Cheapest PC for Max Performance?

[StarRazor]

So I want a PC that can run the benchmark games at maximum, like BF4 that will soon be coming out. However, I don't want to spend a ton of money. I've pieced together this setup, but I want to know if it's overkill or not enough.

PRIMARY: $1172 (Exc. SSHD & OS)
Intel i5-3570k CPU $230
Asus P8Z77-V MTB $195
G.Skill Sniper (2x4GB) DDR3 1866 RAM $67
EVGA GTX 670 GPU $380
Seagate SSHD Desktop $?? (Not released)
Corsair HX650 80+ GOLD $120
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced $180
Windows 7 Home Premium OS $100*

SEMI-OPTIONAL: $70
ASUS USB-AC53 Wireless Adapter $70

PERIPHERALS: $490
2x 24" Asus VS247H LED Monitor $360
Razer Lycosa Keyboard $70
Razer DeathAdder $60

Total: $1732

Note: I am bad at math and had to go back through several times to make sure the total was right. xD

 

[jhnsn]

I haven't looked in depth at any of these yet, that will take some time and I'll get back to you soon. I'll make another reply soon. Be aware that you asked for advice, so you might not like some of the things I have to say.

From just looking so far though, I can say this. The power supply is one of the most important parts you can possibly get. DO NOT SKIMP ON THE POWER SUPPLY. You have listed a $80 600W power supply, and a $250 case. The figures for my build are swapped with a $80 case and a $200+ power supply. No matter how cool the case is, it won't make a difference if your computer won't turn on.

 

[xosniper]

You could get a 660ti and save some keesh.

And the power supply is fine. 600w is fine and price is fine for the way PSUs are priced now.

 

[jhnsn]

i5 should be fine; it passes

It took me a while to find a review for your motherboard from a reliable website, so there is some risk, but that website gave it a wonderful review; it passes

Best rated ram of it's class(mid range), should be more than enough; it passes

EVGA is a trusted brand, and 670 is a powerful card; it passes

SSHD. I jumped on the 4g bandwagon when it came to Verizon. I ended up getting the worst phone I have ever used. Lesson: don't trust new, untested tech. That being said, it may be amazing. My advice is to wait for a month or two after it is released and research it relentlessly.

I've mentioned this already. Look at their 80+ specifications. If it's not at least silver, think about reconsidering. It fails.

A case is a metal box that you put your actual stuff in. It doesn't matter. If you want it too look nice get some friends together and draw a mural on it. It will look way cooler than some leds ever will. It fails.

Everything else is preference. This is advice, you don't have to take it, but this comes from mistakes I've made building computers in the past.

 

[Snipeye]

Just an FYI: This would have been better posted in the Tech Talk forum.

Your title is a bit misleading, as the best performance available (literally taken), you're looking at a PC build over $2000, maybe $2500.

Now best bang for the buck, now we're talking.

I'll edit this when I get home to provide a more thorough response about the parts.

Also, the PSU is perfectly fine. If you're worried it's not "reliable" enough (which it is), you can recommend him another PSU: Corsair HX 650, $120, half again the original cost. And I also like the case. Granted, it's pricey, but if you want a good case that'll last for several or so years, that case picked will work. A case is not just a metal box; it can be acrylic, plastic, aluminum, etc. Interior case design can help or hinder air flow, which makes a big difference if you're running a lot parts or overclocking it.

Also, motherboard. Just call it mobo (not MTB). Unless MTB is the class designation (which I cannot find). There's about eight different models for the Asus P8Z77-V series, and none of them match the price you gave ($130 - $280)

 

[StarRazor]

Your title is a bit misleading, as the best performance available (literally taken), you're looking at a PC build over $2000, maybe $2500.

Also, the PSU is perfectly fine. If you're worried it's not "reliable" enough (which it is), you can recommend him another PSU: Corsair HX 650, $120, half again the original cost. And I also like the case. Granted, it's pricey, but if you want a good case that'll last for several or so years, that case picked will work. A case is not just a metal box; it can be acrylic, plastic, aluminum, etc. Interior case design can help or hinder air flow, which makes a big difference if you're running a lot parts or overclocking it.

