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[RustyNails]

I'm trying to build a decent gaming rig with i5 processor. The lowest I could go down to was around $650, excluding a PC/DVD drive.

Anyone know good deals so I can keep it under $500? I still need to buy a LCD screen, keyboard+mouse

fuu

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

I'm trying to build a decent gaming rig with i5 processor. The lowest I could go down to was around $650, excluding a PC/DVD drive.

Anyone know good deals so I can keep it under $500? I still need to buy a LCD screen, keyboard+mouse

fuu

You could always get a new AMD sex core. I hear they're pretty comparable to top Intels for a fraction of the cost.

 

[RustyNails]

You could always get a new AMD sex core. I hear they're pretty comparable to top Intels for a fraction of the cost.

I just checked the price for AMD six core...its about the samey. Mobo too.

 

[DogWelder]

Well what do you have so far? What's your $650 build? Need an idea what kinda system you want.

 

[RustyNails]

Well what do you have so far? What's your $650 build? Need an idea what kinda system you want.

INTEL Core i5-650 3.20 GHz CPU + ASUS Motherboard COMBO $282
Exotic Ruby Red Front Panel Mini Tower ATX Case w/480W Power Supply $60
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 RAM $120
Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EARS 1.5TB $100
Radeon HD 4850 512MB $107

Total is $670, tax+shipping included

 

[Façade]

What games are you seeing this, and what card do you have?

Seeing it in every game, and I have a 5850.

 

[DogWelder]

INTEL Core i5-650 3.20 GHz CPU + ASUS Motherboard COMBO $282
Exotic Ruby Red Front Panel Mini Tower ATX Case w/480W Power Supply $60
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 RAM $120
Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EARS 1.5TB $100
Radeon HD 4850 512MB $107

Total is $670, tax+shipping included

The i5-650 is a rip off. It's just an i3 with a higher clock speed. If you're dead set on Intel, you're better off either going with an i3-530 ($100) or buying a quadcore i5-750 ($180) plus a budget P55 mobo (~$100).

https://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0325943
https://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317379

But since you want budget, I personally think you should go with the i3. $80 saved right there. The rest looks about as cheap as you're gonna get. You could save about $40 on a HDD though, if you go for something a little more modest.

 

[Hazaro]

So my new 5770 is stuck running at x1 instead of x16. This is going to be a pain in the ass to trouble shoot--so much uninstalling and scrubbing and reinstalling drivers for different cards and different slots (by the way, is it normal that I need to reinstall drivers when I switch pcie slots). D:
Ugh, and I also changed the bios on the video card, so I'll have to check that as well. Hopefully I can check out my graphics card on a spare computer I have; that could narrow things down well.

Set PCI-E bandwidth to 100,101, or 102. Should fix it

 

[Hy_]

INTEL Core i5-650 3.20 GHz CPU + ASUS Motherboard COMBO $282
Exotic Ruby Red Front Panel Mini Tower ATX Case w/480W Power Supply $60
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 RAM $120
Western Digital Caviar Green WD15EARS 1.5TB $100
Radeon HD 4850 512MB $107

Total is $670, tax+shipping included

If you just want a decent gaming rig and not in love with the red PC case or Intel:

Rosewill R230-P-BK

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB or 1TB Spinpoint. The 1TB drive is faster than your Caviar Green, $10 cheaper, but 500GB less.

ASRock M3A770DE. Cheap AM3 socket board, DDR3 1600. The second PCIe slot is x4, so it's not really a crossfire board even tho it says so.

Radeon 4850 512MB.Could bump this up to a 5770 1GB for $50-60 more.

OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W . I don't have any experience with OCZ PS. But it's modular, 80 certified, 91% positive newegg reivews, and $45 after rebate.

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600. $10 cheaper.

AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz . Could also get an AMD quad core for the same price with lesser clock speed if ya want.

$536 with shipping(500GB Spinpoint). Bit more if you opt out for the 1TB and 5770.

 

[Archie]

My parts are coming today and I'm getting pretty nervous since this will be my first time ever building a PC. :|

I do have a question about standoffs. As far as I understand, the standoffs screw into the case, I allign the mobo onto the standoff positions and screw the mobo into the standoffs. Is this correct?

 

[kinggroin]

My parts are coming today and I'm getting pretty nervous since this will be my first time ever building a PC. :|

I do have a question about standoffs. As far as I understand, the standoffs screw into the case, I allign the mobo onto the standoff positions and screw the mobo into the standoffs. Is this correct?

yep.

