New Desktop Build

[Knuckle]

Been debating whether I could argue myself into building another desktop to save some money; sad reality is I don't see much savings for the sort of performance you can find out of a gaming laptop these days even trying to buy quality budget parts from the ground up in a desktop.

Here's a build I made, focusing on low cost, high reliability 'value' parts, that can suit an old school gamers needs, I don't play many flashy games. Skyrim is probably the only game I have that can even test my GPU on my 2 year old laptop, so I figure anything that can hang toe to toe with my g73 asus laptop should due.

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx

Can anyone suggest a better quality build for a lower cost? Only area I can see shaving some cost is the SSD but frankly I feel like load speeds for zoning in Everquest and some of the older games is a nice feature.
In case my Cart doesn't load correctly:

The SSD is $170 with 10% off coupon of $17
There is a 10% coupon on RAM for $7
Shipping looks to be less than $4 bucks.



Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm ...
$49.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM
$29.99

XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified ...
$69.99

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-DS3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$104.99

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$184.99

Intel Core i3-3225 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 55W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ...
$139.99

MSI N650TI-1GD5/V1 GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card
$129.99

Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$69.99

LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM
$21.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$69.99

Shipping Method:
$3.86

DISCOUNT FOR AUTOADD #81781
-$49.99
Subtotal $871.90
Tax $0.00
Shipping $3.86
Promo Code -$25.50
Grand Total $850.26

(also $60 in MIR cards)

[SamwiseRed]

says shopping cart is empty

[r00t]

I feel like if you add another $200 you can get like double the specs. what i mean is an i5/7 and 2gb gfx card

8gb memory more than enough, unless you want to game with like 420 programs running

[Samoht]

yeah, flaunting this i3 shit is confusing to me

[Reddi who?]

yeah, flaunting this i3 shit is confusing to me

[Reddi who?]

8gb memory more than enough, unless you want to game with like 420 programs running

or RAMDISC ***** L2PVPZONE

[r00t]

I had considered it, but RAM is cheap and easily upgradeable later (say, compared to the CPU). Zoning in EQ has a tick based timer, so with the SSD I don't think ramdisc is going to improve load times too much. But the minimized version of the client is only about 2gigs, so still plenty of room.

[Knuckle]

I initially was making builds with i5 and I then realized the i3 is a dual core running north of 3ghz stock. Where would I see an improvement in day to day gaming with an I5? I'm sure there's an argument for the i7 since its a quad core but would like to know the benefit I'd see using it.

[Knuckle]

Sorry my phone hard to type from musta hit font or text size :p

[r00t]

I initially was making builds with i5 and I then realized the i3 is a dual core running north of 3ghz stock. Where would I see an improvement in day to day gaming with an I5? I'm sure there's an argument for the i7 since its a quad core but would like to know the benefit I'd see using it.

well even a dual core i3 can be "quad core" in that they have virtual/hyper threading (for instance, I have an i3 and Windows/Linux recognize it as a quad core processor). But having "real" cores is obviously better, and i5 can come with 4. In fact, the quad core i7's are recognized as 8 cores because of hyper threading.

I've read that hyper threading can cause drop-offs for gaming (I've not personally noticed this fwiw), and then also that newer games are taking advantage of it. Your best bet for EverQuest and 90% of games might be a non-hyper threaded i5 (Ivy > Sandy Bridge). I think all i3's/i7's have hyperthreading, and i5 was made to not, but Intel is confusingly nonheterosexual and you'll have to make a decision on if you want it or not and do the research on the one you buy.

Another thing to look at is the L1/L2/L3 caches, which is faster than RAM for the processor to store/retrieve data, and i5's will generally have larger cache than i3's (if the i3 and i5 are of the same generation... some newer i3 might be better than older i5)

Finally, we could get into a lengthy discussion about how the clock rate doesn't really tell you the whole story about a processor, the average CPI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycles_per_instruction) is arguably more important to look at, and that is where an i5 will perform vastly superior (again, if of the same generation). I built an 8 bit processor (CPU (http://i.imgur.com/VRGsFi9.png) / ALU (http://i.imgur.com/FkcwVYA.png) / Cache (http://i.imgur.com/sqr09Ky.png)) and I had to crank the clock rate up real high because it had an average CPI nowhere near comparable to the processors produced by Intel, if you know what I mean.

Sorry if I confused the fuck outta you, I'm just saying an extra 80 bucks or whatever will give you much more bang.

tl;dr An i5 with 4 real cores >>>> i3 with 2 real cores and 2 virtual ones, with inferior L1/L2/L3 cache and CPI; even if the clock rate GHz is lower on the i5.

