Pentium G860 build?

[Noskill]

Approximate Purchase Date:
05/15/12

Budget Range: (e.g.: Not sure~ $700 max?/Not Sure~ $575 after mir?)

System Usage from Most to Least Important
(e.g.: medium level gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies)

I would like to play hand full of semi-demanding games on appealing/decent GFX settings like D3,BF3, and SC2

Parts Not Required
(e.g.: keyboard, mouse, speakers, card reader )

Website
Newegg

Country
USA

Parts Preferences
I would like to follow tom's articles about CPU's, MoBo's, GPU's, PSU's, etc.

Overclocking
Not Possible?


GPU
I'm afraid of spending too much on one particular component.
I want a GPU that will match the performance of my G860 CPU.

Monitor
Resolution - 1920x1080, ($75-$125)

Additional Comments
The top priority is affordability. I want to make sure that everything is compatible to the G860 CPU at a real moderate price)

I want to build a decent gaming rig for as cheap as I can. I am interested in getting the best value in performance.

I like the Pentium G860 and the Intel BOXDZ68DB because they came highly recommended from Tom's Value Gaming Comparison Articles

*Are the G860 and Intel mobo compatible?

I'm not sure about what GPU I want to use. I just want the stats on my new cpu/ram/GPU to match so no "bottle-necking" occurs.

I've been looking at some modular PSU's and I like the OCZ ZX/ZT series PSU's.

*Do I need a fully modular PSU for this minimalistic dual core gaming rig?

I haven't got a clue about what kind of Ram to go with... or HDD(maybe inexpensive performance SSD with a mech backup?)...


Any suggestion are welcomed. I am a very open person and I am willing to learn. Any new links or articles would be nice to read

 

[Noskill]

@Pezcore27 - Thanks for the help. It's nice to have such a large group of people helping me with my questions. (P.S. - Were you suggesting that with the release of sandy bridge the prices will drop on the sandy bridge CPU's, making it more affordable to buy the sandy bridge over the increased performance of ivy bridge?)

@LtDan - It's cool to see you adding so much to the discussion. My questions are multiplying, but thanks to everyone here I am getting closer to the ultimate goal of building a decent rig on a restrictive budget. I can justify getting a higher end GPU if I could get it on a really good sale...

@Tavo_Nova - Thanks for sticking it out with me. I know I have a ton of simple questions to answer. However you have gone above and beyond that with the suggestions you've offered.

@sempifi99 - Brilliant! I appreciate your patience. Thanks for keeping your reply in perspective of my budget while balancing my performance needs.

Everyone has been so helpful to me here. This thread is helping me out so much.

I'm building this rig as a cheap place holder while waiting for the release of ivy bridge technology. That could change if it becomes more cost effective to go with the sandy bridge stuff(if the price drops).

I am unemployed and scrounging for funds until I find a new job.

I need a PC that will include gaming. I plan on playing D3 on release providing I am gainfully employed.

 

[vandemm]

I need a PC that will include gaming. I plan on playing D3 on release providing I am gainfully employed.[/quotemsg]


Hello people,
Just want to share my opinion

CPU
If you want the BEST gaming CPU for the price, look for the Intel G860 processor; it may soundmad, but it performs almost like i5 2500 stock in gaming(8-10 fps medium diff)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4524/the-sandy-bridge-pentium-review-pentium-g850-g840-g620-g620t-tested/3

MB
Go for H61 the cheapest one
Overclocking is just not worth it. 100$ for the cooler, 100+ for P67/Z86MB and a lot of risky business.
If you really want more performance wait for 3770k Ivy Bridge but again look at the money you're spending for HOW MANY FPS?


*A8-3850 noticeable mention- you can play any game right now with that

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/06/30/amd-a8-3850-review/10

 

[ltdan]

Although I am arguably biased towards Intel. An AMP APU should be a consideration here. The series has real potential as far as integrated graphics go. Although if you ever intend to upgrade the CPU, I don't recommend this route.

On the Intel side we have the "budget" H61 and H67 boards. In my experience, the H67 have always had problems with heat levels since they came out. The H61 ASRock board I recommended is a great bargain for an entry level 1155 board. If you can afford it, a Z68 would be ideal, although you won't see much befit unless you are using OC'ing a K SKU i5 or i7.

As for the Video Card.
Let's lay out the AMD options here, since AMD takes the cake for anything but the highest-end card. I gave some personal feedback on the 6870 since I own it.

Sapphire 6870 $160 - $10 Rebate = $150
Pros: Cheap, good performance @1080p, great below @1080p. Made by Sapphire. Very quiet even under heavy load. Comes with a sticker
Cons: Demanding games don't run as good @1080p. The AMD 12.3 Drivers just plain SUCK. Make sure you install 12.2 until they fix it.
Benchmarks: AnandTech - 6870

Gigabyte 6950 $250
Benchmarks: See the 7850 benchmarks.

Sapphire 7850 $250 there is also a factory OC'd version available for $260, which is worth it if you don't want to fiddle with manual OC'ing.
Benchmarks: AnandTech - 6950 vs. 7850 As you can see, the 7850 beats or matches the 6950 in almost every category. For the same price. So there is no reason to consider the 6950. I just added the 6950 to the list for educational purposes.

