 6870 was not properly listed cuz it keeps taking me back to the Corsair PSU.

Appreciate any clarification you can provide.

 

[lehtv]

Crucial M4 64GB is the SSD. It's not necessary, but it does make the system feel snappier. It's OK to leave it out and install your Windows on the hard drive instead. You can always add an SSD later on, they will keep falling in price/GB slowly but surely.

Ken's build looks fine to me.

I don't see why 560 Ti requires a better PSU. CX500 has 2x 6-pin connectors which are required by 6870 and 560 Ti alike. But it's still a good idea to pay some extra for the PSU

To save $20 on the case: Elite 430 $30 AR AP. HAF 912 is better but perhaps not $20 better.

 

[mfenn]

Crucial M4 64GB is the SSD. It's not necessary, but it does make the system feel snappier. It's OK to leave it out and install your Windows on the hard drive instead. You can always add an SSD later on, they will keep falling in price/GB slowly but surely.

Ken's build looks fine to me.

I don't see why 560 Ti requires a better PSU. CX500 has 2x 6-pin connectors which are required by 6870 and 560 Ti alike. But it's still a good idea to pay some extra for the PSU

To save $20 on the case: Elite 430 $30 AR AP. HAF 912 is better but perhaps not $20 better.

Another :thumbsup: to Ken's build. The Elite 430 is indeed a nice find at $30! (As long as you don't mind the window ).

 

[Borg20001]

Crucial M4 64GB is the SSD. It's not necessary, but it does make the system feel snappier. It's OK to leave it out and install your Windows on the hard drive instead. You can always add an SSD later on, they will keep falling in price/GB slowly but surely.

Ken's build looks fine to me.

I don't see why 560 Ti requires a better PSU. CX500 has 2x 6-pin connectors which are required by 6870 and 560 Ti alike. But it's still a good idea to pay some extra for the PSU

To save $20 on the case: Elite 430 $30 AR AP. HAF 912 is better but perhaps not $20 better.

Thanks for the alternate Lehtv, but I snoozed and I losed - literally, I woke up this morning and saw your posting and when I clicked on the link the rebate had expired as well as the coupon so the Elite 430 is back up to $68 - window and all.

 

[Borg20001]

OK, time to take mfenn's build and tear it down a bit.

i5 2400 $190, unless you live near a Micro Center, in which case you can get a 2500k for $180 in-store.
Gigabyte H61 with USB3/SATA3 $60, or potentially something cheap bundled with that 2500k above if you can get it.
Crucial DDR3 1600 8GB $37
6870 $160 AR
Crucial M4 64GB $80
Seagate 1TB $100
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair CX500 $30 AR AP ends today!
HAF 912 $50 AR
Win7 HP $100
Total: $825 AR AP

I would have aimed for a 560ti ($33 more) but it takes a better PSU too ($36 more). Still within your budget, but barely.

Again thanks to everyone for their inputs.

I took a look and I like the 560 Ti graphics card but it's going for $210 and the Radeons are going for anywhere from $130 to $160 or $170 from what I can see.

I saw these other options based on Ken's original suggestions for a 6870 card.

There's this one which AR is $130 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150561

And then there's a bunch of other 6870's by various manufacturers but other than price, I'm not sure which are "better" than othe others. Here's a link to my search results from NewEgg -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...card&x=24&y=14

Is the 560 Ti that much better to warrant the additional cost of up to $80 for the most deeply discounted 6870?

Appreciate any clarification that you all can provide.

 

[Madmick]

Yeah, that 6870 kills it at $130:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/HD_7750/26.html

If you want to avoid AMD's driver issues then the NVIDIA's best value in this range right now is probably the 560 Ti at $193 AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162074

But considering that it's performance is only about 5% better than the 6870 according to TechPowerUp's 1920x1080 analysis makes that a hard $63 to swallow:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_560_Ti/27.html


As per brand to brand comparisons, there's very little difference, usually. I found a comparison at PureOverclock for the 7750 when I bought it. The HIS typically outpeformed the Sapphire brand by 1-2 FPS on the games they tested. But I only checked that because they both sell for $110, and don't budge on rebates. You should just get the cheapest version unless you read about some major engineering flaw (ex. I saw some complaints about threading getting stuck in fans with a particular MSI card...I guess that brand doesn't have a great reputation). I really wanted that XFX 6870 at $130, but I didn't have the 2nd Molex connector with this PSU to support it (my comp was a gift from an IT buddy who was e-wasting his corporation's old units). If I upgrade my PSU, I'll just build a whole new unit on the (micro)ATX form factor.

 

[Borg20001]

Yeah, that 6870 kills it at $130:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/HD_7750/26.html

If you want to avoid AMD's driver issues then the NVIDIA's best value in this range right now is probably the 560 Ti at $193 AR:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162074

But considering that it's performance is only about 5% better than the 6870 according to TechPowerUp's 1920x1080 analysis makes that a hard $63 to swallow:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_560_Ti/27.html

Thanks Mick. Traditionally, I have used the AMD CPUs but always ended up getting the nVidia graphic cards. This would be my first Radeon, but for the price, I think I'm leaning heavily towards the Radeon (unless I miss the sale - and then it'll be back to the $193 nVidia you cited above).

Looks like I was mistaken regarding the final cost for the 560Ti and Mick is correct with it being about $193 including shipping (if i act in time).

