# New Computer for my Brother.



## Horemheb (Oct 16, 2015)

My brother has decided to come back to pc gaming after a few years with consoles and his laptop is almost 5 years old. He asked me about building a new gaming pc for him and he gave me a budget of 600$US. Instead of just trying to find cheap parts to keep the price down I would like to ask you all here what you would choose.

He is interested in playing World of Warcraft and Guildwars 2 mainly but maybe a few fps titles here and there.
1080p is fine for him so it does not have to be a monster build. I am just curious if my choices would be in line with everyone else.

Thank you ahead of time for any input you may have on this.


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## peche (Oct 17, 2015)

what does he have at the moment?
is there some parts can be reused? something like old case, CD/DVD drive, case fans and also peripherals?
the $600 budget is for a complete rig including Screen?

Regards,


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## Horemheb (Oct 19, 2015)

Currently he has a laptop from a few years ago. That leaves him with nothing at the moment. I am going to give him an old 24" 1080p monitor I have sitting in the closet. As for the case and fans I have some things lying around that I am going to use for that. I am mainly looking for advice on the mobo, cpu, ram and gpu combo that would be the best bang for the buck. I am thinking of doing a small ssd for his operating system and a 1tb drive for storage and a 700ish watt psu.


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## wolar (Oct 19, 2015)

At 600 you may get away with an i5 but i think you are best off with something from AMD for that price point. 
As for a gpu a r9 380 will suffice for those games(wow not on max but i can't max it on a 970 so you shouldn't spend more on GPU).
A 550-650w is the most you should look at probably at an xfx ts 550 for that price point
For ram 2x4gb is all you need for now but look for a motherboard with 4-slots for upgradability.
And for CPU you got some options at the cheapest 860k(fm2+) or 6300/8300(fm3+). 
You can get an i3/g3258 and upgrade to something better later(which in the end it will cost more but you may get more years out of it than the alternatives)
, but i think you are better off with something on fm3+ chipset, even though its really old.


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## wolar (Oct 19, 2015)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TxVjFT
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/TxVjFT/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($139.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($94.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory  ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 650W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $594.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-18 21:26 EDT-0400

You got the storage and case or only the case ?If you need storage too add a WD10EZEX and get a cheaper motherboard/PSU


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## AhokZYashA (Oct 19, 2015)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmJhHx
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmJhHx/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($74.98 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($43.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card  ($175.99 @ NCIX US) 
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($45.99 @ Directron) 
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $606.33

this is I can come up with,
slightly less powerful GPU, but with a better CPU


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## wolar (Oct 19, 2015)

AhokZYashA said:


> PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmJhHx
> Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CmJhHx/by_merchant/
> 
> CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC)
> ...



He has the case so he can get the 380 with the extra money, that is the alternative build i spoke of which may be better, 
depending on how windows 10 take advantage of the 8-core amd cpu.


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## Jetster (Oct 19, 2015)

At that budget go with a Pentium dual core G3258 and a GTX960. Ive build a few of these and they run great. You will never get a i5 build under $600w/ monitor& OS

You live where?


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## wolar (Oct 19, 2015)

Jetster said:


> At that budget go with a Pentium dual core G3258 and a GTX960. Ive build a few of these and they run great. You will never get a i5 build under $600w/ monitor& OS
> 
> You live where?



He has monitor and case, as for OS i don't know but i didn't include one in my build.


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 19, 2015)

I'd go with an i5 and a used GPU. He can get a new more powerful GPU later on if he thinks he needs it. I have been running my 670 for a year now and I don't really have reason to upgrade. Stuff like 660s should go for really cheap and keeps the power consumption down pretty well too. i5 and a decent motherboard can be upgraded easily down the line with unlocked i7 if he feels the need and Z170 has a pretty decent feature set as far as connectivity goes so he can take advantage of faster-than-SATA SSDs


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## rtwjunkie (Oct 19, 2015)

Jetster said:


> At that budget go with a Pentium dual core G3258 and a GTX960. Ive build a few of these and they run great. You will never get a i5 build under $600w/ monitor& OS
> 
> You live where?



Good suggestion, but has the G3258 inability to overclock been fixed with Windows 10?  It's overclocking is the one feature that makes it worth buying.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Oct 19, 2015)

what @Jetster said.

G3258...........coincidentally i have one for sale......


