# building a mid gaming pc 700 usd price range



## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

so i read all the review bout different processor etc and i still love the i7 2600k
over the new AMD FX series 

what do you all think

now i want to build a pc base on that price range and need help from you guys i will buy them from amazon

i am looking a a gigabyte board much cheaper than asus and great quality
rip jaw ram to me looks cool cheap and has good reviews so 4gb is enough for me 

i also want an external usb HD 

not sure which graphic card but ATI is much cheap and these days are beating the Nvidia with performance

so help me out guys 

list out the parts and models so i can search for them on amazon


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

If you're in USA, Newegg.com is recommended over Amazon. Nothing wrong with Amazon, Newegg is just usually better :grin:

For gaming, there's little incentive to go with Zambezi/FX. Compared to the Phenom IIs, they deliver fewer frames per second with higher Ghz. The FX-4100 is a good deal for gamers, but that's the end of the line for the new FX processors and gaming performance.

That said, there's nothing wrong with a solid Phenom II right now. Mine games great. I only experience a small bottleneck on Skyrim, and only because I completely max that game out.

I say this because at the $700 price range, you're not going to fit a 2600k in. What you _can_ realistically do is build with a socket-1155 i3 and be ready to upgrade to a 2600k in the future. The $800 Intel list in our suggested build sticky is a great place to start and see where we can trim costs to bring it down to $700.

Here's a sample list I would start with:
Newegg.com - Once You Know, You Newegg

The 650w PSU is a little overkill, but it leaves you the option to upgrade to something better than a 550 Ti in the future.

That motherboard has some excellent features for its price. If down the road you want to rock a RAID setup, a pair of SLI'd video cards, and an overclocked 2600k, that motherboard will do it all just fine. Also ready for Ivy Bridge.

Realistically, there's no way to fit a 2600k into this budget and get a gaming graphics card.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

mad19 said:


> not sure which graphic card but ATI is much cheap and these days are beating the Nvidia with performance


Im sorry but i have to disagree with you there, ATI cards are good but there DRIVERS are what let them down :wink:.

I agree with what's already been said in the above post I suggest you take the advice.

Thanks,
Altie


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The i5 2500K is the best deal, games do not now and will not in the near future need the hyper-threading ability of the i7 CPUs.

Looks like you may not be in the U.S. if not check the shipping and any duties/importrestrictions before buying.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i like what you guys said, i forgot to mention that with the 800 price that doesnt include a screen or case or speakers those will be bought separate 

and my current system i have now is over 9 years old so bout time i upgrade and i still love and i7 but i dont know

which do do you all think is better i7 2600k or the amd fx 6100 or 8120
they are cheaper than the i7 but are they really better

so i am not sure which to use i have buy stuff based or ratings and reviews since i dont live in the usd and consider shipping fees so thats why cant buy cases etc online the weight will kill me


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

For gaming, none of the FX processors are worth buying except for the FX-4100, and the FX-4100 is only a good deal because it's so cheap ($110).

Also, if your only concern is gaming, save yourself $100 and pick the i5-2500k instead of the 2600k. There is not $100 worth of performance between the two.

If your price range is now $800 then you can afford a 2500k and a better video card. Here's one I would recommend:
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R687OC-1GD Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

You appear to be located outside the US so look over our suggested build list for a guide and find those components in your area. All of out builds use top quality known compatible components.
http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i live in the caribbean, so with the usd currency i stil have to multiply 800 x 6.35 in my own money 

and locally for me here they still sell all those items alot more expensive so its cheaper to buy online thats why i posted the question here i know you guys game alot and are better are picking this stuff since you are around it 

so it helps in my choice as to what to choose cant deny the i7 is great just to much i 5 is a boss


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Use your favorite online supplier and use our build list for a guide.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well i should prob upgrade the price to 850 usd i will be buying the screen and speakers in my country

so i want a 32bit system rite now 
4gig ram - i checked ripjaw web site with the heatsink at it looks to be the cheapest btw cosair n the other

320 g hard drive
dvd burner and rom
i am looking at getting a lighted usb keyboard n mouse
a 1gb graphic card possible ati - good prices 
a usb 3 type motherboard 
and hopefully a i7 processor
and hopefully a 60 gb ssd