[FoxxHound]

NO

[kingsBlend]

You may want to re-evaluate your build. I'm not sure you will be able to run everquest..

[Knuckle]

You may want to re-evaluate your build. I'm not sure you will be able to run everquest..

I lold

[Knuckle]

Hey owl root let me throw one more wrench in da gears, what if I went amd? I've heard nothing about how inferior they are to Intel (which seems to of been the case since 2007at least). I can see myself able to shave my price down another $200 bucks if I went with an amd CPU/mobo and a radeon GPU. At 650 bucks we are talking some serious savings over a gaming laptop, but would it compete with the Asus g73 laptop I bought 2 years ago?

[Thulack]

Here is my mobo and CPU that i use on my PC:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138345

and CPU is:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103886

Took 10 seconds to unlock 4th core in Bios. Ive used this combo on 3 other builds and never had issues with unlocking 4th core and having a nice setup for under 150 bucks. I'm not one to go for style/Huge gaming rigs i prefer more cost effective builds that suit what i need. You dont need to spend more then 500 bucks if all your looking for is a PC to run p99. I can do that on a dual core that i picked up off craigslist for 100 bucks.( i actually use my 100 dollars craiglist PC as my media center which replaced my ps3 and is 100x more efficient.)

[Klendathu]

Ive always thought that at the same price point (read: not the same advertised clockspeed per se) AMD outperforms Intel. You can get a AMD Phenom 2 Quad core for < $100. Youll have to get another mobo obviously, but I would say do it, especially if you are trying to be budget conscious.

I just built a new budget box as well:
Video - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130718
SSD - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236
Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135345
CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226337

Those were the critical pieces, I bought an optical drive, case, and power supply, but the PS replaced the one in my previous build, as I am keeping the Antec kilowatt, and my 2 500 gig drives, as well as my displays. I spent less than $650 on it all. The RAM was a bit of overkill, but as someone earlier referred to, I wanted to play with some ramdisk stuff.

[Klendathu]

And as far as EQ goes with the multi-threading\hyper-threading blah blah, IMHO you should be binding affinity to one core when you play p99, or any other eqemu.

[EchoedTruth]

Been debating whether I could argue myself into building another desktop to save some money; sad reality is I don't see much savings for the sort of performance you can find out of a gaming laptop these days even trying to buy quality budget parts from the ground up in a desktop.

Here's a build I made, focusing on low cost, high reliability 'value' parts, that can suit an old school gamers needs, I don't play many flashy games. Skyrim is probably the only game I have that can even test my GPU on my 2 year old laptop, so I figure anything that can hang toe to toe with my g73 asus laptop should due.

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx

Can anyone suggest a better quality build for a lower cost? Only area I can see shaving some cost is the SSD but frankly I feel like load speeds for zoning in Everquest and some of the older games is a nice feature.
In case my Cart doesn't load correctly:

The SSD is $170 with 10% off coupon of $17
There is a 10% coupon on RAM for $7
Shipping looks to be less than $4 bucks.



Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm ...
$49.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM
$29.99

XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified ...
$69.99

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-DS3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$104.99

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$184.99

Intel Core i3-3225 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 55W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ...
$139.99

MSI N650TI-1GD5/V1 GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card
$129.99

Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$69.99

LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM
$21.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$69.99

Shipping Method:
$3.86

DISCOUNT FOR AUTOADD #81781
-$49.99
Subtotal $871.90
Tax $0.00
Shipping $3.86
Promo Code -$25.50
Grand Total $850.26

(also $60 in MIR cards)


Why on earth would you buy an i3? Just get a decked out AMD board with an X4 or X6, or get one of the AMD APU's (A10 most preferably). You'll save $50-100 and it will be way better for games (especially running the APU with an AMD GPU in crossfire mode).


Edit: just for example - I got a Gigabyte 970A-UD3 board + an AMD X4 955 for under $175, then I OC'd the 955 from 3Ghz to 4ghz using air cooling. If you want to save money, AMD is the way and the truth. Their GPUs are also >>> NVidia atm (ex: you can get an AMD 6850 1GB that will smoke the 650ti for less $$)

[EchoedTruth]

Hey owl root let me throw one more wrench in da gears, what if I went amd? I've heard nothing about how inferior they are to Intel (which seems to of been the case since 2007at least). I can see myself able to shave my price down another $200 bucks if I went with an amd CPU/mobo and a radeon GPU. At 650 bucks we are talking some serious savings over a gaming laptop, but would it compete with the Asus g73 laptop I bought 2 years ago?

You can read my other post but just to address this:

I spent $625 on my AMD build that I described in the above post, and I can run BF3 on Ultra @ 45-60 fps depending on the area. I can run anything on max settings and never dip below 40FPS.

