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Gaming and Work PC. Too build or not to build.

R

rskogl2

Junior Member
It is time for me to consider a new PC. I don't really game heavily just some LoL, WoW or Diablo III. I mostly use my computer for work (internet research and email). I have been looking on Newegg and have found a few systems I think may be viable. My question is whether it is worth it to build a new system. My budget is around $700-750. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is the system I am currently considering.

Avatar Gaming i5-34GT
 
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1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Light Gaming (WoW, LoL, Diablo 3) Work (Internet browsing, email)

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
$700-750

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

5. 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

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have a 22 inch acer monitor that I will use, my kb and mouse are old, but I could use them.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
1920 x 1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
Today

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Win 7 or 8


Yes, I do have a Microcenter and Fry's nearby
 
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Here:

CPU+Mobo i5-4670K + MSI Z87A-G41 $260 @MC
RAM 2x4GB Patriot Signature 1600MHz $55 @amazon
GPU Powercolor 7850 2GB $150 AP @newegg
HDD+ODD WD Blue 1TB + DVD-RW $75 @newegg
PSU Corsair CX500 $50 AP ($30 AR) @newegg
Case NZXT Source 210 $40 @amazon
OS Win 8 $90 or Win 7 $91 @amazon
Optional KB+mouse Logitech MK200 $22 @newegg

Ka-ching! All done at $742 ($722 AR) + tax at MC.

Gaming performance is about 3x as good as with GT 640. There's also some room for a bit of upgrading, e.g. a better mouse, a mouse mat, or an additional fan for the case, without going over budget after rebate.

EDIT: An option some may favor is trying to fit in an SSD at the cost of CPU performance. E.g. AMD FX-6300 + Asrock 970 Extreme3 $155 @MC + Plextor M5S 128GB $100 AR @MC. The FX-6300 is a fine match for the 7850, but it's not really going to handle a substantial GPU upgrade unlike the i5. Not being a hardcore gamer, this may not be a problem
 
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Awesome, Thanks for all of your hard work.

I like your AMD FX 6300 processor + Asorck 970. But I may pass on the ssd and upgrade that later.
 
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If it were me, I would go with lehtv's i5 build.

It will respond VERY well to GPU upgrades later if you like, it will perform well right now, and if you practice good hard drive hygiene (partition all the drives! 🙂 ) it will be easy to clone your boot/application partition to an SSD later if you feel so inclined!
 
Awesome, Thanks for all of your hard work.
Click to expand...
No problem 🙂

I like your AMD FX 6300 processor + Asorck 970. But I may pass on the ssd and upgrade that later.
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Sure, if your budget is $650. But if your budget is max. $750, the only debate is whether to get an SSD or an i5. Either is definitely worth it, it's just what you want to prioritize. i5 for longevity and gaming performance, SSD for all-around responsiveness. An SSD is the single biggest upgrade you can do for your PC, and once you go SSD you don't go back.
 
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I think he should get the i5-4570 from Micro Center and then fetch a budget board from Newegg/Amazon. I don't think he really needs the ability to overclock.
 
That's going to save only $20-$25 overall, not worth the downgrade IMO as the motherboard is going to be a bit cut in features as well. 4670K+Z87 has much better resale value than 4570+B85. Moreover, that $20-25 saved doesn't really buy him any worthwhile upgrade elsewhere in the build.
 
lehtv said:
That's going to save only $20-$25 overall, not worth the downgrade IMO as the motherboard is going to be a bit cut in features as well. 4670K+Z87 has much better resale value than 4570+B85. Moreover, that $20-25 saved doesn't really buy him any worthwhile upgrade elsewhere in the build.
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Yes, the $25 might not get him much in terms of component upgrade, but it is still $25 he can spend on anything he can purchase, now or in the future.

The $260 bundle is its pre-tax price. Assuming 6% sales tax, it would cost him $275.60. The i5-4570 costs $160 pre-tax. Assuming 6% sales tax, it costs $169.60. The cheapest Haswell mobo is $65, and a more "full" version is available for 78.24. $235 or about $250 depending on the motherboard choice

If he selects the $65 MSI board is tempted to stretch over his budget or upgrade in the future, the build would cost him $782 AP AR AT, but would have an SSD and 7850 GPU. If he chooses a cheaper SSD like the Samsung 840, he would ultimately spend about $770 on the whole build.

The resale value would benefit him after he's "finished" with this rig, but it seems like he does not have heavier games on the radar and his work tasks are plenty light. His upgrade cycle is going to be a slow based on this information.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.58 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI B85M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Wintec One 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($52.72 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($150.40 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.73 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.91 @ Amazon)
Total: $695.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Add in the $75 HDD+ODD combo, and it comes out to $770.31
 
Torn Mind said:
Add in the $75 HDD+ODD combo, and it comes out to $770.31
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Lehtv's build is actually $701 AR without the KB/M. So he could add an 840 120GB for $100 and be at $800. That's a $30 difference between the builds, so it is still coming down to the mobo+CPU cost, not any potential difference in performance.

That being said, I am a well known cheap bastard (apparently) and the OP doesn't want to overclock. That makes me lean heavily towards the i5 4570 and B85 mobo (i.e. lehtv's build) to save $30.
 
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I don't really understand why we're even considering going over budget. Is that the norm these days?

The OP has a budget of $700-750. That means preferably $700, but up to $750 if it's needed. You cannot fit a 7850, an i5 and an SSD in that without making serious compromises in other component choices, although I would love to be proven wrong.

As you said Torn Mind, his requirements are not high which suggests a slow upgrade cycle... so why not just get the FX-6300 and the SSD if that means staying in budget?

mfenn - I can't believe you're labeling yourself a cheap bastard while being OK with going over budget. 😕
 
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rskogl2 said:
It is time for me to consider a new PC. I don't really game heavily just some LoL, WoW or Diablo III. I mostly use my computer for work (internet research and email). I have been looking on Newegg and have found a few systems I think may be viable. My question is whether it is worth it to build a new system. My budget is around $700-750. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This is the system I am currently considering.

Avatar Gaming i5-34GT
Click to expand...

For a pre-built, you would be better off to try to find a dell xps around 600.00 and add a 7770 or 7790 for another 130.00 or so. Xps has a decent power supply that should handle those cards easily.

I got one for 599.00 at micro center and a 7770 for 90.00 and am happy with it.
 
lehtv said:
I don't really understand why we're even considering going over budget. Is that the norm these days?

The OP has a budget of $700-750. That means preferably $700, but up to $750 if it's needed. You cannot fit a 7850, an i5 and an SSD in that without making serious compromises in other component choices, although I would love to be proven wrong.

As you said Torn Mind, his requirements are not high which suggests a slow upgrade cycle... so why not just get the FX-6300 and the SSD if that means staying in budget?

mfenn - I can't believe you're labeling yourself a cheap bastard while being OK with going over budget. 😕
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I think mfenn was only talking about just the CPU+mobo combo in his second paragraph.

He does get some perspective on how far over budget he would have to go in order to get an i5 rig with all the frills. While he almost certainly will not purchase all of this at once, he could buy the rig minus the HDD and purchase the storage drive at some time in the future, where his budget would be more flexible.

If he doesn't want to do that, no harm is done and he can just decide on the CPU+mobo combo.
 
lehtv said:
mfenn - I can't believe you're labeling yourself a cheap bastard while being OK with going over budget. 😕
Click to expand...

Huh? I said to go with your build which is $700 w/o KB/M. First paragraph was just addressing Torn Mind's first paragraphs in the abstract.
 
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