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Tyree said:


> Look over our suggested build list for a guide and find those components in your area. All of out builds use top quality known compatible components.
> http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


Once you find the components you want, compose a list, post it in this thread and we can advise accordingly.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

lets try this any one of you guys build a i7 system for me which the cheapest board graphic card etc and lets see whats the price will be like


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

We have two i7 builds, $1200 & $1500 Intel, here that you can use as a guide: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

Once again, look over our builds, compose a list of components that are available to you, post that list here by Brand Name & Model and we can advise accordingly.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

```
[B][U]$1200.00 Intel Spec [/U][/B]


Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth P67 @ $199.99
Newegg.com - ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard


CPU: Intel i7-2600K SandyBridge 3.4ghz @ $319.99
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K


Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560ti @ $249.99
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 


Ram: G.Skill RipJaws 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 @ $29.99
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL


Case: Coolermaster RC-692 Mid Tower ATX spec @ $94.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 


Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast TX-750 Watt @ $104.99
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply


DVD Rom Drive: LG Black 24X DVD & CD Burner @ $18.99
Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners


CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 @ $41.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible


Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB 6.0 Gb/s @ $129.99
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 


------> Be sure to connect this drive to the Sata 6.0 ports to achieve 6.0 drive speed otherwise the drive will operate at Sata 3.0 which is NOT a big difference but why not squeeze all you can.


Subtotal: $1190.91




[B][U]$1500.00 Intel Spec [/U][/B]


Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X58 @ $194.99
Newegg.com - ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard


CPU: Intel i7-950 (3.06 ghz quad core) @ $269.99
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950


Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX570 @ $349.99
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

[note: the EVGA 560ti video card is very close in bench marks with a more attractive cost of $249.99]

Ram: G.Skill Ripjaws (3 x 2gb) DDR3-1600 @ $59.99
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM

Case: Coolermaster HAF-932 @ $99.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 922 BLUE RC-922M-KWN2-GP Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side window

Power Supply: Corsair Pro-Series AX-850 @ $189.99
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply


DVD Rom Drive: LG Black 24X DVD & CD Burner @ $18.99
Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners


CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler $89.99
Newegg.com - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler


Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 2 ea @ $129.99
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive


Subtotal: $1533.90
```


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## Azeem40 (Jan 28, 2012)

A1tecice said:


> Im sorry but i have to disagree with you there, ATI cards are good but there DRIVERS are what let them down :wink:.
> 
> I agree with what's already been said in the above post I suggest you take the advice.
> 
> ...


That is not a good argument to make. Technology advances, and they have found fixes to the driver problems. Those problems are mainly true for 6xxx and below..


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I have a HD5770 and only one driver version gave me an issue. Intalled the one below that (at that time) and problem fixed. Both Ati/Amd and Nvidia have had driver issues.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

AMD/ATI seem to have more than their share of driver issues but there are commonly ways around that. Nvidia and AMD/ATI chips are both good but they need to be on a reliable brand of board also.
I primarily use ATI in retail builds simply because they are usually a better bang for buck.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

mad19 said:


> lets try this any one of you guys build a i7 system for me which the cheapest board graphic card etc and lets see whats the price will be like


If your purpose is gaming, the processor impacts performance much less than the video card. I enjoy excellent quality gaming with a processor that only cost me $112 and a video card that was $250.

But if you just have to have an i7, the 2600K comes with a GPU integrated on the chip. Put it in a z68 motherboard and you will have display without having to purchase a video card.

The Intel integrated graphics are not made for gaming. You _can_ game on it but you have to crank the settings down very low. I actually played a lot of League of Legends on my laptop's i3.

