# 1080p Gaming Build on a budget.   Getting the most bang without breaking the bank



## GhostRyder (Jul 21, 2014)

Well here is my build log for a machine I will be building for a client/friend on a budget.  The idea with this build is to maximize the performance, allow for some future upgrading, and build a machine that is fun to look at and work with.

Throughout the years I have noticed a lot of people get the wrong idea on how to utilize certain aspects of their budget to get the best gaming experience at a great graphical setting.  Sometimes people overpower their rig with random components that end up wasting the budget and can actually offer the same performance as other parts in the same length of time they keep their machine.  I want to try and see what can be done on a low budget to create a great 1080p 60FPS High+ settings gaming rig.

For this build, I want to deliver on a couple of points:

1: $700 budget (Not the highest, not the cheapest, but a good budget for the build I have been given)
2: The machine has to look decent/cool and clean.
3: Should be able to game on a 1080p screen and offer 60FPS at high settings
4: Should be fun to play with and able to be boosted in performance (Unlocked CPU, GPU, etc)
5: Good quality components from good brands
6: Allow for upgrading in multiple areas (GPU, CPU, RAM, ETC)
7: Budget has to at least account for OS (so subtract 100 bucks)
8: Cannot be too heavy

I will be revealing all this week the components being used in the build but I will start off with a few of the basics and being posting pictures with the build log for this machine and a total cost.  I will try and optimize the machine/overclock the machine to a reasonable point to gain the most performance from this build.

First order of components:

Case: Apevia Cruiser2 (Odd choice but was the best according to client, it may lack a few modern amenities other cases have but it does look good and give you a couple cool features)

Processor: Intel Pentium G3258 (Anniversary)  Component was picked because of its great single threaded performance, low price, and unlocked multiplier.  It shows to be a great contender for a 1080p gamer and shows great scaling in multi-GPU setups (Should you run one).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117374

CPU Cooler: Antec Kuhler 650 LC (Got on sale for 45 bucks, not bad)

Motherboard: MSI Z97-G55 SLI (Picked for future proofing, quality, and sale mixed with bundle deal.  Essentially got 35 bucks off with purchase of Pentiums G3258)

PSU: EVGA 500Watt Bronze PSU (A great value and offers great price to performance including a rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438012

Ram: Gskill Ripjaws 8gb 2x4gb 1600 (Picked for the great quality from gskill, also picked because of a sale on newegg which allows for a better budget on other components)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

HDD:  1tb Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM drive (Caught on sale for 54 bucks)

GPU: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870Ghz Edition (Great 1080p gaming card, caught on sale for $125, helped budget significantly)

OS: Windows 7 Home (No reason for 8, client prefers 7 for his/her gaming rig so this was the choice)

Disk Drive: LG Blu-Ray Drive for 29.99 (Requested by client as necessity)

I will be adding pics, benchmarks, among other things about the rig when all the components arrive.  Along with revealing the choices of components and my reasoning for this along the way.

Please enjoy and feel free to post opinions/questions or whatever in regards to the build or choices in components.  I build a lot of machines but I never thought about posting on one I am building, thought it would be fun and hopefully at least help one person with building a nice rig for themselves.

GSR


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## newconroer (Jul 21, 2014)

Cut out points 2, 4, 8 and buy used products.  That should save you half the money.


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

newconroer said:


> Cut out points 2, 4, 8 and buy used products.  That should save you half the money.


It's for a client/friend so I cannot use used parts.  It needs to have full warranties and such it else I would have done that.


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## yogurt_21 (Jul 22, 2014)

what are we talking here? Tower only or whole shebang (tower, keyboard, mouse, speakers, wireless, monitor, etc)

For tower only I'd go z97 with a R9 270X
Asrock Z97 Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-157-507


MSI R9 270X Gaming 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127761
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/R9_270X_Gaming/24.html

Then fill in the peripherals


If you have to include a monitor I'd likely get the same board but drop down to a 750 (no ti) or a 650 ti


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

yogurt_21 said:


> what are we talking here? Tower only or whole shebang (tower, keyboard, mouse, speakers, wireless, monitor, etc)
> 
> For tower only I'd go z97 with a R9 270X
> Asrock Z97 Pro
> ...


