The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

[quote name='JBaz']Many boards now days tend to have the mono speaker for the POST beeps off the board, as an attachable plug. You really only need it to diagnose if something goes wrong.[/QUOTE]

Well I have the asrock z77 extreme 3 and didn't see any mono plug or anything. Like you said, not a huge deal unless I need it to diagnose, but found it odd. Was able to install win7 last night, update some drivers, win updates before calling it a night. Can't wait to dig into some new games. Thanks for the help, to you and the others here. :applause:
 
[quote name='JBaz']If you have not bought the HAF 922 yet (like I suggested), you need to by tomorrow when the coupon code ends. $70 for a nice case is a slickdeal.

I'd also shop around for the SSD, PSU and monitor still. Since the Samsung 840 came on the scene, the 830 has jumped it's price up a bit since the 830 is actually a better SSD than the entry level 840 (840 Pro is in line with the 830). I'd still find whatever SSD sale in the $70-80 price range in the next week, since anything made in the last year is still insanely fast for the normal consumer.

As for Power supply, I'd probably look at the competition over the Corsair Pro's for that price if you want good quality and modular. OCZ ZT 650w 80+ Bronze is $71, Antec HCG 620w 80+ Bronze is $80 and the XFX ProSeries 750w 80+ Silver is $85. And since we are stuffing all of these parts in a large HAF 922 case with no window, you could save a few bones here again and go with a non-modular power supply; easily cut $20-30 for something that you need, not want.

I have the OCZ Z series 850w 80+ Gold that I got for $80 shipped last year, easily powers my i7 with three 570's with no issue and is a better quality unit than anything I listed above. It's actually under rated as it can hit 940w stable and still be Gold efficient; reason why it got a lot of awards when it came out, but its MSRP on launch was terribly expensive. Plus my own torture test of running folding @ home on the cpu and three gpu's constantly for 5 months, 24/7 last winter (to provide heat for my house... and do science at the same time!) has left a lasting impression that it is in fact a kickass product. My system pulls about 960w from the wall on full load which is about 845w at 88% efficiency.[/QUOTE]

Alright, I decided to go with the the OCZ 650w PSU. And the reason I keep posting here is because I want to get all my parts at once, which means buying the case by tomorrow. How much would I "lose out on" realistically if I bought all the parts now as opposed to waiting for deals in the next week or so?
 
[quote name='Trace17']Well I have the asrock z77 extreme 3 and didn't see any mono plug or anything. Like you said, not a huge deal unless I need it to diagnose, but found it odd. Was able to install win7 last night, update some drivers, win updates before calling it a night. Can't wait to dig into some new games. Thanks for the help, to you and the others here. :applause:[/QUOTE]
Its the 4 pin connector labeled "Speaker" in the lower right corner of motherboard, right behind the SATA ports. Some boards don't include it anymore, but the connector is there.
[quote name='theycallmeryan']Alright, I decided to go with the the OCZ 650w PSU. And the reason I keep posting here is because I want to get all my parts at once, which means buying the case by tomorrow. How much would I "lose out on" realistically if I bought all the parts now as opposed to waiting for deals in the next week or so?[/QUOTE]
You can save around $100+ if you shop smartly and buy your parts from various retailers. It's really hard to say since sales are sales and hard to predict, but since its Christmas season, sales should be widely abundant over the next two-three weeks. You really can't go wrong with what you selected, but you can easily save $30-40 for an SSD deal and easy to add that to your system after you get everything else right now. If you need/want the system right now, I'd say go for it, minus the SSD.

And do you actually live near a microcenter?
 
[quote name='JBaz']
You can save around $100+ if you shop smartly and buy your parts from various retailers. It's really hard to say since sales are sales and hard to predict, but since its Christmas season, sales should be widely abundant over the next two-three weeks. You really can't go wrong with what you selected, but you can easily save $30-40 for an SSD deal and easy to add that to your system after you get everything else right now. If you need/want the system right now, I'd say go for it, minus the SSD.

And do you actually live near a microcenter?[/QUOTE]

Nope, I don't live near a Microcenter. What I may do is just buy the case as you suggested and wait on the rest of the parts for a week or so. But, then again, one of my biggest factor in buying all the parts now is to have it available when I'm done with exams and can play with it all through the holidays.
 
