Returning from Afghanistan, want a present (2500 pre built rig) *Update w/ possible build

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bear_240b

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Jul 18, 2013
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Hello all. I am coming home and the last time I built a PC was in '98. Due to time constraints I was hoping I could get feedback on where to take about 2500 bucks for gaming rig. I do not want to build myself since it has been a while.

I am also curious about SLI vs. single card stuff. Being out of the game for so long I am behind on what the best hardware is. GPUs especially, I would like the best bang for the buck. Processors as well as it looks like there are now 4 and 6 cores..... RAM..... Mo Board.... it is overwhelming.

I will only use it for gaming on a single monitor and would prefer it last a couple years.

Anyone mind helpin me out by pointing me in the right direction? My searching thus far has unfortunately led me to more questions (and this forum) and would appreciate some expert advice. Plus I can order here and have it by the time I get home for some gaming on leave!

Thanks!

 
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X79

X79

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If you want the best bang for the buck, obviously prebuilt isn't the way to go.

2500$ is way more than you'll need. I can find some videos for you (got some good ones)

on building it yourself. It's not hard man.



 
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mastrom101

mastrom101

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Welcome home!

Two things I must mention before I start:
1. A $2500 build will not be a band:buck build. For the best Price:performance ratio, You're looking at anywhere from $1000 to $1500 in most cases.
2 Building a computer is very simple. You will save money and get better quality parts.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M 86.2 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($195.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($68.46 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($648.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair Vengeance C70 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($549.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2183.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-18 22:47 EDT-0400)

This would be my recommendation for high-end single monitor gaming.
 
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bear_240b

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Well I could if I needed to. I know it saved me $ the last time I did. But I just didn't want the hassle this time. I guess I am open to options. The main thing is since the hardware is so different I would be lost trying to pick components... hence my interest in just buying a complete rig.
 
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bear_240b

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Do I really need a SSD drive? It was my understanding that the PC boots up faster with one, but that's about it.
 
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mastrom101

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It makes the system feel snappier overall. I think it's worth it.
 
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random424232

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Things really haven't changed that much since 1998. You definitely won't find a great deal with a prebuilt.

Let's see... the Intel vs. AMD war is still ongoing. I'm sure Cyrix was gone by '98. ATX is still a standard form factor. Mini ITX is a newer, smaller one. SSD are a faster, but more expensive storage option. Windows is still running an a large majority of PCs. Mac and Linux are slowly becoming more popular. Yeah, that's about all you need to know.

Just go to newegg, and remember the base components you need:

An optical drive, case, CPU, Hard Drive and/or SSD, RAM, power supply, graphics card, Windows and a wifi card. That's all you should need!
 
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bear_240b

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Ok and the monitor only needs to be 17 in. Should I maybe try to get a better processor or GPU? I would rather have the best hardware I can get with my budget.

However the other comment about 2500 being a "bad" budget has me wondering if I should go lower and upgrade as needed.
 
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Kraszmyl

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If you really don't feel like building your own check Falcon Northwest and Alienware. They cost about the same , but I prefer Falcons builds to Alienware. However the onsite warranties Alienware provides are pretty awesome.
 
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X79

X79

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What will you play and/or use it for?

2500 is neither needed nor recommended.

Even this:


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($182.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($77.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.73 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($176.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($79.98 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse ($52.35 @ Amazon)
Total: $1610.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-18 23:09 EDT-0400)

Would be nice, for a number of reasons.

Upgradeable, powerful, flexible, cheaper, full-set.
 
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mastrom101

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the 27 inch monitor has a higher resolution. I think the build is fairly balanced, you don't really need a better CPU or GPU. If you really want, swap the 780 for SLi 770s.
 
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X79

X79

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To me it seems a bit wrongful to go about recommending all sorts of things like GTX 780s

to him, when we don't know what he'll play. "Gaming" is a loose term. People who play farmvile

might call themselves "gamers" too. Also OP, are you at all into OC'ing (Overclocking) ? ...
 