[r00t]

AMD totally viable

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

AMD FX-8350 Eight-Core
Score: 9,139
$179.99

AMD FX-8320 Eight-Core
Score: 8,181
$153.61

(the processor in OP:)
Intel Core i3-3225 @ 3.30GHz
Score: 4,379
$130.94


As I said, twice the computing power for just a bit more, but now taking a closer look with AMD it's an even better deal than going the i5 route. These aren't hyperthreaded either, so a definite plus.

[Knuckle]

Guys I'm gonna a make an and budget build and post it tonight see what I come up with.

[nilbog]

I support AMD for a pricepoint, Knuckle. Depending on parts chosen, it can be pricey.

Here is my last AMD wish list build from newegg from January. Didn't have time to finish it up. gtx690 so expensive. :T


Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/11-119-225-14.jpg COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225)Model #:RC-942-KKN1Item #:N82E16811119225


$199.99 -$10.00 Instant $189.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/13-131-876-02.jpg ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard with 3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131876)Model #:Crosshair V Formula-Item #:N82E16813131876


$239.99 $239.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/14-130-781-10.jpg EVGA 04G-P4-2690-KR GeForce GTX 690 4GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130781)Model #:04G-P4-2690-KRItem #:N82E16814130781


$1,019.99 $1,019.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/17-171-055-11.jpg COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Gold Series RSC00-80GAD3-US 1200W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS ... (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171055)Model #:RSC00-80GAD3-USItem #:N82E16817171055


$269.99 -$30.00 Instant $239.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/19-113-284-02.jpg AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8350FRHKBOX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113284)Model #:FD8350FRHKBOXItem #:N82E16819113284


$199.99 $199.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/20-167-086-07.jpg Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW240A3K5 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167086)Model #:SSDSC2CW240A3K5Item #:N82E16820167086


$264.99 -$10.00 Instant $254.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/20-231-590-05.jpg G.SKILL Trident X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory Model F3-2400C10Q-32GTX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231590)Model #:F3-2400C10Q-32GTXItem #:N82E16820231590


$329.99 $329.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/22-136-533-02.jpg Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533)Model #:WD1002FAEXItem #:N82E16822136533


$94.99 $94.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/35-103-072-07.jpg COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200 R4-LUS-07AR-GP 200mm Red LED Case cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103072)Model #:R4-LUS-07AR-GPItem #:N82E16835103072


$22.99 -$6.00 Instant $16.99

Update https://ssl-images.newegg.com/ProductImageCompressAll/35-288-001-02.jpg EVGA M020-00-000234 Superclock CPU Cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835288001)Model #:M020-00-000234Item #:N82E16835288001Out Of Stock
Note (Add)

[Thulack]

Not sure if its more sad that my car cost less then that video card or that you want to spend that much on a video card to begin with :)

[nilbog]

Not sure if its more sad that my car cost less then that video card or that you want to spend that much on a video card to begin with :)

Oh I definitely don't want to spend that much. Was thinking if I bought one of those now, by the time it got cheap, I could buy another.. and SLI them at that point to be in good shape and not need to upgrade again.

Wtf kind of car can you get for < 1k

[Thulack]

Oh I definitely don't want to spend that much. Was thinking if I bought one of those now, by the time it got cheap, I could buy another.. and SLI them at that point to be in good shape and not need to upgrade again.

Wtf kind of car can you get for < 1k

92 civic with 200k miles. i drive it about 15 miles a week to take my kid home on sunday and back and forth to my job. I have a work car(07 Corolla) that i use to do my errands and such. I'm not a traveler lol so don't need a nice car for any reason. And my insurance is 400 dollars a year. And i fill up my gas tank like once every 2-3 months.

[r00t]

was gonna say a civic :P I have made a killing buying cheap running them upwards of 320k+ miles, throwing some junkyard pieces in, and reselling for higher than I bought a dozen or so times.


All this talk and that AMD FX 8350 processor (unheard of deal) makes me want to build a box so starting my own wishlist. Here's a list of top GPU's from that CPU site linked earlier with prices and benchmark scores:

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

[Knuckle]

AMD BUDGET BUILD:

GPU: SAPPHIRE 100358L Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 CrossFireX Support Video Card
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$109.99

PSU SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$5.00 Mail-in Rebate
$89.99

SSD SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$99.99

RAM G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$69.99

DRIVE ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DVD-E818AAT
$18.99

CASE Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
$49.99

HDD Western Digital WD Black WD5003AZEX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$74.99

MOBO GIGABYTE GA-F2A85X-D3H FM2 AMD A85X (Hudson D4) SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$84.99

CPU AMD A8-5600K Trinity 3.6GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU (CPU + GPU) with DirectX 11 Graphic AMD Radeon HD 7560D $109.99


https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=23263226

TOTAL COST FOR BUILD: 708.00

Not bad.

