$1000 build for PC gaming

[dozerking]

I've decided to go with Intel/Nvidia for the first time in about 10 years....

- I've got about a $1000 to burn on a new build, as my old Athlon 3700+ build from a few years ago just aint cuttin it anymore. I've already got an 80 gig Maxtor 10,000 rpm SATA hdd and two other 7200 rpm sata seagates. Are they good enough for the new build or should I buy a new HDD for my primary OS install?

- What to do about dual core or quad core? I don't encode or rip videos on my desktop, I use my laptop for that function, so this build will focus almost 100% on gaming. I'm really tempted to get an E6850, but the Q6600 is so damn enticing as well. Is there another proc out there that's worth it, even though it might be a bit more expensive?

- I want to be able to go SLI down the road once I need a performance boost. Good idea, bad idea? Given that I'm going Nvidia this time around, what's the best mobo for an 8800GT/C2D or C2Q with SLI down the road?

- I'm guessing 2 gigs is a good choice. I've always liked Corsair and Mushkin. What's the best ram to go with the board recommended?

- Power supply? I want to go SLI in the future, so I would like to be future proofed.

Thanks in advance! I just need a little help and I'm off to the races again..

 

[dozerking]

PS - I've got a P-160 Antec case that I'll be using and a fairly new Sony DVDRW optic drive that i'll be carrying over as well.

 

[aadamszc]

Hello, and welcome to the forums.

-Only you really know how much space you will need, but they do look good enough to me.
-Currently, faster clocked dual cores are better for gaming, but in the future, when games start using more than 2 cores, those processors will have an advantage. You could go with a cheap processor now and upgrade when the new quad cores come out. I really have no clue as to when they would come out though.
-Hmm...there are really so many choices out there. Do you happen to have anymore criteria than SLI? Good OCer? Raid Functions? Firewire? An uneducated guess would be something like the 680i.
-2 gigs should be good. If you will be using vista, I might suggest going with 4gigs, but it is certainly not *needed*. You could try Corsair, Kingston, Crucial, OCZ...I like any one of those.
-You will probably want to get a ~750W PSU. It will give enough for SLI and minor performance loss over time, etc. I'm not really sure how many amps you would need as that is not my forte. Also, there is a tiered PSU listing floating around somewhere...a quick search should find it.

Hope I helped,
-Adam

 

[evongugg]

Case: $59.99
NZXT Alpha Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Open Window - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811146041

CPU: $89.99
Intel Dual-Core E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz 1MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819116052

Motherboard: $93.99
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813128059

Video Card: $169.99
SAPPHIRE 100213 Radeon HD 2900GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814102712

Power Supply: $124.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001&Tpk=corsair%2b520hx

DVD Drive: $29.99
SAMSUNG Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner With LightScribe Technology - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827151141

Memory: $60.99
mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820146118

Keyboard/Mouse: $29.99
Saitek PK09AUB Blue 104 Normal Keys USB Standard Keyboard & Mouse Combo Mouse Included - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16823175004

LCD: $269.99
SAMSUNG 206BW Black 20" 2 ms (GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 800:1 (DCR 3000:1) - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16824001095

Speakers: $38.99
Logitech X-230 32 watts RMS 2.1 Black Speaker System - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16836121123

Total $968.90 before shipping

 

[akhilles]

Designed for only gaming:

E6850
EVGA 680i
2 x 8800GT
Ballistix 2x1GB PC2-6400
750W PSU under Tier 1/2:

http://www.tomswiki.com/page/Tiered+PSU+Listings?t=anon

 

[dozerking]

thanks for the replies, anyone else care to chime in?

Is the 680i chipset a wise choice right now? Is there a new chipset coming in the very near future that I'll regret not waiting for?

How about EVGA compared to ABIT/ASUS for mobos?

What are some of the best 8800GT brands? I hear EVGA has great warranties.

 

[akhilles]

You can't get a newer nivida chipset cuz it's not out yet. The next one is 780i which is a minor update to 680i. Diff is Tri-SLI, PCI-E 2.0, etc. Even if it's out, it's gonna have some bugs to be weeded out. 680i is mature & ready.

ASUS has 680i boards, but for a premium. EVGA is the most popular choice. It's not as expensive, but packs the same chipset.

I wouldn't be too picky about 8800GT brands as they sell like hot cakes. You'd be lucky to get any at MSRP. Inflated prices is $300.

 

[dozerking]

Ok, here is what I decided parts wise. These are the guts that I will put in my Antec P-160 Case.

Are better choices for RAM and PSU?

Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 $279.99
EVGA 122-CK-NF63-TR LGA 775 nForce 680i SLI $199.99
Crucial Ballistix 2GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400,4-4-4-12) $89.99
EVGA 8800GT 512mb GDDR3 $289.99
ANTEC NeoPower 650 NeoPower650 650W Power Supply $109.99

Thanks in advance!

 

[akhilles]

Looks awesome. Just so you know, if the 650w is barely enough for SLI, it'll have to be upgraded the next time you upgrade video cards. So get a bigger one like 750W-ish for a little leeway.

BTW, the 680i isn't as picky about ram as P965/P35. The board will work with practically any compatible ram. If you're not overclocking, you can get Corsair/OCZ/etc. if it's cheaper.

 

[evongugg]

Good choices. Just a word of caution.

EVGA 680i SLI 775 A1: $180

We cannot ignore the option of NVIDIA's SLI graphics for gamers, so we had to throw in the NVIDIA 680i SLI chipset. Overall, quad-core CPU overclocking is a little short compared to the Intel chipsets, and the chipset is having a tough time with Yorkfield at this point. The 8800 GTS/GTX/Ultra still have some life left in them, but new buyers will prefer to experience the goodness of two 8800 GT cards running Crysis. If SLI gaming is your goal, then this is the board to buy for now.