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endeavour37a

endeavour37a

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Got to get in on this one, build a dream machine. Would be good to get good quality components in every ares. Good stuff can be carried along to new builds in a few years when it is time to upgrade. If your spending 2k then you can build a great overall system. This would me my build if I could do it, just my thoughts...and wishes :)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($164.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($685.38 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($58.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($124.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1988.27
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-18 23:31 EDT-0400)
 
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F

fnatic

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I really suggest against a prebuilt as... the quality might be way worse than something you could do yourself and it'll cost you a lot more. Youtube has tons of videos or you have us as well for any build problems. With that being said for 2500 budge you can build one hell of a PC/monitor/speakers/mouse/keyboard lol...

As for SLI vs single GPU it all depends on if you plan on running dual monitors or single? If single then just get one GPU 7990 or 780/Titan. (Best bang for the buck GPU wise currently would be the GTX 770 SC or the 7970 Ghz edition).

Do you plan on overclocking your CPU and are you using it for just gaming or rendering a lot of videos? If you plan on overclocking it then the "K" edition is where you're heading. Also if you plan on just gaming and NOT rendering a lot of videos and such then i5 4670 is what you want. As for MOBOs the "z87 extreme 6" is probably one of the best out right now or the "Pro 3" I believe.

Heres the build that I came up with. It includes everything you'll want for gaming.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1icS2

If you don't plan on going SLI/Cross fire you can get the 620 seasonic PSU.
GPU I chose was the EVGA GTX 770SC. Best bang for the buck but like i said earlier 7970Ghz edition also is really good.
Along with changeable options for mouse/keyboard/monitor
 
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bear_240b

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Probably Total War Rome II, Mechwarrior online and Elder Scrolls online will be the next two titles I pick up. ALso play mostly FPS.

I have never overclocked a GPU or processor however, I have l9ooked into it and am interested. I am a total noob I know. Been out of the game for a while.
 
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bear_240b

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I checked out Falcon, they seem a bit pricey. But then again with these recommendations I will have an idea of what to put in it now.
 
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bear_240b

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I will only run one monitor and strictly for gaming. No rendering.

I see the GTX 780 is recommended and all the processors are quad core. Is the six core ones just not worth the extra money? Would it be worth it to go bigger on he GPU since hese builds are around 2k and I have 2.5k?
 
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bear_240b

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Is 2500 a bad number? I notcied all your recommendations do not even come close to my 2.5k budget. Thanks a lot for the help guys. Trying to read about these parts your recommending.
 
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fnatic

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Use the same build that I selected but pick the 780 Superclocked. 2500 is pretty high lol. Basically its all of our dream builds. You don't need an i7 though. Everything else is top of the line. CPU cooler can be changed to the kraken X60 if you want but all are pretty close.

No problem we're here to help and 2500 isn't a bad number lol. Just a number that not all of us can afford to spend on a PC and full gaming set up! :)
 
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silent_744

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Truthfully once you pass 1700-1800 you're just adding more unneccessary stuff to it. Bigger higher res monitors, expensive keyboards and mice, etc.

Performance really plateau's at a certain price point and the cost of each upgrade is not worth the 5-10% performance boost you'll get.
 
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bear_240b

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How do you know which one is superclocked. Also no sound card or network card. Recommndations?
 
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fnatic

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It'll say SC at the end of its name like "EVGA GTX 770 SC" like the card I selected in the build. Are you going to use speakers or headphones? If you use headphones then you don't need a sound card. Only if you plan on using speakers and even then it isn't a "gigantic" jump up. A network card isn't really needed either to be honest it'll help you slightly at most. I'm talking 5ish ms.
 
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bear_240b

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Is Ethernet and sound built into the motherboard or something? I use headphones. Also is there any cables or anything else I will need or just that list and a screwdriver? Thanks!

 
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bear_240b

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Would you go bigger on the video card or processor if you had 500 more to spend?
 
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