500$ build

[voaz]

Here is my 500 dollar build I made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2eI3SQZaGk

 

Opinions? 

[ALXAndy]

Looks pretty solid.

[coen113]

i think you can get a 750k for just a bit more, and it gives you overclocking possibilties

[ComputerNoob]

why a 500gb drive?!? Whyyy. And why is the thumbnail a corsair case when you when the build is in a fractal design case?..

[iAsuno]

tried putting up a build to see if i can make a better one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card:  Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card  ($129.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case:  NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($38.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($42.49 @ Amazon) 

Total: $499.42

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 09:04 EDT-0400)

 

what do you think?

[Cryptonite]

Here is my 500 dollar build I made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2eI3SQZaGk

 

Opinions? 

 

 

 

tried putting up a build to see if i can make a better one.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  MSI 970A-G46 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card:  Asus Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card  ($129.99 @ NCIX US) 

Case:  NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($38.99 @ Microcenter) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($42.49 @ Amazon) 

Total: $499.42

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 09:04 EDT-0400)

 

what do you think?

 

My attempt at an improvement

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Biostar A960D+ Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

Memory:  Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card:  MSI Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card  ($185.66 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Zalman ZM-T1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Thermaltake TR2 600W ATX12V Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $498.59

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 09:25 EDT-0400)

 

if you want to moan about the mobo then try this although it's $13 over

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($99.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($54.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($62.99 @ NCIX US) 

Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC) 

Video Card:  MSI Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card  ($185.66 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Zalman ZM-T1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Thermaltake TR2 600W ATX12V Power Supply  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 

Total: $513.59

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

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-30 09:28 EDT-0400)

 

Edit: I'd just like to add cheaping out on a mobo has more of a resale value than cheaping out on a gfx card as you can also upgrade the mobo for cheaper than the GFX card upgrade would be and then sell your old mobo paired with a cheap CPU to a non gamer much easier than a second hand card that is already showing its age to a gamer, even if just a casual.

[voaz]

why a 500gb drive?!? Whyyy. And why is the thumbnail a corsair case when you when the build is in a fractal design case?..

Woop my bad, and 500GB HDD space is enough for a low to mid budget gaming PC. Altough the price diff between 500gb and 1TB isn't more than 25 bucks. it had to suit the 500 bucks.

[ALXAndy]

Yeah I'm not sure a CX430 will be good for a hex core FX and a 7850.

[voaz]

Yeah I'm not sure a CX430 will be good for a hex core FX and a 7850.

Yeah might be, I would def use a Hex Core FX if it was like 600 or 700 bucks but it just doesn't fit in here.

Also the 430W Psu is enough for the build I've made above, but whenever I'd upgrade the mobo, cpu or gpu I will be forced to get a higher watt psu.

 

Any opinions on how this would perform in recent games? Skyrim, Bioshock, Borderlands, etc.

[Cryptonite]

Yeah might be, I would def use a Hex Core FX if it was like 600 or 700 bucks but it just doesn't fit in here.

Also the 430W Psu is enough for the build I've made above, but whenever I'd upgrade the mobo, cpu or gpu I will be forced to get a higher watt psu.

 

Any opinions on how this would perform in recent games? Skyrim, Bioshock, Borderlands, etc.

it'll perform ok, but I for one wouldn't buy those parts for $ 500.. I'd want something that'll last.

[ComputerNoob]

Woop my bad, and 500GB HDD space is enough for a low to mid budget gaming PC. Altough the price diff between 500gb and 1TB isn't more than 25 bucks. it had to suit the 500 bucks.

The difference is less then 10 bucks! 500 gig hard drives are never worth it.

[ALXAndy]

I'm pretty sure it is enough...

 

Yeah might be, I would def use a Hex Core FX if it was like 600 or 700 bucks but it just doesn't fit in here.

Also the 430W Psu is enough for the build I've made above, but whenever I'd upgrade the mobo, cpu or gpu I will be forced to get a higher watt psu.

 

Any opinions on how this would perform in recent games? Skyrim, Bioshock, Borderlands, etc.

 

An 8 core FX pushed hard enough can use 250w of power on its own. Add a GPU to that and yeah, it would be a close call. The 6300 is the same CPU minus two cores..

 

I've used a CX430 and it didn't even have enough juice to power up a dual core Intel (Core 2) and a 8800 Ultra. Don't rely on the CX range like you would any other Corsair power supply as they're really not very good at all.

[ALXAndy]

FX 8cores 5GHz is 200 watts.. How hard FDI you push the 8350 ??? At stock the 8350 is 125 watt TDP... And a 7850 doesn't take that much...

 

TDP has nothing to do with how much power you actually use at the socket dude.

[voaz]

FX 8cores 5GHz is 200 watts.. How hard do you plan to push the 8350 ??? At stock the 8350 is 125 watt TDP... And a 7850 doesn't take that much...

I think you're better off with a quad core and a more efficient gpu ( in wattage ), or get a 550w+ psu, altough they are more expensive than this build could take.

