Ok, so I am not interested in debate... I just would like to know which rig you think is best and why so that I can make a well-educated purchase. So PLEASE, no Intel vs. AMD wars in here, they make me so confuse.
I am a complete beginner to computer building so please be gentle, use simple language! (5 year old style)
Any advice on my three rigs is appreciated, but I am most interested in which one is the best, how I can improve any of them, and how I can cut costs!
So when I set out to build my rig these were my expectations:
1. Great for gaming at high quality
2. Super Set to record gaming
3. Ideal for video editing on a regular, frequent basis on a professional level
4. Ideal for streaming
5. Preferred to be under $800
6. Types of games: Minecraft, Sims 4, Elderscrolls (Skyrim, not online elderscrolls), Valve (half-life, portal), Real-Time Strategies (Age of Mythology, Anno, etc), some steam games, etc.
7. Not to crap out, I need this rig to not blow up anytime soon, and I would like to not have to spend a lot more money on it in the next 2-3 years
8. Super easy and user friendly... I am computer-dumb, I need it to be stupid friendly. (If such a thing exists)
So here are my three rigs, I will say a few things below each. ALSO I REALIZE I DO NOT HAVE AN OS that is because I am a college student, so I will purcahse Windows 8.1 Pro for Students for $70. So tag $70 on each list!
1. The Cost Effective Rig
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $728.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like the looks of this rig because it meets my budget, nay, it is music to my budget's ears. I realize this Rig takes a slight dip in performance compared to the other, but I understand the 270x to be very good for the current games and the FX-6300 to be a very desirable CPU.
The Pimped AMD
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $848.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like the looks of this Rig because it seems very high powered to me. I understand this 8-core to be perfect for what I plan for this cpu (gaming and video editing have been mentioned in particular). I also understand that going from the 270x to the 280x buys my Rig a year or two more of longevity. This PC has the highest power requirement of any of my rigs, and it certainly appears to be the highest power to my [unknowing] eyes.
3. The Intel Rig
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $878.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like this Rig because every Computer I have ever owned has been an Intel, however I have never had a Gaming Rig... I don't like this Rig because it is the most expensive... So the question for it is: is it worth the cost? OR can the cost come down a bit? I understand this to be quite high powered as well, but from what I understand the Rig immediately above will be at least = power, and it is more affordable. (Granted it is not a HUGE difference.
I am a complete beginner to computer building so please be gentle, use simple language! (5 year old style)
Any advice on my three rigs is appreciated, but I am most interested in which one is the best, how I can improve any of them, and how I can cut costs!
So when I set out to build my rig these were my expectations:
1. Great for gaming at high quality
2. Super Set to record gaming
3. Ideal for video editing on a regular, frequent basis on a professional level
4. Ideal for streaming
5. Preferred to be under $800
6. Types of games: Minecraft, Sims 4, Elderscrolls (Skyrim, not online elderscrolls), Valve (half-life, portal), Real-Time Strategies (Age of Mythology, Anno, etc), some steam games, etc.
7. Not to crap out, I need this rig to not blow up anytime soon, and I would like to not have to spend a lot more money on it in the next 2-3 years
8. Super easy and user friendly... I am computer-dumb, I need it to be stupid friendly. (If such a thing exists)
So here are my three rigs, I will say a few things below each. ALSO I REALIZE I DO NOT HAVE AN OS that is because I am a college student, so I will purcahse Windows 8.1 Pro for Students for $70. So tag $70 on each list!
1. The Cost Effective Rig
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB Dual-X Video Card ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $728.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like the looks of this rig because it meets my budget, nay, it is music to my budget's ears. I realize this Rig takes a slight dip in performance compared to the other, but I understand the 270x to be very good for the current games and the FX-6300 to be a very desirable CPU.
The Pimped AMD
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $848.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like the looks of this Rig because it seems very high powered to me. I understand this 8-core to be perfect for what I plan for this cpu (gaming and video editing have been mentioned in particular). I also understand that going from the 270x to the 280x buys my Rig a year or two more of longevity. This PC has the highest power requirement of any of my rigs, and it certainly appears to be the highest power to my [unknowing] eyes.
3. The Intel Rig
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($76.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.91 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.62 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: AOC E2360SD 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($113.36 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($14.18 @ B&H)
Total: $878.67
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
I like this Rig because every Computer I have ever owned has been an Intel, however I have never had a Gaming Rig... I don't like this Rig because it is the most expensive... So the question for it is: is it worth the cost? OR can the cost come down a bit? I understand this to be quite high powered as well, but from what I understand the Rig immediately above will be at least = power, and it is more affordable. (Granted it is not a HUGE difference.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram