Gaming build under $750

Alright, here is the new rule from now on
1. PRE-BUILT CONFIGURATIONS ARE JUNK
If you had actually paid attention to what was being said here, you would see that a solid setup is right in front of you. I've listed some configurations up to $5k—just pick one and be done with it.
And for a monitor, check this out:

Greetings to the computer experts here, I find myself wondering what your collective thoughts might be regarding this particular configuration and whether you believe the asking price is somewhat reasonable?

It's a really solid build... honestly, with a 3-year warranty and everything else included, you're hard-pressed to find a better deal than this...

Kevin Richardson10 said:Hey computer experts, what do you think about this build http://www.craigslist.org/forsale/pc-build-listing-example and is the price actually fair?

You could probably find a better deal at Best Buy or Micro Center, though I'm not sure if you're better off buying from a retail store or just hunting through Craigslist ads right now.

1 x Asrock M3A770DE, LGA 1366 - Intel 770 Intel SB700, ATX, FSB2600, Dual Core
1 x Coolermaster Elite 310, MIDI, black-blue, no PSU
1 x EVGA Core edition 80 450W PSU - EasyRail technology
1 x DDR3 4GB (2x2GB) Crucial, 1333MHz, FLFE
1 x HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 3.5 500GB 7200rpm 16MB cache Serial ATA II-300
1 x Dell DVD Drive, 22x DVD±R , 8x DL , 40x CD-R, PATA, black
1 x MSI GTX460 1GB GDDR5 256bit, N460GTX Hawk
1 x Intel Core i7-970 Black edition, socket LGA 1366, BOX
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212, socket 775 , 92mm PWM
1 x Microsoft Wired Desktop 600, Wireless Keyboard + Mouse, Optical Sensor

$1527

from Best Buy

this Craigslist setup has a slightly better power supply, but I doubt you even need it, plus it comes with an extra burner and a satellite dish.

edit:

here's one from Micro Center, excluding the case, keyboard, and mouse

Intel Core i7-970
Zotac GF GTX 460,768MB DDR5 192-bit SIN.
GIGABYTE Generic PC case, red-black, no PSU
Crucial 4GB, 2X2GB module, DDRIII 1333 non-ECC, CL9.0
Asrock M3A770DE, LGA 1366 - Intel 770 Intel SB700, ATX, FSB2600
HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 3.5 (3.5" x 1/3H, 500GB, 16MB, Serial ATA II-300)
EVGA Core edition 80 550W PSU - EasyRail technology
Dell DVD-RW R 22x -22x, RW 8x -6x, DL 16x -12x, S-ATA

Total: $4,$40

Kevin Richardson10 said:Hey computer experts, what do you think about this build http://www.craigslist.com/forsale/pc-computers/2532254 and is the price reasonable?

It's not bad, but why not just buy something brand new...

EVGA Z77 - Intel 770, Intel SB700, ATX, FSB 2600
Intel Core i5-750
Crucial 4GB, 2X2GB module, DDRIII 1333
LG Optiarc ODD DVD-RW 24x SATA
PSU EVGA Core edition 80 550W
GIGABYTE case Generic PC, black, no PSU
HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 3.5", 1TB
CPU Cooler CORSAIR Air Series A50
Cooler Master NetScroll 600, wireless USB
Microsoft Keyboard K120 XFX HD6870
XFX HD6870 900M 1GB DDR5, DisplayPort x2, DVI x2, HDMI

4,$236 MagazinRS

A bit more expensive but completely new, they'll build it for free and ship it right to your door (shipping is up to $33 max)....👍

Alright, I appreciate all the suggestions provided here.👍

bluefalcon2 said:I've already got my $667, now should I drop $500 on a monitor or get a cooler for my $167—or just buy the monitor now and save up for the rest later?

Honestly, put the 1700 toward the monitor and just grab a 300 cooler... there are tons of decent coolers in that price range that’ll get the job done. For instance, Best Buy has a Sythe Ninja 3 on sale for $100. Just don't waste your cash on Zalman. 🙂

Bryan Evans77 said:@tipo text..
you've been preaching about this forever and still managed to survive...
how many games actually utilize 6 cores anyway???

