Everything has been purchased! My build is complete (almost). All I need now is a new monitor.
(2/4/11)
Click Here for Pics!
Old updates in italics below.
I previously posted for help on my build and received a good number of replies. I am now ready to start making purchases and slowly building my computer. There also might be a few mods here and there.
I will be logging my build from start to finish, with much emphasis on finding good deals. I will log all of the retail and goal prices for each item and you can watch as I try to stay under the budget. I don't plan on having this completely built or having most of the funds until March, but there will be updates as I find deals on certain items and purchase them. However, at the same time, I am very specific about the parts I want and willing to wait longer to get exactly what I want.
All retail prices are NewEgg, which is usually cheaper than the actual retail cost. If NewEgg does not have the item, then it is the cheapest google shopping cost. Goal cost is my goal at finding that product shipped to my house. Actual is how much I actually paid. TBD = to be determined. Items at the end under "Not Included" is because I already own them or will not cost me anything to obtain.
I have reorganized everything below in purchased, yet to purchase, and extra purchases that weren't originally planned. Everything has been purchased cheaply and ahead of schedule. I still do not plan on getting a new monitor and keyboard until sometime in March.
Everything under "extra purchases" isn't included in the budget because they were purchased with extra money I've received along the way. If I didn't make all of my extra purchases, I probably could afford the monitor I want... but oh well. It'll wait. I have a monitor to use for now.
Here are the results for the budget and what was purchased for it:
Total Retail: 1300
Total Goal: 1000
Actual: 1049
So, I ended up a little over budget. No biggie. I ended up purchasing things much better than expected. I wish I had the old build saved, but I recall it having a $90 mobo, 4gb of ram, a 500gb HDD, air cooler, i3 processor, and a lot of low end stuff. I think I got a great bang for my buck!
Purchased:
Case - NZXT Vulcan
Retail: $70
Goal: $60
Actual: $70 profit
Note: Received case for free, resold for more than original purchase. Made $70 profit. See this post for more information.
Case - Lan Gear Da Box 100 - Blackheart
Retail: $190
Goal: $190
Plus: $70 for case bag.
Sub-Total: $276 for case and bag after shipping from Lan Gear.
Minus: $70 profit from previous case.
Grand Total: $206 (basically received the bag for free)
Note: See pics here.
CPU - Intel Core i5-650 3.2ghz
Retail: $182
Goal: $150
Actual: $135 Used from OCN member.
Motherboard - ASUS Maximus III Gene
Retail: $160
Goal: $120
Actual: $135 via Amazon.
GPU - ASUS ENGTX460 GTx460 1GB
Retail: $175
Goal: $175
Actual: $170 - Purchased the Direct CU version instead of SE for cheaper than my goal from NewEgg.
RAM - G.SKILL 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3 1333
Retail: $50 x2
Goal: $50 x2
Actual: $85 total.
PSU - Antec TruePower New 650w
Retail: $90
Goal: $70
Actual: $70 via Newegg.
HDD - Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black
Retail: $90
Goal: $90
Actual: $90
ODD - Sony Optiarc
Retail: $23
Goal: $23
Actual: $20
CPU Cooler - Corsair H50
Retail: $70
Goal: $60
Actual: $53 used.
USB Header to USB - http://www.amazon.com/Port-USB-Motherboard-Header-Adapter/dp/B002GNU2V6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1296081169&sr=8-7]Startech USB Header to USB[/URL]
Retail: $10
Goal: $10
Actual: $16 (forgot about shipping) via Amazon.
Note: To be used to install internal bluetooth dongle and infrared sensor. Will be mounted internally.
BT - ASUS USB-BT21
Retail: $22
Goal: $15
Actual: $16 via Amazon.
Note: This is to add internal USB. To be used to install internal bluetooth dongle and infrared sensor.
Already Owned
RF Adapter
Wifi Card
Extra Purchases
(purchases not originally planned)
Cost: $28 via Amazon.
Cost: $8 via Amazon.
Mouse - http://www.amazon.com/Razer-DeathAdder-Infrared-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B000MF67VO]Razer DeathAdder 3G[/URL]
Retail: $40
Goal: $35
Actual: $35
120mm Fans -
90mm Fans -
60mm Fan - EverCool 60mm PWM Fan
PWM-Y Cable Adapter -
Note: So I can put both 120mm fans for the H50 on the same 4-pin. This will allow the CPU to ramp up fan speed when it needs it and will turn up both fans at the same time in push/pull.
Retail: $150
Goal: $0 (forgot them in the original budget build)
Actual: $100
Yet to Purchase:
Monitor - Asus Monitor 21" - 23" (Undecided)
Goal: $150
Actual: TBD
Keyboard - (Undecided)
Goal: $50
Actual: TBD
Note: I want one with a white led backlight. I like a dark room and white LEDs if you haven't noticed. Haha.
SSD 60GB - 80GB SSD (Undecided)
Goal: $120
Actual: TBD
HDD - Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black
Note: I want a second one.
If Money Permits or I Find Great Deals
(not included in goal or total price)
Headphones - Razer Carcharias
Retail: $88
Goal: $60
Actual: TBD
Router - ASUS Wireless N Router
Retail: $95
Goal: $80
Actual: TBD
Note: Would be used for wireless syncing to external hard drive and wireless printing.