If you want, you could build it without a video card now and then save up and buy a card later. The cheapest I'd go without sacrificing quality anywhere would run a little over $700 and go like this:

Intel i7-2600k
GIGABYTE GA-Z68AP-D3(R2.0) Z68 Motherboard
8gb CORSAIR Vengeance DDR3-1600 (2x4gb)
650w CORSAIR TX-650
Seagate Barracuda 500gb 6gb/s
LG 22x DVD-Burner
Rosewill Blackbone case

This would run about $710 for us in the US. Not sure how much it'd cost you.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

that last post sounded good but as i said i am willing to go 850usd but no more and i am building a 32 bit sys rite now so al i want is 4 gb ram 

and the i7 build you guys keep using asus. dont you like gigabyte??

can you all recoment boards that the i7 can work with cause i wil buy a 1 gb card the onboard graphic wont be enough to game ?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Gigabyte Mobo's are very good and toothman listed one in Post #18.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

As stated above, if you care about gaming performance, budget-wise your two best options are to either pick an i5-2500k so you can afford a better graphics card, or to simply build without a card now and save up for an upgrade later.

You could afford a 550 Ti with the i7, but I would recommend against it because of its poor balance.

If you want 32-bit Windows, then you can just stick with <4gb of RAM of course, but it would make the i7 a more wasteful buy. Most of the additional $100 cost going from i5 to i7 is the hyperthreading, a feature solely affecting multitasking. But if your system only uses 4gb, that multitasking overhead is useless.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

what i'l try to do is find motherboard that has a good price range for me and had the usb 3 feature and list them here that are compatible with i7/i5 and you guys will help me decide on which 1 to go with becuase if i cant afford the i7 i probably wil do an i5 or may be the amd fx something


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The i 5, my personal preference, is a very capable CPU.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i am really trying to get the i7 but i5 is also great as well do you all of a good usb lighted keyboard i am looking for 1 to add to my system a normal mouse is find but the lighted keyboard well help me at night when i'm doing work late with out using the room light i check logitec but the reviews are so so and i saw a cyborg red which look wow


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

This is my current keyboard:

Logitech 920-000978 G19 Gaming Keyboard: Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games

and mouse:

CM Storm Sentinel Advance 5600dpi Mouse: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

I have to say both are very good and i have had no problems whatsoever. Although its allot of money to invest in peripherals for a $700 build. You cant really go wrong with mice and keyboards so whatever you think looks good and fits your budget go for. But i would suggest i mouse above 1800dpi for FPS gaming .

Thanks,
Altie


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Working in the dark, especially when using an LCD, is very hard on your eyes.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Tyree said:


> Working in the dark, especially when using an LCD, is very hard on your eyes.


On that note can i suggest this piece of software I found, Its called F.Lux and it will automaticly dull your screen and colour brightness depending on what clock time it is.

Example:
3PM - No effect
11PM - Sleight orange tinge









I find it very useful as i used to suffer sore heads and aching eyes while being on my pc at night time, This has solved this issue for me.

F.lux: software to make your life better

Thanks,
Altie


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

what do you think of this board guys??


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

Amazon.com: Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 LGA 1155 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s DDR3 2133 ATX Motherboard: Electronics


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

That's the same motherboard I suggested in post #18. Looks like a good quality motherboard, but don't do any overclocking on it. No heat spreaders on the VRM.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The GA-Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 is a good Mobo and quite capable of handling any OC'ing that the CPU-RAM-PSU are capable of.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

As you often caution, Tyree, overclocking comes with additional stress and risks. Heat spreaders on the VRM are important for mitigating some of that. The VRM is essentially a little PSU for your CPU socket, so all the same caution we take with PSUs should be applied. If overclocking was the plan, I'd spend a little extra on a board with decent heat spreaders.

Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
^ Not too much more, worth it if overclocking is on the table


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I never recommend OC'ing and it was not mentioned by the OP but I would not hesitate to OC the GA-Z68AP-D3.
With quality components comes confidence.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i'm not sure i if i will want to over clock or not, even if i do i wont want to stress the system as i am not using water cooling, but jus to try it out sure i wont mind seeing if i can get a 4.5, but i wont want to keep it at that speed jus incase it over heats etc

however wanted to know what to you guys recommend when i get the board. should i go sli or crossfire?

i am only going to buy 1 graphic card rite now but 3 years from now i may need a card to run what you think should be a good choice?


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

mad19 said:


> should i go sli or crossfire?


Neither. I am running SLI and i must say its not worth the extra cost or hasstle OR HEAT!. I very rarely find a game that supports either SLI or Crossfire.

