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manirelli's Build Guide

18
$800 Gaming Build
by manirelli
Permalink:   (69 comments)

Our 800 dollar machine is built around the Intel i5-4460. If you do not plan to overclock your computer this is arguably the best mid-range processor on the market. We paired the i5 with an ASRock H97 PRO4 motherboard that allows for up to 32GB of memory, six SATA 6Gb/s devices, and multiple expansion cards.

For this build and most machines outside of the top end enthusiast realm we have opted to go with 8GB of DDR3 memory. The parametric filter we used will find the best price on 8GB kits of memory that are within Intel’s recommended specifications for our build. Our storage choice is also based on parametric selection criteria – 1TB and 7200rpm are our standard recommendations for builds across the board that incorporate a mechanical drive. With our increased budget we can also include a solid state drive that will be selected by parametric filters. The cost of SSDs has steadily dropped over the past year and you should be able to purchase at least a 128GB drive on this budget.

Under 800 dollars the 280X still reigns supreme as the best graphics card for your money. At 1080p the 280X will provide a consistent 60fps even on demanding games like Battlefield 4 at Ultra/High settings.

All of our components will be housed within the NZXT Source 210 Elite. This case has front panel USB3.0, room for full size graphics cards, and cutouts in the motherboard tray for easy cable routing. The entire build is powered by a Corsair CX600M power supply – a high performing unit for the price that allows for great cable management using a semi-modular design.

Part List
Parts Are Compatible: See notes below.
Estimated Wattage: 438W
Component Selection Base Price Promo Shipping Tax Price Where
CPU
$187.93 $187.93 OutletPC
Motherboard
$82.99 $5.99 $88.98 SuperBiiz
Memory
Parametric Memory From Filter:
  • Speed: DDR3-1600, DDR3-1866, DDR3-2133
  • Type: 240-pin DIMM
  • Size: 8GB (1x8GB), 8GB (2x4GB)
  • Voltage: 1.35V - 1.5V
$62.99 FREE $62.99 Newegg
Storage
Parametric Storage From Filter:
  • Capacity: 128GB - 6TB
  • Type: SSD
$59.99 Free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime $59.99 Amazon
Parametric Storage From Filter:
  • Capacity: 1TB
  • Type: 7200RPM
  • Form Factor: 3.5"
$37.50 $4.49 $41.99 Amazon
Video Card
Parametric Video Card From Filter:
  • Chipset: Radeon R9 280X
$224.99 -$30.00 FREE $194.99 NCIX US
$30.00 mail-in rebate
Case
$49.99 FREE $49.99 Newegg
Power Supply
$69.99 -$10.00 FREE $59.99 Newegg
$10.00 mail-in rebate
Base Total: $776.37
Mail-in Rebates: -$40.00
Shipping: $10.48
Total: $746.85
(Using your selected merchants and only including nearby in-store pickup prices)
Compatibility Notes
  • The NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case supports video cards up to 330mm long, but video cards over 230mm may block drive bays. Since the XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double Dissipation Video Card is 295mm long, some drive bays may not be usable.
  • (Flag compatibility notes as incorrect.)
* Some physical dimension restrictions cannot (yet) be automatically checked, such as cpu cooler / RAM clearance with modules using tall heat spreaders.
 
Comments
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xx116xx [3 Builds] 5 points 1 month ago

I see an NZXT trend here :)

 
 
mrsimplycrazy 4 points 1 month ago

Cheap and effective!

 
 
xx116xx [3 Builds] 2 points 1 month ago

And they look very nice too.

 
 
MirthlessSmile [1 Build] 2 points 1 month ago

I see a h97/z97 trend as well :)

 
 
thekasafist [1 Build] 1 point 1 month ago

Me too LOL! Personally I like this build might choose a different brand of ram cause idk about Patriot personally but yea otherwise it seems decent to me.

 
 
philip [Staff] [9 Builds] 4 points 1 month ago

One note on the RAM - it picks the lowest priced part that matches the filter criteria. The Patriot RAM wasn't an explicit pick, but rather the lowest price one that matched the filter criteria.

 
 
thekasafist [1 Build] 1 point 1 month ago

I will keep this in mind.

 
 
MirthlessSmile [1 Build] 1 point 1 month ago

Ah..

 
 
xx116xx [3 Builds] 3 points 1 month ago

I built a PC with Patriot memory and it performs fine.

 
 
thekasafist [1 Build] 1 point 1 month ago

Oh yea then I shall keep that in mind when a friend needs a budget build down the road!

 
 
MirthlessSmile [1 Build] -1 points 1 month ago

Do some research first. These builds...are...no comment.

