650 $ PC Build good for gaming and work

[angelninz12]

I want to know if this build is okay or still needs of improvement i am open and very happy if u will help me guys. thanks

here is my build

processor:core i3-4160
motherboard:gigabyte z97m-d3h
memory:8GB(2x4GB) ares 1866
Hard Drive:1TB WD Blue Sata 6gpbs
casing:coolermaster n300
power supply:seasonic m12II 520 EVo

monitor:asus 18.5 LED
or aoc 19.5 LED
or LG 19.5 LEd

graphics card: palit gtx960 oc 2GB GDDR5
or asus r9-270x directCUII TOP OC Ed. GDDR5 256bit

As of now i am confused what graphics card should i go to.

I usually use applications like visual studio latest version, ms sql server latest version and other programming tools for my work

I also play games like nba2k15, need for speed games, dota 2, call of duty games and more

Thanks

 

[Darkbreeze]

That build should be fine for those titles. You might take a bit of a hit on the FPS with the i3 on CPU intensive titles, but otherwise you should be fine.

 

[plywrlw]

If you're only going to have one graphics card and an i3 you don't need that z97 motherboard, a H97, B85 or H81 will fulfil your needs. I'd advise a H97 as it has a few more features but the average user won't notice.

The gtx 960 would be a good choice, its newer, performs better and runs cool and quiet. A step up to a brand like Asus, gigabyte, msi, or EVGA will probably give you a longer warranty and a more effective cooling solution.

What psu are you going to use?

 

[Darkbreeze]

There is nothing wrong with Palit, which is very popular overseas. Not so much in the US, Canada or Australia, but in Europe and the UK they are. I've seen side by side reviews with the bigger name brands, and performance and features were similar.

If you're in the US, consider ASUS, EVGA, MSI or Gigabyte as plywrlw mentioned.

My assumption was that the i3 might only be a stepping stone and the Z97 board would allow both the addition of a second GPU later, plus an upgrade to an i5 or i7 at some point. If those are not considerations, then again, as mentioned, the Z97 is pointless and an H97 or other LGA 1150 compatible chipset board would make more sense.

With either of those cards, although capacity requirements are rather low, you still want a good quality Tier 2B or higher unit. No Corsair CX or other crappy budget supplies.

PSU Tier list: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

 

[plywrlw]

Palit are sold over here but they are a budget line and I've always found them a bit cheap feeling, I've also had more fail on me than any other brand and most seem to only come with a 1 or 2 year warranty which is a bit mean really

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'll have to defer to you on that, since they're not common here I don't personally have much experience with them. I've only seen one or two and most of what I know about them comes from hardware reviews. I haven't really heard much bad on them, but then again, you don't really hear MUCH on them at all. Probably similar to Zotac here then, which isn't a bad card either, but maybe a step down from the big four.

When it comes to AMD based cards, I always buy Sapphire or XFX. For the green team, it's ASUS or Gigabyte, maybe MSI if the price warrants it.

 

[angelninz12]

That build should be fine for those titles. You might take a bit of a hit on the FPS with the i3 on CPU intensive titles, but otherwise you should be fine.

If you're only going to have one graphics card and an i3 you don't need that z97 motherboard, a H97, B85 or H81 will fulfil your needs. I'd advise a H97 as it has a few more features but the average user won't notice.

The gtx 960 would be a good choice, its newer, performs better and runs cool and quiet. A step up to a brand like Asus, gigabyte, msi, or EVGA will probably give you a longer warranty and a more effective cooling solution.

What psu are you going to use?

sorry i forgot about the psu i already updated the thread sir.

thanks

 

[plywrlw]

Spot on Darkbreeze they are just like zotac, that's a very good comparison

 

[plywrlw]

Oh, good choice of psu by the way Is $650 your budget for parts, os and monitor?

 

[angelninz12]

Oh, good choice of psu by the way Is $650 your budget for parts, os and monitor?

psu is okay? has enough watts?

my problem now is that the video card

i have other option will be this okay?

