$500 Challenge

BHunter

Ok so id like to build my own PC for gaming was wondering what the best i can get for $500 is, i saw this list so ill fill out what i can lol


1. What is your budget? $500 as close as possible

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming such as WOW and SWTOR like to do mid level but can live with low as long as i got NO problem running it

3. Do you need a copy of Windows?

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01321559&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=3870526#N31 is what i have i can take it apart if need be

5. Do you need a monitor? no

5a. If yes, what size do you need. n/a

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? 1440 x 900

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? no if by sum miracle a wireless internet card can fit the budget go for it but i got a external reciver

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes. np there

8. How can you pay? online cash, how ever i need to

9. When are you purchasing? Soon as possible

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? im in south florida but i shouldnt have a problem and if i do i know were to find awnsers


if you need anymore info just ask and yes i know this is a very small budget for pc gaming

dan_ep82

If you use your HDD,OS,monitor and mouse/keyboard this is what I came up with.

[IMG][/img]

Capable of medium settings on most games,higher if you overclock.

It would be a very capable build.
If you look on the WOW sites they usually have computers spec'd to different budgets that will give you the best you can get out of your money.

The above computer would play bf3 on medium settings,so the other games shouldn't be a problem.

Monotype

You can get a Seasonic S12II 520 for $10 cheaper.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

You can also get an am3+ board for $5 more.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157280


I thought that the last combo included windows and thought that it was hard to beat, but it's just backup software, so another build might be better. Does the budget include windows, BHunter?

deconduo

Reuse your hard drive and optical drive.
Get windows here for $65 if you are a student.

Item|Price
Total build cost: $449.94 (excluding tax and shipping)
Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan|$39.99
PowerColor AX6870 1GBD5-2DH Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...|$159.99
XFX ProSeries P1-450S-X2B9 450W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Core Edition ...|$58.99
GIGABYTE GA-H61M-DS2 LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard|$49.99
Intel Core i3-2120 +CORSAIR 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 1333|$140.98

-$40 in MIRs

Comes to $475 total.

marco_polo

Put this together fast, could probably do a little better with more time. It is a complete build bar windows, but if you can reuse stuff then all the better. If windows is needed then I'll have to go back to the drawing board

Edit: I didn't realise your link was just for a whole PC, though it was just a motherboard . In that case I would keep the DVD and optical like deconduo suggest, and this gives you an extra 100 bucks to play around with.

Total build cost: $501.91 (excluding tax and shipping)

Case
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $49.99

PSU
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-430D Green 430W Continuous power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ... $59.99

MB
ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard $59.99

CPU
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX $99.99

RAM
Kingston Value 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3S8N9K2/4G $19.99

GPU
HIS H675FS1G Radeon HD 6750 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card $89.99
HIS Gift - DIRT3 Game Redemption Coupon $0.00

HDD
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $84.99

Wireless PCI
Rosewill RNX-N300X PCI Wireless Adapter $19.99

DVD
SAMSUNG CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AB - OEM $16.99

Serephucus

Go with deconduo's build. Best for the money so far. (I'll give it a go later if I have time)

BHunter

ty all and um if i use my harddrive that will transfer my windows version with it also rite?
......and if not were could i get a copy cheap lol im not a student

BHunter

deconduo wrote: »

Reuse your hard drive and optical drive.
Get windows here for $65 if you are a student.

Item|Price
Total build cost: $449.94 (excluding tax and shipping)
Fractal Design Core 1000 Micro ATX Computer Case w/ 1 x 120mm fan|$39.99
PowerColor AX6870 1GBD5-2DH Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...|$159.99
XFX ProSeries P1-450S-X2B9 450W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Core Edition ...|$58.99
GIGABYTE GA-H61M-DS2 LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard|$49.99
Intel Core i3-2120 +CORSAIR 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 1333|$140.98
-$40 in MIRs

Comes to $475 total.

um i got a question the vid card says min PSU is 500w but you have a 450w listed here is that ok???? or a mistake?

