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Two Computers, One Budget

ShadRS

Until recently I used a computer hooked up to my living room TV for everything, gaming, web surfing, watching videos, everything.  I was planning on finally building a separate gaming machine (the wireless keyboard and mice aren't so good for twitch gaming), but the living room PC decided it had done to much for too long.  It bit the dust last night.  So what was my budget for a gaming PC, has now become my budget for my gaming PC and a new HTPC (my wife insists on having a replacement).

 

1. Budget & Location
$2500 US to be split between the two.  There may be some budge to the budget, but not much.

2. Aim
The Gaming rig I'll use for playing things along the lines of Minecraft, TUG, Skyrim, Battlefield 4, and Civilization.  Yeah, I have eclectic taste.  I'll also be running Linux on a VM to do some programming work.  I prefer a Radeon card due to Mantle, and would like it to be Crossfire capable (though I plan that for a future upgrade).

 

For the HTPC, it needs to have an HDMI out and be able to surf the web, play Hulu & Netflix, and watch other videos.

 

One of the two needs a RAID 1, 5, or 6 setup of at least a TB to store family photos/videos.

3. Monitors
Due to the more constrained budget, I've decided to make due with a smaller HDMI 1080p TV for the gaming rig at the moment.  But in a few months I'd like to expand to an Eyefinity display setup.  So no monitors in the budget, but the graphics card needs to support both options.

 

The HTPC will be using HDMI to connect to the living room TV.  1080p on a 40" TV.

4. Peripherals
The peripherals (mouse & keyboard) for both machines will be a mix of reuse and purchases that aren't part of this budget.  For OS's I have copy of Windows 7 and one of Windows 8 (got them free through work), haven't decided which PC is getting which.

5. Why are you upgrading?

My last machine died while I was plotting for a separate gaming machine.   :( 

 

So with all that said, what do you guys & gals recommend?  Thanks.

 

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I'd say just buy one machine I think you'll be cheaping out on components you may want. I don't know if this would work but I'd just maybe buy two seperate drives one with windows OS or Mac OS X if you prefer that and get a dedicated Linux drive.

 

Since I'm not a full advocate of water-cooling yet, are you more trustworthy of jut using air-cooling. (practically the same thing nearly...)

Please become a member of the Linus Tech Tips forum, keep writing smug remarks & let us love you. Peace out.


<| Project M13 & Silverstream. Other DIY projects |>

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Would you be ok with keeping the videos and pictures on a NAS? When will you purchase? What flavor of Linux will you use? Do you do anything else other than game? Do you want the HTPC to be Blu-Ray compatible?

My Build Log on PCPartPicker FX-6300, ASUS M5A78L-M/USB3, MSI 7870 GHz Edition, Corsair Vengeance LP 1x8GB, 1TB WD Blue, Fractal Core 1000 USB 3.0, Corsair CX600, and my most recent addition that I've had forever and isnt new is a 80GB WD800 for Linux, Lenovo ThinkPad X131e, ASUS Transformer TF300T, Galaxy Note 3 Sister dropped it in a puddle I now have to use a Samsung Brightside, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250ohm version, Blue Yeti  #TheRealKEH-JEFF | "Sometimes, if were lucky, in Australia, a family has 2 kangaroos to pick up the kids with" - marto | Your entry here | Remember kids; just because Linus has a video on it, doesn't mean that its the best choice | ts3.wferr.com the best TeamSpeak Abide by the CoC | Looking for build help? Read this before posting |
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How's this look?

 

Gaming PC: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2zKgt

HTPC: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2zKfD

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A4-3400 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($42.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  MSI A55M-P33 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard  ($38.00 @ Amazon)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.92 @ NCIX US)
Case:  Silverstone GD06B HTPC Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Mwave)
Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($41.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $326.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:06 EST-0500)

 

You could save money case wise, I just went with that one because it's gorgeous for a living room set up.

Also not sure what size HDD you wanted, so it wasn't included. If you mostly stream it can be quite small.

You also have another $300 to spend towards that eyefinity ;)

 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory:  A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.27 @ TigerDirect)
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($160.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:  Western Digital Red 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage:  Western Digital Red 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:  MSI Radeon R9 290X 4GB Video Card  ($705.91 @ Newegg)
Case:  Corsair 750D ATX Full Tower Case  ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply:  Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1939.07
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:20 EST-0500)

 

This build actually comes in $70 cheaper than quoted if you get the mobo/cpu combo from MicroCenter (only ~$60 more than the equivalent i5).