700 had to include just the tower and OS, so I adjusted things accordingly as with an OS there was only 600 bucks remaining for the machine.  I used sales on newegg to help fill in some of the components.

The board choice was the MSI Z97 SLI board for its price, bundle deal with the Pentium, and the fact is has great expandability for later should another GPU be added or for the fact its just a solid board that will handle next gen equipment.  I had considered that board above but with a bundle this one came out to be cheaper.

The Graphics card chosen is an HD 7870(Fixed typo) Ghz edition from powercolor.  They were on sale for very cheap and it is probably one of the best 1080p cards for the money on the market (Since its just a 270X essentially).


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## yogurt_21 (Jul 22, 2014)

GhostRyder said:


> 700 had to include just the tower and OS, so I adjusted things accordingly as with an OS there was only 600 bucks remaining for the machine.  I used sales on newegg to help fill in some of the components.
> 
> The board choice was the MSI Z97 SLI board for its price, bundle deal with the Pentium, and the fact is has great expandability for later should another GPU be added or for the fact its just a solid board that will handle next gen equipment.  I had considered that board above but with a bundle this one came out to be cheaper.
> 
> The Graphics card chosen is an HD 7970 Ghz edition from powercolor.  They were on sale for very cheap and it is probably one of the best 1080p cards for the money on the market (Since its just a 270X essentially).



actually the 7970GHZ edition is superior to the 270X which is a 7870 GHZ edition. He has essentially a R9 280X. So if he got that within the budget that's awesome. 

and are you referring to this board?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130776

Because that's the same one I have. I like it.


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## Hellfire (Jul 22, 2014)

Some great parts there. I personally am wary of EVGA PSU's but know people who use them fine. Same for the RAM.

As for the choice of the CPU I think thats an amazing choice. I think the P chip is a great cheap basic chip


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

yogurt_21 said:


> actually the 7970GHZ edition is superior to the 270X which is a 7870 GHZ edition. He has essentially a R9 280X. So if he got that within the budget that's awesome.
> 
> and are you referring to this board?
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130776
> ...


Typo my bad, I meant 7870GHZ edition I hit the wrong key.

Yes, that is the board I chose for this rig.


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## Hellfire (Jul 22, 2014)

Still a good card. Shouldn't struggle too much at 60fps


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## Vario (Jul 22, 2014)

Makes no sense to buy the pentium, instead buy an i5 and a basic motherboard with the cheapest 1150 chipset like H81 or B85.


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## yogurt_21 (Jul 22, 2014)

Vario said:


> Makes no sense to buy the pentium, instead buy an i5 and a basic motherboard with the cheapest 1150 chipset like H81 or B85.


it does when you can clock the crap outta said pentium lol. This is a devils canyon dual core essentially half a 4690k. Gaming is still very much single or dual threaded for the most part and games that can take advantage of extra cores won't suddenly cripple themselves because you only have a dual core. Plus with only 2 cores to clock people have been reaching some really serious clocks. Though 5GHZ on air impossible for haswell? This chip can do it easy.


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## newconroer (Jul 22, 2014)

yogurt_21 said:


> it does when you can clock the crap outta said pentium lol. This is a devils canyon dual core essentially half a 4690k. *Gaming is still very much single or dual threaded for the most part and games that can take advantage of extra cores won't suddenly cripple themselves because you only have a dual core.* Plus with only 2 cores to clock people have been reaching some really serious clocks. Though 5GHZ on air impossible for haswell? This chip can do it easy.



I would counter that this statement is more accurate as of five years ago. He's going to run into plenty of programs /games that use at least four cores and the missing two can and will rear it's head as stuttering and inconsistent performance.


