# $500 gaming pc for Elder Scrolls



## camoxiong (May 2, 2013)

I need the parts to build a pc to play Elder Scrolls under $500. I will post some parts later on. Is it good to use an AMD APU with a 6670 for dual GPU mode? Everything will cost $497.54, without the peripherals. 


CPU - A8-5600K

AMD A8-5600K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) Socket ...

Motherboard - MSI FM2-A75MA-E35

MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Newe...

GPU - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670

SAPPHIRE  Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Expr...

RAM - G. Skills RipJaw X 

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR...

HDD - WD Black

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5003AZEX - Newegg.c...

PSU - Corsair cx430

CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 P...

A case will be a Corsair 200r.


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## Black Panther (May 2, 2013)

Check this out:












> $300 budget all-around PC:
> 
> - Athlon II X2 250 (2x1 MB L2 cache)
> - Foxconn 88GM mobo (710 SB)
> ...



(Definitely don't go for a no-name PSU though).


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## camoxiong (May 2, 2013)

Black Panther said:


> Check this out:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I know. I have a Corsair cx430 in my system, and for this one I want a Corsair cx430 too.

any advice on this build?


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## Black Panther (May 2, 2013)

camoxiong said:


> any advice on this build?



It won't max out Skyrim but it's OK. You'll get performance similar to the video I posted above (between 30-40fps). That's without any texture mods. Fps will drop much lower if you install high-texture mods.


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## GreiverBlade (May 2, 2013)

or you can go second hand sweetdeals like me and have a TR and Crysis 3 pc ready for less than 500$ (well tomb raider in Ultimate at 45 avg fps is honorable for my mainrig ... )

edit : most of my second hand sweetdeals have still 20month waranty over 24month and most of them are "i brought this but it doesnt fit or run with my current system so i sell it"

Phenom II X4 955 60$ (12month warranty on site) 3.2 base currently oc at 4.2ghz 57c° max on load reported by Axtu and OHM

Corsaire H60 with 2 SP120 45$ (no warranty but run just fine)

8gig ram 32$ (24month warranty remaining)

ASRock 970 extrem 3 70$ (20month warranty remaining)

XFX R7950DD 3gb 250$ (21month warranty remaining) OC 50/25mhz more than a R7950DD BE 70c° at max  

Thermaltake element S 25$ 

ACER P243W 1920x1200 75hz 50$ (not the best sweetdeals i had ... no warranty and some flickering before i worked on it but .. 50$!!! who care! )

total 500$ oh ... weeelll not less but not more either  (nope i wont count the PSU in it ... i have it since my previous build!)

or my 2nd rig does all fine too .... 

Phenom II X4 810 2.6ghz 45$ (original AMD heatsink)

8gig ram 32$ 

Foxconn Alpinia RS780L (crappy isnt it?) 35$

Club3D HD6950 2gb CoolStream Ed. 90$ (a failed double bios flash from her previous owner, wich i revived it all thanks to TPU xD)

Fractal design Core 1000 45$

FSP Hexa 500 60$

Asus VS24H 120$

total: 427$


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## camoxiong (May 2, 2013)

GreiverBlade said:


> or you can go second hand sweetdeals like me and have a TR and Crysis 3 pc ready for less than 500$ (well tomb raider in Ultimate at 45 avg fps is honorable for my mainrig ... )
> 
> edit : most of my second hand sweetdeals have still 20month waranty over 24month and most of them are "i brought this but it doesnt fit or run with my current system so i sell it"
> 
> ...



you selling the parts?


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## GreiverBlade (May 2, 2013)

camoxiong said:


> you selling the parts?



hum well no, those are my 2 actual rigs  it was just for reference (i do all my shopping on Ricardo.ch or Ebay.ch and a bit to Steg (a local computer shop near where i live)


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## camoxiong (May 2, 2013)

GreiverBlade said:


> hum well no, those are my 2 actual rigs  it was just for reference (i do all my shopping on Ricardo.ch or Ebay.ch and a bit to Steg (a local computer shop near where i live)



ok


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## drdeathx (May 2, 2013)

Your Trinity build is good. The A8-5600K will perform better than a Phenom, so stay with what ya got OP. You can always upgrade to a better GPU in the future and sell the 6670....


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## Norton (May 2, 2013)

There's a member here selling an FX-8320/880G rig for $350 plus shipping:

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183120

Has some other pieces too


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## brandonwh64 (May 2, 2013)

I sent you a PM


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## Dent1 (May 2, 2013)

camoxiong said:


> I need the parts to build a pc to play Elder Scrolls under $500. I will post some parts later on. Is it good to use an AMD APU with a 6670 for dual GPU mode? Everything will cost $497.54, without the peripherals.
> 
> 
> CPU - A8-5600K
> ...





The APU makes no sense teamed with a dedicated GPU.

You can get a FX Bulldozer 6 core for $10 more, or FX Piledriver 6 core $30 more.  Both CPUs would be better equipped for more intensive gaming and longevity.

AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket A...
AMD FX-6100 Zambezi 3.3GHz Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Cor...

4GB is sort of the minimum threshold. You're setting yourself to fail if you shoot that low. RAM is so cheap go for 8GB atleast.

The 6670 is a very weak video card. I would reconsider, you might do OK with oblivion but you're setting yourself up to fail in the long run.


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## newtekie1 (May 2, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> The APU makes no sense teamed with a dedicated GPU.



It makes perfect sense with that dedicated GPU.



camoxiong said:


> any advice on this build?



If you are using it for gaming I'd spend the $20 more and get the A10-5800K.  It will pair better with the 6670, the iGPU in the 5800k pairs better with the 6570 according to AMD.

Also, the iGPU performance scales almost linearly with memory speed, so spend the $2 more and get the 1866 RAM here:G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR...


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## drdeathx (May 2, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> The APU makes no sense teamed with a dedicated GPU.
> 
> The 6670 is a very weak video card. I would reconsider, you might do OK with oblivion but you're setting yourself up to fail in the long run.



 The 6670 can be crossfired with the on die GPU.


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## Dent1 (May 2, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> The 6670 can be crossfired with the on die GPU.



Yes, I know this. It's still a weak card, even crossfired it would bearly be faster than an 5770 or 4890 from 2008.

Edit:


I'm not saying to get a 4890. Just trying to put into perspective of how slow the 6670 CF is compared to even cards 3 generations ago. Granted the 4890 doesn't support DX11 but in raw performance it's faster and the 6670 is too slow to run DX11 games maxed out anyways.

I'm sure the op can find a second hand 5770, 7770,7750 or 6750?


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## drdeathx (May 2, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> Yes, I know this. It's still a weak card, even crossfired it would bearly be faster than an 5770 or 4890 from 2008.



OMG, 5770 is old and 4890 is older and hax no DX11 support Why would you bring inantequated cards in the thread?

The 6670 crossifred is not weak. it will handle most games maybe not at full tilt but the combo at $500 is excellent so I am trying to get your point.
.

The OP is trying to get the best bang for his buck at $500 and he hit it on the head.


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## Rowsol (May 2, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> Just trying to put into perspective of how slow the 6670 CF is compared to even cards 3 generations ago.



Even so, it's near the top of the list
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_650_Ti_Boost_SC/28.html
$/perf is all that matters when you are on a budget.

BTW, you should spend a little more on faster memory.
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2106/6/


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## Eric_Cartman (May 3, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> OMG, 5770 is old and 4890 is older and hax no DX11 support Why would you bring inantequated cards in the thread?



What is the point of calling the 4890 antiquated just because it can't do DX11 when you won't be able to do DX11 anything with the 6670?

An older faster card is better than a new slow one.

It comes down to performance, and the 5770 and 4890 are both faster than the 6670.

And with dual-graphics the 6670 just barely matches a 5770.


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## drdeathx (May 3, 2013)

Eric_Cartman said:


> What is the point of calling the 4890 antiquated just because it can't do DX11 when you won't be able to do DX11 anything with the 6670?
> 
> An older faster card is better than a new slow one.
> 
> ...



Please read the thread. He is putting a build together for $500


5770 is not better than 6670 XFIRED with GPU and will not Xfire. Moot subject.

He cannot get a 4890 for $100. Moot subject

So your point is?


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## Lazermonkey (May 3, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> Please read the thread. He is putting a build together for $500
> 
> 
> [*]He cannot get a 4890 for $100. Moot subject
> ...


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## drdeathx (May 3, 2013)

Lazermonkey said:


> drdeathx said:
> 
> 
> > Please read the thread. He is putting a build together for $500
> ...


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## Lazermonkey (May 3, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> Lazermonkey said:
> 
> 
> > UMMMMMMMMM Used, look at the ebay thingy hat says USED. Go ahead buy from a mystery person.
> ...


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## Lazermonkey (May 3, 2013)

Camoxiong,

You can buy an AMD FX 6300 for right around $120.00 shipped these days.

Unless you're set on the A series?


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## Eric_Cartman (May 3, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> Please read the thread. He is putting a build together for $500
> 
> 
> 5770 is not better than 6670 XFIRED with GPU and will not Xfire. Moot subject.
> ...




The 5800K+6670 combo scores about P2500 in 3DMark, that is only marginally more than a GT 640.  The HD5770 on the other hand scores around P2850.  And take a look at this review.  Notice how the 5800K+6670 combo scores very closely to the GT 640 in the real world test the two were compared in?  Also, go read some reviews and notice how the HD5770 is about 50% faster than the GT 640 in real world test.

You most certainly can get an HD4890 for $100. But if you absolutely must have new then the HD7770 can be had for $100 new and it absolutely trashes the 5800K+6670 combo.  Just because the 6670 can be crossfired with the iGPU doesn't suddenly make the card not crap.  The iGPU isn't good, the HD6670 isn't good, the two together aren't good.  The HD5770 performs better and supports crossfire so a second can be added later.  That is by far the better option.

