Time for a new build after 8 years!

[crashtech]

You posted 2 benchmarks. The i3 kills it one (cinebench, which is totally useless based on the application list in the OP), and the ancient Q6600 destroys it in the other (POV-Ray, which is equally useless). Looks like a draw to me, which is not what I would spend $600 on.

If the system you are upgrading to isn't faster across the board in everything than your 8 year old system, don't spend the money unless there are certain non-performance based features you need with a new platform.

Again, you also have to consider how this system will perform 4 or 5 years from now. Gaming is moving beyond dual core now, and the only applications the OP uses that need anything more than an entry level APU are games. An i3 Haswell is already massive overkill for email and internet surfing. You will not want to be using a dual core system for gaming 5 years from now.


Lastly, I don't care what someone recommended earlier. The OP didn't have an SSD in the last configuration he posted. Considering, he's the one buying the computer for himself, his is the only config that matters.

It's very normal to dig heels in when presented with evidence that contradicts your beliefs. I think we all fall prey to confirmation bias. I am the worst one I know at this, chiefly because I know myself best. Even recently I got pulled into a very shameful exchange over an idea of which I still am having trouble letting go.

But it's time to let the Core2 Quad go. It had its place in the sun. It led the charge for a paradigm shift that continues to this day, the idea that quad cores are the future of computing. Core2's time has come and gone, the IPC of their once advanced cores hopelessly outmatched by today's CPUs. An idea that had such resonance and such lasting implications deserves recognition and respect, but there also needs to be a constant acknowledgment that these ideas become obsolete nearly as fast as we can internalize them. An interesting time in which to live, to be sure.

 

[VirtualLarry]

But it's time to let the Core2 Quad go. It had its place in the sun. It led the charge for a paradigm shift that continues to this day, the idea that quad cores are the future of computing. Core2's time has come and gone, the IPC of their once advanced cores hopelessly outmatched by today's CPUs. An idea that had such resonance and such lasting implications deserves recognition and respect, but there also needs to be a constant acknowledgment that these ideas become obsolete nearly as fast as we can internalize them. An interesting time in which to live, to be sure.

I generally agree, as I am replacing my primary rigs (was Q9300 @ 3.0, now i3 @ 3.4), but is the OP's Q6600 OCed? For gaming, the i3 is clearly faster, but for productivity, I'm not so sure, if it's OCed.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Since the original poster said there's a canadacomputers and shoprbc close by, for the whirl of it, I decided to take a look at the lists again.
Taking the cheapest of the two:
from canadacomputers
MSI H81M-P33 motherboard $45
Antec VSK-4000E-U3 or Enermax CLIPEUS ECA3212-BL case $40
Mushkin Redline memory $90
Seagate 1TB hard drive $60
from shoprbc
Antec Basiq VP-450 power supply $41
Intel i3-4130 processor $123
free copy of Linux (like Ubuntu): FREE
no video card at the present time: NO COST YET
So, $45 + $40 + $90 + $60 + $41 + $123 = $399
I chose the i3-4130 instead of the i3-4150 because I couldn't see when I checked the MSI web site if the BIOS would take the newer CPU.
However, I'm about to make some comments some people may disagree with. For whatever reason, I seemed to be able to find more negative comments on several memory brands but fewer negative comments on Kingston. So, I would take the Kingston from ShopRBC at $93 instead.
The other debatable comment I can make is there was some article posted on the reliability of different HD brands (on over 19,000 HDs). Western Digital came out ahead of Seagate. So I'd choose the WD HD. (Again, this is a human decision, not totally scientific.) Price is still $60.
Another thing is the case. I have a CoolerMaster K280 and find it's great for the money. Tastes are personal though so who knows. Anyway, this would require paying for shipping from Infonec on top of the $42 cost.
This would mean adding $3 plus maybe $10 for shipping for a total of $412. However, if I wanted to change the i3-4130 for an i5-4670, the total cost would be $518 (if 4670 was bought at canadacomputers).
For $518, you'd have a complete, working machine that allows you to learn how to build a computer. And with an i5 and 8GB of RAM, all you have to do is wait for Win9 and a Directx12 video card.
As a passing comment, the Kingston KHX18C10K2/8 RAM (slightly faster timings) I bought at newegg.ca. I thought the shipping for HDs was excellent at newegg.ca

NOTE: For those wanting an even cheaper computer, you could choose 4GB of RAM instead. This would not be ideal for future video games. And won't be ideal if you want to add more in the future and DDR3 RAM becomes expensive once DDR4 is out. Also note this does include a $20 DVD burner or $60 Blu-ray burner. Also note that the onboard video for the 4130 and 4150 is the HD4400 while for the 4670 (or 4690), it's the HD4600.

