~$600 tower for very flexible new build

[TorpedoStitches]

I'm attempting my 1st ever build, so any and all input would be appreciated. Thanks!


Approximate Purchase Date: next week or two

Budget Range: ~$600 for the tower, but I’m very willing to pay extra for added value if there is a good deal

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, gaming, watching movies (HD-capable media center)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, as well as speakers

Parts to Upgrade: everything (new build);
specifically: case, power source, motherboard, hard drive, memory, graphics card, optical drive, wi-fi, (basic) keyboard & mouse

Do you need to buy OS: No (most likely Windows 7)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference

Location: Boston, MA (or NYC area if substantially cheaper)

Parts Preferences: no preference

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: TBD, perhaps 1080p, 27”

Additional Comments:
Software: gaming- think Skyrim on medium-to-high settings; basic audio recording/editing; being able to run something like Autodesk software without dying would be an bonus
>>General Config: I don’t know very much about this stuff, but after doing a lot of reading I’ve come up with the following rough specs: i5-level processor; 4 GB RAM; if reasonable, a SSD for the OS in addition to HDD; graphics card ≥ Raedon 7770

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: new desktop to replace college laptop

 

[SNA3]

I'm attempting my 1st ever build, so any and all input would be appreciated. Thanks!


Approximate Purchase Date: next week or two

Budget Range: ~$600 for the tower, but I’m very willing to pay extra for added value if there is a good deal

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, gaming, watching movies (HD-capable media center)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, as well as speakers

Parts to Upgrade: everything (new build);
specifically: case, power source, motherboard, hard drive, memory, graphics card, optical drive, wi-fi, (basic) keyboard & mouse

Do you need to buy OS: No (most likely Windows 7)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference

Location: Boston, MA (or NYC area if substantially cheaper)

Parts Preferences: no preference

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: TBD, perhaps 1080p, 27”

Additional Comments:
Software: gaming- think Skyrim on medium-to-high settings; basic audio recording/editing; being able to run something like Autodesk software without dying would be an bonus
>>General Config: I don’t know very much about this stuff, but after doing a lot of reading I’ve come up with the following rough specs: i5-level processor; 4 GB RAM; if reasonable, a SSD for the OS in addition to HDD; graphics card ≥ Raedon 7770

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: new desktop to replace college laptop

for i5 and all the stuff you mentioned , you need 700$

here the best I could do for you :

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mvYD

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3330 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($168.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H77MA-G43 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($166.10 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.94 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2240M 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $718.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 22:30 EDT-0400)

If you choose i3 3.4 GHZ , it will be 70$ less , 650$ , and yes it is enough for gaming.

this is with 7870 GHZ edition super gaming for that budget.

and I chosen an IPS monitor for you .. dont get TN monitors.

and a cool looking cheap but good case

 

[MagusALL]

Hit up Microcenter since you are in Boston as are they...

CPU Intel i5-4670k packaged with a
MB MSI Z87-G41 ($255)
RAM 4gb or 8gb G. Skill 1600mhz (~$35-50)
GPU GTX 650 Ti Boost ($149) or GTX 660 ($179)
PSU CX430 ($29) or CX500 ($39)
Case Corsair 200R ($30)
DVD-RW Asus DRW-24B1ST ($20)
SSD SanDisk Extreme II 128GB ($100)
HDD Western Digital Blue or Black depending on home/business use ($63/blu-$89/blk for 1TB)
Keyboard/Mouse Microsoft (~$40)
Wifi Card/Dongle ($10)

Bringing it all to ~$750.

Don't forget you can go down to the lesser CPU/MB and save $ and also get less RAM and bring it down another $20 to get it under $700 but you don't make it seem like the exact amount matters all too much. You won't notice any difference unless you overclock (i5-4570 versus i5-4670K), which then needs a Z87 motherboard ($20 more if bundled). There is also the option of going to a core i3 which may very well be fine for your needs and would save you potentially $100. I suggested the GPU because of it's value at <$150 and performance at 1080p. For home use I would venture to guess you won't find a huge difference in CPU's going from a i3 Sandy Bridge to a i7 Haswell. I was very happy with my initial setup and I had a i3-2120, B75 from Gigabyte, 8gb G Skill RAM, GTX 650 Ti Boost, CX430, Corsair 200R case and Logitech K400r keyboard. The core i5 is no doubt a great CPU, as is the i7-3770k like I have, but unless you use it you won't even notice it. The i3-2120 and i3-3220 are great processors for home use and at $89 the i3-3220 is ideal for a home build. It will only bottleneck GPU's like the GTX 670/760 and above but if you get something below that the i3 can hang (minus perhaps the GTX 660 Ti). I hope I could help some. But for sure try to hit up Microcenter for your CPU/MB bundle prices. (I got my i7 for only $229 there.) Good luck.

 

[TorpedoStitches]

I'm attempting my 1st ever build, so any and all input would be appreciated. Thanks!


