Author Topic: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - New Build for 2021!!  (Read 104962 times)

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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Building A Computer - $800 Budget - New Build for 2021!!
« on: May 24, 2010, 01:03:04 AM »
I'm trying to build a complete system for my girl and she gave me a budget of $800 to do it with.
I decided to try an AMD system this time since it seems to be cheaper for similar to Intel parts, but the only problem is that I've built her what I think is a pretty badass system (minus video card) but can't get it under $854 shipped.

This includes the motherboard, CPU, monitor, RAM, Kb/m, PSU, case, HDD & DVD Burner.

I actually typed this up once already and this stupid laptop I'm using somehow erased everything I've typed already, so I'm gonna keep it brief this time. This search happened mostly between Tiger Direct & Amazon.com

Motherboard/CPU bundle - $289
WD 1TB HDD - $95
Ultra 500W PSU - $40
Cooler Master Mid Tower Case - $38
View Sonic 23" Monitor - $189
Logitech Wireless Kb/M - $35
OCZ DDR3 PC3 10666 1333 Mhz RAM (8GB) - $138
Samsung 22x (DL?)DVD Burner - $20


Can you guys help me build a bad ass computer for $800 shipped?
I've shown you what I've found so far, but I haven't even included a video card that does dual monitor support.

I also found this on Frys.com ($900+tax)
http://www.frys.com/product/6060268?site=sa:PC%20Computer%20Pod:Pod1
« Last Edit: December 13, 2020, 11:58:17 PM by BlackNMild2k1 »

Offline Stogi

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2010, 01:21:53 AM »
i could use a tb badly.
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Offline ShyGuy

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2010, 03:17:41 AM »
What do you want to do with this computer?

Do you have an Operating System?

An easy way to save money would be to use a smaller HD. Unless you're storing a lot of HD movies.

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2010, 03:32:19 AM »
I will be doing everything* on this computer.

streaming videos, games, multi-monitor multi-tasking, websurfing, work.

if possible, I might even try the Dolphin Emulator.


*nothing that justifies a 6core processor
but she wanted a computer better than my C2Q 3GB DDR2 machine.
So I think the motherboard and processor are most flexible as that is what cost the most.

Something that uses DDR3 though and is atleast a Quad core(AMD) is preferrable.

I figure if i go with a QuadCore AMD I can also throw in a multi-monitor video card and come back to where I am now, which is only slightly over budget.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2010, 03:40:01 AM by BlackNMild2k1 »

Offline vudu

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2010, 02:57:42 PM »
Why must all things be so bright? Why can things not appear only in hues of brown! I am so serious about this! Dull colors are the future! The next generation! I will never accept a world with such bright colors! It is far too childish! I will rage against your cheery palette with my last breath!

Offline oohhboy

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2010, 03:11:37 PM »
One thing you can do is cheap out on is the monitor. To be frank, that monitor is way over priced for the features your getting and it will look like ass.

For slightly more or less depending on how you shop around, try this monitor. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=W2353V-PF&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=7480986633198274655&ei=1Mj6S8OjLJfONJLi1YMI&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ8wIwAA#

it's the same one as mine, but what you really want to do is look in to the range. Contrast ratio going to be the biggest factor second to resolution.

That PSU is a little overkill, but not knowing your video card gives you a fair bit of wiggle room.

You are right about not being able to justify that six core cpu. Unless she is doing Video Let's plays, that's alot of wasted power. In a sense she will be future ready, but with double digit cores in the very near future, why bother trying to read the tea leaves.

Simple fact is that if she wants better, she is going to have to spend more and with only the onboard video, that system is going to be lopsided as hell. Forget games on it.

You can also cut back on the RAM to 4GB and get another 4 at a later date if it is found she really needs it. Harddisk wise, get a Samsung SpinPoint of some sort which comes in a little cheaper, quieter with no drop in performance.
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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2010, 08:41:48 PM »
The thing about the RAM is that 4GB of DD3 cost the same everywhere I've looked (which was only 3 places) as the 8GB of OCZ I found somewhere else.

4GB of OCZ on Tiger Direct & Amazon cost the same amount as the 8GB and they were from the same manufacturer.

about the video card, I was gonna upgrade that for her later (it's sorta my computer since I'll use it more, but she's paying for it) to maybe a cheap multi-monitor Nvidia card for now and then get a beefier one in the fall when I have more extra money.

Have you checked out Tech Report's Spring 2010 System Guide?

checking now. thanx

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2010, 09:11:42 PM »
Ok. If I take out the CPU/Mb combo I had (-$289)
and use the the ones suggested in that article that vudu linked me to instead

Gigabyte  Socket ATX Motherboard GA-770TA-UD3 - $101
AMD  Athlon II X4 630 95W AM3 2MB 2800MHz Retail - $97
WD 1TB HDD - $95
Ultra 500W PSU - $40
Cooler Master Mid Tower Case - $38
View Sonic 23" Monitor - $189
Logitech Wireless Kb/M - $35
OCZ DDR3 PC3 10666 1333 Mhz RAM (8GB) - $138
Samsung 22x (DL?)DVD Burner - $20

Actually puts me under budget @ $753

I'm looking at that monitor, and it's really expensive on Amazon, really cheap on Overstock (Refurbished) and $10 more on a site called allaboutcomputersky.com
I don't know who they are and I'm not so sure on refurbished products, bit the monitor sounds really good on paper and I would love to switch it out.

