New Rig Planning

[Camcognito]

Ok, so I have firmly decided for my birthday I will build a computer. So first, these are kind of the parts I am debating on.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Micro Center) 

Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($57.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 1GB Video Card  ($113.57 @ Amazon) 

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

Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $534.48

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-09 13:34 EDT-0400)

 

So I also have a plan for the future of my build.  So I want to mod the Source 210 window, about as big as the 350D's, then maybe watercool and add cable extensions. So that is my grand plan, though might change. So I'm debating basically on the GPU and the CPU. I would really like to go with Intel to upgrade to an i5, but I don't know how bad the i3 is compared to the FX-6300, and everyone has been saying the FX will serve me better. Those are the two main things, but if another part or parts isn't the best, I will get you guy's opinion on changing it! Thanks!

[Real_PhillBert]

Happy Birthday @Camcognito!!!!!

 

The build actually looks pretty decent for the price. I would maybe try to find a way to work in 8gb of ram and a Hyper 212 Evo. Other than those minor complaints I think it looks pretty decent.

[Real_PhillBert]

Double post... 

[PassionFruit]

If you can you should raise your budget to get a bit better stuff. 8 gigabytes of RAM and maybe a better graphics card. Otherwise, happy birthday and have fun!

[Dragonzeanse]

If you plan to get an i5 in the future by going with an Intel build, you can upgrade to the FX-8350 with your current setup and it's just as powerful. An i3-4130 is fine; it's about on part with the FX-6300 in some cases.

 

I have no complaints about the system at that price. None of the components are bad.

[Camcognito]

Happy Birthday @Camcognito!!!!!

 

The build actually looks pretty decent for the price. I would maybe try to find a way to work in 8gb of ram and a Hyper 212 Evo. Other than those minor complaints I think it looks pretty decent.

Thanks! I don't think 8gb of ram  will be possible, but I will keep my eye on it! Also, for an evo, I have heard they are hard to install, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker. I can save for some ram and just get one a little later on if needed, because I don't plan on overclocking right now. 

[Camcognito]

If you plan to get an i5 in the future by going with an Intel build, you can upgrade to the FX-8350 with your current setup and it's just as powerful. An i3-4130 is fine; it's about on part with the FX-6300 in some cases.

 

I have no complaints about the system at that price. None of the components are bad.

 Oh yeah, I forgot about the fx 8350.. Well, then that might be what I will do. What about the fx-8320 also? I heard its the same as 8350 just high clock speed?

[Camcognito]

If you can you should raise your budget to get a bit better stuff. 8 gigabytes of RAM and maybe a better graphics card. Otherwise, happy birthday and have fun!

Thanks! Also, I will see if i can find some ram for a good price. Right now, I'm thinking buy a stick now, and buy one a little after. Instead of buying it first, I would like to get the computer up and running. So I will save up and purchase when I have the money. About the graphics card, I would save up, but I don't get paid very much and I can't bear waiting till Christmas! 

[PassionFruit]

Thanks! Also, I will see if i can find some ram for a good price. Right now, I'm thinking buy a stick now, and buy one a little after. Instead of buying it first, I would like to get the computer up and running. So I will save up and purchase when I have the money. About the graphics card, I would save up, but I don't get paid very much and I can't bear waiting till Christmas! 

Ah okay then. You won't be disappointed for what you get for your money so no problem

[Camcognito]

Ah okay then. You won't be disappointed for what you get for your money so no problem

I like the sound of that I don't plan on playing any super intensive games, yet. So excited!!

[Camcognito]

Edit: I found Patriot Viper 3 RAM for $30.99, it and the A-Data rotate between $30-$40 with rebates, so that's an extra $10. Also I switched the Gigabyte  R7 260X for the MSI one. It is seven dollars more but has 2gb of vram

[Faceman]

Ok, so I have firmly decided for my 12th birthday I will build a computer. So first, these are kind of the parts I am debating on.