I cant see any better advice than real world advice. Stick with one powerfully card! :wink:

Thanks,
Altie


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

There is little advantage to OC'ing new models of CPU's.
If you do OC, you'll need a good aftermarket CPU cooler and air is more than capable.
One better GPU is almost always the better option and costs less.
In PC time, you can't even consider thinking 3 yrs. ahead.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

The new xbox will most likely have come out two years from now, and with the step-up in console hardware game designers will make more demanding games. Consoles have been holding back game developers for some time now, forcing them to design on much smaller resource budgets than they're capable of or lose sales by not getting to release console versions of their games. Skyrim is a good example of this.

I expect a big jump in game sophistication in less than three years, and I strongly doubt there's any practical way to ready your computer for it right now. Best to just build something good for today and upgrade when you feel the need.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Radeon-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-GV-R685OC-1GD/dp/B004F6GJAU/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332984942&sr=1-9]Amazon.com: GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD6850 1GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card GV-R685OC-1GD: Computers & Accessories


what do u guys think of this new egg has bad reviews and amazon has good reviews, since the gigabyte board cant do SLI i had to get ATI cards so later on i can always put another card so help me out with that


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

They are the same card, the reviews are more the product of the experience level of the reviewer then a difference in the same part number card > Newegg.com - GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA Series GV-R685OC-1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity


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## Hops n Barley (Oct 28, 2007)

mad19 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Radeon-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-GV-R685OC-1GD/dp/B004F6GJAU/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332984942&sr=1-9]Amazon.com: GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD6850 1GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card GV-R685OC-1GD: Computers & Accessories
> 
> 
> what do u guys think of this new egg has bad reviews and amazon has good reviews, since the gigabyte board cant do SLI i had to get ATI cards so later on i can always put another card so help me out with that


i just bought the msi cyclone 3850 which looks similar to this one, it runs bf3 great which could be the most demanding game out at the moment. so loooks fine to me


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

mad19 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-Radeon-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-GV-R685OC-1GD/dp/B004F6GJAU/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332984942&sr=1-9]Amazon.com: GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD6850 1GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card GV-R685OC-1GD: Computers & Accessories
> 
> 
> what do u guys think of this new egg has bad reviews and amazon has good reviews, since the gigabyte board cant do SLI i had to get ATI cards so later on i can always put another card so help me out with that


No, that's a great card. It's $10 more than most 6850s, but for the extra $10 you get Gigabyte's awesome cooling and a slight overclock. I use their 1gb 6950 and love it.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Don't put a lot of faith in reviews. Gigabyte makes good GPU's.
I prefer Sapphire for AMD chipped GPU's but I'll also use MSI and Gigabyte.


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## Hops n Barley (Oct 28, 2007)

mark.p said:


> i just bought the msi cyclone 3850 which looks similar to this one, it runs bf3 great which could be the most demanding game out at the moment. so loooks fine to me


i meant 6850!


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

what do you guys think of this board jus a few dollars more than the gigabyte but offers every thing with cross fire an sli 

Amazon.com: MSI MB-Z68MA45 LGA1155/ Intel Z68 B3/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ MATX Motherboard: Computers & Accessories


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Crossfire and SLI are usually a poor option compared to just using a single, better card. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Also, Gigabyte is a more reliable brand than MSI. MSI has fallen under even ASRock as top motherboard manufacturers recently. I'd probably spent a few more $$ just to have the option (better resale value I suppose), but not if it meant picking a lesser brand.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Do you need a Mobo with multiple GPU slots?
Using two GPU's is not a good option. Cost more, uses more power, generates more heat in the case and you get a small percentage of performance increase in the few games/apps that can utilize two GPU's.