I added an HDD for personal storage as well as 2 for the RAID/family set up. PSU is ready for a second card.

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

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FX 6300 - MSI 7870 Ghz - M5A97 R2.0 - Team Vulcan 8GB - WD Caviar Blue 1TB - Rosewill HIVE 550w - NZXT Source 210 (white) - Loud Fans

Peripherals - Logitech G105 - Cobra mouse - Acer G236HL - Logitech desktop mic - Logitech LS21 - Audio Technica ATH-M30

Laptop - Acer Aspire V3 - A84500m - 7670m - 15.6" screen (1366x768) - 3.5GB DDR3  - 500GB Scorpio Blue

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A NAS is an option (that I should have thought of). I'll be purchasing in the next two weeks. I'll be using Redhat 6.5. I'll also be using the gaming machine for programming, mostly Java and C++.

The HTPC does not need to be Bluray is a nicety, but not necessary.

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My last machine died while I was plotting for a separate gaming machine.    :( 

 

So with all that said, what do you guys & gals recommend?  Thanks.

 

 

Gaming pc:


 
CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ TigerDirect) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($124.99 @ Microcenter) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($160.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($585.91 @ Newegg) 
Case:  Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case  ($146.98 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive:  Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor:  Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1936.35
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:10 EST-0500)
 
HTPC:

 
CPU:  AMD A8-6600K 3.9GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($104.24 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.50 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($99.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($99.92 @ OutletPC) 
Case:  Silverstone ML04B HTPC Case  ($71.02 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Microcenter) 
Total: $476.66
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:17 EST-0500)
 

AMD Athlon X4 750k; Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2; 8Gb Corsair XMS 1600 Mhz; AMD Hd5670 1Gb DDR3; Bequiet E6-600W; W7 Ultimate x64

#KILLEDMYWIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                         so miner; very doge; much value   

Dell Vostro 5470: i5 4200U Nvidia GT740m 2Gb 14" 1366x768 Kingston V300 120Gb                                                                                              

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It looks like everyone has some ideas on this one.

 

Gaming build:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-U12S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($59.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard:  Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:  Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($134.95 @ Amazon)
Storage:  Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($585.91 @ Newegg)
Case:  Nanoxia Deep Silence 2 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply:  XFX ProSeries 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1720.30
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:48 EST-0500)

 

HTPC:

 

Includes the family photo albums in a 2TB RAID 1 System drive.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i3-4130T 2.9GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($134.49 @ Staples)
Motherboard:  ASRock H87M Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:  GeIL EVO Leggara Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Case:  Nanoxia NXDS4B MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($88.59 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive:  Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $604.02
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 20:51 EST-0500)

80+ ratings certify electrical efficiency. Not quality.

 

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Trying to respond and look at pcpartpicker on an iPad and my last response got eaten. :/

Once more...

@dizmo, that is a gorgeous case.

I like the price points of Woodenmarker and dizmo's HTPC suggestions. And the more I think about it I like the blue ray player in it.

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Blah people responding faster than I can respond on this iPad. Must go "borrow" the wife's laptop.

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Trying to respond and look at pcpartpicker on an iPad and my last response got eaten. :/

Once more...

@dizmo, that is a gorgeous case.

I like the price points of Woodenmarker and dizmo's HTPC suggestions. And the more I think about it I like the blue ray player in it.

The gaming PC suggestions don't seem to be as beefy as I was expecting. But I do like the 8 core CPU Woodenmarker suggested. That would help with multitasking with the VM running.

 

Definitely two different takes on a gaming build: AMD vs Intel.

The 4770k usually (aka most often, by a large margain) beats the 8320 even with it's eight physical cores, but it does come in cheaper. It also depends what you'd be doing.

Here's a bench between the two from Anandtech in case something in there is relevant to you. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/836?vs=698

 

If you'd like to shave money off my suggestion, you can forgo the Caviar Blue, drop to a 290 and you'll save over $200.

Generally I'd stick to one of the big three for the PSU. Seasonic, Corsair...I can't remember the third.

 

You mentioned your last computer died, any parts salvageable?

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory:  A-Data XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($72.27 @ TigerDirect)
Storage:  Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($147.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage:  Western Digital Red 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage:  Western Digital Red 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card:  MSI Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($585.91 @ Newegg)
Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($122.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1694.07
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-11 21:19 EST-0500)

 

 

There's a slightly tweaked version of my last build. This one comes to $1,624.07 or $1,684 with another 1tb drive.

