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Building a rig for my cousin

2K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  Tarun 
#1 ·
Hello all as the title says I'm trying to help my cousin build a cheap gaming rig. He plays games like tf2, l4d, and wants to be able to at least run bf3. He doesnt have a 1080p monitor right now but may be getting one later. He also is not getting a new gpu (I think he has like a 9000 series nvidia card with 512mb vram) at this time even though ive told him he needs a new gpu and doesnt have to spend a boat load on it. Price range is around $500.
Components he needs:
-Case
-PSU
-CPU
-Mobo
-RAM
-HDD
Im just wondering what deals or suggestions the people here at OCN might have. Thanks everyone.
 
#2 ·
I'm thinking that $500 is not enough. You will need around $800 to build a decent rig capable of playing BF3. He will not be playing BF3 on that old outdated GPU. He NEEDS a new one. I can make you a build log but at the current price range, I just don't see it.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tman5293 View Post

I'm thinking that $500 is not enough. You will need around $800 to build a decent rig capable of playing BF3. He will not be playing BF3 on that old outdated GPU. He NEEDS a new one. I can make you a build log but at the current price range, I just don't see it.
This. No way you're going to be able to build a bf3 rig for $500.
 
#4 ·
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128504
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182073
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220436
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103940
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZOTAC-P-N-ZT-40404-10P-GEFORCE-GTX-460-768MB-PCI-E-NEW-/170743363669?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item27c118f855#ht_500wt_1156
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131434

This is pretty much on budget other then hard drive. I suggest getting a 64gb samsung 830 series drive for OS and use a old hard drive for storage. Hard drive prices are really insane right now. Find a good deal for one, I wouldnt get a hard drive from newegg right now.

This machine will play BF3 fine. gtx460 is faster then the 6770 BTW.

If hard drives didnt cost so much it would be easy to get a pc that can play BF3 for $550
Your gonna need to spend the $600 for all of this(adding your own Hard drive pick of course). I wouldn't waste time using a old videocard.
 
#5 ·
Hmmm, $46 shipped for an NZXT Gamma? That's higher than usual. Used to be $36 shipped on Amazon. Get it there, by the way - it's closer to $40 shipped now but savings are nicely worth it.

The 750W Capstone is I think back to its regular $120 price now. Even then for a $500 budget that is a ridiculously bad choice for a balanced budget rig - with $500, wouldn't you save and get the RG630 while putting more of that money towards CPU & GPU?

I don't like the Hyper 212 EVO and don't recommend it - its older cousin, the Hyper 212+, outperforms it for less. For less than $35 shipped you can get a Sunbeam Twister 120 with 2 120MM fans - this is a heatsink that well outperforms the 212 EVO and outperforms the 212+ as well.
 
#6 ·
All right, lemme show y'all how a budget gaming rig is made!

CPU: Athlon II X4 640 (3.0GHz, 4C/4T) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871
Memory: 8GB G.Skill DDR3-1333 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426
PSU: Antec Earthwatts Green 380W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033
GPU: XFX Radeon 6790 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150564
Mobo: ASRock M3A770DE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176
HDD: 1TB 7200 RPM Seagate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
Case: Thermaltake V3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133094

Total cost: $544 before rebate. Will play BF3 just fine -- I've set this exact machine up for friends who are currently enjoying BF3 at high settings.

The PSU might seem a little "weak" but it's a quality, 80+ certified 380W unit from Antec. I've used this PSU in about 6 PCs, each used for heavy gaming every day. It's a tough little guy. Only disadvantage is that Crossfire or even a more powerful dual 6pin connector GPU is out of the question. But hey, for the machine it'll be powering, it'll do the job and do it well.

The board isn't AM3+, but I've had a lot of success with the M3A770DE -- I've bought 15+ of them and used them in builds for people...not a single problem after over a year. Lots of expansion slots, onboard NIC and audio are good, just...a great board.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tman5293 View Post

I'm thinking that $500 is not enough. You will need around $800 to build a decent rig capable of playing BF3. He will not be playing BF3 on that old outdated GPU. He NEEDS a new one. I can make you a build log but at the current price range, I just don't see it.
I really disagree with you!
wink.gif
 
#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeassa View Post

All right, lemme show y'all how a budget gaming rig is made!
CPU: Athlon II X4 640 (3.0GHz, 4C/4T) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103871
Memory: 8GB G.Skill DDR3-1333 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426
PSU: Antec Earthwatts Green 380W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033
GPU: XFX Radeon 6790 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150564
Mobo: ASRock M3A770DE http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176
HDD: 1TB 7200 RPM Seagate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
Case: Thermaltake V3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133094
Total cost: $544 before rebate. Will play BF3 just fine -- I've set this exact machine up for friends who are currently enjoying BF3 at high settings.
ok keep the psu
lose the gpu
lose the mobo
lose the case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061
better case and less shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128504
better board, will overclock better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220436
better ram dont need any more then 4gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103940
Better cpu, overclocks higher.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Better cpu cooler, Will let you overclock it to a nice speed while staying cool
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161377
Dont skimp on a video card, This will make the computer last. This has a 256bit bus making it perfect for 1080p gaming. This will let you play BF3 on high on 1080p
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by DzillaXx View Post