The HD5770 and HD4890 were not suggestions on what he should buy.  They were examples to show how absolute shit the 5800K+6670 combo is.

You probably shouldn't argue about things you obviously have no clue about.  But from your post history I can tell you really argue just to argue.

Those are my points.


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## camoxiong (May 3, 2013)

Lazermonkey said:


> Camoxiong,
> 
> You can buy an AMD FX 6300 for right around $120.00 shipped these days.
> 
> Unless you're set on the A series?



It's not for me, it's for one of my brother in law's cousin


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

camoxiong said:


> It's not for me, it's for one of my brother in law's cousin



Then don't get him a rig with crossfire if he is playing Elder Scrolls games. That is all im going to say.


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## camoxiong (May 3, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Then don't get him a rig with crossfire if he is playing Elder Scrolls games. That is all im going to say.



why not?


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## drdeathx (May 3, 2013)

Eric_Cartman said:


> The 5800K+6670 combo scores about P2500 in 3DMark, that is only marginally more than a GT 640.  The HD5770 on the other hand scores around P2850.  And take a look at this review.  Notice how the 5800K+6670 combo scores very closely to the GT 640 in the real world test the two were compared in?  Also, go read some reviews and notice how the HD5770 is about 50% faster than the GT 640 in real world test.
> 
> You most certainly can get an HD4890 for $100. But if you absolutely must have new then the HD7770 can be had for $100 new and it absolutely trashes the 5800K+6670 combo.  Just because the 6670 can be crossfired with the iGPU doesn't suddenly make the card not crap.  The iGPU isn't good, the HD6670 isn't good, the two together aren't good.  The HD5770 performs better and supports crossfire so a second can be added later.  That is by far the better option.
> 
> ...




Your too complicated. The 5770 is not even made anymore. If he Phantoms a dedicated card, the 7770 Radeon is $115 and that would suit what your trying to explain with the 5770 not even made anymore. I have no clue why your debating a 3 year old card. 

I am  not arguing, I am stating a fact that your mentioning a dead card. i understand you want to prove your right but over a dead card is funny as hell. The 5800K plus 6670 is not dead as hell. It is a budget solution that is commonly used. Please explain why you make up the combo is dead. I am rolling over your explanations so far.



MxPhenom 216 said:


> Then don't get him a rig with crossfire if he is playing Elder Scrolls games. That is all im going to say.



He could also spend about $40 more instead of the 6670 and get a 7770 Radeon for a dedicated card. problem solved plus the 7770 Radeon stomps the On die GPU/6670 crossfire combo.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

camoxiong said:


> why not?



Because Crossfire, more like multi GPU sucks on Elder Scrolls games. It may be a little bit better on Nvidia setups, but its horrid with Crossfire. 

I don't know the specifics but Crazyeyesreaper is very knowledgeable in game engines and stuff seeing how he went to school for like 2 years studing that kind of stuff, and says due to the fact that elder scrolls games uses a very ancient version of the gamebryo game, that doesn't really have multi GPU support to begin with, it is pretty broken, and so you are better off with a single card setup for these particular titles. 

I guess sometimes you can improve it with chosing the right driver, but then sometimes that driver will break other things so its kind of a lose lose.



drdeathx said:


> Your too complicated. The 5770 is not even made anymore. If he Phantoms a dedicated card, the 7770 Radeon is $115 and that would suit what your trying to explain with the 5770 not even made anymore. I have no clue why your debating a 3 year old card.
> 
> I am  not arguing, I am stating a fact that your mentioning a dead card. i understand you want to prove your right but over a dead card is funny as hell. The 5800K plus 6670 is not dead as hell. It is a budget solution that is commonly used. Please explain why you make up the combo is dead. I am rolling over your explanations so far.
> 
> ...



This is true.

Heres a little illustration as to what im talking about with the new review for the HD7990 which is 2 HD7970s on one PCB in Crossfire. 







Doesn't it seem odd to you that a Single 7970 is on par with this card? well................

and then if you look at GTX680 SLI, it is just as bad.........


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## OneMoar (May 3, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Because Crossfire, more like multi GPU sucks on Elder Scrolls games. Its a little bit better on Nvidia multi GPU configurations, but its horrid with Crossfire.
> 
> I don't know the specifics but Crazyeyesreaper is very knowledgeable in game engines and stuff seeing how he went to school for like 2 years studing that kind of stuff, and says due to the fact that elder scrolls games uses a very ancient version of the gamebryo game, that doesn't really have multi GPU support to begin with, it is pretty broken, and so you are better off with a single card setup for these particular titles.
> 
> ...



demolishing hardly thats within the margin for error with the benchmark
still does prove that unless you are running at 2K resolutions multi gpu setups are a waste of money
getting a APU for a dedicated gaming machine makes no sense further more your choice of ram is going to cripple it if you insist on spending money on a APU get at least 1866


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> demolishing hardly thats within the margin for error with the benchmark
> still does prove that unless you are running at 2K resolutions multi gpu setups are a waste of money



I would only say that multi GPU is elder scrolls games is a waste of money, and some others that have shoddy support.


