Value gaming build for broke (but saving) college student

[Lampy]

Hi all.

 

I'm planning to save up to build myself a gaming rig, since I want to retire my 2.5 year old laptop to school use, but I only have so much budget to work with. After watching Linus's Value Gaming Build video, and after doing some research of my own, I tweaked it to my liking, and added a monitor and the necessary peripherals. I need some feedback as to how I did, and maybe some improvements or ways I can shift the budget around (e.g., cheaper keyboard for better case). Here are the guidelines I'm working with:

 

-Budget is $1,000 CAD, with about $100 wiggle room, if need be.

-It HAS to be Canadian priced and available in Canada, since I can't get electronic components from the USA.

-Keyboard is preferred to be a Cherry MX Brown. I would love to get a Ducky Zero DK2108, but it's unavailable.

-I want to play some of the AAA games (Tomb raider, Skyrim, Saints Row 4, etc.) at 1080p on Ultra, or at least High settings.

 

This is the build I have so far: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/7stdzy

 

Any questions or suggestions are welcomed. As a heads up, this is my first time building my own rig, but I've watched pretty much all of Linus's build videos, so I think I know what I'm getting myself into, but if anyone has any tips on buying the components, the build in general, etc., that would be appreciated.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read all this.

[Lotus]

I think your keyboard choice and SSD choice are the big problem here. Gaming keyboards really don't help much, and are not worth it at this price point. Heck, they're not even worth it at a 2k price point. Gaming MICE however are hugely important, and I think you can do way better than what you selected. There are quite a few part choices (actually, almost all of them really) that don't make sense given your budget and your goals. If I were you, this is what I'd do:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($222.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock H81 Pro BTC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Memory Express)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($76.27 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($229.64 @ TigerDirect Canada)
Case: BitFenix Neos Black ATX Mid Tower Case  ($42.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($49.98 @ DirectCanada)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($23.99 @ Canada Computers)
Monitor: LG 23MP55HQ-P 60Hz 23.0" Monitor  ($168.95 @ Vuugo)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($8.99 @ NCIX)
Mouse: Logitech G502 Wired Optical Mouse  ($59.99 @ NCIX)
Total: $1000.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-04 01:20 EST-0500

 

Basically, this focuses on the real performance parts that matter for gaming. Great CPU, great GPU, great screen (for non-FPS games, as a 144hz screen is NOT in the budget), and great mouse. I also skimped on parts that really don't matter, like keyboard, SSD (boot/load times will NOT help us in-game, and are really just a luxury feature), and expensive mobo. The MoBo I included is very good for the price with great VRMs and all the expansion slots we could want, and h81 is fine for us as we don't need to overclock and aren't going with a dual GPU setup or making use of any other feature that the higher chipsets offer. You may consider getting a single 8GB stick of memory instead of 2x4GB sticks as that will leave room open for expansion, but it's your choice.

 

edit: oh, and a heads up: do NOT buy part by part. Buy all at once or not at all. A PC isn't usable until you have all the parts, so having some of them early doesn't do anything for you, and prices trend down while performance trends up as time passes.

[Lampy]

You may consider getting a single 8GB stick of memory instead of 2x4GB sticks as that will leave room open for expansion, but it's your choice.

I was recommended by a friend to go with dual channel. Does it really affect performance comparing one stick with two?

 

Also, the mobo doesn't have USB 3.0 headers. I understand that the speed is more of a luxury, but will it cause any compatibility issues since the case has front USB 3.0? 

[Lotus]

I was recommended by a friend to go with dual channel. Does it really affect performance comparing one stick with two?

 

Also, the mobo doesn't have USB 3.0 headers. I understand that the speed is more of a luxury, but will it cause any compatibility issues since the case has front USB 3.0? 

 

With regards to memory, it doesn't matter for gaming, but it does matter for productivity stuff. Single channel vs dual channel drastically affects the memory bandwidth. It's just memory bandwidth isn't a limiting factor in gaming.

 

The USB 3.0 vs 2.0 means you won't be able to hook up the front USB 3.0 to your motherboard. There's a single USB 3.0 and a single USB 2.0 port on the case so you'll still have a USB port on the front of the case. Also, the motherboard does have USB 3.0, but they're all on the rear. If you want to hook up both, there is an internal adapter that lets you use the 3.0 port, but only at 2.0 speeds. Something like this would work.

[stconquest]

Just a variant of Lotus' build:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($222.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($64.95 @ Vuugo)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($45.02 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($226.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($41.05 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($49.98 @ DirectCanada)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($23.99 @ Canada Computers)
Monitor: LG 22MP55HQ-P 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Keyboard: Thermaltake CHALLENGER PRIME Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($34.99 @ Memory Express)
Mouse: Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse  ($44.99 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $951.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-04 01:59 EST-0500

[Edan S.]

Sorry if can't fit all of the parts to $1000 CAD

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($222.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($61.50 @ Vuugo)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($79.37 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($62.99 @ NCIX)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($56.98 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($226.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Memory Express)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($49.98 @ DirectCanada)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN781ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($14.99 @ Canada Computers)
Monitor: LG 22MP55HQ-P 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Keyboard: Thermaltake KB-PIZ-KBBLUS-01 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($89.50 @ Vuugo)
Mouse: Thermaltake TALON Blue LED Wired Optical Mouse  ($24.99 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1075.24
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-04 02:54 EST-0500

[Lampy]

Thanks a bunch, guys. At least I have a goal to work towards now.

[Lotus]

Be careful with @stconquest's build. It only gives you 4GB of memory, which is fine for gaming but means you have to close down programs in the background and keep a very clean system (software-wise). Because it's a 2x2GB kit with a motherboard that only has 2 slots, that means that upgrading memory requires you to replace components you own rather than add to, which makes it much more expensive.

[Lampy]

Good point. I might combine both of your builds and see what happens.

[Lampy]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($250.92 @ Newegg Canada) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($98.37 @ Newegg Canada) 

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($85.62 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($64.38 @ DirectCanada) 

Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($258.23 @ TigerDirect Canada) 

Case: Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($46.38 @ DirectCanada) 

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($56.47 @ DirectCanada) 

Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter  ($27.10 @ Canada Computers) 

Monitor: LG 22MP55HQ-P 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($158.18 @ Memory Express) 

Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($10.15 @ NCIX) 

Mouse: Logitech G402 Wired Optical Mouse  ($50.83 @ DirectCanada) 

Total: $1106.63

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-04 15:07 EST-0500

 

Does this work?

 

EDIT: I figured out right after I posted that I don't need to have a mobo with 4 slots; Lotus was just pointing it out for future upgrades, so I'll probably stick with the mobo and just get different RAM. Other than that, I think I'm covered.

[Lotus]

Yes, that's a great setup. I don't know why the price of the i5-4440 jumped so much though, but that B85 board solves the problem of just 2 ram slots. Usually though by that price point, people tend to go H97 for 4 ram slots and an i5-4460 (haswell refresh, which means you want to stick to 90 series motherboards like the h97, which is why I didn't include it in mine).

[stconquest]

Be careful with @stconquest's build. It only gives you 4GB of memory, which is fine for gaming but means you have to close down programs in the background and keep a very clean system (software-wise). Because it's a 2x2GB kit with a motherboard that only has 2 slots, that means that upgrading memory requires you to replace components you own rather than add to, which makes it much more expensive.

 

oops

[Lampy]

I don't know why the price of the i5-4440 jumped so much though

It's because i added taxes to everything, hence the price spike.