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Budget build help - $450 target

Started by goldennomad2 · · 👁 3 views · 6 replies

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Participants goldennomad2Adam Moore3Kimberly Gomez34Robert Rodriguez2Grace Kern
goldennomad2 goldennomad2 NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Jul 2014
#1 ·
Hey everyone! So, I was hanging out on this other tech forum recently and asked if anyone could help me put together a decent build for $1000. Well, I ended up getting three different suggestions from people there, and now I’m sitting here wondering what you guys think about them—like, looking at these from an outsider's perspective, which one of these paths actually makes sense? Which one would be the smartest move if you were in my shoes?

Option 1:
Intel Core i5-2500K, 2.6GHz, 65W, 8MB, Socket LGA 1156
MSI AM3+ Motherboard
6GB (2+4GB) Kingston DDR3 1600MHz
Seagate Barracuda HDD, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6, 64M
R7 260X 2G GDDR5 PCI-E HDMI / DVI-I / DP OC VERSION, 1050MHz / 1500MHz, 128-bit, 2 slot active, MSI Gaming Series
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
MS GRIFFIN case + EVGA 300W PSU, bulk
Xilence case cooler 80×80×25mm, black (3-pin Molex + 4-pin)
Price: $1009

Option 2:
Intel Core i5-2500K, 3GHz, 125W, 8MB, Socket LGA 1156
Spire Pascal Architecture
Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, AM3
Desktop HDD Seagate Barracuda (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
R7 260X 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E HDMI / DVI-I / DP OC VERSION, 1050MHz / 1500MHz, 128-bit, 2 slot active, MSI Gaming Series
MS PHOENIX case without PSU
Corsair VS Series, 500W, 1x120, BlackRock
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
Price: $1067

Option 3
Intel Core i3-4130 (3.2GHz, 3MB, LGA1150) box
ASUS A78M-E Motherboard
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5
Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11
Seagate Barracuda HDD, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6, 64M
MS GRIFFIN case + EVGA 300W PSU, bulk
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
Price: $1005
Adam Moore3 Adam Moore3 Regular
322 messages
joined Jun 2014
#2 ·
goldennomad2 said:Hey everyone! So, I was hanging out on this other tech forum recently and asked if anyone could help me put together a decent build for $1000. Well, I ended up getting three different suggestions from people there, and now I’m sitting here wondering what you guys think about them—like, looking at these from an outsider's perspective, which one of these paths actually makes sense? Which one would be the smartest move if you were in my shoes?

Option 1:
Intel Core i5-2500K, 2.6GHz, 65W, 8MB, Socket LGA 1156
MSI AM3+ Motherboard
6GB (2+4GB) Kingston DDR3 1600MHz
Seagate Barracuda HDD, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6, 64M
R7 260X 2G GDDR5 PCI-E HDMI / DVI-I / DP OC VERSION, 1050MHz / 1500MHz, 128-bit, 2 slot active, MSI Gaming Series
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
MS GRIFFIN case + EVGA 300W PSU, bulk
Xilence case cooler 80×80×25mm, black (3-pin Molex + 4-pin)
Price: $1009

Option 2:
Intel Core i5-2500K, 3GHz, 125W, 8MB, Socket LGA 1156
Spire Pascal Architecture
Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P, AM3
Desktop HDD Seagate Barracuda (3.5", 500GB, 32MB, SATA III-600)
R7 260X 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E HDMI / DVI-I / DP OC VERSION, 1050MHz / 1500MHz, 128-bit, 2 slot active, MSI Gaming Series
MS PHOENIX case without PSU
Corsair VS Series, 500W, 1x120, BlackRock
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
Price: $1067

Option 3
Intel Core i3-4130 (3.2GHz, 3MB, LGA1150) box
ASUS A78M-E Motherboard
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB GDDR5
Patriot Signature DDR3 1600Mhz, 4GB, CL11
Seagate Barracuda HDD, 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6, 64M
MS GRIFFIN case + EVGA 300W PSU, bulk
LITE ON IHAS122 DVD-RW 22x Super Multi, SATA, Black, Bulk
Price: $1005

Well, the first two options have the exact same GPU, just different CPUs. The first has a weaker processor but more RAM, while the second has a stronger chip but less memory. Personally, I’d toss the first option immediately—upgrading RAM is easy, but upgrading a CPU isn't. Option three is likely going to be the beast for gaming. You're looking at a dual-core, but it comes with a little monster that can be overclocked, giving you enough juice for basically any game. Plus, you'll get the highest FPS out of this third choice because it includes the strongest graphics card. They just swapped in a cheaper, though not necessarily worse, processor to make it work. 🙂 I actually have a very similar setup. Same motherboard, almost the same CPU (mine just can't be overclocked), and the 260X graphics. My budget was a bit tighter when I bought my 😬 I am really happy with it, and honestly, I think you'd be more than satisfied with this purchase too. So, if I were you, I'd go with option three.🙂
goldennomad2 goldennomad2 NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Jul 2014
#3 ·
Hey, thanks so much for such an incredibly thorough and deep dive into this. I have to admit, that third option jumped out at me as the most interesting right from the start, but you can never be too careful and it’s always better to double-check, right?

