Build-Off Week 44: APU Build

[CornOnJacob]

Welcome to Week 44 of the LTT Build-Off! The rules and guidelines can be found here.

Thank you @dragoon20005 for suggesting the challenge.

The challenge is to build the best AMD APU system for cheap. Because of the price, the main competitor would be "next-gen" consoles. Don't forget that fast RAM helps AMD's APUs!

Budget: $600

Speakers/Headphones: No

Mouse: No

Keyboard: No

Monitor: No

Submissions: May 24th through 26th

Voting: May 26th through 29th

[Shd0w2]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master GeminII M4 58.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($34.98 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($95.99 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($86.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC) 

Case:  Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($44.99 @ Mac Mall) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($33.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $600.35

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 16:57 EDT-0400)

35 cents over, I can change to a cheaper case if needed to be under 600.

I chose some CAS9 2133 Ram for the APU, coupled with a 240gb SSD for downloadable games to fight consoles stupid disks, although not the fastest, it still yields great performance and speed. Was going to go with a better PSU with 80+ GOLD, but it went over the budget with $7 more unless I took out some stuff like the SSD and lowered it to 120gb

[wng_kingsley7]

@CornOnJacob...it's you ...been a while huh.

[CornOnJacob]

Can we make it a non-apu like a 760k+260x which is close to an APU if not better?

The original suggested challenge only wanted APUs, so that's what I'll go with. Use the extra money to upgrade storage, ram, etc. It isn't the most logical build (and I agree that your suggestion would be better), but I don't want another plain "console killer" with no extra restrictions.

 

@CornOnJacob...it's you ...been a while huh.

Yeah, I had 3 AP tests, standardized state tests, my birthday, and the beginning of final projects to work on. I'm sorry for not updating more regularly.

[ilikemacandpc]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7700K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($129.99 @ Micro Center) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master RR-T4-18PK-R1 70.0 CFM Rifle Bearing CPU Cooler  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($93.50 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  PNY XLR8 PRO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 750GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($48.94 @ Amazon) 

Video Card:  Asus Radeon R7 250 1GB Video Card  ($89.24 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $576.62

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 17:11 EDT-0400)

[wng_kingsley7]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  ASRock FM2A78M-ITX+ Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($90.38 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case:  Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Mini ITX Tower Case  ($36.92 @ NCIX US) 

Power Supply:  Silverstone 300W 80+ Bronze Certified SFX Power Supply  ($48.79 @ NCIX US) 

Case Fan:  Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($15.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case Fan:  Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($15.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $556.99

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 16:47 EDT-0400)

 

Happy Birthday.

[Recon-UK]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($74.70 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($87.97 @ B&H) 

Video Card:  Asus Radeon R7 240 2GB Video Card  ($64.99 @ Micro Center) 

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($61.98 @ SuperBiiz) 

Total: $583.61

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 16:49 EDT-0400)

[WinNut]

reserved but if this spot is not filled by Tuesday evening EST will a mod please remove it? I am real busy and may not be able to participate but I might be able to.

 

^^^^

What the hell are you talking about? Are you high? Geez, I am participating!

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-UP4 ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Micro Center) 

Memory:  AMD 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($84.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($79.99 @ Micro Center) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($75.60 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($33.98 @ Newegg) 

Total: $593.53

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 20:55 EDT-0400)

[CornOnJacob]

reserved but if this spot is not filled by Tuesday evening EST will a mod please remove it? I am real busy and may not be able to participate but I might be able to.

Thanks for trying, and if you can't, no problem. Your post is small, so it's also not a problem if not removed. If you can't participate, then you can always vote afterwards

[Rheinwasser]

that is a big budget for an apu build.

[CornOnJacob]

that is a big budget for an apu build.

I'm trying to separate out budgets for different builds, even if it is only by $50, with the exception of the Brand-Themed Builds, which are all $1,000. I mentioned above that an APU like this probably won't be the best choice overall, but it's up to the participants to make it the best they can.