Got another dumb question. My new build was averaging 7-9 seconds boot time to login screen, but today I put in my 2TB storage drive and boot time has doubled. On the starting windows screen with the colors, with just the ssd, it would go to login screen before even finishing that animation. Now it sits on it for 12-15 seconds. Is this normal? Is the OS just checking files on the drive or something? I took the 2tb out of boot sequence altogether too. Just curious if there is anything I can do to get that boot time back down.
 
[quote name='Trace17']Got another dumb question. My new build was averaging 7-9 seconds boot time to login screen, but today I put in my 2TB storage drive and boot time has doubled. On the starting windows screen with the colors, with just the ssd, it would go to login screen before even finishing that animation. Now it sits on it for 12-15 seconds. Is this normal? Is the OS just checking files on the drive or something? I took the 2tb out of boot sequence altogether too. Just curious if there is anything I can do to get that boot time back down.[/QUOTE]

What's your setup? I looked back a few pages and did not see anything. What OS? What other software /other changes have you loaded / made since you built it and had the 7-9 second time?

My side commentary / question - How often are you rebooting that this plays an issue? I mean how much time do you want to waste worrying about 5 extra seconds at boot time? If time = money, you'd need to reboot it >720 times if it takes you an hour to "gain" back any time.
 
[quote name='jmbreci']What's your setup? I looked back a few pages and did not see anything. What OS? What other software /other changes have you loaded / made since you built it and had the 7-9 second time?

My side commentary / question - How often are you rebooting that this plays an issue? I mean how much time do you want to waste worrying about 5 extra seconds at boot time? If time = money, you'd need to reboot it >720 times if it takes you an hour to "gain" back any time.[/QUOTE]

samsung 840 ssd boot drive, 2tb WD storage drive, win7, i5 3570k, 660ti gpu. Any software changes I made prior (installing chrome, Office, steam, etc.) didn't have any effect and it booted up very quick with those installed. Hooked up the second drive today and immediately noticed a difference.

It's not a huge issue, I know (insert first world problems joke here I guess). I just find it odd how it almost doubles the time to boot up, which I do once or twice a day, on average. I'm not going to lose sleep over it, just curious why it made such a difference.
 
I tried connecting my friend's PSU today but it ended up being more of a problem than anything. It doesn't have a pci-e connector, so I don't see how I can hook it up to the video card. Also, when I turned on the power supply, the lights on the motherboard came on, but the pc wouldn't power up when I hit the power button on either the board or the case. Maybe I'm just getting a bit anxious/frustrated and that's causing me to overlook a lot of things... If his PSU isn't capable of powering my computer, I guess I'll have to RMA the corsair. It's just going to stink if I can't get this done by Christmas, as my laptop is my only computer until this gets done. Hopefully my father understands that he might have to wait a bit longer for his gift.
 
WD storage drive a green 5400/5900rpm drive? That would account for the extra time.

[quote name='Prota']I tried connecting my friend's PSU today but it ended up being more of a problem than anything. It doesn't have a pci-e connector, so I don't see how I can hook it up to the video card. Also, when I turned on the power supply, the lights on the motherboard came on, but the pc wouldn't power up when I hit the power button on either the board or the case. Maybe I'm just getting a bit anxious/frustrated and that's causing me to overlook a lot of things... If his PSU isn't capable of powering my computer, I guess I'll have to RMA the corsair. It's just going to stink if I can't get this done by Christmas, as my laptop is my only computer until this gets done. Hopefully my father understands that he might have to wait a bit longer for his gift.[/QUOTE]
PCI-e is nothing more than a few 12v and ground wires, easy to use a molex to 6 pin adapter that most graphic cards come with these days.

Try this, install the cpu, fan, gpu, but leave out the ram pieces. See if it goes through post and gives you any error.
 
[quote name='JBaz']WD storage drive a green 5400/5900rpm drive? That would account for the extra time.
[/QUOTE]

It's caviar black but I don't recall the rpm off the top of my head. I want to say 7200rpm but not sure.
 
[quote name='JBaz']WD storage drive a green 5400/5900rpm drive? That would account for the extra time.


PCI-e is nothing more than a few 12v and ground wires, easy to use a molex to 6 pin adapter that most graphic cards come with these days.

Try this, install the cpu, fan, gpu, but leave out the ram pieces. See if it goes through post and gives you any error.[/QUOTE]

Just checked and sadly it seems that my card didn't come with an adapter. I believed I tried what you said with the previous psu before and nothing happened, but I'll try that out again after work tomorrow and let you know if anything changed.
 