Thanks,

 

[mnewsham]

I would get the AMD card as there is no reason for YOU to get Nvidia over AMD besides personal preference which, when doing a budget build, is not always going to win.

 

[Borg20001]

I would get the AMD card as there is no reason for YOU to get Nvidia over AMD besides personal preference which, when doing a budget build, is not always going to win.

Agreed. Plus, my thoughts are that you create the budget build with what will get you thru right now and then look to upgrade some key components like the graphics card when the price drops for the better cards (albeit - not the cutting edge tech).

 

[Borg20001]

Here's one more question.

The Crucial RAM is out of stock at NewEgg. I found these two sticks for about the same price. Would they work as well?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820313080

Additionally, I might be able to get someone to pick up the CPU at a MicroCenter B&M for me. Would this i5 2500 work as well (or slightly better than) the i5 2400 that was originally suggested to me?

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589

Thanks for all your help.

 

[mnewsham]

if you can get the i5 it would be better, and honestly almost all the RAM is the same, just get the cheapest 2x4GB (8GB) kit running at 1333mhz CL9 1.5v. should be about 35-40 bucks. Having never heard of "team" im not sure about warranty or anything like that so you take a chance there, I personally go with G.Skill

 

[Borg20001]

if you can get the i5 it would be better, and honestly almost all the RAM is the same, just get the cheapest 2x4GB (8GB) kit running at 1333mhz CL9 1.5v. should be about 35-40 bucks. Having never heard of "team" im not sure about warranty or anything like that so you take a chance there, I personally go with G.Skill

Thanks Mnewsham,

1. Do you mean the i5 2500? Both of the CPU's cited were i5's. One was i5 2400 from newegg and the other from microcenter was the i5 2500.

2. So either of these G.Skill Ram kits should be good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231546

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231544

Right?

Thx.

 

[mnewsham]

Yes i meant the 2500k

and yes either of those kits would be fin, or you can save a few bucks and get these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231424

 

[mfenn]

2. So either of these G.Skill Ram kits should be good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231546

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231544

Right?

Thx.

Either of those are fine, but you can shave a couple more bucks off with this Mushkin kit.

 

[Borg20001]

Yes i meant the 2500k

and yes either of those kits would be fin, or you can save a few bucks and get these
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231424

Thanks Mnew,

I couldn't find that with my initial search. Will probably take that kit after all a buck is a buck or in this case $7...

 

[Borg20001]

OK, time to take mfenn's build and tear it down a bit.

i5 2400 $190, unless you live near a Micro Center, in which case you can get a 2500k for $180 in-store.
Gigabyte H61 with USB3/SATA3 $60, or potentially something cheap bundled with that 2500k above if you can get it.
Crucial DDR3 1600 8GB $37
6870 $160 AR
Crucial M4 64GB $80
Seagate 1TB $100
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair CX500 $30 AR AP ends today!
HAF 912 $50 AR
Win7 HP $100
Total: $825 AR AP

I would have aimed for a 560ti ($33 more) but it takes a better PSU too ($36 more). Still within your budget, but barely.

One more tweak.

If I wanted to upgrade and go for an i7 cpu, does anyone have any suggestions.

Could this configuration listed from Ken be upgraded to an i7? Would I need to change anything else? Power supply or mobo?

Thanks again.

 

[mnewsham]

Gaming rig and i7 do NOT go together. Just get an i5, no reason at all to try and fit an i7 in your budget when it would be MUCH better spent on a better GPU or SSD.

 

[mfenn]

Gaming rig and i7 do NOT go together. Just get an i5, no reason at all to try and fit an i7 in your budget when it would be MUCH better spent on a better GPU or SSD.

I agree.

Borg, you could easily drop any Socket 1155 i7 into that board, but you won't see any benefit for your intended uses.

 

[Borg20001]

I agree.

Borg, you could easily drop any Socket 1155 i7 into that board, but you won't see any benefit for your intended uses.

Mfenn and Mnewsham, Thank you for your feedback. That is exactly the type of advice I was looking for. I just wasn't sure if spending the extra bux for an i7 would be worth it for what I wanted to do with this new build PC.

Now I know, thanks once more!

 

[Borg20001]

Gaming rig and i7 do NOT go together. Just get an i5, no reason at all to try and fit an i7 in your budget when it would be MUCH better spent on a better GPU or SSD.

Thanks for the tip Mnewsham, I will stick with the original proposal that Ken had suggested, though based on what you are saying, maybe I will try to keep in an SSD for my OS to run on and use the HDD for storage etc. I would imagine that it would be easier to put the OS on an SSD right at the start rather than trying to add it in later, though the costs for SSDs will only drop over time. I guess I have to weigh between performance bump vs. initial costs. And retrofitting a new drive with the OS has always been a pain for me, at least with HDDs. I would think it'll be the same amount of hassle to add in an SSD later after I've installed the OS on an HDD - right? Thanks again for your help and everyone else here as well.

 

[mnewsham]

I find transferring an OS from HDD to SSD to be a PITA. It is much easier for me to just start on the SSD.

 

[Borg20001]

I find transferring an OS from HDD to SSD to be a PITA. It is much easier for me to just start on the SSD.

Ok, its good to know that it's just not me that finds transferring an OS from one drive to another after initial build to be a pain.

So based on that, I think I might bite the bullet and get the SSD drive and install the OS on there from the start and then I can store everything else on the HDD other than essential programs.

Thanks for the insight.