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$400 budget!

J

jervonics

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Messages
173
Hey All,
It is finally time to build a new PC Gaming rig. I want to start off with a new CPU and Motherboard. I have been out of the loop for a good year so are not up to date on the latest
trends and hot stuff. What do you suggest for the basis of a new gaming rig regarding a CPU and MB? In the past I have been an AMD supporter and happy with them, but I am not adverse to trying Intel if they are top of the game these days.
Eventually I will get a new GPU, RAM and SSHD as well as a power supply and case.
Thank you for your opinions.....
 
Im a little out of date myself, but somehting like the i5 2500k is/was a decent choice. Hope some other peeps will chime in
 
Thanks for the quick response, sorry if I wasn't clear enough, the $400 budget was for JUST the CPU and MB. I will have another $400 for RAM and GPU in a Month....
 
I usually stick with Intel boards for reliability and ease of warranty. They don't always have cutting edge or gimmicky crap, but they're generally always solid. My board was about $170~ I shall find the model and edit my post with it later. :)

CPU i5 2500K is legit, I've got 2 of those right now. One in my wife's and one in a spare rig.
 
If you have an MC near you can probably piece together a nice system to begin with if you skip the video card. It may run like $450 with tax but it should get you at least a bit of the way until you can add in a gpu.
 
If your budget is $400, something like an i5 3570k + gigabyte ud3h is a solid option. Microcenter has the i7 3770k for about $229, if you happen to live near one.
 
tonyftw said:
If your budget is $400, something like an i5 3570k + gigabyte ud3h is a solid option. Microcenter has the i7 3770k for about $229, if you happen to live near one.
Click to expand...

+1. Under that budget, this is a really great combo.
 
On such a limited budget if you don't plan on OCing, don't blow a wad on the mobo. Just get something reliable that isn't full of features you'll never use (and be paying for). Most motherboard by the same manufacturer are built to the same standards, some just have more features that can really jack up the price.
 
I also agree, that the i5 3570k is the best all around choice for your gaming dollar. The "K" is the unlocked processor, and worth the little extra it costs.

Hard to say what motherboard. So many choices depending on what features you want.

If you just have to go AMD, the FX-8350 is still more than enough for gaming. Most games are GPU limited anyways.
 
BladeVenom said:
Most games are GPU limited anyways.
Click to expand...
That's kind of a blanket statement.

Lower the resolution the more impact CPU has, higher the resolution the more impact GPU has, higher quality textures the more impact memory capacity and bit width has. Building a good PC is about buying what's going to optimize the resolution you game at. GTX680SLI is a ton of horese power but if you're only gaming at 1080p it's not going to help nearly as much as having a faster clocked CPU.
 
You should take this over to General Hardware forums.

There really isn't enough information you've given us to make an informed decision for you. Also if you're going to piecemeal a system together can you wait till June or July? Haswell will be out then, plus what we recommend for a build this week may change depending on prices.

Like I said hop over to General hardware and there are a few experts at building systems which can give you some excellent advice. Like if you don't want to OC your CPU all the above choices aren't ideal for you. So come on over and say hi! make sure to answer the sticky at the top of the page though!!
 
I'd go i5 3570k with a Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO on a Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H or UD5H. If you won't overclock grab the 3570 with stock cooler.
 
reuse as much as you can from your current setup.

I just priced out a system and $400 won'tr get squat for a gaming rig, but it can get you a CPU MB and RAM.
 
You're going to be really chasing the edge with only $400 to spend.

I recommend you save more and upgrade when you can dump $700+.
 
tonyftw said:
If your budget is $400, something like an i5 3570k + gigabyte ud3h is a solid option. Microcenter has the i7 3770k for about $229, if you happen to live near one.
Click to expand...

Another vote for this. The i5 is plenty for gaming on a budget and the "k" means its unlocked for better overclocking potential. If you NEVER plan to overclock, then skip it and save the money for something else. As somebody else also already mentioned, you dont need a feature packed mobo. Those Gigabyte boards are solid choices
 
tonyftw said:
If your budget is $400, something like an i5 3570k + gigabyte ud3h is a solid option. Microcenter has the i7 3770k for about $229, if you happen to live near one.
Click to expand...

RedTalon19 said:
Another vote for this. The i5 is plenty for gaming on a budget and the "k" means its unlocked for better overclocking potential. If you NEVER plan to overclock, then skip it and save the money for something else. As somebody else also already mentioned, you dont need a feature packed mobo. Those Gigabyte boards are solid choices
Click to expand...

That is only possible if he is in fact reusing a lot of parts from the PC in sig. Otherwise that $400 will go away quickly if buying the peripherals.

You will need new ram either way if you are upgrading from that AMD system. So you might as well buy it at the same time as CPU. You can sometimes find really good ram deals at MC, other times not.
 
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It seems like nobody is reading his reply...

jervonics said:
Thanks for the quick response, sorry if I wasn't clear enough, the $400 budget was for JUST the CPU and MB. I will have another $400 for RAM and GPU in a Month....
Click to expand...



But yeah, i'd take this over to the General Hardware Forum
 
Thanks for the Info!! I will head to the General hardware thread and see what else I can find out. You guys are the best!
 
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