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## GorbazTheDragon (Oct 19, 2015)

Thought I'd throw up some counter arguments to the FX and Pentium suggestions...

The pentium is theoretically a good option as those games are generally single thread based, so a cheap high clocked CPU with high IPC is theoretically best. Z97 motherboard could give good connectivity compared to B or H series. However performance is probably quite weak on other games. I don't see the point in him spending a huge amount of money on a GPU like a 290(x) or a 970 as he won't use it. GPU technology grows faster so getting a cheap one now and a more expensive one when he needs it seems like a better option. I doubt a skylake quad core will be by any means obsolete within its lifetime and will retain its price/performance quite well for that period.

FX is a far worse option here, first of all the CPU+MOBO+support price is far higher due to power requirements and cooling, but gives you only half the single thread performance. Also, there is no viable upgrade path without replacing the motherboard, which will have a far lower resale value in 3-5 years than a Z97 board, which doesn't even need to be replaced as you can just drop in an i5 or i7 CPU.


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## Toothless (Oct 19, 2015)

Low, non-K i5, 2x4 rammypoo, GTX950 extreme, GTX960, 2nd hand GTX770/780, or even a R9380 for da gee pee yoo. Decent H-class motherboard, 500-600w pee ess yoo, and a cute little case to suit the OP's brother's taste.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

my suggestions-

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sMQXcf

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Rrs96h

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3bQXcf

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HtdKrH


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

GorbazTheDragon said:


> FX is a far worse option here, first of all the CPU+MOBO+support price is far higher due to power requirements and cooling, but gives you only half the single thread performance. Also, there is no viable upgrade path without replacing the motherboard, which will have a far lower resale value in 3-5 years than a Z97 board, which doesn't even need to be replaced as you can just drop in an i5 or i7 CPU.


this!
Z97 + Pemtium G processor + 8GB  + Second Hand Video card + 80+Bronze PSU 
[80+ bronze is the minimum required certification for being sure your hardware is on god power managed hands!  ]



rtwjunkie said:


> Good suggestion, but has the G3258 inability to overclock been fixed with Windows 10? It's overclocking is the one feature that makes it worth buying.



well this is something that really  matters! OC is the main fact or reason why people takes this processor in mind,

lad, take this build on consideration as well, 
taking on mind that you already have case and screen, 

tight upgrade!

Regards,


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

peche said:


> lad, take this build on consideration as well,
> taking on mind that you already have case and screen,
> 
> tight upgrade!
> ...



why thermal paste, case fans, and an Z97 MB? Also, that 2.9 GHz CPU might cause issues with the single threaded games mentioned by the OP. Too much MB and not enough CPU IMHO.


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## ne6togadno (Oct 19, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> my suggestions-
> 
> *http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sMQXcf*
> 
> ...


i've fixed that for you


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

ne6togadno said:


> i've fixed that for you



 I fixed it even better  http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7gcJrH


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> why thermal paste, case fans, and an Z97 MB? Also, that 2.9 GHz CPU might cause issues with the single threaded games mentioned by the OP. Too much MB and not enough CPU IMHO.


take a look ... updated.... thermal paste is always important... that crap that cames with intel coolers sux...


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

peche said:


> take a look ... updated.... thermal paste is always important... that crap that cames with intel coolers sux...



It's adequate for non-OC'ing use.


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

Screw this Intel nonsense. A high clocked FM2+ with a better video card will work better IMO. This hits $626 before rebates, if you don't like rebates swap to a 120GB SSD and price is under $600.

Asrock 88X
X4 860K
2x4GB 1866
Zotac GTX 970
EVO 850 250GB
LEPA 500w
Hyper 212+


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

well.....


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

peche said:


> well.....



It stacks up beautifully with the Pentium G3258 and clocks about the same. I would just trust AMD to allow a new CPU on the motherboard over Intel. Past history supports this as well. In 4 months Intel will have a new chipset and or socket which wont let you upgrade to the new generation of chips.


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

cdawall said:


> It stacks up beautifully with the Pentium G3258 and clocks about the same. I would just trust AMD to allow a new CPU on the motherboard over Intel. Past history supports this as well. In 4 months Intel will have a new chipset and or socket which wont let you upgrade to the new generation of chips.


well... history says contrary....


sandy bridge...
ivy bridge... both socket 1155

Haswell
Devils canyon
broadwell
tree of them socket 1150

Skylake socket 1151
Cannonlake [next gen] as far as we know will be socket 1151 too.....

so intel is now switching sockets every 2 generations ...as far as we could see...


