Gaming PC Budget Debate

[phlb19]

Hey everyone,

First of all – Thank you. I’ve been poking around these forums quite a bit for the past few days and they have been extremely helpful.

Now to the questions…

I would like to build a gaming PC for a few upcoming games such as SCII and FFXIV. My budget caps out at roughly $1100, but anything below $900 would be nice. While I should be able to use the case and optical drives from my current PC, everything else will need to be new. This includes the OS and, unfortunately, a new monitor.

The biggest debate I’m having at the moment is between this AMD combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103681 $62.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131366 $94.99 with MIR

and this Intel combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115222 $114.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131621 $179.99

Is it worth going to the extra expense to have the Intel, or would the AMD perform just as well despite being significantly less expensive? Either way, I would like the option to upgrade to SLI in the future, so dual GPU-readiness is pretty much a must.

Right now I’m planning on using the new GTX 460 (1gb, 256-bit version) when Newegg gets them in stock. It would be the same as the card linked below, but made by ASUS or EVGA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-510-_-Product

As for the other components, this is what I have planned:

HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136283 $59.99 with $20 off promo code
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005 $79.99 with MIR
Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145260 $89.99 with MIR
Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236051 $159.99 with MIR
OS: I will get the Windows Home OEM bundled for $10 off with one of the other components, so it will come out to $89.99

Assuming $235 for the GTX 460, all of this comes out to ~$870 with the AMD board/chip, or ~$1010 with the Intel board/chip. Which one (if either) of these builds looks better to you guys? Do you have any additional suggestions for cutting down the cost or for going with different components?

Thanks for reading all the way through this. I know it was lengthy =)

[orbrit]

that GPU needs 2 x 6pin connectors.
I don't think the Corsair 650TX will support two of those. The Antec PSU calculator puts you at almost 600W with SLI cards. The 750TX has 4 6pin PCIe connectors and gives you a safe operating margin for 2 of those powerhungy cards.

Consider the Asus VH242H for a little more money.

FFXIV looks to be as CPU intensive as it is GPU. Not sure how much that Athlon II will bottleneck your gameplay.
My OC'd i5-750 with HD 5770 (Crossfire disabled) only scored a 2500 in the benchmark test for FFXIV. That equates to standard graphics details at 1080p.

[glc]

PSU supports one of those cards but it's not enough to SLI 2 of them. You should buy only certified PSU's for SLI.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

[Nikon]

as much of an amd fan as i am, that i3 would prolly crush the athlon II performance wise, but if you look into an athlon x3 that would do just about any game justice. (xbox 360 uses a 3core cpu)

as stated before, that psu wont handle a dual gpu setup, you would need a 750 watt or possibly more for those fatty cards.

realise that if you go with the amd build you are committed to overclocking to achieve optimal ram performance. didnt look into the intel one, i just noticed that the ram is ddr3 1600, not natively supported, but it will work.

[phlb19]

Thanks for the responses guys. I was a little worried about that PSU, but I'm surprised to see that even the 750TX is not SLI-Certified on the NVIDIA site. How valuable do you think the ability to upgrade to SLI is? I'm not looking to build the best system on the planet, I just want to be able to play recent games at playable framerates. If I opted out of the SLI route I could go with a less expensive MOBO and stick with the 650TX.

Orbrit you mentioned that the Athlon II may be bottleneck my GPU. Do you think the same would be the case with the i3 530?? Would it be better in the long run for me to spring for a bigger CPU like the i5 750 and then just go without the SLI setup?

[orbrit]

I don't think it'd bottleneck the GPU - just it would be the weak point in the system with a game like FFXIV.

If you're playing purely first person shooters, then CPU is not as important as GPU.

With MMORPGs the CPU comes into play and it becomes a lot more important to have a good CPU AND a good GPU.

Not sure how the game will really perform, but based on their benchmark scores, you'd have to have an i7-930, 8 Gb RAM, and an HD 5870 to get close to being able to run it on highest settings at 1080p!

I think a good compromise would be the i5-750 and an HD 5830.

May still be doable within your budget with a single card, the 650TX and the right motherboard (P7P55D-E LX)

[David M]

Forget SLI. Go with a more expensive single card. If you think you need it, then go buy a single 5970 at $700. SLI will not get you double the performance for double the cards.

With SLI, you are also asking for more potential problems than with a single card. The Nvidia 780i and 790i chipsets are garbage. They run super hot and are not anywhere as good as a P55 chipset.

Also, without two cards, you won't have to shovel out the bucks for a 1000 watt plus power supply.

If after all those excellent reasons I gave you not to go with two cards, you still feel the need for two cards, then get Crossfire.