Sometimes the standoffs come with red ring padding for the heads (I guess for static electricity purposes). If you can, try getting them on there as well.

 

[Felix Lighter]

IIRC, you purchased a CM690 II, right? The case can clear it, but you probably won't be able to use a fan in the upper slot of the side door. That is, if you even plan to have side fans.

Yeah that's what I've been reading. I don't currently have plans to add any other fans so I should be fine.

 

[AkIRA_22]

My parts are coming today and I'm getting pretty nervous since this will be my first time ever building a PC. :|

I do have a question about standoffs. As far as I understand, the standoffs screw into the case, I allign the mobo onto the standoff positions and screw the mobo into the standoffs. Is this correct?

First? nice mate, you will become addicted, upgrading will become a norm from here on out. Enjoy it.

However be aware of your static. I am an electrician in the Navy and we use high grade electronic components and people still break shit through static. If you can go to an electronics store and buy a wrist strap. If not just touch something that is earthed before you handle an expensive component, Motherboard, CPU and RAM are the most susceptible.

Check this out http://www.computer-adviser.com/esd-computer-damage.html

 

[Archie]

I'm already scared shitless about ESD. :lol I plan on building my computer in the kitchen (no carpet) and touching my case before I handle any sensitive components.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I'm already scared shitless about ESD. :lol I plan on building my computer in the kitchen (no carpet) and touching my case before I handle any sensitive components.

It's funny how handling hundreds of dollars worth of sensitive components can make the temperature in the room feel 30 degrees hotter.

 

[Septimus]

Can someone help me out with a problem I'm having? So I downloaded Portal for free yesterday (already finished it on PS3 when it came out but yeah) and I immediately noticed it was really slow looking. The graphics were great but it looked so slow. This is a new PC (core i5 750, 5770 gpu, 4gb ddr3 ram) and the only other game I played so far was Bioshock 2 which looked amazing (maxed) and ran fast. And I thought Source games were supposed to run great? So I downloaded fraps and it's giving me 29-30 fps in Portal... I was expecting like 500fps lol. What's the deal? I even used 4x AA and 8x AF instead of maxing and still... same thing.

 

[diztrukted]

question gaffers,

how easy/hard is it to remove thermal and apply new thermal paste? I bought an artic silver kit and haven't really dabbled in opening my computer up and start cleaning up partially because, after building a pc, the scariest part for me was applying the right amount of paste. Any tips on cleaning it up? what to use, what not use?

 

[Boonoo]

Set PCI-E bandwidth to 100,101, or 102. Should fix it

Hmm. I'll have to try that. I've tested it at auto and 100 before. I'll have to test bumping up some. I'm away from my desktop for a week. I'll give that a shot when I get home. Thanks.

It's funny how handling hundreds of dollars worth of sensitive components can make the temperature in the room feel 30 degrees hotter.

When I built my first case I was sweating like a mad man. I had originally put on latex gloves to put it together (I thought it would be fun!) Eventually those ripped and a stream of sweat literally poured out of them. Its nervous that first time, but after that it's all a breeze--I rut around my case without a care in the world.

 

[RustyNails]

Hy_ and esc, thanks! Question about the graphics card though. I'm not a graphics whore who wants Crysis running at ultra settings. I just want the latest games to look decent and run smoothly. I would most likely be playing Rage on this rig. Is the Radeon 4850 512MB good choice?

 

[speculawyer]

You could always get a new AMD sex core. I hear they're pretty comparable to top Intels for a fraction of the cost.

Could someone create a sex core/mobo/memory/Win7OEM combo for me at Tiger direct? Or with a good Intel processor?

I'll probably add an AMD/ATI 5770 to that.

I keep dragging my feet on building a system. But I really need one. I have some 300 Steam games now. :lol

(I've got a case, 500W power supply, and a 500MB SATA drive)

 

[speculawyer]

Hy_ and esc, thanks! Question about the graphics card though. I'm not a graphics whore who wants Crysis running at ultra settings. I just want the latest games to look decent and run smoothly. I would most likely be playing Rage on this rig. Is the Radeon 4850 512MB good choice?

I'm no expert, but I'd say you probably want something with 1GB of memory in your gfx card these days.

 

[Monroeski]

Do they sell full versions of Windows 7 Home Premium in 3 packs that are NOT the OEM ones? I don't seem to be seeing any on Newegg, but I could have sworn I've seen them before.

