Cheap High Performance PC Build Under $800

[bluRaxir]

I currently have a laptop that is running Intel Core i7-3537U @ 2.00GHz with a 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM. I'm a moderate gamer, so I don't game a lot in comparison to the many other gamers out there that dedicate hours to gaming. My computer lags a bit when running source games such as Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Source, and Garry's Mod. I also like to donate computer resources to Folding@home, so ever since I started folding, it lags more. I like to chat with friends on Skype while running Steam games, so I don't want voice quality to be impacted. I also occasionally slice 3D prints, so  I need to have a computer capable of doing that quickly.

 

Performance quality is my priority, so if a build under $800 is unreasonably, I can wait until I can increase that budget.

 

My question is, what can I get for $800 or less that will support all my needs as stated previously? Again, performance is my priority, so in terms of cases, lighting, etc. Yes, I would like to make room in my budget for a fancy, lit-up case, but it's not needed.

[Aereldor]

3 minutes ago, bluRaxir said:

I currently have a laptop that is running Intel Core i7-3537U @ 2.00GHz with a 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM.

That's still a very capable CPU. If your laptop features thunderbolt connectivity, consider investing in an external GPU enclosure and putting what you save towards a new monitor and peripherals instead.

[Starelementpoke]

7 minutes ago, bluRaxir said:

I currently have a laptop that is running Intel Core i7-3537U @ 2.00GHz with a 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM. I'm a moderate gamer, so I don't game a lot in comparison to the many other gamers out there that dedicate hours to gaming. My computer lags a bit when running source games such as Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Source, and Garry's Mod. I also like to donate computer resources to Folding@home, so ever since I started folding, it lags more. I like to chat with friends on Skype while running Steam games, so I don't want voice quality to be impacted. I also occasionally slice 3D prints, so  I need to have a computer capable of doing that quickly.

 

Performance quality is my priority, so if a build under $800 is unreasonably, I can wait until I can increase that budget.

 

My question is, what can I get for $800 or less that will support all my needs as stated previously? Again, performance is my priority, so in terms of cases, lighting, etc. Yes, I would like to make room in my budget for a fancy, lit-up case, but it's not needed.

Do you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and etc?

[Mohenjo]

7 minutes ago, bluRaxir said:

I currently have a laptop that is running Intel Core i7-3537U @ 2.00GHz with a 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM. I'm a moderate gamer, so I don't game a lot in comparison to the many other gamers out there that dedicate hours to gaming. My computer lags a bit when running source games such as Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Source, and Garry's Mod. I also like to donate computer resources to Folding@home, so ever since I started folding, it lags more. I like to chat with friends on Skype while running Steam games, so I don't want voice quality to be impacted. I also occasionally slice 3D prints, so  I need to have a computer capable of doing that quickly.

 

Performance quality is my priority, so if a build under $800 is unreasonably, I can wait until I can increase that budget.

 

My question is, what can I get for $800 or less that will support all my needs as stated previously? Again, performance is my priority, so in terms of cases, lighting, etc. Yes, I would like to make room in my budget for a fancy, lit-up case, but it's not needed.

Do you need a monitor and os in the build? 

[bluRaxir]

2 minutes ago, Starelementpoke said:

Do you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and etc?

Not so much the keyboard in the mouse, but I would like a monitor that can use the graphics card to it's full potential.

 

EDIT: In terms of the operating system, I stick with Ubuntu, and would run Windows 7 as a virtual guest inside ubuntu.

 

[Aereldor]

1 minute ago, bluRaxir said:

Not so much the keyboard in the mouse, but I would like a monitor that can use the graphics card to it's full potential

 

For starters, does your laptop feature Thunderbolt connectivity? If so, you've got yourself a pretty capable system already, which could be supplemented with an external GPU enclosure. You could then spend a lot more on a graphics card and a monitor to go with it.

It's unlikely, with a 3rd generation mobile Core i7, but I thought it was worth asking.

[bluRaxir]

No, I don't have Thunderbolt, my laptop is a Dell Inspiron 17R 5721. And I'm kind of trying to make a promise to myself that I will never buy a laptop again because of the lack of customizability. I'm going to stick with building custom builds for now on, no more laptops.

[Starelementpoke]

2 minutes ago, bluRaxir said:

No, I don't have Thunderbolt, my laptop is a Dell Inspiron 17R 5721. And I'm kind of trying to make a promise to myself that I will never buy a laptop again because of the lack of customizability. I'm going to stick with building custom builds for now on, no more laptops.

Here:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($184.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Sceptre E225W-1920 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $760.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 17:31 EDT-0400

If you want leds, turn in the rebates.

[bluRaxir]

1 minute ago, Starelementpoke said:

Here:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($184.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Sceptre E225W-1920 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $760.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 17:31 EDT-0400

If you want leds, turn in the rebates.

Thank you very much. I will look into this.

[Aereldor]

10 minutes ago, Starelementpoke said:

Here:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HHLKCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($239.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($39.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Mushkin Essentials 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($57.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($45.89 @ OutletPC) 
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($184.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($41.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 
Monitor: Sceptre E225W-1920 60Hz 22.0" Monitor  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $760.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 17:31 EDT-0400

If you want leds, turn in the rebates.

If performance is his priority, wouldn't forgoing the Xeon and 16 GB of RAM in favour of an i5 and an R9 390 be a better idea? 

 

Also, while that's still a solid build if he really wants to multitask, I've never heard of Sceptre as display manufacturers. The reviews seem alright, but apparently, VESA mounting this monitor is permanent- you'll have to cut it open to pry the mount off.

[bluRaxir]

8 minutes ago, Aereldor said:

If performance is his priority, wouldn't forgoing the Xeon and 16 GB of RAM in favour of an i5 and an R9 390 be a better idea? 

 

Also, while that's still a solid build if he really wants to multitask, I've never heard of Sceptre as display manufacturers. The reviews seem alright, but apparently, VESA mounting this monitor is permanent- you'll have to cut it open to pry the mount off.

I do prioritize performance, but not too much, maybe the minimum +2. Something that would leave extra power leftover, but not too much that I end up wasting money I don't need to spend. A cheap build with a maximum of $800 is my price range, I would like it if I didn't have to spend the full $800 and have a little left over. Not sure if I can get that for my average usage though.

 

EDIT: I would prefer Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs

[Aereldor]

14 minutes ago, bluRaxir said:

EDIT: I would prefer Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs

AMD doesn't have any noteworthy CPUs on the market right now, so you needn't worry about that. However, AMD GPUs present better value at this price point. Is there a particular reason behind your preference for NVidia GPUs?

[bluRaxir]

I really have a light opinion on the NVIDIA graphics cards, I don't know much about it so I really don't know if it matters. I've just heard not such great things about using AMD  and I personally have had really slow performance with the past computers I've had with AMD. I don't know much about what's good and what's bad in terms of CPUs and GPUs, I guess it's just brand influence.

[Starelementpoke]

1 hour ago, Aereldor said:

If performance is his priority, wouldn't forgoing the Xeon and 16 GB of RAM in favour of an i5 and an R9 390 be a better idea? 

 

Also, while that's still a solid build if he really wants to multitask, I've never heard of Sceptre as display manufacturers. The reviews seem alright, but apparently, VESA mounting this monitor is permanent- you'll have to cut it open to pry the mount off.

The Xeon and the 16 gbs of ram was for the 3D Slicing.