[TAminimat]

Hey guys, been looking at building a budget rig just for lowest settings SC2, minecraft and maybe some low graphic CoD4.

I have been searching through quite a lot of sites and reading some current discussions about a budget rig over at whirlpool. Would something like this cover what I need it for?:

i5 2400
Seagate Barracuda 500gb
1GB Gigabyte Radeon HD6870
Asrock H61M/U3S3 B3
Cooler Master 371
Antec Neo Eco 520C
ATX Power Cable
Win7

What ram should I get? Would it be worth getting 8gb over 4gb?

Thanks please make changes to this where you could see it would benefit it for cheapest available (looking to spend 700-850ish). Also where would the best place to buy all of this in Brisbane? An online shop or just go find a place that stocks all of this? Cheers

[Mayo]

Talk to Karma IT, you can PM him on this site.

Tell him I sent you and he will give you a discount.

Quick Comments

	nirvAnA:
	TAminimat:	<3

[HuT]

For all PC related stuff I use pccasegear. They are usually super cheap and reliable. 4GB RAM is fine for what you're looking to do.

[Karma IT]

this has become my most common budget system

PRO LAN GAMER - weighs 12.3kg

CASE: Bitfenix Merc Alpha
PSU: Aywun Mega Power ECO 420w
MOBO: Asus P8H61-M-LX-V3
CPU: Intel Core i3-2100, HT 4 threads @ 3.1Ghz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4Gb 1600Mhz
HDD: Corsair force 3 series 60gb SSD
ODD: Sony 24x DVDrw
GPU: Asus GTX-550ti DC 1Gb
OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

$800 delivered Australia wide, Ready to run, 3 year RTB Warranty

Quick Comments

FvRelimzkE:

Sick build for $800

[Mayo]

No Thermaltake or Kingston, scratch Karma :P

[|Erasmus|]

Getting a $120 worth of a luxury item in terms of an SSD isn't good for a budget gaming system. For general use, it's fine, becase a GPU isn't needed for regular use to begin with (begs the question of why it has a 550Ti then).

If you want a gaming system though minimat, spend more on the GPU/CPU and don't bother with an SSD at that budget. They are awesome, but will take up too much budget you can use for more relevant things.

Quick Comments

	breadfan:	Listen to this advice
	[TA]LoSt:
	TADivinity:	Agree 100%
	nirvAnA:

[breadfan]

Umart is pretty much your best storefront retail option in Bris.

[dippa]

Here's a quick rig I put together on PC Case Gear - doesn't include peripherals like headphones, keyboard, mouse or mouse pad, but I'm assuming you have those already.

--list below in new post--

Quick Comments

|Erasmus|:

I like computers without cpus.

[Karma IT]

you forget one thing, hard drive prices are rubbish atm

hes better of paying $110 for the ssd rather than $90 odd for the 500gb, make do with the ssd + external or w/e until they come back down in price

even still, i can easily swap the ssd for a 500gb mech drive

its not set in stone

[dippa]

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...ion=wish_lists

that's the wish list link (I think)

[TAminimat]

What about that build you posted karma, minus the SSD (swap for the barracuda 500gb) and swap the i3 for the i5 2400 and swap the Asus GTX-550ti DC for the Gigabyte HD6870?

[[TA]LoSt]

Need a CPU dippa? :P

Take the monitor out of that budget PC dippa made (as I'm assuming you'd already have one) and replace it with a CPU and you have a decent budget PC there.

Listen to the advice of people here regarding SSD's, if you're looking to buy a budget PC SSD's are definitely more of a luxury rather than a necessity. You're better off spending the extra money on more RAM or a better GPU.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
^ Have a look at that, it takes into consideration price in comparison to performance. Basically that whole website is a good indicator of what is awesome and what's not worth its price.

Goodluck. ^_^

[|Erasmus|]

Basically, you should be able to get something like this:

Antec Three Hundred Case $65.00
Intel Core i5 2400 $205.00
Powercolor Radeon HD6870 1GB $179.00
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Motherboard $135.00
Antec Neo Eco 520C 520W Power Supply $69.00
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-10666CL9D-8GB DDR3 $55.00
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST31000524AS $109

Total $817

Those prices are from pccasegear, and they are not the cheapest of cheap places. Umart and Scorptech are good for Qld and should be comparable.