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## OneMoar (May 3, 2013)

yall really need to learn how to part a machine 

http://cl.ly/OiQi/Image 2013-05-03 at 3.30.09 AM.png
should run skyrim no problem yea its 25 bucks over budget so what it will also walk all over anything anyone has listed so far


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> yall really need to learn how to part a machine
> 
> http://cl.ly/OiQi/Image 2013-05-03 at 3.30.09 AM.png
> should run skyrim no problem yea its 25 bucks over budget so what it will also walk all over anything anyone has listed so far



yall really need to learn how to stay within budget $525 > $500


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## OneMoar (May 3, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> yall really need to learn how to stay within budget $525 > $500



buy crap you get crap
if you don't have 25 dollars of leeway 
then you should not be building a new computer
what happens if something is DOA what happens if you need to ship something back what happens if you break something and need to replace it OFW
do it once do it right and then not do it for 2 or 3 years then again if wan'ts to blow his money on a APU and then be disappointed when it doesn't perform thats his prerogative
you could probably get it under 500 by changing the psu to a 450 watt and going with a older 880G motherboard
I run a 6870 a overclocked phenom II and 4 hard drives a lan card and 7 usb powered devices on a little antec 520c 450 should be fine so long as he doesn't go trying to crossfire stuff
edit: http://cl.ly/OiOa/Image 2013-05-03 at 3.46.29 AM.png >485.92 + SnH
there ya happy under budget and will still walk that APU but don't complain when you want to upgrade the cpu or gpu and you need to replace the motherboard and psu


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## Dent1 (May 3, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> Please read the thread. He is putting a build together for $500
> 
> 
> 5770 is not better than 6670 XFIRED with GPU and will not Xfire. Moot subject.
> ...




Actually the 5770 is better than the 6670 CF. This is what I've been trying to explain many posts back but you're not internalising it. You would need 6670 CF to get close to the performance of a 5770 or 4890 which are not very fast either by todays standards and would struggle on Skyrim too. 

I'm not saying the OP should get a 5770 or a 4890 or abandon his plans for a 6670 CF. I'm just making him aware that the 6670 CF performance level so he isn't disappointed.


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## DarkOCean (May 3, 2013)

go for a min of 8gb ram (even the cheapest is better than just 4 gigs) Team 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (P...

Get a 7770 or better instead of crossfiring low end gpus (its alot better than crossfired 6670's, even more if they're the slower gdd3 version.)
HIS H777FN1G Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bi...

search for a fx 6300; amd have just cut the price for it to $112(the price still hasn't droped in stores) + a cheap mobo for it. http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2013/2013050101_AMD_cuts_prices_of_desktop_CPUs.html
case + storage  -whatewer you may preffer.


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## Soylent Joe (May 3, 2013)

Friendly reminder that you could go to Gamestop and buy a used Xbox 360 and Skyrim for less than or around $200. Your game would play smooth 100% of the time on any HDTV in the world. The system will also use less electricity, take up less room and make less noise.


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## newtekie1 (May 3, 2013)

After doing a little more research, and testing again with my dual-GPU setup(it is an nVidia setup but it seems AMD isn't any better), I take back what I said about the dual-GPU setup being a decent idea.  It seems that it is actually a bad idea.  Skyrim scaled terribly with SLI and Crossfire, there is almost no performance boost by adding the second card.  And it seems that Dual-GPU with an iGPU doesn't scale with most games, so in the majority of games you'll end up with the performance of just the 6670, which isn't that great.

I threw together this build:  Once You Know, You Newegg

Total comes to $496.93 + 7.11 Shipping = $504.04

But Promo Code EMCXRXT37 takes $8.55 off the memory bringing the final price down to *$495.49*

Plus there is a $10 mail in rebate on the case, but I don't consider those in the final price.

CPU wise it will be more powerful than the A8-5600K thanks to the L3 cache, yes it is Bulldozer and the A8 is Piledriver, but the L3 makes up the difference in performance and then some.  And the GPU will be better suited for Skyrim.

If there is room to go slightly over budget you can squeeze in the FX-6350, which is a Piledriver CPU and a 6-Core.  It would put the final cost at $535.49.



Soylent Joe said:


> Friendly reminder that you could go to Gamestop and buy a used Xbox 360 and Skyrim for less than or around $200. Your game would play smooth 100% of the time on any HDTV in the world. The system will also use less electricity, take up less room and make less noise.



If he wants to play Skyrim at 720p on low detail settings he wouldn't even need a dedicated card, the iGPU on the A8-5600K can handled that.


