Buyer's Guide II: Extreme, High-End, Mid-Range, Budget, and Entry Level Systems - Part 3

adrianlee

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PC Buyer's Guide II: Extreme, High-End, Mid-Range, Budget, and Entry Level Systems

Updated on 24 January 2019

Please check Price Guides for latest prices

A PC Buyer’s Guide that is everything to everyone is simply not possible. This is a simple guide to putting together a PC with a local flavour. Be sure to read PC Buyer’s Guide from other media.

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Complete Gaming System

Extreme Systems

Intel Core Intel Core i7-8700K & Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 7
Corsair H115i Pro RGB
G. Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2x8 GB) DDR4-3200
AAA or EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 FTW
Sasmung 970 EVO 500 GB
Western Digital Blue 4TB
DVD Rewriter
Corsair RM 750X
Casing
Total ~ $



Intel Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition & ASUS Rampage IV Extreme ~ $1952
G.Skill RipjawsZ DDR3-2133MHz 16GB (2X8GB) Kit ~ $239
PowerColor R9 290X CrossFireX ~ $1636 or MSI GTX 780 Ti SLI ~ $
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 1200W PSU ~ $469
Corsair Obsidian 800D ~ $499
Total ~ $5XXX

Intel Core i7-4930K & ASUS Rampage IV Extreme ~ $1338
G.Skill RipjawsZ DDR3-2133MHz 16GB (2X8GB) Kit ~ $239
PowerColor R9 290X CrossFireX ~ $1636 or MSI GTX 780 Ti SLI ~ $
Plextor M5 Pro 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 1200W PSU ~ $469
Corsair Obsidian 800D ~ $499
Total ~ $4XXX

Intel Core i7 4770K & ASUS Maximus VI Extreme ~ $1035
G.SKILL RipjawsX DDR3-1600MHz 16GB (2X8GB) ~ $165
PowerColor R9 290X CrossFireX ~ $1636 or MSI GTX 780 Ti SLI ~ $
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Seasonic X-850 850W PSU ~ $280 or Corsair HX850 850W PSU ~ $275
Corsair Obsidian 800D ~ $499
Total ~ $4XXX

High-End Systems

Intel Core i7 4770K & ASUS Z87 Deluxe ~ $865
G.SKILL RipjawsX DDR3-1600MHz 16GB (2X8GB) ~ $165
PowerColor R9 290X ~ $818 or Gigabyte GTX780 Ti ~ $
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Seasonic X-760 760W PSU ~ $205 or Corsair HX750 750W PSU ~ $229
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400
Total ~ $3XXX

Intel Core i7 4770K & ASUS Z87 Deluxe ~ $865
G.SKILL RipjawsX DDR3-1600MHz 16GB (2X8GB) ~ $165
Gigabyte R9 290 4GB ~ $599 or Gigabyte GTX 780 ~ $
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Seasonic X-760 760W PSU ~ $205 or Corsair HX750 750W PSU ~ $229
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400
Total ~ $3XXX

Intel Core i7 4770K & ASUS SABERTOOTH ~ $831
G.SKILL RipjawsX DDR3-1600MHz 16GB (2X8GB) ~ $165
Gigabyte R9 280X 3GB Winforce OC ~ $449 or Gigabyte GTX 770 2GB ~ $599
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
HP dvd1270i SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $37
Superflower HX 600 ~ $110
Cooler Master CM690 ~ $129
Total ~ $2XXX

Mid-Range Systems

Intel Core i5 4670K & ASUS Z87 Plus ~ $594
G.Skill DDR3-1600MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $77
Gigabyte R9 280X 3GB Winforce OC ~ $449 or Gigabyte GTX 760 2GB Winforce OC ~ $409
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Superflower HX 600 ~ $110
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $22XX

Intel Core i5 4670 & Gigabyte H87-D3H ~ $457
or AMD FX-8350 & ASUS M5A97 PRO ~ $476
G.Skill DDR3-1600MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $77
Gigabyte R9 280X 3GB Winforce OC ~ $449 or Gigabyte GTX 760 2GB Winforce OC ~ $409
Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB or Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB or OCZ Vector 150 240GB
HDD 2TB for Storage ~ $128
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Superflower HX 600 ~ $110
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $21XX