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## acacar (Jul 22, 2014)

GhostRyder said:


> Well here is my build log for a machine I will be building for a client/friend on a budget.  The idea with this build is to maximize the performance, allow for some future upgrading, and build a machine that is fun to look at and work with.
> 
> Throughout the years I have noticed a lot of people get the wrong idea on how to utilize certain aspects of their budget to get the best gaming experience at a great graphical setting.  Sometimes people overpower their rig with random components that end up wasting the budget and can actually offer the same performance as other parts in the same length of time they keep their machine.  I want to try and see what can be done on a low budget to create a great 1080p 60FPS High+ settings gaming rig.
> 
> ...


fx 8350 & r9 280x


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

acacar said:


> fx 8350 & r9 280x


The FX platform (My personal rig atm) is a little dated and while cheap in certain respects lacks later expand-ability.  Plus single threaded is still the king for games and including this chip kept cost down and performance up.  An R9 280X was way out of budget without cutting alot of corners.



yogurt_21 said:


> it does when you can clock the crap outta said pentium lol. This is a devils canyon dual core essentially half a 4690k. Gaming is still very much single or dual threaded for the most part and games that can take advantage of extra cores won't suddenly cripple themselves because you only have a dual core. Plus with only 2 cores to clock people have been reaching some really serious clocks. Though 5GHZ on air impossible for haswell? This chip can do it easy.


Exactly my thoughts, I have already played around with one for testing before I started building with one for clients (Its a side job/hobby) to make sure it did fine.  You do have to overclock it to get good performance, but so far it has been such a pleasant breeze to play with that with a $70 price tag by itself its a steal.



newconroer said:


> I would counter that this statement is more accurate as of five years ago. He's going to run into plenty of programs /games that use at least four cores and the missing two can and will rear it's head as stuttering and inconsistent performance.


The client plays alot of games but is on a strict budget as he is a friend going to school.  The dual core power will be enough for the time and should suffic for at least a year or 2 and then all that has to be done is a CPU swap for a broadwell/Haswell chip.  Part of the point of this build is to last awhile and allow for great expand-ability in the future.  A locked i5 was not completely out of the question, but the savings allowed for some better quality components in other areas that would benefit the user in the long term.



Vario said:


> Makes no sense to buy the pentium, instead buy an i5 and a basic motherboard with the cheapest 1150 chipset like H81 or B85.


I looked into those boards, but decided for expansion options a Z97 was a better option.  I wanted the main part of the machine to have a good central base that will help for the future and in the long run.  I had considered the MSI gaming B85 board (Which had a great deal on sunday) but I felt the board lacked alot of expansion and overall felt cheap after reading the deep specs.  With ~$600 to spend on components I wanted to make sure to maximize the machines performance and allow for expansion.


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## Hellfire (Jul 22, 2014)

I agree. It'll last a few years then if he wants he can whack a i5 or i7 onto it when he needs,

Everything else will still be good (except maybe GPU but by then you'll get 280x on the cheap too


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## acacar (Jul 22, 2014)

no way dual core would provide 60+ fps on high even with current games


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

acacar said:


> no way dual core would provide 60+ fps on high even with current games


http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-overclocking-performance,3849-5.html

It holds up pretty darn well considering it costs now less than 70 bucks.


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## acacar (Jul 22, 2014)

GhostRyder said:


> http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-overclocking-performance,3849-5.html
> 
> It holds up pretty darn well considering it costs now less than 70 bucks.


wait next gen games in a couple of months or next years games. Imho fx 6300 oc'ed would be better for gaming, its 10 bucks more.