EDIT: I just realized something. At $518, you can still add a $130 video card. Whether it's the Nvidia or the AMD, it wouldn't matter if you upgrade next year. You'd be just under $650 still. Haha.
MSI H81M-P33 motherboard $45
CoolerMaster K280 case $42 (plus maybe $10 in shipping)
Kingston memory $93
Western Digital 1TB hard drive $60
Antec Basiq VP-450 power supply $41
Intel i5-4670 processor $229
whichever video card you choose $130 (maybe)
$45 + $52 + $93 + $60 + $41 + $229 + $130 = $650
(Actually, I think there may have been a chance to transfer your copy of Windows to your new comp.)

 

[fretman]

Just out of curiosity fretman. You say you are replacing an 8 year old system. Is the Q6600 the original CPU you had in that system? That CPU is only about 7 years old, and it was $850 at release. How much did you pay for your current system? Couple that with an 8800GTS going for about $300 8 years ago, and that was no $600 budget system like you are trying to replace it with now.

I found my receipt. My system is only 7 years old...got it in 2007. Paid just over $300 for the Q6600 and just over $450 for the video card. Everything was new. Current system including taxes is just under 2K. But I bought the system back then thinking that I would do alot more with it and that never happened. Never got into the gaming and my regular computing needs never warranted such a system back then. Now I know what I want to do going forward so a budget build is what I need.

 

[fretman]

Thanks again to everone for their on-going comments and suggestions. I am seriously now considering the I5. Yes, I am on the fence even though I thought I had my mind made up with the AMD A10-7850 and then the Intel I3-4150. But this is kind of fun too. I kind of enjoy researching all of these parts that everyone is mentioning. Just realize how out of touch I am with computer parts today.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Yeah, something you may overlook is the rear panel output of the motherboard (how many USB/audio jacks etc.). And then how many USB 3.0 or 2.0 (if needed) ports there are in the front of the case and where they're located (easy to reach).

At least when you build a system, you know you'll likely have that DARN reset button! :evilgrin:

 

[fretman]

Yeah, something you may overlook is the rear panel output of the motherboard (how many USB/audio jacks etc.). And then how many USB 3.0 or 2.0 (if needed) ports there are in the front of the case and where they're located (easy to reach).

At least when you build a system, you know you'll likely have that DARN reset button! :evilgrin:

Correct...the Antec case I wanted had USB 3.0 ports in the front, but the MOBO I chose didn't have a USB 3.0 header. I think you swayed me toward the I5.

 

[mfenn]

You posted 2 benchmarks. The i3 kills it one (cinebench, which is totally useless based on the application list in the OP), and the ancient Q6600 destroys it in the other (POV-Ray, which is equally useless). Looks like a draw to me, which is not what I would spend $600 on.

If the system you are upgrading to isn't faster across the board in everything than your 8 year old system, don't spend the money unless there are certain non-performance based features you need with a new platform.

Again, you also have to consider how this system will perform 4 or 5 years from now. Gaming is moving beyond dual core now, and the only applications the OP uses that need anything more than an entry level APU are games. An i3 Haswell is already massive overkill for email and internet surfing. You will not want to be using a dual core system for gaming 5 years from now.


Lastly, I don't care what someone recommended earlier. The OP didn't have an SSD in the last configuration he posted. Considering, he's the one buying the computer for himself, his is the only config that matters.

There's something weird going on in that POV-Ray result, the score simply does not make sense compared to the other i3's. Here's a comparison of the Q6600 with the one generation old i3 3220.

The i3 is better except in one Excel benchmark. If anything, these benchmarks are far too kind to the Q6600 because many of them scale linearly with cores, which is something that games do not do. Applications with a single dominant thread will look more like the single-threaded results.

