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- AMD Gaming PC Build of the Month ($500): February 2013
- AMD Gaming PC Build of the Month ($1000): February 2013
- AMD Gaming PC Build of the Month ($1500): February 2013
AMD <$500 Build February 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com – You Can also try Amazon.ca (CANADA) • Amazon.co.uk (UK) Newegg.com (US) • Newegg.ca (CANADA) Scorptec.com.au(AUS) pccasegear.com (AUS) to shop for these parts.
Changes in builds have been very few since there have been no new releases in hardware, so these builds are very similar to prior to Christmas.
3dmark:http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/3248994
Processor: AMD FX 6100 3.3 GHz Hex Core . $104.99.
The FX-4170 CPU used previously is still on the price rise so I have again gone for the cheaper FX-6100. The FX-4170 CPU does out perform this CPU in some benchmarks but the FX-6100 outperforms it in others.
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3 . $88.24.
Gone back to the gigabyte board this month since there was a little bit of cash to spare and the fact that this is the better of the boards.
Graphics: MSI Radeon 7770 1020 Mhz 1GB DDR5. $125.00.
This is a very quiet card, so those who want an ultra-silent gaming pc, this is the graphics card for you. This card is also energy efficient; hence, this build has a 500w PSU.
Ram: 8GB G.Skill DDR3 1600MHz RipjawsX (1x8gb). $37.00.
All the RAM you could possibly need with the option to throw more in this build.
Hard drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 500GB HD. $49.99.
This drive should provide plenty of space for your storage needs.
PSU: Corsair CX500W PSU $49.99.
I opted for this PSU because it is 80 plus certified and it has 500w, enough to run this rig to its full potential.
Case: iMicro ATX Mid Tower Case CA-IM2109B. $29.70.
This case was chosen because of the fact it is cheap and it has plenty of room for all the components in this build.
Optical: Asus 24xDVD-RW $18.15.
I am throwing this in again, because, like I always say, I have had no problems with my one I use currently.
Total: $514.06
AMD $1000 Build February 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com – You Can also try Amazon.ca (CANADA) • Amazon.co.uk (UK) Newegg.com (US) • Newegg.ca (CANADA) Scorptec.com.au(AUS) pccasegear.com (AUS) to shop for these parts.
Performance: 3dmark: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/5047424
Processor: AMD FX-8320 $169.99.
Again, I’ve gone for the 8320. This CPU has shown to be cooler than the 8150 which has slightly higher clock speeds. Benchmarks seen here show a slight rise in performance but nothing major.
Motherboard: MSI 990FXA-GD65 $122.99.
A change back to the Gigabyte GA-990FX-UD3 was considered but the price is way too high to be included in this build.
Graphics: Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7970 OC 3GB $379.99.
Again I’ve decided to throw a 7970 rather than a 680, mainly due to the price difference between each card.
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP Blue 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR3 1600MHz $65.99.
This month, I have had to change ram kits due to a price hike in the previous kit (in fact there has been price hikes in RAM in general).
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB $50.00.
Again I was unable to fit a 1tb drive in, but 500GB should be enough for your storage needs.
PSU: Corsair CX Series CX750 $88.24.
Same PSU as used previously, but with a slight price rise. 750w will be enough to run this rig to its full potential plus its 80 plus certified.
Case: Silverstone Tek ATX CEB Mid Tower Case PS06B-W $99.99 .
Was looking @ cases & noticed this sweet case. It has plenty of room for everything in this build plus more and has a nice look about it. There isn’t a single bad review about it.
Optical: Asus 24xDVD-RW $18.15.
I am throwing this in again, because, like I always say, I have had no problems with my one I use currently.
Total: $995.34
Total: $1016.37
AMD $1500 Build February 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com – You Can also try Amazon.ca (CANADA) • Amazon.co.uk (UK) Newegg.com (US) • Newegg.ca (CANADA) Scorptec.com.au(AUS) pccasegear.com (AUS) to shop for these parts.
Performance Estimate – http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/5305788
Processor: AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz $193.79.
Yet again, this CPU is included in this build. This CPU has shown to be cooler than the 8150 which was used a number of months ago, and this CPU provides much better performance.
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler . $25.35.
like I have for months, I am using the Cooler Master 212 EVO CPU Cooler. Tests have shown that air cooling is just as effective as water cooling so this month.
Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 $179.99.
I choose this motherboard again over the Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 because of it possessing the majority of features on the UD7 and being much cheaper.
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP Blue 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR3 1600MHz $65.99.
Due to recent price rises in the memory department, I have had to switch to this kit due to it being affordable.
Graphics Card: Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB GDDR5 $299.99 X2 = $599.98. (CROSSFIRE).
This month I have managed to squeeze a crossfire setup in. I originally had a GTX 680 pencilled in, but there was quite a bit cash left over, so I opted for a 7950 crossfire setup. Benchmarks have shown two of these cards to be better than a single GTX 680
SSD: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB $98.37.
For optimum boot speeds, you need an SDD. This SSD is perfect size for OS and any games to be quickly loaded.
Hard drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200 3 TB $124.00.
I choose this because it provides you with plenty of storage for all the essentials, and you
shouldn’t run out anytime soon.
PSU: Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 850M $118.99.
This PSU has enough power to run everything with power to spare, if need be you could throw the 1200W Corsair professional Series PSU in but you shouldn’t need that much power. And it is modular.
Case: NZXT Crafted Series ATX Full Tower Steel Chassis – Phantom White with Red Trim $95.99.
This case was chosen due to its affordable price and size. It has plenty of room for full length graphics cards and reviews say it’s great.
Optical: Asus 24xDVD-RW $18.15.
I am throwing this in again, because, like I always say, I have had no problems with my one I use currently.
Total: $1520.60
February 2013’s AMD PC Builds Hardware Overview Video