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Upgrade computer for under $400
Hello there. My video card fried (old 8800) so I'm in the market for a new one, and thinking of taking the oportunity to do a mobo/vid/CPU upgrade (from a core 2 duo 1.8).
There's a big catch, though. I live in Venezuela, so legally I can't pay for more than $400 a year online, and buying it here means I'd have to pay three times as much money for less hardware. Another catch, Amazon.com is the only place I've found that sells online and let's me pay with a credit card from Venezuela while shipping to the US (I'm using a carrier service to bring the stuff to the country), so I have to buy from them.
So, here's what I'm looking at:
Video card:
ASUS GTX460 1 GB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card ENGTX460 DirectCU/2DI/1G?D5
$164.99
Motherboard
Gigabyte LGA 1156 Intel H55 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard GA-H55M-UD2H
$91.24 (I've had good experience with gigabyte mobos before)
CPU
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
$104.02
Memory
Corsair XMS3 4 GB 1333MHz PC3-10666 240-pin DDR3 Memory Kit for Intel Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD CMX4GX3M1A1333C?9
$26.99 (I'll add more later, which is why I'm getting 4 gigs in one single stick)
Gran total: $378, leaving a little bit left for the shipping to miami.
So... any advice on what I could do better (without passing the $400 line including shipping)? I'm going intel/nvidia because it's what I've used in the past, but I'd be willing to go amd/ATI if I can get more bang for the buck.
To sum it up:
I can't spend more than $400, including shipping. This is a yearly amount and doesn't carry over if not used, so "wait until you have more money and get XXX" isn't an option for me.
I has to be on amazon.com, or if any other retailer it must allow me to buy with a credit card from Venezuela and ship to Miami. As of last time I tried, newegg, compusa and tigerdirect didn't allow this.
What can men do against such reckless hate?
Comments
hum.... sounds like an exploitable system:D is this limitation a "per person" or a "per household" type limitation? you might be able to get around some limitations by having a friend do part of the order for you. and exactly how much more is it to buy something locally? cuz some things "may" not be as expensive then others depending on the part. for example, it may cost 3 times as much to buy a video card, but maybe only twice as much for memory since the memory is more of a commodity?
may want to do alittle of shopping around locally to see if it would be efficent to buy "some" stuff locally to open up the "online" budget for the more expensive parts?
To put an example, the stick of RAM that costs about $27 online, if I were to buy locally a similar one it would be about $120 (at the current exchange rates). The online allowance is per person, but in my household the other people with credit cards are my wife and mother, both already used theirs (a laptop and a cell phone, respectively), and every other people I know either already has used theirs, has plans on how to use it, or wants to charge me black market prices (which would put it at the same price than buying locally).
What can men do against such reckless hate?
Sounds like you've got good reason to try to do your upgrades piecemeal, then. That's some bizarre restrictions, but president/dictator Hugo Chavez has caused enough other random chaos in Venezuela that somehow it doesn't suprise me.
Anyway, I'd advise against looking at an LGA 1156 platform. That's a dead socket, in the sense that all the processors that will ever be released for it already have been, with the possible exception of some low end parts that would be a downgrade from what you get today. Its replacement, LGA 1155, launched around the start of this year. If you decide you need a faster processor in the future (which is easily conceivable), then you'll be stuck with paying $200+ for something rather obsolete, or else replacing the motherboard yet again.