 

[mfenn]

I really cannot fathom why people in this thread are recommending quad-cores and no graphics card to someone whose stated goal is to play a brand new idtech5 game like W:NO. This flies in the face of all logic when specing out a gaming PC.

Would an i5 and an R9 GPU be great? Absolutely they would. But given that the OP has $600 CDN to spend including OS, you have to be realistic. I've yet to see anybody top Ken's build on the first page in terms of a functional gaming PC that doesn't require the OP to pour extra money in just to meet his basic requirements.

 

[chusteczka]

Maybe the OP could borrow a current high-end video card from a friend to see if that would be enough to kick his current DDR2 system up to a satisfying level?

 

[coolpurplefan]

I'm just talking about a gradual approach. I'm now guessing the motivation is this: the OP spent 2K on a computer (s)he later found was excessive for the needs. So maybe the OP is really trying to justify every penny in the build.

I suppose there are some little details that haven't been said. The difference I found with black and blue WD HDs is that for the 500GB model, you don't get 64MB of cache on the blue model. So, the black 500GB has the advantage over the blue. For the 1TB model, both black and blue have a 64MB cache. And tests I've seen show both around the same. The major advantage though of black might be that the warranty is longer. And they allegedly ship you a replacement model faster when you ship a black (versus blue).

If you use a power supply calculator and find you're under the max for your power supply I actually find that good. Why? Because for whatever reason, I found on an old Enermax power supply I had that it ran real hot when playing games. Once I got a 500 watt Seasonic, it ran cooler (with a different mobo etc.). And I read heat is the number #1 factor destroying electronic equipment.

One of the reasons I like the CoolerMaster K280 case is it has a mesh front. But that means you can hear the fans a lot more. So, that's why I casually said the CoolerMaster GeminII M4 heatsink for the CPU (that takes a 120mm fan) and additional 120mm Nexus fans may be a more "pleasant" solution. The K280 also has the power, reset button, headphone jack and USB ports on top so it's easier to reach sitting down. I have an old case where I have to bend down to do the same.

The Nvidia card uses less power than the AMD and also is recommended for people who do video rendering.

And from the research I did, apparently the Intel LAN works very good.

Regarding the audio, as far as I know it's Realtek ALC1150 > Realtek ALC892 > Realtek ALC887 (the last one supposedly being crap). Now some say Realtek is more "compatible". What does that mean? I can only imagine maybe some people have tried different games and didn't have a pleasant experience with some sound cards (or maybe their drivers). Since the ALC1150 is allegedly good enough to replace a sound card, then you may not have to worry about it being "compatible". The AsRock Fatal1ty H97 (and H87) Performance motherboard has the Intel LAN and the Realtek ALC1150 audio.
I don't want to compel you to get a more expensive board. I'm just throwing that out there.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Fatal1ty H97 Performance/

The MSI H97 GAMING 3 has Realtek ALC1150 audio but a different kind of LAN if you wanted a comparison model.
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/H97_GAMING_3.html#hero-specification

 

[fretman]

I agree. Ken's build was a great build and the reason why I moved away from the AMD A10-7850 and towards the I3. After thinking I had my mind set on my build selection and reading subsequent comments and knowing that I would probably not touch my new system for at least another 5 years, I started looking at the I5.

Well, I thought things over again, and you can all disagree with my line of thinking here...and yes, I know this is going to sound weird but, I can better justify to myself getting an $800 I5 system over a $600 I3 system.

Anyways, with the amount of overtime I've been doing, I'm going to increase my budget to $875. With my local tax rate here, this should still keep me below the 1K range and should hopefully get me a very nice complete I5 system to last me for the next five years.

Thanks.