I know I said that AMD is the best in this price range, but to appease the Nvidia fans, here is the 560 Ti.
EVGA SuperClocked 560 Ti $250 - $20 Rebate = $230
Benchmarks: AnandTech - 560 Ti vs. 7850 The 7850 smokes the 560 Ti in nearly all categories.

 

[vandemm]

Very good opinion, i have just 2 points

GPU wise Nvidia have Physx ; is it worth it?
Performance wise Nividia s got GTX 680 which is best price/performance or will be shortly, which also got Physx

He will not overclock, so a H61 will be more than enough. OVERCOLCKING is so expensive (200+ $) that you can for sure buy a better CPU an GPU and still save money

 

[MacAttacked]

@Pezcore27 - Thanks for the help. It's nice to have such a large group of people helping me with my questions. (P.S. - Were you suggesting that with the release of sandy bridge the prices will drop on the sandy bridge CPU's, making it more affordable to buy the sandy bridge over the increased performance of ivy bridge?)

@LtDan - It's cool to see you adding so much to the discussion. My questions are multiplying, but thanks to everyone here I am getting closer to the ultimate goal of building a decent rig on a restrictive budget. I can justify getting a higher end GPU if I could get it on a really good sale...

@Tavo_Nova - Thanks for sticking it out with me. I know I have a ton of simple questions to answer. However you have gone above and beyond that with the suggestions you've offered.

@sempifi99 - Brilliant! I appreciate your patience. Thanks for keeping your reply in perspective of my budget while balancing my performance needs.

Everyone has been so helpful to me here. This thread is helping me out so much.

I'm building this rig as a cheap place holder while waiting for the release of ivy bridge technology. That could change if it becomes more cost effective to go with the sandy bridge stuff(if the price drops).

I am unemployed and scrounging for funds until I find a new job.

I need a PC that will include gaming. I plan on playing D3 on release providing I am gainfully employed.

I need to chime in here..I have built many computers for different applications. I built a cheap build for my son that is playing every game out there with no problems. I used the i3 2130 cpu, asus h61m board, pny 430 card, seagate 500gb, 8 gigs of memory, 500 power supply. Total it cost me about 380 bucks. If you shop around between newegg and tigerdirect you will find many bargains. Its also cheaper to buy a cheap case with a built in psu. For about $49 you can get a case with a 500 watt psu. Also the g630 or g860 cpu is a great choice. It uses the 1155 socket so you can upgrade your cpu as your finances increase. Why everyone wants to throw so much money away on a graphics card is beyond me when there are so many fantastic cheaper cards out there...If money is an issue than build what fits in your finances...Good luck.

 

[ltdan]

I need to chime in here..I have built many computers for different applications. I built a cheap build for my son that is playing every game out there with no problems. I used the i3 2130 cpu, asus h61m board, pny 430 card, seagate 500gb, 8 gigs of memory, 500 power supply. Total it cost me about 380 bucks. If you shop around between newegg and tigerdirect you will find many bargains. Its also cheaper to buy a cheap case with a built in psu. For about $49 you can get a case with a 500 watt psu. Also the g630 or g860 cpu is a great choice. It uses the 1155 socket so you can upgrade your cpu as your finances increase. Why everyone wants to throw so much money away on a graphics card is beyond me when there are so many fantastic cheaper cards out there...If money is an issue than build what fits in your finances...Good luck.

Sorry to rain on your party but...
The 2130 is not worth the money for the extra 200MHz, unlike the 2120.
The GT 430 is made for HTPCs, it has no use in gaming.
For $49 you can get a cheap, flimsy case with an off-brand PSU that will fry your PC in 3 months.
There are two reasons

Why everyone wants to throw so much money away on a graphics card

1: Integrated graphics suck, unless you are playing Halo: Combat Evolved @1080p.
2: AMD and Nvidia card have actual driver releases that are not at 6 month intervals *ahem Intel cough*

 

[warpuck]

motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188081&Tpk=EVGA%20P67%20SLI%20Micro

and
thinking about

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077

and already have 2 of these
GTX 460 1Gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130649

and

2 x 4Gb crucial ballistix DDr3 1600

and a 1080 Vizio V320 TV 4 hdmi inputs, 1 vga

a mini tower, Rosewill RX750 and a Dremel tool

my favorite game is Mass Effect

Can I expect the CPU to keep up?

Will it be as good as or least better than this:
Mid tower Raidmax Smilodon
current rig is a MSI FXA890-GD70, 960T 3515 Mhz/3941 turbo, 6770 (830Mhz core and 1150Mhz memory), 5750 crossfire.
The 5750 gets 20 more Mhz core speed and 120 MHz more memory speed than the 6770 and runs cooler.
I dont notice any stutter unless I leave folding@home on.
I had to get a 1000 watt power supply to do this.
The 2 Sunon 80mm 56 CFM side fans are running at 100% and driving me nuts. I got to have them at 100% to keep it all running at reasonable temps. They push a lot of hot air out of the case.