Building A Budget Desktop?

[Tanis]

I already have:
Keyboard and mouse
OS (Win7 64 Professional)
Monitor


I'm fairly tight for funds, but was hoping someone here knew of a decent build for the 500-600ish USD range.
I've got enough space, so I'm thinking of going with a 500GB (or less) HDD for it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

$600 can still get you a very good computer. Especially considering what you already have.

My recommendation

CPU: Intel Core i3 3220
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB OC
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Motherboard
RAM: Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3
Case: Antec Three Hundred Case
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 520W Power Supply HCG-520
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB ST500DM002
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 24x SATA DVD-RW Drive OEM

That comes to about 600 Australian dollars but it should be cheaper with US Prices. That build will be able to run most everything at high specs with a framerate between 30-60 fps. If you can spare a little more cash change the GPU to a GTX 660.

Hope that helps somewhat.

 

[Tanis]

Hope that helps somewhat.

What do you think of this setup.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Desktop-OC26-182732-879-Intel-Core-i5-655K-3-20GHz-/130791887944?

Is the i5 worth the extra money, or is it a bit 'much' right now?

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Hope that helps somewhat.

What do you think of this setup.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Desktop-OC26-182732-879-Intel-Core-i5-655K-3-20GHz-/130791887944?

Is the i5 worth the extra money, or is it a bit 'much' right now?

Too be honest I'm not liking the look of that setup.
The i5 in that build is an older chip and is actually not as good as the i3 3220. Also the Gpu in that build is from a earlier generation and doesnt't have the performance that the gtx 650 has.

Just to clarify are you looking to build it yourself or purchase a prebuilt computer?

 

[Tanis]

Too be honest I'm not liking the look of that setup.
The i5 in that build is an older chip and is actually not as good as the i3 3220. Also the Gpu in that build is from a earlier generation and doesnt't have the performance that the gtx 650 has.
Just to clarify are you looking to build it yourself or purchase a prebuilt computer?

I wouldn't mind building it myself, but I'm not too computer savvy so I worry about getting parts that aren't compatible/overpriced.

Tossing a few pieces of hardware together, in a case, shouldn't be too difficult.
It's getting them together first that I'm finding is most difficult.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Tossing a few pieces of hardware together, in a case, shouldn't be too difficult.
It's getting them together first that I'm finding is most difficult.

Yeah I was somewhat nervous when I built my first computer but it's really not as hard as you might think, quite easy actually. Especially with the multitude of guides on youtube.

A good website for buying computer parts in the US is newegg.com, it sells basically every component you could need.

I honestly recommend going with the build I posted. All the parts are compatible so no worries there. My current computer is at a similar performance level and I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Hazy992]

snip

snip

What do you think of this?

Intel Core i3 3220
ASRock Extreme 4 Z77 motherboard (comes with 8GB RAM)
HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB
Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD
Corsair Builder Series 500W 80 Plus PSU
Lite On DVD burner
Coolermaster Elite 430 Case

Total = $647

You could probably save a bit of money and get something smaller than a 7850 like the 650ti but it's a really good card for the money. Could probably make some other cuts here and there (like an H77 motherboard) to save some more costs.

Also all the parts are from Newegg except for the power supply which is from Amazon.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

snip

snip

What do you think of this?

Intel Core i3 3220
ASRock Extreme 4 Z77 motherboard (comes with 8GB RAM)
HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB
Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD
Corsair Builder Series 500W 80 Plus PSU
Lite On DVD burner
Coolermaster Elite 430 Case

Total = $647

You could probably save a bit of money and get something smaller than a 7850 like the 650ti but it's a really good card for the money. Could probably make some other cuts here and there (like an H77 motherboard) to save some more costs.

Also all the parts are from Newegg except for the power supply which is from Amazon.

For the price that is a very good build. I would recommend this one if you are willing to go a little over $600

 

[ShinyCharizard]

To give you an idea the graphics card that Hazy has recommended will run battlefield 3 on high at around 60fps. Really very good performance.

 

[Hazy992]

snip

snip

What do you think of this?

Intel Core i3 3220
ASRock Extreme 4 Z77 motherboard (comes with 8GB RAM)
HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB
Seagate Barracuda 500GB HDD
Corsair Builder Series 500W 80 Plus PSU
Lite On DVD burner
Coolermaster Elite 430 Case

Total = $647

You could probably save a bit of money and get something smaller than a 7850 like the 650ti but it's a really good card for the money. Could probably make some other cuts here and there (like an H77 motherboard) to save some more costs.

Also all the parts are from Newegg except for the power supply which is from Amazon.

For the price that is a very good build. I would recommend this one if you are willing to go a little over $600

yeah I figured that if the OP ever decides he wants to get an unlocked i5 an overclock it he has the option with that motherboard. If not I'd swap the motherboard out for a H77 one like the one you recommended and save some money.

And if you wanna save a bit more you could get a 7850 with a 1GB frame buffer if you're not planning on higher resolutions.

 

[Tanis]

To give you an idea the graphics card that Hazy has recommended will run battlefield 3 on high at around 60fps. Really very good performance.

And if you wanna save a bit more you could get a 7850 with a 1GB frame buffer if you're not planning on higher resolutions.

Thank you both for your replies, I'm looking up the stuff now.