 
 
Gamer_Seer [2 Builds] 3 points 1 month ago

Why do I feel like intel sponsored this build. Now Amd cpu's. Not tryna be a fan boy but it would've worked better for budgetting

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 10 points 1 month ago

Any time we are actually sponsored we will let you know. We 100% believe in transparency and full disclosure. To be honest, I find AMD's offerings just aren't up to par with Intel at the moment and have a hard time fitting them in on any budget. At the lower end there is no need for the extra cores as a majority of games are going to be single or dual threaded which leaves you with 4 unused cores on AMD with 2 lower clocked and worse performing than the Intel equivalent.

With that said, if you find that you are doing tasks regularly that make use of multi-thread/core then I would absolutely recommend the AMD chips on a budget.

 
 
Videogamewonder 1 point 23 days ago

I'll argue that using a third party cooling system even if you're not overclocking is a must-have, because quite frankly, Intel's stock coolers, while they are "enough", still allow the CPU to run relatively hot under load.

 
 
Goldengoose 1 point 7 days ago

Wrong my friend. Stock intel cooler are known to be very good. A lot of people will easily do a soft-overclock using just the stock cooler and an effective case.

 
 
semperneoeon 1 point 4 days ago

Pardon the ignorance. Would you mind giving a few examples of tasks or instances where one would require multicores of the AMD magnitude of which you reference?

 
 
Gamer_Seer [2 Builds] -3 points 1 month ago

Good points @manirelli but once again I am saying as far as the lower end budgets go $100 that can overclock to compare with a $200 cpu is a no-brainer!

 
 
LukeCage 0 points 24 days ago

Are you saying a Amd cpu will be just as good as a Intel cpu?

 
 
maestro35 5 points 1 month ago

AMD is way behind the ball at the moment when it comes to CPU power. There are big plans for 2016 when their CPU architecture goes to the next level (I believe 18nm, x86/ARM side-by-side). If you're bent on using AMD, the best thing you can do is buy the bare minimum amount of power that you'll need for as little money as possible, make an educated guess on the socket that they'll be using two years from now, and sit tight until something happens. Otherwise, Intel is the way to go.

By the way, I've never bought an Intel product in my life.

 
 
Gamer_Seer [2 Builds] -3 points 1 month ago

I see what you're saying but A bit dramatic

 
 
Vykker552 2 points 26 days ago

I'm a bit a of PC noob. Can someone explain how this build would perform on modern(-ish) videogames? (Skyrim, Civ V, Witcher 3, etc)

 
 
Forester 1 point 1 day ago

Should max out all of those no problem.

 
 
8BitPhoenix [2 Builds] 1 point 1 month ago

I dont really get the parametric list feature, do the PCPP guys select a price and it specs PCs based on that price or something?

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 2 points 1 month ago

Anyone can create a parametric filter for a component. Based on the specs you select for the part PCPP will then show the lowest priced product available. If you need help let me know!

 
 
8BitPhoenix [2 Builds] 2 points 1 month ago

Oh, I see, thank you!

 
 
philip [Staff] [9 Builds] 2 points 1 month ago
 
 
AyoShad 1 point 1 month ago

PC build noob alert but is build good for 1080p 60 frames, and if so is this gpu even overclockable ? from what i heard only k series can but then again this why im askin

 
 
Dubesta11 [5 Builds] 1 point 1 month ago

There is a very little need to overclock a lower-end GPU like that, it would create too much heat and instability. Get a high end card and proper cooling setup, then overclocking is a good idea.

 
 
Tassadar [1 Build] 2 points 26 days ago

He's confusing K-series CPUs with GPUs. Every GPU can overclock. Further, that generalizing statement of yours happens to be incorrect. Low-end/high-end have no relation with how well something overclocks (with GPUs at least). I think you're talking about the actual video card though, in which case, you're probably right. Speaking of which, do you happen to know if memory chip temperature readings are a common feature on graphics cards these days?

 
 
Goldengoose 1 point 7 days ago

It should be on all of them - you can see the temps in your bios or if you download something like speedfan.

 
 
MaxusCorkus 1 point 1 month ago

I don't know very much about computers I'm sad to say but one of my friends is insistent on me using this website xD can anyone tell me if this is any good or if there's anything worth upgrading/Needs adding.

Any help is greatly appreciated :) Thanks

 
 
kylewise16 1 point 1 month ago

What about a multimedia optical drive?

 
 
Tassadar [1 Build] 0 points 26 days ago

Who uses those anymore?

