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$750 Budget Build

2K views 43 replies 11 participants last post by  xd_1771 
#1 ·
So, recently I got asked by a friend to build a computer for him for lite gaming purposes however he has a very small budget at $750NZD. And yes this is in New Zealand Dollar and of course I would be buying the components in New Zealand and for those who don't know buying components in NZ is expensive unlike in the states where there's Newegg, Microcenter etc. So bare in mind that the price must be from NZ.

Here's the situation. He now owns a computer with a Prescott based Pentium 4 and a motherboard with built in GeForce 6200 graphics as I believed since I didn't check his current build in detail so I guess that's roughly the specs of his pc. He runs his system on a 17 inch monitor which I believe is 1024x768 and still will keep this monitor for this build for keeping the cost down. And of course he has his own keyboard, mouse and speakers.

He wish to run any current game at a playable frame rate at 1024x768 such as Metro2033, Crysis2, COD, Battlefield:BC2 etc. And expects significant improvement to his current build. Since this is a extremely low budget build I think he's better off AMD because I believe with that kind of budget he could squeeze in more perfermance with AMD. However I'm going to post this on the Intel section as well and see what are the outcomes.

Thanks in advanced,
 
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#2 ·
Cant exactly piece out a build on my phone, esp. for a kiwi.. But i'd say (as he seems like the lind of guy who doesnt upgrade often) that you should go with something like a low end AMD quad for a reasonable amount of future proofing, 2x2gb ddr3 1333 value ram, a nice, solidly overclocking single pcie x16 870 (or are they called 880?) motherboard, 600ish watt psu, western digital 640gb aaks/aals/whateverisaround50dollars hard-drive, a case with free shipping, and the most powerful video card you can fit in after you've picked out all those other things.

Hope this helps.

I doubt it did.

-Rommel
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rommel;13020777
Cant exactly piece out a build on my phone, esp. for a kiwi.. But i'd say (as he seems like the lind of guy who doesnt upgrade often) that you should go with something like a low end AMD quad for a reasonable amount of future proofing, 2x2gb ddr3 1333 value ram, a nice, solidly overclocking single pcie x16 870 (or are they called 880?) motherboard, 600ish watt psu, western digital 640gb aaks/aals/whateverisaround50dollars hard-drive, a case with free shipping, and the most powerful video card you can fit in after you've picked out all those other things.

Hope this helps.

I doubt it did.

-Rommel
Thanks for the advise man! I appreciate it

Anyways atm I have come up with the following. What do u guys think?

AMD PHENOM II X4 840 PROCESSOR 3.2GHZ SOCKET AM3
http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=14466

Corsair Value Select 2GB (1333MHz) DDR3 CL9 Value VS2GB1333D3
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=591

Western Digital 500GB 3.5" Blue Edition SATA3 7200RPM 16MB Cache HDD WD5000AAKX
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1449

Gigabyte GA-MA78LMT-S2 Motherboard 760G Chipset Socket AM3 DDR3 1333 Onboard Video Card Share Up to 512M PCI-E x 16 SATAII Raid VGA+DVI
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1294

COOLER MASTER Elite 334 Mid Tower 420W
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=569

MSI nVidia GTS450 OC Cyclone 1GB DDR5 Dual DVI HDMI
http://www.pcforce.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1580

Using optical drive from older build

$752 NZD incl. GST

Sorry for the caps guys, since I just copied and pasted it directly.

Fix me if I missed any parts.
 
#4 ·
You can definitely get something decent for that price. I think this fits the bill:

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB: $61 inc. GST

AMD Athlon II X4 635: $148 inc. GST

Silverstone PS02 Case: $81 inc. GST

Corsair 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM: $67 inc. GST

Antec EA-380D 380W PSU: $90 inc. GST

Lite-on DVD+RW Drive: $37 inc. GST

Radeon HD 5670: $139 inc. GST

Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2 AM3 Motheboard: $97 inc. GST

Total inc. GST: $762

This build will run any of those games you mentioned easily at that resolution. He'll probably be able to play games at decent settings at that res. for 5 years.
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL_Wut_Axel;13020947
You can definitely get something decent for that price. I think this fits the bill:

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB: $61 inc. GST

AMD Athlon II X4 635: $148 inc. GST

Silverstone PS02 Case: $81 inc. GST

Corsair 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM: $67 inc. GST

Antec EA-380D 380W PSU: $90 inc. GST

Lite-on DVD+RW Drive: $37 inc. GST

Radeon HD 5670: $139 inc. GST

Gigabyte GA-MA74GMT-S2 AM3 Motheboard: $97 inc. GST

Total inc. GST: $762

This build will run any of those games you mentioned easily at that resolution. He'll probably be able to play games at decent settings at that res. for 5 years.
I appreciate your advise but I prefer to stick with my own config for now as I could squeeze in a GTS450 and a PII X4 for a similar amount of money.