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## yogurt_21 (Jul 22, 2014)

Blasted cpu nazi's lol
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8232/...ary-edition-review-the-intel-pentium-g3258-ae
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8232/...y-edition-review-the-intel-pentium-g3258-ae/4

you all need to stop assuming and maybe take a look at a review, or 20 before posting nonsense. Strategy games maybe if you super boost the amount of units and apparently battlefield 4 really likes multithread. Most FPS, rpg's etc no worries 5-10% variance with 2 770's in sli? And you're beefing about it being too small paired with a 7870GHZ edition? Sure the hyperthreaded i3 4330 can offer more performance in hyperthreaded titles, but its nearly double the price. Considering we're talking a 75$ cpu and a 7870GHZ edition you're far more likely to run out of gpu power before cpu power. I mean that anandtech review should be showing an extreme view of bottlenecking and even in battlefield 4 with 2 770's in sli the 75$ cpu is still playable.

For all titles save for tomb raider the overclock makes a significant difference.


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## GhostRyder (Jul 22, 2014)

acacar said:


> wait next gen games in a couple of months or next years games. Imho fx 6300 oc'ed would be better for gaming, its 10 bucks more.


Problem there is the platform, AM3+ is getting very little attention and offers no place to go for upgrading anymore.  Right now the platform is beyond dated and in all honesty does not offer enough performance except in multi-threaded tasks.  Doing this build allows for great gaming in the now and near future while allowing for alot more expanded options down the line.  That is important here because it allows the client a machine that games great now and will have the chance to accept many different CPU's in the future for a cheaper price should the Pentium run out of steam.


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## Vario (Jul 22, 2014)

7870 is plenty of VGA, good choice there. My 7850 runs everything great.  Medium high to high settings, runs smooth.  Not as fast as my 770 but pretty good for 1080P.


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## GhostRyder (Jul 24, 2014)

Next we have the cooler choice, now normally my choice was going to be a Hyper 212 EVO for the fact its price to performance is top notch.  However due to a sale and bundle deal I managed to snag a Antec Kuhler 650 LC AIO for 45 bucks plus an extra rebate.  Not bad if I do say so myself and should allow for some great clocking on this processor that already runs pretty cool.

For a disk drive, it came down to the users request, normally I would get an OEM DVD Drive but at the request I snagged a 29.99 dollar OEM blu-Ray Drive from LG.


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## XSI (Jul 24, 2014)

well many users here, but from comments you can really separate  after initial post my thoughts were: g3258 + hyper evo 212, msi h97 mate/ or z97. amd 270x or used 280x. because im planning to get something similar. but you got all that  so yeah enjoy good choises for a budget build.


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## GhostRyder (Jul 24, 2014)

XSI said:


> well many users here, but from comments you can really separate  after initial post my thoughts were: g3258 + hyper evo 212, msi h97 mate/ or z97. amd 270x or used 280x. because im planning to get something similar. but you got all that  so yeah enjoy good choises for a budget build.


Yea its a client/friend on a very tight budget that has to include OS.  $700 bucks is a hard sell for a gaming rig to do things at the higher settings and after a week of balancing and reading some reviews among other things I managed to bundle up some deals on newegg and put together a parts list.  I was trying to maximize as much potential as possible without offering poor quality (I cannot stand off brand PSU's boards etc because of reliability).  I was shocked at how much I was actually able to put into this machine as it is without blowing the budget.

I will have everything Friday and it will be completed for testing on friday.


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## Fourstaff (Jul 25, 2014)

my 2c as a 1080p "budget" gamer: You can cut down on graphics, 270x eqv is probably more than good enough. No shame in getting a B81 board and not overclock either, that is what I used for my brother's build (along with i5 4570), handles everything you throw at it including crazy CPU bound games like Civ 5 (might be occasional lag at ultra endgame, but rare and far between). I suspect 1080 will pose no further challenge to graphics or processor in the foreseeable future given that the boundary has moved towards 1440 and above.


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## GhostRyder (Jul 28, 2014)

Fourstaff said:


> my 2c as a 1080p "budget" gamer: You can cut down on graphics, 270x eqv is probably more than good enough. No shame in getting a B81 board and not overclock either, that is what I used for my brother's build (along with i5 4570), handles everything you throw at it including crazy CPU bound games like Civ 5 (might be occasional lag at ultra endgame, but rare and far between). I suspect 1080 will pose no further challenge to graphics or processor in the foreseeable future given that the boundary has moved towards 1440 and above.