BHunter

ok and also would this work???? not sure on compatability so i want to make sure b4 i try to save a lil money this all adds up to $410 before tax
this is using deconduo idea to reuse hard drive and optical drive

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7295299&CatId=6983

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1610192

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4465483&CatId=1079

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1168603&CatId=7005

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4974372&CatId=1842

Monotype

They have 500W down because a lot of PSUs out there are rubbish and don't perform as advertised. The 450W XFX is plenty, but I'd still go with the Seasonic given that it's only $1 dearer (the XFX is actually a seasonic PSU, just rebranded).

Wow, that's a cheap case. All parts should be compatible but that PSU is junk.
The XFX 450W is also stocked there or the OCZ ZS has good reviews if you want to go with that.
http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=927369&CatId=1079

BHunter

cool ty figured id see if i could pinch a penny lol and as far as a tower here is the expensive one lol http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4974703&CatId=1510

Monotype

Saying no offence doesn't exactly clear you from offhand comments.

While cheap cases will do the job, sometimes it's worth spending the little bit extra as you get things like screwless designs and a good finish (i.e., no sharp edges, everything fits properly) which will make building and upgrading a lot easier.

BHunter

ok this is what i got got extra money for my X-Mas bonus so

video card
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=17&gs_id=2z&xhr=t&q=msi+r6850+cyclone+pe+oc+radeon+hd+6850&tok=MKZNCt7Idxupxt-L_pGlmg&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=786&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7626822897813882620&sa=X&ei=b9vuTt6dFcni0QGsuayWBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDsQ8wIwAQ

case
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=cm+elite+371+atx+mid-tower&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=2910072113484420332&sa=X&ei=5dvuTo7uJabz0gH1iZXrCQ&ved=0CGcQ8wIwAA

psu
www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=899124&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&cm_mmc_o=VRqCjC7BBTkwCjCECjCE

motherboard
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=13&gs_id=29&xhr=t&q=gigabyte+z68ma-d2h-b3&tok=ANoJRFGbsUfZJPim3jelRw&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=786&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6885998911215409084&sa=X&ei=cNzuTrLQJKPf0QGJuLjXCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC4Q8wIwAQ

cpu
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=intel+core+i5-2500k&gs_upl=3937l4759l0l5063l3l3l0l0l0l0l207l526l0.1.2l3l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1440&bih=786&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6241366433756866403&sa=X&ei=wdzuTov7Kqrk0QGjiJHnCQ&ved=0CIIBEPMCMAA

ramX1
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kingston+4gb+ddr3&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18173988646146366457&sa=X&ei=Id3uTqb1Dejf0QGWuZjKCQ&ved=0CKoBEPMCMAI
is what i got

and i salvaged my HDD and the disc drive from my old pc let me know what you think

BHunter

i have a problem though i am getting this message at start up. "At least one display adapter on this system has been disabled because its driver is not compatible with the driver for the VGA adapter." i am also getting this when i try to plug use the video card. "The Catalyst Control Center is not supported by the driver version of you enabled grapics adapter. Please update you AMD graphics driver, or enable you AMD adapter using the Displays Manager." i am unable to use the card to display anything at all plz help me

nesf

Um, read the reviews of that case, it really does not sound well designed at all. A cheap poorly designed case will make your life more difficult building and upgrading the PC, it truly is a false economy.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't see that you'd bought it already. I hope the build went ok.

nesf

BHunter wrote: »

i have a problem though i am getting this message at start up. "At least one display adapter on this system has been disabled because its driver is not compatible with the driver for the VGA adapter." i am also getting this when i try to plug use the video card. "The Catalyst Control Center is not supported by the driver version of you enabled grapics adapter. Please update you AMD graphics driver, or enable you AMD adapter using the Displays Manager." i am unable to use the card to display anything at all plz help me

You did format the drive and reinstall Windows right (you lose all your old data btw if you do this)? If not, it could be an old driver in your old Windows install messing things up.

