Could I build something Better?

DMGrier

DMGrier

VIP Member
So yesterday me and the wife where looking at a desktop computer and I was wondering do you think I could build something for less or something at the same price but better?

Hp $599.99
-AMD A10-6700 Quad Core
-integrated Radeon 8670d
-12 GB DDR3
-2 TB HDD
-Windows 8 (will be installing Ubuntu)
-Wireless N; Bluetooth
-6-in-one card reader
-Beats Audio
-4 USB 3.0 and 8 USB 2.0
-USB key board and mouse

Here is the tech sheet from Hp that gives something more specific as to what mother board it uses and everything.
http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/si...x.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

Like I mentioned I want to install Ubuntu on the Desktop since that is my wife and I preference, would want to be able to run some games from steam, but since they are Linux compatible I think the heaviest game they have is Left for Dead 2. I know thebiggest weakness for the HP is going to be the mobo and the psu which would limit any future upgrades if needed. Thanks or any input.
 
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Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz: $70
Gigabyte GA-B85M-HD3: $80
Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 8GB: $85
MSI AMD HD 7850 2GB: $140
Seagate Barracuda 2TB: $100
Corsair CX430M: $50
Fractal Design Core 1000: $36

Total: $561

With discounts, but without rebates. There's $10 on the GPU, but not 100% sure of how they work, so I excluded them.

You mention gaming, and this system will absolutely knock the other other one out. And you know it has a good quality PSU and motherboard, not some cheaped-out, locked-down solution that'll cripple you in the future.

You could up the CPU to an i3, but then it becomes $621.

An AMD alternative could look like this:
Gigabyte GA-F2A85XM-HD3: $75 ($65 with MIB)
AMD Athlon X4 760K 3.8-4.1GHz: $90

AMD build total is $576. Again, some MIBs are available if you can use them.

Frankly, I would pick the AMD option.

EDIT(!): As I was writing this, a lot of new FM2+ motherboards appeared on Newegg. These provide compatibility with future AMD Kaveri APUs. You might get lucky that Kaveri chips will be able to crossfire with 7850 (current generation of APUs can max pair up with a 7750).

This is a build I want to build now. Also because this case is unavailable in Denmark, costing $120 without a side window (yup, it does).
NZXT Source 210: $45
Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-UP4: $110

With the new chipset and badass looking case + motherboard the total will be $620 (without MIBs).
 
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Hey man thanks, pretty awesome build. My only question's are: If I decided to go with the i3, would a AMD quad core be superior in performance under the same setup you provided? And if I was to choose a AMD cpu with compatible motherboard Would all that hardware you provided still be compatible?

Yes I would like to do what gaming is available for Linux and I also need something that can run Windows 7 64 bit in a VM flawlessly since my college has some classes that require Windows based software.

Like I said the setup you provided is great looking, could you just enlighten me on if I was going to pay a little more on the CPU say between $100-150 wouldn't AMD provide the bang for buck, like if I was to use the AMD from the Hp in your build the AMD A10-6700 would that be better in performance over what intel has to offer?
 
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the i3 will be superior than the A10 6700 and compatible with the board that was suggested for the i3 build:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116946

here is a bench mark showing its better, select benchmark in the tabs if not already selected:

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/361/AMD_A10-Series_A10-6700_vs_Intel_Core_i3_i3-2130.html


all the other parts will be compatible as well.

this is the route I would take, as it leaves planty of room for upgrading iver the next few years.
 
Okay guys, thanks for the explanations. I should be ordering this stuff within the next week. My only other question is do I need to buy any additional fans to keep the PC cool? Does the case already have fans? Is the one provided with any of the CPU's provided good enough? And will I need to buy anything else to build it like Thermal paste or anything you can think of?

This will be my first build so I will be following the guide in the sticky. So anything else or advice would be awesome.
 
I only selected hardware that would be compatible with each other, yeah.
Personally I would up the budget to $650, buy a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo: $35 and overclock the AMD CPU on the FM2+ motherboard.
The B85 chipset is actually less upgradeable than the FM2+, and if FM2+ becomes anything like AM3+ was compared to AM3, it'll be out of this world amazing.
With my $650 build, you'll easily be able to up the CPU speed to around 4.6GHz, if not 5GHz+

To sum up:

AMD Athlon X4 760K 4.1GHz: $90
Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-UP4: $110
Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 8GB: $85
MSI AMD HD 7850 2GB: $140
Seagate Barracuda 2TB: $100
Corsair CX430M: $50
NZXT Source 210: $45
Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo: $35

Total: $655 without rebates
 
Thanks Jiniix I will be order those parts in the next week and this thing should be more then capable of playing the games on steam for Linux and also should have no problems running Windows 7 in a VM. Thanks so much.
 
You're welcome
According to the AMD roadmap, the new APUs should start shipping within 2013. I would keep an eye out for them, since you have a motherboard that supports them.
In 2014, you might be able to buy a $100 CPU that rocks 8 cores and has a built-in GPU that'll assist your dedicated GPU.
Just my theory though, but I would be disappointed if they didn't do this.
 
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Jiniix said:
I only selected hardware that would be compatible with each other, yeah.
Personally I would up the budget to $650, buy a Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo: $35 and overclock the AMD CPU on the FM2+ motherboard.
The B85 chipset is actually less upgradeable than the FM2+, and if FM2+ becomes anything like AM3+ was compared to AM3, it'll be out of this world amazing.
With my $650 build, you'll easily be able to up the CPU speed to around 4.6GHz, if not 5GHz+

To sum up:

AMD Athlon X4 760K 4.1GHz: $90
Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-UP4: $110
Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 8GB: $85
MSI AMD HD 7850 2GB: $140
Seagate Barracuda 2TB: $100
Corsair CX430M: $50
NZXT Source 210: $45
Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo: $35

Total: $655 without rebates
Click to expand...

It worth getting faster RAM.
for $85, you can get DDR3 2133
 
daisymtc said:
Really?
I read something recently saying end of Q1 2014 or early Q2 2014
Click to expand...

They should be available for consumers in Q1 2014, but they should start shipping to stores and such in Q4 2013 according to Tomshardware, who I trust :)

Personally I only use Corsair or Kingston RAM, but I've heard good things about G.Skill. And yes, if you ever go full APU (if you put your GPU in another build or such) the faster RAM will be more beneficial. But as long as you use the dedicated GPU alone, there won't be any difference from 1600 to 2133.
The G.Skill RAM matches your build in terms of color (you have a red motherboard) so it'll look nice behind your windowed case. And the reason I don't use G.Skill is because it's scarce here in Denmark - it should be just fine quality.

When you are setting up your PC and overclocking, look for something called 'XMP'. XMP is normally an Intel-only feature, and what it does is automatically set your RAM to near-perfect settings (you can tweak it a little bit beyond XMP, but I wouldn't recommend that). But some higher end AMD boards have been able to pull some of the XMP settings from the RAM despite it being an Intel feature. Not saying you can do it for sure, but you should look for it.
 
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