Question:
Is there a power supply you'd suggest over at newegg, or would it just be better to get it via Amazon?
-I'm thinking in regards to two different sites when it comes to shipping.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

To give you an idea the graphics card that Hazy has recommended will run battlefield 3 on high at around 60fps. Really very good performance.

And if you wanna save a bit more you could get a 7850 with a 1GB frame buffer if you're not planning on higher resolutions.

Thank you both for your replies, I'm looking up the stuff now.

Question:
Is there a power supply you'd suggest over at newegg, or would it just be better to get it via Amazon?
-I'm thinking in regards to two different sites when it comes to shipping.

It seems that newegg don't have much in stock at the moment in regards to power supplies. I think Amazon would be your best bet. When it comes to power supplies, the brands I would recommend are Antec, Corsair, Coolermaster, Seasonic and Silverstone. Antec and Coolermaster would be the best budget option. I'd go with a 500w power supply.

 

[Tanis]

It seems that newegg don't have much in stock at the moment in regards to power supplies. I think Amazon would be your best bet. When it comes to power supplies, the brands I would recommend are Antec, Corsair, Coolermaster, Seasonic and Silverstone. Antec and Coolermaster would be the best budget option. I'd go with a 500w power supply.

Yeah...I just saw that.
"Out of stock" and "power supply" seem to be synonymous right now.

Now that I'm starting to should like my grandma anyways...

I've looked at a 550w-600w but do I really NEED it?

I mean, I like the sound of more power (insert Tim Taylor laugh here) so when I run things like my mouse/keyboard (they're usb based) but I also don't want to add too much more heat or possible issues to the poor thing.


Again:
I REALLY appreciate all the help ya'll are giving me.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

It seems that newegg don't have much in stock at the moment in regards to power supplies. I think Amazon would be your best bet. When it comes to power supplies, the brands I would recommend are Antec, Corsair, Coolermaster, Seasonic and Silverstone. Antec and Coolermaster would be the best budget option. I'd go with a 500w power supply.

Yeah...I just saw that.
"Out of stock" and "power supply" seem to be synonymous right now.

Now that I'm starting to should like my grandma anyways...

I've looked at a 550w-600w but do I really NEED it?

I mean, I like the sound of more power (insert Tim Taylor laugh here) so when I run things like my mouse/keyboard (they're usb based) but I also don't want to add too much more heat or possible issues to the poor thing.


Again:
I REALLY appreciate all the help ya'll are giving me.

Too be honest 500w is more than you really need anyway. With the suggested builds you wont use more than around 250w at full load anyway. 500w just gives you plenty of space if you want to upgrade in the future.

The good thing about the current generation of pc parts is that they consume very little power in comparison to previous years.

 

[Tanis]

Too be honest 500w is more than you really need anyway. With the suggested builds you wont use more than around 250w at full load anyway. 500w just gives you plenty of space if you want to upgrade in the future.
The good thing about the current generation of pc parts is that they consume very little power in comparison to previous years.

Ahh...gotcha.

I remember when I was using a PC with Win95 and the external 'brick' didn't have enough power and, well, the thing crash...every time you popped in a floppy.

So, yeah, I've grown a little paranoid about the whole thing.

YAY...thinking time!

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Too be honest 500w is more than you really need anyway. With the suggested builds you wont use more than around 250w at full load anyway. 500w just gives you plenty of space if you want to upgrade in the future.
The good thing about the current generation of pc parts is that they consume very little power in comparison to previous years.

Ahh...gotcha.

I remember when I was using a PC with Win95 and the external 'brick' didn't have enough power and, well, the thing crash...every time you popped in a floppy.

So, yeah, I've grown a little paranoid about the whole thing.

YAY...thinking time!

Haha yeah you won't need to worry about that happening. Anyway I'm glad I could help.

 

[Hazy992]

To give you an idea the graphics card that Hazy has recommended will run battlefield 3 on high at around 60fps. Really very good performance.

And if you wanna save a bit more you could get a 7850 with a 1GB frame buffer if you're not planning on higher resolutions.

Thank you both for your replies, I'm looking up the stuff now.

Question:
Is there a power supply you'd suggest over at newegg, or would it just be better to get it via Amazon?
-I'm thinking in regards to two different sites when it comes to shipping.

Like ShinyCharizard said it seems power supplies are a bit scarce on Newegg at the moment. You could always check the prices of the other components on Amazon to see if they're cheaper there. In fact I'd recommend shopping around a bit.

Hope that helps

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Too be honest 500w is more than you really need anyway. With the suggested builds you wont use more than around 250w at full load anyway. 500w just gives you plenty of space if you want to upgrade in the future.

You should note, however, that both cards' manufacturer specified minimum PSUs are 450W (650Ti) and 500W (HD 7850).

 

[Tanis]

I think I'm set on this rig:

Qty. Image Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price


Update

Rosewill R5 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Case, comes with 2 x front fans, Fan Controller, USB2.0 & USB3.0 front ports, Removable top and lower front filter panels

Rosewill R5 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Case, comes with 2 x front fans, Fan Controller, USB2.0 & USB3.0 front ports, Removable ...
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MSI 970A-G46 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
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SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (100315L)

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Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-650 650W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified, Modular Design, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31/EPS12V v2.92, SLI Ready, CrossFire Ready, Active-PFC Power Supply

Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-650 650W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified, Modular Design, Single +12V Rail, ATX12V v2.31/EPS12V ...
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