[MEGATHREAD] Personal Computer - Updated builds thanks to Logical Increments

[SPooK]

Okay I don't think he will need a $300 GPU. Would it better to have a better CPU? Any good intel builds instead of AMD? Also he said he could add more on to it later. So maybe 4gb ram for now and smaller hard drive?

GPU does take priority over a CPU. Not to say that a quality CPU is important. Also 8GB of RAM has become the standard as 4GB does choke on the overall performance of the machine and is noticeable in most circumstances. I will have an Intel build ready in a few minutes with a smaller hard drive. 500GB should be fine for your friend based on what you have said so far.

EDIT: Also does your friend live near a MicroCenter store?

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[Treynolds416]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Vhj2

better video card and ram than spook's build, at the expense of a 4-core cpu instead of an 8-core
unless you are doing intensive video or photo editing, you don't really need those extra cores as most games utilize only 1-4

Find a comparable psu for less money, get 2x4 ram instead of 1x8.
The gpu is actually fine with that cpu for games, you'll get better performance than a better cpu + a $250 gpu (something like an i5-3350P + GTX 760)
But the second configuration will perform better for most everday applications and overall system speed, the best option depends on what he'll use the computer for.

[SPooK]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Vhj2

better video card and ram than spook's build, at the expense of a 4-core cpu instead of an 8-core
unless you are doing intensive video or photo editing, you don't really need those extra cores as most games utilize only 1-4

That's like strapping a rocket to a pinewood derby car. It will do fine for games but in terms of everything else it will not be well optimized at all :/

There's a reason why the RAM and the Motherboard are so cheap. The RAMs cas latency is crazy high for the rated frequency and the timings are incredibly loose.

That motherboard in particular is as fragile as a twig and lacks many of the features found on boards on $20-$30 more expensive than it.

[Titanium Man]

That's like strapping a rocket to a pinewood derby car. It will do fine for games but in terms of everything else it will not be well optimized at all :/

what do you mean by "everything else"

Find a comparable psu for less money, get 2x4 ram instead of 1x8.

i agree with these 2 points, and i must've just like dozed out or something because i was looking for 2x4 and somehow ended up with x8

[Treynolds416]

That's like strapping a rocket to a pinewood derby car. It will do fine for games but in terms of everything else it will not be well optimized at all :/

There's a reason why the RAM and the Motherboard are so cheap. The RAMs cas latency is crazy high for the rated frequency and the timings are incredibly loose.

That motherboard in particular is as fragile as a twig and lacks many of the features found on boards on $20-$30 more expensive than it.

I would suggest an MSI 970A-G43 as a cheaper alternative that doesn't waste as much money. Sure, it's barebones but you're not going to find any other board at that price point that can compete

[Titanium Man]

the only reason you would want a $80+ plus amd motherboard is if you are overclocking or you have money to waste

[Nal]

the only reason you would want a $80+ plus amd motherboard is if you are overclocking or you have money to waste

why is that

[Legodude77]

I'll wait for changes or more suggestions before bringing one up to him. I think it would be better for a build that is all around, sided more toward gaming though.

[SPooK]

I'll wait for changes or more suggestions before bringing one up to him. I think it would be better for a build that is all around, sided more toward gaming though.

This is an Intel build that is very well rounded and is perfect for gaming. For example, this GPU easily hits over 70+ FPS in BF3. Kind of what you asked for a couple posts ago.
The case is also steel, making it high quality and not flimsy.
It includes dual channel memory and 8GB of it.
As well as a smaller storage of 500GB.

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Nordiq/saved/2Hf3

Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core
Gigabyte GA-Z87-HD3 ATX LGA1150
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM
MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB
Cougar Pioneer ATX Mid Tower
Rosewill 650W ATX12V / EPS12V

[Titanium Man]

gets a locked cpu
buys a z87 with it
yeah thats just a waste of money in this case

[SPooK]

gets a locked cpu
buys a z87 with it
yeah thats just a waste of money in this case

a) Z87 is not meant for just overclocking, it has other features that the various other chip sets don't have. Such as the allowance of RAM at a frequency higher than 1600MHz as well as more than 1 PCI Express 3.0 Lane.
b) Doesn't matter what chip set you buy for the Haswell architecture, the price point is literally all the same for all ATX sized boards.

Please understand what you are saying before you just spit it out.

[Treynolds416]

What is it with you people and $90 psus for midrange builds

[0xBRIANSMITH]

Does anyone know any computer part site that accepts btc?

[SPooK]

What is it with you people and $90 psus for midrange builds

Depends on your definition of 'midranged'.

And what about them? That's just the price they are at. And 650W is the perfect wattage for this build so idk what you are talking about.

[SirLancelot7]

I'm currently looking around for a new computer, and I might have a budget of as much as 1000-1500 dollars.  I know that a custom build is the far better way to go, but I have absolutely no experience when it comes to that.  Should I buy parts individually and have someone do it for me? Just go with a pre-built?  Or would I be able to do it myself without risk of breaking things? 

I'm looking for any kind of advice, so anything is appreciated.