A fair amount, actually. Most modern RTS and FPS titles will absolutely devour whatever hardware you throw at them. 😁

Build specs without mouse and keyboard:

Asrock M3A770DE, LGA 775 LGA 1366 - Intel 770 Intel SB700, ATX, FSB2600
Intel Core i5-750 (3.2GHz, 8MB, 125W, LGA 775 LGA 1366) box Black Edition
Corsair 4GB, 1X4GB module, DDR3, 1333MHz
Gigabyte GV-N560 OC
HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 1TB
EVGA Core edition 80 450w PSU - EasyRail technology
Dell DVD-RW R 24x
GIGABYTE case Generic PC, black, no PSU included
CPU Cooler CORSAIR Air Series A50

4,599.32 - Best Buy

Over budget, but features a top-tier graphics card.

This would be significantly cheaper at Walmart if the initial pricing info—which qualifies for a 10% discount—had actually been accurate. Unfortunately, a follow-up check proved the original information was wrong.

Kevin Richardson10 said:Alright, thanks for the suggestions.👍

Or even better, pairing a modern motherboard with a powerful GTX 560 Twin Frozr...

EVGA Z77 - Intel 770, Intel SB700, ATX, FSB 2600
Intel Core i5-750
Corsair 4GB, 1X4GB module, DDR3, 1333MHz, 240 DIMM
MSI N560, TwinFrozr II, 1GB GDDR, DirectX11
CPU Cooler CORSAIR Air Series A50
Western Digital Blue, 500GB, 7200 rpm, 16MB, SATA 6 Gb
EVGA Core edition 80 450w
Dell DVD-RW R 24x -24x, RW 8x -6x, DL 16x -12x, S-ATA
Generic PC case, black, no PSU included

4,$209
TechMagazine

No peripherals included, but I honestly think it's a great deal. You get a board with SATA 3 and USB 3.0 support, plus that GTX 560 Twin Frozr for maxed-out settings and overclocking... and you still get a 3-year warranty too...😁

That works too 👍, I actually considered going that route initially (with the TwinFrozr) but decided I wanted to keep the 1TB hard drive. In my opinion, it makes more sense to save on the 450W power supply to put that money toward a better graphics card.

Both options are solid (especially with a top-tier overclocked GTX 560), so it just comes down to what the user prefers.🙂

That's how it is 👍
I just absolutely love the TwinFrozr design (even though I don't have one 😁) and I'd hate to pass it up if there's any way to get it....

dustyskipper77 said:Exactly. 👍
I’ve always been a fan of the TwinFrozr design (even though I don't own one 😁) and I'd definitely grab one if I had the chance.

My only gripe is that I haven't seen this specific model anywhere in my local stores:http://www.guru3d.com/article/gigaby...i-soc-review/1 which is weird since the OC versions are already out.

This beast is currently the top-tier GTX 560, and based on that Guru3D link, it looks like it actually beats the GTX 570 in certain tests.

It’s just because the entire series was problematic for our market. There were plenty of threads about it over on Tom's Hardware Forum...

Patrick Hughes21 said:Yeah, I'm thinking about picking up a new rig too 😁
Can anyone tell me what this is... http://www.hgspot.com/59100/desktop-pc...w-i102-049679- ??
The graphics card isn't even listed—maybe you guys know? :/
I don't know anything about overclocking, but can I push it to 4 GHz?
Also, can I get $333 a 22-inch monitor with this too??
Will this thing run the latest games like Crysis 2 or Call of Duty: Black Ops on max settings??

I know it's a lot of questions, but I really need some help since I'm clueless about PCs and don't want to waste money on junk
Thanks 😁

You’d have to check the listing, but seeing as it boasts 4GB of RAM and a flashy case with some LEDs and a decent enough CPU... they probably paired it with a cheap, generic GPU and power supply just to make a profit. 👍 Either way, it's definitely not any better than the options the guys mentioned above.

