Desktop PC build for $750?

Hey. I've been bringing work home more often lately, so I figured it’s finally time to build a new rig. I’ve been lurking on the forums for a bit, and I have a few questions before I actually start asking for specific part recommendations:

1. How do prices look compared to other places (like Austria, Canada, or Canada)? Are they cheaper or more expensive out there?
2. Why is everyone always suggesting buying all the parts from a single shop? I have a younger brother who’s free most of the day and could basically spend his time driving around the whole Washington, D.C. area hitting different stores to hunt for components.
3. When would be the best time to pull the trigger? Is there any new tech, new sockets, or updated standards coming up soon? Any particular week or month I should wait for?
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Location: Washington, D.C.
Budget: around $1667.
It's a home PC for general use—internet browsing; heavy Word usage; storing massive amounts of Word, Excel, and PDF documents; and specifically, I need fast loading and smooth handling of huge PDF files (my ancient PC struggles big time with them). I’ll probably hand this off to my brother in six months to a year, so it would be nice if he could play games on decent settings without lagging or whatever. I don't really know what games are popular these days. Probably just whatever kids like nowadays? 🙂.

I can scavenge some stuff from my old computer: keyboard, mouse, monitor, CD/DVD drive, 5.1 speakers, and Windows 7 Ultimate. So, I definitely don't need those.

I also have two HDDs lying around:
Storage Devices
MAXTOR STM3250310AS (250GB, SATA150, 3.5", 8MB Cache) : 233GB (C: )
WDC WD2500JS-60MHB5 (250GB, SATA300, 7200rpm, 8MB Cache) : 233GB (D: )

That covers storage. For opening those PDFs quickly, I’ll need an SSD. Which one? I’d put Windows, Tor, Bitdefender, and a few small specialized accounting programs on it. Maybe one or two games (the kind all the kids play). The PDFs are mostly tenders that get deleted after a week or two, so they won't sit on the SSD long enough to hog space.

Components:

I don't care about aesthetics; I don't need a case with LED lighting, rainbow colors, or any other useless junk. Functionality is my priority. It's first, and then second.

Case—I have plenty of room for any size. Does a bigger case mean better cooling?
Motherboard—
RAM—
Power Supply—
Processor—
Graphics Card—
Cooling—for the CPU, the GPU, and maybe one or two case fans. Do cases, CPUs, and graphics cards come with their own coolers included?
Two USB ports on the front panel.

I don't think I need to worry about overclocking, at least not yet. What do the experts suggest?

Did I miss anything?

Thanks in advance.

P.S.
There. I've laid out exactly what I need, now it's your turn. I'm not paying you guys to just sit around doing nothing. Let's hear it. 🙂

Prices might be slightly lower in Austria or Canada, but I'm not sure if it's worth the headache of dealing with potential warranty issues from abroad, so you should weigh that carefully...

Since you already have the drives, here is how I would build it:

1 x Asrock H81M-HDS
1 x Intel Core i5-4440 (3.10GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box
1 x Zalman Z3 PLUS mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm.
1 x Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2.5"
1 x Samsung SH-224DB sat Bulk Black, SATA
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, CL10
1 x Sapphire R9 270 2GB, OC Boost, 2GB GDDR5 256bit
1 x XFX P1-450S-X2B9 Pro Series Core edition 80 450 w pas

It comes out to roughly $1667. To get the best deal, check component by component on sites like PCPartPicker to see where things are cheapest. You can also swap in any other 8GB DDR3 RAM (just grab the most budget-friendly option you find), and there are plenty of other brands for the R9 270 graphics card too (XFX, MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS...). Regarding retailers, some big names don't have the best reputation, so my advice is to Google reviews for every shop before buying. Also, if you decide to go with the XFX power supply, look for shops that offer a solid 5-year warranty here in the US—places like Best Buy or Micro Center are usually reliable bets.

1 x Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz (Max Turbo FQ 3.3 GHz), 6MB
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, CL11, Value, CMV4GX3M1A160C11
1 x Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic, SSD, 120 GB capacity, 2.5"
1 x ASUS R9270X-DC2-2GD5, AMD Radeon, R9270X, PCIe 3.0, 2048 MB DDR5
1 x XFX P1-450S-X2B9 Pro Series Core edition 80 450 w pas
1 x GIGABYTE B75M-D3H, Socket: 1155, Intel ® B75, 4xDDR3 1066/1333/
1 x Zalman ZM-T2 PLUS micro tower case. 189(W) x 427.5(H) x 364(D)mm

$1665
craigslist.com

He’d honestly be better off grabbing an R9 280; it's a smarter move and saves him some cash. http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=135731
Then, he can just take whatever money is left over and upgrade the power supply to an XFX 550.