A better option would be to go with Socket AM3+. The processors intended for that haven't even launched yet, but when they do, they'll give you a good upgrade path for the processor in case you need something faster in the future. It's backward compatible, so you could pick up a cheap processor today and have something that works with it today. If you like Gigabyte, then here you go:
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-SB950-DDR3-Motherboard-GA-970A-D3/dp/B0056G10WK/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314819936&sr=1-17
Or for something a little higher end, in case you're into overclocking:
http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GA-970A-UD3-SB950-SATA-Motherboard/dp/B0055Q88EO/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314819936&sr=1-10
Or a little cheaper option from Asus, which is roughly equivalent to the first motherboard that I linked:
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-Socket-CrossFireX-Motherboard-M5A97/dp/B0058G65UU/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314819936&sr=1-14
You'll need a processor for it, of course. Three cores at 3.2 GHz:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Athlon-450-Processor-ADX450WFGMBOX/dp/B003YV64OI/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820121&sr=1-4
Or you could pay a little more for four cores at 3.2 GHz:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-Phenom-Socket-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B004LRO9B4/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820121&sr=1-13
Or you could tack on some L3 cache to add about 10% to the performance:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-HDZ955FBGMBOX-Phenom-3-2GHz-Retail/dp/B002TQYUAE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820321&sr=1-1
And if someday you decide you need something faster, then Zambezi will certainly be available to drop in, and Komodo (coming in 2012) will probably fit the motherboard, too. Other processors further down the line might fit it as well, though eventually AMD will move to DDR4 memory and break backward compatibility.
For memory, you need two memory modules, not one. Most modern processors have two memory channels. If you leave one vacant, you cut your memory bandwidth in half, and that cripples the processor.
If you want 8 GB of memory eventually, then it's cheap enough that you might as well just get it today:
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-1333mhz-PC3-10666-240-pin-Channel/dp/B0055LGG3Y/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820522&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-ValueRAM-KVR1333D3N9K2-8G/dp/B002K27KW2/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820522&sr=1-5
A couple of better video card options:
http://www.amazon.com/HIS-Radeon-Eyefinity-DisplayPort-Express/dp/B005D6P0N8/ref=sr_1_9?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820646&sr=1-9
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-External-PCI-Express-Graphics-01G-P3-1371-TR/dp/B003VWXVA0/ref=sr_1_14?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820713&sr=1-14
Or if you need something cheaper:
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-100328L/dp/B004ZCHWBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1314820681&sr=1-1
What case do you have, and what power supply? You don't want to get a bunch of parts that your case or power supply can't handle.
You have a decent list, but i would recommend you get an AMD Mobo, AMD CPU, and AMD/ATI Graphic Card
That Intel i3 is duel core 3.0GHZ CPU, you can get the AMD equivialant for almost half of that price.
Ive built many computers, and all of them being gaming computers. Some Intel based, some AMD based, and i will from now on only go with AMD due to that fact they are almost always half the price for the same thing.
I recently just built my $2000+ Gaming Rig, all AMD based and this thing is a monster. If i used Intel based items, i would of spent easily an extra 500+ dollars.
If you spent $2000+ just recently on a gaming rig, then you should have gone with an Intel processor. A Core i5-2500K for $220 is much faster for gaming purposes than anything AMD offers today. That could change shortly when Zambezi launches, but the top Zambezi bins are probably going for over $300. The reason AMD's best processors are cheaper than Intel's best is that they aren't as good.
I've done my research before i built my pc, im not bashing your researc but this is pretty much what i figured out in a nut shell.
Intel = Little bit more performance for a lot more money
AMD = Little bit less performance for a lot less money.
Also, with the knowledge to overclock, they are not that far off considering to what you actually "use" for gaming.
And also to just state, another reason why i went AMD is because i also mine bitcoins. Anyone who knows anything about bitcoins will tell you that AMD Graphic Cards is the only way to go, and im pretty anal about things and would never pair an AMD Graphic Card with an Intel Based pc.
The PC i built for $2000 runs everything.. Perfect. Flew through all benchmarks no problem, was in the BF3 Beta and ran it perfect without any show of lag/tearing. Just beat all the Crysis games again because i love how the game looks. Mega Ultimate Max whatever settings, everything to the max and still never dropped under 70+ FPS with VS Off.
I just dont see what much more i could get from an intel based pc and an extra $500 dollars.
