Gaming build between $800-$1000

BoRidley

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Apr 12, 2013
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Hello ll. I'm new to the forum, and also will be building my first gaming PC. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a nice build in the $800-$1000 range that will allow for future CPU and video card upgrade if necessary. I will need an O/S included in that range, but will not need a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. Thanks so much guys!
 

dalmvern

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Jun 15, 2011
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Well the best thing for you to do is take a look at the System Builder Marathon articles that Toms posts quarterly. They always give a great breakdown of the parts they chose and why as well as looking at some alternatives. Since you are looking in that range, I would recommend looking at the $1000 build they did and maybe changing a few parts to bring the price down into your budget.


$800 System: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-pc-overclocking-gaming,3440.html

$1000 System: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-pc-performance-overclocking,3437.html

 

BoRidley

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Apr 12, 2013
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Sorry I guess I should have given some better background. I have been a console gamer exclusively all of my life. After seeing the projected prices of the 720 and PS4 I made a decision I am not plopping down that kind of money on consoles anymore. I am not going to overclock, and basically will be playing games of all different genres. The majority of my games will be they type of third party stuff that comes out for all console platforms and PC....stuff like GTA, Bioshock, The Witcher, FIFA etc etc. In essence I will probably pick up a Wii U for Nintendo excluisives, and then use my PC for all third party stuff that I would have played on PS4 or 720. I am not concerned with being able to play everything on ultra settings since I'm used to console gaming, but when a game like The Witcher 3 releases I at least want to be able to run it on reasonable settings or at least have the ability to upgrade my current rig to run it. Of and yes I will be ordering in the next couple weeks from US websites.
 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.79 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.23 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($187.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($43.49 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $884.42
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-12 12:08 EDT-0400)
 

8350rocks

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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Qduk
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Qduk/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Qduk/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.68 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.96 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $945.52
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-12 13:14 EDT-0400)

That's $980.52 before $35 in mail in rebates.
 

BoRidley

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Apr 12, 2013
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A regular case is just fine. Two questions for you though. How come you are the only one recommending Intel over AMD? Also, would any of your build change if you did not include an SSD? From the reading I have done I'm not sure that I would really need one.
 


You said you don't need to max out games. Ok. good thinking. How about making the computer experience faster? 8350 vs 3470...close. (8350 is better for overclockers) It's not just boot times, the time to open everything is a faster than a snap of the fingers. I built a rig around a HDD, then added a SSD and OMG I never knew a SSD was like that. It's a changer!

AMD is great for overclocking but I prefer Intel for those that don't overclock. You won't, right?

If you dont' "need" a SSD and want ok game settings, then you should get a $800 killer system. Anything more is a waste of money.
 

BoRidley

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Apr 12, 2013
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10,510


Gotcha. Thanks for helping me out!

 

8350rocks

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To get equivalent performance from intel, you need to go to a i5-3570k, which is a $229+ CPU. You can save $50 and get similar performance with AMD...money that could be spent in other areas...like GPU/Mobo/PSU, etc. Notice the intel build has a GTX 660, which is an entry level GPU, where my AMD build has the HD 7870 XT (tahiti based) that would be the difference between low/medium with the GTX 660 and High settings with the HD 7870XT
 
A 660 is far from entry level GPU. It will play all games at High. I picked a 660 ($190) cuz OP doesn't need to max out games. 8350rocks suggested a 7870XT ($240) which costs $50 more.

Why Intel i5-3470 over AMD 8350? There is a huge amount of information out there saying the performance is better.
If you don't believe me look at these charts provided by tomshardware. They are for gaming.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-8350-vishera-review,3328-14.html

If you still don't believe me then look at these charts:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6396/the-vishera-review-amd-fx8350-fx8320-fx6300-and-fx4300-tested/2

That is proof that the 3470 is better for gaming. Also, I think someone with the name "8350rocks" is biased toward AMD.