What can you tell me about the allaboutcomputer site and/or refubished products in general? Especially from Overstock.com.

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2010, 09:56:22 PM »
Ok, I need a Dual monitor Video card, preferrably with as much fast ram as possible

I was thinking a

Radeon HD 5670 Video Card - 1024MB DDR5

vs
GeForce GT 240 1GB DDR5

both for about $110 each.
Which is the better video card specifically for gaming and dual monitor support?

I've also decided to get the LG monitor and save an extra $20
Which brings my total down to under $850 shipped

I suppose I could get less DDR3 ram and save some extra money, but I'm not for sure making this purchase till next week or the week after, so maybe somethings go on sale in the meantime.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2010, 11:01:02 PM by BlackNMild2k1 »

Offline BranDonk Kong

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2010, 12:05:31 AM »
You should avoid tigerdirect.com as much as you can. Newegg is much  better. Also, while I've always been a supporter of AMD, Intel just keeps kicking their ass lately. Also the Caviar Blue version of the 1TB WD drive is $69.99 (free shipping) on Newegg if you're quick enough, deal ends at midnight (Pacific, I assume). You're best off using 2 HDDs, one smaller one for your OS, and a huge one for everything non-system related. Both of those video cards are kind of low-end, though DDR5 is nice. I'm telling you man, just go to Newegg. You could easily build a beast of a system for (much) under $800 shipped.
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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2010, 01:09:12 AM »
I'm not looking for a hi-end video card right now.

if it can play Recent games decently and handle multiple things on 2 different screens at the same time then I am happy.

But if you think you can piece together a (better)complete system for about $800 shipped, then please, show me what you've come up with. Thatt is exactly why I made this thread after all, to see who cold build it better or atleast improve upon what I have.

I also have a 50GB HDD at my house that I planned on installing the OS on, so the 1TB is intended for media and non-essential program storage.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2010, 01:12:12 AM by BlackNMild2k1 »

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2010, 02:17:57 AM »
Gigabyte  Socket ATX Motherboard GA-770TA-UD3 - $101
AMD  Athlon II X4 630 95W AM3 2MB 2800MHz Retail - $97
WD 1TB HDD - $80
Apevia 500W PSU - $20 (after $20 rebate)
Cooler Master Mid Tower Case - $38
View Sonic 23" Monitor - $189
Logitech Wireless Kb/M - $35
OCZ DDR3 PC3 10666 1333 Mhz RAM (8GB?) - $138
LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer - $28

Actually puts me under budget @ $726 (after $20 rebate)
leaving me $74 towards the Dual Monitor Video Card (currently leaning towards the HD 5670)

Anyone have any other suggestions/improvements/changes?

p.s. Should I buy a refurbished monitor?

Offline ShyGuy

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2010, 02:49:03 AM »
Depending on what kind of video card you're going to put in, the amperage on your 12v rail could be a little low.

Offline oohhboy

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2010, 03:17:47 AM »
Go for the refurbished since it will be better than your current choice in monitor. Seriously, you can do better way than your current choice.

I would expect some staining/scuff marks though from the extra handling, otherwise it should be pretty sweet.
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Offline BranDonk Kong

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2010, 10:04:46 AM »
I wouldn't buy anything refurbished, but that's just me. If it's manufacturer-refurbished, then go for it, but if it's not (or not stated who refurbed the product) then stay away.
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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #15 on: May 26, 2010, 01:10:15 AM »
Gigabyte  Socket ATX Motherboard GA-770TA-UD3 - $101
AMD  Athlon II X4 630 95W AM3 2MB 2800MHz Retail - $97
Seagate 1TB HDD - $50 (after $30 rebate)
Apevia 500W PSU - $20 (after $20 rebate)
Cooler Master Mid Tower Case - $38
View Sonic 23" Monitor - $189
Logitech Wireless Kb/M - $35
OCZ DDR3 PC3 10666 1333 Mhz RAM (8GB?) - $138
LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer - $28

Actually puts me under budget @ $699 (after $50 in rebates)
leaving me $104 towards the Dual Monitor Video Card (currently leaning towards the HD 5670)

Depending on what kind of video card you're going to put in, the amperage on your 12v rail could be a little low.

What do you mean? I'm likely getting the card listed above, so please explain.

Offline ShyGuy

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #16 on: May 26, 2010, 02:03:16 AM »
The 5670 card is fairly low power, so you shouldn't worry about having enough juice with that card. A 5970 is another story.

