Mid-range gaming build, $1200

[ponchato]

Here are the components, so far. This will be my third build, I might OC a slight amount, and the computer will be used for Folding@Home.

Case: NZXT Tempest

PSU: Corsair 550VX

MoBo : MSI X58 Pro

Proc: Core i7 920

Memory: OCZ 6GB DDR3 1333

Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 260 Superclocked

Disc Drive: Samsung... DVD... drive...

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB

and OS:Vista Home Premium x64

The total price to be at my door is $1205.84. I could go up to about $1250, if it can make a difference.

This computer is going to be used to play Supreme Commander and World in Conflict. That's really it.

I won't need more than about 40GB of storage, but generally (I may be wrong), larger capacity drives have higher data transfer rates due to the increased GB/sq. in. A) Is that true? B) Should I use or is there a different drive that performs better for about the same price?

Any processor coolers you guys would recommend for around $40? A little more room for overclocking, plus a quieter system.

One more. Is every component required for a computer to run in the list? I've almost missed components before.

 

[copenhagenlc]

Looks good would get a little bigger powersupply to give u more wiggle room for upgrades. maybe a 650w

 

[Why_Me]

Try this build and get more for your $$$.

1) The mobo in this build is good for SLI and Crossfire, unlike the mobo in your build.

2) This psu allows you to run two of these gtx 260's in SLI later on if you so choose. 750w ftw.

3) The memory in this build is better...

4) Over clock this gtx 260 vid card using any number of over clocking tools... Nvidea, Riva Tuner, etc....and save some money.

5) This build comes with a decent heat sink and thermal compound and is ready to over clock.

6) This WD 640 Black in this build is also quicker due to platter density.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-nvidia-sli-motherboard,7463.html <=== Gigabyte: Enable SLI On X58 Boards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137 $74.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-750w-tx-series-80-plus-certified-power-supply-corsair-tx-cmpsu/q/loc/101/206178325.html $109.99 Price After Rebate(s): $99.99 Shipping: FREE
Corsair TX CMPSU-750TX ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply

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

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=I7-920 $265.99 Free Ground Shipping
Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU, OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093 $31.99
Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154003 $4.99
Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150361 $169.99 Free Shipping*
XFX GX260XADJF GeForce GTX 260 Core Edition Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231247 $89.99 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=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/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.186064 Combo Discount: -$20.00 Combo Price: $154.98
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM


Total: $1,132.80 | $1,107.89 w/rebates *not including shipping

 

[mailliw]

IDK what happened but my post got deleted, sorry if this is a double post.

Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690 - $79.99
CPU + MOBO: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz & ASUS P6T LGA 1366 - $508.98
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 $187.99 w/ $20 rebate
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W - $99.99 w/ $20 rebate
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM - $74.99 Same price for 140GB more
RAM: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $89.99
DVD: LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - $24.99
CPU cooler XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V - $39.99
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit - $99.99

Comes out to ~$1207 + only $7 in shipping + $40 in rebates. You can get a CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W for $20 and this will allow you to SLi the 260s if you want.

 

[xthekidx]

I would go for this GTX 260 instead, its factory overlocked at 655mhz and has a better than reference cooling design, so you could probably push it farther if you wanted. Its also guaranteed to run at that OC, unlike those other GTX 260's, sometimes you get a bum card and it just won't OC no matter what you do.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127426

 

[huron]

The build and suggestions look good.

If you want to save a little $$$ - order the CPU from microcenter.com ($229.99) and even the motherboard. I think you should be able to get an Asus p6t for $250 or so.

 

[radiowars]

The build and suggestions look good.

If you want to save a little $$$ - order the CPU from microcenter.com ($229.99) and even the motherboard. I think you should be able to get an Asus p6t for $250 or so.

That offer on Microcenter is only instore pickup. Unless he/she lived near one, that's not an option.

 

[ponchato]

That offer on Microcenter is only instore pickup. Unless he/she lived near one, that's not an option.

There aren't any near me, but thanks for the information. Picking stuff up is always preferable to shipping, since I don't like waiting (heh). The problem is, 99 times out of 100, it's way cheaper to order online, even with shipping.

Thanks for the suggestions guys/gals. According to many reviews on Newegg, most of the LGA 1366 MoBos seem to have problems, but I'd rather ask these forums about that. Do LGA 1366 MoBos really have a bunch of issues, or is it just due to morons not RTFM?

Thanks again.

 

[sassan]

maybe the earlier editions but the revisions have been good.

For example if you want to get the Asus p6t make sure it's a vanilla version.

