Best gaming machine for 1300USD/1500CAD

It's customary to make your own list first, so we can shoot it down. Makes us feel better  

Very well, since I can't do that I'll be nice and make a build for you... I'm not in Canada though so I can't save a wishlist.  
CM 690 case
ASUS P6T
i7 920
G.Skill 6GB
Sapphire 4870 1GB
PC P&C 750W
WD 640GB
KB
G5 mouse
DVD Burner
Vista 64-bit OEM

There you go. Maybe a bit over after shipping, and a bit under after rebates.


.... you can add a second 4870 later if you feel the need.

It's pretty hard to improve on the Grandmaster's build, but let me see if I can suggest a few minor tweaks...

WD Caviar Black 640GB, the AALS version (frequently on sale at NCIX)

Asus P6T Deluxe, V2 if available by the time you go to buy / build

Or, consider also the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P mobo as a reasonably comparable alternative.

Sapphire 4870 1GB, Toxic Edition

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... raven case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... 2 x gtx 260

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... good psu

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... 3 gbs of ddr3 is enough

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... sli motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... core i7

I didn't include the mouse keyboard etc

i recommend the vista 64

razer deathadder and a logitech g15   hoped that helped u will going bout 150 over the limit but believe me its totally worth it.

also maybe a gtx 295 instead i really dont know which one is better  

Thank you all for the help. I was thinking of using a GTX 295 over a HD4870x2. Also is it better to go with i7 over a e8500? What kind of aftermarket fan should I use with this setup?

GPU: ASUS GeForce GTX 295 576MHZ 1792MB 1.998GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDMI HDCP Video Card ($629.99)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] cture=ASUS

Case: Antec Nine Hundred

PSU: Corsair TX850W 850W CMPSU-850TX 12V 70A 24PIN AT Power Supply Active PFC 140M Fan Powersupply ($164.99)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] omoid=1015

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.16GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB Retail ($264.30)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] ture=Intel

MOBO: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P ATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E SATA2 RAID HD Sound 2GLAN 1394A CrossFireX Motherboard ($161.57)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] e=Gigabyte

RAM:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33651&vpn=F2...


HD: Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM 32MB Dual Proc 3.5IN SATA Hard Drive OEM 5YR Mfg Warranty
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&vpn=WD...

Fan & HS: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro LGA775 2500RPM 45CFM ($32.87)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] %20Cooling


This was my other build I originally thought of.

If you open to the 'other' chip maker option  

Read HD4870x2 vs GTX 280 (ditch the CrossfireX vs Sli benches)
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=607&pa...

Read non TRI SLI Phenom 2 benches
http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-phenom-ii-x4-920-and-...

Suggested configuration inclusive of 24" and OS


$1189 w/o LCD

Hoped i helped - cheers

You don't really need a GTX 295 to run a 22" monitor. That video card is much better paired with an i7 rig.

Proximon's original suggestion of the Sapphire 4870 1GB with room to Crossfire is ideal in your case (unless you prefer nVidia). If so, then the PSU can drop down to 750W.

For a pure gaming rig, have a look at the new E7500 processor--it's ideal, and a better value.

For the heatsink, the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 is much better than the Freezer 7 Pro.

I do prefer Nvidia because I also run Linux and ATI's drivers for linux are just awful. Would you recommend on my budget to build an i7 then? Will the 4870 be able to run games like crysis maxed out on my 22 inch monitor at full settings? Also I plan on getting a new monitor within the next few months (24")

thank you

Nothing runs Crysis "maxxed out" on a 22" monitor, except perhaps a GTX 295 or such.

You could start out with a GTX 260 core 216 on an X58 board, and then add another down the line. Just make sure you have drivers for the X58 in Linux.

+1 to Proximon's suggestion of scaling GTX 260 Core 216 cards on an X58 board.

Abstracting price for the moment, if you want to use nVidia cards for gaming and Linux, with future scaling potential through SLI, then the best route is the new i7 platform.

Unfortunately for you, the price premium of the i7 platform in Canada is higher than in the US, so you will not be able to come in at your 1800 CAD budget, after including accessories and incidentals.

Perhaps if you split your usage and ran Linux from your existing rig, that might put you in a better spot with respect to an ideal gaming rig within your budget.

I am kinda confused how come most people say you dont need a quad core for most current games, that a dual core would be fine. I plan on upgrading my monitor in the near future to a 24" that is why I want to use a GTX 295. I was thinking about the HD4870x2 but it is almost the same price here in canada so I might as well go for the better card, the GTX 295.

Hardly any games utilize multiple cores right now, so the higher linear speed of a Duo beats the advantages of quad cores because they can't overclock as high. However, the difficult question to wrestle with is how many games that you will play over the life of your rig will require 4 cores. That's very difficult to predict and it is known that coding games for multiple cores is quite difficult. Therefore, at your budget, the pragmatic route is probably to go with a Duo and then upgrade to a LGA 775 socket Quad if and when you need it.

The GTX 295 is a great card, but just know that you can't scale it on a P45 mobo. However, a single GTX 295 driving a 24" monitor would "last a long time" on the graphics front, so you're probably OK.

Hi thanks for the input. What do you mean I cannot scale it on a p45 Mobo?

I think he's just saying that it's a crossfire board, not SLI. You can't run two Nvidia cards on it.

ok thanks again for all the help!

Yup--thanks Proximon.