PC Build Help - Looking for advice on parts/specs

Hey,

Since we’re clearly talking past each other here, let's just get straight to the point—we need some help putting together a build. It's strictly for entertainment. We don't need anything high-end or overkill... just basic web browsing and enough juice to run FIFA 16. 🙂


FIFA 16 Minimum Requirements
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 1.8 GHz. AMD Athlon II X2 240 or
equivalent processor
CPU Speed: Info
RAM: 1 GB
OS: Windows 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista SP2
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 7800 / ATI Radeon X1300 / Intel HD
Graphics 2000 or better
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 8 GB

We can handle the Windows installation ourselves. Any recommendations on a decent monitor? Also, since we're based out of Indianapolis, where should we actually shop—hit up local 🙂 stores or just order online from New York City? Looking for the best deal without getting screwed over on what actually shows up at the door.

Thanks in advance. 🙏

First, you need to let us know what kind of budget we're working with. You can definitely put together a build specifically for FIFA 16 for $833, but obviously, FIFA 16 isn't much of a benchmark since it's pretty low-spec. As for where to buy parts, Links is overpriced and their selection is often lacking, so I personally prefer checking out some of the webshops based in New York City.

We were thinking somewhere in the ballpark of $4,000 to $4,500 including the monitor... The goal is to buy something once and actually have it last—not deal with some setup that becomes obsolete in six months. 🙂

restlessorca14 said:We were originally aiming to spend somewhere around $4,000 or $4,500 total, including a decent monitor. Now that we’re actually pulling the trigger, I just want to make sure we aren't buying something that's going to sit in a closet after a year because it can't keep up. We need something that's actually going to last and won't feel obsolete before we even get used to it. 🙂

I'm looking at this monitor for... $300 > Links <

I've got one Intel Core i3-4170 sitting here. It's running at 3.70GHz with 3MB of cache and a 54W TDP, all on a Socket 1150 setup.
I’ve got one Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2V on hand. It uses the Socket 1150 and runs on the Intel H81 Express chipset. It's set up with two slots for 1.5V DDR3 memory.
I’ve got one MSI R7 360 2GD5 OC on hand—it's the GDDR5 version with the 128-bit bus. Just putting that out there for anyone looking.
Just picked up a single 8GB stick of Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3. It’s running at 1866MHz with a CL10 latency. Still feels like a solid little upgrade for my current setup.
I've got one Forscan 400W 80+ power supply up for grabs.
Just one Toshiba 500GB drive—7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, with 32MB cache.
I've got one MS Voyager MIDI tower case up for grabs.

Total bundle (including the monitor): $400.$141

Just a quick heads-up: if you actually need a DVD drive, you'll have to add one to the build. Otherwise, you can just install Windows straight from a USB stick.

A 720p build using an AMD setup, plus whatever mouse and keyboard you feel like picking

A 720p Intel-Nvidia combo, which I guess stays a bit quieter than the AMD option, doesn't collect as much dust, and doesn't really leave much room for upgrades later on, though you can still choose your own mouse and keyboard

The 720p AMD beast, which is probably going to be a total power hog and run pretty loud, but honestly, it’ll give you the best performance out of the bunch...

swiftfalcon89 said:This monitor for $300 > LINK <

1x Intel Core i3-4170 Processor (3.70GHz,512KB,3MB,54 W,Socket 1150)
1x Gigabyte GA-H81M-S2V, Socket 1150, Intel H81 Express, 2 x 1.5V DDR3
1x MSI R7 360 2GD5 OC, GDDR5 128 bit, (R7 360 2GD5 OC)
1x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Kingston, HyperX Fury, 1866MHz, CL10
1x FORTRON 400W 80+ Power Supply
1x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1x MS VOYAGER midi tower case

TOTAL (with monitor): 4,$141

EDIT: unless you specifically need a DVD Rom—you'll have to add one, though you can just install Windows via USB

Thanks for the suggestion... guess we'll have to toss in a DVD rom since I need FIFA 16 🙂

THANKS!

Digital distribution pretty much dominates the scene these days, whether you're going with an official release or a cracked version. You don't even need a disc burner anymore—unless you’ve already picked up a physical DVD, of course. Just make sure to add an extra 1TB HDD to your build.

electricharbor30 said:A 720p AMD build, pick whatever mouse and keyboard you want

A 720p Intel-Nvidia setup runs silent compared to AMD—no dust issues, zero upgrade path, just pick your mouse and keyboard and call it a day

A 720p AMD beast pulls tons of power and sounds like a jet engine, but you get the performance...

Man, stop wasting time building these rigs. Someone might actually think this junk is worth buying...