If you buy from any of these brands you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[JTP709]

If you really only plan on playing those two games (Supreme Commander and World in Conflict), I'd recommend and AMD build with the AM3 Phenome II x3 720 BE. This processor is great for overclocking, uses DDR3 memory, and cost about $200 less than the i7. Plus it will handle WiC and SC no problem, the human eye wont notice the extra FPS that the i7 will deliver. The i7 may last a bit longer into the future, but in terms of gaming you're graphics card will bottleneck more than the i7 and Phenom II, so either CPU will last you for years.

I'd recommend the i7 if you had a 30" monitor with 2560x1600 resolution and did a lot of CPU intensive stuff, such as multi tasking, Photoshop CS4, or 3d modelling. Otherwise, its a waste of money IMHO.

 

[xthekidx]

If you really only plan on playing those two games (Supreme Commander and World in Conflict), I'd recommend and AMD build with the AM3 Phenome II x3 720 BE. This processor is great for overclocking, uses DDR3 memory, and cost about $200 less than the i7. Plus it will handle WiC and SC no problem, the human eye wont notice the extra FPS that the i7 will deliver. The i7 may last a bit longer into the future, but in terms of gaming you're graphics card will bottleneck more than the i7 and Phenom II, so either CPU will last you for years.

I'd recommend the i7 if you had a 30" monitor with 2560x1600 resolution and did a lot of CPU intensive stuff, such as multi tasking, Photoshop CS4, or 3d modelling. Otherwise, its a waste of money IMHO.

+1 I completely agree, despite being the proud owner of one. My fiance uses my PC for video editing every once in a while so it was worth it for her and she gave me about $100 or so to make it happen, but going with a PII gives you way more for your money these days for gamers. You can either get a system that will perform exactly the same as an i7 for $200 less, or you can get a system that will wipe the floor with the i7 for the same price. The i7 is really only worth it if you do video editing, photoshop or other really intense tasks like that.

 

[Why_Me]

+1 I completely agree, despite being the proud owner of one. My fiance uses my PC for video editing every once in a while so it was worth it for her and she gave me about $100 or so to make it happen, but going with a PII gives you way more for your money these days for gamers. You can either get a system that will perform exactly the same as an i7 for $200 less, or you can get a system that will wipe the floor with the i7 for the same price. The i7 is really only worth it if you do video editing, photoshop or other really intense tasks like that.

Could you post one of these builds w/total price so the OP (and myself), can see what your talking about.

 

[ponchato]

Could you post one of these builds w/total price so the OP (and myself), can see what your talking about.

Seconded. Ha, another thing to put on the list of things to consider.

 

[xthekidx]

CPU/GPU: i7 920 and HD 4850x2
Case: CM-690
PSU: OCZ Falal1ty 550w
HDD: WD6401AALS
Cooler: S1283V DK
Optical: LG DVD Combo Drive SATA
Ram: OCZ Platinum 6gb DDR3 1600
MB: P6T LGA 1366
$1190.61 Shipped, not including rebates. That is a respectable i7 that should be able to play most games at 19x12 res max settings, the exception being crysis of course. You can make the argument that the UD3R is a better option, but for the i7 I would want to have the 6dimms on the P6T for memory expansion and keeping the triple channel configuration, and benchmarks show the P6T overclocking and outperforming the UD3R, so I think that the P6T is the better option. If you are going to build an i7, you should not cut corners to make it work.

==================================

Case: CM-690
HDD: WD6401AALS
Optical: LG DVD Combo Drive SATA
CPU/MB: GA-MA790XT-UD4P and PII X3 720BE
Ram: G. Skill 4gb DDR3 1333
PSU: 750tx
Cooler: S1283
GPU's: 2x XFX HD 4890
Shipped $1174.42, not including rebates. That system will play almost any game at 25x16 res at max settings, once again with crysis as an exception. At 19x12 res, its no competition. All the parts used in these two builds are very comparable in terms of performance for their respective platform, and I looked for good deals for both builds, here is the final product at the $1200 price point, not including extras or software.

 

[Why_Me]

So what we just learned is that both rigs are pretty much the same price. My build comes in at $1,150 before rebates. We both know that neither one of those builds of yours up above is set up for dual vid cards (Crossfire / SLI) with the psu's in those builds. The 4890 uses more juice than the gtx 275 so in all honesty a person would need a 850w to run the 4890 in Crossfire...and that 4850 x2 is a one card build also with that psu.

Now if I took my build, changed out the psu to a 550w OCZ, changed out vid cards to either a gtx 275 @ $250 or better yet a gtx 285 @ $310.....see what I'm getting at ?

The i7 seems to be clearly the obvious choice.

 

[xthekidx]

So what we just learned is that both rigs are pretty much the same price. My build comes in at $1,150 before rebates. We both know that neither one of those builds of yours up above is set up for dual vid cards (Crossfire / SLI) with the psu's in those builds. The 4890 uses more juice than the gtx 275 so in all honesty a person would need a 850w to run the 4890 in Crossfire...and that 4850 x2 is a one card build also with that psu.