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

peche said:


> well... history says contrary....
> 
> 
> sandy bridge...
> ...



Correct, except DDR4 is becoming mainstream. I highly doubt Intel will keep the DDR3 controller and DDR4 one, AMD however has a history of backwards compatibility and dual memory controllers (even thuban could use DDR2). I would wager a guess Cannonlake will be DDR4 only, I could be wrong, but I doubt it. This also assumes Intel will allow upward compatibility between gens chipset vs CPU. It wouldn't be the first time that a socket didn't allow a new generation CPU based off of an old generation chipset.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

peche said:


> well... history says contrary....
> 
> 
> sandy bridge...
> ...



not meaning to nit-pick, but socket 1156 was for Lynnfield CPUs and the P55 chipset. It was released before socket 1155. Haswell, Broadwell, and Devils Canyon are socket 1150.


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

Also 

LGA1156 supported Nahalem (Lynnfield and Clarkdale). Thats a single generation of CPU's. 
LGA1155 was Sandy/Ivy bridge interchangable between both boards with a simple bios update
LGA1150 was Haswell/Broadwell and the Broadwell chips required the x9x series of chipsets to function. 
LGA1151 is Skylake and I would bet either a new socket or new chipset will be required for the Cannonlake processors.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Also
> 
> LGA1156 supported Nahalem (Lynnfield and Clarkdale). Thats a single generation of CPU's.
> LGA1155 was Sandy/Ivy bridge interchangable between both boards with a simple bios update
> ...



Nahalem was 1366


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> Nahalem was 1366



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(microarchitecture)

And 1156, if you would like I could give you the intel link. The giant wiki graph should be sufficient however. All of the first generation core i stuff was based on nehalem microarchitecture. I further broke it down mentioning that the clarkdale and lynnfield were the core names used by 1156.

To be super specific µPGA 988 was the mobile varient which still went under nehalem


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 19, 2015)

You're correct, Nehalem was the CPU architecture for both 1366 and 1156. I confused Nehalem with Bloomfield, which were the socket 1366 CPUs while Lynnfield and Clarksdale CPUs were for the 1156 socket. All three were based on the Nehalem architecture.


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> You're correct, Nehalem was the CPU architecture for both 1366 and 1156. I confused Nehalem with Bloomfield, which were the socket 1366 CPUs while Lynnfield and Clarksdale CPUs were for the 1156 socket. All three were based on the Nehalem architecture.



Don't forget poor old clarkfield in the mobile world


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## Ikaruga (Oct 19, 2015)

Jetster said:


> At that budget go with a Pentium dual core G3258 and a GTX960. Ive build a few of these and they run great. You will never get a i5 build under $600w/ monitor& OS
> 
> You live where?


Sorry, but I have to highly disagree. Do not buy a dual-core CPU in 2015, don't even think about it. 
Get the cheapest i5, 8GB ram, SSD+HDD and the fastest GPU you can buy from the rest of the money. (something like what @AhokZYashA suggested above)


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## cdawall (Oct 19, 2015)

Ikaruga said:


> Sorry, but I have to highly disagree. Do not buy a dual-core CPU in 2015, don't even think about it.
> Get the cheapest i5, 8GB ram, SSD+HDD and the fastest GPU you can buy from the rest of the money. (something like what @AhokZYashA suggested above)



Why? Most games still aren't truly multithreaded. The GPU limits more than the CPU does a good solid state and GPU make more of difference in PC use than anything else.


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## Jetster (Oct 19, 2015)

Maybe after DX12 more core will help but on tight budgets put the money in the GPU. You can hit well over 100FPS on a dual core in WOW


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> not meaning to nit-pick, but socket 1156 was for Lynnfield CPUs and the P55 chipset. It was released before socket 1155. Haswell, Broadwell, and Devils Canyon are socket 1150.


edited, thanks my bad,


*socket LGA1366:* Bloomfield 17's  | Lynnfield i7's and 2 i5's,

_"The desktop chipset that supports LGA 1366 is Intel's X58."_

_[Core i7, Xeon 35xx= Bloomfield]
[Core i5-7xx, Core i7-8xx, Xeon 34xx = Lynnfield]

_

*Socket LGA1156:* Lynnfield i7 & i5's and Xeon || Clarkdale Core i3's, i5's, Pentium and Celeron processors.


