Building computer for~ $800

[Zerrigan]

Hey guys, I generally like to build my own stuff but I recently joined a program that gives me a discount on Dell computers so I'm tempted to buy one from them. I wanted to get your opinion on this build.

XPS 8300 XPS 8300
Power Supply 460W
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
Processors Intel® Core™ i7-2600 processor(8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
Memory 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs
Keyboard Dell Consumer Multimedia Keyboard
Monitor No Monitor
Video Card Nvidia® Geforce® GT530
Hard Drive 500GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
Mouse Dell Laser Mouse
Network Card Standard USB 2.0 + 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Modem No Dial Up Modem Option
TBU Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
Optical Drive Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
Sound THX® TruStudio PC™
Speakers No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Wireless Dell 1501 Wireless-N PCIe Card
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft® Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
Security Software McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months
Hardware Support Services 2 Year Basic Support
Peace of Mind DataSafe 2.0 Online Backup 2GB for 1 year
Trusted ID Trusted ID,IDSafe, 12 Month Subscription, Digital Delivery

This will cost me $735. My big concern is the graphics card. I know I am going to have to put one in there myself. I thought about EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-130-625&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo for $145 however I am wondering if this is going to be powerful enough to support me for a few years (I play a few games such as SCII and want to be able to run Diablo III and Assassin's Creed Revelations on high settings preferably).
All together that is $880 and I couldn't beat that even trying to use identical parts from newegg. So the question is, should I take this deal and also, will that graphics card suffice for me? Thanks in advance.

[RickyTick]

Let me first say that I have 4 Dell's currently in service at my house, and they have all performed very well. However, I much prefer to build my own pc for my personal use.

The GTX550 Ti is really on the low end for video cards. You would be much better off with a GTX560 or 560 Ti. The problem is that they would push the limits of the Dell 460 watt power supply.

[Zerrigan]

So would this work ok? Also, would it be worth spending another ~50 for another 1g of video memory?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130660 EVGA 01G-P3-1460-KR GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Says it has 150W Maximum Graphics Card Power (W)
450W Minimum System Power Requirement (W).
Alternatively I could use http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125401 GIGABYTE GV-N560UD-1G GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card which actually seems to have a decent bit more power but requires even more power. Needs 500W

However, I checked on the Dell site and they offer an Nvidia Geforce 560GTXTi 1.25GB card for about the same price and they assure me it works fine with the computer. Should I trust them on this because if this is true, I think this would be the way to go.

I have a 480W supply in my other comp so could I perhaps switch that with the one in the dell?

EDIT: Just checked and this seems like it would work but seems really cheap. Would it be safe to use it? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152028 RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular LED Power Supply

FINAL EDIT: Ok so my friend and I just worked really hard and came up with this build from new egg. He is including his own copy of windows 7 and a case Item#: N82E16811146061 NZXT GAMMA Classic Series GAMA-001BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case.



Link Depot 18" SATA II Cable with Straight to Right-Angle Connectors Model SATA-18-RS

Link Depot 18" SATA II Cable with Straight to Right-Angle Connectors Model SATA-18-RS
Item #: N82E16812189198
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$6.98
($3.49 each)




SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AL/BSBE LightScribe Support

SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-222AL/BSBE LightScribe Support - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151243
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

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$17.99




HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 (0F10381) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822145299
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

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$99.99




MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...
Item #: N82E16814127608
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy

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$269.99

1

MSI Gift Coupon - Futuremark 3DMark 11

MSI Gift Coupon - Futuremark 3DMark 11
Item #: N82E16800127008
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$19.99 Saving


$19.99
$0.00




Broadway Com Corp OKIA-BLACK-550 550W ATX Power Supply

Broadway Com Corp OKIA-BLACK-550 550W ATX Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817162018
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

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-$8.00 Instant


$29.99
$21.99




SYBA PCI 1-Channel CardBus Host Controller Card Model SY-PCI-PCM

SYBA PCI 1-Channel CardBus Host Controller Card Model SY-PCI-PCM
Item #: N82E16815124021
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$16.99




CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9

CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
Item #: N82E16820145315
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy


$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card

$41.99




Foxconn H61MX LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Foxconn H61MX LGA 1155 Intel H61 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813186213
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

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-$10.00 Instant


$64.99
$54.99




Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...
Item #: N82E16819115070
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy

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$319.99




Rosewill RFA-120-BL 120mm 4 Blue LEDs LED Case Fan

Rosewill RFA-120-BL 120mm 4 Blue LEDs LED Case Fan
Item #: N82E16835200049
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$7.99

Subtotal: $858.89

This seems good to me. Your thoughts?

[ARchamps]

Good choice on the video card. You should be able to run the games you mentioned with no problems. I think you are also missing a case? Looks good except for 3 things:

1) PSU is kind of suspect. I have never heard of that brand and the PSU one of the important components that should be of high quality. Stick with Antec, Corsair, OCZ or XFX.

2) That motherboard is an older chipset and will now allow overclocking. Seeing as you are going with a powerful processor, you should step up to the P67 or Z68 motherboard. These will have support for Ivybridge processors so you have the ability to upgrade in the future.

3) Since you are using this for gaming, I would get the i5 2500k and use the savings to upgrade the motherboard and power supply (points above). Unless your are using CPU intensive applications (rendering etc), you wont utilize the hyperthreading that the i7 has.

Here are some links.
Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

Motherboards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130582
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131706
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157230

PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013

Cases
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066 (includes case fans)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352010&Tpk=fractal%203000

Hope these suggestions help! Should keep you within your budget too.

Good luck!

[RickyTick]

Why do you need the 18" SATA cables?
What are you using the Host Controller Card for?
You have a H61 motherboard that does not allow for overclocking, but you picked a i7-2600K processor with the unlocked multiplier for overclocking. It will work, but it's a waste of money getting the i7-2600k instead of the i7-2600.

I agree with everything ARchamps earlier.

[Zerrigan]

Is that not a wireless card?
Ok so I changed the processor to the i52500K, I was told by another person I wouldn't notice too much difference between that and the i7, changed the power supply and the mobo. The cost is about the same so I think I should be good to go (the case was included in my post if you look more carefully but thanks anyways!). Thanks for all the help :)

[RickyTick]

*edited my post*

[Zerrigan]

One last thing!
Obviously the more expensive one is probably better but going by core speeds the Radeon is better?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161371

and the geforce I originally had http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127608

[ARchamps]

The 560 Ti is certainly better than the AMD card you chose. I would go for that if you plan to run the latest games. It also sets you up for SLI down the line. SLI on these cards will keep you up to date with new games for a while. What Mobo did you end up going with?

[Zerrigan]

ASUS P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. Can you explain to me why the Geforce is better? Obviously it has more RAM but that is the only thing my ignorant mind notices xD

[ARchamps]

It is a newer card. The 6790 competes with the 550 Ti. See this review (http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=30256&PageId=0). Hopefully that answers your question. The 6790 is likely able to handle the games you listed, but any new games like Crysis 2 and BF3.. it will likely struggle.

[Zerrigan]

Sorry to respond again, my friend is trying to cut down of my graphics card costs. He suggests this card http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7229008&csid=ITD&body=MAIN which according to that review you gave is only 1 step below the geforce gtx 560ti. Obviously the geforce has 2gb instead of 1gb like the Radeon, but how much difference would I notice? Also, I can get the GeForce with 1g for about $50 cheaper. How much difference would that make? If I downgrade the cards I could also get a 500W PSU which would be cheaper.

[ARchamps]

For those games you suggested, that card will run just fine. The 1GB VRAM vs. 2GB isn't a huge issue for those games.