Final review of budget 1080p build

[PizzaSHARK]

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YQqzsJ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YQqzsJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Pentium G4560 3.5GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: ASRock B250M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($57.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($90.21 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 4GB NITRO D5 OC Video Card ($189.99)
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($59.90)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $0.00)
Case Fan: Noctua NF-F12 PWM 55.0 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $615.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-03 00:07 EDT-0400



The objective is to achieve 1080p60 at moderate to high settings. My original budget was $800 but I like the idea of pocketing the extra nearly $250 rather than spending it. Some parts won't be in stock for a week, but I plan on pulling the trigger tonight or tomorrow to ensure I'll have one when they arrive.

I originally built around an i3-7100 and H270 chipset, but after doing some reading and discussing, switching to a B250 and G4560 (previously a G4600 since I was having a hell of a time finding a decently priced 4560 that was actually in stock) seemed like the best way to save some money.

Does this seem like a solid budget build? I could probably afford to spring for a more expensive RX 480, but that's only a ~15% difference from what I can see - is that worth another $50-$65? Upgrading to an i5-7400 is another option, but that will dramatically slash my savings (cost difference of nearly $130), and it seems like it might just be smarter to wait and see what comes with Coffee Lake's budget chips... or wait a couple of years to scoop up high end Kaby Lakes (i7's?) when they've had their prices cut.

EDIT: Updated slightly. Exchanged RX 470 for RX 480, switched to mATX case, added a second case fan.

[Xkiller9000]

All im gonna add is I would never go with Radeon for gaming, stick with GeForce

[Doomislav]

personally, I'd 86 the SSD for a CPU upgrade - I'd think the performance would be a better $ spent.

[Kagthul]

personally, I'd 86 the SSD for a CPU upgrade - I'd think the performance would be a better $ spent.

What exactly are you going to upgrade to? A slightly faster dual-core with hyperthreading?

You could shave some cash by going with a differeing PSU - Try the Seasonic M12II 520W.

Its "Only" Bronze, but thats largely irrelevant.

- - - Updated - - -

I originally built around an i3-7100 and H270 chipset, but after doing some reading and discussing, switching to a B250 and G4560 (previously a G4600 since I was having a hell of a time finding a decently priced 4560 that was actually in stock) seemed like the best way to save some money.

H270 is fairly worthless all around. The only benefit it has over B250 is SLI/Xfire support - but if you really want that, you're already in the budget range for a Z-series board anyway. B250 is a solid choice.

The only real difference between the i3-7100 and G-series pentiums of Kaby Lake is two missing instruction sets (that have no use in gaming) and clock speed.

Does this seem like a solid budget build?

Seems fine.

I could probably afford to spring for a more expensive RX 480, but that's only a ~15% difference from what I can see - is that worth another $50-$65?

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/TF38...x-480-armor-4g

Seems to be about exactly the same price as the 470s. 50-60$ more, no. 10-15$ more, sure.

Upgrading to an i5-7400 is another option, but that will dramatically slash my savings (cost difference of nearly $130), and it seems like it might just be smarter to wait and see what comes with Coffee Lake's budget chips...

For your use-case, i dont think the i5 will benefit you, given the cost difference. The Pentium-G will perform just fine for 1080p.

or wait a couple of years to scoop up high end Kaby Lakes (i7's?) when they've had their prices cut.

That isn't going to happen unless you're talking buying used. Prices dont drop on older CPU architectures. Intel doesn't over-produce like they used to, and they shut down production usually a few months before new chips launch, meaning that by the time they are "old", they are also fairly rare. Prices remain almost exactly where they started.

Now, waiting for Coffee Lake to actually pull the trigger on a more expensive build isn't a bad plan.

[PizzaSHARK]

All im gonna add is I would never go with Radeon for gaming, stick with GeForce

Why? I've heard nothing but good things about the 470 and 480. 1060 6GB outperforms both (pretty narrow margin vs 480 4GB though), but is quite a bit more expensive. 1060 3GB is comparable to the 470 but outperformed by the 480.