Best budget gaming Laptop build I could make
http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np4650-clevo-w650sh-p-5997.html?wconfigure=yes almost 400 dollars more.
Best prebuilt I've found is the lenovo y500, pretty solid setup besides windows 8. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312439

[Joeyo1471]

Guys. Assuming that I have the keyboard/mouse/monitor, what could be a decent build for a PC running P99 only? I can provide OS as well, just want a PC for EQ only, as simple/cheap as possible.

[Thulack]

Guys. Assuming that I have the keyboard/mouse/monitor, what could be a decent build for a PC running P99 only? I can provide OS as well, just want a PC for EQ only, as simple/cheap as possible.

Go on craigslist and find someone selling a computer for 50-100 bucks. good chance it will run p99 fine.

Something like this: http://baltimore.craigslist.org/sys/3900080379.html would probably run EQ. might have to spend 20-30 bucks for a video card but that would be about it.

[OngorDrakan]

If you have a Microcenter around you, you can score up to $40-50 off a combo deal w/ Mobo+CPU builds, and another $10 sometimes w/ PSU combos w/ CPU/Mobo purchases, and then rebates on those. These discounts would be on top of the already LOW LOW budget I built this PC for.

These prices are all from NewEgg though, and occasionally Microcenter has the same, or lower prices, so without further chit chattin':

AMD BUDGET BUILD:

GPU: EVGA 01G-P4-2650-KR GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$99.99

PSU: CORSAIR CX500M 500W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$59.99

C:\ SSD SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$99.99

RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model BLS2KIT4G3D1339DS1S00L
$52.99

OPTICAL: SAMSUNG Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model SH-118BB
$16.99

CASE: COOLER MASTER Elite 361 RC-361-KKN1 Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$35.99

HDD: Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
$69.99

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Socket AM3+ mATX 760G AMD Motherboard
$10.00 Rebate
$54.99

CPU: AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX

$119

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=22489666

TOTAL COST FOR BUILD: $644.90, After rebates $614.90 After Microcenter Combo Deal -$50 = $564.90

"Not bad, Drunke." - Knuckle

[lawll]

Intel Core i3-3225 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 55W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ...
$139.99



Why the fuck would you waste money on a i3 processor? Stop being a cheap ass and put out a few more dollars and get your moneys worth. At least get a AMD quad if you can pay the price for a intel i7.

[Knuckle]

Why the fuck would you waste money on a i3 processor? Stop being a cheap ass and put out a few more dollars and get your moneys worth. At least get a AMD quad if you can pay the price for a intel i7.

Why so mad?

[Hasbinbad]

Been debating whether I could argue myself into building another desktop to save some money; sad reality is I don't see much savings for the sort of performance you can find out of a gaming laptop these days even trying to buy quality budget parts from the ground up in a desktop.

Here's a build I made, focusing on low cost, high reliability 'value' parts, that can suit an old school gamers needs, I don't play many flashy games. Skyrim is probably the only game I have that can even test my GPU on my 2 year old laptop, so I figure anything that can hang toe to toe with my g73 asus laptop should due.

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx

Can anyone suggest a better quality build for a lower cost? Only area I can see shaving some cost is the SSD but frankly I feel like load speeds for zoning in Everquest and some of the older games is a nice feature.
In case my Cart doesn't load correctly:

The SSD is $170 with 10% off coupon of $17
There is a 10% coupon on RAM for $7
Shipping looks to be less than $4 bucks.



Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm ...
$49.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM
$29.99

XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified ...
$69.99

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-DS3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$104.99

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$184.99

Intel Core i3-3225 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 55W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ...
$139.99

MSI N650TI-1GD5/V1 GeForce GTX 650 Ti 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready Video Card
$129.99

Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$69.99

LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM
$21.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
$69.99

Shipping Method:
$3.86

DISCOUNT FOR AUTOADD #81781
-$49.99
Subtotal $871.90
Tax $0.00
Shipping $3.86
Promo Code -$25.50
Grand Total $850.26

(also $60 in MIR cards)
literally everything about my 2+ year old best-buy gateway is better than that for the same price

[Hasbinbad]

except sound card lol

[Knuckle]

except sound card lol

link that gateway then bro, ill buy it new.

was 840 series samsung SSD even out 2 years ago?

[lawll]

Why so mad?

Because people buy these i3 all the time thinking it's a deal then I have to hear them bitch because tons of games nowa days use a lot of CPU power (like mmos). Go cheap on the GPU not the CPU, at least the GPU can be upgraded and will never have problems with mobo support.