Intel Core I5 3570 k soc
Asrock Z75 Pro3
MSI GF GTX 750 TI TF, 2GB DDR5
SANDISK X110 128GB SSD
Kingston DDR3 1600MHz, C11, 8GB
Corsair CX430 PSU, 430 Watt
Sharkoon VS3-V Chrome Tower ATX
RAIJINTEK Aidos

5,$23
PCMag

I have a new computer listed a few posts below yours if you happen to be interested. It’s a top-tier configuration, and given your need for an SSD, this would suit you perfectly—it’s actually 4TB, not 5.

AMD quad Core MSI a88xm
MSI a88xm motherboard
8GB DDR3 Patrio Viper 1886MHz
120GB SSD Kingston HyperX
MSI GF GTX750Ti Gaming 2GB
Fractal Integra 500W high-end power supply.

Everything is brand new, comes with a 2-5 year warranty, a full bundle, and I can handle shipping or local testing.

$1267 🙂)))

mellowtiger83 said:Check out my new build posted a few threads down if you're interested. It's a killer setup, and since you're looking for an SSD, this would be perfect for you. It’s got 4TB instead of 5.

AMD quad Core MSI a88xm
MSI a88xm motherboard
8GB DDR3 Patrio Viper 1886MHz
Kingston 120 SSD
MSI GF GTX 750 Ti Gaming 2GB
Fractal Integra 500W top-tier power supply.

Everything is brand new, comes with a 2-5 year warranty, full bundle. Can ship it or you can come test it out.

$1267 🙂)))

Use the marketplace section below. This isn't the place for sales posts.

Check out this build. You've got an i5 that can be overclocked beautifully on a solid motherboard paired with a decent cooler, plus 8GB of RAM, an SSD, a reliable power supply, a good graphics card, and more...$67I definitely went over budget here, but was it worth it? Absolutely!

1xIntel BX80637I53570K, Core i5 3570 K CPU
1xAsrock Z77 Extreme3, Intel Socket 1155 Z77 Extreme3 ATX Motherboard
1xMSI MSI Video Card GeForce GTX 750-titanium GDDR5 2GB/128bit, 1085MHz
1xZalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU cooler. FAN: 120mm, fan speed: 1000rpm-1700rpm - 10%
1xSILVERSTONE Power Supply SILVERSTONE Strider ST50F-230 AC 180-264V, 50/60Hz
2xPatriot Sig. DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB
1xKingston SSD disk Kingston 120GB, SSDNow V300 SATA 3, SV300S37A/120G SSD V300 120GB,
1xZalman Z3 mid tower case

Total:$1745 Discount 24

Keith Wright2 said:Check this build out. You get an i5 that overclocks easily on a solid motherboard with a decent cooler, 8GB of RAM, an SSD, a reliable power supply, a good GPU, and all that. $67It’s a bit pricey, but worth it!

1xIntel BX80637I53570K, Core i5 3570 K CPU
1xAsrock Z77 Extreme3, Intel Socket 1155 Z77 Extreme3 ATX Motherboard
1xMSI MSI Video Card GeForce GTX 750-titanium GDDR5 2GB/128bit, 1085MHz
1xZalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU cooler. FAN: 120mm, fan speed: 1000rpm-1700rpm - 10%
1xXFX P1-450S-X2B9 Pro Series Core Edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
2xPatriot Sig. DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB
1xADATA SSD disk ADATA 128GB, XPG SP900, 2.5" SATA 3
1xZalman ZM-T2 PLUS micro tower case

Total:$1739 $24 discount

Yeah, you're trying to cram an ATX board into a micro-ATX case. ☕That's not gonna work.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Yeah, you can't just shove an ATX board into a micro-ATX case ☕

I got a bit carried away thinking about the case while trying to figure out how to keep this build budget-friendly enough to let him keep that i5k in the config. My mistake! I've corrected the error—he can absolutely go with what I originally posted. I swapped in a Zalman Z3 case, so everything will fit perfectly without any issues! Thanks for pointing that out.

Well, the opener didn't exactly show much enthusiasm for overclocking configurations. Looking at this from a pure gaming perspective—strictly for his brother—an R9 280 would be the limit here. Honestly, though, it might be smarter if he doesn't even bother picking up a GPU right now. It’s better to wait until his brother actually needs one in six months or a year. If he just needs an office PC for now, an R9 280 would be a total waste of electricity. My suggestion? Grab a solid CPU with integrated graphics for the time being, like an i5-4440. It won't make a difference for basic tasks, and then he can just add a dedicated graphics card later down the road. By then, he'll likely get something much more powerful for the same price, and the current setup would have served its purpose anyway.

Keith Wright2 said:I got a bit distracted looking for ways to keep this build cheap while keeping that i5 in the mix. My bad—he can totally go with what I originally posted. If he grabs a Zalman Z3 case, everything will fit without any headache. Thanks for catching that mistake.