Now if I took my build, changed out the psu to a 550w OCZ, changed out vid cards to either a gtx 275 @ $250 or better yet a gtx 285 @ $310.....see what I'm getting at ?

Once again .... Intel ftw

...both the PSU's I used in those builds can handle the setups they are in just fine. A 750tx is fine for 4890's in xfire. And yes I made two build's the same price, one used a 4850x2, the other used two 4890's in xfire. You can add $20 more to the price of the PII build for an 850tx if you really want, its still a much better deal, and still under $1200. No way an i7 +GTX 275 competes with a PII + xfire 4890's. You can split hairs all you want, and I can find go hunt for hours for deals at different retailers too, but I didn't, I just priced it off of newegg. The builds I made were the best you can get for the money, not for upgradability, and your build wastes money on that PSU which isn't necessary for it. If I really wanted I could cut another $30 off those builds, the difference in price and performance would still exist.

Why_Me you have a serious case of cranial rectal impaction, you should get that checked out. Accept that PII is a good option for gamers. Fanboyism is stupid.

 

[Why_Me]

...both the PSU's I used in those builds can handle the setups they are in just fine. A 750tx is fine for 4890's in xfire. You can add $20 more to the price of the PII build for an 850tx if you really want, its still a much better deal. No way an i7 +GTX 275 competes with a PII + xfire 4890's. You can split hairs all you want, and I can find go hunt for hours for deals at different retailers too, but I didn't, I just priced it off of newegg. The builds I made were the best you can get for the money, not for upgradability, and your build wastes money on that PSU which isn't necessary for it. If I really wanted I could cut another $30 off those builds, the difference in price and performance would still exist.

Why_Me you have a serious case of cranial rectal impaction, you should get that checked out. Accept that PII is a good option for gamers. Fanboyism is stupid.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-275,2266-14.html <---I'm calling you on that. The 4890 is a power hog. It eats up more juice than the gtx 285.

btw a person would have to be out of their mind to choose that AMD over the i7 when they are both running at the same price. Don't make me break out the links to the benchmarks on the i7.

And how is the psu in my build wasting money? It's a 750w psu which a clear choice for anyone that wants to run the gtx 260 in SLI later on. I would have thought it was pretty obvious... So if it's ok to run the 4890 in Crossfire w/ a 750w psu, then I shall change out the vid card in my build to a gtx 275. That means the build is still under $1,200 not to mention the gtx 275 mops the floor with the 4890 in most games.

 

[xthekidx]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-275,2266-14.html <---I'm calling you on that. The 4890 is a power hog. It eats up more juice than the gtx 285.

btw a person would have to be out of their mind to choose that AMD over the i7 when they are both running at the same price. Don't make me break out the links to the benchmarks on the i7.

Yeah it consumes 30w more, for one, maybe 45w more for two since the slave card is not used to its full power in a multigpu setup. The 750tx has a maximum power output of over 900w on all rails, 720w on the 12v rail. If you want proof look at the label of the 750tx here and add up the numbers. The PII 720 consumes less power than an i7 (95w thermal design vs 130w thermal design). In anandtech's article using two GTX 285's, their test system which included an i7 965 consumed less than 500w at full load, the PII system with the 4890's would probably put up very similar numbers. So when the system is fully loaded you are consuming maybe 60% of the PSU's maximum power ouput.

 

[Why_Me]

Yeah it consumes 30w more, for one, maybe 45w more for two since the slave card is not used to its full power in a multigpu setup. The 750tx has a maximum power output of over 900w on all rails, 720w on the 12v rail. If you want proof look at the label of the 750tx here and add up the numbers. The PII 720 consumes less power than an i7 (95w thermal design vs 130w thermal design). In anandtech's article using two GTX 285's, their test system which included an i7 965 consumed less than 500w at full load, the PII system with the 4890's would probably put up very similar numbers. So when the system is fully loaded you are consuming maybe 60% of the PSU's maximum power ouput.

np then, I will just switch out vid cards in my build to a gtx 275 so as to keep under the $1,200 budget I will leave that 750w psu in that build.

 

[xthekidx]

It's a 750w psu which a clear choice for anyone that wants to run the gtx 260 in SLI later on. I would have thought it was pretty obvious... So if it's ok to run the 4890 in Crossfire w/ a 750w psu, then I shall change out the vid card in my build to a gtx 275. That means the build is still under $1,200 not to mention the gtx 275 mops the floor with the 4890 in most games.

As I said before, TWO 4890's and a PII 720 (did you miss that part of the PII build above??) isn't in the same league as an i7 920 with ONE GTX 275 when comparing gaming benchmarks. Your i7 system would get destroyed by my lowly PII 720.