[lawll]

Also why do you need more then 250GB for a gaming desktop? Drop that HDD and put that money into a better mobo/cpu. You want a mobo/cpu that you can add upgraded parts to for years to come and want quality that will last. The i3 is going to be the biggest bottle neck in your PC. I would also drop the sound card and put that money into the mobo/cpu. IF 800 is your budget you can do a lot better then this. Get a asus mobo and a i7 cpu trust me you will be very happy. Hell i would put all my money into the mobo/cpu and just sit on it till i get more money for other parts.

[FoxxHound]

What the fuck Knuckle.

[Knuckle]

lawll - that was a test build i made on newegg with 'some' research.
250GB SSD, I don't "need" 250GB but I'd like to fit most of my shit on the main drive and leave that 20-30% they recommend on SSD's.
FoxxHound - ???

I looked at the AMD budget builds more and more, and decided I'd rather go with a higher budget to accommodate a quality i5 3570k CPU, and the newly released GTX 760. For me looking at the longview, the AMD cpu really draws a lot of extra power, and most games I play would take advantage of the i5's superior single thread performance, and since it has 4 real cores, that's pretty impressive to me. I also like the lower power draw, paired with a nice cooler, that CPU should last me a good long while.

Motherboard, I really like the gigabyte durable 4-5 series, and the sabertooth line from asus. And no, I don't like the asus line because of the fucking plastic pads, they use solid caps and good materials for the choke points and cooling solutions. I wish I could find some good reviews comparing Gigabyte Durable level 4 and 5 mobo to Asus sabertooth line from a reliability standpoint as opposed to 'features'. As long as it has a couple usb 3.0 ports and an excellent network interface I can deal without having 20 sata 3 connectors and all the other shit I'll never use.

[lawll]

Rosewill Blackbone Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811147023
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant


$49.99
$34.99
1

EVGA 01G-P4-2650-KR GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Item #: N82E16814130827
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card


$119.99
$109.99
1

NVIDIA $75 value in-game coin coupon
Item #: N82E16800995150
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$49.99 Saving


$49.99
$0.00
1

SAMSUNG Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model SH-118BB
Item #: N82E16827151267
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


$16.99
1

Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS BRONZE Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with ...
Item #: N82E16817182200
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$40.00 Instant


$89.99
$49.99
1

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
Item #: N82E16820145345
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy


$74.99
1

ASUS P8Z77-M LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131832
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant


$124.99
$119.99
1

Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770
Item #: N82E16819116502
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy


$289.99
1

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250BW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820147189
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy


$189.99
Subtotal: $886.92

This is a few more dollars but wayy better then before.

[Gwence]

gotta love a guy that goes on about how important mobo is and then suggests a micro atx

he needs breathing room!

[Knuckle]

Rosewill Blackbone Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811147023
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant


$49.99
$34.99
1

EVGA 01G-P4-2650-KR GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Item #: N82E16814130827
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card


$119.99
$109.99
1

NVIDIA $75 value in-game coin coupon
Item #: N82E16800995150
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$49.99 Saving


$49.99
$0.00
1

SAMSUNG Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model SH-118BB
Item #: N82E16827151267
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


$16.99
1

Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS BRONZE Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with ...
Item #: N82E16817182200
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$40.00 Instant


$89.99
$49.99
1

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
Item #: N82E16820145345
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy


$74.99
1

ASUS P8Z77-M LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131832
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant


$124.99
$119.99
1

Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770
Item #: N82E16819116502
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy


$289.99
1

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250BW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820147189
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy


$189.99
Subtotal: $886.92

This is a few more dollars but wayy better then before.

also lacks soundcard, I refuse to use shitty onboard sound. Not sure how I feel about that rosewell PSU. I'd have to research that model.

[Gwence]

1) ditch the sound card and save $30 or whatever, the integrated hd audio on your motherboard is probably better than some hella cheap sound card anyway, so it's counterproductive. If you are planning on some home theather setup asus makes a good $300 sound card that would be worth it, otherwise integrated audio on the board can handle whatever you throw at it.

2) what's the deal with all the 128 bit gpu's youre quoting? I would go with at least 256 on the interface, shit amd has a 768 7990

3) if you're getting discreet graphics, not much point in getting an apu over a straight cpu if you are leaning amd, but also not a big deal if the price points are similar.

Personally, I'm an intel man when it comes to cpu's, I think they charge you a brand fee and it's why I dont buy intel mobo or ssd or anything else, but when processor's they walk the walk, the thermals, the mtbd, the output, just about everything will come out favoring intel next gen processors

I'll put my i5 sandy up against any FX "8 core" piece of shit amd puts out, fact is its misleading advertising from them, you arent getting 8 seperate cores you arent even getting 4 cores.

