$700 Gaming Build- Now $450

[GreenOrbs]

Hi Everyone!

I would like to get a few comments on a possible build. In particular, I was wondering if I should go ahead and buy this or if you think prices will be lower around Thanksgiving.

Link:
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/GreenOrbs/saved/2pYe

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Standard Info:
1. What YOUR PC will be used for.

Gaming at 1080p over the next 2 years or so.

2. What YOUR budget is.

The build I am considering is currently priced at $700. I am willing to go up to about $1,000 if there are parts that give better value but the lower the better.

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

USA, (Newegg, Frys, Microcenter are all good options)

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

I will be running stock speeds.

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

Hoping to play at max settings 1080p but willing to turn down AA and stuff to get good frame rate.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

I want to know if I should build now or should I wait for Black Friday sales.

 

[Jaydip]

You can check the sticky for some really good builds
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841

you can drop the 7970 for 7950 without much performance loss.You can grab a 4570 and save on the processor unless you plan to oc.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

You stated microcenter as option for purchase. If you go that route you can get a 4670k with same ASRock mobo for $10.- less with combo deal. i5 4570 is nice but the K chip is better.

 

[Termie]

That's a great build.

Just three observations:
(1) The Corsair RAM is a bundle-only item. It's not clear to me that you have the appropriate bundle picked. I'd probably skip the big rebate anyway and find a 2x4GB kit for $60, if possible. Team makes a few.
(2) The MSI HD 7950 has the worst cooler of any HD7950, and may not be ideal for an mATX case. I'd consider spending $20 more for a Gigabyte or Sapphire, if they're available when you're buying.
(3) I'd spend an extra $10 to get the Samsung 840 Evo, over the standard 840. It's much faster.

Otherwise, an excellent build, very well-balanced, and will last you several years. Will prices go down by Thanksgiving? Sure, there will be Black Friday specials, but otherwise, no, these parts won't drop in price, and video cards will likely offer LESS performance/dollar, as the HD7900 series disappears from the market.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

That's a great build.

Just three observations:
(2) The MSI HD 7950 has the worst cooler of any HD7950, and may not be ideal for an mATX case. I'd consider spending $20 more for a Gigabyte or Sapphire, if they're available when you're buying.

I can attest to this as an owner. The cooling is barely adequate and loud under load. The 350d case will keep it cool enough. The noise is another matter. If you've ever had a 5870 reference card or GTX 570 single fan GPU then this is no louder. If you wear headphones to game you will be fine. Otherwise get a twin fan like Termie suggests.

 

[GreenOrbs]

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions. I have updated my build to include the Gigabyte card, the 2x4 RAM, and the 840 EVO and it now comes out to $720. Is it worth the extra $40 to go to a i5-4670k? I was reading that games are currently mostly GPU-limited.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/GreenOrbs/saved/2pZ9

I'm thinking about picking up parts with good sales on right now (PSU, Video Card, and CPU) and then waiting to see what happens for the other parts.

 

[Termie]

If the 4670K will cost you the same as the 4570, then it's worth it. In most games, with a 7950, there will be little if any difference in performance. By the way, make sure you get a bundled motherboard as well - your current list doesn't show that.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

$10.- cheaper card that may work too: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

 

[GreenOrbs]

Thanks, I went and looked on Newegg and I was wondering what's the difference between the PCS+ Powercolor one and the regular one you listed.

Also does anyone know if these cards will fit in a FT03 mini case? The FT03 mini is supposed to be able to take up to 10in cards. (EDIT: XFX one should fit at 9.4 in) I thought about doing that case but was afraid a mini-itx build would be too complicated for a novice builder. Do you think a first time builder could do it?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Boost seems to be the only major difference. One I linked has it PCS+ does not.

Any of the 7950's should fit fine in FT03 case.

mITX vs mATX isn't really a issue if you pick the right case. Check out this mATX case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811352027

The layout makes for easy gaming rig construction.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks, I went and looked on Newegg and I was wondering what's the difference between the PCS+ Powercolor one and the regular one you listed.

Also does anyone know if these cards will fit in a FT03 mini case? The FT03 mini is supposed to be able to take up to 10in cards. (EDIT: XFX one should fit at 9.4 in) I thought about doing that case but was afraid a mini-itx build would be too complicated for a novice builder. Do you think a first time builder could do it?

