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Attention Mid-Range System Builders - Updated 08/01/2015

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Go to your local electronics store and just buy another SATA cable for $2-3, unless you're like me and only use the optical drive to do the first wave of installs. My drive is disconnected since I never have a reason to power it on anymore.
 
krnmastersgt said:
Go to your local electronics store and just buy another SATA cable for $2-3, unless you're like me and only use the optical drive to do the first wave of installs. My drive is disconnected since I never have a reason to power it on anymore.
Click to expand...

I keep an external around for just that reason. I don't use internal optical drives anymore.
 
New build, pinched some pennies here and there and squeezed another $25 out. Also added a blurb about alternative power supplies.
 
What would you suggest for a pc case for a beginner build with possible upgrades in the future and pretty much going by part for part from your guideline:

-Antec series one (as posted in your build)
-Cooler master haf 912
-Antec Three Hundred
-Antec Three hundred two

just trying to get a feel on which I should get since they are all around the same price if you shop around.

thanks
 
I would rule out Three Hundred and HAF 912 since they lack USB 3.0 ports. Antec One and 302 are both excellent budget choices. (302 available for $55 on ncix)
 
That would require double the work from mfenn, or it would require someone else to keep the budget thread up to date... I don't think it's needed. IHateMyJob2004, if you just want a budget rig recommendation, make a new thread with the questions in the sticky answered as usual
 
mfenn said:
What's a good price target? $500?
Click to expand...

That would probably be a good target.

Even if it were a list of suggestions to cut costs to the mid tier systems in this thread, that would be cool (adjust thread title appropriately). I'm considering a new build but not for $1000.
 
Going from a $1000 PC to a $500 PC, if both PC's are for gaming, requires you to change pretty much every component. Just adjusting the build in this thread therefore doesn't work.
 
lehtv said:
Going from a $1000 PC to a $500 PC, if both PC's are for gaming, requires you to change pretty much every component. Just adjusting the build in this thread therefore doesn't work.
Click to expand...

Drop the CPU to an i3, drop the mobo to H77, keep the RAM, kill the SSD, drop the GPU, keep the HDD, maybe kill the burner, and look at cases with PSUs.

Instead of the 1080p gaming that the $1K build targets, the Half K should shoot for 900p-1680*1050. Which means that you could fire up the game at 1080p, but it won't be great. So maybe something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3225 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec NSK4482B ATX Mid Tower Case w/380W Power Supply ($78.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $509.94 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


--By comparison, here is the Full K breakdown:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($102.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($104.98 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($355.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $989.46 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Neither build includes an optical drive, because I think they are silly, so just tack on an extra $20 for that. Also, the Full K build doesn't include the combo price that mfenn has on his, so the price will be a little lower.
 
I think $130 out of $500 spent on the GPU is a bit low for a gaming PC. I would get at least a 7850 2GB and adjust the other parts accordingly
 
lehtv said:
I think $130 out of $500 spent on the GPU is a bit low for a gaming PC. I would get at least a 7850 2GB and adjust the other parts accordingly
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Ok, where would you squeeze the other $50? The drawback to CPUs is that last year's models don't fall in price, otherwise we could look at Sandy Bridge. And I would definitely want to keep it at 8GB RAM, 4GB seems too limiting.
 
i3-2120 $110
Asrock H77 Pro4/MVP $70
Patriot 2x4GB $30 AR
Seagate 500GB $55
XFX 7850 2GB $180 AR
Antec VP450 $36
CM Elite 330 $30 AR

= $511 AR

Disagree about your point regarding Sandy Bridge. The difference in cost reflects the difference in performance between SB and IB i3's.

The 500GB HDD may seem like a needless sacrifice for just $10, but strictly for a gaming PC, that's fine. If you really needed 1TB, I would just recommend paying up instead of making other sacrifices. Or wait for an even better deal on a PSU. Corsair CX430 V2 has been as low as $15 or so.
 
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lehtv said:
i3-2120 $110
Asrock H77 Pro4/MVP $70
Patriot 2x4GB $30 AR
Seagate 500GB $55
XFX 7850 2GB $180 AR
Antec VP450 $36
CM Elite 330 $30 AR

= $511 AR

Disagree about your point regarding Sandy Bridge. The difference in cost reflects the difference in performance between SB and IB i3's.

The 500GB HDD may seem like a needless sacrifice for just $10, but strictly for a gaming PC, that's fine. If you really needed 1TB, I would just recommend paying up instead of making other sacrifices. Or wait for an even better deal on a PSU. Corsair CX430 V2 has been as low as $15 or so.
Click to expand...

I sit before you, duly corrected.

So basically you mean that since Ivy Bridge isn't far and away better than Sandy Bridge, it isn't in Intel's best interest to drop the price on Sandy Bridge. Cuz Ivy is just the die shrink, right? And a GPU improvement I think.
 
Ivy is more than just a die shrink, there are some architectural improvements as well that make it ~5-10% faster than Sandy Bridge clock for clock. The pricing is pretty much linear with performance when you're looking at the i3's, so either is not bad, it just depends on the budget.

Great builds from both of you!
 
New update, main build pretty much the same, but there was some movement in the optional extras. RIP Mugen 3, we hardly knew ye. :rose:
 
New update. The i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Pro3 deal is gone. I swapped it to the Pro4 combo because that's within $2 of buying the CPU and Pro3 separately. I also changed the SSD to the M4 128GB since the 830 seems permanently OOS at Newegg (RIP).

Some other price changes, but mostly just increases as Newegg pads their margins for the upcoming holiday season. The best way to have a BF "sale" is to slowly increase prices beforehand and hope nobody notices.
 
Zap said:
I think you should create your own build thread. 😉

What resolution is that 16" display? If it is 1366x768 then you won't have any problems. Otherwise, I'd say go a bit higher on the GPU.
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why? is this not the thread for build? it says "general hardware"?


so what're you trying to say, is that, HD7750 is only good for 1366x768 and below?.that 16" display can reach 1080p.thanks btw,
 
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