I'd go with an i5 whether sandy or ivy they are miles ahead of amd's best, but that's me, hopefully you do your own research which extends a little further than checking prices on newegg.

[lawll]

gotta love a guy that goes on about how important mobo is and then suggests a micro atx

he needs breathing room!

It;s a mid tower you dumb shit it will fit the mobo just fine.

[lawll]

also lacks soundcard, I refuse to use shitty onboard sound. Not sure how I feel about that rosewell PSU. I'd have to research that model.

When was the last time you got a new mobo? The onboard sound isn't to bad nowa days.

[Pringles]

Get at least an i5, but an i7 w/ HT is so worth it.

[Gwence]

would also not skimp on a case, it will cause you problems later in life or maybe early in life

rosewill not a great manufacturer imo

drop a little more and get a corsair 550D, it's the best mid tower on the market imo

if you want to go hard in the paint go for the 800D, best tower that exists imo

haf x semi-close 2nd.

[lawll]

would also not skimp on a case, it will cause you problems later in life or maybe early in life

rosewill not a great manufacturer imo

drop a little more and get a corsair 550D, it's the best mid tower on the market imo

if you want to go hard in the paint go for the 800D, best tower that exists imo

haf x semi-close 2nd.

Yea that would be a awesome idea for the build but idk how much he was trying to spend so I skimped on the case to save some money. My biggest thing was to get a solid cpu and mobo setup so he can further upgrade over time.

[Knuckle]

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=22678825

Here's a wish build I have with a little more budget, figure I'd throw in one of those silly premade water coolers for the cpu to take advantage of the overclockability of the i5 3570k, especially since that nice compact case has room for their branded water cooler. I'd probably add the watercooler and an extra fan to keep everything cool, I'll probably tinker around a little more to see if I can hit a sweet spot under the 1k mark(shaving off the blue ray player and going with a smaller SSD. mostly).

[Knuckle]

the only mobo id consider besides a gigabyte or asus would be specifically that asrock extreme4 z77 I've heard good things about, their brand is mostly shit it turns out, but they actually used quality parts in that mobo.

[Knuckle]

would also not skimp on a case, it will cause you problems later in life or maybe early in life

rosewill not a great manufacturer imo

drop a little more and get a corsair 550D, it's the best mid tower on the market imo

if you want to go hard in the paint go for the 800D, best tower that exists imo

haf x semi-close 2nd.

Agreed on the case, matter of fact I was looking at that 550D specifically that thing is sexy as hell. However I ended up settling on a more compact version in my wishlist that lacked the rubber grommets for cable management but still could fit a full size GPU and leave room for cooling. I prefer as small as I can get without sacrificing enough airflow to keep temps legit.

[Knuckle]

When was the last time you got a new mobo? The onboard sound isn't to bad nowa days.

I had the asus p5b deluxe for the old e6300 socket. Sound wasn't very good saw a huge jump in quality and '3d' with the SB audigy card. Use a nice set of klipsch 2.1 speaker set up.

[Gwence]

wish list is empty

nothing wrong with asrock, truth be told mobo manufacturers all pretty similar in terms of quality, plus all there parts come from intel or micron anyway, it's all the same shit, each has there own designs a maybe a few minor twists but in overall functionality they're all basically identical

I use an asrock extreme6 p67, zero problems with it going on almost 2 years now.

[Knuckle]

Here's some old desktop memories. Built it circa 2008, first build, did a custom watercooling set up with dangerden heat sinks, forgot what brand the pump was, and a huge 3x120mm fan radiator for the back. Overclocked my little allendale chip to 3.0ghz for several years with that watercooling set up, the 3/4" tubing did just fine keeping it and the GPU cool.

SPECS:
Gigabyte Aurora Case
Asus P5B Deluxe Motherboard
Sapphire ATI HD4850 Graphics Card
ThermalTake Toughpower 750W Powersupply
Soundblaster Audigy SE Soundcard
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 1.8ghz, running overclocked at 2.9ghz
1TB Western Digital Green Label Hard Disk Drive
2GB Corsair xtreme XMS2 RAM
Windows XP Operating System

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll300/11-233-003-02.jpg

Pic of inside of case (after mobo fried and had taken watercooling out, struck by lightning via ethernet )

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh4/estrang87/2011-08-09195238.jpg

I'm aware my cable management was shit, and I rigged some of the open ports with blue electric tape after I lost some PCi card slot metal cover trays.

Wish I had some pics when I had the watercooling all hooked up, purred like a kitten without a hitch for 2 years with just flushing the water cooling.