The FT03B-Mini will drive up the cost a fair bit. You're over $700 now, so you'd either need to cut back on the parts or go further over, your call.

As for difficulty, the FT03B-Mini isn't nearly as easy to build in as the 350D because of the FT03's unconventional layout. You'll need to spend some time planning out the order of the build, or resign yourself to redoing things a couple of times. Not impossible, but not something I'd necessarily recommend.

If you do want to go for it, I highly suggest that you get the system functional outside of the case first. You do not want to be undoing the jigsaw puzzle over and over while troubleshooting.

 

[GreenOrbs]

Just a quick update: I've gotten my price down to less than $450 now!
(items marked purchased are actual out of pocket cost) Had lots of fun scouring the internet after work for some pretty sweet deals.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/GreenOrbs/saved/2ClJ

I initially purchased a 7850 for 112 which I returned when I was able to get a hold of that Powercolor 7950 for only 130. Unfortunately, this means my PSU might not be sufficient (CX430m). Do y'all think that it will be okay?

I'm pretty set on mITX--but any advice on what CPU/mobo might be better would be appreciated. Just missing CPU, motherboard and case now. Should I try to buy now or wait till BF?

 

[richie656]

damn cheap price

 

[RayTheKing]

430 watts is more than enough. You're all good to go!

 

[mfenn]

The CX430M has 32A on the 12V rail, so it's a 384W power supply for all intents and purposes. A system with a 7950 will draw somewhere around 320W during gaming load, so the CX430 is cutting it a little close. At the very least, you'd need to use a Molex/SATA to PCIe power adapter.

 

[Termie]

I have used that power supply with my GTX670 on a 4670K system without problems. But as mfenn noted, you need a molex adapter. Now, if you attempted to overvolt and overclock that 7950 to 1200MHz, you'd be in big trouble, but that doesn't seem to be in your plans.

 

[GreenOrbs]

Thanks for the comments guys-I didn't know that I'd need a molex adapter.

Edit: Deleted questions as all parts are purchased! =D ($438 Final Price)

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/GreenOrbs/saved/2ClJ

I decided to go for a small micro-atx case thats about 4inches taller than the mini-ITX node. My opinion is that mATX was probably a good choice since it allowed me to upgrade to a FX-6300. I think I did pretty well on this guy price-wise. Decided not to wait till Black Friday and just went with it.

 

[AViking]

Some of those prices are half what I can find them for. How did you get deals like that?

 

[GreenOrbs]

I got some of those those prices by very carefully combining price matches, coupons, sales and rebates. I had to speak with customer service of Newegg, Staples, and Amazon to get these prices. If you're friendly and reasonable those guys are usually willing to help--never come off as desperate or begging for a low price or you won't get it.

For example, $132 7950 was achieved by purchasing at $190 with a $30 rebate and 5% cash back from credit card. Next day there was a 10% of entire order and I asked if they could retroactively add it. Staples had a nice $15 off 50 that I used on the memory and SSD ($50 clearance of the drive-$15). Was really popular cause it made the frontpage of slickdeals so I had to call customer service to get the order to go through. Stuff like that. For my laptop, I convinced Amazon to price match the $15 coupon--so I picked up a 128 SSD for 65ish (though it helps that I've recently spent over $1000 on other things).

Yea, sure I can afford a typical midrange budget of around $800-1k. But the hunt for bargains is half the fun! And it feels really nice when you do get them.

PS: Anandtech forums and Slickdeals were a big help. I checked them a lot before and after work when I was searching. =D

 

[GreenOrbs]

My first build all assembled except for the RAM! Pictures Below...

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3397/ge97.jpg
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5250/dg2j.jpg

So, my memory didn't arrive when it was supposed to. Staples was like "oops we didn't even ship it." They offered me a discount as recompense bringing down the price per stick of 4gb ram to $3.50. However, it won't get here for another two weeks! I'm getting impatient so I am thinking about just buying another pair. Would it be okay to say run a 2x4Gb 1600 pair and then later add a 2x4 1333 pair? Edit: Price of those would really kill my budget build though. Would 2x1gb work as a second pair with the 2x4s?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Staples just plain sucks for ordering parts from. Just be patient. Mixing memory speeds and capacities can create headaches and you would be spending money you don't have to.