Indeed, I agree with you but the Pentium is so cheap and easy to overclock it just felt like a good fit for this budget (Especially with some bundles basically cutting the cost of the CPU to half).

I forgot to update so I will update with the final part the Case.  Now the case choice had loads of good choices for keeping the budget low and giving good performance in terms of cooling.  But looks is one thing that I had trouble with on my client/friend because they kept denying cases for just being to bland.  I found the case that was finally chosen on sale and I can say safely its not one of my top recommended cases but it worked for this build.

Apevia X-Cruiser2

The bling factor is what won my client on this case with a built in fan controller and the extra dials for temp, fan speed, and such.  The case though had a couple of draw backs when I purchased and I warned when they stated this case was the choice of a few problems.  Cable management in the case is a bit tiring because it has none so I had to work and create my own spots and work with the fan hook ups and such.  The next issue came into play when building and was something I had a hunch would be an issue, but ill get to that with the build log update:

When building the machine I noticed a few things along the way.  The EVGA Power Supply is an excellent power supply but contains some of the most stiff cables I have seen in a long time.  Being that it was not modular and with a lack of cable management, this proved troublesome to route things the way I wanted without first taking the PSU cables and trying to flatten them out to be less curvy and a little more flexible.

With the Apevia Case, I noticed that because of the top mounted PSU the rear 120mm port was a bit cramped.  While trying to mount the Antec Kuhler 650 because of its double extensions on both sides I ran into a positioning issue.  It would not mount on the standard spots because the top of the radiator was to tall.  To alleviate this issue, I got a drill and mapped out 4 hole spots and made 4 additional holes a slight bit down.  This modification was not messy and actually turned out quite well as it does not effect the airflow of the cooler and looks fairly natural all things considered.

After that the build went pretty smooth when it came to putting it together with it just taking including the modifications 1 hour.  After putting it together for testing (No true cable management yet) I ran through the basic install of windows 7 and began testing the machine.  The parts all worked perfectly out of the box and the motherboard auto tuned everything before hand (Loaded the XMP profiles and such) and the system completed its install in under 30 minutes.  After that I went to stress testing the system as is with the cooler to make sure all parts were performing correctly.  I recorded a top temp under prime 95 load on the CPU at 54c with the cooler only at 1100 RPM.  The whole machine even with fans maxed out was relatively unnoticeable with only the GPU being heard under furmark GPU stress test.

Next came overclocking since we have a ton of headroom with the mix of this processor, cooler and motherboard.  I will say after playing with it for about an hour it seems that this chip maxed out at 4.4ghz with a voltage set at 1.34 which was a little higher than what I wanted voltage wise.  I can proceed further but the voltages required for 4.5+ seems to be beyond 1.4 which I did not trust on this cooler for a 24/7 setup.  With 4.4ghz the machine chugs along very well in all tasks and is very zippy in games especially when I consider the original clock was 3.2ghz and the price for the CPU if you include the bundle discounts and such was 30 bucks.

I will post pictures of the final product as soon as I can, I am turning it over to the client tomorrow once I finish cables today (I have been delayed by my actual job this weekend in finishing earlier and having to replace a starter in another friends pickup) so you can see what the machine looks like.  I have to say the mix of this case with its front dials, the closed off CD bay area, the blue LEDS, and the Antec Kuhler 650 with its color changing logo to show how hot its getting Makes this case look very nice through the window to look at and to me blead's LAN party.  I am actually quite happy with how the whole machine turned out with only a few complaints overall with the choice of components being:

The EVGA Cables are stiff
The Case had poor mounting options and no real cable management
The Pentium was not a dream overclocker like others have gotten
I wish the HD 7870 and the Gskill ram was blue instead of red to completely match the Blue and silver themed system.

