help building my pc


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im looking to build a new pc. i wanna try and scrap as much as i can from my old pc which probly wont be much, so im not looking to get every single part and id like to stay within a budget of $500. a little more is ok though. what im needing is a mobo, cpu, and video card, and maaaaybe a power supply. im unfamiliar with more modern computer parts since i havent been able to go out and buy something like this in a long time. the best i could come up with is in the pic attached... im looking to be able to play games through hdmi, pretty much all the valve games (portal 1 + 2, left for dead, half life 2, etc.)

if anybody could help me out id really appreciate it :)

http://i46.tinypic.com/flf3t2.jpg

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Need a bit more informations.

1- What are the full specs of the PC you have right now? Down to the PSU size (in Watts) if possible.

2- Are you essentially gonna keep to oldish games? How hardcore of a gamer are you? How much of a future proofing do you want?

im looking to build a new pc. i wanna try and scrap as much as i can from my old pc which probly wont be much, so im not looking to get every single part and id like to stay within a budget of $500. a little more is ok though. what im needing is a mobo, cpu, and video card, and maaaaybe a power supply. im unfamiliar with more modern computer parts since i havent been able to go out and buy something like this in a long time. the best i could come up with is in the pic attached... im looking to be able to play games through hdmi, pretty much all the valve games (portal 1 + 2, left for dead, half life 2, etc.)

if anybody could help me out id really appreciate it :)

http://i46.tinypic.com/flf3t2.jpg

Also, don't you need new RAM? And yeah, what size of PSU do you have right now?

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i think the psu gives about 300v? atx 24pin

id like to get ddr3 ram if i could seeing as how its the new standard. right now i have ddr2, single core cpu, mobo isnt worth anything. pretty sure it shorted out somewhere. it turns on but doesnt go anywhere, just a long beep and a blank screen. the harddrive is sata 1, i think the newer sata standard is backwards compaitible i believe? so i wasnt worrying about getting a new harddrive just yet.

right now my older computer is back from 2007 i believe. so im not scrapping much but the harddrive and probly sound card and psu if possible.

im not a hardcore gamer, im just looking to play the games that caught my attention over the years that i never really got to play. pretty much all the valve games, prototype looked good. borderlands 1 + 2. last ive heard crysis was the most demanding when it came to hardware but im not looking to play anything like that. not too many games catch my attention these days. but id like to have the option to upgrade if needed.

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I don't know a lot of graphics cards right now, but here is what I recommend for CPU/motherboard/RAM. You didn't specify RAM, but if you are getting a new motherboard you will definitely need new RAM.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157296

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231587

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i live in vero beach, florida. i highly doubt theres anything like that here lol. we have a couple pc shops but nothing worth going to.

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Without memory and a PSU (power supply)..

List of compatiable memory for that motherboard, only look at the 1600 or lower

http://download.giga...ga-z77-ds3h.pdf

PSU can range from 300-600 Watts and is your choice, I would get a 80 Bronze certified at least and possibly modular as it makes life easier

Here is the total so far with shipping (zip code 32962) from NewEgg (you can maybe find cheaper somewhere else with some stuff)

$474.63

Depending on the PSU and memory you should only hit $600 max, but with this build:

It WILL last you and handle anything you throw at it

I would suggest later down the line (about a year in) whether you go with that build or something else to replace the stock cpu cooler (fan) with an aftermarket one.

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PSU - Rosewill HIVE 650w Bronze Modular $80 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182132

Memory - G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866 8GB $66 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231460

Motherboard Intel - Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H $140 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128544

Motherboard AMD - Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 $140 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

Graphics - HIS IceQ Radeon 7870 GHz Edition 2GB $220 + Bioshock Infinite/Tomb Raider - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161404

Graphics - Gigabyte Geforce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB $170 + free $75 worth f2p stuff - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814125457

CPU Intel - Intel Core i5 3570K $220 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116504

CPU AMD - AMD FX-8350 $200 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819113284

CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO $35 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835103099

CPU Cooler - Xigmatek Dark Knight II $50 - http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835233029

Well here's something about $750 because I couldn't find myself satisfied with anything at $500. I chose AMD radeon 7800 series card because it comes with 2 free games and has 2GB of VRAM for future proofing. Current games are already pushing past 2GB VRAM like Bioshock Infinite. The ram is 1866 because it was only 3 bucks more than the 1600mhz version. Unfortunately ram prices have spiked up, you could have gotten 16GB for the same price 2 months ago. You will definitely need a new PSU for future upgrading so I tossed in a Bronze rated 650w modular one. Included aftermarket CPU coolers if you wanna overclock while keeping temps cool. Hyper 212 is the popular cheap one while the Xigmatek cools almost as good as some of the H20 stuff out there.

If you want something cheaper, then cut down on the graphics card to like a Radeon 7770 or Nvidia 650, Cheaper motherboard with less features, a PSU with less wattage, stock cpu cooler, etc. I listed parts that I myself would ideally want but it should give you an idea.

edit: added AMD CPU alternative

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Motherboard ($85): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

CPU ($180): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116782

RAM ($63): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

GPU ($190 after rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826

PSU ($60 after rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139048

Total: $578

Alternative CPU ($130): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116775

Alternative GPU ($150 after rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130840

Adjusted Total: $488

It's a little above your budget, but it will give you a future-proof PC for quite a long time.

There are a few areas you can cutdown on the price. Firstly, I wouldn't worry about a CPU cooler. It adds cost and it's basically pointless unless you plan on doing significant overclocking. The PSU, Motherboard, and RAM you really can't cut cost on, so I'd set those in stone. Subbing in a lesser GPU and CPU can save quite a bit.

The other option could be to buy a CPU with the integrated HD 4000 graphics, and hold off on a graphics card. The HD 4000 performs pretty well and it can definitely play most games on moderate settings. If you go that route, you can bring your cost down to the $400 range.

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I would also like to point out that if you go with an Ivy Bridge Intel CPU right now like the 3570k, there won't be much of an upgrade path. If you wanted to upgrade to the upcoming Haswell CPU's that's coming out in a few months, you will need a different motherboard. For AMD's side with the AM3+ socket motherboard, you can expect another generation or 2 of CPU's as far as I know. The FM2 socket which uses AMD's APU (cpu+gpu combo) might go for even longer.

The advantage that Intel have right now is they use PCIe 3.0 slots which has more bandwidth over PCIe 2.0. But that's probably irrelevant because current graphics don't really need it yet.

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Its better to invest into a GPU unless you really think your going next gen. IMO the 630 is not worth it

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That Geforce GT 630 isn't much better than the graphics cards released 6 years ago or even the integrated Intel HD 4000. What's your current GPU? You could probably still use it if its any decent. I used my old Radeon 3870 with an Intel 3570k temporarily and it performed much better than on my old core2duo e6600. You could probably skimp on the GPU for awhile but get at least a good cpu/mobo/ram/psu to last.

Here's a buyers guide to help you decide the best bang for the buck cards. It doesn't include the recently released AMD 7790 or Nvidia GTX 650 Ti Boost but those are just slightly slower than a radeon 7850 or nvidia gtx 660.

http://www.tomshardw...eview,3107.html

And here's a graphics card hierarchy chart so you can compare at a glance how each different gpu model from the last 10 or so years stack up against each other:

http://www.tomshardw...iew,3107-7.html

All you have to do now is decide.

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