Also, motherboard. Just call it mobo (not MTB). Unless MTB is the class designation (which I cannot find). There's about eight different models for the Asus P8Z77-V series, and none of them match the price you gave ($130 - $280)

The title is not misleading. "Cheapest PC for Max Performance [on a game like BF4]" is pretty much the same as best bang for buck. Otherwise I agree with everything else you have to say. I know the PSU is reliable, it's 100w more than what Newegg PSU calculator suggests. One that's less priced is good though. The case is pricey, but I really want a full-tower to make easy install and upgrade. Any suggestions about a full-tower that is cheaper is appreciated. The MTB was just so I knew it was the motherboard, all these numbers can make it easy to get confused. The motherboard price comes from the regular sale price at Newegg.

All in all, I've been more informed with this reply than anyone else so far. Thanks.

 

[StarRazor]

SSHD. I jumped on the 4g bandwagon when it came to Verizon. I ended up getting the worst phone I have ever used. Lesson: don't trust new, untested tech. That being said, it may be amazing. My advice is to wait for a month or two after it is released and research it relentlessly.

I've mentioned this already. Look at their 80+ specifications. If it's not at least silver, think about reconsidering. It fails.

The SSHD is a cross between SSD and HDD and has been used on laptops. They're making one for the desktop. I'd say that it pretty much has been tested, but I'll try to look for reliable review, just in case.

As far as the PSU goes, the one I chose comes from a reliable company, and has far more wattage than I need. I also believe it is 80+, but I felt trimming the title down so it fits in the list better. Edit: I looked at it, it is an 80+ but it's bronze. I've decided on the Corsair HX650 80+ GOLD, recommended by Snipeye.

 

[Snipeye]

Alright, short moment to review:

Motherboard: You actually called it right. The MTB designation threw me off.
ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $185 + $5 S&H

I like this motherboard. Personally, I favor Gigabyte boards, but looking at the reviews and specs, I want to upgrade my current mobo to have comparable parts (4 x USB 3.0!!!!) However, please be aware that there's a lot more complaints of DOAs with this board than I have seen compared to other motherboards. Save that box in case you need to RMA it (and don't forget to call Asus to create a case number to help cover shipping costs)

Optional parts:
SYBA 4 Port USB 2.0. Don't bother with it. You're going to have 4 USB 3.0 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports, on top of the additional 2 USB 3.0 and 4 USB 2.0 frontside ports on the HAF 932 Advanced case itself! (Which I may need to pick up for those new ports. I got the original HAF 932. Love it.)

Speaking of case, love it. I always go with full towers myself for the extra building room (and easier cooling solutions). Something to note: If you want the blue LED fans, then you're paying $20 more for them. RED-LED gets you the case for $160 instead of the $180 you quoted.

The new SSHD. I'm mixed here to be honest. It's a new technology, that has been tested on the laptop platform, so desktops should be fine. Pricing wise, it's VERY competitive. It's $100 for the 1TB version and $150 for 2TB. But it only uses 8GB of NAND memory, which will quickly become outdated when the 16 and 32GB models come out in the future (I heard 3Q 2013 but don't quote me on this). I say go with it, but get a backup 1TB drive... just in case. Hedge your bets.

The wireless adapter... eh.... you'll need to explain why you want to get this or why it's on your possible list since there's not much to go with. I'd rather see you save the money than spend it on this as it is right now.

Monitor, keyboard, and mouse look fine with me. Pricey, but still good.

RAM is a good solid pick, just be careful of those timings and the speed they run at. The motherboard you picked will recognize it, but it may not automatically recognize it the first time. You might have to tweak the BIOS and RAM settings when you first put this build together (but it'll be worth it).

CPU is best bang for the buck choice. Otherwise, if you want the ABSOLUTE BEST PERFORMANCE, you want to go with the i7-3770k (the 3930, 3960, and 3970 obviously aren't worth the negligible increases)

Video card: Here's a small sticking point for me. I'm looking at newegg and I cannot find the model at the price you quoted, namely because the price has been cut to $360 instead of $380. On top of that, you may want to recheck the prices on the parts you picked because they may have 1) been lowered, 2) free shipping and handling added, and 3) rebates added. There's another $10 rebate on the GPU so in the end it'll be $350, and not $380. Just saved ya $30 with that info. :thumbup:

To me, everything looks good. Solid picks, and you'll definitely see high frame rates and performance.

Side question: mwjhnsn, what phone did you pick?