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## OneMoar (May 3, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> After doing a little more research, and testing again with my dual-GPU setup(it is an nVidia setup but it seems AMD isn't any better), I take back what I said about the dual-GPU setup being a decent idea.  It seems that it is actually a bad idea.  Skyrim scaled terribly with SLI and Crossfire, there is almost no performance boost by adding the second card.  And it seems that Dual-GPU with an iGPU doesn't scale with most games, so in the majority of games you'll end up with the performance of just the 6670, which isn't that great.
> 
> I threw together this build:  Once You Know, You Newegg
> 
> ...


meh Openbox and you forgot a optical drive and a FX chip is pointless with that gpu the phenom II is 95 bucks and will be more then enough


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## newtekie1 (May 3, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> meh Openbox and you forgot a optical drive and a FX chip is pointless with that gpu the phenom II is 95 bucks and will be more then enough



I've bought plenty of open box items from the egg, never had an issue, they're a great way to save money and come with the manufacturers warranty just like it was bought new.

And the optical drive is auto-added with the case, it is free. 

The FX chip isn't necessary, but it fits in the budget, so I went with it.  If I was over budget the Phenom chip would have been my suggestion.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

Newtekie's build is what I would go with honestly. Just clock that FX chip to the sky and it should be good. Skyrim is very CPU bound, and not multi threaded, so the faster the CPU the better off you are. 

Intel chips are better then AMD in Skyrim due to the better single thread app performance, but id be hard pressed to be able to put an intel rig together for under $500. Unless you ran a core i3.


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## newtekie1 (May 3, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Newtekie's build is what I would go with honestly. Just clock that FX chip to the sky and it should be good. Skyrim is very CPU bound, and not multi threaded, so the faster the CPU the better off you are.
> 
> Intel chips are better then AMD in Skyrim due to the better single thread app performance, but id be hard pressed to be able to put an intel rig together for under $500. Unless you ran a core i3.



I have to agree, and with AMD's ability to overclock it is a clear winner in this price category.

That being said, spending $30 on a decent after market cooler would do a world of good.  I'd go with XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 CPU Cooler, for $30 it really offers great performance and should allow the FX chips to be overclocked to pretty good speeds.

But again, the cooler would put things over budget.  That is the hard part with a budget this low, there is always that little bit more that can be added but puts you over budget.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 3, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> I have to agree, and with AMD's ability to overclock it is a clear winner in this price category.
> 
> That being said, spending $30 on a decent after market cooler would do a world of good.  I'd go with XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 CPU Cooler bracket included d..., for $30 it really offers great performance and should allow the FX chips to be overclocked to pretty good speeds.
> 
> But again, the cooler would put things over budget.  That is the hard part with a budget this low, there is always that little bit more that can be added but puts you over budget.



Yeah that cooler, or the cooler master which I think performs better.

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatp...

Still puts it over budget


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## newtekie1 (May 3, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Yeah that cooler, or the cooler master which I think performs better.
> 
> COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatp...
> 
> Still puts it over budget



I've used them both and the difference is marginal. I just prefer the mounting system on the Xigmatek, it is much more solid.  The Coolermaster mounting system uses extremely thin metal that I could bend with my bare hands.  The Xigmatech uses nice thick steal that is chrome plated.  There's nothing wrong with going with the Cooler Master though.


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## Eric_Cartman (May 4, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> Your too complicated. The 5770 is not even made anymore. If he Phantoms a dedicated card, the 7770 Radeon is $115 and that would suit what your trying to explain with the 5770 not even made anymore. I have no clue why your debating a 3 year old card.
> 
> I am  not arguing, I am stating a fact that your mentioning a dead card. i understand you want to prove your right but over a dead card is funny as hell. The 5800K plus 6670 is not dead as hell. It is a budget solution that is commonly used. Please explain why you make up the combo is dead. I am rolling over your explanations so far.



I'll say it one more time.

The HD5770 was used as an example to show how bad the 5800K+6670 combo was.  

It was *NOT* a suggestion on what card he should actually get.

Why is that hard to comprehend?

You're completely wrong, the 5800K+6670 is not a good combo, it sucks.

In fact, it sucks so much a dead card beats it, that is the point.

No one is saying the 5800K+6670 is dead, I am saying it is worse than cards that are dead.

I even said the HD7770 was the way to go in my post, try reading.


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## drdeathx (May 4, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> I've bought plenty of open box items from the egg, never had an issue, they're a great way to save money and come with the manufacturers warranty just like it was bought new.
> 
> And the optical drive is auto-added with the case, it is free.
> 
> The FX chip isn't necessary, but it fits in the budget, so I went with it.  If I was over budget the Phenom chip would have been my suggestion.



Yea! Here is the best suggestion^^^^^^^^^^

But another throw in as Phenom agreed: switching to a 7770 will run $40 bucks more seeing the 7770 is as low as $115 and he could use it as a dedicated card which would stomp the APU/6670 combo.




OneMoar said:


> meh Openbox and you forgot a optical drive and a FX chip is pointless with that gpu the phenom II is 95 bucks and will be more then enough



Why go PII when A8-5800K is very close in performance plus motherboard will cost more?