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128504
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182073
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220436
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103940
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZOTAC-P-N-ZT-40404-10P-GEFORCE-GTX-460-768MB-PCI-E-NEW-/170743363669?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item27c118f855#ht_500wt_1156
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131434
This is pretty much on budget other then hard drive. I suggest getting a 64gb samsung 830 series drive for OS and use a old hard drive for storage. Hard drive prices are really insane right now. Find a good deal for one, I wouldnt get a hard drive from newegg right now.
This machine will play BF3 fine. gtx460 is faster then the 6770 BTW.
If hard drives didnt cost so much it would be easy to get a pc that can play BF3 for $550
Your gonna need to spend the $600 for all of this(adding your own Hard drive pick of course). I wouldn't waste time using a old videocard.
Where's the CPU?
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by DzillaXx View Post

ok keep the psu
lose the gpu
lose the mobo
lose the case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061
better case and less shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128504
better board, will overclock better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220436
better ram dont need any more then 4gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103940
Better cpu, overclocks higher.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
Better cpu cooler, Will let you overclock it to a nice speed while staying cool
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161377
Dont skimp on a video card, This will make the computer last. This has a 256bit bus making it perfect for 1080p gaming. This will let you play BF3 on high on 1080p
I had a 6790 as well...but yours is a bit cheaper, so I'd definitely agree there.

For "future-proofing" a system, I'd go with 8GB of memory, even if it's slower. Also, sure, that CPU+cooler combo is "better", but it's also much more expensive. We're already over the edge of the OP's budget limit, so my aim is to stay as close to $500 as possible.

I don't agree that the mobo you picked is better. It's AM3+ compatible, so if the OP's cousin is likely to upgrade to a Bulldozer, then I could see it being "better", but it's pretty feature gimped. It's got 2x memory slots, which is MURDER, especially if you're only planning to stick 4GB in there at the outset. Kills upgradability. It's also using the 760G chipset, which is lower end than the 770 (and raises suspicion as to whether this board actually would support an AMD FX chip).

If the OP's cousin can afford it, I'd definitely say to go with your CPU + cooler recommendation, but I can't endorse that board or the RAM choice. Your board more expensive and lower quality. The RAM will bite him in the behind in a year or so and he'll have no place to upgrade if he goes with your board!
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeassa View Post

I had a 6790 as well...but yours is a bit cheaper, so I'd definitely agree there.
For "future-proofing" a system, I'd go with 8GB of memory, even if it's slower. Also, sure, that CPU+cooler combo is "better", but it's also much more expensive. We're already over the edge of the OP's budget limit, so my aim is to stay as close to $500 as possible.
I don't agree that the mobo you picked is better. It's AM3+ compatible, so if the OP's cousin is likely to upgrade to a Bulldozer, then I could see it being "better", but it's pretty feature gimped. It's got 2x memory slots, which is MURDER, especially if you're only planning to stick 4GB in there at the outset. Kills upgradability. It's also using the 760G chipset, which is lower end than the 770 (and raises suspicion as to whether this board actually would support an AMD FX chip).
If the OP's cousin can afford it, I'd definitely say to go with your CPU + cooler recommendation, but I can't endorse that board or the RAM choice. Your board more expensive and lower quality. The RAM will bite him in the behind in a year or so and he'll have no place to upgrade if he goes with your board!
Thing is most people are not going to upgrade stuff often. Its better to build up a ok rig now and ride it 4 years. A phenom x4 @ 3.6 or 3.8ghz will do him fine for another 4 years if need be. The gigabyte board is still the better OCing board and the phenom chip is a better overclocker as well it also has l3 cache what is helpful for gaming. And a Overclocked 6790 performs pretty well. 4GB of ram will still be plenty in the future. Plus Ram is cheap if they need more they can get better ram later. Stick out that hard ware for 2-3 years till the next gen consoles come out and the next big burst in game graphics takes storm.
 
#12 ·
$500 will EASILY buy a rig to play BF3 on medium/medium-high settings. Especially if you're not at 1080. Here's what I'd suggest:

Intel Corei3 2100 (124.00)
Any good 1155 mobo (100.00)
RAM (40.00)
GPU, get a gtx 460 for cheap. (150.00)
PSU (40.00)

Im not actually trying to build you out something here, but I'm just saying that this budget could feasibly do BF3.