Asus & Gigabyte are the better choices for reliability and support. MSI would be my 3rd Mobo choice.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

wel i am thinking that in 3 or 4yrs time i cod always add a new card to my system and hav 2gb graphic card instead of removin the old 1 so it wod be nice to get a board that supports it 
the gigabyte board mention here is 109 usd which is great but it only offers crossfire so if i am goin crossfire i need a 1gb ddr5 card thats 150 usd or less so feel free to let me know when i am buying the system it will be on black friday sale on amazon when the prices are the cheapest for stuff an hopefully wit ivy bridge coming out i can hope the i72600k price drops ___ really hope but i dont think it will go under 300 so i am checking out my options from now so till november i hav a complete list of what i am lookin for


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

By November things will have changed in prices and very possibly some technology.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

speaking of november i was jus broswing on ebay 

NEW Intel Core i7 2600K - 3.4 GHz Quad-Core (BX80623I72600K) CPU FACTORY SEALED (0735858217361) | eBay

can i thrust this item to be brand new cuz thats a great price for me


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

I'm not sure they ship it out of the country, you should probably check that first.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well my friend will be buying this parts for me and he uses a skybox so once it delevers to the Miami address from there the skybox will take over so what you guys thing from the ebay price can i thrust it ???


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

While I have no info or knowledge of the seller it should be if you use paypal so you can get a refund if something does go wrong.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

my friend uses a credit card so thats why i am skeptical bout it its a great price but i am not sure if its best place to buy it


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

If your friend is shopping for you in the US, use Newegg.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

newegg prices are more expensive to buy from amazon is cheaper the shipping fee to


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well guys i see ivy bridge is knocking at the door what you boys think of this board keep in mind i am still goin with 2600k 


Amazon.com: Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H: Computers & Accessories


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Not that big of an upgrade from z68 or p67 to be honest. Pushing RAM compatibility to 2666 is really pointless right now since there's virtually no performance gain above 1600.

It certainly has the cool factor, but new technology often comes with new issues that need to be ironed out over time. One issue, if you choose a z77 board, is to make sure you have a PS2 keyboard available. These boards only come with USB 3.0 as far as I've seen, which are not operational until you install the drivers. Which means you won't be able to use a mouse or keyboard unless it's PS2.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

wow so all that new features and it uses ps2 well that just sucks cruel cruell joke because i am definitely buying a cheap backlit key board that is a must for me so type at night when i dont want to use the lights


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The ports should default to USB 2.0 on boot until the drivers are loaded.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

No I've seen this issue reported in a few z77 boards now, including the Gigabyte board linked in post #56. The board is natively 3.0.

Couldn't say whether that's all or just a few of the boards. More importantly, PS2 boards aren't hard to find :tongue: I've still got one lying around the house that's probably ten years old lol.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Check the specks> GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 1155 - GA-Z77X-UD3H (rev. 1.0)

If they, at least some didn't work on boot you would not be able to boot from a thumb drive, portable CD/DVD drive etc.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Must be an occasional bug of some kind then, or perhaps only some of the USB ports can be 2.0 and the reviewers didn't try all the ports.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

That correct only some are 2.0/3.0, usually the first 2 at the top.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

hi all long time no speak 
i7 2600k price is now 289.00 on amazon a very good price so what you all think should i use the new Z77 boards or Z68 i am sure ppl here have tried them out so what the verdict


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Z77 and the 2600K is fine.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Since your concern is gaming, there's no reason to buy an i7 over an i5. Their gaming performance is identical. i7's cost more because of hyperthreading, which only boosts multithreaded performance.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

wel i read the tech reviews for them and i havent had a new system since 10 yrs ago so i want some ting 2 be proud off and i i7 fits dat 4 me its just someting i want after all this time if you know what i mean so i was planning on using a gigabyte board the Z77 series so maybe 

Amazon.com: Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H: Computers & Accessories

or Amazon.com: MSI Z77A-GD65 Z77 DDR3 1600 LGA 1155 Motherboards: Computers & Accessories


if you have better feel free to post i am only buy when its black frid sale on amazon so the prices may drop for some items


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The Gigabyte is a better board then the MSI.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

whats up all its been a while but it gettin closer and closer to me buying by new rig 

so i wanted some expert opinion here for me locally i am getting a 23 inch AOC 3d monitor - whic on amazon is 240 range giv3 or tk i read the reviews and most ppl claim the 3d is nice and wort the money at that price my question is how good is the monitor as a regular monitor for normal browsing net fire fox etc , playin regular non 3d games war craft 3 frozen throne , and NFS or blur or dirt 3 and watching normal avi or mkv documentaries i mean having the 3d is cool for when i need to watch a 3d video and some games in 3d but as a normal monitor reason i am considering a 3d monitor cuz the price locally matches the US price as well regular monitors at that size for me local is the same price range


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

here's the link 

Amazon.com: AOC E2352PHZ 23 - Inch Widescreen LED Flicker Free 3D HD Monitor with HDMI and Two Pair 3D Glasses - Black: Electronics


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

250 cd/m2 is not as bright as most, and the 5ms response could be better, as for 3d will you actually use it?