Hey, maybe start cracking down on the mods a little...

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, digital distribution is king these days—whether you're buying legit or going the pirate route. You don't even need a disc drive anymore. Unless you've already got a stack of DVDs lying around, obviously. Just bump it up to a 1TB HDD.

Can someone explain the 1TB HDD thing? I'm totally lost here and have no clue how to actually "add" it. 😁 Does that mean I need to change something in the build you suggested? Every time I search on Best Buy, I just get hit with a million random things. 🙂 I know my question sounds pretty ridiculous, but what can you do. 🙂

restlessorca14 said:Could someone maybe explain this 1TB HDD thing? I honestly don't get it, so I have no idea how to actually add one to my build 😁 Does that mean I need to change the whole configuration you guys suggested? Because whenever I type stuff into the Best Buy search bar, it just throws a million random things at me 🙂 I know my question sounds pretty ridiculous, but what else am I gonna do? 🙂

just go to www.amazon.com and type the components into the search bar...you'll see a list of those parts from basically every big retailer out there and you can see where they're cheapest...honestly, there's barely any difference in price between 500GB and 1TB, so it's probably way smarter to just grab the 1TB...anywhere you shop, really...also, when you're looking at drives, check the cache, because higher is better, and look at the RPM too, since more is always better...the WD Caviar series is built like a tank and should last forever, Samsung Spinpoint F# models are usually the fastest in their class, and if you want some newer tech or even some unproven drives, maybe look into the Toshiba P300 series...

restlessorca14 said:Could someone clarify the whole 1TB HDD thing? I’m honestly a bit lost here and don't know how to add that in. 😁 Does that require changing the suggested build, or what? When I search on Micro Center, I just get a million different results. 🙂 I know my question sounds pretty silly, but I'm stuck. 🙂

Yeah, if you look at Micro Center, you'd find this, though I believe the other suggestion came from IT Future. But honestly, most of those options include it anyway.

Swap that i3-4170 for the cheapest Celeron G1820 you can find. Unlike what $233 says, just grab a 250GB SSD now, then in a couple of years, pick up a used i5. In my opinion, $333 isn't worth it—no dual-core processor is. Most importantly, I've tested it, and FIFA 16 runs perfectly on the G1820.

@ swiftfalcon89:

When you're building a rig, just say where you're getting the parts. Honestly, it's better to buy everything from one shop—usually, they'll throw in free assembly and shipping if you do. If people actually knew their way around hardware, they wouldn't be coming here asking for help anyway.

@ electricharbor30:

Just drop the iPhone thing already. Which model do you even have? There aren't many tech stores around here, so what happens when things go sideways and you have to drive all the way to the border?

@ restlessorca14:

Try emailing the site admins, or maybe hit up IT Future. They usually have the best prices, plus they offer free assembly and delivery. You could even just copy this list the guys put together and ask them for a quote. Once you get some offers, post them here so we can see if they're actually giving you a fair deal. 👍
Btw, you're missing a keyboard, a mouse, and maybe some speakers....

electricharbor30 said:A 720p AMD setup, plus whatever mouse and keyboard you want

A 720p Intel-Nvidia build runs quiet compared to AMD, stays dust-free, but offers zero upgrade path—plus your choice of mouse and keyboard

A 720p AMD beast pulls tons of power and gets loud, but gives you the best performance...

A 32" HD Ready TV from Vizio used as a monitor🤦

darkowl72 said:Honestly, just walk away from them, especially if you're looking at an iPhone. Which model do you have? There aren't exactly many repair shops around here, so if things go south, you're stuck traveling all the way to the border just to get help.

BTW Meanwhile in America...

eDigital is hitting some serious new lows, based on the latest posts over on the PC forums:
- They play dumb about receiving phones for warranty repairs; it’s been six months and there's still zero word on the device (it sounds like the customer's wife couldn't quite figure out how to file a formal complaint against them).
- They are peddling junk TVs. Apparently, through a contact working with a technician in Denmark, someone tracked the serial numbers and found out eDigital bought and is selling defective factory stock (which only came with a measly one-year warranty).

Of course, you should take everything you read online with a grain of salt, but it seems like being incompetent is just part of their business model. 👏

darkowl72 said:@ electricharbor30:

Man, you really gotta just let that stuff go, especially when it comes to an iPhone. I mean, which one do you even have? There aren't exactly a ton of shops around here, so if things start going sideways, you're kind of stuck waiting on shipping from overseas or something.

I guess if some local shop actually ends up being competitive with their prices and they happen to carry exactly what I'm looking for, then yeah, I'll definitely be recommending them. But until then...