Also aeassa has an excellent build. +rep. My sig rig has an Antec 380. Rock solid stable PSU!
thumb.gif
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by coachmark2 View Post

$500 will EASILY buy a rig to play BF3 on medium/medium-high settings. Especially if you're not at 1080. Here's what I'd suggest:
Intel Corei3 2100 (124.00)
Any good 1155 mobo (100.00)
RAM (40.00)
GPU, get a gtx 460 for cheap. (150.00)
PSU (40.00)
Im not actually trying to build you out something here, but I'm just saying that this budget could feasibly do BF3.
Also aeassa has an excellent build. +rep. My sig rig has an Antec 380. Rock solid stable PSU!
thumb.gif
better for gaming? yes
Better at multitasking? no

I would get the phenom x4, while it might have slower single thread performance. You can overclock the thing, at 3.6ghz it will be faster then a i3 2100. Also You get more cores.
gtx460 is faster then a 6790 but the 6790 can be overclocked to gtx460's speeds easy.
 
#14 ·
this should do ok at medium res here
480
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by DzillaXx View Post

Thing is most people are not going to upgrade stuff often. Its better to build up a ok rig now and ride it 4 years. A phenom x4 @ 3.6 or 3.8ghz will do him fine for another 4 years if need be. The gigabyte board is still the better OCing board and the phenom chip is a better overclocker as well it also has l3 cache what is helpful for gaming. And a Overclocked 6790 performs pretty well. 4GB of ram will still be plenty in the future. Plus Ram is cheap if they need more they can get better ram later. Stick out that hard ware for 2-3 years till the next gen consoles come out and the next big burst in game graphics takes storm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarun View Post

this should do ok at medium res here
480
Unfortunately you'll need an HDD -- and that seems to be one stick of memory. AM3 chips use dual channel memory, so you'd be losing a lot of memory bandwidth there. Games love memory bandwidth!
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by DzillaXx View Post

better for gaming? yes
Better at multitasking? no
I would get the phenom x4, while it might have slower single thread performance. You can overclock the thing, at 3.6ghz it will be faster then a i3 2100. Also You get more cores.
gtx460 is faster then a 6790 but the 6790 can be overclocked to gtx460's speeds easy.
Yeah, I definitely agree that the AMD quaddie is the way to go. I recently set up an i3 2100 in place of my general Athlon II X4 + M3A770DE, and it is very nice. However, the platform had to be sacrificed to stay within budget -- and I don't like doing that. Hence my recommendation!
 
#17 ·
480
 
#19 ·
I will take this further with my own suggestion:


$543 shipped, $533 after rebate.

That's slightly less than the cost of your original selections and better for the price.
thumb.gif
Six cores (which will come in great for BF3) and a GTX 460.

If you wish to overclock further (though you've got some headroom with the AMD stock heatsink) and have room the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is just $22 shipped at NCIX.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by xd_1771 View Post

I will take this further with my own suggestion:
$543 shipped, $533 after rebate.
That's slightly less than the cost of your original selections and better for the price.
thumb.gif
Six cores (which will come in great for BF3) and a GTX 460.

If you wish to overclock further (though you've got some headroom with the AMD stock heatsink) and have room the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is just $22 shipped at NCIX.
My hat off to you, sir. Excellent build. Although I'm an AMD guy myself on the GPU.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by xd_1771 View Post

I will take this further with my own suggestion:
$543 shipped, $533 after rebate.
That's slightly less than the cost of your original selections and better for the price.
thumb.gif
Six cores (which will come in great for BF3) and a GTX 460.

If you wish to overclock further (though you've got some headroom with the AMD stock heatsink) and have room the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is just $22 shipped at NCIX.
Best build yet. If you have to go cheap, this is the build for you.
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by xd_1771 View Post

I will take this further with my own suggestion:
$543 shipped, $533 after rebate.
That's slightly less than the cost of your original selections and better for the price.
thumb.gif
Six cores (which will come in great for BF3) and a GTX 460.

If you wish to overclock further (though you've got some headroom with the AMD stock heatsink) and have room the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is just $22 shipped at NCIX.
Okay.... I like Intel alot. really, I do. But I have to say that this build wins. Hands down, this is the best one here. Good job, sir!
thumb.gif
thumb.gif
biggrin.gif


Seriously, you got a 460 and a Thuban for plus all the extras for $550!? What is wrong with you!?
;-)
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by aeassa View Post

My hat off to you, sir. Excellent build. Although I'm an AMD guy myself on the GPU.
"SIr"
biggrin.gif
biggrin.gif
rolleyes.gif
i'm zipped
by the way XD good jobs as usual
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by xd_1771 View Post

I will take this further with my own suggestion:
$543 shipped, $533 after rebate.
That's slightly less than the cost of your original selections and better for the price.
thumb.gif
Six cores (which will come in great for BF3) and a GTX 460.

If you wish to overclock further (though you've got some headroom with the AMD stock heatsink) and have room the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is just $22 shipped at NCIX.
+rep to you sir. Thank you very much I sent my cousin this list and he is hopefully going to order it by Friday. So then the fun part will be helping my younger cousin put his first rig together
thumb.gif
 
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