If you absolutely have to stick to that specific budget, here is how I would approach it: 1 x AMD FX X6 6300 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box 1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11 1 x Asus M5A78L LX3
Total: $483 You might also consider adding an extra $33 for the LC-CC-95/97. It is a significantly higher quality cooler than the Spire Kepler model, especially since it features a 4-pin connector.
Alternatively, you could follow what Amy Vaughn12 suggested: go with a Pentium and then overclock it. However, if you take that route, wouldn't you also need to pick up a decent cooler?
1 x LG monitor 22M35A-B 1 x AMD FX X6 6300 3.5Ghz (4.1GHz) box 1 x Crucial 4GB DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11 1 x Gigabyte 970A DS3P, AM3+ 1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, socket 775/1155/1156/AMD 1 x Seagate BarraCuda 500 GB 3.5" 1 x LG GH24NS sat Bulk Black 24x 1 x Zalman Z1, USB3.0 black, 2x120mm 1 x Fortron Hexa+ 400W, 80+, active, 12 cm 1 x Gigabyte R7 260X OC, 2GB GDDR5, HDMI, DVI
Price is $1667 via credit card. Available through FUTURA IT, which includes free assembly and shipping.
I've been following this thread from the jump, and honestly, I have to ask: you tell this guy he can get these parts delivered and assembled for free, but what are they actually going to put them in? Is he supposed to just use a shoebox or something? Your recommendations are a total nightmare; it feels like you aren't even reading the specs, let alone putting any actual thought into this.
I have one AMD FX X6 6300 processor available, clocked at 3.5GHz with a boost up to 4.1GHz. This is the boxed version. I have one Gigabyte 970A DS3P, AM3+ available. I have one LC POWER LC-CC-95 available, compatible with socket 775/1155/1156 and various AMD platforms. I have one Toshiba DT01ACA050 500GB 3.5" hard drive available. I have one single stick of Crucial 4GB DDR3 RAM, running at 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) with a latency of CL11. I have one MSI R7 260 OC available for sale. It features 1GB of GDDR5 memory and comes equipped with VGA, DVI, and HDMI outputs. One LG GH24NS sat Bulk Black 24x optical drive. One Zalman Z1, featuring a sleek black USB 3.0 finish and equipped with two 120mm fans. I have one Fortron Hexa plus 400 w power supply available. It features an 80+ rating, utilizes an active PFC, and comes equipped with a 12 cm fan.
Total: $1154 Plus, we offer free assembly and shipping.
Maybe try plugging the drive's data cable into a different port, and if that doesn't work, you might want to give it a shot with a completely different cable altogether.
If you're looking to pay in installments, then Links is definitely your better bet. Plus, they're located right in your neighborhood if you ever need to deal with any returns or service issues.
This setup is more than enough for ultra settings: 1 x Intel Core i7-series desktop (3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+) box 1 x Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11 1 x MSI MAG series motherboard 1 x Seagate BarraCuda hard drive (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600) 1 x Samsung DVD drive SATA Bulk Black 24x 1 x Zalman Z3+, USB3.0 black 1 x Fortron Raider S 550W, 80+ SILVER 1 x LC POWER LC-CC-95, Socket 775/1155/1156/AMD 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX series 3GB DDR5 Graphics card total Black edition
Total: $1573 Assembly and shipping are on the house. If you're looking to maximize your budget, grab 8GB RAM and you'll be all set to go $1667.
Keith Wright2 said:You could also try this approach: keep everything except for the graphics card, the processor, the motherboard, the RAM, and that 250GB hard drive, then just pick up this bundle:
total : $680.00 USD at Micro Center—free assembly and shipping included!$1550 If you reuse your old power supply, case, hard drives, and cooler, then just drop this i5 setup in there, and you’ve already got a pretty decent machine!
Free assembly? What exactly are they going to assemble for him? Put it in a cardboard box? 😁
An SSD isn't even strictly necessary for gaming. If you're looking for a slightly faster drive, you could always go with a 1TB SSHD, which would only run you about an extra $15. This build is more powerful than anything I've put together so far, yet somehow it ends up being cheaper than some of those 🙂 setups.
You also have this alternative option, which features a higher-quality chassis and a more powerful graphics card, while everything else remains largely the same: 1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 AM3 Box 1 x Patriot Sig.,D3, 1600Mhz, 8GB (1x 8GB) 1 x Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, AM3 1 x Toshiba 1TB,7200rpm, 32MB HDD 1 x LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk 1 x Zalman Z3+, USB3.0 black 1 x Fortron Raider S 550W, 80+ SILVER 1 x Sapphire R9 280X Dual-X OC, 3GB GDDR5, bulk 1 x Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA, AMD/Intel
I honestly think the other setup you put together is the better way to go. If you commit to an FM2 build, you’re basically boxing yourself in when it comes to future upgrades, even though you did pick out a fantastic motherboard there. If you ever feel the itch to level up, you could easily drop in an 8-core processor and be set for years to come. With FM2, you just don't have that kind of breathing room.
graniteharbor85 actually presents a solid option here; we're looking at some truly high-quality components. This little Pentium, once overclocked, performs absolute miracles in gaming, and it's a perfect match for your graphics card—just take a look at the link in his post if you're wondering how that's even possible. 😉
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 1 x Kingmax 1x8GB DDR3 1600 FLGG 1 x GIGABYTE Main Board Desktop iB85 (S1150,DDR3,VGA/DVI,USB3.0/USB2.0,LAN,SATAIII/SATAII) mATX Retail 1 x HDD Desktop Seagate BarraCuda (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600) 1 x LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk 1 x Zalman Z3+, USB3.0 black 1 x XFX Pro 450W, 80+
fadedorca66 said:I'd probably stretch my budget a bit for a decent power supply and case: 1 x MSI FSP300-60HCN, bulk PSU 1 x MS PHOENIX case without PSU
It costs a little more, but they aren't total junk
That’s fair enough. I was just aiming for the absolute cheapest option.
This is all you really need. 1 x Intel Celeron G1610 1 x Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11 1 x MSI H61M-P20 G3 (Socket 1155, DDR3, SATA II,PS/2,USB2.0,VGA,DVI) mATX 1 x HDD Desktop TOSHIBA DT01ACA050 (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600) 1 x LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk 1 x NaviaTec Mid Tower ATX PC Case, NO PSU 1 x Linkworld PSU 420W, 12cm fan, 3xSata
Total: $511 FUTURA IT, assembly included at no extra charge. You can also grab some Windows if you find yourself needing them.
1 x AMD Phenom II x4 830, 2.8GHz, 6MB, AM3 1 x Patriot Sig. DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB 1 x Asus M5A78L LX3 1 x Toshiba DT01ACA050 (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600) 1 x LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk 1 x MS PHOENIX case without power supply 1 x SILVERSTONE Strider ST50F-230, 500W, Retail, 1x120, Black 1 x Sapphire R7 260X OC, 2GB GDDR5, DVI, DP, HDMI 1 x AOC LED 22" I2269Vwm, VGA, 2xHDMI, DP, FHD, speakers 1 x Gigabyte GK-KM6150 multimedia keyboard + mouse, USB, black
Total: $1344 FUTURA IT, free assembly and shipping included.