New pew[Computer build]

[Lilb877]

I've had my computer for a very long time, it feels like it's going to kick the bucket sometime soon. I never wanted to put more money into for the sole reason that it would be smarter imo, to just put it into a brand new build. But i havn't been keeping up with the computer market for the past 4 years, and I need a little insight on what I should get for my moneys worth. And my price range is roughly 400-600. If anyone could talk with me, or give me some nice spec's, I'd much appreciate the help . [Preferably intel i4/i6.]

 

[labowsky]

I've had my computer for a very long time, it feels like it's going to kick the bucket sometime soon. I never wanted to put more money into for the sole reason that it would be smarter imo, to just put it into a brand new build. But i havn't been keeping up with the computer market for the past 4 years, and I need a little insight on what I should get for my moneys worth. And my price range is roughly 400-600. If anyone could talk with me, or give me some nice spec's, I'd much appreciate the help . [Preferably intel i4/i6.]

man i would look into AMD stuff if your limit is only 600.
i built mine for 400 but i took some stuff off my old box and welded a box for myself
i also did A LOT of research and comparing before buying.

 

[Lilb877]

Yeah, I'm a bit old on the cpu industrie right now. And my current build is a Amd 64 x2 with geforce 9800 gtx +. But its begining to be very outdated, bf is so processor instensive, i sometimes slow mo. I just need better performance then what i have, and something that will last a few more years lol.

I'll take any suggestions at this point.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

Are you able to reuse any of the components in your system? Currently, you are looking at

$110 amd fx 4100 cpu
$100 mobo
$40 psu
$40 8gb ram

HDD prices are still a bit higher than they have been in the past, so if your current one still seems like it is going strong, then I would reuse it. Likewise for your dvd burner/player. Do you need a new OS as well such as windows 7, cause that could run you another $100 alone unless you can get it through your school for cheap. And what about your current case? Likewise for your current power supply: do you know what model it is? Is this previous system a prebuilt or one you put together yourself?

Also, are you playing bad company or bf3? BF3 is not extremely cpu intensive. It is definitely linked more to your gpu, so depending on if you can save in other areas of the build, you could put more into this component.

Finally, do you happen to live near a microcenter? This could potentially allow you to get a great deal on an intel i5+mobo combo. It might extend your budget to the max, but it would be worth it for the performance increase as far as longevity of the new system.

 

[Lilb877]

Powersupply is a 750w corsair.
I have Windows 7 OEM
CPu is Amd athlon 64 x2 dual core
Gefore 9800 gtx+
3g ram
Mainboard is a msi, really old model
And i also have a new shell for build.
I might also need a new cpu fan

I cant tell if my geforce is okay, but if i can possibly just upgrade a gpu and a cpu, thatd be sweet. But im not sure if thats the best idea for the money.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

PSU, OS, and case are good to know. What about your hard drive? Is that still good or do you think you need a new one or do you need additional space?

Also, do you live near a microcenter? Even still, without the need for those additional parts, you should be able to swing an intel core i5, mobo, ram, and a decent gpu.

 

[Lilb877]

I might need a new hardrive aswell, and i dont need room at all, the case i have for the new build has a lot of room. And I'm not sure if i live near one or not, I'd have to know what I was looking for. Like I said, I havn't done this stuff in years. But i am loving your help everyone one bit.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/index.html

There are locations of the store. That would be a huge benefit allowing you to get a great cpu and mobo for cheap.

As for an hdd, depending on space needed such as 500gb or 1tb, you are looking at about $70 to $100.

 

[Lilb877]

Just so happen my state isn't listen on those locations. If you could help me spec it out, that'd be great, thats my biggest problem.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

$200 Intel Core i5 2500k
$135 ASRock Z77 Extreme4
$45 8gb ddr3 1600 ram
$70 500gb 7200 hdd
$160 6870 gpu

Unfortunately, you are looking at a tradeoff. If you instead go with my initial suggestion of an fx 4100 cpu and a decent $100 or so mobo, you will save about $120 which you could then apply to your gpu. This in the end will result in the best performance in bf3 as it really is not cpu limited. You could then even look at 7870 territory such as this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662

This destroys the 6870.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-geforce-gtx-670-power-edition-oc-review/19

That is about a 55% performance increase in bf3at 1920x1200. You never actually confirmed if you play bf3 or bad company 2, but I assume bf3.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127663

This would be the next step down if you wanted to save some more. Definitely not as strong a performer in bf3 in comparison the 7870, but still quite a bit better than the 6870.

Unfortunately, which system is better is up to you. Both feel slightly lopsided as I feel the 2500k is by far the better cpu that will last you much longer. However, with the 2500k, you have a limited upgrade path. With the 4100, assuming you get the latest mobo chipset, you should be able to upgrade to one of their newer cpus assuming it does not use a different one.

 

[Muffs]

Personally, I would go for the better video card and then getting an okay CPU. Then later when you get more money you could upgrade.

 

[I'm your huckleberry]

I came to my senses and went the intel route. This leaves you with a known upgrade path to either a core i5 or i7 sandy or ivy bridge.

Or if you are able to stretch your budget another $100, you can swap the cpu/mobo combo with this combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.985159

Oh but I forgot the hard drive, so that kind of negates the above since the hdd alone will run you another $70:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

You could then switch to this cheaper card since you would be out of budget with the original posted build + hdd:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127663