Timothy Kim60 said:BTW Meanwhile in Canada...

eDigital is hitting some whole new lows, based on the latest chatter over on the PC hardware forums:
- They’re playing dumb about not receiving phones sent in for warranty claims; it’s been six months and there's zero word from them. It honestly looks like the wife just didn't know how to fight back—she probably should have filed a formal complaint immediately.
- They’re peddling junk TVs. Apparently, through a technician buddy in Denmark, someone tracked a serial number and found out eDigital is buying and selling defective factory stock (which explains why they only offered a measly one-year warranty)

I mean, obviously you gotta take everything you read online with a massive grain of salt, but it seems like being shady is pretty much their bread and butter at this point. :klap:

Hmm, that sounds a little sketchy to me. I don't think any shop could actually survive with a business model like that, and honestly, nobody in the world operates normally if they're doing stuff like that. Like, if they're selling refurbished components, that has to be clearly stated. I actually bought an SSD from them once. It showed up factory-sealed, arrived in five days, worked exactly as advertised, and I even got a 5-year warranty—which was way better than some of the local shops around here that offer way less... I think people were talking about that too. My guess is the woman either bought a refurbished phone without realizing it, or maybe she just messed up the process, because if she had sent the phone in for warranty the right way, she would've had a tracking number and known exactly when it was delivered or not. On the flip side, I actually had a similar nightmare myself. I had a brand new HDD die on me after just a few days, so I sent it back to Best Buy. I sent it via regular mail without a tracking number, and the drive just vanished into thin air... Best Buy claimed they never got it, and I couldn't even get a hold of the mailman to figure it out. It was a total mess. So, anyone thinking that Americans in other countries are somehow inherently dishonest is totally deluded. You've got assholes, careless people, and trashy companies everywhere, and IMO, I'd trust a stranger overseas more than some local guy to not screw me over, just based on my own experiences with folks here... Not to mention, under US law, it’s supposed to be clear that you're entitled to a new warranty if things break during the coverage period, but half the time no one gives it to you and you practically have to sue them just to get what's rightfully yours. That doesn't seem to be an issue elsewhere, so nobody really brings it up...

So, yeah, it's a simple equation: stay sharp. Just be careful about what you buy and how you handle returns, and you'll probably be fine. If it says there's a shorter warranty or no manufacturer's warranty, just don't touch it...

I used to be that guy too, paying 20-30% more just to shop at a big-name retailer like Best Buy. I thought, hey, it's a major US store, they have locations in my city, it's convenient. Well, they screwed me over several times, and now I'm just sitting here wondering, what was the point? Who am I even giving my hard-earned cash to? You think they actually care about you just because you shopped there? Man, they don't give a damn about you—they're all just corporate drones. If I don't have to pay a cent more than necessary, I'm not doing it...

Thomas Flores74 said:using a 32" HD Ready TV as a monitor, specifically a Vizio🤦

Yeah, a 720p monitor. I mean, honestly, only total noobs would try to pair a tiny 20-inch little screen with Full HD resolution and then pair it with some bottom-tier GPU that can't even push a decent frame rate at that res. That Vizio thing is basically made in the exact same factory in China as every other budget TV out there, but hey, it’s got a decent warranty, it's huge, it's got TV tuners, and those 20W speakers aren't terrible. Back when I had my first build, I could actually play stuff on medium settings, maybe even high sometimes, and now with my beastly AMD rig, I'm cranking everything to max details at a smooth 60 fps... I could probably play PES on this thing just fine too... unlike most of you guys, I actually know how to put together a properly tuned PC...

You don't know the first thing about real work, let alone how to put a decent project together... so go ahead, write your little manifestos all you want...

Nothing you agree with is actually right, plain and simple. You can roll your eyes all you want, but the logic you're using is just pure nonsense.

I honestly just feel bad for anyone who ever actually asked you for help, because you managed to screw over the boss, the whole department, and even the 3.1 miles transit system...

Robert Rodriguez2 said:You don't know jack about this stuff, honestly, you haven't even figured out how to set up a basic config correctly... so yeah, feel free to go ahead and write your little manifesto if you want...

The thing is, anything you actually agree with isn't wrong, that’s just how it works, and you can act as high and mighty as you want, but the logic you're using to decide what's right and what's wrong is just straight-up nonsense.

I honestly just feel bad for anyone who might have actually asked you for help in person, because you've basically managed to screw over the boss, the whole precinct, and 3.1 miles the entire transit system...

No, I guess you're the one who's gonna teach me... let's slow down there, buddy, one step at a time...