First Build $700 Gaming

OCForums,

Hello. I put together a ~$700 build for a computer I mostly intend to use for gaming while listening to music in the background.

Peripherals are already taken care of (monitor, keyboard, mouse, and sound system), as well as the OS.

As another note, overclocking is a little over my head.

I appreciate any and all advice

Here is my build:

DvD/CD burner:
LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Case:
Cooler Master HAF 912
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Hard Drive:
HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299

Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

Video Card:
SAPPHIRE 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948
(this comes with a $50 off gift card)

Power Supply:
CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028

RAM:
Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model PGV38G1333ELK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220466

CPU:
Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074

OS:
Windows 7 Professional 64 (or 32 if that would do better for some reason)

Price Tag:
$774 including S&H

I appreciate any and all advice.

EDIT: Anything I can skimp on a bit to lower the price tag?

some nice parts there but you may run into 1 issue...

you have listed the M/B as a "GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard" which is an AMD CPU required motherboard

but you have listed the CPU as an "Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400" which is an Intel CPU.

unfortunately these will not go together. you will need to either get an Intel M/B for the Intel CPU or an AMD CPU for the AMD M/B

here is an Intel M/B alternative:
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

here is an AMD CPU alternative:
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851

hope it helps

That is helpful, thanks! I'll probably go with the Intel build since people seem to go with Intel when it comes to gaming, unless my understanding is off.

I found someone making a similar build somewhere else and everyone has said that getting an SSD is the most efficient way to increase your performance.

I’m willing to spend about an extra $100 over the top of this build, how would you guys spend the money to improve it?

Also relevant is that I’ve heard about some good deals from Microcenter nearby and that they have good deals.

AMD phenom ii 955 BE - $125
BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard -$53
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 -$40
Corsair Force Series CSSD-F60GB2-BRKT-A 2.5" 60GB SSD - $100
HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $80
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $60
Rosewill Stallion Series RD500-2SB 500W ATX12V v2.2 Power Supply - $45
HIS H685FN1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - $137

Total: $640

I also suggest getting a CPU cooler (such as the Cooler Master Hyper 212+). Even at stock, it will keep your CPU cooler, it will be quieter, and one day you'll decide you want more performance, and you'll decide to overclock, at which point you'll need an aftermarket heat sink anyways.

Look it up, the Hyper 212+ is only $30 or so. EXCELLENT value.
Plus, mild overclocking isn't difficult at all, on any of today's current chips.

Your budget is putting you right into that dead zone of its over the really cheap $500 builds and its not quite at a good performance $8-900 build. You also missed a lot of the deals from the last cpl months and new stuff is about to start rolling out so building right now is kind of a bad time.

If you got a Microcenter near you you can get a 2500K for $180 if you want to do some OC'ing. I don't think they have any good deals on i5 combos right now but you can always check in store.

They are pretty much always running amd combos. You can get a 1090T combo from $160-220 depending on mb choice. Will be much better than a 955BE.

The reviews on that rosewill psu are surprisingly good. Probably one of the best $40 psu's out there. Most ppl here would not recommend going with something that budget on a component that could blow and take out your entire system. The cx600 has been getting some really bad reviews lately to so the build quality on it is looking like crap. The SeaSonic 620w is my new favorite budget psu personally.

Video... there are about to be a LOT of people upgrading. Meaning there are going to be some really good used deals in the forums soon. I wouldn't be surprised at seeing 6870's for $100. Maybe even 6950's for $150. But either way you go you basically get the performance you pay for. Pay more, get more.

Microcenter deals are the best, especially when they include $40-50 motherboard bundle discounts.

Rosewill Stallion is not a good choice.
The Corsair is a better choice CX600 or CX500.
Rosewill Capstone 450 modular at $62, or the Capstone 550 are top line.
Rosewill Green power supplies are not as good as the Capstone but much better than the Stallion, as are the Hive.

Biostar A880G+ open box at $53 vs $60 free shipping new seems a step back(if it comes without I/O shield cost benefit is lost), the "T" series mother boards are better. Do not see any, drat.
Asrock 880GM-LE is $60 shipped
Open box the Asus M4A88T-M LE is $77 reduced from $84 none available at $84.
Especially for overclocking.
Concur with aftermarket cooler.

