New Gaming Build

[Razashamra]

Approximate Purchase Date: Before or by Black Friday

Budget Range: $700 for the build. I have $800 total but the $100 is for the OS.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and web surfing

Are you buying a monitor: No I will be reusing my old one unless a newer one is suggested that will fit the budget.

Parts to Upgrade: Total new build except for the Monitor and Cd drive, again unless newer ones that fit the budget are suggested.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, already budgeted

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: No preference as long as its reliable and in the US

Location: Austin TX USA

Parts Preferences: I'd like the build around an i5 k series processor and an Nvidia gpu. I'm familiar with both products and they have never given me problems before. Unless a more compelling reason other than cost can be given for AMD/Radeon. I'm looking for longevity and the biggest performance bang for my buck.

Overclocking: Yes in the future when it is needed.

SLI or Crossfire: No, but the capability to do so later down the road is a plus.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Best performance I can get playing World of Warcraft and at least minor expandability for three to five years down the road.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I play World of Warcraft, currently I play on a 2001 Dimension 8300 on medium settings and still get 40 fps on average. Here lately I have been having issues with the pc just because of the age. It can't keep up any more and I figure it is time to retire it.

 

[Alpha-Black]

Approximate Purchase Date: Before or by Black Friday

Budget Range: $700 for the build. I have $800 total but the $100 is for the OS.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and web surfing

Are you buying a monitor: No I will be reusing my old one unless a newer one is suggested that will fit the budget.

Parts to Upgrade: Total new build except for the Monitor and Cd drive, again unless newer ones that fit the budget are suggested.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, already budgeted

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: No preference as long as its reliable and in the US

Location: Austin TX USA

Parts Preferences: I'd like the build around an i5 k series processor and an Nvidia gpu. I'm familiar with both products and they have never given me problems before. Unless a more compelling reason other than cost can be given for AMD/Radeon. I'm looking for longevity and the biggest performance bang for my buck.

Overclocking: Yes in the future when it is needed.

SLI or Crossfire: No, but the capability to do so later down the road is a plus.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Best performance I can get playing World of Warcraft and at least minor expandability for three to five years down the road.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I play World of Warcraft, currently I play on a 2001 Dimension 8300 on medium settings and still get 40 fps on average. Here lately I have been having issues with the pc just because of the age. It can't keep up any more and I figure it is time to retire it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($117.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.94 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Corsair 330R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.48 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($95.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $775.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 04:06 EST-0500)

 

[Jenish J]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($117.97 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.94 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($244.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit - OEM (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $789.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 04:20 EST-0500)


You can choose Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 for your motherboard. It is also a good choice.
I did not spend much on the case, yet it looks neat. You can play any games at 1080p high settings, and you will not face any lag issues with the graphics.
If you want to get more performance you can choose the FX-8350 cpu, but you will have to spend $40 more. Yet, it is a more promising cpu than FX-6300.
If you are looking for overclocking, then get a good aftermarket heatsink before overclocking.

 

[Razashamra]

Ok, both those builds look good. However I did say "I'd like the build around an i5 k series processor and an Nvidia gpu. I'm familiar with both products and they have never given me problems before. Unless a MORE COMPELLING REASON OTHER THAN COST can be given for AMD/Radeon. I'm looking for longevity and the biggest performance bang for my buck."

Having said that I did steal from both your designs and came up with :

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/23VkE/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($17.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($236.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master K280 ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $791.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 17:56 EST-0500)

This is what I am more inclined to get for future proofing, and performance:

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/23VqD/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Amazon)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.74 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB Video Card ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master K280 ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Thermaltake SMART 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $778.63
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 17:59 EST-0500)

I have another build along those lines but with an i5 3570k, my only worry is that the 4670 has a lower gpu clock speed by about 300 mhz and I am wondering if that will bottleneck my gpu or if its negligible. With all of these builds the cpu cooler and cd drive can be dropped. So playing world of warcraft best settings I can manage how do these stack up to the other suggestions?