PowerColor R9-270 OC 2GB GDDR5 256Bit(AXR9 270 2GBD5-TDHE/OC)

 

[plywrlw]

Well, the r9 270 is quite a bit below the gtx 960 in terms of performance, you will be fine with that PSU, its a good one.

There are some great rebate deals on r9 280's and their performance is broadly the same as the gtx 960 so if you can afford an r9 280 it would be a great choice

 

[angelninz12]

Well, the r9 270 is quite a bit below the gtx 960 in terms of performance, you will be fine with that PSU, its a good one.

There are some great rebate deals on r9 280's and their performance is broadly the same as the gtx 960 so if you can afford an r9 280 it would be a great choice

i found this, will this be good?

GIGABYTE GTX 960 OC 2GB DDR5(GV-N960IXOC-2GD)

but the
ASUS R9-270X DirectCUII TOP OC EDITION 2GB GDDR5 256BIT(R9270X-DC2T-2GD5)
has 2 fan and 256bit compared to gtx960 only has 1 and has 128bit

 

[plywrlw]

the number of fans and memory bandwidth do not necessarily indicate gaming performance. The gtx 960 is newer and better performing than the r9 270x

Check out these benchmarks to compare the two cards

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_960_gaming_oc_review,12.html

 

[angelninz12]

the number of fans and memory bandwidth do not necessarily indicate gaming performance. The gtx 960 is newer and better performing than the r9 270x

Check out these benchmarks to compare the two cards

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_960_gaming_oc_review,12.html

ok sir. thanks

how about the ram will it be okay if i change the ram to [4GB(1x4GB) 1600 and change also the motherboard to ASUS H81-K because gtx 960 cost more so i need to adjust other things

there is also cheaper PSU corsair vs550w is okay?

 

[plywrlw]

That PSU is a big step down. Please answer my question about your budget and I will be able to make better suggestions.

What is your total budget for parts, Windows and monitor? Is it $650? Are you in the US?

 

[angelninz12]

That PSU is a big step down. Please answer my question about your budget and I will be able to make better suggestions.

What is your total budget for parts, Windows and monitor? Is it $650? Are you in the US?

i'm from philippines sir

my actual budget is 30,000 for system unit only not include monitors,os and etc.

http:// list of items including prices

list of updated graphics cards

http://

 

[plywrlw]

Ok thanks for the information, I'll have a look and get back to you with some suggestions

 

[plywrlw]

So, looking at the information you gave me....

Core i3 4160 3450
Gigabyte H97M-Ds3H 2500
2x4Gb Ripjaws X 1600Mhz 3100
1 Tb WD Blue 650
Thermaltake Versa H23 1700
Seasonic M12II Evo 520W 3100

Comes to 14500, plus this GPU (don't worry about the cooler, the GTX 960 is so power efficient and cool it only needs a 450W PSU and that cooler is plenty for it)

Gigabyte GTX960 10990

https://www.facebook.com/212653165497970/photos/a.216186551811298.51170.212653165497970/735720889857859/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xfp1%2Ft31.0-8%2F10911482_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_o.png&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10342438_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_n.png%3Foh%3Dca3e077139f4fa00fbabc1614908a3e3%26oe%3D558DCDE7&size=1000%2C1000&fbid=735720889857859


total, 25490

 

[angelninz12]

So, looking at the information you gave me....

Core i3 4160 3450
Gigabyte H97M-Ds3H 2500
2x4Gb Ripjaws X 1600Mhz 3100
1 Tb WD Blue 650
Thermaltake Versa H23 1700
Seasonic M12II Evo 520W 3100

Comes to 14500, plus this GPU (don't worry about the cooler, the GTX 960 is so power efficient and cool it only needs a 450W PSU and that cooler is plenty for it)

Gigabyte GTX960 10990

https://www.facebook.com/212653165497970/photos/a.216186551811298.51170.212653165497970/735720889857859/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xfp1%2Ft31.0-8%2F10911482_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_o.png&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10342438_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_n.png%3Foh%3Dca3e077139f4fa00fbabc1614908a3e3%26oe%3D558DCDE7&size=1000%2C1000&fbid=735720889857859


total, 25490

thank you sir

 

[plywrlw]

So, looking at the information you gave me....