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

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CPU:  Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($568.98 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Phanteks PH-TC12DX 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.50 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard  ($224.99 @ Microcenter) 



Storage:  Crucial M500 480GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($289.00 @ B&H) 

Video Card:  PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($460.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Case:  NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($37.99 @ Microcenter) 


Total: $1872.41

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 00:22 EST-0500)

 



 

CPU:  Intel Celeron G1620 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($44.99 @ SuperBiiz) 


Motherboard:  Asus P8H77-M LE Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory  ($35.70 @ NCIX US) 


Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($106.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($106.99 @ NCIX US) 


Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Microcenter) 

Total: $594.61

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 00:29 EST-0500)

My Personal Rig - AMD 3970X | ASUS sTRX4-Pro | RTX 2080 Super | 64GB Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB DDR4 | CoolerMaster H500P Mesh

My Wife's Rig - AMD 3900X | MSI B450I Gaming | 5500 XT 4GB | 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 | Silverstone SG13 White

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@dizmo - My previous PC is a bit too old to make salvaging anything from it worth while, I assembled in in early 2007.  I may try to reuse the optical drive, but I think that's about it.

 

Thanks for the recommendations folks.  After looking at what people have suggested so far, here's what I'm thinking of:

 

HTPC - This is pretty much @dizmo's suggestion pluse a SSD.

 
CPU:  AMD A4-3400 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($42.97 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard:  MSI A55M-P33 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard  ($38.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage:  Crucial V4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($77.68 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case:  Silverstone GD06B HTPC Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Mwave) 
Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($41.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $404.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 19:05 EST-0500)
 

Gaming PC - Based on @ciprian97pop's suggestion, but I switched it over to an ASUS board (they've treated me well in the past) and added in the third HDD for on the device storage quicker than accessing the RAID setup (someone suggested this).  I also switched power supplies, I just really want to play with Corsair's i-series stuff.

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard:  Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory:  G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($162.99 @ Adorama) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.98 @ OutletPC) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.98 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($585.91 @ Newegg) 
Case:  Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case  ($146.98 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive:  Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $2193.33
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 19:09 EST-0500)

 

 

For a total of $2597 USD.  A bit more than the budget, but not overwhelmingly so.  Thoughts?

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In the gaming PC, do you need an optical drive? I find they're a little....outdated these days. Other than when I installed Windows, I never used the one I have in mine.

I don't know much about developing like you mentioned, so you might be able to get away with 8gb of RAM instead of 16gb. Though if you're like me you want 16gb, because you never know.

CPU: Ryzen 9 5900 Cooler: EVGA CLC280 Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Pro AX RAM: Kingston Hyper X 32GB 3200mhz

Storage: WD 750 SE 500GB, WD 730 SE 1TB GPU: EVGA RTX 3070 Ti PSU: Corsair SF750 Case: Streacom DA2

Monitor: LG 27GL83B Mouse: Razer Basilisk V2 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red Speakers: Mackie CR5BT

 

MiniPC - Sold for $100 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i3 4160 Cooler: Integrated Motherboard: Integrated

RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 16GB DDR3 Storage: Transcend MSA370 128GB GPU: Intel 4400 Graphics

PSU: Integrated Case: Shuttle XPC Slim

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

Budget Rig 1 - Sold For $750 Profit

Spoiler

CPU: Intel i5 7600k Cooler: CryOrig H7 Motherboard: MSI Z270 M5

RAM: Crucial LPX 16GB DDR4 Storage: Intel S3510 800GB GPU: Nvidia GTX 980

PSU: Corsair CX650M Case: EVGA DG73

Monitor: LG 29WK500 Mouse: G.Skill MX780 Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

OG Gaming Rig - Gone

Spoiler

 

CPU: Intel i5 4690k Cooler: Corsair H100i V2 Motherboard: MSI Z97i AC ITX

RAM: Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 Storage: Kingston Fury 240GB GPU: Asus Strix GTX 970

PSU: Thermaltake TR2 Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX

Monitor: Dell P2214H x2 Mouse: Logitech MX Master Keyboard: G.Skill KM780 Cherry MX Red

 

 

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Honestly, I left the optical drive on that one out of habit.  I suppose I could always just swap the thing between the two machines if I need it on the Gaming machine.