I almost forgot to come back and thank you for your help JBaz, I went ahead and bought and put together what you recommended.

Thanks Guy
 
I talked to another rep at EVGA and this time I was told that it may be the motherboard that's at fault here. I know JBaz personally vouches for the corsair cx430s's compatibility, so I'm leaning with the 2nd rep on this one. And when purchasing parts, the motherboard was a "good value for the amount spent" kind of thing, rather than being a board that's generally recommended aside from that one deal which I (regrettably) bit on.

EVGA won't accept or do any shipping until after Jan 3rd, and even so can't replace my product because for some reason my motherboard does not have a serial number on the actual board like it's supposed to. The sticker between the cpu and memory (which is what's supposed to have it) has two sets of number/letter combinations, but neither are serial numbers. And of course, the label with the serial number that was on the box had to be mailed in with the rebate, so that's gone. I may be able to get the rebate site to get me the number after the rebate processes, but that may take quite some time. Since newegg's customer service hours are done for today, I'll call tomorrow and see they can send me a replacement board instead as it has a replacement-only policy. I imagine that they have to receive the current board first, process some stuff, THEN send the new board. Man, I think I have some really bad luck...please let this pc (if it ever works) be worth it. TT_TT
 
And despite all the issues that have come up (again, terrible luck it seems), I'd really like to thank everyone who has helped me so far in this whole crusade. I've really appreciated all the advice and feedback that I've gotten.
 
that was definitely a good deal, considering the craptastic Galaxy's were front page SD twice for $305 and I hate Galaxy cards. PNY is a good maker and never had problems with them in the past 15 years. I laugh at all the people on SD who debated against me saying that the Galaxy deal was "too good to pass up"... Not going to buy into a $300 Pinto card.
 
so here's my build a pc question...

I have a launch 360 core system that has been dead for about 2 years now (it had a good run...). Anyhow lately I was thinking about building a small itx box to use as a HTPC & run XBMC for streaming content and so forth. Then I thought it would be cool to gut the old 360 and use the case for this build. Has anyone ever attempted this?

I already know a few necessary things from looking at the guts and a bit of research will be required such as in order to run Netflix with XBMC I think I need to have Windows installed. Also, the Xbox PSU will be useless it looks like, but I was thinking about this as an alternative...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817129006

Space will of course be the biggest issue and the puzzle of making everything fit. Seeing as how need to fit at least a 2.5" drive in there (though I'd love to use a spare 2tb 3.5" drive i have) it will surely be tight, but I do not need it to have a BD or DVD drive of any kind in it either (I'll have a matching external one by using my old xbox HD-DVD player anyhow). The other big trick will be using as much as the existing 360 as possible, I know I'll have to cut up the back some yet I want to leave the front as in tact as I can and even maybe use the USB ports or IR sensor. But I fear that could be beyond my skill set.

So thoughts, comments or suggestions???
 
[quote name='frostybroc']Just a question,

How well is ibuypower? Are they really a deal? Just looking at possibly buying a Gaming PC, with a budget of $600 or so.[/QUOTE]

Just mentioned this in another thread, but while I've never used them personally and can't totally vouch for I do know a guy who buys a new PC from there about every 2+ years and loves them.

I have seen what he gets and they do have some cool custom features (liquid cooling, customizable cases, etc.) that you don't see with the big companies. I never asked what he spends so I'm not even sure what you can get for around $600, but I do know that typically the lowest entry point for the "boutique" PC building sites (Digital Storm, Origin, Falcon Northwest, even Alienware) is usually at least around a $1000. So if they can build what you want for your price it maybe the best option for you without going through the big PC makers (even there I don't know if you could get a gaming desktop for that price).
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell']so here's my build a pc question...

I have a launch 360 core system that has been dead for about 2 years now (it had a good run...). Anyhow lately I was thinking about building a small itx box to use as a HTPC & run XBMC for streaming content and so forth. Then I thought it would be cool to gut the old 360 and use the case for this build. Has anyone ever attempted this?