 

[RustyNails]

I'm no expert, but I'd say you probably want something with 1GB of memory in your gfx card these days.

Poop there goes another $50

 

[DogWelder]

Hy_ and esc, thanks! Question about the graphics card though. I'm not a graphics whore who wants Crysis running at ultra settings. I just want the latest games to look decent and run smoothly. I would most likely be playing Rage on this rig. Is the Radeon 4850 512MB good choice?

Yes, it's an excellent card for your budget. It shouldn't have a problem running new games in 1680x1050 or lower. VRAM doesn't matter all that much, but the PowerColor 4850 1 GB is $100 after MIR and it's free shipping (I have two of these cards in Xfire, they work great): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131163&cm_re=4850-_-14-131-163-_-Product

 

[Archie]

I just spent 4 hours assembling my computer and when I hit the power button, nothing happens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

 

[Boonoo]

I just spent 4 hours assembling my computer and when I hit the power button, nothing happens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Nothing at all? do you have a power button on your motherboard? Make sure your case power button is plugged in properly.

If all that's plugged in properly you'll want to make sure your psu is hooked into everything. You might also want to check to make sure your psu works.

 

[Fitz]

I just spent 4 hours assembling my computer and when I hit the power button, nothing happens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

First check if any lights are on on your mobo, if not then something is connected wrong or problems with the PSU are most likely.
If LEDs are on, then check front panel connectors, if they're good, it's possible you're short circuiting your mobo, check for bits of metal that are touching.

 

[nodle]

I just spent 4 hours assembling my computer and when I hit the power button, nothing happens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Check your cables to your motherboard and make sure they are correct, meaning reset, Hd activity lights, reset etc. Also make sure your memory are in the right slots. Looks at the silk-screen on the board make sure you are in the right slots depending on dual channel etc.

 

[kinggroin]

I just spent 4 hours assembling my computer and when I hit the power button, nothing happens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

I bet you have the power switch connectore plugged in the wrong way on the motherboard. Make sure you have +/- matched up to the plug correctly.

Also, the huge ass power cable that goes from the power supply to the motherboard (24pin usually), is nice and snug and that you didn't leave anything disconnected.

Last, check the damn power supply itself! Make sure it's not in the OFF position (the little switch in the back of the PSU) :lol

 

[DeadTrees]

question gaffers,

how easy/hard is it to remove thermal and apply new thermal paste? I bought an artic silver kit and haven't really dabbled in opening my computer up and start cleaning up partially because, after building a pc, the scariest part for me was applying the right amount of paste. Any tips on cleaning it up? what to use, what not use?

ArctiClean will dissolve thermal compound pretty thoroughly--after that, just use coffee filters to clean up the residue. Just let the cleaner in the first bottle dry before applying the treatment in the second bottle.

 

[Archie]

I put the little switches in the right place (I had to consult the mobo manual due to the fact that it was not properly color coordinated).

Now, when I start it, the mobo lights up, the fans run, and then I hear a billion little beeps and nothing displays on the screen.

 

[DogWelder]

I put the little switches in the right place (I had to consult the mobo manual due to the fact that it was not properly color coordinated).

Now, when I start it, the mobo lights up, the fans run, and then I hear a billion little beeps and nothing displays on the screen.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-boot-video-problems

 

[h0pper]

I've posted here a few times, and have gotten some pretty good advice.

but, there is a MicroCenter pretty close to my neighborhood and now I'm considering heading over there, giving them an idea of what I want (i7 processor, Radeon HD5850, etc.) and comparing it to the games I'd like to be able to play.

does anyone have any experience with them?

edit: I'll probably end up having them help me pick most components and then have them build it as well..

 

[kinggroin]

I put the little switches in the right place (I had to consult the mobo manual due to the fact that it was not properly color coordinated).

Now, when I start it, the mobo lights up, the fans run, and then I hear a billion little beeps and nothing displays on the screen.

Those billion beeps are there for a reason.

What motherboard model do you have? Also, we'll need to know the amount of, and the pattern of the beeps.

 

[Archie]

Got it working. I had the RAM in the wrong slots. It's beautiful. ;_;

 

[nataku]

What parts offer the best performance for the price now? My PC is a few years old now and I need to upgrade. I have a 550W Corsair PSU (MX550 I think it is) and a 1TB HDD I'd like to try and carry over if possible.

Beyond that my current system is a E6850 Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz, 512MB 8800GT and a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L with 2GB of RAM.