EDIT: IF you have a hard drive in your existing PC and don't desperately need more space, KarmaIT is right, it's a terrible time to buy HDDs. There is a shortage and they are overpriced. Better off not buying any hard drive then spending that hundred dollars on a SSD in a budget system though, either way. The $/MB is still very low on SSDs.

[freaky_beeky]

Originally Posted by |Erasmus|

Basically, you should be able to get something like this:

Antec Three Hundred Case $65.00
Intel Core i5 2400 $205.00
Powercolor Radeon HD6870 1GB $179.00
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Motherboard $135.00
Antec Neo Eco 520C 520W Power Supply $69.00
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-10666CL9D-8GB DDR3 $55.00
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST31000524AS $109

Total $817

Those prices are from pccasegear, and they are not the cheapest of cheap places. Umart and Scorptech are good for Qld and should be comparable.

EDIT: IF you have a hard drive in your existing PC and don't desperately need more space, KarmaIT is right, it's a terrible time to buy HDDs. There is a shortage and they are overpriced. Better off not buying any hard drive then spending that hundred dollars on a SSD in a budget system though, either way. The $/MB is still very low on SSDs.

Thermaltake VM600M1W2Z Dokker Mid Tower Chassis $65.00
Intel Core i5 2400 $205.00
Powercolor Radeon HD6870 1GB $179.00
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Motherboard $135.00
Antec Neo Eco 520C 520W Power Supply $69.00
Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3B1K2/8GX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 $55.00
OCZ Agility 3 60GB SSD $105.00

Total $813

Swapped in an SSD and changed the case to Tt and the RAM to Kingston to please Mayo. (still all PCCG prices). Can't say i'd buy that PSU personally however. The rest of the components look far better than what's been offered so far. Good choices Erasmus.

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by freaky_beeky

Thermaltake VM600M1W2Z Dokker Mid Tower Chassis $65.00
Intel Core i5 2400 $205.00
Powercolor Radeon HD6870 1GB $179.00
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Motherboard $135.00
Antec Neo Eco 520C 520W Power Supply $69.00
Kingston HyperX KHX1600C9D3B1K2/8GX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 $55.00
OCZ Agility 3 60GB SSD $105.00

Total $813

Swapped in an SSD and changed the case to Tt and the RAM to Kingston to please Mayo. (still all PCCG prices). Can't say i'd buy that PSU personally however. The rest of the components look far better than what's been offered so far. Good choices Erasmus.

Tt PSU too?
jks.

[dippa]

The ****, I must have removed it by accident.

PC sans monitor:



Gigabyte GA-H67MA-USB3-B3 Motherboard In stock $105.00
ASUS Radeon HD6670 1GB GDDR3 In stock $89.00
G.Skill F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT (2x4GB) DDR3 In stock $45.00
CoolerMaster Elite 335U Case In stock $45.00
Samsung SH-222AB SATA DVDRW Drive In stock $22.00
Antec TruePower TP-650 650W In stock $125.00
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST31000524AS In stock $109.00
Intel Core i3 2100 In stock $125.00
Sub-total: $665.00

[TAminimat]

Actually I don't have a monitor but I don't really want to include it in the budget for the PC, Im sure I can find a cheap used monitor somewhere. Although the build you just posted Dippa is cheap enough that I could include that monitor in there too. Will think about the monitor later though. Cheers for all the help so far

[Karma IT]

PRO LAN GAMER - weighs 12.3kg - MINIMAT VARIANT

CASE: Bitfenix Merc Alpha
PSU: Aywun Mega Power ECO 420w
MOBO: Asus P8H61-M-LX-V3
CPU: Intel Core i3-2100, HT 4 threads @ 3.1Ghz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4Gb 1600Mhz
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500Gb
ODD: Sony 24x DVDrw
GPU: Asus GTX-550ti DC 1Gb
OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

$779 delivered Australia wide, Ready to run, 3 year RTB Warranty

[TAminimat]

What would the performance vs price difference between the i3 and the i5 2400 and the 550ti vs the gigabyte radeon HD6870?