I already know a few necessary things from looking at the guts and a bit of research will be required such as in order to run Netflix with XBMC I think I need to have Windows installed. Also, the Xbox PSU will be useless it looks like, but I was thinking about this as an alternative...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817129006

Space will of course be the biggest issue and the puzzle of making everything fit. Seeing as how need to fit at least a 2.5" drive in there (though I'd love to use a spare 2tb 3.5" drive i have) it will surely be tight, but I do not need it to have a BD or DVD drive of any kind in it either (I'll have a matching external one by using my old xbox HD-DVD player anyhow). The other big trick will be using as much as the existing 360 as possible, I know I'll have to cut up the back some yet I want to leave the front as in tact as I can and even maybe use the USB ports or IR sensor. But I fear that could be beyond my skill set.

So thoughts, comments or suggestions???[/QUOTE]

C'mon nobody's attempted this or thought about it? I figure if I can solve the power supply issue and use an itx board with on-board graphics then bust out the Dremel I can fit it inside no worries. Using the actual USB ports & IR sensor is another story. Nobody has any suggestions, anything?
 
Is there any site that offers good combo deals for Motherboard / Processor purchases? I see the Processor I want, the i7-3770k is on sale at Micro Center for $230, but it's in-store only and I don't leave anywhere near one (Florida). Is there any special way to get that deal or if you don't live near a store you are screwed. I wouldn't mind paying shipping at that price since it's still $90 cheaper then Amazon and Newegg right now I just don't think there's a way to do it :(

Beyond that, mainly looking to buy i7-3770k and Asus P8Z77-v Deluxe, any good sites offering combo deals like that I should be on the lookout for? Also, for those shopping a while, what are good sale prices for these items. I just started looking about 1.5 months ago, and I saw the 3770k for $250 on a lightning deal once, and the cheapest I've seen the Motherboard is $254, normally around $260 although it just jumped up to $284 / $290 on Newegg. In hindsight, I should've jumped on the 3770k $250 lightning deal, but before the deal it was priced at $280 so I didn't think it was that great of a special until after the lightning deal it shot up to $320 where it's been for the past month.
 
[quote name='Mippo']Is there any site that offers good combo deals for Motherboard / Processor purchases? I see the Processor I want, the i7-3770k is on sale at Micro Center for $230, but it's in-store only and I don't leave anywhere near one (Florida). Is there any special way to get that deal or if you don't live near a store you are screwed. I wouldn't mind paying shipping at that price since it's still $90 cheaper then Amazon and Newegg right now I just don't think there's a way to do it :(

Beyond that, mainly looking to buy i7-3770k and Asus P8Z77-v Deluxe, any good sites offering combo deals like that I should be on the lookout for? Also, for those shopping a while, what are good sale prices for these items. I just started looking about 1.5 months ago, and I saw the 3770k for $250 on a lightning deal once, and the cheapest I've seen the Motherboard is $254, normally around $260 although it just jumped up to $284 / $290 on Newegg. In hindsight, I should've jumped on the 3770k $250 lightning deal, but before the deal it was priced at $280 so I didn't think it was that great of a special until after the lightning deal it shot up to $320 where it's been for the past month.[/QUOTE]

Very long shot and I have no idea if it would work but I think Bestbuy.com price matches by phone. My guess is they have nothing to tell them where you live (well maybe caller ID), but you could always call and try to get a price match that way. Also you could probably arrange for someone else to pick it up and then ship it to you if you have family or friends in the area.
 
No go, but worth a shot thanks. For the Motherboard/Processor combo, do any of the computer parts websites like Amazon, Newegg, Tigerdirect run large checkout promotions? Like, X dollars off orders over Y amount. Right now both of them together are over $500 so was thinking maybe get a deal that way.

Also, if I were to buy it on Amazon from one of the non-Amazon backed sellers how do the Manufacter's Warranties work? If I buy it new, does it still start from the time I buy it or is it not worth buying from a non-Amazon vendor if you might need the Warranty?
 
I sell on Amazon as an independent seller and Amazon creates a receipt for the buyer. They need that in order to do warranty exchange with the original manufacture's warranty support. So far I've sold probably 20-30 different computer parts on amazon and I've not had a single problem.

It's safer to get expensive stuff from a local retailer first to make sure you like what you are getting, if you had a Microcenter near by, I'd recommend them.

I would not deal with Newegg on anything with moving parts, their shipping kinda sucks, they don't pack stuff very well and you don't get free shipping back if you need to do an RMA.

Amazon does offer exchange / replace if you buy through them (not an independent seller on amazon).

My advice is just watch for sales on things you end up thinking you want to upgrade to, don't just buy on a whim. It took me well over 6 months to get all the parts for my PC upgrade but it was way worth it since I saved a lot of money vs just buy everything at once.
 