I'm mainly just trying to get an idea on what all an upgrade would cost me. I want something that is a noticeable improvement over what I have now.

 

[·feist·]

Got it working. I had the RAM in the wrong slots. It's beautiful. ;_;

That's a great feeling. Now, all you have to do is avoid becoming a PC build addict. You'll start looking for any excuse just to put components together.

 

[Archie]

That's a great feeling. Now, all you have to do is avoid becoming a PC build addict. You'll start looking for any excuse just to put components together.

Yeah I already want a bigger case since my 5850 was a very tight fit. :lol

Also, I need a new mouse, keyboard and chair. I'm using cheap Wal-Mart garbage right now. Are there any suggestions in the $30-40/each range for the mouse and keyboard and ~$100 range for the chair?

 

[KaYotiX]

Glad you went 5850 Archie, i just got it last week and its a freaking beast!! I have a FULL tower case so its got room but that card is huge LOL!!

Glad to see you got it working and start maxing out those PC games

 

[Archie]

*plays Overlord 2 with max settings and 60 FPS*

*face melts*

For reference, my old computer was a Pentium 4 2.8 Ghz, 1 gig of RAM and a 6600GT. Needless to say, my new rig is quite a significant improvement.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Ugh... I don't think I'm getting the performance I should be from my new heat sink.

Here are my results of the Real temp sensor test:

With the stock cooler my max temp was 80-82C but the idle temps are exactly the same. It was such a huge pain in the ass to install but I think I might have to do it all over again and reapply the thermal paste.

 

[Minsc]

What parts offer the best performance for the price now? My PC is a few years old now and I need to upgrade. I have a 550W Corsair PSU (MX550 I think it is) and a 1GB HDD I'd like to try and carry over if possible.

Beyond that my current system is a E6850 Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz, 512MB 8800GT and a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L with 2GB of RAM.

I'm mainly just trying to get an idea on what all an upgrade would cost me. I want something that is a noticeable improvement over what I have now.

Best performance for the price? I guess that depends on what "the price" is.

CPU i'd say a i5 750 or X6 1055 / 1090.
GPU a 5850 (if you can find it for under 300) or GTX 470
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 1 or 1.5 TB, I don't think a 1GB HDD will cut it anymore! If you want to go highend, you'd do a combo of the Spinpoint w/ an Intel X-25M SSD.
RAM/Motherboard, just pick whatever suits your needs, go with 4-8GBs of RAM depending on how cheap it is and how much crap you run in the background.
Be sure to get a nice monitor ($200-300+), and don't be afraid to spend $100 or more on a keyboard+mouse, a $50 mouse and a nice keyboard go a long way! And throw in a 360 controller too, they're becoming indispensable!

 

[Minsc]

Ugh... I don't think I'm getting the performance I should be from my new heat sink.

Here are my results of the Real temp sensor test:
[]http://i40.tinypic.com/9uuujc.jpg[/IMG]

With the stock cooler my max temp was 80-82C but the idle temps are exactly the same. It was such a huge pain in the ass to install but I think I might have to do it all over again and reapply the thermal paste.

My cooler runs my 920 at 55C at full load, at stock speed (fans at 1K rpm though, don't like the noise of them running at 2K rpm). So 65C isn't horrible, but yea, there's a chance you might get it lower, just keep in mind any changes in ambient temps since you tested your stock cooler, my PC runs a good 5-10C hotter now than it did in the dead of winter.

 

[nataku]

Best performance for the price? I guess that depends on what "the price" is.

CPU i'd say a i5 750 or X6 1055 / 1090.
GPU a 5850 (if you can find it for under 300) or GTX 470
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 1 or 1.5 TB, I don't think a 1GB HDD will cut it anymore! If you want to go highend, you'd do a combo of the Spinpoint w/ an Intel X-25M SSD.
RAM/Motherboard, just pick whatever suits your needs, go with 4-8GBs of RAM depending on how cheap it is and how much crap you run in the background.
Be sure to get a nice monitor ($200-300+), and don't be afraid to spend $100 or more on a keyboard+mouse, a $50 mouse and a nice keyboard go a long way! And throw in a 360 controller too, they're becoming indispensable!

Heh, didn't even notice I put 1GB HDD instead of 1TB.

Anyway, I'm mainly looking for what offers great performance while still being inexpensive. Like the 8800GTs used to be. Parts that while not being the top performers are really great deals for what they do. The best price/performance ratio.

