$1000 Budget: Gaming Computer

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swonky

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May 5, 2013
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10,510
Hey everyone!

I've been stuck on the decision on whether I should build a computer or just buy one that's already built. So I've finally made my decision.

I really hope someone could help since I'm really new to the whole "it's better to build your own computer!" thing.

So, I'll be gaming a lot, especially because I'm in college for Game Development and Design. I was just wondering if any of you could tell me what parts I need and if you could recommend any specific parts that would fit within my budget. I'm also planning on getting two monitors. My budget is $1000 (maybe even just a bit more. Depends.) Also, I will be streaming a lot. I know I'll need great upload speed but what else?

Here are some of the games I will be running.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Team Fortress 2
Battlefield 3
Shoot Mania

So if anyone could help me out, that would be much appreciated! Thanks!
 
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seller417

seller417

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Dec 22, 2010
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this is in your range and will handle your needs admirably,
(grab a heatsink if you plan to OC)

AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) SIX-CORE
MSI AMD 990FX USB 3.0 OC Genie II
CORSAIR 8GB DDR3 1600
XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5
CORSAIR 600W SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular
TOSHIBA 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache HDD
LG 24X DVD Burner
Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming Tower, comes with 5 fans
 
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lunyone

lunyone

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Feb 22, 2006
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This is what I'd consider, just add your monitor of choice (usually around $100-150 for 1080p resolution):

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
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 ($69.25 @ Amazon)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($235.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($63.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $978.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-05 22:25 EDT-0400)

* CPU one of the best you can get for the $.
* Mobo should allow newest CPU's from AMD out and for the near future (Intel's socket 1055 is dead and Haswell will be socket 1150).
* RAM is quite fast for stock voltage (1.5v) and CAS 9 timings! Also has low profile heat spreaders, so you can add just about any aftermarket CPU HSF without the worry if you have enough room to fit the CPU HSF over the RAM sticks.
* SSD is almost a must need for speed in and around windows and will boot up your game design programs. If you want a bit more space for games/programs, I would consider a 240-256 gb SSD, but that will cost about another $70-90 more.
* GPU is almost a 7950 and runs ~$60-80 less.
* Case is one of the best in this price range. Has 2 x USB 3.0 ports and also has room for just about any GPU out on the market. It also currently comes with a DVD burner for FREE!! <----- while supplies last.
* PSU can handle any single GPU out on the market, so you should have this PSU for quite some time (5 yr. warranty too).
 
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J

Jack Revenant

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Apr 16, 2013
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I was unable to parse if you were including the two monitors in the $1,000 or not, and so assumed not. If you are, you're going to have to make some sacrifices. If not, you might consider this build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.16 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($88.09 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($74.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $1007.10
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-05 22:45 EDT-0400)

It is somewhat similar to lunyone's, but while it lacks an SSD, it has a more powerful processor, a slightly better brand GPU, a CPU cooler, and a case with superior cooling and noise specs.
 
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S

swonky

Honorable
May 5, 2013
2
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10,510
Thank you guys so much!

I'm trying to narrow everything down with the help of a friend, so if anymore people want to post more recommendations, that'd be great. :)
 
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J

Jack Revenant

Honorable
Apr 16, 2013
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13,160


Thank you!



It's our pleasure.



Thank you for providing those. The number of us willing to actually source information and let OP make an informed decision on their own is far too low (and all too often does not include me).
 
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lunyone

lunyone

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Feb 22, 2006
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Yes I totally agree with the amount of information that is spouted without any links, just is too little these days. I know that the links I linked aren't the be all end all of links, but it's some information to consider. I like to inform the OP as much as possible, so they can make an informed decision.
 
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