I wound up buying a i3-2100 with Motherboard and 8GB of RAM for about 175.00 a couple of months ago due to Newegg and Microcenter specials. Last week I upgraded to HD6870 for 154.99 AR.
Hypothetically, could you have a third party buy the parts for you in the US (or other country)- slide them the money under the table (say via Bitcoin, or any number of other ways money seems to cross borders unofficially), "pay" them something under $400 over the table, and then have them ship it to you?
That sounds a lot like most scam emails I get, but if you had a trusted 3rd party...
How did you spend 2000 on a all amd machine? O.o 2 video cards and a ssd? With single gpu setups amd cpu are more than enough for games. Once you go to multiple gpu's that work the cpu more the intel chips start to shine. If i was the op i would just get a decent vid card and stretch that core 2 out til the end of the year.Then get the cpu/mobo/ram next year.
If your on the side that likes it great. If your on the side that doesn't,thats great.If your on the side that will argue til your face turns blue about pointless this or that comparisons,you've come to the right gaming site.
I do have people I'd thrust in the US, but don't think I'd see much of a gain getting them to buy the parts would be the same than buying them myself, I think. That is unless you mean sending them over $400 to buy things, which can't be done (at least not by me). The system works by activating the credit cards abroad, if I try to spend more than $400 in a year, the card is automatically declined (according to the law, if I somehow manage to go over the $400, the banks issuing the credit card gets a fine, I get another one for 4x the amount of money I went over $400, and lose all credit cards and access to foreign currency forever). If I were to use a system like bitcoin would be the same since the only way I could add money to it would be by credit card, which also counts against the $400. Only other way I'd get access to money to use abroad would be by applying for travel money (for which I'd need the plane tickets to begin with, they ask them as a requirement to aprove them), or buying them in the black market, and then I'd just get the money in cash (which I can't send either) unless I had a bank account abroad (which I do not), plus they sell 2 or 3 times more expensive.
In the end I think I'm going to go with SonicTHI idea, buy only the video card now, leave the rest for next year.
What can men do against such reckless hate?
that's unfortunate considering that southern islands is just around the corner:/
1090T
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849
CoolerMaster HAF932
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Lite-On Blu-Ray Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106370
Lite-On DVD Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106276
NZXT Sentry Fan Controller
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811992005
CoolerMaster Sickle Fans x4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103090
600GB Raptor HD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136555
OCZ 120GB SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706
G.Skill 16GB Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429
G.Skill Ram Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835236002
ASUS Crosshair V Formula Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131735
Corsair 850w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009
Sapphire 6950 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102945
XSPC Water Cooling Kit
http://www.xoxide.com/xspc-dc-750-kits.html
Alphacool Reso
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13184/ex-res-283/Alphacool_Cape_Corp_Coolplex_Pro_25_LT_-_250mm.html?tl=g30c97
+ all other accessories, cables, wire ties, coolant, screws/bolts = $100
= +$2000 AMD PC
I don't want to rain on your parade, but I certainly wouldn't want you to build my pc either. You haven't even gotten the best hexacore for your 2000$.
And you keep implying that you would need 2500$ to build a decent Sandy Bridge system, which is just wrong. Sorry, but a 1500$ Sandy Bridge system would leave your watercooled middle-of-the-road cpu/gpu in the dust.
It is said that you can train a donkey to race, but it will never become a racehorse, it will become a fast donkey. And with your HAF case and your watercooling system, I see a fast donkey.
AMD is for budgets, Intel is for Enthusiast performance. You've build a terrible expensive budget-build, in my opinion.
Edit: To be positive, you have got an AM3+ MB and can upgrade to a better cpu. The things you spend your money on will hopefully be effective for a good while, staying with you as you upgrade the cpu and gpu.
What you fail to realize is that gaming computers hit a cap, before i built this rig i did HAVE about a $1000-$1300 sandy-bridge system and it was nothing compared to this. The rig i have now plays every game, and i mean EVERY GAME at 60+ FPS easy. There is NO REASON why i should of built a $2500 Intel based to do the exact same thing. I dont understand where you coming from by saying middle-of-the-road cpu/gpu when obviously both of them are near top of the line, and ive never heard of any middle-of-the-road computer playing every game at 60+ FPS.