Approximate Purchase Date: next week or two

Budget Range: ~$600 for the tower, but I’m very willing to pay extra for added value if there is a good deal

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, gaming, watching movies (HD-capable media center)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, as well as speakers

Parts to Upgrade: everything (new build);
specifically: case, power source, motherboard, hard drive, memory, graphics card, optical drive, wi-fi, (basic) keyboard & mouse

Do you need to buy OS: No (most likely Windows 7)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference

Location: Boston, MA (or NYC area if substantially cheaper)

Parts Preferences: no preference

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: TBD, perhaps 1080p, 27”

Additional Comments:
Software: gaming- think Skyrim on medium-to-high settings; basic audio recording/editing; being able to run something like Autodesk software without dying would be an bonus
>>General Config: I don’t know very much about this stuff, but after doing a lot of reading I’ve come up with the following rough specs: i5-level processor; 4 GB RAM; if reasonable, a SSD for the OS in addition to HDD; graphics card ≥ Raedon 7770

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: new desktop to replace college laptop

for i5 and all the stuff you mentioned , you need 700$

here the best I could do for you :

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mvYD

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3330 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($168.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H77MA-G43 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($166.10 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.94 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2240M 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $718.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 22:30 EDT-0400)

If you choose i3 3.4 GHZ , it will be 70$ less , 650$ , and yes it is enough for gaming.

this is with 7870 GHZ edition super gaming for that budget.

and I chosen an IPS monitor for you .. dont get TN monitors.

and a cool looking cheap but good case

Okay, forget my initial guess at i5. If I move to the i3, is this still the optimum layout?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mLXB

 

[TorpedoStitches]

Hit up Microcenter since you are in Boston as are they...

CPU Intel i5-4670k packaged with a
MB MSI Z87-G41 ($255)
RAM 4gb or 8gb G. Skill 1600mhz (~$35-50)
GPU GTX 650 Ti Boost ($149) or GTX 660 ($179)
PSU CX430 ($29) or CX500 ($39)
Case Corsair 200R ($30)
DVD-RW Asus DRW-24B1ST ($20)
SSD SanDisk Extreme II 128GB ($100)
HDD Western Digital Blue or Black depending on home/business use ($63/blu-$89/blk for 1TB)
Keyboard/Mouse Microsoft (~$40)
Wifi Card/Dongle ($10)

Bringing it all to ~$750.

Don't forget you can go down to the lesser CPU/MB and save $ and also get less RAM and bring it down another $20 to get it under $700 but you don't make it seem like the exact amount matters all too much. You won't notice any difference unless you overclock (i5-4570 versus i5-4670K), which then needs a Z87 motherboard ($20 more if bundled). There is also the option of going to a core i3 which may very well be fine for your needs and would save you potentially $100. I suggested the GPU because of it's value at <$150 and performance at 1080p. For home use I would venture to guess you won't find a huge difference in CPU's going from a i3 Sandy Bridge to a i7 Haswell. I was very happy with my initial setup and I had a i3-2120, B75 from Gigabyte, 8gb G Skill RAM, GTX 650 Ti Boost, CX430, Corsair 200R case and Logitech K400r keyboard. The core i5 is no doubt a great CPU, as is the i7-3770k like I have, but unless you use it you won't even notice it. The i3-2120 and i3-3220 are great processors for home use and at $89 the i3-3220 is ideal for a home build. It will only bottleneck GPU's like the GTX 670/760 and above but if you get something below that the i3 can hang (minus perhaps the GTX 660 Ti). I hope I could help some. But for sure try to hit up Microcenter for your CPU/MB bundle prices. (I got my i7 for only $229 there.) Good luck.

Is there a good CPU/MB bundling opportunity at Microcenter for this build if I go down to an i3?

 

[TorpedoStitches]

Also, does anyone have any thoughts on what would be the next most cost effective to add value for this build?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mLXB

 

[SNA3]

I'm attempting my 1st ever build, so any and all input would be appreciated. Thanks!


Approximate Purchase Date: next week or two

Budget Range: ~$600 for the tower, but I’m very willing to pay extra for added value if there is a good deal

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, gaming, watching movies (HD-capable media center)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, as well as speakers

Parts to Upgrade: everything (new build);
specifically: case, power source, motherboard, hard drive, memory, graphics card, optical drive, wi-fi, (basic) keyboard & mouse

Do you need to buy OS: No (most likely Windows 7)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference

Location: Boston, MA (or NYC area if substantially cheaper)

Parts Preferences: no preference

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: TBD, perhaps 1080p, 27”

Additional Comments:
Software: gaming- think Skyrim on medium-to-high settings; basic audio recording/editing; being able to run something like Autodesk software without dying would be an bonus
>>General Config: I don’t know very much about this stuff, but after doing a lot of reading I’ve come up with the following rough specs: i5-level processor; 4 GB RAM; if reasonable, a SSD for the OS in addition to HDD; graphics card ≥ Raedon 7770

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: new desktop to replace college laptop

for i5 and all the stuff you mentioned , you need 700$

here the best I could do for you :

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mvYD

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3330 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($168.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H77MA-G43 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($166.10 @ Newegg)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.94 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Dell S2240M 60Hz 21.5" Monitor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $718.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-30 22:30 EDT-0400)

If you choose i3 3.4 GHZ , it will be 70$ less , 650$ , and yes it is enough for gaming.

this is with 7870 GHZ edition super gaming for that budget.

and I chosen an IPS monitor for you .. dont get TN monitors.

and a cool looking cheap but good case

Okay, forget my initial guess at i5. If I move to the i3, is this still the optimum layout?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1mLXB

it is ok , but If you can get i5 do it , your link is pick up at store only btw for the i3 .