I should also mention that I'll be running my monitor at 1920x1200.

 

[Felix Lighter]

My cooler runs my 920 at 55C at full load, at stock speed (fans at 1K rpm though, don't like the noise of them running at 2K rpm). So 65C isn't horrible, but yea, there's a chance you might get it lower, just keep in mind any changes in ambient temps since you tested your stock cooler, my PC runs a good 5-10C hotter now than it did in the dead of winter.

Does thermal paste need time to wear in or anything like that or is it as good as it gets until I reapply? I would love to never open the case again after the stress I went through installing the heatsink.

 

[Hazaro]

idle temps being the same is not surprising.

Your load went down and that is the important thing.

'Burn-in' is usually a week or so, might see a drop of 1-3C nothing major.

 

[Felix Lighter]

idle temps being the same is not surprising.

Your load went down and that is the important thing.

'Burn-in' is usually a week or so, might see a drop of 1-3C nothing major.

Alright, thanks. I guess I'll just deal with it for now until/if I decide to overclock the cpu.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Alright Computer-Age GAF. My macbook pro has been a true champion over the past 3 years. However, it's time to get an upgrade since I will be graduating in a year and will honestly not need a full size laptop anymore.

I play to build my computer around December. I have never actually put together an entire computer before for myself, but I have done repairs before so I know my way around a case.

I am going to cap myself at 1000 USD. I already have a nice 22 inch monitor I use for my 360 currently, and I have a keyboard and MX518 which is still going strong. I am basically looking to build a graphic and processing powerhouse for gaming in addition to digitial photo editing with a huge amount of hard drive space to hold my photos.

So my questions are.

1) When should I start looking to buy components? From what I can tell, cases can be bought pretty early. I don't really need a monster, so I think a mid-size case should be fine. I plan to probably raid 2-3 drives together.

2) Should I stick with fan cooling, or be brave and get water cooling.

As a quick note, I have many sources to get parts. I have a Fry's and a Microcenter right next me along with tigerdirect and newegg of course.




If someone could list a build assuming I were to purchase something today that would be great for me to judge off of over the next few months. I am also open to ANY case, PSU, CPU, GPU, and memory recommendations. I need something fast that will last without needing a real upgrade for 2-3 years. Thanks GAF.

 

[rohlfinator]

Also, I need a new mouse, keyboard and chair. I'm using cheap Wal-Mart garbage right now. Are there any suggestions in the $30-40/each range for the mouse and keyboard and ~$100 range for the chair?

I picked up a Logitech MX518 a few weeks ago and I'm liking it a lot. Looks like it's going for a bit over $40 right now, but you might be able to find one on sale or on eBay.

Anyway, I'm mainly looking for what offers great performance while still being inexpensive. Like the 8800GTs used to be. Parts that while not being the top performers are really great deals for what they do. The best price/performance ratio.

I should also mention that I'll be running my monitor at 1920x1200.

I'd say Minsc's answers fit this pretty well. The i5 750 is a great bang for the buck, and the X6 1055 seems to give it a good fight.

There aren't really a lot of amazing price/performance GPUs out there right now, not like the 8800GT anyway. The switch to 40nm hasn't been too smooth so prices are kind of high at the moment. The Radeon 5770 seems to be a bit better performance/value than the 5850, but it's not a big enough improvement over your 8800GT to warrant buying, IMO. The 5850 or 470 would be a better choice for your resolution.

 

[Scythesurge]

Ok guys, time for an update with my system!

I got my PC running, it was just a matter of connections. I'll keep this short and to the point. Basically I've got two main problems right now.

1) Windows 7 boot: I installed Win7 and everything seems ok, but ever since the first restart, I get a message that says "Reboot and select proper boot device" or something to that effect. So I do, make sure in BIOS that the drive Win7 is installed on (a 60GB SSD) is the 1st boot device, but I still get the message. I can run Windows by having the disc in there at that screen and pushing any key. I'm not really sure why this issue is occurring.

2) Memory Issue: My first run of BIOS recognized my 6 GBs of RAM (DDR 3 1600). In windows I check my system specs, and it only says 4. I go back into BIOS and now there is only 4 in there. Next I power down and try taking the 3 cards out and putting them back in. I power up into BIOS, it says 6, I say yay. In Windows it says 4 again...and now BIOS is back to 4. Any ideas?

Any help would be much appreciated, I am itching to join the PC master race!