- - - Updated - - -

What exactly are you going to upgrade to? A slightly faster dual-core with hyperthreading?

You could shave some cash by going with a differeing PSU - Try the Seasonic M12II 520W.

Its "Only" Bronze, but thats largely irrelevant.

What makes you say that? I've been told the difference between gold and bronze is fairly substantial, and the price difference between a bronze 520 and gold 550 (both semi modular) is somewhat miniscule. I've changed it from a gold semi-modular to a bronze fully modular PSU. It's effectively the same price, but I figure going from semi-modular to fully modular is worth it.

I don't know why he's suggesting ditching the SSD for a better CPU. I'd imagine going from HDD to SSD as the OS/games drive would make a bigger improvement in overall performance than any other single change.

[Svisalith]

The G4560 is a good choice

[Kagthul]

What makes you say that? I've been told the difference between gold and bronze is fairly substantial,

whoever told you that is either ignorant or lying. All the different ratings mean is how efficient they are above 80%. Bronze is 82%ish. Gold is about 84%. You would have to leave the computer on, at full draw, for a decade or more to see any reasonable savings in power.

and the price difference between a bronze 520 and gold 550 (both semi modular) is somewhat miniscule. I've changed it from a gold semi-modular to a bronze fully modular PSU. It's effectively the same price, but I figure going from semi-modular to fully modular is worth it.

Last time i'd looked, the M12II 520W from Seasonic was under 50$ (and is fully modular). They appear to have gone up.

I don't know why he's suggesting ditching the SSD for a better CPU. I'd imagine going from HDD to SSD as the OS/games drive would make a bigger improvement in overall performance than any other single change.

It will not, in fact, provide you with a single bit of performance. At all.

Not one solitary frame of performance more.

It will load things quicker. That's it. Wether that is worth it to you or not is something only you can answer. In budget builds, i tend to leave them out and get a better GPU/CPU/other parts. An extra few seconds of loading is usually worth it to me on a budget build, so it can actually perform better.

However, my statement to him was, for the 90$ youd save on the SSD... you cant reach a reasonable upgrade for the CPU anyway. The i5-7400 is very bleh, with a low base clock and boost clock. It wont outperform the Pentium in most games, honestly, except some Triple-A titles that are very multicore capable, and honestly, the GPU will be holding you back more than the CPU in those titles anyway.

[PizzaSHARK]

Right, but I'd consider load times to be relevant and they absolutely do make a difference in games with lots of drive access. Obduction, for example, is nearly unplayable without an SSD.

[Deleted]

I don't see a reason getting a 2core when you can afford a 4core cpu. Some games do need more than just 2 cores and with a 4core now you are looking at 5 years of no upgrades. Also 2 weeks away from Ryzen 5. Spending 20$ for a Noctua fan on a 55$ case doesn't make much sense. Buy a better case altogether.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7600 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B250M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($53.87 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX300 275GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 480 4GB NITRO D5 OC Video Card ($194.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($62.89 @ Newegg)
Total: $743.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-04-03 02:19 EDT-0400

[PizzaSHARK]

Because spending $130 is a damned lot of money when I could just pocket it instead. Intel 2 core chips are effectively 4 core chips due to instructions, that's why they've always trashed AMD chips despite having fewer physical cores. I'm seriously not at all worried about the 4560 being a major limitation. I'm playing a 1080p, not 2k or 4k or even 1440p.

I just grabbed a Noctua because I know they're the best and the price difference in fans really doesn't seem to be particularly substantial. The decent Cooler Master and Corsair fans aren't substantially cheaper, maybe a few dollars.

The 620W M12II PSU is actually cheaper than the 520W - $59 on Amazon with free shipping via Prime, while the 520W is $63 after shipping on Newegg.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's an alternative: keep the existing GTX 960 2GB and reinvest the 480's money in a powerful CPU, i5-7500 maybe. This will inevitably result in me being GPU locked, but it would still likely be a massive performance improvement even so, compared to my weak FX-4300.