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i want to try out a few 3d documentaries underwater reef wild life etc and play some of the games on 3D just to see how they look but other wise will be mostly regular monitor use but see the price range in my country for that model 3d is the same as buying a regular monitor so dats my prob should i buy the 3d or stay with regular?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Any way for you to actually see one in a store before buying?


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

that will be my only option is to go and get a test demonstration and see for my self


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

hiii time is getting closer to buy my pc stuff wanted to know with the graphic cards whats the dif btw a 192 and 256 bit card apart from price??

my plan is to get a DDR5 1 gb with SLI as for what brand it may come down to EVGA or MSI as in my country the prices are not so bad buyin on amazon is cheaper but factor in shippin cost to my country and vat and handling it jus better i buy it local but limited to brands

so what is the big diff?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The more bits the better graphics experience.
EVGA would be the better option of those two brands.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

EVGA nice well i shall post what the local dealers here have to offer and you can advice me or what is good to tk


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

Hello well its 1 month and a few weeks till i buy the new system and the local stores in my country is finally bringing up to date stuff so here are the to mother boards they have in Z77

Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 price is $1550.00 TT

MSI Z77A-GD55 LGA 1155 price is $1395.00TT

please not i am using a i7 2600k or 2700k 

so which is the better board


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## helios19 (Nov 25, 2008)

Hi Mad19,

You should probably do your research for components about a week before you buy it. as you've noticed, new products come out pretty often and prices change pretty rapidly when it comes to PC parts.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well thats true but i dont have live in the STATES so i am limited to what i can buy online vs local i live in the caribbean so i am gettin waranty in my country so 
incase they dont bring any more boards

whic is best


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Use our suggested build list as a guide for top quality known compatible components. Look for those components on the site(s) you have available: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...ams-recommended-new-builds-2012-a-668661.html
Once you have the list completed (Mobo-CPU-RAM-Graphics-PSU-Case), post them here by Brand Name & Model Number and we can offer any suggestions or advice.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well between dose 2 boards 

i am looking at Corsair Vengeance Blue 8 GB (2X4 GB) PC3-12800 1600mHz DDR3 240-Pin SDRAM 

i7 2600k or 2700k depending on the price at the time 
Western Digital 2 TB WD Green SATA III Intellipower 64 MB Cache
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB 1024 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 

dont no what case yet as still waitin on local to get stocks and probably 
atleast a 500 waat i'l try for 650w power supply

still need advice on a cheap backlit keyboard 
and i'l use a regular mouse 

so whats your verdict so far ??


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Please ingore this comment if its been asked before but...Why are you looking for 2TB of HDD space?

Also go got a Ivy Bridge CPU IMO.

For a PSU go with XFX or Seasonic.

Did you take a look at our recommended list that Tyree posted?


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well condsider the price of the Ivy right now and the i7 26/2700 so far there cheaper well atleast on amazon the i72700k is 283 us. and i7 3770k is 330 us. i dont live in the us i live in the caribbean so for me the 27ook is the better deal

as for y tk a 2TB wel cosidering is not much price dif for that amount of space its a better deal 

and i no of the XFX series rely good stuf butt local i not sure what they sell i will have to post that next and you all can comment


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

What website are you buying from?


