Need help picking a new PC build

Hey there,

I’m looking for some help picking out a rig. It’s mostly for gaming—mostly online stuff—but I also need it for watching movies, listening to music, and the occasional session in Microsoft Excel.
My main goal is to get something that won't become a paperweight for at least the next 3 to 5 years.
I don't have any interest in overclocking unless I absolutely have to just to keep up with modern games in about two years.

I'm trying to figure out which of these two setups will give me better performance and actually last longer.

The Intel build:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4440 Motherboard
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87-HD3
GPU: Nvidia GTX 680 Lightning 2GB

Or this one:

The AMD build:
CPU: AMD FX 8320 (16mb)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2
GPU: Sapphire Dual-X R9 280X 3Gb

Thanks a ton!

🤷

David Chase2 said:Hey there,

I’m looking for some help picking out a rig. It’s mostly for gaming—mostly online stuff—but I also need it for watching movies, listening to music, and the occasional session in Microsoft Excel.
My main goal is to get something that won't become a paperweight for at least the next 3 to 5 years.
I don't have any interest in overclocking unless I absolutely have to just to keep up with modern games in about two years.

I'm trying to figure out which of these two setups will give me better performance and actually last longer.

The Intel build:
CPU: Intel Core i5 4440 Motherboard
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87-HD3
GPU: Nvidia GTX 680 Lightning 2GB

Or this one:

The AMD build:
CPU: AMD FX 8320 (16mb)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 R2
GPU: Sapphire Dual-X R9 280X 3Gb

Thanks a ton!

🤷

If you're thinking about going with an Intel CPU for overclocking, you have to get one with a "K" at the end, because these others won't let you overclock. That GTX 680 is ancient news; it only makes sense if you're grabbing a used one on eBay, otherwise, if you're looking at new parts, go for a GTX 770—it's stronger, faster, and the current best buy. I'll put together an AMD offer and an Intel offer for you. I'm assuming your budget is around $650...$2333 and you're paying cash?

The Intel build:

1 x Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz, Haswell
1 x Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3, s1150, ATX, Intel ® Z97 express 1 x
1 x Thermaltake Contac 39, Intel Socket LGA 2011 Intel Socket 1 x MSI GTX770 gaming 2 GB GDDR5
1 x MSI GTX770 gaming 2GB GDDR5, Dual-link DVI-I x 1, Dual-link
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9 - Active PFC 1 x
1 x WD 1TB HDD, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 240nm
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard

Total:$2394 Best Buy free assembly and shipping!
Just toss in an SSD later for about $200 and you're all set.

David Chase2 said:Look, we're talking about used builds here.

My budget is $1500. This is just for the tower (I've already got my monitor, speakers, and peripherals ready to go).

Every time I've put together a new rig, it ends up costing me around $6,000. Honestly, that feels a bit steep 🙂

When I was putting this list together, I was looking at:

CPU : AMD X8 8320 (3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+) $383
Mobo : Asus M5A97 R2.0 $200 or an M5A97 EVO R2.0 ($250)
GPU : SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon R9 280X 3G GDDR5 PCI-E DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / DP DUAL-X OC VERSION (the one they have over in Austria $667 ) or the Sapphire R9 280 3G GDDR5 Dual-X with boost (available locally $533 ) --> I'm not entirely sure if the more expensive one is actually worth the extra cash.
RAM 🙂Kingston DDR3 HyperX Fury,1866MHz,8GB(2x4GB)Blue($212)
HDD : WD blue 1 Tb cc $140
Cooler : LC POWER LC-CC-95 $33
Case : Zalman Z3 $108
PSU: FSP Raider 750W $207 (maybe I could get away with something weaker, like maybe 600W, but I'm not positive)
Cheaper version: $1817 ; Pricier version: $2000

There's always the option to just buy everything brand new and finance part of it, but right now I'm aiming for used gear that still has some warranty left. That way, in about 6 months, I can pick up a new monitor. My current setup uses a 22-inch screen, and that's what the next one will be too 🙂.

