Building an $800 PC

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/huaA

 

This is what I have so far. This would be the first time I've built but I've been watching and reading how to material and I don't believe it will be too hard as long as take time and dont get careless.

 

I could drop down to the i3 3220 and use that money for a better GPU or motherboard, but my fear is that games will start needing quad cores soon

I wanted to go with a Z77 motherboard so I could add another GPU later on, but I couldn't make the price work.

I figured 460w would be enough for the PSU.

I've went back and forth on several cases in the sub $50 range, I really don't know about it. I just don't want anything over the top as far as the design- no colors other than black, no LEDs...etc.

 

Any thoughts or insight from those with more building experience than me would be greatly appreciated.

 

Get the i3 and get a 660ti, it will be a while till many games can really utilize 4 cores and even then swapping out a cpu is cheaper than swapping a gpu.

Just out of curiosity, on PC Part Picker, it said these two motherboards would do CrossFire(But they weren't listed for SLI)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157303&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157326&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

Would it be better to get one of these two boards and a 7950 if that left open the possibility of adding another GPU later. Like I said, I've never built before, so I don't know some of the technicalities of the process. Each board only has 1 PCI 3.0 so I would assume the 2nd card would have to go into the PCI 2.0 slot and I don't know if there are compatability issues there or if the 2nd card would be restricted if it had to go into a PCI 2.0 slot.

If you're considering to get the 7950, my advice is to get a better PSU; like at least 600W.

And if you're going to add a 2nd video card later into the 2nd slot, the top 3.0 slot would have to run at 2.0 speeds, that's if it's in Crossfire.

The boards; unless you're not really into overclocking, I'm thinking getting a Z77 board would improve more over these mainstream chips.

CPU promocode=INTEL9X0 ends 9/16 midnight

Mobo/HDD

GPU/Ram

Case

PSU Promocode=EMCNAJF83

total= $818.87

Excellent build, but doesn't take the price of Windows 7 into account. I would gladly pirate it, but with my luck, I would be the one person to get proscecuted for it.

Oh sorry didn't see you need it, readjusting

.

..

...

done.

CPU promocode=EMCNAJF78

Mobo/HDD

GPU/Ram

Case

PSU Promocode=EMCNAJF83

total= $819.86

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/289?vs=363

the i3 score would be a little higher since yours is Ivy and a higher clock