And you just threw in an SSD that everyone already pointed out is basically a cheap Kingston drive with junk flash memory inside.😁

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, the guy didn't seem that hyped about overclocking anyway. Since this is a gaming rig for his brother, an R9 280 would fit, but honestly? It might be better to skip the GPU for now. He can grab one in six months or a year when his brother actually needs it. Right now, he just needs an office PC, and an R9 280 would just be sucking up extra power for nothing. Better to get a solid CPU with integrated graphics, like an i5-4440. It’ll do the job fine for now, and then he can buy a much better card later for the same money.

+1

In my own setup, I put everything in. Since he has the budget, $1667 he might as well have the i5, the SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a decent GPU that can actually handle some serious gaming.😳

Quote: The New Guy

Robert Rodriguez2 said:And you went ahead and installed that SSD? You know, people have already been talking about how much of a letdown those Kingston drives are because of the cheap flash they use inside. 😁

+1

I’ve gone ahead and installed everything in my rig, since the components are already there. $1667 Is it possible to have an i5, an SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a graphics card capable of handling heavy gaming all at once? 😳

I’m aware of that, but I really have to trim things down so I don't blow my budget too far out of proportion. That SSD will serve him more than well enough, and he won't have to worry about anything. People talk a lot of nonsense these days, and half of what you hear is just empty noise.

Timothy Kim60 said:Well, the OP didn't exactly show much enthusiasm for overclocking, did he? If we're looking at this from a pure gaming perspective—strictly for his brother—something like an R9 280 would cut it. But honestly, wouldn't it be smarter if he skipped the dedicated GPU entirely for now? It might be better to wait until he hands the rig over to his brother in six months or a year. Why waste power on a 280 right now if he just needs a basic office machine? My suggestion would be to grab a solid CPU with integrated graphics, like an i5-4440. It’ll handle everything he needs for work, and then later on, he can just drop in a GPU. By then, he'll likely get a much more powerful card for the same price anyway, and the current setup won't have been a wasted investment.

But look, he specifically mentioned he isn't planning to overclock while he's the one using the PC. However, once it passes to his brother, who might actually want to use it for gaming, things could change! Shouldn't we be looking at the long-term potential here rather than just focusing on today?

Keith Wright2 said:I get it, but I have to trim the budget here. That SSD will work perfectly fine for him without any issues. People talk too much these days; half of it is just noise.

Why cut corners if you can get high-end quality for the exact same price?

Keith Wright2 said:He said he won't overclock while he's using the PC, but once he hands it off to his brother, he might want to since it'll be for gaming. Look at the big picture, not just right now.

90% of users never touch their clock speeds. They run everything at stock until the hardware dies.

I don't quite grasp why everyone is bashing that Kingston v300 SSD. My own experience with it has been perfectly fine. Sure, it might trail behind those overpriced, heavily marketed competitors in terms of raw speed, but it remains incredibly fast regardless.
I'm currently clearing out my HyperX gear to sell, so there isn't much point in overthinking it. Besides, this latter option $50 costs more just to deliver the exact same performance.

I guess you've got one of those older models from before they started using that sluggish flash memory 😉

crimsonstag84 said:Because you're holding onto an older unit from before they started using that sluggish flash memory.😉

It isn't even an old model. It was sold recently as part of a new custom build back in March 2014. I haven't noticed any issues whatsoever. Every computer undergoes a mountain of stress tests before it ever reaches a customer anyway. The drive functions perfectly fine.

mellowtiger83 said:It isn't even a brand-new unit; I just sold one recently as part of a custom build from March 2014. Honestly, I didn't notice any issues at all. Every PC undergoes extensive testing before it ever reaches a customer, and that drive performed perfectly fine.

Take a look:

Newly manufactured V300′s are confirmed to have switched to Micron 20nm asynchronous flash memory which changes the theoretical NAND interface bandwidth from 200MB/s to roughly 50MB/s. That’s a 75% reduction in potential bandwidth which jives with the nearly across-the-board 60% loss of performance seen in some AS SSD screenshots.

http://techgage.com/news/kingston-sw...s-performance/
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7763/a...er-micron-nand
http://www.overclock.net/t/1457629/p...ay-by-kingston

Look, it's still much faster than a standard hard drive since it's an SSD, but buying this now would be madness given the massive drop in performance. It makes no sense when you consider that Samsung's high-end drives have dropped significantly in price and aren't much more expensive anymore.

Hey,

It’s not quite a $5,000 build, maybe a bit less, but still...
Let’s just say I found a setup where I really like the components. Can anyone give me an honest take on whether this is a decent deal, or if I can find something similar for less? 😁