[Mayo]

I still see no Thermaltake or Kingston.

I'm sad

[TAminimat]

Haha, what cheap cases do you have ^.^

[Mayo]

http://thermaltake.com.au/products-m...?id=C_00001815
http://thermaltake.com.au/products-m...?id=C_00001772
http://thermaltake.com.au/products-m...?id=C_00001615
http://thermaltake.com.au/products-m...?id=C_00001803 - Bit higher then your price range I think

[TAminimat]

What price are the first two?

[Mayo]

For prices of anything, head to www.staticice.com.au and you will see the cheapest prices around for any product on the market!

[|Erasmus|]

Probably about to get flamed out of here, but, from most of the reviews of cases I've seen... the Thermaltake case doesn't have the same build quality as something like the antec one I picked.

I am not sure whether some of the newer Thermaltake ones are an improvement, but the older models at least were well reviewed as having lots of plasticky bits... So if you move your computer around or fiddle with it at all, definitely make sure you at least read some reviews before committing to buying a case.

[freaky_beeky]

Originally Posted by |Erasmus|

Probably about to get flamed out of here, but, from most of the reviews of cases I've seen... the Thermaltake case doesn't have the same build quality as something like the antec one I picked.

I am not sure whether some of the newer Thermaltake ones are an improvement, but the older models at least were well reviewed as having lots of plasticky bits... So if you move your computer around or fiddle with it at all, definitely make sure you at least read some reviews before committing to buying a case.

I wish I couldn't agree with you...
Similar could be said about their PSU's back in the day...

[Mayo]

Originally Posted by |Erasmus|

Probably about to get flamed out of here, but, from most of the reviews of cases I've seen... the Thermaltake case doesn't have the same build quality as something like the antec one I picked.

I am not sure whether some of the newer Thermaltake ones are an improvement, but the older models at least were well reviewed as having lots of plasticky bits... So if you move your computer around or fiddle with it at all, definitely make sure you at least read some reviews before committing to buying a case.

New design team and thicker metal for 2011 onwards, so yeah, better stuff

The Spacecraft/Overseer I linked are a new line of cases developed by the new design team.

You Tube

You Tube

[|Erasmus|]

Worth a look, then. I'm all for supporting people who support eSports... but not at the cost of shoddy gear.

Still check reviews at least before committing. Make sure you pick something you will be most happy with. If it's a tie, then let Tt being good supporters of eSports sway your decision (my opinion on how this sort of thing affects my buying habits).

Quick Comments

	TAminimat:	i feel the same
	freaky_beeky:	Couldn't agree more

[Mayo]

I'm not gonna make you buy something I don't like myself.

We are a branch, we don't bring in things to sell that we don't want/like.

[TAminimat]

CASE: Bitfenix Merc Alpha
PSU: Aywun Mega Power ECO 420w
MOBO: Asus P8H61-M-LX-V3
CPU: Intel Core i3-2100, HT 4 threads @ 3.1Ghz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 4Gb 1600Mhz
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500Gb
ODD: Sony 24x DVDrw
GPU: Asus GTX-550ti DC 1Gb
OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

Thermaltake VM600M1W2Z Dokker Mid Tower Chassis
Intel Core i5 2400
Gigabyte Radeon HD6870 1GB
Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Motherboard
Antec Neo Eco 520C 520W Power Supply
SOME SORT OF 4GB KINGSTON RAM(please help with this)
Sandgate Barracuda 500GB HDD
Sony 24x DVDrw
MS Windows 7 64 bit home premium

How would the two computers stack up against each other? I am not really too keen on an i3 or an SSD. I need to find a monitor too, any suggestions on 21.5 - 23inch monitors? What do you all use?