BHunter

nesf wrote: »

Um, read the reviews of that case, it really does not sound well designed at all. A cheap poorly designed case will make your life more difficult building and upgrading the PC, it truly is a false economy.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't see that you'd bought it already. I hope the build went ok.

i dnt have a copy of windows to reinstall otherwise i would of done that, and yeah the build went fine

dan_ep82

BHunter wrote: »

i dnt have a copy of windows to reinstall otherwise i would of done that, and yeah the build went fine

Unless you had your old windows on the exact same set-up (mobo etc) its very unlikely it will work.

You could try running in safe mode as it won't boot 3rd party drivers.Then uninstall the old drivers.

Then run start up repair 3-4 times (doesn't always catch it first time)

The easiest way is to download the ISO from Digital River or Microsoft themselves and then use your key.

After a quick google I found the Digital River links - http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

Note,these are legit downloads,no cracks. You will need to use the key off your old Win7 setup to activate them.

nesf

BHunter wrote: »

i dnt have a copy of windows to reinstall otherwise i would of done that, and yeah the build went fine

Sorry I didn't catch your reply this morning, hadn't slept and brain wasn't really with it.

What dan says works. Safe Mode and driver removal is the best idea if you want a minimum of hassle. In this case it's possibly a very old ATI driver causing the problems. Try following the directions here and then downloading the latest AMD catalyst drivers and installing them.

Removal instructions: http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/GPU57RemoveOldGraphicsDrivers.aspx

Driver download: http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx

BHunter

dan_ep82 wrote: »

Unless you had your old windows on the exact same set-up (mobo etc) its very unlikely it will work.

You could try running in safe mode as it won't boot 3rd party drivers.Then uninstall the old drivers.

Then run start up repair 3-4 times (doesn't always catch it first time)

The easiest way is to download the ISO from Digital River or Microsoft themselves and then use your key.

After a quick google I found the Digital River links - http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

Note,these are legit downloads,no cracks. You will need to use the key off your old Win7 setup to activate them.

Cool ill try the first part, as for the re-install of windows i used my same hard-drive that had vista on it that i bought with my old PC i dnt have a key to use though so i do not belive i will be able to do that

BHunter

dan_ep82 wrote: »

Unless you had your old windows on the exact same set-up (mobo etc) its very unlikely it will work.

so your sayin that i got to reinstall window more then likely?

nesf

BHunter wrote: »

so your sayin that i got to reinstall window more then likely?

Or strip the display drivers from it and install new ones. A fresh reinstall is the simplest way to approach it though, although it is more hassle than removing drivers etc if you don't have a retail copy of Windows handy.

BHunter

nesf wrote: »

BHunter wrote: »

so your sayin that i got to reinstall window more then likely?

Or strip the display drivers from it and install new ones. A fresh reinstall is the simplest way to approach it though, although it is more hassle than removing drivers etc if you don't have a retail copy of Windows handy.

yeah im an idiot lol I uninstalled windows with out the new copy last nite lol guess im out a pc for the tim till I can get the money for a copy

nesf

BHunter wrote: »

yeah im an idiot lol I uninstalled windows with out the new copy last nite lol guess im out a pc for the tim till I can get the money for a copy

What kind of Windows disc do you have? There are ways to reinstall Windows from some of them. Though if it's an OEM disc you might be out of luck with getting it registered.

BHunter

nesf wrote: »

BHunter wrote: »

yeah im an idiot lol I uninstalled windows with out the new copy last nite lol guess im out a pc for the tim till I can get the money for a copy

What kind of Windows disc do you have? There are ways to reinstall Windows from some of them. Though if it's an OEM disc you might be out of luck with getting it registered.

Had a back up but it isnt what I needed lol like I said im dumb

nesf

BHunter wrote: »

Had a back up but it isnt what I needed lol like I said im dumb

We all ****ed up loads of times when we started out doing this stuff.

BHunter

nesf wrote: »

BHunter wrote: »

Had a back up but it isnt what I needed lol like I said im dumb

We all ****ed up loads of times when we started out doing this stuff.

Lol ty just sucks either way lol