Like @Kagthul mentioned, Intel prices probably won't fluctuate a lot, but GPU prices might. In a year when the 960 is really starting to wear thin, maybe the 1060 6GB will be at the lower end of mid level pricing ($150-$170) instead of the $230-$250 range it's in now, which would make a pretty major upgrade.

It'd also be a little bit cheaper to keep the existing 960 (by about $30 or so.) This could be used to upgrade to a Z270 chipset, but since I don't really have any plans or interest in overclocking, sticking with a B250 seems like the smart choice here.

Thoughts?

[Gaidax]

Get the better CPU then, you can always easily swap GPU down the road, especially considering Rebrandeon 580 and the rest are coming in fast, which may lower 480s and such by a buck or two.

I'd not say that, but you already have 960, which is not half bad really.

I5-7500 is ideal in your case - it is pretty powerful.

[Dilbon]

My current machine is a G4560 + B250 board + RX 470 and it's just awesome for the money I spent. Although I will probable upgrade the CPU when/if prices come down (like that ever happens).

[hellhamster]

@PizzaSHARK If you opt for a 480 (and you should, it's a beast and a marginally better card than the 1060 as far as performance/drivers/price goes), don't go for Sapphire, they tend to get kinda loud and they run hotter than most of the aftermarket 480s. Go for XFX GTR or MSI X instead, they are much better, especially if the price is roughly the same. Your other alternative, if you can wait, is see how the 500 series turn out.



I fully agree with the choice of a G4560 instead of a much more expensive i5, they are fucking bonkers for the price.

[Gaidax]

No hatin' on ma' Sapphire, bro. When I go red, it's always Sapphire.

Out of 3 Radeons and 2 GeForces I had, all 3 Radeons were Sapphire and they still live to tell the tale of atrocities I committed to them. GeForces on the other had - both died horrible death and both were MSI.

[hellhamster]

No hatin' on ma' Sapphire, bro. When I go red, it's always Sapphire.

Out of 3 Radeons and 2 GeForces I had, all 3 Radeons were Sapphire and they still live to tell the tale of atrocities I committed to them. GeForces on the other had - both died horrible death and both were MSI.

I got a Sapphire 480 a few months ago, seeing those temps go to 79 even with the fans going ballistic if I put an aggressive fan profile makes me feel like going to work leaving my sick kid at home.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

I got a Sapphire 480 a few months ago, seeing those temps go to 79 even with the fans going ballistic if I put an aggressive fan profile makes me feel like going to work leaving my sick kid at home.

Assuming you mean under full load 79 is fine especially when reference cards were hitting 85c. If I recall correctly, the card will throttle itself once it hits low 90s. Graphics cards are much more tolerant to heat so seeing high 70s is okay and even mid 80s isn't that bad.

If it really bothers you though then you could look in to undervolting for your specific card. I'm not sure how much it'll shave off though or if it's even still a thing since it was mostly done for reference models.

[hellhamster]

Assuming you mean under full load 79 is fine especially when reference cards were hitting 85c. If I recall correctly, the card will throttle itself once it hits low 90s. Graphics cards are much more tolerant to heat so seeing high 70s and mid 80s isn't that bad.

It's ok theoretically, but why not go for a much better option as far as temperature and noise goes.

[Triggered Fridgekin]

It's ok theoretically, but why not go for a much better option as far as temperature and noise goes.

I agree as the Sapphire Nitro would not be my first go to pick for a 480 specifically because they're some of the louder and warmer 480s on the market but it's still well within limits as far as temperature is concerned. As for fan noise folks, like me, can typically drown it out with a headset since it only gets hot/loud while gaming. It's not an ideal solution for some (if I can't hear it, it's not a problem) but if it's loud all the time then the fan profile might be a little too aggressive on the low end.

I generally go for XFX on the AMD GPU scene since they generally offer a thousand variations at different prices and have a much more robust warranty program.