[quote name='s0undwav3']I sell on Amazon as an independent seller and Amazon creates a receipt for the buyer. They need that in order to do warranty exchange with the original manufacture's warranty support. So far I've sold probably 20-30 different computer parts on amazon and I've not had a single problem.

It's safer to get expensive stuff from a local retailer first to make sure you like what you are getting, if you had a Microcenter near by, I'd recommend them.

I would not deal with Newegg on anything with moving parts, their shipping kinda sucks, they don't pack stuff very well and you don't get free shipping back if you need to do an RMA.

Amazon does offer exchange / replace if you buy through them (not an independent seller on amazon).

My advice is just watch for sales on things you end up thinking you want to upgrade to, don't just buy on a whim. It took me well over 6 months to get all the parts for my PC upgrade but it was way worth it since I saved a lot of money vs just buy everything at once.[/QUOTE]

I just finished my last purchase yesterday, it took me about 1.5 months of searching for deals but so far I'm happy with everything and outside of a few pieces, when the Motherboard / Processor arrive this week about 80% of it is still within the 30 day return period. I probably didn't get the "best deals" as compared to someone who waited 6 months, but I did get every item on a sale of some sort and feel very good with my purchases, ending up saving around $300 in total, $400 counting the monitor I got cheaply on Black Friday.

Build:

Seasonic X 850 Gold
16gb Corsair Vengeance LP
Noctua DH-14
Windows 8 Pro
Samsung 840 Pro 128g
Caviar Black 1TB
P8Z77-V Deluxe
I7-3770k
HAF X
AMD 7850 2gb OC (Feel like I should've spent a bit more here..)
ASUS DVD/CD Rewriteable player

Thrown in Freebies with purchases:

Assassin's Creed 3 (with SSD)
Far Cry 3 (With Video Card)
McAfee Antivirus 2013 Plus (With Motherboard)

Total cost around $1450 after $60 in rebates.
 
So I put the whole build together, and everything works fine except for the fact that the Power Supply (Seasonic X-850 Gold) is really noisy. It's like a coil whine, and it happens as soon as you power on the Power Supply, even with the computer off. It's like nails on a chalkboard annoying, so I sent it back to Newegg for a refund and ordered the Corsair 850AX Professional version. Which I think is also made by Seasonic, and almost identical to the Power Supply I just sent back, but it's on sale right now and quicker to send it back for a refund and order a new one, then to wait for a replacement. Plus, I get a new 30 day return policy on the new purchase in case there is anything wrong with this Power Supply. I looked around though, and it seems coil whine is starting to become a bigger issue in the newer, high end power supply units. I guess the quality of Corsair / Seasonic is not what it used to be anymore.
 
I need a new computer and since I haven't built one in about a decade, I need opinions so thanks in advance.

We currently have a late 2007 iMac, which I plan to make the full-time kid computer. It still works but its awfully slow for loading pictures, videos, music, etc. and i can't see spending $1800 on a new one. Anyway, the main purpose of the new computer is basic browsing, Skype with the family, the aforementioned pictures and videos. I do all of my gaming on consoles now, but would like to play diablo 3, guild wars 2, and run Dolphin and PCSX2 at 720p or 1080p.

Here is what I came up with:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/AKvu

Core i5 3570k
ASRock Z77 pro4-m
Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus
EVGA GTX660
8gb Corsair 1600 CAS 9
WD black 1TB
XFX 550W PSU 80 Plus Bronze
Fractal Design Arc Mini
ASUS VH232H

I plan to run Ubuntu but also have a Windows 7 key for games.

Knock another $70 off due to better pricing on a couple items and the CPU/MB combo at my local microcenter. I'd like to keep the total as close to $925 as possible after rebates because I need a webcam, keyboard, mouse, wifi dongle/card, etc. too. I've struggled with what PSU to buy so any recommendations would be appreciated (do I need modular?). The GPU is probably overkill for my purposes, so spending less is ok (will a 650ti get the job done?).

Thanks again.
 
Seasonic and Corsair (made by Seasonic) are both great choices.

You don't -need- modular, but I really appreciate my modular.

I personally would get a more powerful PSU, because I have always been told to aim for 60% load on the PSU. Not everyone agrees though.
 
Thanks. I picked up a Seasonic 620W modular psu from amazon and ordered the monitor from newegg. I'll go crazy at microcenter this week and get the rest. I'm at half the price of an iMac and pretty pumped for a new computer.
 