 

I want the 16 GB so that I can potentially game while I'm waiting for compiles/runs on the VM.  And just in case, I've never thought to myself I have to much memory.

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@dizmo - My previous PC is a bit too old to make salvaging anything from it worth while, I assembled in in early 2007.  I may try to reuse the optical drive, but I think that's about it.

 

Thanks for the recommendations folks.  After looking at what people have suggested so far, here's what I'm thinking of:

 

HTPC - This is pretty much @dizmo's suggestion pluse a SSD.

 
CPU:  AMD A4-3400 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($42.97 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard:  MSI A55M-P33 Micro ATX FM1 Motherboard  ($38.00 @ Amazon) 
Storage:  Crucial V4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($77.68 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case:  Silverstone GD06B HTPC Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Mwave) 
Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($41.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $404.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 19:05 EST-0500)
 

Gaming PC - Based on @ciprian97pop's suggestion, but I switched it over to an ASUS board (they've treated me well in the past) and added in the third HDD for on the device storage quicker than accessing the RAID setup (someone suggested this).  I also switched power supplies, I just really want to play with Corsair's i-series stuff.

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard:  Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($189.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory:  G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($162.99 @ Adorama) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.98 @ OutletPC) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($84.98 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 290 4GB Video Card  ($585.91 @ Newegg) 
Case:  Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case  ($146.98 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive:  Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($46.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $2193.33
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-12 19:09 EST-0500)

 

 

For a total of $2597 USD.  A bit more than the budget, but not overwhelmingly so.  Thoughts?

you're going to have a lot of fun with that beast ;)

a small thing that I would change would be the motherboard and the cpu from the htpc. your motherboard has no usb 3 and no sata 6gb/s. and it's fm1

if you'll buy it now, you should get at least an fm2 cpu+mobo or at least wait till tomorrow to see what will kaveri bring :)

AMD Athlon X4 750k; Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2; 8Gb Corsair XMS 1600 Mhz; AMD Hd5670 1Gb DDR3; Bequiet E6-600W; W7 Ultimate x64

#KILLEDMYWIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                         so miner; very doge; much value   

Dell Vostro 5470: i5 4200U Nvidia GT740m 2Gb 14" 1366x768 Kingston V300 120Gb                                                                                              

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I've ordered the parts for the gaming rig, itching to get started.

 

@ciprian97pop, I waited, and I'm not super impressed, yet.  -_-  Ok, to be fair, the reviewers aren't super impressed, I think a cheaper chip should be fine for the time being.

 

But your point about no USB 3 and SATA 6 Gb/s is a good one (thanks!). The more advanced socket type will also let me switch to a newer CPU if I see the need in the future.  Soooo, with that in mind, I've updated the HTPC a bit:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A4-4000 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($43.68 @ Mwave)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM-E35 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($75.55 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.92 @ NCIX US)
Storage:  Crucial V4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($77.68 @ SuperBiiz)
Case:  Silverstone GD06B HTPC Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Mwave)
Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($45.37 @ OutletPC)
Total: $446.18
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 15:58 EST-0500)

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I've ordered the parts for the gaming rig, itching to get started.

 

@ciprian97pop, I waited, and I'm not super impressed, yet.  -_-  Ok, to be fair, the reviewers aren't super impressed, I think a cheaper chip should be fine for the time being.

 

But your point about no USB 3 and SATA 6 Gb/s is a good one (thanks!). The more advanced socket type will also let me switch to a newer CPU if I see the need in the future.  Soooo, with that in mind, I've updated the HTPC a bit:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A4-4000 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($43.68 @ Mwave)

Motherboard:  MSI A88XM-E35 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($75.55 @ Newegg)

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($43.92 @ NCIX US)

Storage:  Crucial V4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($77.68 @ SuperBiiz)

Case:  Silverstone GD06B HTPC Case  ($119.99 @ Amazon)

Power Supply:  SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($39.99 @ Mwave)

Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($45.37 @ OutletPC)

Total: $446.18

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-14 15:58 EST-0500)

this build looks a lot better, it's more powerfull and futureproof :)

AMD Athlon X4 750k; Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2; 8Gb Corsair XMS 1600 Mhz; AMD Hd5670 1Gb DDR3; Bequiet E6-600W; W7 Ultimate x64

#KILLEDMYWIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                         so miner; very doge; much value   

Dell Vostro 5470: i5 4200U Nvidia GT740m 2Gb 14" 1366x768 Kingston V300 120Gb                                                                                              

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