Help building PC. $1,500 budget. Some Gaming. (Wow, Everquest, etc)

[polorsport]

Hi, guys. I'm going to try this again. My friend asked me to help him build a pc cause I love the one I have. You guys did a great job making recommendations for me for my system and well i'm looking for the advice of this board again. He is looking to do some gaming mostly mmo's. Wow, and Everquest. Basic pc use.

Looking to start from scratch for the best compatibility. The budget where working with is $1,500 can go a little more if it makes a big difference. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks again in advance.

 

[Proximon]

Do you mean monitor, mouse, and keyboard as well? OS?

This is EVERYTHING, as requested:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=14637447

 

[xthekidx]

If you want to make this computer a bit more "futureproof" then you could upgrade that CPU in Proximon's build to a Q9650, otherwise that build is great.

Also on the GPU, the 1gb Toxic is only $5 more and definitely worth the extra because of the improved cooling solution and slight overclock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102815

 

[Proximon]

Also on the GPU, the 1gb Toxic is only $5 more and definitely worth the extra because of the improved cooling solution and slight overclock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102815

Doh, you said that in another thread and it never really sank in. If the difference is 5 or even 10-15 bucks it's worth the upgrade for sure.

 

[polorsport]

thanks for all the replies. I feel like where already heading in the right direction. Can you recommend me another cooler the darkknight recommended is sold out. We where torn on the graphics card too. Would this card be better than the ones recommended thus far?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.163002

The monitor is no longer part of the build as my friend decided he wants to get another tv and use that a monitor as well. Are there any drawbacks to using a tv vs having a standard monitor?


I didn't like the look of that keyboard. Are there any decent looking gaming keyboards.

Lastly where also going to need some speakers. But nothing too expensive.

Thanks again guys. I know this is a barrage of questions but i'm just excited to be getting this going.

Looking to order everything by next monday.

 

[xthekidx]

That card is good, but you can't do SLI on the mobo that was suggested, so you would only be able to use that GPU and not add another one on later. I would stick with ATI, If you want to spend $300 on a GPU, then look at the Radeon HD 4850x2, which you could xfire on that mobo later when that card isn't enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102809

 

[Why_Me]

Forget these other builds posted and get your money's worth. I'm surprised ...and also dissapointed that nobody on this thread posted a i7 build for you with that budget. You deserve better when you come here for advice on a build. Keyboards and mice are a personal thing, so I didn't add them into the build. That cpu comes with a thermal paste, but if you want go ahead and order the MX-2 or Arctic Silver 5. Also that heatsink comes with bracket for that X58 board.

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-q3-2008/benchmarks,31.html <---Look at these charts on here and look for the Intel Core i7 920 on there.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137 $79.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011 $109.99 ($89.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375 $199.99 ($184.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 $288.99 Free Shipping*
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093 $39.99
Scythe SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225 $109.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801 $224.99 ($214.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052 $239.99 Free Shipping*
ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 (ASCR 20000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail

Total: $1,398.90 (not including shipping and rebates)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 $99.99 Free Shipping*
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

 

[Why_Me]

thanks for all the replies. I feel like where already heading in the right direction. Can you recommend me another cooler the darkknight recommended is sold out. We where torn on the graphics card too. Would this card be better than the ones recommended thus far?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.163002

The monitor is no longer part of the build as my friend decided he wants to get another tv and use that a monitor as well. Are there any drawbacks to using a tv vs having a standard monitor?


I didn't like the look of that keyboard. Are there any decent looking gaming keyboards.

Lastly where also going to need some speakers. But nothing too expensive.

Thanks again guys. I know this is a barrage of questions but i'm just excited to be getting this going.

Looking to order everything by next monday.

If you want to spend that money on an Nvidea card...then go with this one down below. One of those cards will play the games you posted on high without a hitch. It's a good card, and it comes overclocked so you won't have to worry about messing with it....and it's on sale for cheap right now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130446 $359.99 ($339.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail - Superclocked Edition Overclocked at 675MHz Core/2538MHz Memory

 

[Proximon]

He is looking to do some gaming mostly mmo's. Wow, and Everquest. Basic pc use.

He'll get far better performance out of a C2D and a strong GPU with those games, none of which are coded for quads.



We'll need to know a bit more about this TV before we can say what will work. Presuming the TV is 1080p everything still applies. No real drawbacks other than being farther away from the screen, and typically lower response times.

 

[Why_Me]

He'll get far better performance out of a C2D and a strong GPU with those games, none of which are coded for quads.



We'll need to know a bit more about this TV before we can say what will work. Presuming the TV is 1080p everything still applies. No real drawbacks other than being farther away from the screen, and typically lower response times.