My only concern now is that will the 430w psu built in the elite 344 handle all this power?
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by nGm@ze;13021182
I appreciate your advise but I prefer to stick with my own config for now as I could squeeze in a GTS450 and a PII X4 for a similar amount of money.

My only concern now is that will the 430w psu built in the elite 344 handle all this power?
The Phenom II X4 840 is not a real Phenom. It's an Athlon II X4 that's being given the name "Phenom". It's based on the Propus die and not the Deneb die. The only difference between the 635 and the 840 is a 300MHz clock. If you want a real Phenom of the 800 series, you need to buy an 820. One of the biggest flaws in your build is choosing to go for only 2GB of RAM. Open just a few programs and the computer will feel noticeably slower. Nowadays, 4GB of RAM is pretty much a prerequisite for any computer except a netbook. Another problem with the build is the PSU. I checked it out and it can output around half its rated power and is known to use cheap components and die prematurely. Stay away from it at all costs.

You cut too many corners to try and get faster components. The PSU is the most essential part of any system, and the fact that you left it with only 2GB of RAM means that most of the advantage the GTS 450 has over the Radeon HD 5670 will go away.

EDIT:

Also, that GTS 450 is over-priced. You can get a Radeon HD 5770 for the same price.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL_Wut_Axel;13021709
The Phenom II X4 840 is not a real Phenom. It's an Athlon II X4 that's being given the name "Phenom". It's based on the Propus die and not the Deneb die. The only difference between the 635 and the 840 is a 300MHz clock. If you want a real Phenom of the 800 series, you need to buy an 820. One of the biggest flaws in your build is choosing to go for only 2GB of RAM. Open just a few programs and the computer will feel noticeably slower. Nowadays, 4GB of RAM is pretty much a prerequisite for any computer except a netbook. Another problem with the build is the PSU. I checked it out and it can output around half its rated power and is known to use cheap components and die prematurely. Stay away from it at all costs.

You cut too many corners to try and get faster components. The PSU is the most essential part of any system, and the fact that you left it with only 2GB of RAM means that most of the advantage the GTS 450 has over the Radeon HD 5670 will go away.

EDIT:

Also, that GTS 450 is over-priced. You can get a Radeon HD 5770 for the same price.
I agree, btw I just realized that CPU was a rebrand thanks for the reminder. As for the RAM I'm actually gonna get two of them which makes more sense and I would prefer to stick with the GTS450 as it offers more future proofing. And for the PSU I actually don't know what to do about it with no money to spare.
 
#8 ·
Antec Three-Hundred is a decent case, and it's not too expensive.

Edit: Is your friend planning to do any overclocking? If so it might be worth getting a different motherboard, but if not you'll probably be fine with the one you chose.

Edit 2: Also, if your friend is planning on gaming at 1024x768, you could probably get a slightly less expensive graphics card. I was using an 8800GT until I built my new rig, and it could still get ~20FPS on BFBC2 at 1400x900 with medium settings.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by nGm@ze;13032030
I agree, btw I just realized that CPU was a rebrand thanks for the reminder. As for the RAM I'm actually gonna get two of them which makes more sense and I would prefer to stick with the GTS450 as it offers more future proofing. And for the PSU I actually don't know what to do about it with no money to spare.
The PSU is the most important part on any computer. If it fails, more likely than not it will take out most of your PCs components with it. This is not an area where you want to skimp. Get the EA-380; it's much more reliable and can actually deliver its rated watts.

The GTS 450 is not more future-proof in any way than a Radeon HD 5770. It offers the same features but costs the same and is less powerful.

Again, when building a PC, you should not skimp on components. The 5670 is a bit slower, but by going that route your friend will have a much more reliable PC because of the PSU.

Another thing: at his current resolution (1024x768), there's absolutely no game the 5670 won't run at high settings. At that res., even a 5770 is over-kill.
 
