Description

Hey all,

I finally decided to build my first desktop with a budget under $300 by using as many rebate components possible. I'm taking advantage of an Isis+Wells Fargo statement credit of $320 essentially making the computer FREE! I wanted to build a mid-range HTPC within my minimal budget. I did not mind waiting for rebates as long as they processed properly. I purchased most of the components at TigerDirect since they didn't charge tax.

CPU: I chose the i3-4130 for the bump in processor performance without having to overclock the CPU. I plan to work on some CAD modeling software. I bought it at Micro Center with a 2 year insurance coverage.

Cooler: I chose to install the stock Intel cooler, in case anything happens to the CPU within the 2 year coverage and I would have to re-install it. The Zalman Optima has enough clearance for this case when installed, but other fans will not fit around it.

Motherboard: I had to watch tutorials online to select the proper installation of the JTP1 pins as the included quick start guide did not help. Luckily, MSI had videos that denoted the "+" terminal with the arrow symbol on the connectors. This board features BIOS-updates through a USB drive but there are no USB 3.0 headers to accommodate the front panel. I bought an adapter to use the front USB header ports with 2.0 specs.

Thermal Compound: I did not know Intel omits thermal compound with their CPU's. Luckily, I purchased the Thermaltake TG2 (Free After Rebate) and it works just fine.

Memory: Total Defense combo rebate. The motherboard only comes with two slots ($60 Rebate)

Storage: Just purchased the Crucial M500 from SuperBiiz at the time of the review. I am actually running a Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD instead and placed the Crucial drive into my gaming laptop

For data storage, I'm using an older WD 500GB laptop hard drive

Video card: EVGA GTX750ti SC for $140 after $10 rebate

Case: Read great reviews of the easy building quality and layout of this case and stumbled on a pretty good deal ($20 rebate)

Case fan: The Corsair 200R came with two 120 mm fans mounted on the front and rear inner panels of the case. I replaced the front fan and installed it on the left slide-out panel to enhance the air-flow in the case. The Kingwin fan produces minimal noise and the blue LED is bearable at night.

Power supply: Semi-modular which allows for adequate cable management in a mid-tower case. I can hide the unnecessary PSU cables behind the right side-panel

Additional Notes: I plan to purchase a Blu-ray reader to complete the HTPC portion of the build. I am still thinking of adding a new GPU for light gaming, to keep my new budget within $450.

TL,DR: $450 budget rig with mid-range components after $236 in rebates. Thanks for reading! I learned a lot from other users' submissions.

UPDATE: Added 8GB G-Skill DDR3-1600 ram and adjusted BIOS DRAM timings. This system is snappier!

2nd UPDATE: Installed EVGA GTX750ti SC. Currently setting up OC settings. Sold In-store Gaming Credit

Log in to rate comments or to post a comment.

Comments

Anthony10
  • 11 years 1 month ago

Crazy how you managed to stay in that budget! The only things I can pick at you for is cable management D: USE THE HOLES FOR THE CABLES AND RUN THEM ON THE BACKPLATE! +1 for staying under $300 xD

bsmlk
  • 11 years 1 month ago

Yeah good point! I mainly used slickdeals for some savvy deals and mostly purchased the components at tigerdirect as they omitted tax in NJ. I didn't mind using rebates for the build too. I could have gotten it under $200 if I bought the Pentium G3220 and a cheaper SSD! Thanks for the tip, I'll fix my cables when I install the Crucial M500 and add a USB3 to USB2 header cable.

sprinter461
  • 11 years 1 month ago

AMAZING build for the price. SSD and discrete GPU, and still under $300? Truly impressed.

bsmlk
  • 11 years 1 month ago

Thanks, I tidied up the cables similar to the rig that you completed with your friend. I think for my next upgrade I'll pick up the EVGA GTX 750 SC (Maxwell architecture) for $110 at Newegg for energy efficient gaming use. I'll update with new pictures. Thanks for looking!

TheNewGuy01
  • 11 years ago

I think a good upgrades would be the GPU and RAM. Slap a 750Ti in there and you can do some damage if you wanted to!

bsmlk
  • 11 years ago

would you recommend the gtx 750 sc instead of the Ti? There's a current deal at Newegg made by EVGA for $110 AR. I do light gaming since I just starting playing League and I like the low TDP

TheNewGuy01
  • 11 years ago

Honestly, I would get the EVGA 750 Ti SC edition if you can afford it. The Ti version is going to be better than the regular 750. That extra GB of VRAM on the Ti version helps out a lot. Either way, you would be getting good fps on LoL but if you can spend a few extra dollars, get the EVGA 750 Ti or the EVGA 750 Ti SC edition. Also, how did you get the Corsair 200R for so cheap??

bsmlk
  • 11 years ago

I checked SlickDeals daily and waited for a really good deal at TigerDirect with a $20 MIR. They don't charge tax in my state, unlike the *egg. Thanks for the heads up, I will wait for a deal on the 750 Ti SC since it provides excellent value for the price.

cheezyguy5
  • 11 years ago

I designed a $300 gaming PC... But for office work/VERY light gaming this looks good! +1

Atechless
  • 11 years ago

This is for very very light gaming. The 5450 is a video card generally used to upgrade office computers to run dual monitors. It is however capable of running plenty of steam and indie games at low settings. But really the SSD would be phenomenal for office use (at least mine) where there is a lot of on, off and hibernation.

Every1LoveEvery1
  • 11 years ago

Excellent build, but as said before please use the cable management to full effect. The CPU power cable will fit behind and back through the case as i've done it with the same components roughly.

How long did the rebates take to get back?

bsmlk
  • 11 years ago

Thanks for the tip. I purchased most of the components about a month ago and I'm still waiting for the rebates to disburse. I should receive them within the next month. I have tidied up the cables a bit and I will update with new pictures soon. The PSU to MOBO cable is hard to remove so I'll leave it as-is.

ownerbeast
  • 11 years ago

yeah the cable managment is bad but every first computer is like that you should save up for a better GPU

candy
  • 11 years ago

Integrated graphics slap around that graphics card. (That motherboard has DVI!) Crazy build for the price though

Smartjacky
  • 11 years ago

You don't need a CPU cooler for this build xD

bsmlk
  • 11 years ago

I wrote in the description that I chose to install the stock CPU cooler instead of having to reapply thermal paste since the CPU dissipates minimal heat.

Smartjacky
  • 11 years ago

Did you buy it tho? lol

bsmlk
  • 11 years ago

Yes, I still have it brand new in box. I bought it at TigerDirect for $9.99 after $20 MIR. I'm still waiting on my rebates, but I don't mind waiting as long as they process.