Intel Core i5 3570 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $364
or AMD FX-8350 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $399
G.Skill DDR3-1600MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $77
Gigabyte R9 270X~ $309 or Gigabyte GTX 660 Ti ~ $
Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120GB or Crucial M500 120GB or Intel SSD 530 120GB
HDD 1TB for Storage ~ $82
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Superflower HX 500 ~ $90
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $14XX

Intel Core i5 3470 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $345
or AMD FX-8150 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $348
G.Skill DDR3-1600MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $77
Gigabyte R9 270X~ $309 or Gigabyte GTX 660 ~ $
HDD 1TB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Superflower HX 500 500W ~ $90
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $11XX

Intel Core i5 3470 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $345
or AMD FX-8150 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $348
G.Skill DDR3-1600MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $77
Gigabyte R9 270 ~ $289 or Gigabyte GTX 660 ~ $
HDD 500GB ~ $68
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Superflower HX 500 500W ~ $90
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $8XX

Intel Core i3 3220 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $251
or AMD FX-6100 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $255
G.Skill DDR3-1333MHz 8GB (2X4GB) ~ $60
PowerColor HD7770 1GB ~ $158 or Palit 650 1GB ~ $155
HDD 500GB ~ $68
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Antec Neo Eco 450W PSU ~ $69
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $6XX

Intel Pentium G2120 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $190
or AMD FX-4100 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $229
G.Skill DDR3-1333MHz 4GB ~ $30
PowerColor HD7770 1GB ~ $158 or Palit 650 1GB ~ $155
HDD 500GB ~ $68
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Antec Neo Eco 450W PSU ~ $69
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $5XX

Budget Systems

Intel Pentium G2120 & Asrock B75 PRO3 M ~ $190
or AMD FX-4100 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $229
G.Skill DDR3-1333MHz 4GB ~ $30
PowerColor HD5750 1GB ~ $135 or Sapphire HD 5670 512MB ~ $120
HDD 500GB ~ $68
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Antec Neo Eco 450W PSU ~ $69
Ikonik EN2 ~ $55
Total ~ $5XX

Entry Level Systems


Intel Pentium G2120 & Asrock B75M-DGS ~ $153
or AMD Athlon II X2 250 & ASUS M5A78L-M LX3 ~ $163
G.Skill DDR3-1333MHz 4GB ~ $30
HDD 500GB ~ $68
Samsung SATA 24X DVD Rewriter ~ $24
Antec Neo Eco 450W PSU ~ $69
Casing ~ $40
Total ~ $3XX
 
Last edited:

ZrE0_Cha0s

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Hi all, I'm looking for an average PC that costs around 1.1k+- that can support most games, particularly those newer released games.

What are the viable specs for such a PC?

And also I asked a 1.2k quote, the specs that he gave me was CPU i5-6500, MB Gigabyte GA-H110M-DS2 DDR3, G-skill 8GB, PSU FSP550W 80+ HEXA plus, GFX Gigabyte GTX950 2GB Windforce, SSD 250GB Samsung EVO, HDD Western.D 1TB, Coolermaster 343 Casing. Is this a good deal?

ok base on what he quote total cost : 1041. (price got from PCTheme)

but overall i still think its not that good, esp the mobo is a ddr3 verison and gpu wise still best that u get a RX 480/ GTX 970 (comes with a free overwatch game)

if u dun mind his build den go for. if not, den i reply to u what to get.
 

herman1314

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Hi all, I'm looking for an average PC that costs around 1.1k+- that can support most games, particularly those newer released games.

What are the viable specs for such a PC?