Your right but with that kind of budget I see no reason to not go with an i7 rig. If I was going to build that kid a rig with a dual core, I would have went with a E7400, linked him on how to bump it up to 1333fsb and saved him a few $$. $1,500 budget for a gaming rig says one thing to me... i7 build.

 

[Akebono 98]

For the OP's purposes and budget with "everything", I think that Proximon's Core 2 Duo build fits a little better. You don't have to max out the budget, why not bank the savings instead? I'd rather spend the price difference between Duo and i7 on a better video card instead.

However, the i7 build suggested by Why_Me is compelling, although to make it a fair comparison, I would have to go with the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P mobo at the very least, and I would also up the RAM to these: G.Skill CL7 DDR3, or maybe these: G.Skill Pi Silvers, or maybe even these: Mushkin CL6 DDR3.

And of course, the video card would have to be upped to the Toxic Edition as well.

 

[Why_Me]

For the OP's purposes and budget with "everything", I think that Proximon's Core 2 Duo build fits a little better. You don't have to max out the budget, why not bank the savings instead? I'd rather spend the price difference between Duo and i7 on a better video card instead.

However, the i7 build suggested by Why_Me is compelling, although to make it a fair comparison, I would have to go with the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P mobo at the very least, and I would also up the RAM to these: G.Skill CL7 DDR3, or maybe these: G.Skill Pi Silvers, or maybe even these: Mushkin CL6 DDR3.

And of course, the video card would have to be upped to the Toxic Edition as well.

There's a price difference of $85 although I didn't include a keyboard and mouse...seeing how I use a $15 logitech keyboard and a $30 logitech tracball for gaming I doubt I would be one to ask for advice on that.

But I do know one thing, if I had a $1,500 budget and I wanted to play the newer games comming out and utilize Windows 7/DDR3 and all that other cool stuff...well it's a no brainer.... an i7 rig.

It wouldn't take the OP but a few minutes to bump up that 920 to 3.2Ghz (24 x 133) and he's off to the races.

 

[xthekidx]

It wouldn't take the OP but a few minutes to bump up that 920 to 3.2Ghz (24 x 133) and he's off to the races.

why_me you seem to be a bit confused about overclocking the i7, I have seen you show this in several threads...24x133 isn't possible unless you get the i7-965. The 920's multiplier is locked at 20, and the 940's is locked at 22 (this and $250 being the only difference in these two chips). The only chip you can change the multiplier at will is the extreme, which is never justified cost/performance wise IMO.

I agree that i7 is a smarter decision for long term, but for now if you want the best performance/cost ratio in gaming, Core 2 is much better, and there is no need to spend all that money just because he has it. i7's are the best processors out right now, there is no question about that, but the amount by which they are the best is not as great as the difference between P4 and Core 2, the margin is much slimmer.

The way I see i7 is this: Intel is in a transition stage to a new socket. LGA 1366 will have more better processors that utilize it better than the i7. Its like when Pentium dual cores were first released, these were basically prototypes for the Core 2's, a way for Intel to test the water if you will. The cost of going to the i7 is not justified in a purely gaming rig, if the computer will be used for other things like video editing, then it is worthwhile which is why I made the switch.

 

[Why_Me]

why_me you seem to be a bit confused about overclocking the i7, I have seen you show this in several threads...24x133 isn't possible unless you get the i7-965. The 920's multiplier is locked at 20, and the 940's is locked at 22 (this and $250 being the only difference in these two chips). The only chip you can change the multiplier at will is the extreme, which is never justified cost/performance wise IMO.

I agree that i7 is a smarter decision for long term, but for now if you want the best performance/cost ratio in gaming, Core 2 is much better, and there is no need to spend all that money just because he has it. i7's are the best processors out right now, there is no question about that, but the amount by which they are the best is not as great as the difference between P4 and Core 2, the margin is much slimmer.

The way I see i7 is this: Intel is in a transition stage to a new socket. LGA 1366 will have more better processors that utilize it better than the i7. Its like when Pentium dual cores were first released, these were basically prototypes for the Core 2's, a way for Intel to test the water if you will. The cost of going to the i7 is not justified in a purely gaming rig, if the computer will be used for other things like video editing, then it is worthwhile which is why I made the switch.

My bad your right. But after looking up the overclocking results on that cpu...I'm going to get one with my tax refund. Christ...that thing hulls arse. I didn't read what they were using for cooling, but those were some nice scores @ 3.6

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2008/11/06/overclocking-intel-core-i7-920/1

 

[Akebono 98]

@Why_Me:

The way I see it is that both the i7 and Core 2 Duo processors (let's say E8500) are both good for gaming.

The i7 is faster and more futureproof.

The Duo has higher overclocked linear speed (at least mine does) and is better if you're on a tight budget.

Most games are still not quad core optimized, and won't be for a while.

Comparable rigs in my book would still have at least a $300 difference (mobo/CPU/RAM only).