 

[coolpurplefan]

I was going to recommend the same kind of AsRock motherboard I bought but I see there are mixed reviews (I'll cross my fingers for when I get my CPU lol). If you choose a micro ATX case, you could choose the Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H with the ALC892 audio. But the one I put on the list has ALC1150 (ATX). If you really want a hybrid drive, there are some Seagate models at $75 and $85 on newegg.ca (or elsewhere obviously).
CASE: CoolerMaster K280 (depending on who has the lowest shipping cost)
$42 http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=462408#
$53 http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tech_specs_NF6384797.html
Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H
$105 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16813128712
Western Digital 1TB HD
$65 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822236339
Kingston Hyper X 8GB RAM
$95 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820104422
CoolerMaster GeminII M4
$35 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-177-_-Product
Nexus 120mm fan
(3x) $10 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-008-_-Product
Intel i5-4690
$236 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16819116989
Windows 8.1
$100 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16832416776
Seasonic SII 520 watt
$70 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817151094
GIGABYTE GV-R726XWF2-2GD REV2 Radeon R7 260X 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
This one has heatpipes on it. If the fan fails, you'll have protection from the heatpipes.
$155 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814125486
Great, I just went over $900. Why is it that I always end up overbudget?

 

[crashtech]

Anyways, with the amount of overtime I've been doing, I'm going to increase my budget to $875. With my local tax rate here, this should still keep me below the 1K range and should hopefully get me a very nice complete I5 system to last me for the next five years.

Thanks.

I think that is a wise decision. Most people that study the price/performance ratio can't escape the conclusion that value is maximized near the new budget you have set. May I again refer you to the midrange build thread as a starting point? It's now not very far off from where you want to be. Some minor tweaks and you are there.

 

[Ketchup]

..... Anyways, with the amount of overtime I've been doing, I'm going to increase my budget to $875. With my local tax rate here, this should still keep me below the 1K range and should hopefully get me a very nice complete I5 system to last me for the next five years.

Thanks.

Good move. Bump Ken's build to 8 GB of RAM and an I5 and you should be golden.

 

[fretman]

Thanks to all again. I did make some concrete decisions finally.
1. I will avoid MSI boards. I had to return a couple of them in the past. My current ASUS board has not given me any issues. Therefore, I will try and stay with ASUS or GigaByte. I don't know too much about the ASRock boards.
2. I looked at the recommended cases (Cooler, Silverstone) but not too fond of the design. I'm going to go with one that has cleaner lines.
3. I may bump up the memory from 1333. Not sure what to max out at though. Will read and do some more research on how much the memory affects the overall performance of the computer.
4. Will definitely settle on the I5. There is no turning back now.
5. I may upgrade the video card if budget allows. Max would be $200.
6. Still up in the air about Windows 7 or 8.

Man, I am so indecisive

 

[coolpurplefan]

I just realized you could still use a free Linux distribution to run the computer and still be "in-budget" until you want to pay for Windows 8.1. (Or, maybe even run Linux until Windows 9 comes out then buy that.)

When I install a motherboard, I usually prefer to install the CPU and heatsink first. A pea-sized amount of thermal grease is what I think it takes. Not a tiny amount, I mean like the actual size of a pea. Then I push one side at a time when pushing the RAM in. As far as I know, some people say to use the black slots if you only have one pair. The pair goes into the same color slots. Oh wait, I also like to install the PSU in the case before installing the mobo.

You can check the BIOS once you start to look if you have the correct speed and voltage for your memory and CPU.

I read in the long term, you have have some errors on solid state drives. That's why I did not include an SSD.

EDIT: Looking at this cases, which one do you like? The Antec VSK-4000E-U3 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_112&item_id=061841
or the Thermaltake Versa II http://www.shoprbc.com/ca/shop/product_details.php?pid=90064

I don't know why you're stuck on 1333MHz RAM. The 1866MHz RAM I posted can run at 1600MHz at 1.5V. 1600MHz is the max for a stock Haswell CPU and I read 1.5V is recommended for Haswell CPUs. It also has 9-9-9 timings at that speed. That build I just posted above with the Seasonic PSU is the highest quality build I posted. It also has the faster AMD card if you're so inclined to go that route. (I'd be tempted by the GTX 750Ti with the heatpipes like the Gigabyte GV-N75TOC-2GI for $172 at http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tech_specs_NF6455544.html or you can find it elsewhere (for the power savings and the video rendering).
You could also check out amazon.ca if they have free shipping on some items.
Oops, the same card is also here for $160 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125502

 

[chusteczka]

Motherboard: Asus and Gigabyte are both mature brands. ASRock offers many features but is still working out a few small bugs, from my limited experience. A couple years ago I decided to quit Asus due to three failed boards and switched to Gigabyte. Gigabyte has been solid. Yet my experience is with AMD chipsets and cpu's, not Intel.