_"The Desktop chipsets that support LGA 1156 are Intel's H55, H57, P55, and Q57. Server chipsets supporting the socket are Intel's 3400, 3420 and 3450."_

_[Core i5-7xx, Core i7-8xx, Xeon 34xx = Lynnfield]
[Pentium G6xxx, Core i3-5xx, Core i5-6xx = Clarkdale]
_

*Socket LGA1155*: Sandy Bridge i3's, i5's, i7's, Pentium and Xeon.  || Ivy Bridge i3's, i5's, i7's Celeron, Pentium and Xeon.

_"H61, B65, Q65, P67, H67, Z68, B75, Q75, Z75, H77, Q77 & Z77 are the chipsets that supports LGA1155Processors."_

_[Core i3/i5/i7-2xxxM, Pentium Bxxx, Celeron Bxxx = Sandi Bridge] 
[Core i5/i7-3xxx, Xeon-E3 =  Ivy bridge]_


*LGA1150:* Haswel Bridge i3's, i5's, i7's, Pentium and Xeon. |l,Broadwell, Bridge i3's, i5's, i7's, and Devils canyon.  15's & i7's

_The Desktop chipsets that support LGA 1150  are: H81, B85, Q85, Q87, H87, Z87 [bios update for : Devil's Canyon]_

_" Q87, H87, Z87 can support  Broadwell processors,  [Pentium , celeron , core i3,  i5, i7 & Xeon processors,]"_

_[Core i3/i5/i7 - 4xxx, Pentium G3xxx, Celeron G18xx, Xeon E3-12xx-v3=Haswell]
[Core i3/i5/i7 - 5xxx, Core M - 5Yxx = Broadwell _



*LGA1151:* Skylake Core i3' i5's i7's Pentium and xeon's processors,

_The Desktop chipsets that support LGA 11561 are: H110, B150, Q150, H170, Q170, Z170.
[Core i3/i5/i7 - 6xxx, Core m3/m5/m7 - 6Yxx, Pentium G4xxx, Xeon v5]


im pretty sure that cannolake will fit on LGA1151 socket... for sure..._


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## rtwjunkie (Oct 19, 2015)

Ikaruga said:


> Sorry, but I have to highly disagree. Do not buy a dual-core CPU in 2015, don't even think about it.
> Get the cheapest i5, 8GB ram, SSD+HDD and the fastest GPU you can buy from the rest of the money. (something like what @AhokZYashA suggested above)



An i3-4160 or newer works fantastic for games.  This is one area where hyperthreading truly gets used.  They are alot more powerful than they look on paper.  Even an i3-4130 works great!


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## EarthDog (Oct 19, 2015)

Horemheb said:


> Currently he has a laptop from a few years ago. That leaves him with nothing at the moment. I am going to give him an old 24" 1080p monitor I have sitting in the closet. As for the case and fans I have some things lying around that I am going to use for that. I am mainly looking for advice on the mobo, cpu, ram and gpu combo that would be the best bang for the buck. I am thinking of doing a small ssd for his operating system and a 1tb drive for storage and a 700ish watt psu.


I haven't read past this but hopefully the rest of TPU has you covered... if not...

1. 700W PSU is overkill for anything you can get for him with that budget. A QUALITY 550W PSU will be PLENTY for any single GPU and CPU and overclocking (except for maybe an FX octo/hex core, LOL!)
2. For that budget and being a gamer, to me, an SSD just isn't in the cards, sadly. I would gladly take that $75 for an SSD and put that towards a better GPU. Grab an SSD as an upgrade later.



peche said:


> Haswell
> Devils canyon
> broadwell
> tree of them socket 1150


Devil's Canyon is also Haswell. Only minor changes to the CPU package (TIM and some CAPS), and a higher clockspeed.

Its like calling AMD's 9370 something other than Bulldozer.



cdawall said:


> Why? Most games still aren't truly multithreaded. The GPU limits more than the CPU does a good solid state and GPU make more of difference in PC use than anything else.


Id at least go i3 (dual with HT)... there are already two games out that WILL NOT RUN on a dual core!!