 

[realchaos]

Yes the i5 is stronger than the FX, but it is also more expensive. That is why AMD is better at budget build. It's cheaper and better bang/buck. It performs great for the price. Also, since games are more gpu heavy, it's better to go with a stronger gpu.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor ($134.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 PRO3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($244.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($97.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $815.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 18:20 EST-0500)

Better cpu cooler. The EVO cools extremely well for the price.
Cheaper RAM. Same performance.
Better cooling on this gpu.
Better quality psu.
Windows 8.1 because it's overall faster.

 

[Razashamra]

Yes the i5 is stronger than the FX, but it is also more expensive. That is why AMD is better at budget build. It's cheaper and better bang/buck. It performs great for the price. Also, since games are more gpu heavy, it's better to go with a stronger gpu.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor ($134.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 PRO3 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($244.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($97.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $815.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-17 18:20 EST-0500)

Better cpu cooler. The EVO cools extremely well for the price.
Cheaper RAM. Same performance.
Better cooling on this gpu.
Better quality psu.
Windows 8.1 because it's overall faster.

1) Why the 970 Pro over the Extreme?
2) Win 8 is still too new for me to want to deal with.
3) No argument about the psu they are both quality.
4) GPU wise my FX build has that card just different brand and slightly lower mhz.
5) As far as I have been able to find searching around World of Warcraft leans more on the CPU than GPU.
6) Why i5 over Fx 6300 is a huge debate, but give AMD's leaning toward not trying to compete with Intel in performance and instead focusing on price I would just prefer the I5. There are a lot of pro's and con's either way.

 

[Razashamra]

Honestly I am on the fence about both builds, they both look good, are in the right price range, and will probably work more than good enough for the little I need. I'm just looking to get feed back on different options that I probably have and will miss. Thanks

 

[realchaos]

1. The Pro is cheaper and still overclocks decently with all the expansions you'll need. I do know the Extreme4 has 2 PCIe 2.0 x16 lanes, but you won't be utilizing that.
2. You can make Win 8 look like Win 7 with many programs that you can download online. So it will look like Windows 7 but have all the pros of Windows 8.
3. Meh. Thermaltake psus aren't really quality. They tend to make lower quality psus. I would stick with the XFX.
4. But your card has a reference design cooler while the MSI has an aftermarket cooler. It will run cooler and quieter. You never want a reference cooler.
5. WoW is a fairly easy game to play. The FX-6350 can still handle it perfectly.
6. Again, it is true that i5 is overall stronger. But seeing as how most games are gpu-dependent, it's better to get the stronger gpu. Even with games that are fairly cpu heavy, the FX can still handle them well. In any game, a FX-6350 + GTX 760 will beat an i5 + GTX 650 ti boost by a lot.

 

[Razashamra]

1. The Pro is cheaper and still overclocks decently with all the expansions you'll need. I do know the Extreme4 has 2 PCIe 2.0 x16 lanes, but you won't be utilizing that.
2. You can make Win 8 look like Win 7 with many programs that you can download online. So it will look like Windows 7 but have all the pros of Windows 8.
3. Meh. Thermaltake psus aren't really quality. They tend to make lower quality psus. I would stick with the XFX.
4. But your card has a reference design cooler while the MSI has an aftermarket cooler. It will run cooler and quieter. You never want a reference cooler.
5. WoW is a fairly easy game to play. The FX-6350 can still handle it perfectly.
6. Again, it is true that i5 is overall stronger. But seeing as how most games are gpu-dependent, it's better to get the stronger gpu. Even with games that are fairly cpu heavy, the FX can still handle them well. In any game, a FX-6350 + GTX 760 will beat an i5 + GTX 650 ti boost by a lot.

1)Wasn't insulting the pro or anything just wasn't sure exactly what the difference was.

2) In my experience anything Microsoft releases is buggy and a problem child for about a year. I know they never stop having problems, its just the nature of things, but i prefer an older OS that is at least past the teething process.

3) I see your point about the gpu, I did not even notice that it was a reference cooled card, part of the reason I asked on here was because i knew i would miss something.

4) I ONLY play World of Warcraft but as i figured the AMD build will probably get me more bang for my buck, I just personally prefer Intel. But thank you again for the help and at least telling me why you suggested what you did.