Core i3 4160 3450
Gigabyte H97M-Ds3H 2500
2x4Gb Ripjaws X 1600Mhz 3100
1 Tb WD Blue 650
Thermaltake Versa H23 1700
Seasonic M12II Evo 520W 3100

Comes to 14500, plus this GPU (don't worry about the cooler, the GTX 960 is so power efficient and cool it only needs a 450W PSU and that cooler is plenty for it)

Gigabyte GTX960 10990

https://www.facebook.com/212653165497970/photos/a.216186551811298.51170.212653165497970/735720889857859/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xfp1%2Ft31.0-8%2F10911482_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_o.png&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10342438_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_n.png%3Foh%3Dca3e077139f4fa00fbabc1614908a3e3%26oe%3D558DCDE7&size=1000%2C1000&fbid=735720889857859


total, 25490

thank you sir

No problem at all, happy to help.

As you still have some budget left over, you should seriously consider the 3000 upgrade to the i5 4460, it's quad core and should serve you better in gaming now and in the future

 

[angelninz12]

So, looking at the information you gave me....

Core i3 4160 3450
Gigabyte H97M-Ds3H 2500
2x4Gb Ripjaws X 1600Mhz 3100
1 Tb WD Blue 650
Thermaltake Versa H23 1700
Seasonic M12II Evo 520W 3100

Comes to 14500, plus this GPU (don't worry about the cooler, the GTX 960 is so power efficient and cool it only needs a 450W PSU and that cooler is plenty for it)

Gigabyte GTX960 10990

https://www.facebook.com/212653165497970/photos/a.216186551811298.51170.212653165497970/735720889857859/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xfp1%2Ft31.0-8%2F10911482_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_o.png&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xpf1%2Fv%2Ft1.0-9%2F10342438_735720889857859_6811786029641092231_n.png%3Foh%3Dca3e077139f4fa00fbabc1614908a3e3%26oe%3D558DCDE7&size=1000%2C1000&fbid=735720889857859


total, 25490

thank you sir

No problem at all, happy to help.

As you still have some budget left over, you should seriously consider the 3000 upgrade to the i5 4460, it's quad core and should serve you better in gaming now and in the future

will it be okay if change the motherboard MSI h81 then go to i5 4460?

 

[plywrlw]

The only problem you may encounter is that you may need to update the BIOS on the motherboard before the CPU works with it as the i5 4460 is a Haswell Refresh part.

Most H81 and B85 motherboards are OK these days but some do need a BIOS update. If you're buying the parts from a computer shop they might update the BIOS for you if it's necessary.

Some other things to consider is that the H81 board doesn't have any front USB 3.0 ports and it only has 2 RAM slots so if you ever want 16Gb of RAM you'll have to buy 2x 8Gb and sell the 2x 4Gb you have. The Asus B85m-G board on your list does have front USB 3.0 and PCIe 3.0and 4 RAM slots but may still need a BIOS update

 

[angelninz12]

The only problem you may encounter is that you may need to update the BIOS on the motherboard before the CPU works with it as the i5 4460 is a Haswell Refresh part.

Most H81 and B85 motherboards are OK these days but some do need a BIOS update. If you're buying the parts from a computer shop they might update the BIOS for you if it's necessary.

Some other things to consider is that the H81 board doesn't have any front USB 3.0 ports and it only has 2 RAM slots so if you ever want 16Gb of RAM you'll have to buy 2x 8Gb and sell the 2x 4Gb you have. The Asus B85m-G board on your list does have front USB 3.0 and PCIe 3.0and 4 RAM slots but may still need a BIOS update

i see

another update since h97 there is small difference for the price of z97 will it be okay if I go z97 and 8GB(2x4GB) ripx 1866?

will it be big a diffrence ithe performance? gaming and etc?

for z97 and a ddr3 1866 adds only 300

 

[plywrlw]

You won't see any advantage really as the Z97's main advantages are that it supports overclocking (the i3 4160 and i5 4460 can't be overclocked) and multiple GPU's (you are only using a single GTX 960)

The faster RAM might give you a 1-3% improvement in performance which probably isn't worth paying the extra money for!