Still trying to figure out what Cartman is sayiong, I am very confused.... Cartman, nobody said the APU/6670 was good but as Newtekie said and I, fits the $500 budget. Chill out dude.


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## lyndonguitar (May 4, 2013)

If you wanna just "play" it, well yeah its very playable and fine, My friend has similar specs(but he got an old 5670) and he plays it fine, but prepare to use low-medium settings

I would recommend an i3 to go along with that 6670, but that's just me


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## drdeathx (May 4, 2013)

lyndonguitar said:


> If you wanna just "play" it, well yeah its very playable and fine, My friend has similar specs(but he got an old 5670) and he plays it fine, but prepare to use low-medium settings
> 
> I would recommend an i3 to go along with that 6670, but that's just me



YOU CANNOT CROSSFIRE THE 6670 WITH AN I3 and all around performance is better with Trinity over the i3/


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## lyndonguitar (May 4, 2013)

drdeathx said:


> YOU CANNOT CROSSFIRE THE 6670 WITH AN I3 and all around performance is better with Trinity over the i3/



I wouldn't want the crossfire anyway, as I said that's just me lol


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## JC316 (May 4, 2013)

Gigabyte GA-970a-d3 - $89
GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3 ATX AMD Motherboard - Newegg.c...

Athlon II X4 640 - $75
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W ...

8gb G.skill sniper series DDR3 1866 - $67
G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 S...

HD 7850 - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161426

Seagate Baracuda 500GB - $60
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002                      ...

Lepa N series 500W - $41
LEPA N Series N500-SA 500W ATX12V Power Supply - N...

Total price - $492 and it will walk all over most games out there today.


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## Dent1 (May 4, 2013)

JC316 said:


> Gigabyte GA-970a-d3 - $89
> GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3 ATX AMD Motherboard - Newegg.c...
> 
> Athlon II X4 640 - $75
> ...



Performance wise this rig is the best suggestion for gaming because you creeped the 7850 in there. The OP also has the option to upgrade to the FX at a later date due to AM3+ support


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## OneMoar (May 4, 2013)

don't waste your time with the Athlon II


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## newtekie1 (May 4, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> don't waste your time with the Athlon II



Not to mention there is no case, not optical drive, and the power supply scares the crap out of me.  I wouldn't power my worst enemy's gaming rig with that thing.


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## OneMoar (May 4, 2013)

bottom line:
do it once(ish) do it right
you can go cheap and get something that will play skyrim or you could step up into the 600.00 range and get something worlds better


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## JC316 (May 4, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> don't waste your time with the Athlon II



Mine was PLENTY powerful for Skyrim, even with a 6850 backing it. SC2 was a little laggy, but that was to be expected. 



newtekie1 said:


> Not to mention there is no case, not optical drive, and the power supply scares the crap out of me.  I wouldn't power my worst enemy's gaming rig with that thing.



I just posted up the same number of parts as the OP. You might wanna look into Lepa, they are off branded Enermax power supplies and extremely solid. I have used one for over a year without issue.


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## Dent1 (May 4, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> don't waste your time with the Athlon II



Why not, please elaborate?

 Surely he is better with an Athlon II X4 and a 7850 than a Trinity APU and a 6670.


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## JC316 (May 4, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> Why not, please elaborate?
> 
> Surely he is better with an Athlon II X4 and a 7850 than a Trinity APU and a 6670 for the same price.



Yes, he is. I used the Athlon II 640 as a stopgap processor when I did my budget build. Later on I upgraded to the FX series.


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## OneMoar (May 4, 2013)

Dent1 said:


> Why not, please elaborate?
> 
> Surely he is better with an Athlon II X4 and a 7850 than a Trinity APU and a 6670.



because its a crap chip
and because for 20 dollars more he could have a phenom II 
I am done with this thread none of you n00bs know how to build a decent machine 
nice choice of psu btw heres hoping it doesn't catch fire


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## Lazermonkey (May 4, 2013)

Why not get an FX series for the same price?


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## de.das.dude (May 4, 2013)

WD Blue 500GB
Western Digital WD Blue WD2500AAKX 250GB 7200 RPM ...

AMD FX-4300 
AMD FX-4300 Vishera 3.8GHz (4.0GHz) Socket AM3+ 95...

Asrock 970 Extreme 3
ASRock 970 EXTREME3 ATX AMD Motherboard - Newegg.c...

GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 ...

NZXT Source 210
NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Bru...

CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 P...

HIS H777FN1G Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161433

total 495$

this wont play everything at max, but it will last 7yrs or so.


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## newtekie1 (May 4, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> don't waste your time with the Athlon II



The Athlon II isn't terrible, it is just a Phenom II without the L3. Similar to how the A8 is an FX without L3. But I wouldn't waste money on it with the Phenom $20 more.


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## newtekie1 (May 4, 2013)

JC316 said:


> I just posted up the same number of parts as the OP. You might wanna look into Lepa, they are off branded Enermax power supplies and extremely solid. I have used one for over a year without issue.