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/35xpx/benchmarks/

 

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Micro Center) 

Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($57.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R7 260X 1GB Video Card  ($113.57 @ Amazon) 

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

Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $534.48

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-09 13:34 EDT-0400)

 

So I also have a plan for the future of my build.  So I want to mod the Source 210 window, about as big as the 350D's, then maybe watercool and add cable extensions. So that is my grand plan, though might change. So I'm debating basically on the GPU and the CPU. I would really like to go with Intel to upgrade to an i5, but I don't know how bad the i3 is compared to the FX-6300, and everyone has been saying the FX will serve me better. Those are the two main things, but if another part or parts isn't the best, I will get you guy's opinion on changing it! Thanks!

Honestly, you built a very nice computer for $550 that you cannot go wrong with.  Only upgrades I would recommend is going with 8GB of RAM and a GTX 750Ti.  Here is a really good deal for 8GB of RAM for only $50  It is 9-9-9-24 and 1333Mhz, but for only $50, you can't go wrong.

 

The GTX 750Ti is an incredible budget oriented card that kicks serious butt.

 

I do want to mention another build that I stumbled across.  I am usually against these bare bones kits, but this kit is actually really, really good!

 

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=8595228&sku=B69-1766&SRCCODE=WEM4065C&cm_mmc=email-_-Main-_-WEM4065-_-tigeremail4065&utm_source=EML&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=WEM4065&cm_lm=alexasha2002@yahoo.com

 

i5-4670k

MSI Z87-G41 Motherboard

Patriot Viper Xtreme 8GB RAM

550W PSU

Cougar Solution Case

 

all for $380!! That is a really freaking good deal for a much stronger processor, and double the RAM, all while being easily upgradeable.

 

Only extras you would have to buy is a 1TB HDD for $50. and then pick our your video card.  In the end it will cost more, but you will have a much better PC that will never be bottle necked if you were to upgrade GPUs down the road.

 

Here is what my build with that kit would look like:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($170.00)

Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($85.00)

Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($50.00)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($149.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($35.00)

Power Supply: Ultra LSP 550W ATX Power Supply  ($35.00)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)

Total: $669.95

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-09 13:55 EDT-0400)

[PassionFruit]

Edit: I found Patriot Viper 3 RAM for $30.99, it and the A-Data rotate between $30-$40 with rebates, so that's an extra $10. Also I switched the Gigabyte  R7 260X for the MSI one. It is seven dollars more but has 2gb of vram

A, nice one. What are the latencies and speeds of the RAMs?

[Camcognito]

A, nice one. What are the latencies and speeds of the RAMs?

Patriot is 1600 MHz, CAS of 10, 1.5 volts

 

A-Data is 1600 MHz as well, CAS of 9, 1.5 volts also

 

Here is where my inner noob comes out, I don't know what latencies are. I know I know, epic fail.

[Camcognito]

Honestly, you built a very nice computer for $550 that you cannot go wrong with.  Only upgrades I would recommend is going with 8GB of RAM and a GTX 750Ti.  Here is a really good deal for 8GB of RAM for only $50  It is 9-9-9-24 and 1333Mhz, but for only $50, you can't go wrong.

 

The GTX 750Ti is an incredible budget oriented card that kicks serious butt.

 

I do want to mention another build that I stumbled across.  I am usually against these bare bones kits, but this kit is actually really, really good!

 

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=8595228&sku=B69-1766&SRCCODE=WEM4065C&cm_mmc=email-_-Main-_-WEM4065-_-tigeremail4065&utm_source=EML&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=WEM4065&cm_lm=alexasha2002@yahoo.com

 

i5-4670k

MSI Z87-G41 Motherboard

Patriot Viper Xtreme 8GB RAM

550W PSU

Cougar Solution Case

 

all for $380!! That is a really freaking good deal for a much stronger processor, and double the RAM, all while being easily upgradeable.

 

Only extras you would have to buy is a 1TB HDD for $50. and then pick our your video card.  In the end it will cost more, but you will have a much better PC that will never be bottle necked if you were to upgrade GPUs down the road.

 

Here is what my build with that kit would look like:

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3oT9B/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($170.00)

Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($85.00)

Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($50.00)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.98 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card  ($149.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($35.00)

Power Supply: Ultra LSP 550W ATX Power Supply  ($35.00)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($89.98 @ OutletPC)

Total: $669.95

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-09 13:55 EDT-0400)

Really like that bundle, but I will be buying around the 24th, so I don't know it it will last  Also, nice find on the ram. And as I already mentioned, I would get the 750 ti if i had the money, but i dont

[PassionFruit]

Patriot is 1600 MHz, CAS of 10, 1.5 volts

 

A-Data is 1600 MHz as well, CAS of 9, 1.5 volts also

 

Here is where my inner noob comes out, I don't know what latencies are. I know I know, epic fail.