[Manny Calavera]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($93.50 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($74.70 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Seagate  1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Case:  Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 350W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($42.99 @ Mwave)
Total: $600.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 17:32 EDT-0400)

 

h220 fits infront

 

weird budget anyway thats why noone that wants to game buys APUs

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($49.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory:  Kingston Fury Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:  Kingston Fury Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($32.99 @ Amazon)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Video Card:  MSI Radeon R9 280 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card  ($200.00 @ Newegg)
Case:  Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($45.98 @ Newegg)
Case Fan:  Cooler Master SickleFlow 69.7 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($2.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $599.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-25 07:07 EDT-0400)

[Probenja]

I hope i do well on this one because i have an APU system 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($31.93 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard:  MSI A88XI AC Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate  1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Amazon) 

Case:  Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($34.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($33.98 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Pioneer BDR-209DBK Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($59.99 @ Amazon) 

Total: $589.86

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 17:35 EDT-0400)

 

 

CPU: The best APU at the moment.

Cooler: A nice low profile Noctua fan.

Motherboard: Mini ITX with AC Wi-Fi.

RAM: Cas 9 2133 RAM, the motherboard supports up to 2400 so it should be able to overclock. Also it is G.Skill which is a nice quality brand.

HDD: It's a Hybrid drive so it should be faster than a regular one and offer the same storage for not much more money.

Case/PSU: The case is the smallest that can fit an atx psu and a odd and the psu is semi modular so it is easier to work with.

ODD: Like the PS4/XB1 i wanted a bluray drive, this looks really nice and understated and it can even write bluray.

[Kiwiandapple]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($169.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H60 54.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($93.50 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Case:  Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  Rosewill Capstone 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $598.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-24 18:13 EDT-0400)

[jtrier1]

Nice Black & Red color scheme

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($159.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($93.50 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Trident X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Case:  Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply:  Cooler Master GX 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Mwave)
Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $555.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-25 00:10 EDT-0400)

[dragoon20005]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($169.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM GAMING Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($93.50 @ Newegg)
Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($74.99 @ Adorama)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.23 @ OutletPC)
Case:  Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:  Cooler Master Elite Power 460W ATX Power Supply  ($39.97 @ OutletPC)
Total: $595.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-25 10:32 EDT-0400)

 

This is my build Red and almost Black dragon theme

 

with the 460W PSU you still can add a GPU later on for more graphics power

[Christyna64]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-5800K 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($112.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling ACFZ13 36.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($33.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Power Supply: Thermaltake TR2 500W ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Raidmax Cobra ATX-502WTIU (Purchased For $54.99)
Other: Kingston HyperX KHX1866C9DK2/8GX (Purchased For $89.99)
Other: Cooler Master Sickleflow 120 (Purchased For $7.99)
Other: Cooler Master Sickleflow 120 (Purchased For $7.99)
Total: $452.33
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-25 15:57 EDT-0400)
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156294
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104277
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103090&cm_re=sickleflow-_-35-103-090-_-Product

I wanted to build a PC that would stay within my budget of $500. This build gives me plenty of power/performance for a great gaming experience and powerful enough to handle my work load. I chose the Gigabyte MB, CPU Fan, Cobra Case and the Thermaltake PSU as they leave me enough room for upgradeability as my budget grows. While I did not put in an optical drive I find that I have not needed to include one as everything I installed including the OS was done with all digital files. I buy all my games through the web such as Steam and Origin, so again all digital files. Note: there is a total of 4x Case fans since the Cobra came with 2. I can keep this cool with no worries of overheating.
 
I am satisfied and surprised by the A10 5800k APU running on high setting in my games, such as BF 4 and GTA IV.

[f22luke]

 

Edit: I thought I should explain the though process behind this build.  As it is APU and APU only it makes sense that it will be used as a media center or a steam streaming box.  This requires that it be in a reasonable small form factor and have clean subdued lines/styling.  Enter the Thermaltake Urban S1.  This case is cheap smaller that most and looks great.  

