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First Budget Gaming Build

b2mauler
By b2mauler
in New Builds and Planning
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Hello everyone!

 

The reason I need a new computer is that I’m going to be taking up Computer Engineering and the desktop replacement I’ve been using for over 4 years won’t cut it. I plan on getting a Surface Pro 2 for bringing around and building a desktop for anything heavier I might need to do. This will be my first build, so all help will be appreciated.

 

As I mentioned, this build is mainly for school work as a Computer Engineering major. Less importantly, it would be nice if I could play some of the more recent titles, but I’m not too picky about this. The budget is set at 1000USD and I’d rather not raise it unless it really isn’t enough to do the work I need to do.

 

As for parts and peripherals, I have a Crucial MX100 256GB SSD and Windows 8.1, but I’ll need to buy everything else. I have some parts in mind, but anything can be changed if need be. If the peripherals are too much for the budget, and I realize they probably are, I just want a keyboard with Cherry MX Reds or Blues and a single decent 1080p monitor.

 

Thanks for reading.

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($241.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($88.98 @ Newegg) 



Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 

Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 

Total: $1014.51

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:16 EDT-0400

My Deus Ex Review : http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358415-zappian-plays-old-games-episode-1-deus-ex/#entry4862793

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($241.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($88.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1014.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:16 EDT-0400

Instead of a WINDFORCE card, why not go for a reference one? The Spec 01 doesn't have the best airflow.

Did my post help you? Then make sure to rate it!

Check out my post on symbolic links! || PSU ranking and tiers || Pokemon Thread

 

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Instead of a WINDFORCE card, why not go for a reference one? The Spec 01 doesn't have the best airflow.

 

The windforce card is miles better than the reference one.

The spec 01 doesnt need to have the best airflow , this is an intel/nvidia build low TDP and power consumption.

The heat output is very  low , you can run this out of  shoe box if you want .

My Deus Ex Review : http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358415-zappian-plays-old-games-episode-1-deus-ex/#entry4862793

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($241.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($88.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1014.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:16 EDT-0400

 

Just wondering, did you choose the Xeon just for lower heat and power consumption?

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CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($163.95 @ SuperBiiz) 

Motherboard: Asus H81M-D PLUS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($48.88 @ Newegg) 



Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($239.99 @ Newegg) 

Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 


Monitor: Acer H226HQLbid 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($138.38 @ Amazon) 


Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset  ($69.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $931.42

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:27 EDT-0400

[uNOFFICIAL] LTT's Pokemon Thread.

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($241.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($88.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1014.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:16 EDT-0400

 

good build but I'd get a WD blue instead, its more reliable

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Just wondering, did you choose the Xeon just for lower heat and power consumption?

 

Because its one of the best cpus on the market in terms of price/performance and it fits the budget.

My Deus Ex Review : http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358415-zappian-plays-old-games-episode-1-deus-ex/#entry4862793

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CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($241.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($88.98 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1014.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:16 EDT-0400

 

 

why a Xeon? not a 4790K?

CPU: Intel Core I5 - 4440 | Motherboard: GA-B85M-HD3 Rev 1.0 | RAM: G.Skill RipjawsX 8Gb 1600Mhz (F312800CL10S-8GBX) | GPU: PowerColor HD7850 1Gb DDR5 256Bit (AX7850 1GBD5-DH) | Case: NZXT Source 210 Windowed White | Storage: Seagate 1Tb 7200Rpm 3.5" Sata (ST1000DM003) | PSU: Thermaltake LitePower 600Watts Black Edition | Display: BenQ GW2255 21.5" LED | Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212X, Cooler Master Blade Master 120, Deep Cool XFAN 120 | Sound: Razer Kraken Pro, Marshall Major FX, Razer Hammerhead Pro, Audio-Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 558, Antlion Audio ModMic 4.0, Fiio 6E Portable Amp, Creative Sound Blaster E1 Dac/Amp | Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit

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why a Zeon? not a 4790K?

 

A bit over budget.

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($326.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($110.95 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1088.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:49 EDT-0400

My Deus Ex Review : http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/358415-zappian-plays-old-games-episode-1-deus-ex/#entry4862793

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Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll take all the suggestions into consideration.