Memory: Optimal memory speed is 1866, followed closely by 1600. I think you will do yourself a minor disservice if you purchase 1333. Especially since prices are so close.

The Intel i5 is a good choice and a $200 video card is right in that sweet spot of performance/cost, IMO.

I also think it is good that you raised your budget, for the same reasons mentioned above.

Regarding the operating system, I now recommend Win8.1. I used to purchase Win7 for builds but have recently reached comfort with Win8.1 where Win7 feels old and out of date.

 

[coolpurplefan]

I've been trying Windows 7 (32 bit because it's a machine with 2GB of RAM) and it can play Unreal Tournament (1999), Unreal Tournament 2004, Unreal Tournament 3, Battlefield 2 and 3 (haven't tried 4).

If you look at post #63, you can research every single item I posted there (and the two cases and video card I put in post #67).

EDIT: I also would not recommend overclocking as I read more than once it can cause long term damage. (And uses way more power.)

 

[Pariah]

I was going to recommend the same kind of AsRock motherboard I bought but I see there are mixed reviews (I'll cross my fingers for when I get my CPU lol). If you choose a micro ATX case, you could choose the Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H with the ALC892 audio. But the one I put on the list has ALC1150 (ATX). If you really want a hybrid drive, there are some Seagate models at $75 and $85 on newegg.ca (or elsewhere obviously).
CASE: CoolerMaster K280 (depending on who has the lowest shipping cost)
$42 http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=detail&id=462408#
$53 http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tech_specs_NF6384797.html
Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H
$105 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16813128712
Western Digital 1TB HD
$65 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822236339
Kingston Hyper X 8GB RAM
$95 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820104422
CoolerMaster GeminII M4
$35 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-177-_-Product
Nexus 120mm fan
(3x) $10 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-008-_-Product
Intel i5-4690
$236 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16819116989
Windows 8.1
$100 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16832416776
Seasonic SII 520 watt
$70 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817151094
GIGABYTE GV-R726XWF2-2GD REV2 Radeon R7 260X 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5
This one has heatpipes on it. If the fan fails, you'll have protection from the heatpipes.
$155 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814125486
Great, I just went over $900. Why is it that I always end up overbudget?

You're adding in bells and whistles that aren't needed. That's where the budget breaking occurs. You're not building an enthusiasts system, you're building a system that will run at stock clock rates and be expected to run for years without issue.
$35 on a heatsink? Why? The one that comes with the CPU is great for stock clocks (I own multiple, almost silent)
$30 on case fans? The case comes with a 120mm which is sufficient. At most buy one fan for an exhaust.
I know it isn't top of the line, but the RAM is still overkill. The amount is far more important than the speed for a system. There is plenty of quality 4x2 RAM in the $80 range.
i5-4690 isn't necessary. A couple 100 MHz boost, everything else being equal is not maximizing value. Drop down to a i5-4460 for a $33 savings. The two extra cores is what you are looking to help extend useful life. Unless you are going for an unlocked k version there is no practical reason to buy above the bottom of the CPU family (same cores/cache).

That's over a $100 in savings with minimal performance loss.

After that, I would replace the hard drive listed with a 256GB Crucial MX100 SSD for $110, which would still keep you under budget factoring in the above savings. I can't stress enough how much faster a computer with an SSD feels compared to a traditional hard drive.

Edit: Nevermind about the SSD. I didn't tally the cost of the quoted system and realize he was way over $900 at $986. If you add in the $113 in saving I gave, you sneak under the $875 budget at $873.

 

[Pariah]

Good move. Bump Ken's build to 8 GB of RAM and an I5 and you should be golden.