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

EarthDog said:


> Devil's Canyon is also Haswell. Only minor changes to the CPU package (TIM and some CAPS), and a higher clockspeed.
> Its like calling AMD's 9370 something other than Bulldozer.


is not.... 

explain this so?
also this!



Regards,


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## EarthDog (Oct 19, 2015)

Thanks for the links...its still all Haswell. I could care less that they are calling it something else just to make a differentiation for marketing purposes. 

I mean, Isn't a Ford Boss 302, Saleen, and Cobra all Mustangs?


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## Jetster (Oct 19, 2015)

EarthDog said:


> Thanks for the links...its still all Haswell. I could care less that they are calling it something else just to make a differentiation for marketing purposes.
> 
> I mean, Isn't a Ford Boss 302, Saleen, and Cobra all Mustangs?




lol now ya done it


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## peche (Oct 19, 2015)

EarthDog said:


> Thanks for the links...its still all Haswell. I could care less that they are calling it something else just to make a differentiation for marketing purposes.
> 
> I mean, Isn't a Ford Boss 302, Saleen, and Cobra all Mustangs?


lol... salem its not ford maker.... its a 3rd party moddifiers that takes those cars and do some tunning ....
you fail again ....they also make cuda....
http://saleen.com/


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## EarthDog (Oct 19, 2015)

You get my point. Don't get lost in the minutia..


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## Ikaruga (Oct 20, 2015)

Jetster said:


> Maybe after DX12 more core will help but on tight budgets put the money in the GPU. You can hit well over 100FPS on a dual core in WOW





rtwjunkie said:


> An i3-4160 or newer works fantastic for games.  This is one area where hyperthreading truly gets used.  They are alot more powerful than they look on paper.  Even an i3-4130 works great!


An i3 could be considered as a minimum choice indeed, but I still disagree with dual-core only scenario in 2015. Threading in games and applications are much more dominant nowadays then how it was a few years earlier. It's true that the most is still done by one or two main threads, but putting secondary workloads to other cores happens more and more (steam, graphics drivers, networking, even the OS, etc, ). If you have two "slower" virtual cores available like with an i3, that can make a huge difference for those lesser secondary workloads, where the dual-core will just suffer. An i5 on the other hand will be future proof for many years, hence I suggested it.


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## AhokZYashA (Oct 20, 2015)

this is what I can come up with,
its slightly over the budget, but 18 dollars over is not really that much

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7xPMkL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/7xPMkL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($174.89 @ OutletPC) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($68.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($17.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Team Elite 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($17.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($43.50 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 290 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($259.99 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($34.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $618.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-20 02:10 EDT-0400


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

But he doesn't need a 290 or 390 or 970 for those games.. a 380 will suffice for a long time for his needs


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

EarthDog said:


> Id at least go i3 (dual with HT)... there are already two games out that WILL NOT RUN on a dual core!!



So run the Athlon X4 I listed.



wolar said:


> But he doesn't need a 290 or 390 or 970 for those games.. a 380 will suffice for a long time for his needs



He can play those games at 1080P using the onboard GPU of an APU if you really want to nit pick.  I would still get the best GPU possible.


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

but he has a tight budget to get a 970 and still get good components... as there is no need for 970 he can get a 380 and get good motherboard / psu 
that will last him instead of wasting money on extra gpu power which he wont use.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 20, 2015)

wolar said:


> but he has a tight budget to get a 970 and still get good components... as there is no need for 970 he can get a 380 and get good motherboard / psu
> that will last him instead of wasting money on extra gpu power which he wont use.



I think I already covered that- http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HtdKrH or http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Rrs96h


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

wolar said:


> but he has a tight budget to get a 970 and still get good components... as there is no need for 970 he can get a 380 and get good motherboard / psu
> that will last him instead of wasting money on extra gpu power which he wont use.



In my build what will cause an issue? What item will not allow longevity? Is it the motherboard with the capability to SLi/crossfire? The powersupply that has more than enough juice for the CPU and GPU selected or what?


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

My question is why are people suggesting a 750w powersupply for a 35w core i3 and a 200w GTX970? Complete system power consumption is under 350w for them and well within the abilities of a 500w powersupply even with overclocking.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> My question is why are people suggesting a 750w powersupply for a 35w core i3 and a 200w GTX970? Complete system power consumption is under 350w for them and well within the abilities of a 500w powersupply even with overclocking.



because it's a DAMN good PSU for only $35, any other questions?