The CAS is the latency. The lower the better. Those DIMMs should work together but they will both be in 10 CAS latency. I would still recommend getting the same pair of RAM.

[Faceman]

A, nice one. What are the latencies and speeds of the RAMs?

Patriot Viper Xtreme 10-10-10-27 1600Mhz 1.5v 8GB for $55 .00625 <-- I have this RAM myself and it performs extremely well.  For gaming, you wont notice a difference between RAM timings and frequencies so long as it is around the 1600 9-9-9-24 1.5v standard.

 

Patriot Viper Xtreme 9-9-9-24 1333Mhz 1.5v 4GB for $25 .006751

 

RAM effectiveness can be found by dividing the CL by the frequency.  For example: (9 / 1600) = .005625

[Camcognito]

The CAS is the latency. The lower the better. Those DIMMs should work together but they will both be in 10 CAS latency. I would still recommend getting the same pair of RAM.

Ok good to know. If I went this route, I would buy the same ones just to make sure.

[Faceman]

Really like that bundle, but I will be buying around the 24th, so I don't know it it will last  Also, nice find on the ram. And as I already mentioned, I would get the 750 ti if i had the money, but i dont

I would really recommend you to wait until you have money for at least the 750Ti.  No component impacts performance more than your GPU.  The jump in performance from the R7260x to the 750Ti is enormous and more only $40 more.

[Camcognito]

Patriot Viper Xtreme 10-10-10-27 1600Mhz 1.5v 8GB for $55 .00625 <-- I have this RAM myself and it performs extremely well.  For gaming, you wont notice a difference between RAM timings and frequencies so long as it is around the 1600 9-9-9-24 1.5v standard.

 

Patriot Viper Xtreme 9-9-9-24 1333Mhz 1.5v 4GB for $25 .006751

 

RAM effectiveness can be found by dividing the CL by the frequency.  For example: (9 / 1600) = .005625

mindblown .-.

[Camcognito]

I would really recommend you to wait until you have money for at least the 750Ti.  No component impacts performance more than your GPU.  The jump in performance from the R7260x to the 750Ti is enormous and more only $40 

Ok, probably not, but I will try and think about it more

[Faceman]

mindblown .-.

The lower the better/faster.  But we are talking differences of 10%, which is unnoticeable.  I went with the 8GB for $55 because it was $55 compared to $70 for most 9-9-9-24 1600Mhz.  You are paying a lot more than a 10% difference in price, for only a 10% difference in performance, which wont even be noticed.

[Camcognito]

The lower the better/faster.  But we are talking differences of 10%, which is unnoticeable.  I went with the 8GB for $55 because it was $55 compared to $70 for most 9-9-9-24 1600Mhz.  You are paying a lot more than a 10% difference in price, for only a 10% difference in performance, which wont even be noticed.

ok

[PassionFruit]

ok

So in the easy words: You are good.

[Faceman]

Ok, probably not, but I will try and think about it more

Here is a benchmark that shows you the differences in performance between the R7 260X and the GeForce GTX 750Ti.  Also remember that the GTX 750Ti can be overclocked very easily and with amazing results to give even better results. 

 

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1044?vs=1130

 

The R7 260X wins only when the games are set to low graphics settings, which is not desireable.  You want medium-high-ultra, which is where the GTX 750Ti wins, and wins by a lot.  For only $40, you are talking about a world of difference.

 

Some ideas to save some money:  Start off with 4GB of RAM like you suggested.  You only need 4GB of RAM for most video games.  Then add more RAM later if it is needed.  Another way to save some cash would be to go with a less expensive computer case.  Case has no impact on performance, so getting the least expensive case will help you to better repurpose that money on actual performance upgrades.  Lastly, ask around if anyone you know has an extra Windows Key.  That will save you a lot of money, and that is when you can consider getting a much better GPU.  Remember, the graphics card is the single most important component for gaming, no other component impacts performance more than the GPU.  Ideally, you want to spend 40-50% of your overall budget on the GPU.