I've mostly stuck with Intel in the past, but in this specific case, the Intel CPU and motherboard combo would drive the price up, forcing me to settle for a weaker graphics card—which, honestly, doesn't make sense for what I need (unless I'm totally missing something here).

Thanks,

Cheers!

p.s. Just so you know, all the combos mentioned in the first post are in the same price range.

If I were in your shoes, I’d just go all new. I wouldn't bother messing around with used parts or trying to hunt them down on Craigslist—you never know who's trying to scam you. It’s better to just pay cash for some components and finance the rest so you can sleep easy at night. What resolution is that monitor of yours? If it’s Full HD 1920x1080, there's really no reason to swap it out yet. But if you do need an upgrade, build the rig first like I suggested, then just hang tight until the New Year. Once those holiday sales hit and prices drop, grab a new monitor then. You'll have everything brand new and be set for good...

AMD option:

1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8320 3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+, FD8320FRHK
1 x Asus M5A97 R2, AM3+, AMD 970/SB950, DDR3, 4 slots
1 x Thermaltake Contac 39, Intel Socket LGA 2011 Intel Socket
1 x MSI GTX770 gaming 2 GB GDDR5, Dual-link DVI-I x 1, Dual-link
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x XFX TS Series 550W PSU -P1550S-XXB9
1 x Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic, SSD, 120 GB capacity, 2.5"
1 x WD 1TB HDD, Caviar Blue 10EZEX, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24ms
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. ATX standard

Total:$2326 Free assembly and shipping from Best Buy!
This build is more complete than the Intel one because it includes an SSD. That’ll give you much faster responsiveness in apps, quicker game loading, and faster Windows boot times. Your FPS won't be higher, but the whole system will feel snappier. Regarding raw gaming performance, the Intel setup is slightly better since the i5 is a higher quality CPU, but with this AMD build, you get the SSD and it's cheaper by about $67, so decide for yourself. You can bump the price of either build up by $67 if you opt for the Sapphire R9 280, but I'd stick with the GTX 770; it's faster, stronger, and has better features, which matters...
One more thing, I haven't included a burner in any of these builds because I think it's useless. You can do everything via USB, from installing Windows to playing media. Anyway, that would add about $43.

Look, we're talking about used builds here.

My budget is $1500. This is just for the tower (I've already got my monitor, speakers, and peripherals ready to go).

Every time I've put together a new rig, it ends up costing me around $6,000. Honestly, that feels a bit steep 🙂

When I was putting this list together, I was looking at:

CPU : AMD X8 8320 (3.5GHz,16MB,125W,AM3+) $383
Mobo : Asus M5A97 R2.0 $200 or an M5A97 EVO R2.0 ($250)
GPU : SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon R9 280X 3G GDDR5 PCI-E DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / DP DUAL-X OC VERSION (the one they have over in Austria $667 ) or the Sapphire R9 280 3G GDDR5 Dual-X with boost (available locally $533 ) --> I'm not entirely sure if the more expensive one is actually worth the extra cash.
RAM 🙂Kingston DDR3 HyperX Fury,1866MHz,8GB(2x4GB)Blue($212)
HDD : WD blue 1 Tb cc $140
Cooler : LC POWER LC-CC-95 $33
Case : Zalman Z3 $108
PSU: FSP Raider 750W $207 (maybe I could get away with something weaker, like maybe 600W, but I'm not positive)
Cheaper version: $1817 ; Pricier version: $2000

There's always the option to just buy everything brand new and finance part of it, but right now I'm aiming for used gear that still has some warranty left. That way, in about 6 months, I can pick up a new monitor. My current setup uses a 22-inch screen, and that's what the next one will be too 🙂.

I've mostly stuck with Intel in the past, but in this specific case, the Intel CPU and motherboard combo would drive the price up, forcing me to settle for a weaker graphics card—which, honestly, doesn't make sense for what I need (unless I'm totally missing something here).

Thanks,

Cheers!

p.s. Just so you know, all the combos mentioned in the first post are in the same price range.

fadedorca66 said:If you go the Intel route, the cost is pretty much on par with AMD (the cheapest i5 is around $433, and you can probably snag a motherboard for about 400-$167). You don't really need anything fancy since Intel chips have lower TDP, so even an i7 would run fine on a $100 board.

