What is the best $800 budget gaming pc build?

[brandonlugo615]

So I am going to try and make this as simple of a question as possible. I am new to the gaming pc world and I am looking to build my first gaming desktop around christmas time. I am on an $800 dollar budget. Can somebody please list the parts I will need to achieve this goal.


Note: I want a minimum of 8gb of ram, 1TB of hard drive space, and decent cooling supplies so I can overclock. I have already been looking at the AMD 4300 or 6300 CPU and an AMD Radeon 6670, but I don't know exactly what I need 🙁 . I want to run games like Battlefield 3, Planetside 2 and Arma3 on high settings. Thank you for the help!

 

[twelve25]

( . I want to run games like Battlefield 3, Planetside 2 and Arma3 on high settings.

I would look at something based around a lower end i5 (3350P, 3450, 3470), H77 MB, and a Radeon 7850 or 7870. If you are careful with part selection you should be able to this easily for your budget.

$800 excludes monitor, right?

 

[tiny voices]

posted this on your other thread:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.40 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $787.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 11:38 EST-0500)

 

[brandonlugo615]

I would look at something based around a lower end i5 (3350P, 3450, 3470), H77 MB, and a Radeon 7850 or 7870. If you are careful with part selection you should be able to this easily for your budget.

$800 excludes monitor, right?

yes this excludes monitor

 

[brandonlugo615]

posted this on your other thread:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.40 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $787.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 11:38 EST-0500)

awesome! thanks tiny voices, but i have one more question. can i choose my own case from somewhere else or does it have to be that one?

 

[tiny voices]

You can choose any case you like. And you are welcome! Always my pleasure to help!

 

[twelve25]

That's similar to what I was thinking, but I don't see a windows license. You might need to knock one tier off the CPU, MB and GPU to free up the $90 for that.

So maybe something like this (based off above build)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q7GE
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q7GE/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q7GE/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($82.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.40 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.28 @ CompUSA)
Total: $737.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 11:53 EST-0500)

I guess I got it a little too low. So maybe we could move back up to the 7870.

 

[tiny voices]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.40 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.28 @ CompUSA)
Total: $797.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 11:57 EST-0500)

Budgeted in OS

 

[brandonlugo615]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($174.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.40 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.28 @ CompUSA)
Total: $797.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 11:57 EST-0500)

Budgeted in OS

is that the absolute best build for under 800?

 

[tiny voices]

For a well rounded system its very good. You could drop to an i5 3470 and a different MOBO and bump up to a 7870 but you lose the ability to overclock.

 

[brandonlugo615]

For a well rounded system its very good. You could drop to an i5 3470 and a different MOBO and bump up to a 7870 but you lose the ability to overclock.

what if i go with the build you posted but the video card and motherboard that twelve25 listed? would i still be able to overclock and would that be better?

 

[tiny voices]

You need a z77 motherboard chipset in order to be able to overclock.

 

[twelve25]

I think both mine and tiny voices' builds are right where you want to be. You just need to decide whether to get the unlocked CPU and z77 for overclocking, or drop to a H77 or B75 board and locked CPU, but have a little more to spend on the graphics and upgrade to a Radeon 7870. Personally, I'd go with the latter, but it's all a matter of personal tastes.

If you can just go $850, you can do both!

 

[brandonlugo615]

Which is more important, overclocking or a better graphics card?

 

[twelve25]

For gaming, 9/10 it is going to be the card.

What resolution monitor will you be using? If it is 1920x1080, definitely go with the higher end card.

 

[brandonlugo615]

For gaming, 9/10 it is going to be the card.

What resolution monitor will you be using? If it is 1920x1080, definitely go with the higher end card.

i actually don't know because i don't have a monitor yet

 

[twelve25]

Well the higher your resolution, the more you need to spend on a graphics card. I's get a 7870 if you are going 1920x1080 but if you go less than that, a 7850 will be all you need.

 

[brandonlugo615]

okay so to wrap this up, could either (or both) of you please just post one last final build that is the absolute best bang for your buck for 800. thanks again guys. you've been a big help

 

[twelve25]

I think you've got enough to go on. Just look around and what's on sale and reviews and you'll get a good build

 

[brandonlugo615]

I have been doing that for a month but its too much information to take in at once for me that's why I made this thread

 

[EdTheTech]

The first build posted by tiny voices looks great. If you already have an OS that's what I would go for. If you don't have an OS then you need to make some compromises. The other builds posted fit the OS in, but they drop the 7870 video card down to a 7850. I think that's the wrong way to go. For a gaming build you should try to get the best video card you can.

To fit the 7870, I would drop down to an i3 3220 or an FX 6300. Since you want to overclock, that eliminates the i3. The following build includes the FX 6300, 7870 2 GB, and an OS. It also includes an after market cooler and a 600W PSU to meet your overclocking needs.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($133.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($231.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $790.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-30 14:12 EST-0500)

Note: The rebates for the video card and PSU end today, but don't sweat it. You should be able to find more deals using PCPartPicker. Just got to know what to look for.

 

[twelve25]

I have been doing that for a month but its too much information to take in at once for me that's why I made this thread

We gave you 4-5 builds in this thread. You have to do SOME of it yourself. I'd be worried if someone just grabbed a forum build and used exactly every part that is listed without knowing why or what.

Just take the build here and use them as a template to pick your own exact parts, making substitutions where you see fit. Do you like the case? Did you want a bigger or smaller hard drive? Do you like a specific brand of part? Like I said, you need to own your build.

 

[brandonlugo615]

okay based on what all 3 of you gave me, this is what i've come up with. please give me your thoughts (what should be improved/downgraded and why).

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($42.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($61.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($91.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $778.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-30 23:33 EST-0500)

NOTE: I will buy a cooler master hyper 212 EVO after i get everything i need and acquire more money.

 

[EdTheTech]

Looks fine to me. By the way, I own that case you chose, Cooler Master Elite 430. I can tell you it looks great but it's not very good at routing power cables. It can route data cables, but power cables won't fit in the holes provided. If you want better cable management, try the Antec or Corsair cases suggested here. The cable routing holes are bigger on these cases. If you want the side panel window and blue led fan, then go ahead and stick with the Cooler Master. Better yet try to find a case that has all these features and on sale.

 

[twelve25]

That's a good build. I think you would be a little happier with an i5. If you go with a slightly cheaper case and power supply, I think you can squeeze it into the budget.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qnok


And there are some very nice cases out there, but if it comes to having poor cable management or a slower CPU, then I pick a few extra zip ties every time.