Try the handy power supply calculator at NewEgg http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html

Offline MegaByte

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #17 on: May 26, 2010, 02:15:15 AM »
Don't go too cheap on power supplies.  They might very well blow out.  Take a good look at the review ratings before you buy one (the one you have listed is getting some pretty crap ratings).
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Offline KnowsNothing

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2010, 12:04:49 PM »
I use an Athlon II X4 640 (essentially the same as the 630 but 100 mhz faster) and I like it...I'm not a heavy CPU user and I upgraded from an Athlon X2 4600+ though so I haven't noticed too much of a difference so far.  I'm also using a Radeon 4850 which is hard to recommend for resolutions above 1680*1050 or if you care about future Direct X support, but depending on your needs I still think it's one of the best "bang for your buck" graphics card deals.  I got mine for $75 after rebate which was awesome.

I really have nothing useful to add to the discussion aside from completely disagreeing with whoever said Intel is kicking AMD's ass right now.  Intel was the clear leader when they came out with their Core 2 Duo chips, but since then things have changed especially in terms of building a budget PC.  I think an Athlon II X4 or a cheap Phenom II provides a better price/performance ratio depending on your needs.  But even so, AMD's AM3 socket is a lot more future-proof then any of Intel's sockets and for me that's important.  I intend for my mobo to last a while.

Not to mention the fact that AMD owns ATI and in my opinion they have completely destroyed nVidia in recent years (pretty much ever since the 4800 architecture).

Also don't try to save money with the PSU; read reviews, calculate your power needs, and buy a good one.  I haven't looked at the one you've chosen yet but I just wanted to restate when MeaByte said because it is very important.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2010, 11:28:46 AM by KnowsNothing »
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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #19 on: May 27, 2010, 12:07:13 AM »
Gigabyte  Socket ATX Motherboard GA-770TA-UD3 - $101
AMD  Athlon II X4 630 95W AM3 2MB 2800MHz Retail - $97 Arrived
Seagate 1TB HDD - $50 (after $30 rebate) Arrived
Ultra 500W PSU - $40 (after $20 instant rebate) Arrived
Cooler Master Mid Tower Case - $38 Arrived
LG 23" Monitor - $175 Arrived
Logitech Wireless Kb/M - $35 Arrived
OCZ DDR3 PC3 10666 1333 Mhz RAM (8GB?) - $138 1/2 Arrived
LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer - $28 Arrived
ATi Radeon HD 5670 - $114

Actually puts me under budget @ $726 (after $50 in rebates but) before minimal shipping charges
leaving me $74 towards the Dual Monitor Video Card  ATi Radeon HD 5670 - $114
or $50 out of my pocket.

Forgot to mention that all the parts are being ordered now. :D
« Last Edit: June 03, 2010, 11:07:32 PM by BlackNMild2k1 »

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - GO!!!!
« Reply #20 on: May 27, 2010, 10:09:24 PM »
All parts ordered, I just wanna thank anyone and everyone that had input toward my decision.

I'll let you guys know how it turns out in a few weeks after all the parts arrive.

Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - bought!!!!
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2010, 12:42:33 AM »
You guys may have noticed that I never put up a link to the ram i was gonna get. you might have also noticed that it was 8GB of DDR3 for $137<2x4GB>, which is pretty much the same price as the exact same ram at 4GB (which cost ~$127 <1x4GB>).

So basically I got double the ram for the same price. That was the biggest hookup on this whole system. I'll post a pic & a link just as soon as I'm guaranteed it shipped.

Offline BranDonk Kong

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - bought!!!!
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2010, 10:49:04 AM »
I got an incredible deal a while back on NewEgg where I got 2GB RAM for like $23.99 - it was only PC2 6400, but still you can't find it that cheap anywhere, and this was over a year ago.
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Offline BlackNMild2k1

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - bought!!!!
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2010, 11:11:11 AM »
With mine, I ordered an 8GB kit, and they only sent me 4GB. Problem is that they meant for it to be a 4GB kit, but they never specified that. The Product Description showed 2x 4GB chips and listed it as 8GB kit.

So after I received it, I called them, they tried to refund me for a return and give me a $10 credit. I told them to shove that refund where the sun don't shine and send me my other 4GB chip. The lady said she couldn't, so I had her put a supervisor on.

Part of my argument was that I could've gotten the exact same chip for cheaper ($120) from a different supplier if I only wanted 1x4GB, but I chose them because they were offering 2x8GB fir almost the same price.

After 10 minutes of debate and pointing out how the ad clearly states multiple times that it was an 8GB kit and the pic even shows 2x 4GB chips, he admitted defeat and is now shipping me a 2nd 4GB chip for free (otherwise it was false advertising).

4GB of DDR3 PC3-10666 1333MHz (Gold) normally sells for $127
I got 2x4GB (8GB total) of ^^^^ for $137!!!
You can't imagine the size of my grin after that conversation.

Offline vudu

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Re: Building A Computer - $800 Budget - Complete System - bought!!!!
« Reply #24 on: June 03, 2010, 01:24:45 PM »
Sadly, I don't think the extra 4 GB of RAM is going to do you much good on an $800 PC. 
Why must all things be so bright? Why can things not appear only in hues of brown! I am so serious about this! Dull colors are the future! The next generation! I will never accept a world with such bright colors! It is far too childish! I will rage against your cheery palette with my last breath!