For gaming the I3 2100 $110 newegg $109 Amazon out performs the AMD chip.
Biostar TH67+ for the Intel chip is $75 at newegg with $15 MIR.
Open box: Biostar H61MGC is $40

Biostar isn't that good plz don't go with the biostar mobo go with asus, gigabyte, or MSI
Case that is a really good case yours it alright to but i really like this. and i would upgrade your processor to the 2500k

Horrerblade said:

Biostar isn't that good plz don't go with the biostar mobo go with asus, gigabyte, or MSI
Case that is a really good case yours it alright to but i really like this. and i would upgrade your processor to the 2500k

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I'd go with that HAF in a heartbeat over the Rosewill, but I guess I'm just a CM fan.

i only like the full tower haf cases with the black interiors i hate those silver interiors so that's why i went with rose will lol but yea

So I've gone a little overboard... Oops . Minus 50 from rebates.. but before shipping.. I threw in the 2100 as a placeholder. Frankly for gaming it'll do perfectly fine. Cannot be OC'd but it's a solid enough performer.. beats out the AMD 970 at stock I believe.. (in gaming).

The z68 board leaves room for upgrades on the CPU later. And is one of the best budget Z68 boards out. Just throwing in another idea.

Stick to Corsair for the PSU; and stick to your case choice. It's solid and cheap. Don't buy the rose will. >.>

Otherwise, good luck!

I buy and use Biostar motherboards, they are good budget boards so far, though they are all T-series, including a TH67B. Just fine thanks.

I own and built both the Rosewill Challenger and the Cooler Master 912. I like them both though they are entirely different.
The 912 is more industrial and wider, I wound up adding the two 200 mm fans for an extra $30, not that they are needed for a basic build. The Rosewill is lighter in build, more thought out, but less sturdy. Rosewill comes with three mild fans, good enough to start.

I have seen no reviews on the Rosewill Stallion by respected reviewers. Going by newegg reviews is dangerous.
The Corsair CX series is built on the 500watt platform, there were problems with the original CX600, should be CX600V2 now, but would probably look elsewhere for a 600.
The Rosewill Green series has tested well but is an older design.
The Rosewill Hive come from a good platform, the Capstone frome a very very good one.
Super Flower is oem.
It is silver efficiency, and is sold for more money in not modular form by several other power supply names.

The Asrock is a better motherboard, which is needed for overclocking. The I3, or an I5 2400 do not need it.
Though if you are using oem Windows 7 best start with a motherboard you want to keep.

Daleon said:

Your budget is putting you right into that dead zone of its over the really cheap $500 builds and its not quite at a good performance $8-900 build. You also missed a lot of the deals from the last cpl months and new stuff is about to start rolling out so building right now is kind of a bad time.

If you got a Microcenter near you you can get a 2500K for $180 if you want to do some OC'ing. I don't think they have any good deals on i5 combos right now but you can always check in store.

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^ +1

It's much better to spend extra and get into the $1000 'good system' range rather than be in the dead zone of making cuts and exceptions to hit 6-700. And then that 6-700 as mentioned is close to the $500 budget zone.

This particular point in time is going to be a bit awkward for anybody doing any kind of budget build for a few reasons:

You just missed the boxing week sales and supplies are still slightly limited until restocking is fully done

A new card line is rolling out from AMD, which will shift around some prices on other hardware

Hard drive prices are ludicrously high at the moment due to flooding in Asia, with few exceptions that are just obscenely, and not quite ludicrously high, ie, drives made in mainland China.

Intel will release a new mainstream cpu and chipset line in April, at which time Nvidia will likely roll out their next card line as well.

So you're in a sort of crazy whirlwind situation of buy now, wait, don't, this is too high, this is hard to find, this might be cheaper if I wait, etc.

My suggestion is to budget at least $1000 and go for a 2500K build and at least a 6870, preferably a 6950. The Asrock Extreme 3 is a good budget motherboard that still delivers good overclocking ability and solid performance. Enough people are running them issue free for them to be as recommendable at this point as the Extreme 4 was formerly (and still is). Get a Hyper 212+ cpu cooler for $25 and move the CPU up to 4.5 or 4.6Ghz too.

woboy said:

I have seen no reviews on the Rosewill Stallion by respected reviewers. Going by newegg reviews is dangerous.

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^+1. Newegg reviews are always seemingly written by people who've never built a PC before, got it up and running, and instantly assumed everything was a five star part. I would put no clout in them whatsoever.