And also I asked a 1.2k quote, the specs that he gave me was CPU i5-6500, MB Gigabyte GA-H110M-DS2 DDR3, G-skill 8GB, PSU FSP550W 80+ HEXA plus, GFX Gigabyte GTX950 2GB Windforce, SSD 250GB Samsung EVO, HDD Western.D 1TB, Coolermaster 343 Casing. Is this a good deal?
not a good build for 1.2k, you can get a much better pc if you build it yourself.
cpu and mobo:i5 6500 and h110m-pro vhl $410
graphics card:Sapphire Rx 480 $388
ram:g.skill ddr4 2400 8gb valueram $50
ssd:Zotac t500 240gb(lazada)$81.90+3
hdd:toshiba 1tb $64
psu:seasonic m12ii 520w $99
case:armageddon microtron t2z(lazada)$49.90+3
os:windows 7/8/10(reddit)$30
total:$1178.80
all prices not bracketed are from pcthemes. do ask around for price quotes and discount be4 buying.
 

straweffigy

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I am thinking of customising 2 x desktops for office usage. Word, excel and Photoshop usage. Same specs for both because similar usage.

I would like at least GTX750Ti level of GPU performance.. with i5 + 8GB RAM. Need monitor 22" FHD matt display too. Any recommendations? Budget as low as possible.. $900 enough? Thanks guys!

*Thread got closed, so I am asking here again. Thanks!

I am looking at OEM AIO PCs but for the price I pay for these est. $1.4K at least, the specs damn not worth :o
 

ZrE0_Cha0s

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I am thinking of customising 2 x desktops for office usage. Word, excel and Photoshop usage. Same specs for both because similar usage.

I would like at least GTX750Ti level of GPU performance.. with i5 + 8GB RAM. Need monitor 22" FHD matt display too. Any recommendations? Budget as low as possible.. $900 enough? Thanks guys!

*Thread got closed, so I am asking here again. Thanks!

I am looking at OEM AIO PCs but for the price I pay for these est. $1.4K at least, the specs damn not worth :o

anyway since i have not heard from you about ur usage on photoshops so this the build u can go with.

Asrock B85M-HDS + i5 4590 @404
Toshiba 1TB @64
Palit Geforce GTX750 Ti StormX Dual 2GB@152+3
nwin 644 300watts micro atx @99 (Lazer)
Kingston DDR3 8GB @47

Total: 769

All prices are quote from PCThemes, otherwise stated.
Lazada prices are inclusive of shipping fees.
Not inclusive of monitor.
 

straweffigy

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anyway since i have not heard from you about ur usage on photoshops so this the build u can go with.

Asrock B85M-HDS + i5 4590 @404
Toshiba 1TB @64
Palit Geforce GTX750 Ti StormX Dual 2GB@152+3
nwin 644 300watts micro atx @99 (Lazer)
Kingston DDR3 8GB @47

Total: 769

All prices are quote from PCThemes, otherwise stated.
Lazada prices are inclusive of shipping fees.
Not inclusive of monitor.

For photoshop usage, not very intensive, though photo editing is very frequent on high resolution. Thanks for ur help man
 

delulytric

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ok base on what he quote total cost : 1041. (price got from PCTheme)

but overall i still think its not that good, esp the mobo is a ddr3 verison and gpu wise still best that u get a RX 480/ GTX 970 (comes with a free overwatch game)

if u dun mind his build den go for. if not, den i reply to u what to get.
I am contemplating, cause the specs provided by him doesn't feel 1.2k-ish. Anyways, what should I get? Another poster provided me with his specs.

not a good build for 1.2k, you can get a much better pc if you build it yourself.
cpu and mobo:i5 6500 and h110m-pro vhl $410
graphics card:Sapphire Rx 480 $388
ram:g.skill ddr4 2400 8gb valueram $50
ssd:Zotac t500 240g(lazada)$81.90+3
hdd:toshiba 1tb $64
psu:seasonic m12ii 520w $99
case:armageddon microtron t2z(lazada)$49.90+3
os:windows 7/8/10(reddit)$30
total:$1178.80
all prices not bracketed are from pcthemes. do ask around for price quotes and discount be4 buying.
Thank you! Have a rough idea on what to do now.


Let's say if I have no knowledge on DIY and lack the commitment to learn and DIY, which shop is the best in customizing PCs and providing a competitive pricing?
 

ZrE0_Cha0s

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I am contemplating, cause the specs provided by him doesn't feel 1.2k-ish. Anyways, what should I get? Another poster provided me with his specs.

Thank you! Have a rough idea on what to do now.