Thanks guys. Also Karma, do you reckon you could do me up a price for the second build too? Thank you

[Meatex]

kingston ram is boss and thermaltake have some of the best cases

I may try to hold out until 30th birthday (rather may have to) and get an epic rig
and maybe by then legacy of the void will be out

Definitely go for an i5 over and i3 CPU and if you wanted to save some money you don't really need a 6870
A 6850 will be a fair bit cheaper and still runs almost everything on max

[dippa]

if you're getting a budget rig for cod4, minecraft and sc2 then you don't even need to go anywhere near a 6870/6850 because the games you'll be playing are more CPU intensive (particularly when you turn the settings down, which will tax the GPU even less and shift the focus towards the CPU)

you'd be better off getting more RAM and an i5 IMO

[TAminimat]

Also, how well do you think that second build would go streaming? Not really important if it would suck ass but it would be cool to be able to stream aswell.

[Antel0pe]

If you want to stream and play CoD4, Minecraft and SC2 you're probably wanting to spend more on CPU or RAM. None of those games are particularly graphics intensive. (I play all of those games on Macbook Pro with integrated graphics) Get like a HD6770 and flash the BIOS to a HD6850, that's all the graphics you would need.

[Karma IT]

you guys realise there is no gain of the i5 over the i3 right ?

[Fadey]

Originally Posted by Karma IT

you guys realise there is no gain of the i5 over the i3 right ?

My current gen cpu knowledge isnt top notch but correct me if i am wrong the i3-2100 is a dual core with hyperthreading (so 4 threads) and the i5-2400 is a true quad core is it not?

[|Erasmus|]

Originally Posted by Fadey

My current gen cpu knowledge isnt top notch but correct me if i am wrong the i3-2100 is a dual core with hyperthreading (so 4 threads) and the i5-2400 is a true quad core is it not?

This is correct, and it also has double the cache. The I5 will also perform better on single threaded apps because it benefits from the turbo mode (if you aren't using all cores it will clock itself up a few hundred MHz.

[VB_WhiplashJC]

The i5 2400 certainly has benefits over a i3 2400, as does 6870 over the 550ti. The 2nd build is much better.

For the RAM just get the cheapest, it makes little difference performance wise. EG: this.

[Karma IT]

this is precisely why i dont bother with gamers sometimes.

bunch of knowitalls.

4 threads to 4 cores is nothing when gaming derp derp

im just a tech, what would i know right

Quick Comments

	|Erasmus|:	Noone would ever want to run other processes while gaming or anything...
	VB_WhiplashJC:	Never mind the link with the benchmarks, get off your high horse
	dippa:	pompous ****
	TAminimat:	your very good at losing customers easily ^.^

[freaky_beeky]

Originally Posted by Karma IT

this is precisely why i dont bother with gamers sometimes.

bunch of knowitalls.

4 threads to 4 cores is nothing when gaming derp derp

im just a tech, what would i know right

Are you trying to suggest that none of the other members in this community or gamers in general couldn't be I.T technicians as well?

TAminimat has already mentioned streaming games, and if you know anything about that, you would know that it's extremely taxing on the CPU and can fully utilise additional cores in a commercial sense.

Additionally, if playing team games in SC2, especially 4v4's there is a considerable amount of AI work undertaken by the CPU due to the Havok Physics engine. If you would like some further proof of this please consider this article: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...rcraft-2-use/1
The article above uses the same CPU throughout which does not take into account the cache difference between the i3 and i5 being discussed either which will lend itself to performance enhancements during difficult computational situations as described above.

If TAminimat wasn't looking to play SC2 or interested in streaming, I would say your opinion of the i3 would be considerably more relevant, unfortunately that isn't the case.


As for monitors, with that range of games I'd be reluctant to recommend anything, especially under those budget restraints. I personally use a Alienware OptX™ AW2310 23"W and am reasonably happy, however I'm really looking for something that is 120hz, 3D capable and LED backlit with a VESA mount.

Quick Comments

TAminimat:

[dippa]

Originally Posted by freaky_beeky

As for monitors, with that range of games I'd be reluctant to recommend anything, especially under those budget restraints. I personally use a Alienware OptX™ AW2310 23"W and am reasonably happy, however I'm really looking for something that is 120hz, 3D capable and LED backlit with a VESA mount.