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> because it's a DAMN good PSU for only $35, any other questions?



It's only $35 after rebate. I have gotten one rebate back in 10 years.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 20, 2015)

I don't know what to tell you, I've gotten the 3 rebates I've sent in in the past, but if it makes you feel better, here- http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qQ7kMp


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

Ah you are using a mechanical drive and oem cooler that's why its cheap.


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 20, 2015)

the OEM cooler is adequate for a stock clock system and personally, I'll take CPU and GPU performance over SSD performance any day.


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## peche (Oct 20, 2015)

Does everyone is taking on consideration that the only  he only has $600 no more?

he also has Case, monitor, he may need just motherboard, processor, ram, hdd, video card and a decent PSU?

dont know about keyboard and mouse, but i modify this list with almost everything,
@Horemheb  your list:

_*Processor: *Core i5 4440,   $179.99
*Motherboard: *Gigabyte GAz97-hd3    $78.99
*Memory: *G.skill ripjaws X 2x4GB kit    $46.88
*Storage:  Seagate:* barracuda 1TB  $45.89
*Video Card:* Gigabyte GTX 960   $189.99
*PowerSupply: *Thermaltake 650W smarth poer  80+bronze   $44.98
*Other:*  Arctic cooling mx 4 compound.   $4.75

*Base Total:* $617.38
*Mail-in Rebates:* -$30.00
*Shipping:* $4.99
*Total: *$592.37_

link: https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Regards,


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

BarbaricSoul said:


> the OEM cooler is adequate for a stock clock system and personally, I'll take CPU and GPU performance over SSD performance any day.



Correct my build had an a non-noisy ass stock cooler, athlon X4, GTX 970 and an SSD...that would be all of the performance needed for a mid level gaming machine.


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## peche (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Correct my build had an a non-noisy ass stock cooler, athlon X4, GTX 970 and an SSD...that would be all of the performance needed for a mid level gaming machine.


SSD does not bring a brutal improvement over gaming, so SSD is not so importat por gaming but it is for OS and booting time,
in this case o post the OP is using a tight budget for build a computer for his brother so gaming on mechanical discs, getting mid level video card and also using a stock cooler is completely in the point, then in a near future a Coolermaster Hyper 212 evo could be added, storage can be upgraded to a SSD for the OS and plenty more upgrades...


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

@cdawall  , if you speak for this build

Asrock 88X
X4 860K
2x4GB 1866
Zotac GTX 970
EVO 850 250GB
LEPA 500w
Hyper 212+

then yes , i don't agree with that psu at all , minimum a xfx ts series but ideally a seasonic G - xfx XTR - evga g2 - superflower leadex gold .
Getting a cheaper GPU will allow for a better PSU and maybe a 4460 instead or 8320..
Edit: with the 4460 he can ditch the cooler aswell.


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

Why not ddr4 build ? about same price as 4460/ddr3

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H6rzD3
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/H6rzD3/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-6400 2.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($183.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A PC MATE ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($109.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory  ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($52.33 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 4GB Video Card  ($183.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $643.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-20 11:28 EDT-0400

Edit: maybe get a H170 or b150 motherboard instead and get to budget


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

peche said:


> SSD does not bring a brutal improvement over gaming, so SSD is not so importat por gaming but it is for OS and booting time,
> in this case o post the OP is using a tight budget for build a computer for his brother so gaming on mechanical discs, getting mid level video card and also using a stock cooler is completely in the point, then in a near future a Coolermaster Hyper 212 evo could be added, storage can be upgraded to a SSD for the OS and plenty more upgrades...



What would you need to add if you went with the better build? It has more performance in every single section minus the CPU, which still has more than enough power to push 60FPS if the video card allows. It also already has stuff you would have to add extra to gain what exactly? The intel logo?


wolar said:


> @cdawall  , if you speak for this build
> 
> Asrock 88X
> X4 860K
> ...



Fair enough I assumed (incorrectly) that the LEPA N series was like the G series and just a rebadged enermax.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139110

Fixed, Same price. Ditching the better GPU in a gaming machine makes no sense, games are GPU bottlenecked not CPU.


