$1500 budget need a new desktop pre-built or built it yourself list.

JustAnotherNoob22

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Apr 10, 2014
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Okay so after searching around I found a list, someone was looking for a gaming pc and someone replied with: $1200 List... would need upgrades to meet my needs.

Okay so I am kind of in the market for the same deal, but I have no idea the ins and outs of what goes into a pc (hence my name). I would love it if I could get a pre-made/built pc that fits within the budget might need a couple upgrades in the future or something along those lines. This is what i need:

-Capability for at least dual screens
-Windows 8 (or whatever is most preferred)
-Smooth loading times and transitions (I am currently majoring in Game Art & Design and am working with heavy graphics programs and also wanting to convert entirely to pc gaming, games would include just about anything from World of Warcraft/mmo to small app styled games)
-The capability to do multiple things at once, for example: Play WoW while streaming and browsing the internet on the other screen.
-Style is very very low priority but would love a cool looking setup (you know with the lights and crazy high-tech stuff going on)

I believe I have covered everything, any feedback will be great, I really need to get a new setup asap and would prefer a pre-made setup as apposed to do it yourself kind of deal (although I do know people that will be willing to help me built it for me) but if it's not a drastic difference then I'd rather avoid option b.

Thank you for your time and knowledge in advance!
-Matt-
 
Solution
Under $1,450, comes with a nice 24" 1080p monitor, keyboard, mouse, wireless adapter, and the right stuff to max out every game at 1080p for a good few years :) Kinda combined everyone elses build with a bit of my own recommendations:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston...
Building a computer is pretty easy these days. LinusTechTips and CareyHolzman have some great step-by-step videos to show you every step of the process.

At this budget, there will be a MASSIVE difference in what you can build compared to what you can buy. Are you looking for doing any high-end gaming, or just games similar to WoW?
 

numanator

Honorable
This would take care of just about anything:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1476.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 17:37 EDT-0400)

-8 gb of ram is all you need for gaming but you may need 16gb for game design
-i5 is all you need for gaming, the i7 is for your design programs, not sure if what you use utilizes they hyperthreading of the i7
-gtx 780 will rock any game at max settings on 1080p and above, multiple 1080p screens easy
-NZXT phantom cases look pretty cool, there are a ton of options out there for cases
-120gb SSD for faster OS and application loading time, with enough room for a few games on to increase load times.
 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital RE3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.26 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H440 (Red/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.96 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1501.12
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 17:49 EDT-0400)
 

mastrom101

Distinguished
Jun 12, 2010
1,477
0
19,660
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9900MAX-R CPU Cooler ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1296.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 18:01 EDT-0400)

For the case, your preference:
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=76621&vpn=SGC-2100-KWN3&manufacture=COOLERMASTER&promoid=1018
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph410r1


I think this build perfectly suits your needs. It's very powerful and can be overclocked, has tons of RAM and has a large SSD. The GPU is perfect for demanding games but if you plan on gaming on multiple monitors you'll need more power.

In terms of aesthetics, this build looks amazing. The CPU cooler and case LED lights up red, and the RAM, moterboard, PSU and GPU have touches of red. One of the cases fans does not illuminate, but it can easily be replaced if desired:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-case-fan-r4jfdp20prr1

Let me know if you need help selecting the monitors.


 

JustAnotherNoob22

Reputable
Apr 10, 2014
4
0
4,510
AHH LOVE IT!!! Thank you all for your help this is amazing!

Just so I have it for future reference @HiTechObsessed I play a very large variety of games, but I am just now transferring to PC gaming so I really couldn't tell you what would be high-end games, but just about every game I play I will want to try it on maxed graphics if possible for the full feel.

Also I'm probably going to go with Mastrom's build for a starter because I still need a keyboard/mouse/wireless network adapter/monitor(s). I think i will go with Jacob's monitor unless someone throws a better one at me, compared to the keyboard and mouse I am looking for a nice monitor (forgot to mention that) Being that I will be working with design and detail I will need a 1080 monitor that is relatively large in size.

Can anyone help me out with these: keyboard/mouse/wireless network adapter/monitor(s) (if possible: making it fit within $300 would be best, but I will take all answers for future reference and current reference)

Thanks again everyone!
 
Under $1,450, comes with a nice 24" 1080p monitor, keyboard, mouse, wireless adapter, and the right stuff to max out every game at 1080p for a good few years :) Kinda combined everyone elses build with a bit of my own recommendations:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($67.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($489.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: BenQ GW2450 24.0" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($18.83 @ Mwave)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($32.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1447.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-11 10:43 EDT-0400)
 
Solution

JustAnotherNoob22

Reputable
Apr 10, 2014
4
0
4,510
Ah yes!!! Right on! This is the winner :D Hopefully going to order this all today!

Thank you ALL for your help, really really appreciate it, I've been struggling for a while to find the proper setup and this community hasn't ceased to amaze me!

Edit: Oh and feel free to add in parts that would be desired for future upgrades because upgrades will basically be a necessity, but right now I'm just looking for a solid desktop to get me through my last 2 years while having an awesome gaming experience. I will be using this forum for my upgrades in the future as well and once again thanks so much!
 
Well that's what we're here for :) glad we could help out. Good luck with everything, post some pictures when it's all built!

If you need some help while building, these will help tremendously. Both go through every single step and explain and show everything:

LinusTechTips: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8mG-RkN2uTwlcLU_rv29Gt4578XfgJm_
CareyHolzman: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlgrBv7zqfLSv30OimQg92SjGuMapQSBl