Trading with a friend—need some advice...

Scott Howard13 said:I think I'm going to settle on a build intended to last me about five years. I'll be financing it over 36 months—the interest rates are pretty steep, but I don't really have any other choice... aiming for a setup that hits a max of $2167. My plan is to grab an Intel Core i5-4670K paired with an MSI Z87 GD65 motherboard. For the GPU, I’d ideally love an Nvidia GTX 770, though the Nvidia GTX 760 is an option if I have to, but hm. Since I'm buying this on credit, the whole point is to crank everything up to Ultra settings, specifically titles from 2013, 2014, and whatever is coming down the pipeline for 2014/2015. I'm open to some AMD recommendations too, even though I'm not a huge fan because of their drivers... I had a nightmare with an AMD Radeon HD 5770 where the screen would just black out whenever I opened a web browser or anything similar, so I swapped it for the Nvidia GTX 550 I'm using now. A friend of mine also bought a laptop with an AMD card and it took him three hours just to "tweak" the drivers lol... but anyway, it doesn't matter. If there's an AMD card that might actually be a better bet than the Nvidia GTX 770, let me know 😁. For memory, I'm looking at Kingston DDR3 RAM 2x4 1600 HyperX Beast, or whatever else fits that board. I already have most of the other parts except for an SSD; I've got a Cooler Master case, an LC Power 650 Silent Giant Green Power PSU, a 500GB Caviar Black hard drive, and a CD-ROM.

Personally, I don't think you'll need anything more powerful than an Nvidia GTX 770 or an AMD Radeon R9 290; those will handle everything beautifully on Ultra settings. If I were in your shoes, though, I might skip the "K" series processor and the Intel Z87 Chipset to save some cash. Realistically, for $2167, it might be a stretch to go with the high-end CPU, the Z87 board, and a card stronger than the Nvidia GTX 770—not to mention adding an SSD, a new case, and a power supply. From what I gather, you still need the CPU, motherboard, GPU, RAM, SSD, and a case—plus, I'd definitely suggest a fresh power supply...

Here is a solid list of components with warranties that should handle all current and upcoming titles without breaking a sweat.

INTEL Core i5-4670 (3.40GHz, 1MB, 6MB, 84 W, 1150) Box, Intel HD Graphics 4600
MSI B85-G43 GAMING motherboard (S1150, DDR3, SATA II, SATA III, PS/2, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, LAN, audio Line-In, Audi
8GB DDR3 1600MHz (2x4) XMP, HyperX Beast Kingston DDR3 RAM, KHX16C9T3K2/8X
MSI GeForce GTX 770 OC, 2GB DDR5
Kingston SSD 120GB V300, 2.5" 7mm, SATA 3 6G, 3.5", drive only SV300S37A/120G
Fortron Aurum S PSU 500W, 80+ GOLD
Zalman mid tower case black, ZAL-Z9 PLUS-RMA Newegg

$2158 Best Buy (Free assembly)

Scott Howard13 said:I think I'm going to settle on a build intended to last me about five years. I'll be financing it over 36 months—the interest rates are pretty steep, but I don't really have any other choice... aiming for a setup that hits a max of $2167. My plan is to grab an Intel Core i5-4670K paired with an MSI Z87 GD65 motherboard. For the GPU, I’d ideally love an Nvidia GTX 770, though the Nvidia GTX 760 is an option if I have to, but hm. Since I'm buying this on credit, the whole point is to crank everything up to Ultra settings, specifically titles from 2013, 2014, and whatever is coming down the pipeline for 2014/2015. I'm open to some AMD recommendations too, even though I'm not a huge fan because of their drivers... I had a nightmare with an AMD Radeon HD 5770 where the screen would just black out whenever I opened a web browser or anything similar, so I swapped it for the Nvidia GTX 550 I'm using now. A friend of mine also bought a laptop with an AMD card and it took him three hours just to "tweak" the drivers lol... but anyway, it doesn't matter. If there's an AMD card that might actually be a better bet than the Nvidia GTX 770, let me know 😁. For memory, I'm looking at Kingston DDR3 RAM 2x4 1600 HyperX Beast, or whatever else fits that board. I already have most of the other parts except for an SSD; I've got a Cooler Master case, an LC Power 650 Silent Giant Green Power PSU, a 500GB Caviar Black hard drive, and a CD-ROM.