Very fun to build for a client with a price including OS below $750


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## xvi (Oct 27, 2014)

XSI said:


> well many users here, but from comments you can really separate  after initial post my thoughts were: g3258 + hyper evo 212, msi h97 mate/ or z97. amd 270x or used 280x. because im planning to get something similar. but you got all that  so yeah enjoy good choises for a budget build.



That's basically what my steambox (and currently main rig) is running. Two absolutely furious cores running under (crappy) water on a Z87 board with a 7870. Seems to handle games surprisingly well.


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## Jetster (Oct 27, 2014)

very similar builds 

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/build-for-someone-to-play-wow.206583/#post-3184784


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## newtekie1 (Oct 27, 2014)

That is one uuuuuugggggllllllyyyyyy case!  But if it is what the client wants, that is what the client gets...

As for the Pentium being too weak for gaming discussion, it isn't.  Especially not when overclocked beyond 4.0GHz.  There will be the occasional game that is limited by the CPU, but even though should be playable.  Plus, some people I think need to go back and read the OP again.  The idea was to give a very good option for upgrades in the future, likely when the client has a little more money.  So going up to a 4690k in a year will be easy.  I'd normally be the person to say go with the AM3+ build here, but I'm leaning towards Intel more because there just isn't any upgradability with AM3+.

The only other thing I would have changes is I would gave gone with Windows 8.1 Pro.  Even if the client wanted Win7.  Then you can do the downgrade to Windows 7 for them, and if they ever need 8.1 for some reason, they already have it.  Plus, with Win7 Home, he is limited to just 16GB of RAM.


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## xvi (Oct 28, 2014)

newtekie1 said:


> The idea was to give a very good option for upgrades in the future, likely when the client has a little more money. So going up to a 4690k in a year will be easy.


Exactly this. If you're upgrading bit by bit, I always like to start with a strong board and worry about upgrading the proc/gpu/mem at a later date. Helps soften the blow to the wallet.


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## celsolewis (Oct 28, 2014)

#Help #PC Sound

I am thinking of buying a sound card (must be usb) in order to use with my newly purchased Logitech Z5500, because I want the best possible sound experience and feel the best that the speaker has to offer. I love to listen to music and watch movies. 
I'm thinking of buying ASUS Xonar U7. any suggestions? 
This card is compatible with the speakers? will exploit to the maximum?


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## OneMoar (Oct 28, 2014)

GhostRyder said:


> Indeed, I agree with you but the Pentium is so cheap and easy to overclock it just felt like a good fit for this budget (Especially with some bundles basically cutting the cost of the CPU to half).
> 
> I forgot to update so I will update with the final part the Case.  Now the case choice had loads of good choices for keeping the budget low and giving good performance in terms of cooling.  But looks is one thing that I had trouble with on my client/friend because they kept denying cases for just being to bland.  I found the case that was finally chosen on sale and I can say safely its not one of my top recommended cases but it worked for this build.
> 
> ...


if you need 1.34V for only 4.4 then something is seriously wrong with either the board/cpu combo or the settings especially on a Pentium-k even under water .... at 1.3 you start doing serious electrical damage  regardless of temps you can do it for shorts bursts for validation but not for 24/7

the proc is never gonna last with 1.34v running though it ill be surprised if the chip makes it a year before it degrades and the OC becomes unstable


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## GhostRyder (Oct 28, 2014)

newtekie1 said:


> That is one uuuuuugggggllllllyyyyyy case!  But if it is what the client wants, that is what the client gets...
> 
> As for the Pentium being too weak for gaming discussion, it isn't.  Especially not when overclocked beyond 4.0GHz.  There will be the occasional game that is limited by the CPU, but even though should be playable.  Plus, some people I think need to go back and read the OP again.  The idea was to give a very good option for upgrades in the future, likely when the client has a little more money.  So going up to a 4690k in a year will be easy.  I'd normally be the person to say go with the AM3+ build here, but I'm leaning towards Intel more because there just isn't any upgradability with AM3+.
> 
> The only other thing I would have changes is I would gave gone with Windows 8.1 Pro.  Even if the client wanted Win7.  Then you can do the downgrade to Windows 7 for them, and if they ever need 8.1 for some reason, they already have it.  Plus, with Win7 Home, he is limited to just 16GB of RAM.


