[VendettaRemix]

Just had a birthday and got some spending monies for a new rig. Never built a PC before, going into this relying on the research/videos that i've seen online and on Reddit.
I'm really not much of a gamer, but I like the option of being able to if I wanted. I would like to get into some simple games. (Diablo II, Borderlands 2) Nothing big like Far Cry, BF3, or Skyrim.
Mostly going to be using this computer for computational math work. I'm going to be majoring in CS in University next year so I want something that'll handle graphics related stuff and math simulations mostly.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8150 3.6GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $672.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-19 23:08 EST-0500)

My main goal is to reduce costs but also have a strong system that'll last me through University (4+ years to come). I have to stay under $700 though. (Have to save some money for Prom)
As an additional question, when would be the best time to build a computer? Should I wait until Summer for some more sales/deals? Or would this be the time?

 

[VendettaRemix]

All of the peripherals and Windows 8 are covered.
At this point I just want to know if any of the components are overkill (CPU or GPU possibly?)
Any suggestions and comments are welcomed

 

[Jolly Roger]

If you don't heavy game the gpu is good. The psu is a little bit overkill, mght cut costs there. Some will tell you your mobo is bad, but I just chose one for a diff build. Its a fine board. The cpu is fine. Don't let anyone try to shake you from amd. Your chip will do all you will ever need it to. Cases are all mostly preference, so whatever you like. My only suggestion would be to throw a bluray player in there. You can hook your system up to your tv at school.
Looks good! Have fun!

 

[dixson01974]

I would get a FX-8320 over the FX-8150.

 

[VendettaRemix]

Thanks for the replies! I'm not really a Blu Ray fan, I mostly just stream all of my media content really. Taking into consideration the comments, this is an updated parts list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($173.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $663.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-19 23:27 EST-0500)

 

[Jolly Roger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixson01974

I would get a FX-8320 over the FX-8150.

Not a bad thought if it will fit your budget. Other thoughts... I've heard the caviar blues can have reliabilitty issues. Maybe switch it out with a caviar black 500GB hdd. Or maybe even cut costs somewhere else, and get an ssd. Not sure how much storage you will need. I personally could never fill 1TB. I'm at like 200GB now, with lots of music some movies, docs, and even data redundancy.

 

[wolfeking]

Personally I would get this RAM for the same price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231550 (was going to say samsung as they are so amazing, but they've been sold out for a while.).

drive is a drive, and this is cheaper. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136259

The rest is an amazing build it looks like.

 

[VendettaRemix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Not a bad thought if it will fit your budget. Other thoughts... I've heard the caviar blues can have reliabilitty issues. Maybe switch it out with a caviar black 500GB hdd. Or maybe even cut costs somewhere else, and get an ssd. Not sure how much storage you will need. I personally could never fill 1TB. I'm at like 200GB now, with lots of music some movies, docs, and even data redundancy.

Right now, with all of my movies, music, etc.. I am almost at 200GB.
I've never really read up about the differences in WD drives. I know that there are a lot (I'm also assuming that the Caviar Black is one of the higher ends?)

Anyways, I added the WD Caviar Black 500GB 7200RPM and it lowered the total cost to $654.56 after rebates/taxes/shipping.

 

[wolfeking]

yes. It goes something like (from low to high) green, blue, red, black. There are RE4 drives and raptors out there too, but never went and researched where they go.

 

[VendettaRemix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfeking

yes. It goes something like (from low to high) green, blue, red, black. There are RE4 drives and raptors out there too, but never went and researched where they go.

Interesting, thank you for this.
Getting a WD Black would only be reliable and durable then, thanks!

 

[wolfeking]

The 2 that I have had were both laptop drives, but they were rock solid and pretty fast. The only way I see to get a more reliable drive would be to get a SSD.

 

[VendettaRemix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfeking

The 2 that I have had were both laptop drives, but they were rock solid and pretty fast. The only way I see to get a more reliable drive would be to get a SSD.

An SSD for me right now would be out of the question.
Budget is huge for me and I'm trying to cut all costs.
Haha, I have to use my TV as a monitor for the time being

The SSD will come after I decide to get a new monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

 

[mwl5apv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VendettaRemix

Thanks for the replies! I'm not really a Blu Ray fan, I mostly just stream all of my media content really. Taking into consideration the comments, this is an updated parts list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($173.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($26.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($18.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $663.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-19 23:27 EST-0500)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VendettaRemix

Right now, with all of my movies, music, etc.. I am almost at 200GB.
I've never really read up about the differences in WD drives. I know that there are a lot (I'm also assuming that the Caviar Black is one of the higher ends?)

Anyways, I added the WD Caviar Black 500GB 7200RPM and it lowered the total cost to $654.56 after rebates/taxes/shipping.

I would say the that looks good. for a light gaming scenario the 7850 will do just fine. And the 8320 is a much better choice than the 8150. The mobo is decent as well. Used the same one in my brothers build a while back and its great. If I were to change it to anything though I might swap the motherboard to an ASUS M5A97 R2.0 as it comes with a 4+2 vrm design as opposed to a 4+1 on the ASRock. Other than that the two board are almost identical. and its only a $3 difference or so after shipping.

Other than that though, looks like a solid budget build!

 

[VendettaRemix]

So, with all of the replies that i've been getting, I have done a couple of adjustments to the build in order to keep costs low whilst maximizing my price to performance ratio.
I have two builds: Essentially the same, with the only difference being the CPU.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.48 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.14 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($184.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Raidmax 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $655.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-23 12:30 EST-0500)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.48 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.14 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($184.98 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Raidmax 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $605.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-23 12:30 EST-0500)

That $40 price difference between the CPUs really makes it for me.
I'm not too well-versed in the programming world, but I would assume that a stronger CPU would help me to perform the tasks I would need to get done.
Additionally, an 8 core CPU would last a heck of a long time as well.

