600-650$ Computer [Need Help]

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by CyborgTed, Oct 12, 2014.

  1. Hello Empire,
    I hope you all are having a wonderful day. I am still getting the money for this computer but as I am at 450$ and Christmas not to far away, I will have around 700$ after Christmas. So, would like you guys to help me and tell me what to change with the following build, and why I should change the part. The link for the build is here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/84G2zy

    Thank you to all who help, and when I get it I will be sure to post pictures!
  2. The coolermaster cpu fan is unneccesary. The fan that comes with the intel processor is more than adequate to cool it, save yourself the $18. Noname brand memory always scares me, especially ram with such high CAS speeds. Get yourself some brand name memory. Why not get a solid state drive for the OS? It makes all the difference in how the system "feels"
  3. Thanks, fixing now.
  4. I'm assuming that gaming is a pretty big part in this, so I'll base a few things around that. You could upgrade that i5 to an i7 processor for more CPU, but it is pretty costly, so it's really up to how much money you have. To be honest, I don't really like Windows 8, I stick with Windows 7, but that's just my opinion. Upgrading to a better memory could really help your gaming time, especially something like MC. 4GB is pretty much an absolute minimum for me, so you could probably get something better to improve that ultimate gaming experience :D RAM is pretty important, and it's not too bad cost wise, getting just a few more Gigabytes. ASUS Maximus VII EXTREME Z97 LGA 1150 Motherboard. Probably a really good choice. Just search it up and you'll see why it's really good. Anyways, just my opinion. I wish I could get the components I listed, but I like having a compact system, so I have a 6 inch by 6 inch desktop :D It's actually not that bad, gets me a decent 30 fps in town, which is a great accomplishment for me :p
  5. With the case I have, I cannot get that motherboard, but I can get the following:
    http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusvihero
    http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusvigene
    Also, it is either more RAM or the i7.
  6. The os is going to be pretty expensive. Check around and if the games you want are for Linux, give Ubuntu a try. I have been using ubuntu in dual boot and it works very well. Windows also has the windows 10 preview out for free right now. If you are one of those "I'll cross that bridge when I get there" types of people, install that. You will have the power of windows minus the price and some of the stability. If you go that route, know that you will need to either buy windows or do something else later next year. If neither of those are options for you, just stick with windows 8. It really isn't hard to learn if you just use it.
  7. RAM then, and both of those motherboards are decent.
  8. While the stock fan may be fine, I would not bet a ~$200 processor on it. Sure, they will work for a while but it is not worth saving ~$20.

    Ted, do you have access to a Win7 disc, used or not?
  9. No I don't.
  10. Ditch Windows. Use Ubuntu. It updates versions every 6 months (The Utopic Unicorn is the latest 14.10 - next update in April) , and for the most part you can do everything you will need in it. You will want to read up on Wine, Playonlinux, and the Command Line Interface. But once you are running, it is relatively low maintenance. Depending on the processor, you will need to fiddle with the bios settings, but there is plenty of documentation online for that.
  11. I have to say that I would advise against Linux. I run both Win7 and Linux (just Ubuntu), and while both are great operating systems, it is much easier and more practical to use Windows with day-to-day use. Linux is great if you want to put a lot of effort into optimizing your system, Windows is great if you just want it to run itself. In the games category, Windows wins (puns) no matter what. Three, four years down the line Linux may have a comparable library of games, but I wouldn't guarantee it. Similar to OSX, devs just don't have much of a reason to make games for it since it's population is so low. The SteamOS is the only exception to devs having a desire to make games on Linux, but we all really know that the Steam Machines are just varied consoles lol.