#11 ·
Get this build,
cpu- phenomII x4 955 be
mobo- asus m4a88t-m-le
ram- 2x2gb corsair xms3/gskil ripjaws 1333mhz
gpu- sapphire hd5770
psu- corsair gs600/vx450
pc case- cooler master elite 430
hdd- 1tb samsung sprinpoint F3
optical drive- hp/asus 24x dvd burner
cpu cooler- cooler master hyper 212+ (corsair H50 or above wont fit your budget)
hope u like the setup
 
#12 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by Aniket
View Post

Get this build,
cpu- phenomII x4 955 be
mobo- asus m4a88t-m-le
ram- 2x2gb corsair xms3/gskil ripjaws 1333mhz
gpu- sapphire hd5770
psu- corsair gs600/vx450
pc case- cooler master elite 430
hdd- 1tb samsung sprinpoint F3
optical drive- hp/asus 24x dvd burner
cpu cooler- cooler master hyper 212+ (corsair H50 or above wont fit your budget)
hope u like the setup

I think you forgot about the part where he's in New Zealand.
 
#14 ·
Gonna have to agree with the choice to go with a 5770. Also, holy christ power supplies are expensive as sin for you guys. Dont skimp on it either. My friend got a brand new build for $500 usd and thought he was real slick for being able to fit in a high end gpu. Needless to say, his cheapskies 500watt psu popped on him and took everything out.
 
#15 ·
I will throw one down for you.

Thermaltake V3 Black Mid Tower With 450W Power Supply $110.40 (no GST)
Athlon II X3 450 3.2MHz 1.5MB AM3 (95W) $133.79 (no GST)
Deepcool Ice Wind FS CPU cooler $35.88 no GST
Power Colour ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB $178 (no GST)
GIGABYTE GA-MA78LMT-S2 $105 inc. GST
Corsair CMV4GX3M2A1333C9 4GB (2x 2Gb) (1333MHz) DDR3 $67.10 (no GST)
WD500GB Blue HDD $65 inc. GST
Lite-on 24X SATA Black Dual DVDRWriter iHAS324 Retail $32.59 no GST

Total = $727.76 (some GST included - not sure how much on "no GST" items). LOL_Wut_Axel posted a few of these items and they appear to include GST. I would trust the Thermaltake PSU before the Coolermaster.
 
#16 ·
Here's an idea for a build guy. I can't give you prices but it's also something you can work around using the builds other people also advised.

Coolermaster 335
Gigabyte Odin 470Watt
GIGABYTE GA-MA78LMT-S2 \\ ECS A785GM-AD3 \\ Asus M4A78LT-M
4GB RAM
AMD Phenom x2 555/560
Coolermaster Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler
500GB HDD
HD5770

Good luck in making your decision. =)
 
#17 ·
Pairing the 955 with the M4A88T-M LE is not a good idea; any 3+1 boards rated 125W would be improperly rated, the OCP would kick in way too often and the processor will not run properly during load. It's already happened to another guy here on OCN.
 
#19 ·
What do u think if I replace the graphics card with a GT430? And use the spare money on the PSU. btw he recently told me that he managed to get himself a 21 inch monitor now. So he will now be gaming on that which I believe is 1600x900 after seeing it, I never checked in detail but it definitely doesn't feel like it at 1920x1080, I hope is not. So what do u guys think if I use a GT430 on it?
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by nGm@ze;13045953
What do u think if I replace the graphics card with a GT430? And use the spare money on the PSU. btw he recently told me that he managed to get himself a 21 inch monitor now. So he will now be gaming on that which I believe is 1600x900 after seeing it, I never checked in detail but it definitely doesn't feel like it at 1920x1080, I hope is not. So what do u guys think if I use a GT430 on it?
GT430 is a pretty weak card. Won't be able to do much but watch youtube and some basic games.
 
#21 ·
Thanks everyone for helping. I have finally settled with this config

AMD Phenom II X4 840 Processor 3.2Ghz Socket AM3
Gigabyte GA-MA78LMT-S2 AMD760G AM3 DDR3
2 x Corsair VS2GB1333D3 2GB Value Select CL9
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 16MB Cache SATA II
CoolerMaster Elite 334 w/ 420W PSU
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E
LG GH-22LS50 22X LightScribe Black SATA DVD Writer

Total = $749 Incl GST and Delivery
smile.gif


http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/forum/Default.aspx?g=posts&m=22939&#22939

Feel free to give feedbacks.

Thanks to Billy at Computer Lounge for making this happen
smile.gif
 
#23 ·
You could've possibly gotten 1600Mhz RAM for the same price
And a better board, I wouldn't trust that for any OC-ing due to known VRM problems and 3+1 phase (though the CPU is 95W TDP and at stock should be fine)

Then again this is New Zealand I have no clue about parts availability or prices

However there is one thing completely wrong with this built and it is the included power supply. I have the same model. Doesn't look to be video card ready at all really - it's of a very old design. Only 16A max on the 12V rail (192W) so you would be more than maxing this out with a 95W quad core, a ~95W 5770, and when everything else i.e. mobo, chipset & fans are counted. Plus there's no 6-pin PCI-E connector. You need a new & different power supply.
 