So, here is the PC I've put together: 🤣
You won't be able to fit all of that into $6,500, and stretching a purchase over 36 months basically makes it a consumer loan, which usually carries at least 10% interest.

Hey, so... I was checking out prices at Instar, and basically, I just need a GPU (Credit Cards🙂 2,$205, a processor 1,$280, a motherboard 1,$137, and some memory $205). All together, it’ll run me about $2160, plus interest from $333 if I decide to spread it over 36 monthly payments or whatever... My case is actually doing fine; it's three years old and honestly isn't bad at all, so I could just hang a few more fans on it or something. The power supply is also decent enough for this specific combo—at least in my book. The only thing missing is an SSD... I have this one friend who is so obsessed with them that he's going to act all high and mighty if I don't pick one up 😁, so I was thinking of grabbing it later. Same goes for a better cooler for overclocking and a beefier PSU down the road... But then again, I'm also looking at this cheaper MSI B85-G43 GAMING board and the processor that Grace Peterson17 recommended 😁. My original plan was to build a solid overclocking rig now so I can upgrade to higher-end graphics cards later on or something. I don't know...

If you're looking to overclock, all you really need is an Intel Z87 chipset. Honestly, there's no reason to drop nearly $250 on a motherboard lol.
For instance, snagging an Asrock Z87 Extreme3 for around $110 is a total steal.

Honestly, just go with whatever feels right to you—but if you want my two cents, I’d steer clear of places like Instar or Newegg and their ilk since they tend to be a bit pricier. You're much better off checking out Future, Best Buy, or Micro Center instead...

P.S. Kimberly Gomez34 gave you some solid advice there; it really isn't worth blowing more than $333 on those motherboards.

I get it, but honestly, most of the stuff I'm looking for isn't even in stock at Instar unless it's the overpriced version, and HG-Spot is way too expensive here in the States. Micro Center won't take American credit cards except for a one-time thing, and Newegg doesn't even have any MSI boards in their current lineup, which is a bummer because I really wanted an MSI board... I think I'll just keep browsing for a bit longer.

Grace Peterson17 said:Honestly, just go with whatever feels right to you—but if you want my two cents, I’d steer clear of places like Instar or Newegg and their ilk since they tend to be a bit pricier. You're much better off checking out Future, Best Buy, or Micro Center instead...

P.S. Kimberly Gomez34 gave you some solid advice there; it really isn't worth blowing more than $333 on those motherboards.

Alright, I'll take another look at Future and Best Buy. Thanks.

Prices for graphics cards at Newegg are basically identical, so here's an example.

Newegg doesn't offer installment plans; if you want a consumer loan, interest will apply to the items listed above too.link

Scott Howard13 said:I get it, but honestly, most of the stuff I'm looking for isn't even in stock at Instar unless it's the overpriced version, and HG-Spot is way too expensive here in the States. Micro Center won't take American credit cards except for a one-time thing, and Newegg doesn't even have any MSI boards in their current lineup, which is a bummer because I really wanted an MSI board... I think I'll just keep browsing for a bit longer.

I know exactly what you'd pick—you'd probably ask for a picture of a dragon.🤣

Look, it's your money and your call, but at least try to pick something reasonable.
http://www.google.com/search?q=MSI+B85-G43+GAMING (that one is for the LGA 1150 socket, specifically those Intel chips with a 4 in the name)

Heh, it’s not actually about that. I’m done with Asrock; MSI is a solid company, so I went that route instead. I finally pulled the trigger on an MSI B85-G43 GAMING paired with an MSI GeForce GTX 770 OC, an Intel Core i5-4670K, some Corsair Vengeance Kingston DDR3 RAM, and a Samsung 840 EVO SSD. Everything is already paid for, though I’m stuck waiting until Monday for the CPU and GPU to arrive. I'm hoping this build turns out great—this is my fifth PC, and I want this one to last so I don't have to touch hardware again for at least five years. I wanted to step up to a decent configuration, even if I know deep down that buying high-end cards isn't always the best value. Anyway, I'm sending this Asrock Z87 Extreme3 in for an RMA because the audio is acting up, but everything else works fine. If they just swap it for the same board and extend the warranty for another 24 months, cool. But what do you guys think is a realistic price for the old setup: the Asrock motherboard, an AMD Athlon II X3 445, an Nvidia GTX 550, and 4GB (2x2) of RAM $433?

$400 set it as the default 😉

kk...