Let's say if I have no knowledge on DIY and lack the commitment to learn and DIY, which shop is the best in customizing PCs and providing a competitive pricing?

well my build is some how similar to herman, just that abit ex den his, but still can get within that range.

since u have no knowledge on build one yourself, u can always pay those shop a small fee ($10?) and ask them to build for it.

As for customizing pc will be PCthemes. but pricing is still Tradepac.
but would rather u do all at PCThemes.
 

LeoJDespair

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Hello, can anyone help with building of an office computer?

I need computers for my staff to do deal with excel (accounting and finance work), powerpoint but i need the computer to be able to power a 27 inch monitor. Budget around 800 just for the computer, dont need windows/keyboard/mouse/monitor.

Thanks in advance :)
 

hydeist_

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Help on New PC

need help here on a new pc.

going to get a new pc after my old one bailed on me so a fresh new start. wanting to future-proof my pc a little bit so my budget incl a 27-inch monitor is around 2k-ish?

dont really play much games, usually only DOTA2 but would maybe like to try overwatch. watch alota movies with my gf when she's around so i would like to get a really good monitor with a card.

so would like some help over here

MOBO + CPU: i5 is enough
RAM: 2 x 8gb
GPU: msi 970gtx gaming (any space for a 1070 perhaps?)
CPU cooler
128gb SSD (or 256)
2tb wd hdd
psu: 700
dvd-rom
speakers: audioengine 2+

thanks in advance for help over here!
 

ss2naruto

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Hi, I need help building a gaming pc. I'm not sure what components/parts to get for me to play games in 4k and vr ready as I'm new to DIY gaming PC. Can recommend me what I should i get to play vr and games in 4k res.my budget maybe below $2k if it is possible .
 
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Studded

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Hello, planning to upgrade my specs (current ones are listed at the side) to something that supports GTX 1080. Any recommendation for CPU & mobo? Budget <2k.
Will be re using psu,ram,hdd,monitor :o
 

ZrE0_Cha0s

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Hello, planning to upgrade my specs (current ones are listed at the side) to something that supports GTX 1080. Any recommendation for CPU & mobo? Budget <2k.
Will be re using psu,ram,hdd,monitor :o

anyway can i ask are u going to play OC or not? if not u wanna get i5?

as for casing are u reusing?
 

ZrE0_Cha0s

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need help here on a new pc.

going to get a new pc after my old one bailed on me so a fresh new start. wanting to future-proof my pc a little bit so my budget incl a 27-inch monitor is around 2k-ish?

dont really play much games, usually only DOTA2 but would maybe like to try overwatch. watch alota movies with my gf when she's around so i would like to get a really good monitor with a card.

so would like some help over here

thanks in advance for help over here!

MOBO + CPU: Gigabtyle GA-H170-D3H + i5 6500 @473
RAM: Kingston DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) @100
GPU: ZOTAC AMP Edition GTX 1070 @728
SSD: ZOTAC 480GB 2.5" Premium SSD @179+3
HDD: WD Blue 2TB @115
PSU: SF Ledex 650w Gold @159
ODD: Samsung 24x DVD-RW @25
speakers: audioengine 2+ (need to check with t258jn)

Total: 1782 (not inclusive of the speaker)

All prices are quote from PCThemes.
Lazada product are inclusive of shipping fees.
As for monitor i dunno how big u want...so maybe u might want to take a look at your own.

well tbh u dun need such a powerful card to play both of the game, but still depends on the monitor resolution u are playing.
 

hydeist_

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MOBO + CPU: Gigabtyle GA-H170-D3H + i5 6500 @473
RAM: Kingston DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) @100
GPU: ZOTAC AMP Edition GTX 1070 @728
SSD: ZOTAC 480GB 2.5" Premium SSD @179+3
HDD: WD Blue 2TB @115
PSU: SF Ledex 650w Gold @159
ODD: Samsung 24x DVD-RW @25
speakers: audioengine 2+ (need to check with t258jn)

Total: 1782 (not inclusive of the speaker)

All prices are quote from PCThemes.
Lazada product are inclusive of shipping fees.
As for monitor i dunno how big u want...so maybe u might want to take a look at your own.

well tbh u dun need such a powerful card to play both of the game, but still depends on the monitor resolution u are playing.

So it's ok for me to get 970 instead of 1070?
 
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