Mid Budget Intel/NVidia Build

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: about 2 weeks

Budget Range: I'm trying to get it about $750

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Adobe Master Suite Collection, Sony Vegas.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM) **Include Power Supply Make & Model If Re-using**

Do you need to buy OS: No (I already have Windows 7 Ultimate)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com or amazon.com

Location: City, State/Region, Country - I perfer only online shopping.

Parts Preferences: Nvidia and Intel

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1980x1080

Additional Comments: I play games like Battlefield 3, Cod, Assassins creed, Minecraft and Skyrim.
I am very experienced at building computers and what parts to use. I would just like a second opinion.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I am using a 4 year old laptop with Intel 2000 hd graphics.

Heres what I've set up.

Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal Drive $23.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500 GB $59.99
NZXT Vulcan Enthusiast M-ATX Case $55.60
Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500w $39.99
Intel Motherboard LGA1155 - BOXDH77KC $107.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws X 8gb (2 x 4gb) $46.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 650ti 1gb $149.99
Intel Core i3-2100 $119.99

Then I have about $164 reserved for mouse and keyboard.

Any suggestions or changes anyone want to make?




 
Solution

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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Hi. The build is compatible but I don't recommend that power supply unit. I think you can afford an i5 quad-core and the GTX 660 since you might have some money left after purchasing the mouse and keyboard. The i5 should give you a smoother gameplay in Battlefield 3 multiplayer and better performance in video/image editing. The GTX 660 2GB is a much better choice than the GTX 650 Ti 1GB at that resolution if gaming is the most important to you. If you can go over your budget, I would recommended the i5-3570K and a Z77 motherboard for overclocking. If not and you still have money left after purchasing the mouse and keyboard with the new build, you can go with the i5-3470 and/or a GTX 660 from a different brand. Feel free to make changes as you'd like.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Other: NZXT Vulcan Enthusiast ($55.60)
Total: $682.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-17 20:39 EST-0500)
 

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Here is what I have done.

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yaJj/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yaJj/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-2105 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($97.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Vulcan Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $726.43
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-17 22:12 EST-0500)

And that would leave about $50 left for either i5 or 660? I'm leaning torwards for the i5.
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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The ASRock H77M does have an optical S/PDIF out and you don't need to pay more for faster RAM that's unnecessary. For $6.06 more (782.49-726.43-50) you can get both the i5 and the GTX 660. I switched the PSU for one that costs $10 less without modular cabling. If you can somehow stretch the budget a little more, I recommend getting an i5-3470 or a GTX 660 from a different brand or the Rosewill HIVE 550W.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Other: NZXT Vulcan Enthusiast ($55.60)
Total: $782.49
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-17 22:44 EST-0500)
 

admbautista

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Oct 29, 2012
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With that budget, this is the best you can have...

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ybgc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ybgc/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ybgc/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Vulcan Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.94 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $752.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-17 22:58 EST-0500)

1. Got you a better cpu, video card, and mobo.
2. You don't need a z77 board since your not overclocking. The best you can have is h77.
3. If you'll want to go amd for gpu, you can change it to 7950. But since your nvidia fan, go 660ti/660. 660 if you want to save with minimal performance loss. 660ti, if you want to push your budget to the limit.
 

Nice - provided a Microcenter is close by.
 

johnsonjohnson

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Unfortunately his budget will include parts from Newegg or Amazon and these items:

Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($49.99 @ Amazon)
 

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Okay. I think I might go with this. But if when I buy these parts and Microcenter has the i5 3470 then I'll get it. I have a little left over $$ to buy a case fan or thermal paste. So any major changes that are strongly recommended?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yn4u
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yn4u/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yn4u/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card ($164.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT Vulcan Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.94 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Other: NZXT CB-LED10-OR Sleeved LED Kit - Orange ($13.99)
Other: Rosewill RCT4W-100 White 4" Cable Tie ($1.99)
Total: $752.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-19 03:19 EST-0500)
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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The stock cooler comes with thermal paste. You can always add a case fan or apply new thermal paste in the future but I suggest spending that money upgrading other components that matter more instead and save more money with DDR3-1600 RAM since you won't benefit from the DDR3-1866 Ares. If you can get the i5-3470 from Microcenter, spend the savings on a GTX 660. The $30+ difference between that GTX 650 Ti and the GTX 660 at 1920 x 1080 is worth the upgrade as you can see from the benchmark results below. And if you do upgrade to the GTX 660, get a bigger PSU.
50580.png

50584.png

BF3.png

Skyrim.png
 

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Although I do admit I really would like the 660 but I think you might have overlooked that the 650t thats on my list is clocked at 1071MHz which would give it about a 8-16 fps increase? And this one is the 2gb version. And I could get the i3 and the 660. Or an i5 with a 650 ti Supercharged. And I did get the Ripjaws X 2x4gb 1600 because the memory controller on the i5 is at 1333 or 1600.
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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You can also overclock the GTX 660. I just think that overclocked GTX 650 Ti 2GB just seems overpriced when you can get the HD 7850 2GB for $7.09 more (I know you prefer Nvidia) and the GTX 660 for a little more than that. But if you've made up your mind, then you're good to go. I thought you were going to get the G.Skill Ares because it's in the latest parts list that you posted above.
 

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Although which would you think would yield better results? 650ti SSC paired with i3. Or 660 with i5?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yspF
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yspF/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yspF/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.26 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card ($164.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT Vulcan Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.94 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $728.12
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-19 17:02 EST-0500)
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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You mean i3 with GTX 660 or i5 with GTX 650 Ti SSC? The i3/GTX 660 would give you better performance but it might not give a smooth gameplay in Battlefield 3 multiplayer. That's why I wanted you to get the i5 with GTX 660 if possible.
 

Hewhogamez

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Feb 28, 2012
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Well after 5 long long seconds of thinking. I think I will just do this here. I'll just have to eat ramen noodles for the next 2 weeks. Oh well. At least I won't suffer from frame rape in games. But if I can get that i5-3470 I will only have to eat ramen noodles for a week. Win!

I am mostly wanting the i5 just for bragging rights but I didn't think it was worth loosing great FPS but now I can get both. Yay.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ysqC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ysqC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/ysqC/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.26 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT Vulcan Black MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($69.94 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.98 @ Outlet PC)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $773.12
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-19 17:04 EST-0500)
 

johnsonjohnson

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Dec 15, 2012
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That's what a real gamer would say. :lol: You can also upgrade the PSU especially if you plan on overclocking the card. The CX600 is $40 after rebate from Newegg right now.
 
Solution