Under $700 Build

[Tman450]

I need a new computer, and plan to order by Monday.
my current computer is terrible, and being a computer enthusiast and gamer, it sucks.


I could use some help picking parts, could somebody please recommend a build based on my preferences?


Budget Range: $700, preferrably under.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, word processing, minecraft, benchmarking, internet, extreme multitasking.

Are you buying a monitor: no, i have a perfectly good monitor.

Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 7 please.


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: CHANGED! Newegg only, please. no used parts.

Location: U.S.A.

Parts Preferences: i would like either an ivy brige i5, or an FX 8320. i would like the GTX 650 Ti or radeon 7850, budget permitting.

Overclocking: Possibly, budget permitting.

SLI or Crossfire: No.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1600x900

Additional Comments: I would like a Side-panel window, mid-tower case. Motherboard needs on-board audio, room for at least a wireless card as well as the GPU.

Why I Am Upgrading: My computer is old, slow, has a terrible 9500GS card, everything about it is sh*t.

I would like it to be upgrade-able to a new graphics card in the future, I want to play World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, Minecraft, Assassin's Creed III at High settings with at least 40 FPS and no microstutter.

 

[Tman450]

nobody?

 

[pseudonymmster]

For that monitor, I would think a cheaper graphics card would be good. I have a 1680x1050 running off of a 560ti and haven't had any issues with running the games I have on their highest settings.

 

[aznshinobi]

Check out my $650 build here:
http://www.squidoo.com/electronicandmore#module146695821
Total is only $620

Hear me out, now although it is the FX-6300, Piledriver is much better and the FX-6300 in mult-thread and normal use as well as overclocking than the i3 3220. Plus the total cost at the end is near a i3 3220 build but you get a better PGU and CPU.

BF3 and Borderlands 2 Benchmarks: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2055/5/
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2055/6/

As you can see, the FX-8320 does just fine, it's mainly GPU that affects the actual performance, not CPU. If you think the FX-6300 isn't good enough, the FX-8320 is still available for less than the i5 3450 and it'll perform close if not better in most cases. You still can overclock too.

Keep in mind, 7870 vs 650 Ti:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/548?vs=680
7870 vs GTX 660:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-geforce-gtx-650-benchmark,3297-24.html
At average performance, the 7870 is better than the GTX 660 among 1080P.

 

[Tman450]

Check out my $650 build here:
http://www.squidoo.com/electronicandmore#module146695821
Total is only $620

Hear me out, now although it is the FX-6300, Piledriver is much better and the FX-6300 in mult-thread and normal use as well as overclocking than the i3 3220. Plus the total cost at the end is near a i3 3220 build but you get a better PGU and CPU.

BF3 and Borderlands 2 Benchmarks: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2055/5/
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2055/6/

As you can see, the FX-8320 does just fine, it's mainly GPU that affects the actual performance, not CPU. If you think the FX-6300 isn't good enough, the FX-8320 is still available for less than the i5 3450 and it'll perform close if not better in most cases. You still can overclock too.

Keep in mind, 7870 vs 650 Ti:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/548?vs=680
7870 vs GTX 660:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-660-geforce-gtx-650-benchmark,3297-24.html
At average performance, the 7870 is better than the GTX 660 among 1080P.

Thanks, working on my own build.


if you can find another card better than the GTX 650 Ti retailing for 159.99, then let me know. otherwise, 7870, 7850 and GTX 660 are out of my budget.

 

[aznshinobi]

I quite honestly don't understand how it's out of your budget when you stated you want to be below $700 as a total, and the build I'm suggesting is only $620... Please evaluate.

If you need a cheap OS, http://www.softwaresupplygroup.com/microsoft-windows-7-home-premium-64-bit-oem-branded.html
BBB A approved.

 

[MasterMace]

An i5 ivy bridge is $200. The OS will be about $90-$100. You're going to find that you do not want to spend 1/3 of your budget on a CPU. It will cost quite a bit in terms of performance elsewhere.

Here's what I'd recommend, without taking preference to online sites.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($27.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital RE2 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $697.88


Naturally, you stated you wanted Amazon only, if that's the case, it'd naturally need to be changed.

 

[Tman450]

An i5 ivy bridge is $200. The OS will be about $90-$100. You're going to find that you do not want to spend 1/3 of your budget on a CPU. It will cost quite a bit in terms of performance elsewhere.

Here's what I'd recommend, without taking preference to online sites.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($27.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital RE2 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $697.88


Naturally, you stated you wanted Amazon only, if that's the case, it'd naturally need to be changed.

I am switching to Newegg, and i want an overall good computer, not this much emphasis on the graphics card. a 7850 will suffice.
also, go with either an AMX 6300 or 8320.
thx

 

[aznshinobi]

An i5 ivy bridge is $200. The OS will be about $90-$100. You're going to find that you do not want to spend 1/3 of your budget on a CPU. It will cost quite a bit in terms of performance elsewhere.

Here's what I'd recommend, without taking preference to online sites.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H61M-E33/W8 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($27.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Western Digital RE2 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $697.88


Naturally, you stated you wanted Amazon only, if that's the case, it'd naturally need to be changed.

I wouldn't disregard the fact that there are some large rebates that should be accounted for. E.g the CX430 and 7950, as well as the motherboard.

But alright yeah the 7850 is a pretty good card and the FX-6300 would give you pretty solid overall performance. The FX-8320 will provide solid multi-threading challenging even the i5's plus you'll still have the ability to overclock.