* Also if you have looked at the benchmarks, an i5-2500k SandyBridge is almost equivialant to the 1100T, only thing that it has a majoy edge on is power consumption, but it is also about 20% more expensive than the 1100T.
** Also, you obviously havent a clue what your talking about since you said "You dont even have the best hexacore" and im guessing your talking about that i dont have the 1100T, instead i have the 1090T.. In case you didnt notice just because the 1100T is more expensive doesnt make it better, they are the same exact CPU and ANYONE can overlock 100mhz... making a 1090T to a 1100T... Typical Intel fanboy would say that. Im sorry.
The rig you have, which play every game at 60 FPS easy... Is a 6950 graphics card. Thats it, thats what you are sitting there being sooo happy about, nothhing else. Any kid could buy a 6950 graphicscard and would be set just like you.
For 2000$, I would have gotten a 6970... or a GTX580. I would have build a MACHINE for 2000$ dude.
You again bring up the 2500$ Intel system to match your midrange specs. No that was not what I said. What I said was that a 1500$ Sandybridge would beat your system. And I'm right....
Not 500$ more, but 500$ less okay....
And an 1100T, which is superior to the 1090 you got, a supercase, 4 extra expensive fans, and a watercooling system (really...), has not got a chance in hell to stand up to a 2500k cpu which cost just about the same.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/146?vs=288
Doublepost*
Run Metro 2033 @ 1920x1080, 4x AA, DOF, Maximum settings, DX11
There goes your 60+ FPS easy.
He who keeps his cool best wins.
Lol you obviously have no idea what your talking about YET AGAIN. 1100T = Overclock'd 1090T. Same processor, you can oveclock the 1090T 100MHz (like i said) and there you go... you got yourself a 1100T. Also, you said you would have gotten a 6970... lol. You can flash (like i have) and unlock the shaders of a 6950 to a 6970. There you go.... you got yourself a 6970. Also, you obviously havent seen any benchmarks. A 2500k & 1100T show very equal benchmarks besides the 2500k being more power friendly and also being 20% more expensive than the 1100T. and about 25% more exspensive than the 1090T which you can easily OC to a 1100T.
And i dont understand how you figure a sandybridge intel based pc would be $500 less than mine. Makes no sense at all.
Closest thing to my 1090T is the 2500k. which is about 25% more money. But, the 2500k is still 4 cores vs the 6 core 1090T. I have no idea how you came up with the figures of it being $500 less.
By not making the choices that you do. Not waste money on 4 extra fans and a watercooling sytem, in an effort to overclock a cpu thats slow to begin with. My point being, you throw out numbers of exaggeration, when you imply that you can't build a strong Intel system for below 2500$.
And I state that I could buy a strong Intel system for 1500$. Get the same GPU performance as you (seeing you flashed the 6950) and a stronger cpu. Not by buying the exact same stuff that you have done, but by NOT buying the stuff you have done.
to be fair tho, an air cooled sandybridge i7 with a 580gtx can fit into your budget. w/o any overclocking, it'd be competetive with the machine you built.
Ahh know i understand what your saying, but with my situation and after having a couple gaming rigs before this one i really had to go with liquid cooled. I live in new jersey and anyone thats lived here knows that the air quality is terrible and there is A LOT of dust. My old PCs used to build up dust a lot, of course i cleaned them but it was becoming very tedious.
Of course you could build an equal computer for less by getting a different cheaper case and not the whole liqiud cooling but that would take down the whole overall quality of the computer, and course realisticly i could of gone this route and built a faster computer by being intel based (because i wont deny, their chips ARE better then AMD) but for what im using my pc for, i would be at the same place, AND i still have the liquid cooling i really wanted.