Another question that I have would be the ASUS M5A97 motherboard versus the ASRock 970 EXTREME4 motherboard.
There is a two dollar price difference, as far as motherboards go, I have no clue of the differences between them.

 

[obsidian86]

that psu is worse then catching a flesh eating virus on a very perculiar sensitive part of your body

 

[Tacoboy]

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($87.99 @ Newegg)

If your near enough to do a local pick up at Microcenter.
They have a good deal on a Asrock Extreme 4 with FX-6300 for $170 + tax.

That $40 price difference between the CPUs really makes it for me.
I'm not too well-versed in the programming world, but I would assume that a stronger CPU would help me to perform the tasks I would need to get done.
Additionally, an 8 core CPU would last a heck of a long time as well.

I'm of the personal option that most software (99%) can not take advantage of an 8-core CPU (or even really take advantage of a 6-core CPU).
You could even save a few dollars and just get a 4-core for now and in a year upgrade.

Another question that I have would be the ASUS M5A97 motherboard versus the ASRock 970 EXTREME4 motherboard.
There is a two dollar price difference, as far as motherboards go, I have no clue of the differences between them.[/quote]

Hopefully you keep checking the website Techbargins for the what is on sale.
Also the website Bountii is good for finding low prices if you already know the make and model of whatever your looking to buy,

 

[VendettaRemix]

Changed out the PSU to a more noteworthy one. Thought that I could get away with skimping on a PSU even though it was an 80 Plus Bronze.

Unfortunately, they don't have any Microcenters in Arizona. The only large scale electronics/computer store here is Fry's Electronics.

In a twisted turn of fate, I had to cut the budget down even farther, now I can't spend more than $590... This is because my Prom budget was increased slightly....

Biggest thing, I was thinking about cutting down from the 7850 to a 7770.
Here's the thing, I am not a gamer in any way really. Light gaming will do me fine most of the time.
Quote:

I'm of the personal option that most software (99%) can not take advantage of an 8-core CPU (or even really take advantage of a 6-core CPU).
You could even save a few dollars and just get a 4-core for now and in a year upgrade

^ This is a huge toss up for me right now... 8 cores sounds divine and will last me a really long time, but the $40 price difference between the processors makes it an easy upgrade IMO.

I set the date for Spring Break to order the parts and assemble the build. (March 11-15)
So I still have plenty of time to map this whole thing out.

Here's the latest:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($87.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.48 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.14 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card ($96.99 @ Microcenter)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z9 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $582.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-23 19:24 EST-0500)

... Or $542.53 with an FX 6300.

 

[mwl5apv]

Going back to your first post in regards to your cpu and motherboard questions. What type of mathematical computing will you be doing? As the 8320 will be a rather decent performance increase over the 6300.

And motherboard wise, both are good base boards. The Asus will, however, allow you to overclock minimally. And although in theory you should be able to get a light overclock with the ASRock board, I myself would be a tad hesitant to do so. Especially on a 125w 8320.

But depending on how much CPU performance you need and how much gpu performace you need for your work, you may be able to get away with the 6300 overclocked a bit and bump the gpu back to the 7850.

 

[Tacoboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VendettaRemix

Changed out the PSU to a more noteworthy one. Thought that I could get away with skimping on a PSU even though it was an 80 Plus Bronze.
Unfortunately, they don't have any Microcenters in Arizona. The only large scale electronics/computer store here is Fry's Electronics.
In a twisted turn of fate, I had to cut the budget down even farther, now I can't spend more than $590... This is because my Prom budget was increased slightly....

Biggest thing, I was thinking about cutting down from the 7850 to a 7770.
Here's the thing, I am not a gamer in any way really. Light gaming will do me fine most of the time.
^ This is a huge toss up for me right now... 8 cores sounds divine and will last me a really long time, but the $40 price difference between the processors makes it an easy upgrade IMO.
I set the date for Spring Break to order the parts and assemble the build. (March 11-15)
So I still have plenty of time to map this whole thing out.
Or $542.53 with an FX 6300.

I was over at Toms hardware guide looking at best bang for the buck CPUs, most of them are 4-core CPUs
Performance game wise, an 8-core CPU was about 5% faster then a 6-core cpu,
The 8-core was about 11% faster then the 4-core.

Last week my local Frys (Silicon Valley), was selling an Asus 970 motherboard with and AMD FX-6100 for $160 (after $10 mail in rebate)
Figuring in sales tax, that is about $95 cheaper then your CPU/MB combo.
So you might want to daily check your locals Frys ad

 

[VendettaRemix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwl5apv

Going back to your first post in regards to your cpu and motherboard questions. What type of mathematical computing will you be doing? As the 8320 will be a rather decent performance increase over the 6300.

And motherboard wise, both are good base boards. The Asus will, however, allow you to overclock minimally. And although in theory you should be able to get a light overclock with the ASRock board, I myself would be a tad hesitant to do so. Especially on a 125w 8320.

But depending on how much CPU performance you need and how much gpu performace you need for your work, you may be able to get away with the 6300 overclocked a bit and bump the gpu back to the 7850.

With the programming/mathematical computations, I have no clue quite honestly. It was recommended to me by my brother .

Overclocking really isn't in my horizon right now. It'd be nice to do so sometime in the future, but that'll be sometime away.

I was actually thinking about doing this. Adding in the cheapest 7850 to the 6300 build puts it at $595.