LOL, yea it aint exactly the best looking overall but it does add some pizzaz with the little dials on the front.  He actually liked it and wanted it so it was not my favorite case I have bought for someone but it got the job done.



xvi said:


> Exactly this. If you're upgrading bit by bit, I always like to start with a strong board and worry about upgrading the proc/gpu/mem at a later date. Helps soften the blow to the wallet.


My thoughts exactly, the board could be a bit overkill but I liked that it would allow some serious potential for components later on.  Probably one of my favorite Z97 board on the market (Considering the money).



celsolewis said:


> #Help #PC Sound
> 
> I am thinking of buying a sound card (must be usb) in order to use with my newly purchased Logitech Z5500, because I want the best possible sound experience and feel the best that the speaker has to offer. I love to listen to music and watch movies.
> I'm thinking of buying ASUS Xonar U7. any suggestions?
> This card is compatible with the speakers? will exploit to the maximum?


Depends on the board you have, most on-board is at least pretty decent so unless your doing some serious audio work or have a very poor on board audio device I would not worry.



OneMoar said:


> if you need 1.34V for only 4.4 then something is seriously wrong with either the board/cpu combo or the settings especially on a Pentium-k even under water .... at 1.3 you start doing serious electrical damage  regardless of temps you can do it for shorts bursts for validation but not for 24/7
> 
> the proc is never gonna last with 1.34v running though it ill be surprised if the chip makes it a year before it degrades and the OC becomes unstable


Yea it took a little more than I liked as it was just a poorly binned processor.  I dropped to 4.3ghz and a nice voltage drop (1.25 range I believe have to check) for 24/7 on it because it felt a bit to high even on a 60 buck CPU.


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## OneMoar (Oct 28, 2014)

very odd even a poor binned pentium k should do better
RMA the cpu ? and play the lotto again


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## newtekie1 (Oct 28, 2014)

xvi said:


> Exactly this. If you're upgrading bit by bit, I always like to start with a strong board and worry about upgrading the proc/gpu/mem at a later date. Helps soften the blow to the wallet.



Yep, and with decent z97 boards in the $120 range, this is definitely the way to go.



GhostRyder said:


> Yea it took a little more than I liked as it was just a poorly binned processor. I dropped to 4.3ghz and a nice voltage drop (1.25 range I believe have to check) for 24/7 on it because it felt a bit to high even on a 60 buck CPU.



Make sure you are upping the input voltage a little too.  I was having trouble getting my 4790k stable and then I found my board's auto setting for input voltage was way too low.  Upping it a little helps me get stable with way less voltage.


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## OneMoar (Oct 28, 2014)

iirc input voltage aka VCCIN must be 0.4 to 0.5 more then the VCore
I just set mine to ~1.80 and I was able to shave 0.020 off my vcore (1.186@linpack-load) + it helped control some of the voltage spikes I was getting
the input voltage is the voltage supplied to the FIVR if its lower or close to your vcore then the FIRV either overworks its self because the regulated voltage is >= to the input voltage of the regulator
doesn't seem to really impact temps or power consumption by any measurable amount give it a good hard nudge and see what happens


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## GhostRyder (Oct 28, 2014)

OneMoar said:


> very odd even a poor binned pentium k should do better
> RMA the cpu ? and play the lotto again


lol, true but with the way its been going with these I could get a worse one and in all honesty this is enough for him since hes not actually doing to much hard core gaming.



newtekie1 said:


> Make sure you are upping the input voltage a little too.  I was having trouble getting my 4790k stable and then I found my board's auto setting for input voltage was way too low.  Upping it a little helps me get stable with way less voltage.


Ill double check but I was pretty sure I did that but I can always test it some more.  The friend plays at the LAN party every week so I can play with it and give it a try.


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