To be honest, though, that whole overclocking thing is really messing with my head because I've heard through the grapevine that this processor is an absolute beast when it comes to pushing those clock speeds, but I have never—and I mean never—actually done it in my life, and I am terrified I'll just end up bricking the whole thing. If I decide to play it safe, skip the overclocking entirely, and just leave everything exactly as it is out of the box, is it still going to be a solid performer or am I just wasting my time...?
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 Regular
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#4 ·
To get any real overclocking done, you’re going to need a pricey Z97 motherboard, plus a little extra effort and a decent aftermarket cooler. Otherwise, if you aren't planning on tinkering with it, just stick to a standard Pentium and call it a day...

Looking at the Intel LGA 1155 platform—I think this gives you the best bang for your buck initially (it's also overclocking-ready within this budget)—BUT you won't have much room to upgrade your CPU later on this specific socket compared to an AM3+ setup or a 1150 build (where you could jump to an FX 6300/83xx or even an i3, i5, or i7). If you don't care about future upgrades and just want to ride this setup for years, it's a solid choice.

1 x Spire Pascal Architecture cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x EVGA 300W PSU, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Passive PFC
1 x MSI Gaming Series Case, no PSU
1 x Asrock Intel X99, DDR3
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mj
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$1028

Basically, the i3-3220 performs similarly to a high-end older quad-core in gaming, and it's unlocked if you feel like pushing it.
If you'd rather go with a 750Ti graphics card, you can make that work with some adjustments (using a cheaper motherboard, a 500GB drive, and the i3-3220).

1 x Spire Pascal Architecture cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x EVGA 300W PSU, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Passive PFC
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti Gaming 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti TF 2GD5/OC Gaming
1 x MSI Gaming Series Case, no PSU
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Seagate Barracuda 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x ASUS A78M-E, Intel LGA 1155 Socket A78 Chipset MB

$1043 — Or, if you're looking toward the future, you could swap in an Inno3D 750Ti, an ASUS A78M-E, a Corsair VS Series power supply, and an MSI Gaming Series case...
goldennomad2 goldennomad2 NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Jul 2014
#5 ·
Kimberly Gomez34 said:To get any real overclocking done, you’re going to need a pricey Z97 motherboard, plus a little extra effort and a decent aftermarket cooler. Otherwise, if you aren't planning on tinkering with it, just stick to a standard Pentium and call it a day...

Looking at the Intel LGA 1155 platform—I think this gives you the best bang for your buck initially (it's also overclocking-ready within this budget)—BUT you won't have much room to upgrade your CPU later on this specific socket compared to an AM3+ setup or a 1150 build (where you could jump to an FX 6300/83xx or even an i3, i5, or i7). If you don't care about future upgrades and just want to ride this setup for years, it's a solid choice.

1 x Spire Pascal Architecture cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x EVGA 300W PSU, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Passive PFC
1 x MSI Gaming Series Case, no PSU
1 x Asrock Intel X99, DDR3
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Seagate Barracuda 1TB, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mj
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm

$1028

Basically, the i3-3220 performs similarly to a high-end older quad-core in gaming, and it's unlocked if you feel like pushing it.
If you'd rather go with a 750Ti graphics card, you can make that work with some adjustments (using a cheaper motherboard, a 500GB drive, and the i3-3220).

1 x Spire Pascal Architecture cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x EVGA 300W PSU, HEXA 400, 12cm fan, Passive PFC
1 x MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti Gaming 2GB GDDR5, N750Ti TF 2GD5/OC Gaming
1 x MSI Gaming Series Case, no PSU
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Seagate Barracuda 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x ASUS A78M-E, Intel LGA 1155 Socket A78 Chipset MB

$1043 — Or, if you're looking toward the future, you could swap in an Inno3D 750Ti, an ASUS A78M-E, a Corsair VS Series power supply, and an MSI Gaming Series case...

Wait, where did you even put this together? I'm asking because it's super important to me whether this is a pre-built option from a retail store or what.
Robert Rodriguez2 Robert Rodriguez2 Regular
353 messages
joined Jul 2015
#6 ·
goldennomad2 said:Wait, where did you even put this together? I'm asking because it's super important to me whether this is a pre-built option from a retail store or what.

www.microcenter.com
Grace Kern Grace Kern Member
19 messages
joined Apr 2014
#7 ·
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.

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