It's me again—rather than starting a whole new thread, I figured I'd just post here:
My budget has bumped up to $6,500— $2333 excluding peripherals. 👍

In terms of the case, I’m really hoping to fit an aftermarket cooler, the processor, and two 120mm fans

Here is my current proposal (though, honestly, it might be a bit off 🤣

1 x CoolerMaster Elite 430, black, window, (W)190 x (H)424 x (L)490
1 x HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 1Tb 7200rpm 32MB cache Serial ATA II
1 x DDR3 6GB (3x2GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, CMX6GX3M3A1600C9
1 x Processor Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, Socket 1155
1 x EVGA Z77 - Intel P67, ATX, 4xDDR3 2133MHz
1 x Dell DVD Drive, 22x DVD±R , 8x DL , 40x CD-R, PATA, white
1 x Sapphire HD 6950, 2GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual Link DVI + HDMI
1 x Corsair 600W, GS Series, 600 Watt, ATX12V v2.3
1 x SCYTHE Mugen 2 Rev B, SCMG-2100, Socket 478/775/1156/1366
2 x Spire 120mm Fan, SP12025S1M3, sleeve bearing, 32 dBA, 120

$2333 (Ha, though I wouldn't want to have planned 😂)

1 x ASUS P67A-C43 - Intel P67, ATX, 4xDDR3 2133MHz, Gigabit LAN
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K Processor 3.3GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, Socket 1155
1 x PointOfView GTX 560 1280MB GDDR5 320 bit, DVX 2x, mini HDMI
1 x DDR3 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, CMX4GX3M2A1600C9
1 x Dell GH24NS DVD Writer, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x CoolerMaster Elite 430, black, window, (W)190 x (H)424 x (L)490
1 x CPU Cooler CORSAIR Air Series A50
2 x Spire 120mm Fan, SP12025S1M3, sleeve bearing, 32 dBA, 120
1 x SEASONIC 620W Power Supply, SS-620GB, S12 II, active PFC
1 x HDD desktop Western Digital Blue 1Tb 7200rpm 32MB cache Serial ATA II

$2331

1 x ASUS P67A-C43, Socket : 1155, Sandy Bridge, Intel P67, 4xDDR3
1 x Procesor Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz,1MB/6MB,95W,Socket 1155
1 x Napajanje Corsair 600W, GS Series, 600 Watt, ATX12V v2.3
1 x Dell GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x CoolerMaster Elite 430, black, window, (W)190 x (H)424 x (L)490
1 x SCYTHE Mugen 2 Rev B, SCMG-2100, Socket 478/775/1156/1366/754/93
1 x SCYTHE Slip Stream 120mm 1200 rpm, SY1225SL12M, 24.00dBA
1 x HDD WD 750GB. 7502AAEX, SATA 3, 64MB, 7200 rpm, Caviar black
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, Vengeance Heats.
1 x ASUS GTX 570 TwinFrozr ii OC, 1280MB GDDR5 320 bits
$2333

Do you really need anything more than one fan placed at the rear? The case already has one in the front, so that should be plenty. Besides, wouldn't it look strange? You'd have to put a third one right on the window of the case. 😁

Is there actually any meaningful difference when you're looking at 4GB versus 6GB of RAM?

It's possible, but honestly, 😁 you're better off grabbing a much stronger GPU right now and just adding more RAM later on since that stuff is dirt cheap these days.

I'm a total beginner here—please, go easy on me. If anything I've picked won't work together or isn't compatible, just let me know how to fix it rather than jumping straight to the hate... 🙂 Since I have some extra time on my hands, I’m looking to put together a decent gaming rig for about $1833. Here is what I'm thinking...

Intel Core i3-4130 Graphics Card

Intel Core i5-4440 Processor, 3.9GHz, AM4, Box, Black Edition

MSI A85M-P65 Motherboard or maybe a Gigabyte GA-A88X-UD3

Western Digital Blue 1TB Hard Drive, 64MB, ST1000DM003

SANDISK X110 64GB SSD, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 6Gbps, Seq Read/Write: 505 MBps / 445 MB/s, IOPS max: 81000, MLC, Retail

Crucial RAM DDR3 SDRAM Non-ECC 8GB, 1600MHz, KVR16N11/8

Silverstone Strider Essential ST70F-ES AC 90-264V, 47/63Hz, DC 3.3/5/±12V, 700W, Retail, Active PFC, 1x120, Efficiency 80%

Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler

Corsair VS Series mid tower case

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy

+ Just a basic optical drive