Ditto. Double the RAM and replace the CPU with an i5-4460 which will boost you into the $730 range. Then fill out your budget with the best video card you can fit in it.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Antec VSK-4000E-U3 ATX case
$40 http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_112&item_id=061841
Gigabyte GA-H97-D3H
$105 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16813128712
Western Digital 1TB HD
$65 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822236339
Kingston Hyper X 8GB RAM (LOOK BELOW FOR REPLACEMENT)
$95 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820104422
CoolerMaster GeminII M4 (NOT REQUIRED)
$35 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-177-_-Product
Nexus 120mm fan (depends on # of fans in case)
(3x) $10 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-008-_-Product
Intel i5-4690
$236 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16819116989
Seasonic SII 520 watt
$70 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817151094
GIGABYTE GV-N75TOC-2GI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128-Bit
$160 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814125502
Windows 8.1
$100 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16832416776
$40 (case) + $105 (mobo) + $65 (HD) + $95 (RAM) + $35 (heatsink) + $30 (fans) + $236 (CPU) + $70 (PSU) + $160 (video card) + $100 (OS) = $936
OK, that means you can use Linux and buy an OS later.
(Estimate with tax and shipping is $1078.)
EDIT: Actually, taking off the heatsink and fans would get you at $1005.
ANOTHER EDIT: OK, this might be new RAM because I believe I didn't see it before. It's very close to the performance of the other RAM listed above and it's $80. It's Kingston HX318C10FRK2/8 http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820104468
link to document: http://www.kingston.com/datasheets/HX318C10FRK2_8.pdf
So that would put you now under $1000 total which you wanted to be.
There you'd have very fast CPU, fast RAM, Gigabyte mobo, Gigabyte video card and high quality Seasonic power supply. You can't top that much in my opinion. Everything extra is just fluff to me (except I never tried an SSD). (I'm referring to an i7 and dual video cards, water cooling etc.)
If you remove the heatsink and two fans, add the lower-cost RAM and deleted the OS and use Linux for a while, you could always buy that SSD recommended earlier. OK, I really have to stop watching this thread.
Before I drive everyone crazy, I'll post some cases here so you can see what you like:
Thermaltake Versa H22
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133250
Thermaltake Chaser A21
http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tech_specs_EIDB4B867N0XO23.html
CoolerMaster N400
http://www.cendirect.com/main_en/tech_specs_NF6384788.html
Of course you can search for these on other sites.

 

[crashtech]

Might as well throw my 2 cents into the ring!

Antec Three Hundred:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16811129042

Team Zeus Blue 8GB:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820313435

SAPPHIRE Radeon R9 270X:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814202050

Western Digital WD Green 2TB:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822236404

LG ODD :
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16827136270

Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W :
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817182200

i5-4430:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-895-_-Product

ASRock H97M:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16813157525

Windows 8.1 64-bit:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16832416776

All from the same site for brevity's sake, $903. The power supply is overkill because I think it's better that way, especially if you upgrade later to a power hungry GPU.

EDIT: I should probably mention that if I was true to my own personal philosophy regarding the best dollar allocation for a gaming rig, I would probably shift the CPU down to an i3-4330, and the GPU up to an R9 280X. This is a controversial choice, so I stick with the received wisdom when recommending builds. But I think those who do the research as far as game benchmarks of the games they want to play at the resolutions they want to play at, very often the higher-end GPU overcomes the CPU deficit and translates into a better looking and better playing experience. And the CPU can of course be upgraded at any time.

 

[mfenn]

I just realized you could still use a free Linux distribution to run the computer and still be "in-budget" until you want to pay for Windows 8.1. (Or, maybe even run Linux until Windows 9 comes out then buy that.)

W:NO doesn't run on Linux, and that's one of the things that the OP has stated he wants to do right away. So, the cost of Windows needs to be figured into the budget.

I read in the long term, you have have some errors on solid state drives. That's why I did not include an SSD.

That logic simply does not make sense. In the long term, you're going to have errors on every storage device, SSD, HDD, FDD, ODD, doesn't matter, it'll eventually fail. That's not a good reason to avoid the SSD considering the performance benefits. Not being able to fit an SSD into the budget is a good reason to get an HDD though.

 

[mfenn]

You're adding in bells and whistles that aren't needed. That's where the budget breaking occurs. You're not building an enthusiasts system, you're building a system that will run at stock clock rates and be expected to run for years without issue.

Agree 100%. There's no point in posting builds that cost over a grand when the OP's budget is $875. We're here to help the OP find something within his budget, not to upsell him.

Here's an edit to Ken's original build with the recommended parts changes. It comes in under $875.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($197.58 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($82.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($82.44 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB TurboDuo Video Card ($179.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $857.45
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available