Samsung's SA950 is a really nice monitor. I've got the Samsung and the BenQ XL2410T and I prefer the Samsung; the picture quality and colours are much nicer, although the BenQ's stand is excellent and both are very good for gaming.

[Mayo]

BenQ XL2410T

[TAminimat]

CPU Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor $149.99 @ Microcenter

Motherboard Asus P8H67-V (REV 3.0) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard $112.55 @ Newegg

Memory G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $46.99 @ Newegg

Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $132.57 @ Amazon

Video Card Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card $152.55 @ Newegg

Case Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case $49.99 @ Newegg

Power Supply Antec 520W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply $62.98 @ Newegg

Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) $99.99 @ Newegg

Total
Prices include shipping and discounts when available. $807.61

Forget the prices, this just came from a dude who posted in my reddit post. What do you all think? Looks pretty good to me, I'd rather go with the Tt case though

[|Erasmus|]

Newegg ship to outside the US/Canada now?

EDIT: right. ignoring the prices: it's exactly what i posted, just with a different (more expensive) case, and slightly different motherboard (but im not terribly up to date on which are considered good... just get the features you need without being overcharged).

[VB_WhiplashJC]

Well you can save a bit on the memory by getting 4GB DDR 1333, otherwise it's fine. (pretty much the build above?)

You don't need a new DVD drive now?

[TAminimat]

RAM is pretty cheap now so I think I'll just get the 8GB. I think I will go with this build, minus the case (Tt case instead). I'll go around to some shops tomorrow I think and get some prices off them and then compare to the online stores .

Thanks for everyones help and input into the thread . Mayo, you should hook me up with a free case

[TAminimat]

Ok I don't think that PC is quite as budget as I thought it was. American prices for these things are a hell of a lot cheaper then what PCCG has them for. Back to the drawing boards.

[VB_WhiplashJC]

$747+ shipping, prices should be cheaper if you static ice around a bit?

No idea if the low end Tt cases are any good, if in doubt get an Antec 300.

[TAminimat]

Static ice? Also do you know the difference between the motherboard you posted and the z68ap or w/e it is?

[VB_WhiplashJC]

http://www.staticice.com.au/- Put in the part you're after and it will come up with a list sorted by price.

From what I can see you lose two RAM slots (so if you want to upgrade down the road you'd need to buy replacement sticks with >4GB/stick, as opposed to adding), and some PCI slots - you can't add another 6870 as an upgrade later.

[Antel0pe]

Get a HD6850 and flash the BIOS to the HD6870. You'll get the same performance as the HD6870 but you would have to buy some case fans to cool it the excess heat. A case fans worth like 20 dollars and you can buy some with LED lights so you can stare at your rig with the lights out

[TAminimat]

Thermaltake Dokker Case with HDD Dock Black
Intel Core i5 2400 Processor LGA1155 3.1GHz CPU
Gigabyte HD6870 1G OC GDDR5 PCIE HDMI DP
Kingston 8G(2x4G) DDR3 1600MHz CL9 HyperX
Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200RPM SATAIII 6GB/S 3.5
Asus P8H61-M-LX V3 H61 2DDR3 1333 GLAN PCIE16 mATX STEP3 EPU LGA1155
Antec VP-550P 550W Strictly PSU

Will I be sacrificing too much performance with that motherboard? And is this 1333 part of the motherboard anything to do with the RAM? Will the 1600 work fine in it?

[Antel0pe]

I suggest you get the Z68 chipset so you have the option to upgrade to Ivory Bridge processors (Next Gen Core i7,5,3 ) But all Asus boards are sexy And I'm 100% sure all ram should work for that board

[TAminimat]

The Z68 board that i had in the build before was really pushing the budget for me though. But I am kind of inclined to go for the better one over this one though. UGH this decision in killing me. Bloody money.

[Antel0pe]

Oh and I have a way to get Windows 7 for free if you want . It's legit . PM if you want it ^^

[Antel0pe]

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3899#ov
This is a pretty decent budget Z68 board