FX8320 vs i5: well, the FX-8320 has 8 cores (doesn't mean much right now, I guess, but we'll see in a few years), but the FX-8320 runs hotter and pulls more power. Plus, that stock cooler for the FX-8320 is pretty loud, though you can overclock it—but then again, the Intel overclocking options usually end up costing more.

If you're planning on going with a non-overclockable i5 and a cheap motherboard, then I'm definitely leaning toward the FX-8320. Otherwise, I'd pick an overclockable i5 over the FX-8320 any day—even if it means getting an AMD build just to afford an SSD at the same price point. Besides, you can always add an SSD later. Honestly, they're both just minor headaches... 😁

If you go the Intel route, the cost is pretty much on par with AMD (the cheapest i5 is around $433, and you can probably snag a motherboard for about 400-$167). You don't really need anything fancy since Intel chips have lower TDP, so even an i7 would run fine on a $100 board.

FX8320 vs i5: well, the FX-8320 has 8 cores (doesn't mean much right now, I guess, but we'll see in a few years), but the FX-8320 runs hotter and pulls more power. Plus, that stock cooler for the FX-8320 is pretty loud, though you can overclock it—but then again, the Intel overclocking options usually end up costing more.

For $450, you can pick up a decent, brand-new build from a local shop.

1 x Intel Core i5-4440 (3.10GHz,1MB,6MB,84 W,1150) Box
1 x Asrock s1150 H81M-HDS - Intel H81, M-ATX, Dual Channel 2xDDR3
1 x XFX R9 270X, R9-270X-CDBC, Black ED, Double Dissipation Edition
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x DDR3 8GB (1x8GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x FORTRON 500W Power Supply, HEXA 500, 12cm fan, Active PFC 1 x
1 x Zalman Z3 mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard

$1513
cnn.com

Hey again.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. After digging through the builds you suggested and checking out some other threads, I want to get your take on this specific setup.

CPU: I5 3570k
Motherboard: MB ASRock Z77 Extreme3
Cooler: Zalman CNPS 7x LED
GPU: XFX 3 GB D5 X R9 280X Dual Fan Black ED
RAM: DDR3 HyperX Fury 8 GB PC 1866 CL 9 Kingston KIT ( 2 x 4 GB )
PSU: FSP FORTRON RaiderS 750 80+ S 750W Active PFC 1 x
HDD: WD Blue 1TB
Case: Zalman Z3 Plus Black ATX

Price: $2050

The reason I'm aiming for this build is the overclocking headroom and the fact that I could potentially run crossfire down the road if I feel like it.

My main priority is just making sure this rig stays relevant for at least another 4 or 5 years.

I'm debating if I actually need such a beefy power supply—though I guess if I decide to slap a second card in later, I'll definitely need the extra juice. Also, not sure if I should bother picking up extra fans right away.
Honestly, this whole option feels like a better move to me than going with an AMD build or that Intel Core i5-4440.
I'm broke when it comes to an SSD right now, but I can easily swing one in a few months.
So, does this look solid to you guys, or is there anything you'd swap out?

Thanks in advance.

The real difference between an i5 4690k and the one you've got there is $3.25. (check out some tech forums) That one uses the 1150 socket—which is newer—so if I were in your shoes, I’d probably swap that i5 3570k for an i5 4690k paired with a Z97 motherboard. But honestly, since you're basically building a whole new PC from scratch anyway, wouldn't it make more sense to just go for the latest components currently hitting the market?

Larry Ortiz5 said:The real difference between an i5 4690k and the one you've got there is $3.25. (check out some tech forums) That one uses the 1150 socket—which is newer—so if I were in your shoes, I’d probably swap that i5 3570k for an i5 4690k paired with a Z97 motherboard. But honestly, since you're basically building a whole new PC from scratch anyway, wouldn't it make more sense to just go for the latest components currently hitting the market?

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll take it!