[ALXAndy]

If it's a budget build he won't have a hardcore cooler.. You can't push the CPU so high anyway

And a 550W was enough for Linus for his workstation with a 780 and a 3960X and a quadro 4000 and a valociraptor

 

I think you need to do some reading on power supplies and how they work. Seriously, I'm not being rude, but I would get an understanding of at least the fundamentals. For example the 9xxx series CPUs from AMD have a 225w TDP. When overclocked they can use over 300 watts of actual power. The old I7s were the same. 140w TDP as soon as you even touch the multiplier that gets torn up and goes out of the window.

 

PSUs are rated differently. It's all about money and how much you want to spend. For example the CX430 has a cut down set of internals with cheap capacitors. The 430 watt rating is pretty much the maximum rating. It might be good for 10w more but that's your lot. In contrast to that I used to run a 625w Enermax Modu II that could easily run an overclocked Core 2 Duo on a EVGA 790i Ultra SLI with two GTX 295s. The reason? well that's simple really, it could put out nearly 900 watts before going bang. I can't remember specifically what PSU Linus used in the rig he built. I do remember watching the video briefly but that's a workstation which needs to be reliable. Thus, overclocking is not usually ever done because it can affect reliability.

 

To say that you would put a CPU like the 6300 in a rig and not overclock it goes against a gaming PC. They're pretty useless at stock clocks and can only really compete because they can be overclocked.

[ALXAndy]

One. Old motherboards are way less efficient than new ones.

Two. I know a guy who has an 6300 and a 7870 and he has a 450w PSU and he has no problem... And I overclocked his system for him...

And I do know more about power supplies than you think...

And I do know TDP isn't the same as real world power consumption. But today it's much closer to it...

 

TDP is no closer today than it ever was. It doesn't even indicate power use, more the thermals.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_design_power

 

The TDP is typically not the most power the chip could ever draw, such as by a power virus, but rather the maximum power that it would draw when running "real applications".

 

I can tell you now that Crysis 3 is a power virus. It uses any amount of cores you can throw at it. In fact, so much so that even on a H60 my 8320 would throttle at stock speed.

If you know all about power supplies then you will also know that 430w does not mean you will have a full 430w to play with on the 12v rail. The total power consists of the 12v stages AND the 5v stages AND the 3.3v stages. As such you get a lot less in theory than you think. So as I say, maybe you should do some studying on how they work instead of professing to know? knowledge is power, as they say.

 

As for this line -

 

Two. I know a guy who has an 6300 and a 7870 and he has a 450w PSU and he has no problem... And I overclocked his system for him...

 

I will take science over something you did for your mate any day. 

[voaz]

I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about the fact that 430 watts should be enough for the configuration above...

Oh my bad, read it wrong. SORRY

[AxelPeeters]

I love your accent

[Nicktrance]

Yeah I'm not sure a CX430 will be good for a hex core FX and a 7850.

 

 

Yeah might be, I would def use a Hex Core FX if it was like 600 or 700 bucks but it just doesn't fit in here.

Also the 430W Psu is enough for the build I've made above, but whenever I'd upgrade the mobo, cpu or gpu I will be forced to get a higher watt psu.

 

Any opinions on how this would perform in recent games? Skyrim, Bioshock, Borderlands, etc.

 

 

I'm pretty sure it is enough...

 

the CX430 (might want to consider the 430M since the price difference is so small) only comes with 1 6+2 pin PCI power cable so you can't run some versions of the 7850. Also have you considered getting an APU (A10 6700/6800K +1866 RAM) for now and getting a better GPU down the road?

[ALXAndy]

the CX430 (might want to consider the 430M since the price difference is so small) only comes with 1 6+2 pin PCI power cable so you can't run some versions of the 7850. Also have you considered getting an APU (A10 6700/6800K +1866 RAM) for now and getting a better GPU down the road?

 

Which is another reason why I've tried to make it understood. That was why it wouldn't run my 8800 Ultra (I used a Molex adapter for the second 6 pin).

 

CX power supplies are only real Corsairs in the name. Inside they're pretty crap.

[Nicktrance]

Which is another reason why I've tried to make it understood. That was why it wouldn't run my 8800 Ultra (I used a Molex adapter for the second 6 pin).

 

CX power supplies are only real Corsairs in the name. Inside they're pretty crap.

 

They're CWT inside, not the best but great quality for the price.

[voaz]

They're CWT inside, not the best but great quality for the price.

Yeah kinda, there are some powersupplies out there which are a bit more expensive with more wattage and more effiency tho, alot of Radeon GPUs also require a psu of more than 500w.

Anyways, for like 600 bucks in total I could upgrade the cpu to a hexacore, the gpu to a higher end one and the hdd to 1TB, will make another build soon with a higher budget and more explainations why I've chosen the partys.

 

Anyways guys, thanks for helping me out by giving your opinion!