 

Cooling is not the strong suit of this case, as it only comes with one 80mm rear exhaust fan and its slimmer profile severely limits the height of internal coolers.  This is where I had to get creative.  There are several down draft HSF CPU coolers that perform just about as well as the typical tower cooler but I kept finding them to be just ever so much to tall.  Their are plenty of low profile coolers to chose from but these sacrifice performance or are just plain loud.  I had seen some picture provided by Thermaltake of the Urban S1 with one of there coolers installed inside it so I decided to go with something that I know will fit.  The included Thermaltake fan does not fit my color scheme so it will be replaced with the Silverstone AP123.  The other fan in the build is to be used as a front intake fan.

 

 

 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard:  MSI A88XM-E45 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($83.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC)
Case:  Thermaltake Urban S1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($39.26 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan:  Silverstone AP123 31.4 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan:  LEPA Vortex 12 PWM 63.9 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($8.99 @ Newegg)
Other: Thermaltake CLP0602 BigTyp Revo 120mm ($32.95)
Total: $597.57
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-27 01:57 EDT-0400)

[MEC-777]

As the others have mentioned, it's kind of odd to choose an APU build at this price point. None-the-less, here's my entry:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper TX3 54.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($18.15 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  ASRock FM2A75M Pro4+ Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard  ($59.49 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory  ($83.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  A-Data Premier Pro SP600 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($68.00 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R7 250 2GB Video Card  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case:  Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case  ($39.99 @ Micro Center) 

Power Supply:  EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $589.02

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-26 23:22 EDT-0400)

[Hidden Orange]

I know the budget's $600, but I wanted to see if I could make a build that costs similarly to the most expensive console out there: the Xbox One w/ Kinect. If you're wondering why the Blu-Ray drive is there, well, the PS4 and Xbox One have Blu-Ray drives, so there. I could also, have gone with 16GB RAM, potentially if I had not included the Blu-Ray drive. Storage is a little more than what consoles come by default, but whatever.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 

CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-L9a 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($31.93 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard:  ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard  ($84.15 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($54.43 @ OutletPC) 

Case:  Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case  ($41.99 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($29.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($43.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $516.46

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-26 23:37 EDT-0400)

[dragoon20005]

Interesting APU builds. Yes it weird to use APU but given that AMD has forsaken the FX Series for these few years according to rumors but I will take that news with a pinch of salt. And given the current success of APUs in the consoles. It quite a interesting product that many system builders overlooked. If software developers can harness the power of the 8 gpu cores for compute functions, we actually have a 12 core CPU packed inside which cost 1/6 the price of a server grade CPU. Well that only if software are coded to use the gpu section. We can only wish.

[Acoleman18]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: MSI A88X-G43 ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($52.05 @ Newegg)

Memory: AMD Radeon R9 Gamer Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($91.24 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Micro Center)

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($98.00 @ Amazon)

Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)

Total: $576.24

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-27 08:48 EDT-0400)

Hopefully this isnt too late.....hope im entered

[MEC-777]

The problem with building an APU system to compete with the consoles is the consoles still have more GPU horsepower than even the top-of-the-line A10-7850K. The 7850K iGPU is closest to the R7-240/250 (DDR3 versions) on it's own. Meanwhile the Xbox One GPU is similar to the R7-260X and the PS4 GPU is closer to that of an R9-270 (due to the faster system RAM).

 

So even if you spend the same amount of money as the consoles, if you build an APU system - even running dual graphics, it will struggle to match the GPU capabilities of the Xbox One.

[CornOnJacob]

Hopefully this isnt too late.....hope im entered

Yep, you are. As long as there is no poll when you post, the contest is still open and you will be entered.

[dragoon20005]

It goes without saying that the PS4 is way more powerful in terms of graphics. But the games which are ported to the consoles are still not in full HD res. I do know the game developers can use only 6 cores of the total 8 cores. One main advantage of desktop apu based machine is the upgrades we can do when we have the extra cash. Plus I can run multiple OS like steamOS and windows on the pc while I am limited to one on the console. All the OS and games can be stored on the SSD and the music and videos recording in the HDD. Again the console has only a HDD with 500GB or less since the OS need some disk space. Last feature which pc can do is OC, yes it can be done on the console but with poor cooling you risk frying the circuit board and void the warranty. But for pc, you still can revert back to safe clocks if the OC speed is unstable. And you have proper cooling for all the moving components.

Cheers