Was pretty proud of my stable OC of roughly 60% also. Bought that CPU for a fraction of what the higher C2D series was going for and at a good clock freq.

[Knuckle]

wish list is empty

nothing wrong with asrock, truth be told mobo manufacturers all pretty similar in terms of quality, plus all there parts come from intel or micron anyway, it's all the same shit, each has there own designs a maybe a few minor twists but in overall functionality they're all basically identical

I use an asrock extreme6 p67, zero problems with it going on almost 2 years now.


Qty. Image Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price


Update

EVGA 02G-P4-2763-KR GeForce GTX 760 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support w/ EVGA ACX Cooler Video Card
Model #:02G-P4-2763-KR
Item #:N82E16814130933
Return Policy:VGA Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$249.99 $249.99


Update

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Model #:GA-Z77X-UD3H
Item #:N82E16813128544
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card
Note (Add)
$149.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.99


Update

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
Model #:BX80637I53570K
Item #:N82E16819116504
Return Policy:CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$219.99 $219.99


Update

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Model #:F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Item #:N82E16820231314
Return Policy:Memory Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$69.99 $69.99


Update

SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Model #:M12II 620 Bronze
Item #:N82E16817151095
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$124.99 -$50.00 Instant $74.99


Update

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250BW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Model #:MZ-7TD250BW
Item #:N82E16820147189
Return Policy:Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$189.99 $189.99


Update

LG Black 12X Blu-ray Combo Drive SATA Model UH12NS29 - OEM
Model #:UH12NS29
Item #:N82E16827136252
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$49.99 $49.99


Update

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card
Model #:70SB057000001
Item #:N82E16829102012
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$39.99 -$5.00 Instant $34.99


Update

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Windowed Black ATX Mid Tower Case
Model #:CC-9011017-WW
Item #:N82E16811139016
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Note (Add)
$99.99 -$10.00 Instant $89.99
Subtotal: $1,119.91

[Gwence]

its solid

would suggest boosting up to a gold psu - I use the 750W seasonic gold model myself, if you keep a sharp eye out you can catch it on sale at newegg for around $120-130, think I got mine for $119 on some deal. When I was building my current rig it was widely thought of as the best psu for your money at the time, might be different now dunno.

would also suggest dropping samsung for your ssd, you paying about $30 extra for the brand - I use a mushkin chronos which has been great for me mine is only 120gb though, prices have come down on ssd's since I bought mine I think I spent about $150 for my 120gb.. guess I should look into getting a bigger size myself since I basically have to swap whatever games I'm actively playing from my storage in and out.

the idea is the same though, can probably get a 240 corsair, mushkin, kingston etc etc for 30-40 cheaper than the samsung without sacrificing the quality, but if samsung is more comfortable for you it's all good.

solid gpu

I use ripjaws myself

would dump the blu ray player unless you plan on watching blu ray's can save another $30-35 by going with an oem dvd drive. If you use it to watch blu ray then ignore lol


would still drop the sound card lol, the integrated hd audio on the ud3 is better just look into it if you dont believe me. I mean it's an old pci legacy form factor card, it's just taking up space, any sound card that can out perform onboard with be pci-e 1x at least.

[lawll]

What CPU fan you gonna use? I have been using one of them corsair h50s and had it for about 2 years with a over clocked cpu and never had issues.

[LiQuid]

Does anybody wanna point me in the direction of a low end, prebuilt PC or a laptop that will run modern games, even on low settings for like $500-800? I've been using a decade-old Dell laptop with awful intel integrated graphics since 2008 when my last built PC died on me and it has been a real ball breaker not even being able to run even low intensity 3D games on it. It's kind of the reason I got into P99 in the first place (and this game still runs like buttered ass). Anyways, the screen on this thing finally died. Would prefer another laptop over a desktop just for space reasons (and laptop + couch > PC + desk) but wouldn't be opposed to to a PC if it was a substantial increase in power.

I don't know anything about computing in the last half a decade. I don't know how many cores I need or what the numbers on GPU models mean anymore. I'm lost and while I feel like anything will be a step up from where I'm at now, I don't want to buy something that turns out is a massive piece of crap like this laptop turned out to be.

[Piff]

grab the samsung 840 pro series for that SSD, heard they made a lot of improvements from the 840 series. haswell is out... so buy an i5 4670k (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO8TBOW/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1NPS9C5D0AJCN3W54V2M&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846)!

muh computing machines

http://i.imgur.com/Y0i8WGv.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/DsS2Ctk.jpg

[Zereh]

Does anybody wanna point me in the direction of a low end, prebuilt PC or a laptop that will run modern games, even on low settings for like $500-800?