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> What would you need to add if you went with the better build? It has more performance in every single section minus the CPU, which still has more than enough power to push 60FPS if the video card allows. It also already has stuff you would have to add extra to gain what exactly? The intel logo?
> 
> 
> Fair enough I assumed (incorrectly) that the LEPA N series was like the G series and just a rebadged enermax.
> ...


If you mean CPU , then yes at some point , it may be better to do the build you listed or not , depending on the buyer , as i don't know what he values more or what he plans to do with that GPU in 1-2years
Also i would suggest a 390 over a 970, both great and about the same performance but 390 has more ram so more future-proof than 970.

Edit: you mean GPU i guess from reading that again , but same thing applies to my answer.(faster single core performance vs better GPU depends on what the buyer wants more)


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

wolar said:


> If you mean CPU , then yes at some point , it may be better to do the build you listed or not , depending on the buyer , as i don't know what he values more or what he plans to do with that GPU in 1-2years
> Also i would suggest a 390 over a 970, both great and about the same performance but 390 has more ram so more future-proof than 970.



I was thinking the same on the 390, but couldn't find one the hit the same price point (I didn't look very hard)


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## BarbaricSoul (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> I was thinking the same on the 390, but couldn't find one the hit the same price point (I didn't look very hard)




http://pcpartpicker.com/part/powercolor-video-card-axr93908gbd5ppdhe


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## peche (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> What would you need to add if you went with the better build? It has more performance in every single section minus the CPU, which still has more than enough power to push 60FPS if the video card allows. It also already has stuff you would have to add extra to gain what exactly? The intel logo?


upgrading? 

Here is my priorities list....

Processor, 
Motherboard
Ram
Video Card
Psu
SSD
Cooling, 
im not saying that you have to get the latest processor or the highest one, but sometimes is worthless to spend money on a processor that will die in 1 or 2 yeas, that's why i still on intel side,  Core processors still pretty capable to last more compared to other models, also is well know that the idea processor for gaming is a Quad Core, that's why we love and recommend  i5's because is almost all gaming needs, i7's make rigs more "future proof" but in sometimes there is no enough money to get it in the moment, but the option of another future upgrade always exists, 

its not the intel logo that cames up with magical performance, its what can really last more compared to some AMD products lad,

Regards,


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

peche said:


> upgrading?
> 
> Here is my priorities list....
> 
> ...




Your priority list not his. He said gaming machine, gaming machines need more GPU than they need CPU, even the pentium dual cores play the vast majority of games fluidly.



peche said:


> im not saying that you have to get the latest processor or the highest one, but sometimes is worthless to spend money on a processor that will die in 1 or 2 yeas, that's why i still on intel side,  Core processors still pretty capable to last more compared to other models, also is well know that the idea processor for gaming is a Quad Core, that's why we love and recommend  i5's because is almost all gaming needs, i7's make rigs more "future proof" but in sometimes there is no enough money to get it in the moment, but the option of another future upgrade always exists,
> 
> its not the intel logo that cames up with magical performance, its what can really last more compared to some AMD products lad,
> 
> Regards,



I buy whatever. I have had multiple intel setups and they didn't offer any noticeable gains in gaming. We are talking i7's in the 4.6ghz range as well. There isn't a single video game you cannot run on my athlon 5350 if you toss a video card in with it, but there are plenty that wont play well on its GPU. Again for gaming GPU beats all, buy the best video card you can afford and build a system around it.



BarbaricSoul said:


> http://pcpartpicker.com/part/powercolor-video-card-axr93908gbd5ppdhe



Perfect lol


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## peche (Oct 20, 2015)

cdawall said:


> Your priority list not his. He said gaming machine, gaming machines need more GPU than they need CPU, even the pentium dual cores play the vast majority of games fluidly.


game on intel g320 pentium and then game on intel 2500K or non K if you want...... then let me know if is the same..



cdawall said:


> I buy whatever. I have had multiple intel setups and they didn't offer any noticeable gains in gaming. We are talking i7's in the 4.6ghz range as well. There isn't a single video game you cannot run on my athlon 5350 if you toss a video card in with it, but there are plenty that wont play well on its GPU. Again for gaming GPU beats all, buy the best video card you can afford and build a system around it.


ok .... i will add a 980ti to my old pentium 4 HT for making it more gaming oriented i guess.. .....