This is my first time trying to build a pc, so if anyone can help me. This is what I have so far.

For some reason it won't show up after I saved it. Anyways


AMD A6-5400K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 65W Dual-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon

RAM: G.SKILL NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C11D-8GNS

Motherboard: MSI FM2-A55M-E33 FM2 AMD A55 (Hudson D2) HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

HDD: Western Digital WD Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

DVD Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
 
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[quote name='Dead_Batteries']This is my first time trying to build a pc, so if anyone can help me. This is what I have so far.

For some reason it won't show up after I saved it. Anyways


AMD A6-5400K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 65W Dual-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon

RAM: G.SKILL NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C11D-8GNS

Motherboard: MSI FM2-A55M-E33 FM2 AMD A55 (Hudson D2) HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

HDD: Western Digital WD Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

DVD Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply[/QUOTE]

What will the PC be used for? If it is gaming then that setup is a no-go.
 
thinking of changing form factors from my midi tower atx to a mini itx tho im looking to run i5 3570k oc with dual 120 rad like kraken x60 or h100 this is flexible to change to single rad as long as the case has adequate cooling i looked at a bitfenix brodigy which wld work well and has plent of space but size wise its not rlly small.another factor to consider is it must fit 7870 club joker card or a longer card any suggestions? my current case is from a novatech barebones bundle. size 48cm (H) x 48cm (D) x 19.5cm (W) is current case size looking for somin tht cld fit on a desk or somewhere else hidden away and i dnt need the use of optical bays and run ssd so taking out the drive bays is doable to
 
[quote name='Dead_Batteries']This is my first time trying to build a pc, so if anyone can help me. This is what I have so far.

For some reason it won't show up after I saved it. Anyways


AMD A6-5400K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 65W Dual-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon

RAM: G.SKILL NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C11D-8GNS

Motherboard: MSI FM2-A55M-E33 FM2 AMD A55 (Hudson D2) HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

HDD: Western Digital WD Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

DVD Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply[/QUOTE]


I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as some of the people on here, but if this is to game on I would avoid getting a cpu with integrated gpu. I would also shoot for a quad core, or even one of the 6 or 8 cores (I got a 8 core FX 8120 that I have been nothing but super pleased with), and get a dedicated GPU. You will probably want a more powerful psu for this set up as well

I also have the Cooler Master Elite 430, and I do really like the case and window, but I am not crazy about the always on blue led in the front of the case.

my build (from September) that I really love so far, and has been able to play everything well is:

Case: Coolermaster Elite 430
CPU: AMD FX-8120 8 core 3.1ghz OC'd to 4.0ghz
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus
GPU: Asus HD 7870 dc2
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3
HDD: Western Digital 1.5tb
SSD: Sandisk 120gb
PSU: Corsair GS700
Ram: 8gb Corsair Vengeance
Optical: LG DVDrw
Monitor: Sony 24" 3D display
Mouse: Logitech g700
Keyboard: Rosewill Gaming Keyboard (RIKB-11003)


And did another build for my friend recently that he has loved:
Case: Thermaltake Chaser MK-1
CPU: AMD FX-4170 quad core 4.2ghz
CPU Cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus
GPU: Gigabyte HD7870
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-990XA-UD3
HDD: Seagate Barricuda 3tb
SSD: Intel 120gb
PSU: Corsair HX750 modular
Ram: 8gb gskill ripjaw
Optical: LG DVDrw
Monitor: 22" 1080p Dell monitor
Mouse: CMstorm xornet
Keyboard: Rosewill Gaming Keyboard (RIKB-11003)
 
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Hey everybody, long time no speak. Just wanted to give an update and say that I finally got my pc running. It seems like the PSU was the problem, so I ordered a Corsair TX630 and that with my RMA'd motherboard works great. Seems like the CX series of PSUs have compatibility issues with the EVGA Z68 FTW motherboard. Now I'm stuck with a Corsair CX430 since it's too late to return it. TT_TT The only issue I seem to be having is that sometimes certain shades of orange/red display as pink. I'm using a 32-nch Toshiba TV as my monitor and tried using two different HDMI cables, but haven't been able to figure out the problem yet. Also, thanks again to everyone that helped me out before. The computer wouldn't be looking and running as well without all your solid feedback.
 
At least you know the problem!

