New budget gaming pc build

bogedy

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Nov 7, 2012
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hi everybody, im looking to build a budget gaming rig. i basically want the cheapest possible machine that can run games now and in the near future at max or near max setting at 30+ fps on a 1680X1050 monitor.

Parts:
Case: XION XON-180P ATX Mid Tower Case - ATX, Micro ATX, 500W PSU, 4x Ext 5.25" Bays, 1x Ext 3.5" Bay, 4x Int 3.5" Bays, 1x 120mm Red LED Fan, 2x USB 2.0 Front Ports

^power supply in case

RAM: 2X Corsair XMS 4GB DDR3

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition AM3 CPU HDZ965FBGMBOX - 3.40GHz

Motherboard: ASUS M5A78L-M LX PLUS AMD 760G Motherboard

GPU: ZOTAC ZT-50306-10M GeForce GTX 560 Ti

HDD: ST31000524AS 7,200 RPM 1TB Seagate Barracuda Hard Drive

Random dvd drive

how do these parts look? are they compatible? how future proof is it? and should i get windows 8 or 7?
 

SingingThroughTheStorm

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Dec 28, 2011
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For now Windows 7 is your best bet (although I did enjoy Windows 8 Dev Preview a long time ago).

The CPU and Motherboard would best be replaced with an Intel combo here.
i3-3220 and an B75/H77 should be good. The GPU is becoming sort of dated, and might best be replaced
with a 7850.

The Case and power supply need to be replaced though. That Power Supply they include runs a high risk of crapping out. How about go with a $30 case and pair it with a Antec/Corsair PSU that is around 400W?
Shouldn't be much of a price increase.
 

Thomas Creel

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Oct 21, 2012
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You could do better, the components are all compatible, I would say it's already pretty out dated ( Phenom is old technology. ) If you're choosing between W7 and W8 it's all preference, personally I would go with the newer tech ( has better support ) W8.
 

macgreen

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Jun 27, 2012
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http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mTKR

You wanted something cheap yet gaming capable, so here's what I came up with. Under $500 before any rebates, and under $450 with rebates (not including an OS). It should do very well with most games at under 1920x1080 resolution. The GPU is only a Radeon 7750, which won't draw much power- and it's fairly cheap to boot. The PSU is XFX, which is Seasonic-made, but you can save some money now if you went with something a little cheaper and roughly 400-450w, as was suggested above. Maybe this- http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mTNn
 

macgreen

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Jun 27, 2012
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I'm not entirely sure how it stacks against the 965, but this Intel CPU is about on par with the Phenom II X4 955, according to the Best Gaming CPUs article for October here. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-2.html

According to the hierarchy chart there, however, they aren't far off from each other. I'd say that the performance should be pretty dang close if anything. Intel CPUs do use less power than AMD counterparts, so if your electric bill is a worry coming up in Winter, then you might want to consider the Intel build.

That said, there likely is a cheaper option with AMD in the Trinity Builds. Probably not a lot of savings, however, but you could look into them if you want.
 

macgreen

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Jun 27, 2012
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Just a bit overkill for gaming?

Joking aside, not bad... Except I don't think I've ever seen anyone recommend Thermaltake or Diablotek anything here. If it was just the other parts, then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. However, the PSU is a rather important thing to consider when building a PC. The GPU is fairly dated, you can get a 7750 that's about as powerful for cheaper, or a 7770 for just a little more (and is on a higher tier according to the Best Gaming CPU hierarchy chart).
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

 

macgreen

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Jun 27, 2012
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http://www.hwcompare.com/12054/geforce-gtx-560-ti-vs-radeon-hd-7850/

You'll be better off with a 7850 1GB card. Uses less power, yet is more powerful than the 560 ti (which is more powerful than the 560 you have linked there). It's up to you, especially if you prefer Nvidia over AMD. But I would recommend the AMD card at that price.