    If you are looking into coding, get Ubuntu on the side with Windows as your main OS. If not, I don't see much of a reason to use Linux over a vastly more used and supported operating system.
  12. The only reason I recommend it is cost. I got Ubuntu working perfectly on my laptop with a small amount of effort. Buying windows costs about $100. I run windows 8 and Ubuntu and usually can just use whichever I feel like running without any problems. If all of the games he wants are on Linux, why spend the extra money that you could use on hardware. There is a very high chance they won't be, in which ccasee you definitely should get windows, but at least you looked.
  13. I agree with you on the cost, but optimizing a desktop is more difficult than a laptop so it would take more time to do. I think Windows should be used over Linux even if the games he wants are on Linux, just because you never know if the future ones out there will be available on Linux too. I have nothing against Linux, it is great for doing my C++ homework on.:p I just think he should fork the cost now versus getting deeply embedded in a fairly limited (for games only) system.
  14. you should get a mod to fix the title
  15. Here's my two cents:

    CPU: I changed this because you get more for cheaper by running AMD - although it doesn't offer hyperthreading,
    you will seldom run into applications that will utilize it anyways. (and it comes with a sweet looking cooler)

    Motherboard: Meh. Standard AM3+ Socket Motherboard. 5 6GBps SATA ports and 1 eSATA port. Supports Crossfire. And has extra slot spaces if you decide to add more RAM.

    RAM: Standard 1333MHz RAM. I opted for (2) 4GB Sticks so you can utilize the Dual Channel capabilities of RAM and get those faster speeds.

    Storage: 1TB for $54. Really decent. Brand Name doesn't really matter, although it is Toshiba (I have a few of these just laying around). 7200 RPM is basically what you'd want for a desktop.

    GPU: Your GPU pick seemed a little weak so I opted for a beefier one that could push out performance and was decent with cooling.

    Case: Eh. It's a case. It sits on the floor and does nothing except hold your components. It fits everything and that's all that matters.

    Power Supply: I decided to go with Cooler Master, as they're a decent company - especially for Power Supplies (most notably known for their Cooling devices, go figure), so this should last a while. Not to mention - it's Semi Modular, and 80+ Gold Certified.

    Basically at the expense of your Intel Processor and going for something more feasible for your price range you can upgrade most if not all of your components that will optimize your machine. Alternativley, I did not add in an OS (as you can use linux or probably use the hard drive on the computer you're using now and keep your current OS), a keyboard (assuming that you have one laying around), a mouse (also assuming you probably have one laying around), or a CD/DVD drive, because who even USES those anymore (not even me, being in IT, uses one). If you were going to go out and buy these perephrials I'd recommend just outright buying the quality stuff instead of the cheap stuff that will under perform. Mouse wise I'd recommend the Zowie FK1, and Keyboard wise I'd recommend anything by Ducky - although Razer has a great deal on one of their mechanical keyboards right now for only $50.

    The base total for this build is $655.92 and the total after Mail In Rebate is $620.92

    I really hope my recommendations have helped you get more bang for your buck. I'm sure I'll be back in here to talk to other people about their comments - but until then, happy hunting :D.

    *also, you can find extremely great deals on Black Friday/Cyber Monday so at least wait until then to buy anything*

    edit: Be careful with any Linux recommendations - there may not be driver support for some of the hardware that you're using (NIC, GPU, Mouse, Keyboard, etc.)
    tedrocker and jkjkjk182 like this.
  16. I would recommend this personally:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428
    With the emergence of DDR4, I would guess that most games are going to use higher ram speeds as their target baseline.
    I would also suggest a SeaSonic over Cooler Master. It is actually cheaper, and SeaSonic is a premium brand for PSUs.
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151119
    Monster_ likes this.
  17. Yeah but for a budget build, DDR4 isn't really necessary - also I doubt that DDR4 will make such a big appearance in the gaming market right away because the RAM prices are going to be hella expensive. Maybe in a few years down the road I could see it being a baseline - but right now and for like 3 years I think he'll be fine with DDR3. Also, I opted for the Cooler Master because if he ever wanted to upgrade then he could because he'd have more overhead power with the 650W over the 550W Seasonic. But I guess that's all up to personal preference ^-^
    jkjkjk182 likes this.
  18. I swear it said it was 650w... Well, the 650w version of that SeaSonic is ~$100:p
    Monster_ likes this.
  19. O.O Man did you set me up. I might just buy that because it has about everything I need/want, and is in the price range :O!
    Monster_ likes this.
  20. Happy I could help :D!
    tedrocker likes this.