Click Here for Pics!
Old updates in italics below.
I previously posted for help on my build and received a good number of replies. I am now ready to start making purchases and slowly building my computer. There also might be a few mods here and there.
I will be logging my build from start to finish, with much emphasis on finding good deals. I will log all of the retail and goal prices for each item and you can watch as I try to stay under the budget. I don't plan on having this completely built or having most of the funds until March, but there will be updates as I find deals on certain items and purchase them. However, at the same time, I am very specific about the parts I want and willing to wait longer to get exactly what I want.
All retail prices are NewEgg, which is usually cheaper than the actual retail cost. If NewEgg does not have the item, then it is the cheapest google shopping cost. Goal cost is my goal at finding that product shipped to my house. Actual is how much I actually paid. TBD = to be determined. Items at the end under "Not Included" is because I already own them or will not cost me anything to obtain.
I have reorganized everything below in purchased, yet to purchase, and extra purchases that weren't originally planned. Everything has been purchased cheaply and ahead of schedule. I still do not plan on getting a new monitor and keyboard until sometime in March.
Everything under "extra purchases" isn't included in the budget because they were purchased with extra money I've received along the way. If I didn't make all of my extra purchases, I probably could afford the monitor I want... but oh well. It'll wait. I have a monitor to use for now.
Here are the results for the budget and what was purchased for it:
Total Retail: 1300
Total Goal: 1000
Actual: 1049
So, I ended up a little over budget. No biggie. I ended up purchasing things much better than expected. I wish I had the old build saved, but I recall it having a $90 mobo, 4gb of ram, a 500gb HDD, air cooler, i3 processor, and a lot of low end stuff. I think I got a great bang for my buck!
Purchased:
Case - NZXT Vulcan
Retail: $70
Goal: $60
Actual: $70 profit
Note: Received case for free, resold for more than original purchase. Made $70 profit. See this post for more information.
Case - Lan Gear Da Box 100 - Blackheart
Retail: $190
Goal: $190
Plus: $70 for case bag.
Sub-Total: $276 for case and bag after shipping from Lan Gear.
Minus: $70 profit from previous case.
Grand Total: $206 (basically received the bag for free)
Note: See pics here.
CPU - Intel Core i5-650 3.2ghz
Retail: $182
Goal: $150
Actual: $135 Used from OCN member.
Motherboard - ASUS Maximus III Gene
Retail: $160
Goal: $120
Actual: $135 via Amazon.
GPU - ASUS ENGTX460 GTx460 1GB
Retail: $175
Goal: $175
Actual: $170 - Purchased the Direct CU version instead of SE for cheaper than my goal from NewEgg.
RAM - G.SKILL 8GB (4 x 2GB) DDR3 1333
Retail: $50 x2
Goal: $50 x2
Actual: $85 total.
PSU - Antec TruePower New 650w
Retail: $90
Goal: $70
Actual: $70 via Newegg.
HDD - Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black
Retail: $90
Goal: $90
Actual: $90
ODD - Sony Optiarc
Retail: $23
Goal: $23
Actual: $20
CPU Cooler - Corsair H50
Retail: $70
Goal: $60
Actual: $53 used.
USB Header to USB - http://www.amazon.com/Port-USB-Motherboard-Header-Adapter/dp/B002GNU2V6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1296081169&sr=8-7]Startech USB Header to USB[/URL]
Retail: $10
Goal: $10
Actual: $16 (forgot about shipping) via Amazon.
Note: To be used to install internal bluetooth dongle and infrared sensor. Will be mounted internally.
BT - ASUS USB-BT21
Retail: $22
Goal: $15
Actual: $16 via Amazon.
Note: This is to add internal USB. To be used to install internal bluetooth dongle and infrared sensor.
Already Owned
RF Adapter
Wifi Card
Extra Purchases
(purchases not originally planned)
Cost: $28 via Amazon.
Cost: $8 via Amazon.
Mouse - http://www.amazon.com/Razer-DeathAdder-Infrared-Gaming-Mouse/dp/B000MF67VO]Razer DeathAdder 3G[/URL]
Retail: $40
Goal: $35
Actual: $35
120mm Fans -
90mm Fans -
60mm Fan - EverCool 60mm PWM Fan
PWM-Y Cable Adapter -
Note: So I can put both 120mm fans for the H50 on the same 4-pin. This will allow the CPU to ramp up fan speed when it needs it and will turn up both fans at the same time in push/pull.
Retail: $150
Goal: $0 (forgot them in the original budget build)
Actual: $100
Yet to Purchase:
Monitor - Asus Monitor 21" - 23" (Undecided)
Goal: $150
Actual: TBD
Keyboard - (Undecided)
Goal: $50
Actual: TBD
Note: I want one with a white led backlight. I like a dark room and white LEDs if you haven't noticed. Haha.
SSD 60GB - 80GB SSD (Undecided)
Goal: $120
Actual: TBD
HDD - Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black
Note: I want a second one.
If Money Permits or I Find Great Deals
(not included in goal or total price)
Headphones - Razer Carcharias
Retail: $88
Goal: $60
Actual: TBD
Router - ASUS Wireless N Router
Retail: $95
Goal: $80
Actual: TBD
Note: Would be used for wireless syncing to external hard drive and wireless printing.