He included the 200r in the original post and price, he just didn't include the link.


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## JC316 (May 5, 2013)

OneMoar said:


> because its a crap chip
> and because for 20 dollars more he could have a phenom II
> I am done with this thread none of you n00bs know how to build a decent machine
> nice choice of psu btw heres hoping it doesn't catch fire



Butt hurt much? Lepa is made by ecomaster, the same company that makes enermax innards. I personally use one with my computer and don't have a single complaint. As for the chip, it sure beats the hell out of the trinity processors and has decent overclockability. I designed what I consider to be the best build for the money.



newtekie1 said:


> He included the 200r in the original post and price, he just didn't include the link.



Ah, didn't see that.


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## newtekie1 (May 5, 2013)

JC316 said:


> Lepa is made by ecomaster, the same company that makes enermax innards.



Enermax aren't exactly great power supplies either.  But just because it is made by the same company doesn't mean it is as good.  CWT makes a lot of Corsair units, which are amazing.  They also have made a lot of totally shit units.  So saying all CWT unit is good because they  make Corsair units would be plain wrong.  The Lepa unit you linked to is overrated, it barely qualifies for a 400w unit, definitely not a 500w, and if they are overrating the overall power chances are they are overrating the rails too.  Add to that the fact that it doesn't even pass basic 80+ certification means the unit isn't using quality parts.  So since the CX430 is a known good PSU and is only $3 more there is no reason to even think about the Lepa unit.


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## JC316 (May 6, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> Enermax aren't exactly great power supplies either.  But just because it is made by the same company doesn't mean it is as good.  CWT makes a lot of Corsair units, which are amazing.  They also have made a lot of totally shit units.  So saying all CWT unit is good because they  make Corsair units would be plain wrong.  The Lepa unit you linked to is overrated, it barely qualifies for a 400w unit, definitely not a 500w, and if they are overrating the overall power chances are they are overrating the rails too.  Add to that the fact that it doesn't even pass basic 80+ certification means the unit isn't using quality parts.  So since the CX430 is a known good PSU and is only $3 more there is no reason to even think about the Lepa unit.



Meh, when I bought it, it was considered to be good. Even TPU recommends several Lepa power supplies in the reviews section. And I am wrong, CWT actually makes the Lepa power supplies, they are nearly identical to the corsair units. And again it powers my FX6300@4ghz and my 7850 without a single issue.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 6, 2013)

I am not sure why everyone is up in arms about Lepa Power supplies. They aren't as bad as people seem to blow them up to be. 

Atleast the G series, JonnyGuru reviewed the 1600w version, and it turned out well

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=283


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## newtekie1 (May 6, 2013)

JC316 said:


> Meh, when I bought it, it was considered to be good. Even TPU recommends several Lepa power supplies in the reviews section. And I am wrong, CWT actually makes the Lepa power supplies, they are nearly identical to the corsair units. And again it powers my FX6300@4ghz and my 7850 without a single issue.



Yeah, TPU recommend their high end 80+ Gold units.  The N500 is not a high end unit, it is not 80+ Gold, it isn't even 80+.  It doesn't even have APFC.  It is terrible.  Spend the $3 more and get a Corsair unit.



MxPhenom 216 said:


> I am not sure why everyone is up in arms about Lepa Power supplies. They aren't as bad as people seem to blow them up to be.
> 
> Atleast the G series, JonnyGuru reviewed the 1600w version, and it turned out well
> 
> http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=283



Because the N series is shit.  There are way better units for the money.  The G series is in a completely different category than the N series.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 6, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> Yeah, TPU recommend their high end 80+ Gold units.  The N500 is not a high end unit, it is not 80+ Gold, it isn't even 80+.  It doesn't even have APFC.  It is terrible.  Spend the $3 more and get a Corsair unit.
> 
> 
> 
> Because the N series is shit.  There are way better units for the money.  The G series is in a completely different category than the N series.



Well then by all means ditch the N series PSU lol.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 6, 2013)

But honestly, JC316 build it pretty good. the Athlon isn't too bad, Skyrim would like it to be overclocked which can be done on those chips. Just swap the power supply, and it should be good. The current board should support FX chips too for upgrades later down the road.


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## newtekie1 (May 6, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> But honestly, JC316 build it pretty good. the Athlon isn't too bad, Skyrim would like it to be overclocked which can be done on those chips. Just swap the power supply, and it should be good. The current board should support FX chips too for upgrades later down the road.



Other than missing necessary parts, it is a great build...


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 6, 2013)

newtekie1 said:


> Other than missing necessary parts, it is a great build...



LOL tooshe! 

Who needs a DVD drive an a case anyways!?  

Im going to try my luck with a build. Ill be back.

Core i3 2100
Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65...

MSI Z77 G45 Micro
MSI Z77MA-G45 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg...

8GB Geil 1600mhz
GeIL EVO Veloce Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 ...