Dell Factory Outlet (http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/InventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh&brandid=2202&fid=9179)

Digital Storm (http://www.digitalstormonline.com/vanquish.asp)

Cyber Power (http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/)

[SamwiseRed]

Dell Factory Outlet (http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/InventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh&brandid=2202&fid=9179)

Digital Storm (http://www.digitalstormonline.com/vanquish.asp)

Cyber Power (http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/)

hmmm thanks for links, im looking myself soon.

[LiQuid]

Hmm, after adding the cost of a monitor to most of those it doesn't look like I'm going to be saving much money over getting a shit tier laptop with dedicated graphics.

Thanks for the links. Still looking for some comparable laptop solutions but those low end Digital Storm machines look comparable to a lot of the build suggestions I've been getting. Strongly considering it atm.

[Piff]

Hmm, after adding the cost of a monitor to most of those it doesn't look like I'm going to be saving much money over getting a shit tier laptop with dedicated graphics.

Thanks for the links. Still looking for some comparable laptop solutions but those low end Digital Storm machines look comparable to a lot of the build suggestions I've been getting. Strongly considering it atm.

build a rig using the AMD A10 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113280&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-N82E16819113280&gclid=CKKg4Z2rjLgCFVIV7AodwRUApw) so your integrated graphics are as fast as a lot of folks' dedicated.

buy a cheap itx or mini-atx mobo, cheap 450w psu, inexpensive itx or mini-atx case, no custom cooling, use stock fans, no cd drive (use usb), and a 1tb hard drive.

[Knuckle]

grab the samsung 840 pro series for that SSD, heard they made a lot of improvements from the 840 series. haswell is out... so buy an i5 4670k (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CO8TBOW/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p147_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1NPS9C5D0AJCN3W54V2M&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846)!

muh computing machines

http://i.imgur.com/Y0i8WGv.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/DsS2Ctk.jpg

Nice desktop. You trolling about haswell? ivy bridge is better for overclocking and runs on lower wattage. Your paying extra money for a less efficient chip that runs at a slightly higher clock freq.

[Piff]

You trolling about haswell? ivy bridge is better for overclocking and runs on lower wattage. Your paying extra money for a less efficient chip that runs at a slightly higher clock freq.

no joke. i was under the naive impression that it was a very similar chip running on lower wattage than the previous generation - haven't been so keen on hardware news since the summer started. good choice on the 3570k then, same as i've got.

[LiQuid]

I've been playing around on CyberPower for a while and got this together:

Configuration

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.50 GHz Six-Core AM3+ CPU 6MB L2 Cache & Turbo Core Technology
HDD: 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+9] (Single Drive)
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Kingston HyperX [+19])
MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3 AMD 970 Chipset Socket AM3+ ATX Mainboard w/ Touch Bios, Ultra Durable 2, On/Off Charge, 7.1 Audio, GbLAN, 2 Gen2 PCIe X16, 3 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: AMD Radeon HD 7750 2GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card [-48] (Major Brand Powered by AMD)

That video card was on sale for $48 cheaper than the same model 1GB card, so I chose that, and then they let me add a 2nd one for only $38 more. Not sure how that worked but it seems like I got 2 superior video cards for less than the price of one and that sounds too good to be true...

Total damages are $792, $120 for this monitor (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8142837&CatId=5469) and an extra $85 or so to get it all shipped. Puts my out of pocket at $997.

I'm weighing that Vs. this SLI IdeaPad:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834312439

Still real afraid to click the confirm button on any of these purchases so going to mull it over for a few hours and would love some positive encouragement in any direction or some tips for anything I may not have thought of.

[Knuckle]

http://www.xoticpc.com

Use these folks for your best laptops at a lower price. Ignore the copper cooling and just sit at 8gb ram, at bare minimum get a 640m discrete gpu. I5 CPU options are reasonably priced.

[EchoedTruth]

From a non fanboy standpoint - I honestly can't see why someone wouldn't run an all-AMD rig if price was a factor. The A10 APU running in crossfire with a decent Radeon GPU is beastly, and no slouch on non-gaming processing either. You can do an A10+Radeon GPU setup for ~$500.

[OngorDrakan]

I built the best for budget PC in this thread and nobody said anything. You guys are clueless. :)

[LiQuid]

I really wanted to buy a prefab or customizable but I got talked into building in the end. Ended up spending $770 for everything including monitor plus a bunch of accessories. Even getting mostly low tier parts I think I'm getting more machine than I intended on buying from the start of this, but still managed to spend less than had I gone with a pre-built, I think.

Here's the good stuff:
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727
mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131872
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127730

Hopefully it lasts me a good way thru this upcoming console cycle cause I'm pretty much tapped out for consumer electronics purchases for a good long while.