Edit:
Total cost I got with the adjust GPU and SSHD prices comes to $1842, not including S&H and rebates.

 

[StarRazor]

Alright, short moment to review:

Motherboard: You actually called it right. The MTB designation threw me off.
ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $185 + $5 S&H

I like this motherboard. Personally, I favor Gigabyte boards, but looking at the reviews and specs, I want to upgrade my current mobo to have comparable parts (4 x USB 3.0!!!!) However, please be aware that there's a lot more complaints of DOAs with this board than I have seen compared to other motherboards. Save that box in case you need to RMA it (and don't forget to call Asus to create a case number to help cover shipping costs)

Optional parts:
SYBA 4 Port USB 2.0. Don't bother with it. You're going to have 4 USB 3.0 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports, on top of the additional 2 USB 3.0 and 4 USB 2.0 frontside ports on the HAF 932 Advanced case itself! (Which I may need to pick up for those new ports. I got the original HAF 932. Love it.)

Speaking of case, love it. I always go with full towers myself for the extra building room (and easier cooling solutions). Something to note: If you want the blue LED fans, then you're paying $20 more for them. RED-LED gets you the case for $160 instead of the $180 you quoted.

The new SSHD. I'm mixed here to be honest. It's a new technology, that has been tested on the laptop platform, so desktops should be fine. Pricing wise, it's VERY competitive. It's $100 for the 1TB version and $150 for 2TB. But it only uses 8GB of NAND memory, which will quickly become outdated when the 16 and 32GB models come out in the future (I heard 3Q 2013 but don't quote me on this). I say go with it, but get a backup 1TB drive... just in case. Hedge your bets.

The wireless adapter... eh.... you'll need to explain why you want to get this or why it's on your possible list since there's not much to go with. I'd rather see you save the money than spend it on this as it is right now.

Monitor, keyboard, and mouse look fine with me. Pricey, but still good.

RAM is a good solid pick, just be careful of those timings and the speed they run at. The motherboard you picked will recognize it, but it may not automatically recognize it the first time. You might have to tweak the BIOS and RAM settings when you first put this build together (but it'll be worth it).

CPU is best bang for the buck choice. Otherwise, if you want the ABSOLUTE BEST PERFORMANCE, you want to go with the i7-3770k (the 3930, 3960, and 3970 obviously aren't worth the negligible increases)

Video card: Here's a small sticking point for me. I'm looking at newegg and I cannot find the model at the price you quoted, namely because the price has been cut to $360 instead of $380. On top of that, you may want to recheck the prices on the parts you picked because they may have 1) been lowered, 2) free shipping and handling added, and 3) rebates added. There's another $10 rebate on the GPU so in the end it'll be $350, and not $380. Just saved ya $30 with that info. :thumbup:

To me, everything looks good. Solid picks, and you'll definitely see high frame rates and performance.

Side question: mwjhnsn, what phone did you pick?

Edit:
Total cost I got with the adjust GPU and SSHD prices comes to $1842, not including S&H and rebates.

I had no idea how many ports that was xD Well that saves me an extra $20 bucks. I tried to keep sales off because this won't be something I'll get in the next 6 months, since I don't have a job. The wireless adapter is because I'll be 16 when I have this, and there's no way I can move my modem and router to my bedroom without my parents getting mad. As far as the case, I'll have to put a note on that, it may or may not be valid when I can purchase these parts.

 

[Snipeye]

Argh! Then this is an almost pointless exercise as there WILL be price swings in the next 6 months when new parts come out...

Ask for help again when you're preparing to make a purchase and do it in Tech Talk.

Also, you don't have to pay that huge amount of money for a good wireless adapter. I'm a bit hazy on the wifi stuff, but what you picked isn't a good buy (good product, but bad fit for your needs, budget, and most likely situation).

 

[StarRazor]

Argh! Then this is an almost pointless exercise as there WILL be price swings in the next 6 months when new parts come out...

Ask for help again when you're preparing to make a purchase and do it in Tech Talk.

Also, you don't have to pay that huge amount of money for a good wireless adapter. I'm a bit hazy on the wifi stuff, but what you picked isn't a good buy (good product, but bad fit for your needs, budget, and most likely situation).

Well I usually get about 50-60 ping on the CS:S servers on my laptop, so we're talking decent internet. However, my brother has a spare wireless card, so I'll snag that.