In terms of overall budget, I'd rather put some of that $300 towards a better video card (the upcoming ATI card, maybe?), a nice G5 gaming mouse, etc.

I do see your argument for an i7, just not at the $1500 all-in mark. Yes, the OP did take out the monitor, which favors your i7 build. But depending on the circumstances, adding keyboard, mouse, speakers, taxes (maybe) and shipping (maybe) would put you over the mark.

Maybe if the OP clarified all of these extra parameters vis-a-vis the budget, then we could all work together to come up with the best build within the specified constraints.

 

[grieve]

Forget these other builds posted and get your money's worth. I'm surprised ...and also dissapointed that nobody on this thread posted a i7 build for you with that budget. You deserve better when you come here for advice on a build.

I Agree %100


i7 is more future proof, all core2duo and quads are outdated. If he buys a core2duo he will be replacing his MB to get a new processor down the road. With i7 he could upgrade processor only one day.

I think with a $1500 budget i7 is the only option; to be frank I think this is a no brainer.

 

[grieve]

I have $1500 for a new PC…
Oh I know… ill get the older technology to save $200.

I can understand if there was a $500 difference, but there is not, they are close in price for a %10-%20 speed increase and upgradability... That’s worth $200.

 

[techwizard08]

@grieve

What you would realize had you followed 'da whole' thread is that for gaming, the increased linear speeds Core 2 realizes against the i7 makes its (core i7) speed advantage in multi-threaded apps rather pointless.

If the OP doesn't utilize it, it's like having a Ferrari with a speed limiter at 75. Sure, it looks cool, and everyone's jealous, but he won't pass anyone on the freeway.

 

[Transmaniacon]

+1 to the Core 2 Duo Build.

The money saved can be used for a better GPU, ultimately improving gaming performance more than an i7 and decent GPU.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768

This card puts you right at your budget, but will give you awesome performance in games. More so than the i7 + HD4870 system.

 

[techwizard08]

Wow...that's a card alright.

Once again though, probably quite a bit more than OP needs.

He's playing WoW, not OMFGWOW!

lol

 

[Why_Me]

I think I would rather spend $85 more on the i7 rig, and still be under budget by over $100 not to mention it comes with good cooling so it wouldn't be a problem to overclock it and get even more out of it.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTU4NSwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

 

[techwizard08]

@Why_Me

I think we, by this point, all get what you would do. The issue is that you are completely relentless in your determination not to realize the possibility that anything but the latest and greatest could possibly be acceptable.

When you continue to add performance and features an individual will never utilize, it's a waste of money. For 300-400 less you can outfit a Core 2 perfectly for his needs.

 

[Why_Me]

@Why_Me

I think we, by this point, all get what you would do. The issue is that you are completely relentless in your determination not to realize the possibility that anything but the latest and greatest could possibly be acceptable.

When you continue to add performance and features an individual will never utilize, it's a waste of money. For 300-400 less you can outfit a Core 2 perfectly for his needs.

I suggested to go with a E7400, then get a cheaper motherboard, etc... Good idea, this way he can build a complete new rig next year when he decides to upgrade for some newer games....

 

[techwizard08]

Your right but with that kind of budget I see no reason to not go with an i7 rig. If I was going to build that kid a rig with a dual core, I would have went with a E7400, linked him on how to bump it up to 1333fsb and saved him a few $$. $1,500 budget for a gaming rig says one thing to me... i7 build.

I'm not going to get into an argument with you, but after this you continue to make posts over an over about the i7. As many know from seeing my comments in other threads, I fully believe the i7 to make a great rig. However, I think it important to take into account the circumstances and really determine if the technology is paired well to their needs. As far as only an 85 dollar difference, your build was nearly 1400 before tax and shipping? You can get away with a fully built Core 2 for 900, and his needs would be more than met. And with the extra 500, it's an amount in savings that you would have to be a fool to consider insignificant.

That's all I have to say about it. There's no point going any further.

 

[bmuell]

I'm basically in the same boat as OP. I'm only interested in Blizzard games, used to play WoW, WarCraft 3 being my current hook, with StarCraft 2 on the horizon.

However, is quad core going to help me if I tend to multitask heavily? It is normal for me to have iTunes and Chrome open 24-7 plus either WarCraft 3 or Photoshop CS at the same time. I've seen the benchmarks and for single application use, Core 2 Duo performs just as well if not better than the more expensive Quads.

Should I spend the $100 more for a Q9550 or even an i7 or just save the dough and go with a E8500? I'll probably get that toxic edition HD 4870.

I tend to spend about $600-800 on a new CPU/Mobo/Ram/Vid Card every four years (keeping the rest of the parts). My current system is a AMD 64 3700+ San Diego with 2gb ram and an eVGA 6800GT.