Anyways I am done arguing this point. If you want to be a spokesperson for Intel, that is your prerogative. But you aren't telling the full story to the people you advise when you say Intel is the only way to build. It really hurts your credibility. Sure you make good intel builds for the price, but you could make better AMD builds for the price if you tried.

 

[Why_Me]

As I said before, TWO 4890's and a PII 720 (did you miss that part of the PII build above??) isn't in the same league as an i7 920 with ONE GTX 275 when comparing gaming benchmarks. Your i7 system would get destroyed by my lowly PII 720.


Anyways I am done arguing this point. If you want to be a spokesperson for Intel, that is your prerogative. But you aren't telling the full story to the people you advise when you say Intel is the only way to build. It really hurts your credibility. Sure you make good intel builds for the price, but you could make better AMD builds for the price if you tried.

My bad I just caught that...you have two 4890's in your build. Ok, I concede this one to you.

 

[xthekidx]

My bad I just caught that...you have two 4890's in your build. Ok, I concede this one to you.

Ok you just earned a couple points back. $1200 for that PII build with only 1 4890, yes of course go with the i7, but that would be a ripoff for that price, you might find a deal like that from Dell or HP.

 

[JTP709]

lol looks like I started a war . . .

Here is what I put together in 5 minutes without looking at combos or any real savings on newegg.com.

AMD Phenom II x3 720 BE CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

DFI Lan Pary 790FXB-M3H 790FX/SB750 Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136067

2x Saphire ATI HD 4870 1GB video cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

4GB (2x2GB) OCZ Platinum DDR3 1600 7-7-7-24 memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227286

Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 64
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185125

Western Digital 1TB 7200rpm Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

OCZ GameXStream 850w PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341003

Antec Nine Hundred Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

Samsung 22x DVD+-RW Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173


Total price: $1174


Compared to all the suggested i7 systems, this build has two HD 4870s, which compete with the GTX 260 216 core from Nvidia, but with the savings from the AMD CPU you can put two 4870s in Crossfire. While this Crossfire system will really shine with higher resolutions on a 24" or 30" monitor, it will still grab extra performance in lower resolutions too. If you really wanted to save more money and you don't have a 24" or 30" monitor, I would honestly just use one HD 4890 and a 790GX mobo, but a GTX 275 or 285 wouldn't be out of the question either.

I also threw in a 1TB hard drive considering they're so cheap now (I remember buying a 100GB HD for $100). I never thought I could ever fill up my 250GB laptop hard drive, but I did once I got addicted to downloading everything on the internet lol. You can save 50 bux and go to a 320GB or 500GB, but I just put it in here to give you the most for you're $1200 budget.

And for good measure I threw in a 850w PSU, which will easily power this Crossfire setup.

Since you're mostly gaming, there's no need for a quad core, its a waste of money to go to the PII x4 IMHO.

You'll have a lot more headroom with your budget if you go to an AMD system, which will still deliver steller performance. I only put a Crossfire system in here to give you the most bang for your buck assuming you are using higher resolutions, but if not go with a single GPU, smaller PSU (650w or so), smaller hard drive and less expensive case. All in all you could save another $200 to put into a nice shiny new toy like a monitor or something.

 

[JTP709]

I don't have class till 2pm so I'm a little bored lol. Anyways I wen't ahead and rearranged my system to save more money but give you even more performance for a single GPU solution.

AMD Phenom II x3 720 BE CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649

DFI Lan Pary 790FXB-M3H 790FX/SB750 Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813136067

Gigabyte GTX 285 1GB Video card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125255

4GB (2x2GB) G Skill DDR3 1333 7-7-7-18 memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231200

Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 64
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185125

Western Digital 500GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073

OCZ Fatal1ty 550w PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022

Cooler Master 690 Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

Samsung 22x DVD+-RW Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151173

Total: $964

If you're running resolutions at 1680x1050 and lower, I would recommend a single GPU solution like the GTX 285. The GTX 285 will give you a performance increase in gaming over a GTX 260 or HD 4870. The DDR3 1333 memory won't give you as much head room for overclocking but won't give you any less performance than DDR3 1600. I wen't ahead and went down to a 500GB hard drive instead of a 1TB if you think thats overkill. I also went to a slightly less expensive case that will be quieter than the Antec 900, but will still keep your system well ventilated, and a 550w PSU since you're not runnin dual GPUs.

Like I said this system will give you just as much performance as my previous $1200 recommendation, assuming you're running lower resolutions. And now you have an extra $200 you can put toward a new monitor, surround sound, headphones, or some new games to really justify spending a Thousand dollars

 

[ponchato]

Thanks, guys. Decent FPS, here I come!