Sapphire HD7770. Comes with a game coupon, can sell it to make some dough back to make overall cost lower.
SAPPHIRE 100358L Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 12...

Corsair CX430
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 P...

Seagate 500GB
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002                      ...

NZXT Source 210
NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Bru...

Miss anything? Shouldn't need a DVD drive, if hes play elder scrolls games, since they are all on steam. and to install the OS put the ISO or all the DVD content on a USB Flash drive and boot to it. Faster install that way too.

Heres a little benchmark from Toms showing the 2100 vs. FX4100


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## PatoRodrigues (May 6, 2013)

I'll try to build one too.

But i agree with OneMoar: Do it once, do it right. $600 range, even if takes more time to save the money, will give you more performance. And you won't regret it.


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## JC316 (May 6, 2013)

Power supplies are a funny thing, I remember when the Antec 500w was considered to be the best out there, so I bought one. 6 months later a capacitor blew, taking my motherboard and CPU with it, then a whole bunch of reports of the same thing started coming in. Rosewills are considered to be crap, but the 400w powering my office computer has gone for 5 years without a problem.


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## newtekie1 (May 6, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> LOL tooshe!
> 
> Who needs a DVD drive an a case anyways!?
> 
> ...



The performance gap is made up for and then some once you take in consideration the FX-4100 can be overclocked and the 2100 can't.  For this budget I wouldn't even consider an Intel rig simply because of the overclocking factor.



JC316 said:


> Power supplies are a funny thing, I remember when the Antec 500w was considered to be the best out there, so I bought one. 6 months later a capacitor blew, taking my motherboard and CPU with it, then a whole bunch of reports of the same thing started coming in. Rosewills are considered to be crap, but the 400w powering my office computer has gone for 5 years without a problem.



A lot of time you can't just go by brand.  Anyone that says a PSU is good just based on brand doesn't know what they are talking about.  Antec made good power supplies, but they also made crap supplies.  The SmartPower series was total junk, for example, but Antec made some good units too, and still do.

Same with Rosewill, they have some good units and some bad.


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## PatoRodrigues (May 6, 2013)

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor 

ASRock 970 EXTREME3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

HIS H779F1GD Radeon HD 7790 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (Comes with Blood Dragon and Bioshock)

ADATA XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GC4G9-2G

Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

NZXT Source 210 S210-001 Black “Aluminum Brush / Plastic” ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply


According to Newegg, this would cost a total of: $497.93


EDIT: I would overclock the hell out of this chip, but adding a cooler would surpass the budget. Well, i tried.


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## MxPhenom 216 (May 6, 2013)

PatoRodrigues said:


> AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor
> 
> ASRock 970 EXTREME3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
> 
> ...



For the price of the HD7790 id run the GTX650ti Boost. It handedly beats the 7790 in Skyrim.  







EVGA 01G-P4-3655-KR GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST 1GB 1...


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## PatoRodrigues (May 6, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> For the price of the HD7790 id run the GTX650ti Boost. It handedly beats the 7790 in Skyrim.
> 
> http://tpucdn.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_650_Ti_Boost_SC/images/skyrim_1920_1200.gif
> 
> EVGA 01G-P4-3655-KR GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST 1GB 1...



I thought about that. But what about the budget? The cheapest 650Ti Boost on Newegg is around $149. That would surpass the budget (by $15, tho). 

That actually reinforces my first thought: Do it once, do it right. And seriously, if you're investing $500 already, there's NO WAY you can't place $15 more.


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## EpicShweetness (May 20, 2013)

I'm not gonna put a list together, but I have a A8-3850, and it has a pleasant amount of performance. I play games such as Skyrim, Bioshock Infinite, Batman Arkham City, etc. You wanna keep it simple and save some money FM1 boards can still be had, and now that it's a "dead" socket their cheaper. APU's by themselves are great for the cheap, 100watt as practically your only source of heat/power means other parts can go on the cheap as well. Hell the 3870k (overclock-able) is only $5 more now.
Just FYI single GPU solutions are my only solutions for a reason, I've had some headaches and such from letting the numbers of program decide what to do with the other GPU.


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## EpicShweetness (May 20, 2013)

Ok I put a list together 
Kids are distracted with cartoons 

Fractal Design Core 1000 FD-CA-CORE-1000-USB3-BL B...
NOTE: This is a newer version with USB 3.0, finding the case without would be more appropriate, and cheaper.

Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB...

ASRock A75M Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BI...
NOTE: Motherboard brand can be a preference.

CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 P...
NOTE: You can go with a modular version if that is preferred.

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR...
NOTE: Brand by preference, amount is subject to change as the budget will allow for more, but I find 4GB is fine. 

AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Quad-Core Deskt...

COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3 RR-910-HTX3-G1 "Heatpipe D...
NOTE: I use this on my personal A8 rig, and I find it ample to the task, subject to change as the budget allows.

Total cost $382.93, $117.07 under budget


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