 

 

 

A bit over budget.

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($326.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($110.95 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case  ($47.99 @ Micro Center) 
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: BenQ GL2460HM 60Hz 24.0" Monitor  ($139.93 @ B&H) 
Total: $1088.60
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 09:49 EDT-0400

 

I could add to the budget, but would I ever really need an i7-4790K or would it be better to stick to the budget?

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.

CPU: Intel Core I5 - 4440 | Motherboard: GA-B85M-HD3 Rev 1.0 | RAM: G.Skill RipjawsX 8Gb 1600Mhz (F312800CL10S-8GBX) | GPU: PowerColor HD7850 1Gb DDR5 256Bit (AX7850 1GBD5-DH) | Case: NZXT Source 210 Windowed White | Storage: Seagate 1Tb 7200Rpm 3.5" Sata (ST1000DM003) | PSU: Thermaltake LitePower 600Watts Black Edition | Display: BenQ GW2255 21.5" LED | Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212X, Cooler Master Blade Master 120, Deep Cool XFAN 120 | Sound: Razer Kraken Pro, Marshall Major FX, Razer Hammerhead Pro, Audio-Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 558, Antlion Audio ModMic 4.0, Fiio 6E Portable Amp, Creative Sound Blaster E1 Dac/Amp | Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit

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Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll take all the suggestions into consideration.

 

I could add to the budget, but would I ever really need an i7-4790K or would it be better to stick to the budget?

small price to pay for "Future Proofing".

CPU: Intel Core I5 - 4440 | Motherboard: GA-B85M-HD3 Rev 1.0 | RAM: G.Skill RipjawsX 8Gb 1600Mhz (F312800CL10S-8GBX) | GPU: PowerColor HD7850 1Gb DDR5 256Bit (AX7850 1GBD5-DH) | Case: NZXT Source 210 Windowed White | Storage: Seagate 1Tb 7200Rpm 3.5" Sata (ST1000DM003) | PSU: Thermaltake LitePower 600Watts Black Edition | Display: BenQ GW2255 21.5" LED | Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212X, Cooler Master Blade Master 120, Deep Cool XFAN 120 | Sound: Razer Kraken Pro, Marshall Major FX, Razer Hammerhead Pro, Audio-Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 558, Antlion Audio ModMic 4.0, Fiio 6E Portable Amp, Creative Sound Blaster E1 Dac/Amp | Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit

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What software will you use over the course of the program?

Still don't know much, but I'll be doing some CAD work in the first semester. We'll be able to use the computer lab for it, but it'd be great if I had something that would work at home too.

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small price to pay for "Future Proofing".

Future proofing is stupid. An i7 would be a waste for college level engineering work, any modern i5 would be perfectly fine.

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Here's what I would go with:

 

 
CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X OPTIMA CPU Cooler  ($22.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($94.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card  ($295.00 @ Newegg) 
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($53.00 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($44.99 @ NCIX US) 
Monitor: Asus VN248H-P 23.8" Monitor  ($131.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $960.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-27 17:59 EDT-0400
 
Comes to $1011 before rebates.
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Future proofing is stupid. An i7 would be a waste for college level engineering work, any modern i5 would be perfectly fine.

 

says the expert. ok.

CPU: Intel Core I5 - 4440 | Motherboard: GA-B85M-HD3 Rev 1.0 | RAM: G.Skill RipjawsX 8Gb 1600Mhz (F312800CL10S-8GBX) | GPU: PowerColor HD7850 1Gb DDR5 256Bit (AX7850 1GBD5-DH) | Case: NZXT Source 210 Windowed White | Storage: Seagate 1Tb 7200Rpm 3.5" Sata (ST1000DM003) | PSU: Thermaltake LitePower 600Watts Black Edition | Display: BenQ GW2255 21.5" LED | Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212X, Cooler Master Blade Master 120, Deep Cool XFAN 120 | Sound: Razer Kraken Pro, Marshall Major FX, Razer Hammerhead Pro, Audio-Technica ATH-M40X, Sennheiser HD 558, Antlion Audio ModMic 4.0, Fiio 6E Portable Amp, Creative Sound Blaster E1 Dac/Amp | Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit

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