 
 
Fishfam 3 points 25 days ago

People who want to install Windows on their computer without going through the hassle of putting it onto a USB drive first or can't because they don't have a compatible computer. (I'm in the latter group)

Someone who wants to put all their CDs or DVDs onto their HTPC.

Someone who has PC games on discs.

 
 
carlikay13 [1 Build] 1 point 1 month ago

are they sponsored by intel or?? I never see amd cpus in pcpartpicker builds..not hating just genuinely curious! anyone know? (i realize they use "amd" gpus) just want to know why not use a amd cpu if they're considering budget options

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 2 points 1 month ago

From my comment about:

Any time we are actually sponsored we will let you know. We 100% believe in transparency and full disclosure. To be honest, I find AMD's offerings just aren't up to par with Intel at the moment and have a hard time fitting them in on any budget. At the lower end there is no need for the extra cores as a majority of games are going to be single or dual threaded which leaves you with 4 unused cores on AMD with 2 lower clocked and worse performing than the Intel equivalent.

With that said, if you find that you are doing tasks regularly that make use of multi-thread/core then I would absolutely recommend the AMD chips on a budget.

Also if you check our YouTube channel I did a build with the 8350.

 
 
carlikay13 [1 Build] 2 points 1 month ago

alright thanks for the feedback! i knew the i5 is definitely better in the core-vs-core aspect! ill check out the build video! of course i like to stream and such so id go with the amd equivalent of this, whether it be the 8320 or 8350! Of course if you're just gaming intel is great, but i currently have a 8320 and it fits all my needs! i was just curious!

 
 
elcanadiano 2 points 29 days ago

On Reddit's buildapc subreddit, we have had tons of reasons to go with any Haswell i5 over an 8320, 8350, or a 9xxx. Essentially it boils down to how even a locked i5 outperforms each of these processors (including when OC'd) in just about every game, including those which are more heavily-threaded. This despite that a locked i5 uses less power and thus, you can get away with a cheaper motherboard - which often mitigates the overall cost, if not make the FX more expensive (even despite the price cuts, the costs of a cooler and a first-class motherboard to OC the FX processors can be a bit expensive).

 
 
carlikay13 [1 Build] 1 point 22 days ago

thats true but at the time of my pc build the i5s were too expensive for me i certainly agree that intel does have way better mobo options! im most certainly not an AMD fangirl (in this case lol) i was just wondering why not explore both sides when showing different price points

 
 
elcanadiano 2 points 18 days ago

When you factor in the cost of the components which affect the CPU, the price difference really does get closer. For arguments' sake, I'll not discuss the PSU, but the difference in TDP can make a difference as well, and you may have to get a higher-wattage PSU should you go the FX route.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor $177.98 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard ASRock B85 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard $66.98 @ Newegg
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available $244.96
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 15:14 EDT-0400

This is a very basic OC build if you were to go with an 8320. Add $30 and you have the 8350.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor $139.98 @ NCIX US
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler $28.98 @ OutletPC
Motherboard ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard $74.49 @ Newegg
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available $243.45
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 15:16 EDT-0400

If you want a first-class AMD OC, we can get this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor $169.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler $97.16 @ Amazon
Motherboard Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard $107.95 @ SuperBiiz
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available $375.10
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 15:18 EDT-0400

But then you might as well go with an 4690K at that price point.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type Item Price
CPU Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor $225.98 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler $28.98 @ OutletPC
Motherboard MSI Z97-G55 SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard $117.98 @ SuperBiiz
Total
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available $372.94
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-06 15:21 EDT-0400

Either way, I really don't think it's a good idea to go with the FX at this point in any circumstance. Maybe that will change if AMD releases a new architecture, but even then, it's going to be very tough for them, especially when the overall desktop/laptop market is dying.

 
 
carlikay13 [1 Build] 1 point 17 days ago

I never said AMD was better or worse. I even agreed to your points in many cases, trying not to start an argument. I couldn't care less what people chose, it's their decision. I was just wondering why they don't explore both AMD and Intel..not in the sense that amd was better just simply because some people like amd and some like intel and if someone was interested in going by one of these builds they might like to see both options...I'm not trying to make an argument at all. I wasn't even trying to say one was better than the other. But somehow I still get caught in an argument anyway, imagine that.

 
 
ndupuislund 1 point 1 month ago

this is my build for under $800 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/djpnXL

 
 
Tassadar [1 Build] 1 point 26 days ago

A bit meh on the SSD, and the graphics card is considerably worse, but all in all not too shabby!

 
 
silvery_spoons 1 point 29 days ago

Damn, all for a good price. This is convenient.