[glc]

Dave, the linked motherboard with P55 supports both Crossfire and SLI. Nvidia doesn't even make a chipset for socket 1156 or 1366. In fact, Nvidia is almost completely out of the motherboard chipset business, there are very few Nvidia boards for AMD any more. AMD is only making Crossfire chipsets now (not surprising, they own ATI) so SLI is really taking it in the shorts.

[phlb19]

Any other opinions on single card vs SLI/crossfire or i3 530 vs i5 750? Would I feel that much of a boost from the bigger CPU, or is the i3 just as good as a gaming processor?

[glc]

Tom's Hardware says that the 530 and 750 are both the best gaming CPU's for the money. The 750 multitasks better than the 530, it's a true quad core. The 530 is a hyperthreaded dual core.

You can get the 530 now, you can always upgrade later.

I'm a firm believer in KISS - I do not like multiple video cards. I think Nvidia may have a winner with the GTX 460.

[phlb19]

Well if I decide I don't want to do SLI do you think I still need the Pro board or could I go with something more in the $100 - $140 range? Obviously with the i3 530 I would like a board that supports solid OCing. Any suggestions glc?

Maybe something like one of these two?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131404

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128425

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by phlb19 Hey everyone, The biggest debate I’m having at the moment is between this AMD combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103681 $62.00 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131366 $94.99 with MIR and this Intel combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115222 $114.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131621 $179.99 Is it worth going to the extra expense to have the Intel, or would the AMD perform just as well despite being significantly less expensive?

It seems everyone here forgot the Significantly less expnsive part.

This processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103809 and this motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131647 is what I recommend for your budget, best bang for the buck for any upcoming MMORPG.

[David M]

Originally Posted by glc Dave, the linked motherboard with P55 supports both Crossfire and SLI. Nvidia doesn't even make a chipset for socket 1156 or 1366. In fact, Nvidia is almost completely out of the motherboard chipset business, there are very few Nvidia boards for AMD any more. AMD is only making Crossfire chipsets now (not surprising, they own ATI) so SLI is really taking it in the shorts.

Ok, thanks for the info.

[glc]

The 945 Deneb is the best gaming CPU in its price bracket, but it's $25 more than the 530. It's significantly less expensive than the 750, but it doesn't perform as well according to the info I see. It's one of those "in between" CPU's. AMD also completely owns the under-$100 market unless you want to build with old socket 775 technology.

If you go with the Intel, any of the P7P55's should be fine. The P7P55D-E LX has SATA 6.0 and USB 3.0, the P7P55 LX and P7P55D do not.

To clarify - an under-$100 AMD will not perform as well as an i3-530. A 945 Deneb will outperform an i3-530. A i5-750 will outperform all of those.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...n-ii,2675.html

[phlb19]

Thanks for the great comments guys. That clarification was extremely helpful glc.

I think I've decided to go with the i5 750 and this board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-604-_-Product

Now for another question...what memory should I go with? Looking at these two at the moment.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231303

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-251-_-Product

[orbrit]

For a little more you can add a bit of future proofing with USB 3 and SATA3 support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131634

Go with the Corsair RAM.
There's been some QC issues with G.Skill lately.

another option would be the 1600 MHz dual channel kit. same price

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145260

[glc]

For best compatibility go with 1.5 volt ram. 1333 speed is all you need unless you plan on overclocking. 1.65 volt ram is okay, but make sure it's on the Asus QVL.

[Kidd]

The experts on here will guide you in the right path for the build, but $189 (including shipping) pre-MIR is a lot IMO for that monitor, especially with my personal preference for anything over 22".

23" Samsung for $159
It's a refurb, and while many don't like those, I do.

Buy.com is not the best place to find exactly what you're looking for, but it's a great place to find the deal of the moment. This is what's on sale this week. I've nabbed a 23" Acer and a 24" ASUS (both new, not refurb) for under $200 last year. If you don't need it soon, keeping an eye out for the weekly deals/weekend specials will save you money, and a new (non-refurb) 23"-24" monitor goes on sale at least once a month with free shipping.

[phlb19]

That's a great tip Kidd, thanks.

I just stumbled upon this combo pack from new egg. I know MSI isn't the best company for boards, but the reviews seem to be fairly positive and it's hard to beat for $245

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.445121

I'm also looking at this package. Smaller processor for more money, but the quality of ASUS in the mobo.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.444566

It seems that my mind isn't quite as made up about the i5 750 as I thought it was

Still..for the i5 I like this package. The Gigabyte board has some of the best reviews I've seen

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.430493

[Khalil]

You don't want an MSI motherboard, they are rather unreliable and have terrible customer support and RMA service.
Gigabyte can be a craps shoot, depending how busy they are their Customer Service can be terrible, if the motherboard is built right it will be very reliable and last a long time but it is a chance you are taking.

I would recommend whatever CPU you choose go with an Asus motherboard and save yourself the possibility of a major headache in case you need support in the future.