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

peche said:


> game on intel g320 pentium and then game on intel 2500K or non K if you want...... then let me know if is the same..



I have. It performs fine at 1080P which is what the op is gaming at.



peche said:


> ok .... i will add a 980ti to my old pentium 4 HT for making it more gaming oriented i guess.. .....



The Athlon 5350 @2.2ghz competes with a phenom II X4@4.2ghz. Bit different than a P4, it's also a quad core.


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## peche (Oct 20, 2015)

its amazing to see people getting out of topic, budget and everythin'....
OP needs to get the better hardware for $600 which is all he have, so ... you recommend and bigass video card and shitty processor when others recomend a mid level build with a decent processor, balanced video card .... just because on gaming rigs or builds  just video card matters..or is the important part?

give me a break.... 
this is my last post in this topic....


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

peche said:


> its amazing to see people getting out of topic, budget and everythin'....
> OP needs to get the better hardware for $600 which is all he have, so ... you recommend and bigass video card and shitty processor when others recomend a mid level build with a decent processor, balanced video card .... just because on gaming rigs or builds  just video card matters..or is the important part?
> 
> give me a break....
> this is my last post in this topic....



The Athlon x4 isn't a "shitty processor" it will do anything the op asks of it easily...Especially when overclocked. Plenty of gaming reviews backing that up.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Oct 20, 2015)

GPU is much more important for gaming, spend your money there.


LOOK....a great  gpu at full stretch and a cpu thats barely working at all.

Thats not my current set up, but similar.


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## cdawall (Oct 20, 2015)

CAPSLOCKSTUCK said:


> GPU is much more important for gaming, spend your money there.
> 
> 
> LOOK....a great gpu at full stretch and a cpu thats barely working at all.
> ...



Ha the CPU is even downclocking while gaming. That should really put this in perspective.


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## wolar (Oct 20, 2015)

whats all this fuss about , he can get an i5 with a 380 that will do what the OP asks and IF he wants to play something more demanding in 2-3 years he can get a better GPU ...


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## AhokZYashA (Oct 21, 2015)

wolar said:


> whats all this fuss about , he can get an i5 with a 380 that will do what the OP asks and IF he wants to play something more demanding in 2-3 years he can get a better GPU ...


or get the i5 + 290 and be done with it for 3-4 years @1080p


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## Horemheb (Oct 21, 2015)

Wow I have not had the time to do much online in the past few days and I log into a firestorm of ideas and opinions. I have not had a chance to really look into all of it yet but I am very appreciative of everyone who has responded to my questions. I look forward to putting something together from your suggestions and I will post a build when I decide for a final check. This is why I love this site. I may not post often but I really enjoy reading everything.  Thanks again to everyone that has responded.!!


Also forgot to include that yes I do have a case and Windows 10 for the system. I have an old monitor but I think I am going to tell him to buy a newer one as they are pretty cheap these days.


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## Atomic77 (Oct 21, 2015)

In my opinion I never build I always buy a off the shelf computer from Best Buy like my almost a year old HP Envy 700-414.


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## AhokZYashA (Oct 21, 2015)

Atomic77 said:


> In my opinion I never build I always buy a off the shelf computer from Best Buy like my almost a year old HP Envy 700-414.



buying off the shelf computers limits your choice of components.
like your envy computer, i5 and an onboard graphics.
its way behind in term of specs for what OP's brother needs.

the R9 290 is like 50x more powerful than HD4600


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## wolar (Oct 21, 2015)

AhokZYashA said:


> or get the i5 + 290 and be done with it for 3-4 years @1080p


How does 290 support DX12? i know 380 supports some of it but i dont know for 290, thats why i suggest a $200 card so he can get a fully supported dx12 one in 2-3 years


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## AhokZYashA (Oct 21, 2015)

from what i know, 
290 core and the 390 core is exactly the same, 
the only difference is the amount of VRAM


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## EarthDog (Oct 21, 2015)

A 290 is a 390 with more vram (and higher clocks), correct. A 290 supports DX12, but NOT DX12.1 as it has GCN1.1 archtecture. Only R9 285 (Tonga core) and Fiji products "FULLY" support DX12.1 as they are GCN1.2


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## Ikaruga (Oct 25, 2015)

The new i3 is almost as good in games as older i5s, sometimes even better: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2015-intel-core-i3-6100-review


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