 
 
supermike560 1 point 28 days ago

I didn't know where else to do this so I'll this here. PcPartPicker, i think optical drives should a place where you can chose tray load or slot load. What do you think?

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 1 point 28 days ago

In the future, site feedback forum would be the appropriate place for this.

Those filters are already in place on the right hand side for optical drives.

Form Factor

All

5.25"

5.25" Slim

5.25" Slim Slot Load

 
 
supermike560 1 point 25 days ago

Thank you so much!

[comment deleted]
[comment deleted]
 
 
ThatOtherGuy265 1 point 24 days ago

Can you make a $800 build with a monitor?

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 1 point 24 days ago

Just take the 650 dollar build and add a monitor ;)

 
 
ThatOtherGuy265 1 point 24 days ago

Thanks I'll check it out. Also do you think this is a decent $800 build with OS and monitor? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/9mgVf7

 
 
manirelli [Staff,Submitter] [1 Build] 1 point 24 days ago

Not bad at all. I wouldn't expect to OC a whole lot on a budget motherboard like that though if that was your intention.

 
 
ThatOtherGuy265 1 point 23 days ago

I'm not gonna OC for a while. And when I do I'll be sure to get a better motherboard and an aftermarket cooler.

[comment deleted]
 
 
7acen7Dragon 1 point 17 days ago

Personally I would change the 280x to a 770 since the price dropped, or at least add it to the parametric filter because the list I put together for my cousin has a 770 MSI for 259.99, just slightly more than that 280x AFTER discount.

 
 
AllAero 1 point 16 days ago

Hello, i really want to get a computer that can livestream league of legends at high quality, do you think this computer would be good for that, also i was thinking would the cpu be better if it was a intel core i5-4690k, or would it really not matter. Thanks

 
 
Adam-alani 1 point 16 days ago

is the HIS Radeon R9 280x iceQ x2 better than the sapphire r9 280x dual-x?If anyone can tell me pls do,im planing on building this pc.

 
 
Adam-alani 1 point 16 days ago

And i really need someone to tell me fast xD

 
 
thegathering 1 point 15 days ago

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PCBLbv Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/PCBLbv/by_merchant/

Cheaper and more powerful.

 
 
MDOR 1 point 8 days ago

So I used this guide to build this computer from scratch and added some peripherals since I have only been a laptop owner my whole life. Can someone please look this over and make sure there are no gaping holes in my build? Price is well above 800 now with the OS and Monitor so I am hoping I am not making any egregious errors :0

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/MDOR/saved/9dXMnQ

 
 
goobypls2 1 point 1 day ago

I would like to add that you can get a 240gb SSD for only $20 more than the listed 128gb. Given that games like bf4 can take up to 50gb with the DLC, I would highly highly recommend getting at least a 240gb SSD. The PNY Optima 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive is $80 on newegg right now

 
 
BrettS4393 1 point 1 day ago

Hello, I am in the market to build a gaming computer. I just had a few questions to ask because I'm quite new to this. I would like to know would this build run games such as The Elder Scrolls Online, DayZ, and The Forest on Max/Ultra settings efficiently enough? My budget is around 800-850 so if there needs to be some adjustment please advise me! Thank you in advance!!

 
 
DinoDan [1 Build] -1 points 1 month ago
 
 
kylewise16 1 point 1 month ago

Intel is infinitely better than AMD.

 
 
yobrobob [2 Builds] 1 point 21 days ago

Oh so by that logic an AMD 9590 OC'ed to 6 GHz is worse than a Core 2 Duo underclocked to .1 GHz? I think not. That being said I've done builds wit AMD and Intel, and they both perform well.

 
 
brelovix 1 point 18 days ago

You're either a troll or just trying to defend AMD by using some completely out of context analogy. Obviously AMD's CPU would be better in the example you mentioned. kylewise16 didn't mean ANY Intel CPU is better than AMD, use your brain for a minute. In reality it is true that when it comes to near price ranged CPU's of either side Intel wins...

 
 
yobrobob [2 Builds] 1 point 17 days ago

I am as unbiased as I can possibly be, for pure CPU performance, AMD is better under 200 dollars. Ex: 8350 vs 4690k, 832 vs 4460, 6300 vs 4150, etc I just don't like blind fanboyism.

 
 
rempred 0 points 1 month ago

how is that better?

 
 
EBankert -1 points 29 days ago

An AMD fx-8320 destroys the i5-4460 in all of the benchmarks. Thats the only thing i would change. And it costs alot less. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/BjnRnQ This costs $850 and INCLUDES an OS!