Budget gaming rig advice for Starcraft II

[nguyen10251]

Hey guys, I used to play Starcraft competitively for money but I've been out of the scene for quite some time now but I'm looking to get a new build for Starcraft II to play competitively. I'm on a pretty tight budget but basically all I'm gonna do is play Starcraft II on 1920x1080 (I don't care for ultra graphics or that AA/AF stuff), lots of Poker and Poker related software, and web browsing. I just need a computer that can run SC2 at 30+fps without hiccups. I'm thinking going AMD Phenom route and possibly a GTS450. Could you guys help point me in the right direction with a build for around 500-600$ if thats even possible? I'm gonna need everything except optical drive and windows 7 CD because I already have these. I will not be overclocking. I'm really itching to get to start whooping some butt in SC2! Thanks!

 

[nguyen10251]

Just tossing this build out there, could this be cheaper/better for my needs?

AMD Phenom II X4 965
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103727
BIOSTAR A770E3 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138179
ASUS GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121393
RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817152028
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231277
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136073

Total: $658.29 with taxes & shipping.

 

[kojak61]

Go with this hard drive instead.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136320

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

I would recommend a power supply from a trusted manufacturer, like Corsair or Antec. You don't know quite what you're getting with off-brands. Also, don't forget that you need an operating system too.

 

[kojak61]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371016

 

[mfenn]

Ack, Raidmax! Kill it with fire! Go with a 430CX instead. Cheaper and better.

There's also really no reason to get the 965 over the 955 or DDR3 1600 over DDR3 1333. $55 can also buy you a faster HDD than a WD Blue.

Finally (have we swapped every part yet? ) I would put a little of the savings towards a mobo from a more reputable manufacturer like the MSI 870-G45.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

man, what's with asians and their SC-centric builds?