I just upgraded from a GTX 470 to the Sapphire Vapor-X 7950 3GB. Now I get ultra settings with solid FPS, the only loser is my wallet :(
 
[quote name='j-cart']At least you know the problem!

I just upgraded from a GTX 470 to the Sapphire Vapor-X 7950 3GB. Now I get ultra settings with solid FPS, the only loser is my wallet :([/QUOTE]

Jealous!
 
[quote name='contej85']I'd kill to be near a Microcenter. Their deals are unbelievable.[/QUOTE]

Their deals are great but their prices on some things.... not so much. Cables for example are expensive. 6 foot HDMI cables are $15.
 
[quote name='aShufflinZombie']Their deals are great but their prices on some things.... not so much. Cables for example are expensive. 6 foot HDMI cables are $15.[/QUOTE]

Its all relative, compared to BB or other retail stores thats still a bargain, but to those who know better its way too much
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']Its all relative, compared to BB or other retail stores thats still a bargain, but to those who know better its way too much[/QUOTE]

For anything electronics related it's Amazon or MicroCenter. :D True story. One time I went into a Radioshack for a DVI-D to HDMI cable. They were like yeah we have it, the price was $54.99. Let that sink in.
 
haha thats so crazy, but I think the cables are the biggest markups in most electronics stores. Its crazy to see 3 or 6 foot hdmi cables going for like $30-$50, when we can get 10 foot cables for like $1.25 apiece.

But at the same time, before I discovered this site I spent msrp on games fairly regularly so its all about being an informed customer
 
Sorry to ask for help again but would anyone be able to give me some advice for a cheap gaming PC that game run most games on high settings, it can be an AMD or Intel build.

I would like to keep the price below $800 or very close, not counting OS and Monitor/Keyboard/mouse.

I suck at building cheap PCs mine are always $1000 + at least.

I appreciate the help as well.

Edit: Most of my buying will be either Newegg or Amazon.

List of Games I would most like to be able to run on High:
Far Cry 3
Skyrim
Sleeping Dogs
 
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[quote name='clonesniper666']Sorry to ask for help again but would anyone be able to give me some advice for a cheap gaming PC that game run most games on high settings, it can be an AMD or Intel build.

I would like to keep the price below $800 or very close, not counting OS and Monitor/Keyboard/mouse.

I suck at building cheap PCs mine are always $1000 + at least.

I appreciate the help as well.[/QUOTE]

First question... do you live near a Microcenter? Or are you planning on doing most of the shopping online?

edit.. I see there is one microcenter store in Northern Virginia, they are the best place to shop usually as they have ridiculous deal often. I'm no expert but build myself a very nice computer for a decent price and help my friend build a nice one as well on a budget (although he went nuts on a case) I actually posted my build a page back and it may help.
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']First question... do you live near a Microcenter? Or are you planning on doing most of the shopping online?

edit.. I see there is one microcenter store in Northern Virginia, they are the best place to shop usually as they have ridiculous deal often. I'm no expert but build myself a very nice computer for a decent price and help my friend build a nice one as well on a budget (although he went nuts on a case) I actually posted my build a page back and it may help.[/QUOTE]

Sorry should have stated that most of mine will be online shopping because I live in a rural town, so no big stores like microcenter and the closet is a bestbuy that is an hour away.

I will check your build as well.

Edit:
Would anyone recommend this build:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/C18t
 
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[quote name='clonesniper666']
Would anyone recommend this build:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/C18t[/QUOTE]


Not bad for a mid-tier build.

While the FX-4300 "says" it is a four core processor, it really isn't. The numbers may show that it can handle gaming tasks decently, but if there were any part on your list that would be a bottleneck, it would be your CPU. Note that the FX-4300 is the lowest tier from AMD's "Vishera" line up.

Rule a thumb when making a gaming PC is to roughly spend the same amount on the CPU and on the GPU. If you stick with AMD, you'll be in luck because AMD tends to keep their high end CPUs priced very reasonably. I would suggest looking into the FX-8320. The numbers might not look like a huge jump, but it would be only an extra $40 for a LOT more head room.
 
Is this basically the build you would recommend: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/C4wd

If you have any advice on the PSU I would appreciate it. I originally had a Rosewell 650W PSU but it is about 2x as much as the listed one and if it would not make a big difference I would try the Apevia brand.

I believe this may be the build I stick with since it is within the price I want to spend and seems to be able to play the game I originally listed.
 
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