#24 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by xd_1771
View Post

You could've possibly gotten 1600Mhz RAM for the same price
And a better board, I wouldn't trust that for any OC-ing due to known VRM problems and 3+1 phase (though the CPU is 95W TDP and at stock should be fine)

Then again this is New Zealand I have no clue about parts availability or prices

However there is one thing completely wrong with this built and it is the included power supply. I have the same model. Doesn't look to be video card ready at all really - it's of a very old design. Only 16A max on the 12V rail (192W) so you would be more than maxing this out with a 95W quad core, a ~95W 5770, and when everything else i.e. mobo, chipset & fans are counted. Plus there's no 6-pin PCI-E connector. You need a new & different power supply.

After a reconsideration I would have to go back to the drawing board again
. U scared me back there alright. Because I thought the 5770 would run alright with that PSU as the 5770 is a low power GPU anyways. Expecting to produce 300W at least. Now, idk what to do.
 
#25 ·
Well, I'm sorry I couldn't get to you about this right away.

You could've researched the exact TDP of all parts. That's what I usually do. GPUs and CPUs get power from 12V; doing the research for you, the x4 840 is a 95W max TDP, and the 5770 max TDP is 108W. These two alone would trip the 12V rail. Count the motherboard chipset, components, fans, and you're now well above 220W. Count the power supply's efficiency rating...... yep, you are way beyond. Definitely a lot to consider. This is why most people overspend and get PSUs way more than needed.

You also should've looked at the details of that PSU i.e. did a google search... it's rated 420W, but only has the 16A (so 192W) on the 12V rail. I know this from owning the PSU (though I got it with an Elite 331, which is pretty close to this case) but this info is also available online.

Not to throw you off or rub it in but I'm saying, computer components choice requires serious research. When I first purchased Hexagonal [sig build] in Sept 09, I wrecked my entire summer researching the perfect parts for my build. Sorry if it's an inconvenience to you, but I'd rather you waste $200 or so returning and reconfiguring the PC than waste the entire $750 when the PSU fails and takes a lot with it (as is the case with most PSU failures).

If it helps you feel better (i.e. you worry that the better power supply need will result in not being able to fit an x4 into the budget), $750 is actually pretty good. In America or Canada you'd be able to get a solid AMD PC with $750 and in nearby Australia you wouldn't be far behind. You'll just have to keep searching for the best prices/parts choice. I'd help but I'm unfamiliar with New Zealand computer stores.
 
#26 ·
Quote:


Originally Posted by xd_1771
View Post

Well, I'm sorry I couldn't get to you about this right away.

You could've researched the exact TDP of all parts. That's what I usually do. GPUs and CPUs get power from 12V; doing the research for you, the x4 840 is a 95W max TDP, and the 5770 max TDP is 108W. These two alone would trip the 12V rail. Count the motherboard chipset, components, fans, and you're now well above 220W. Count the power supply's efficiency rating...... yep, you are way beyond. Definitely a lot to consider. This is why most people overspend and get PSUs way more than needed.

You also should've looked at the details of that PSU i.e. did a google search... it's rated 420W, but only has the 16A (so 192W) on the 12V rail. I know this from owning the PSU (though I got it with an Elite 331, which is pretty close to this case) but this info is also available online.

Not to throw you off or rub it in but I'm saying, computer components choice requires serious research. When I first purchased Hexagonal [sig build] in Sept 09, I wrecked my entire summer researching the perfect parts for my build. Sorry if it's an inconvenience to you, but I'd rather you waste $200 or so returning and reconfiguring the PC than waste the entire $750 when the PSU fails and takes a lot with it (as is the case with most PSU failures).

If it helps you feel better (i.e. you worry that the better power supply need will result in not being able to fit an x4 into the budget), $750 is actually pretty good. In America or Canada you'd be able to get a solid AMD PC with $750 and in nearby Australia you wouldn't be far behind. You'll just have to keep searching for the best prices/parts choice. I'd help but I'm unfamiliar with New Zealand computer stores.

Sorry, that I couldn't reply right away mate.

If u want to help out please use these two stores for parts as I live closer to them and have a good reputation in NZ.

http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/

http://www.pcforce.co.nz/
 
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