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

i'm only using amazom.com as i said i live in the caribbean so newegg doesnt work for me


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

on a side note which is better 

GTX 560 Superclocked 2048MB VS GTX 560 Superclocked 1024 MB


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Same brand? The one with double the memory of course


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

same brand EVGA both on amazon price dif is 15- 20 dollars or should i got with a 560 ti instead 


but that is over 200 usd


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Not sure what you are asking, but I would go with the 570 1 gig over the 560 2 gig at the same price level.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

Wrench97 said:


> Not sure what you are asking, but I would go with the 570 1 gig over the 560 2 gig at the same price level.



thats what asked between the 2 cards because the 570 is over 200 usd close to 300 and the 560 2gb is under 200 usd 

so i think atleast the 2gb is better than the 1 gb evga superclock series 


unless i get a 560 TI


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

hii all the finall wekk before buyin my stuff online so from last price amazon prices are bouncing all over the place i still wanted an i7 2600k but fromt he pprices i am not sure so what do you guys tink an i5 3570k or i72600k ??


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

At what price levels?
The i7 2600k will perform better and OC better but the 3570k has better integrated video(not that it matters in your application).


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

the i7 2600 2700 and 3770k are $309,$319 and $319 USD 

while the i5 is $219 i am waitin for the black frid sale but wny whic way the i5 is cheaper and wil do any thing i want . i'm not a heavy gamer and wil do some video editing etc 

and the graphic card with this is evga 2gb 560 OC card 
so unless the i7 prices drop i think i5 

what you all think


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The i5 2500 or i5 3570?

The biggest difference is the i7's have hyperthreading so if the cores are lightly loaded they can run 2 threads each(to Windows this appears as 8 cores) the only programs that take effective advantage of this currently are the latest video editing software.
The CPU's ending in a K have unlocked multipliers for easier overclocking if you are not planing to OC then you do not need a K chip.
Currently I have a i5 3770 and I have not seen it struggle doing anything.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Yep, there's very little reason for gamers to spend the extra cash on an i7, especially since no game is bottlenecked by an i5 yet.

Get a K if you plan to overclock someday. Otherwise the normal one will be fine, as Wrench points out.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well its tru for me savin the 100 usd is good that will help pay the shipping fees and i will be pairing it up wit a MSI z77 lga1155 board i think the gd55 as that is what they have local for me witha 8gig ddr3 cosair vengence 1600mhz 

so i am taking the K edition cuz i would like to learn how to ever clock it with out overheating it s o at stock it 3.4 you guys can help me get it up 3.8 or 3.6 i'm sure that wont over heat it


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

how ever i really wanted a i7 since this is my1st build my old pc is almost 9 years 


and the prices for the i7 at black frid sale is potential 289.00 usd

soo ahhhhh i dont no


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

That's going to be your choice whether to spend the extra it will benefit a little with video processing.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

commonn sense would say i5 - ivy bridge i will get the option of PCi 3.0 function if i need it 

so you guys will need to show me how to ever clock it 

tmr is buy day 

wish me luck on good deals


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The i5 will do all you need.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

hi guys i bought a 2gb evga gtx 560 card now it requires a 450w min psu to run and a 24amp @+12v local i was looking and finding thermaltake TR-2 600w but the amp is 22 or 23 on the models here is this safe to buy or stick with the current amp?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The 600 amp part is ok but the TR2's are not very good units, see if you can find a XFX 650w or Antec High Current Gamer 620w unit.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

locally they dont rely sell any ting else but the tr 2 models otherwise its omega brand or someting so 

but what about the 24amp @+12v do i need to have a 24amp or will 22 or 23 work just as good ???


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

For multi-rail PSU's add the rails together, the available amps will be about 80% of the total.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

well i went to buy the final parts i made a change i bought a boistar TZ77 E3 board 22 ich AOC monitor and a Coolmaster GX 650 w PSU that meets the GPU needs easy for almost the same price as the T2- 600 so good stuff for me i tink now waitin on the Case a thermaltake Commander.


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

So some help needed guys i am using the TZ77 E3 board and using Cosair 8 gb ddr 3 ram 1600mhz but the board is saying 1333mhz how do i change it to the 1600 what do i need to do plss detail explanation will be nice thanks alot


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Does the bios have the option to enable XMP settings?


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## mad19 (Aug 25, 2009)

yes i saw xmp and 2 other options cant remember those thougjh


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Enable the XMP settings save and reboot, it should pick up the 1600 settings.


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