Sub $800 charity build - need advice!

[billownz]

A close friend is on the market for a gaming pc capable of Diablo3, Battlefield, and the new source titles. I offered to build the computer for him and also donate some parts. I wanted to keep it around $800 although my research has brought me to around $1000.

I5 2500k ($220)
ASUS P8Z77-V LK Intel Z77 ($150)
XFX Double D Radeon HD 6850 ($160)
Corsair GS700 700W ($110)
8gb gskill ripjaw X ($47)
SAMSUNG 830 Series SSD ($99)
WD 7200rpm 500gb ($99)
Generic optical drive ($17)
Antec 900 ($99)

My last build was a first-gen i7 and ive been out of the loop for quite awhile. I need some advice on the build, especially with the mobo and PSU. Should I dumb them down? Also - would you recommend anything besides what I have picked?

 

[dudewitbow]

if the build is on newegg, you technically can combo the cpu and a z68 mobo. If you have a local nearby micro center, you can get the cpu and mobo for a lot less. Also, paying 100$ for a 500 gb hdd imo is kinda excessive, as the ED caviar blue is like 75, and the 1tb samsung spinpoint f3(post seagate rebrand acquire) is at the moment 80$ on newegg. Also I would step away from the XFX radeon hd 68xx series, those have been known to be pretty loud.

 

[geofelt]

The 2500K is about as good as it gets for gaming. Microcenter will sell you one for $170 if you can walk in. Most any Z77 based motherboard will do. Asrock is usually a good value.
Here is one for $95:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

This 8gb kit will do just fine; not a big savings:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424


The other critical gaming component is the graphics card. The 6870 is a good one. but the 6870 is not much more.

The 6870 only needs a quality 500w psu.
This corsair 500w unit will do the job for $40 after rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

A good place to save is on the case, The Antec 300 is plenty good enough, and will save you $45:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

It is a bit of a luxury, but I really like a ssd for the os, and a few games. The Samsung is very good, and also look at the Intel 330 series.
You can get a 120gb intel 330 for $105 after rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167121
The 60gb is $50:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167120

With 120gb, you can hold the OS and 6-10 games. Perhaps you don't even need a hard drive, at least for a while.
I did for a long time.

 

[billownz]

Thanks for the feedback, that definitely helps - Also, ive only used ASUS boards, is ASRock any good?

 

[geofelt]

Thanks for the feedback, that definitely helps - Also, ive only used ASUS boards, is ASRock any good?

Asrock was originally a spin off from ASUS with the charter to produce value motherboards.
I think they did that very well, and are now competing with their founders.

I have used both, just once with no issues.

 

[z_4]

Here's a build suggestion in combos to help lower your budget from newegg. Have a look:

Motherboard &HDD: $175- Asrock Z77 Pro4 & Seagate Barracuda 500GB

PSU & RAM: $75- Corsair CX500 & Corsair Vengeance 8GB(500 watts PSU is more than enough unless you plan to add another)

CPU & Optical Drive: $226- i5-2500K & Asus

GPU: $250- Sapphire Radeon 7850

Case: $55- Antec 300 Black(same as geofelt, or you can have any other of your choice)

Total(Excluding Rebates): 801 USD

Rebates: $10

Optional : A cheap but good 128 GB SSD like Mushkin Enhanced Chronos worth $100

 

[billownz]

Wow, thanks - thats just what I was looking for. Also, if I went with the ASRock, would there be any reason to get a better soundcard?

 

[billownz]

Also, sandy vs ivy birdge? Is it worth the price difference?

 

[ScrewySqrl]

sandy & ivy overclock about equally, so if you're overclocking, no

 

[geofelt]

Wow, thanks - thats just what I was looking for. Also, if I went with the ASRock, would there be any reason to get a better soundcard?

Also, sandy vs ivy birdge? Is it worth the price difference?

Onboard HD sound is very good. Try it first, you can always add a sound card later.

There is little reason to change from sandy bridge to ivy bridge for an existing installation.
But, for a new installation, I would try to go with ivy bridge and a z77 based motherboard.
There is a price difference, but it is commensurate with the better performance. ivy starts with a higher multiplier, and is about 5% faster, clock for clock. At less than maximum overclocking, it runs cooler.

Worth is something YOU have to decide.

 

[aznshinobi]

Another suggestion for a build, $850 right here:
http://www.squidoo.com/electronicandmore
i5 3570K + 7850 + CF/SLI-capable board + CF/SLI capable PSU.