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Around $1k Gaming System

Hey guys, this is my first post and I was needing some advise on what to get for a new system.


APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Hope to buy everything at once, before the end of May 2009.

BUDGET RANGE: Under US $1k

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: GAMING: TF2, L4D, CoD4, CoH, and perhaps WoW

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, speakers, OS (maybe monitor and PS)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg is all I know.

PARTS PREFERENCES: I found a GTX 260 for a steal, and perhaps SLIing two of those together. I would like to use that as well as a Phenom x3 720.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe - I want to have a system that runs smooth at stock. May OC in the future as I break it in.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: SLI

MONITOR RESOLUTION: I would LIKE 1920 x 1200

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Cool temps are priority.


I made a build here:

Phenom II x3 720 $139.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649

XFX GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 $199.99 (169.99 after MIR, also comes with FarCry 2 and CoD:WaW) (Two of these)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-150-329-_-Product

OCZ Platinum 4GB DDR2 $62.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298

Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319


(Considering)
ASUS VW224U Black 22" $169.99 (149.99 after MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Monitors+-+LCD+Flat+Panel-_-ASUS-_-24236050

GeForce GTX 295 1792MB $589.99 (found for $460ish on amazon, and dont know about a "price match" thing if newegg offers it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130473

(Currently have)
NEC Multisync FE991SB-BK Black 19" CRT
http://www.superwarehouse.com/NEC_Multisync_FE991SB-BK_Black_19_CRT_Monitor/FE991SB-BK/p/203912


VGA Rebate -$30.00 x2
RAM Rebate -$25.00
(op)
Monitor Rebate -$20.00

With the 5 items that are in the build (SLI) I am looking at $675.50 without shipping. Which gives me plenty of room to play with MB and if needed PS and monitor and possibly OS upgrade.

With the 295 I would be sitting around $925.51 with out shipping. The above choice seems to like my pocket a lil more (~$250 difference)

I will need a MB that can run those two 260's with SLI and the Phenom. Also considering getting one GeForce GTX 295, not sure which option would be better. Also I would have to check the Wattage of my current PS, and see if it would work with this setup (to do this, I assume that I would have to crack open my case and look at the tag... if there is a better way, please shed some light).
What is a good Wattage that would suffice this?
Is directx 10 worth the OS upgrade from XP?
20 answers Last reply
More about around gaming system
  1. Quick thing, another option for the optional monitor is:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236051

    Another thing is... can someone explain the strain on a Graphics card when running dual monitors? Does it basically divide the card in 2?
  2. It's not exactly what your looking for but give it a look anyways.

    Here's a build that includes two 4770's running in Crossfire and it also includes an OS (Vista 64 Home Premium OEM).

    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-4770-crossfire,2288.html <--- Tomshardware benchmarks of the 4770 in Crossfire.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022 $74.99 ($49.99 after $25.00 Mail-In Rebate)
    OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.187097 Combo Discount: -$15.00 Combo Price: $174.94 $20.00 Mail-In Rebate
    Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
    GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

    http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=Q9400 $211.99 Free Ground Shipping
    Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q9400 2.66GHz 1333MHz 6MB LGA775 CPU, OEM

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207006 $29.99 ($19.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
    Sunbeam CR-CCTF92-4 92mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 - Retail

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102835 $99.99
    SAPPHIRE 100277L Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102835 $99.99
    SAPPHIRE 100277L Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145241 $44.99 Free Shipping*
    CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Retail | Introducing new Corsair XMS gaming heat sink

    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" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
    Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

    Total: $916.86 | $861.86 w/mail in rebates

    *Same build as above, but cheaper. This build includes a factory over clocked gtx 260. Replace motherboard and video cards in that build with these down below.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359 $119.99 ($104.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
    GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail | 2 oz copper PCB + Easy Tune 6 for OC

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127430 $174.99 ($154.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
    MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OCv4 GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
    $10 off with promo code VGA26XV4, ends 5/14

    ...and your monitor. :)

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050 $159.99 ($139.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
    ASUS VW224U Black 22" 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 1000:1 (ASCR 5000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail
  3. I recently found this surfing around the web http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=Q6700

    I also reccomend the Gigabyte EP45-UD3R...great stable board if you want a single card set-up
    The GTX260 is a gfreat card for its price
  4. jalpaugh1978 said:
    I recently found this surfing around the web http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=Q6700


    +1 for that find. It brings the price of that build down. :)
  5. I'm thinking of selling off my E8400 for it
  6. Also You could also just download the windows 7 RC from microsoft.com. Its free and in my opinion its better then vista. You'll be able to use it till next March
  7. I am sorry guys, I forgot to let you know that I have 2 DVD drives and that I am currently running this...

    AMD Athlon 64 x2 4800+ (2.41ghz)

    GeForce 7800GTX

    2 gig ram ( 4x512mb)

    Antec Nine Hundred
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec%2b900

    I was planning on keeping my case, PS and drives. My old parts would be donated to the "help a brother" fund... haha. Also, I have a thing against ATI's cards... so didn't want to with them. Also with that being said, I most likely go with the SLI of those two 260's vs the 295 because that is ~$250 difference.

    Also, any thoughts about the
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236051
    VS
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050

    ??
  8. Go ATi, you will prefer it since dual 4770's beats out a GTX 285, let alone the '260, they also use less power so you don't need as powerful a PSU.

    not to mention it's $198 for both.
  9. They upped the price 5 bucks on those fyi, not like it makes a huge difference.

    I can attest to his hatred for ATI. He has been a faithful Nvidia owner all his gaming life so I think he really wants to stick with them, even if there is that 4770 crossfire dealy.
  10. Hey guys, found this deal on Newegg... what do you think?

    AMD Phenom II x4 3.0ghz, w/ SLI mobo?
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.190736

    Is that MB in that combo SLI ready?
  11. Nope, the only AMD motherboards that support SLI are the sub-par Nvidia nForce boards:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000200022%20107192495&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE
  12. Ok then... how about this one?
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131367

    That one has the nForce chip set on it
  13. Yea, that one supports SLI. You won't find many fans of the nForce chipset motherboards around here, but if you're hung up on an Nvidia GPU and SLI then that's pretty much your only option without going with an Intel i7 build.
  14. Researched and revised some junk.
    What do you guys think of this?

    AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition $189.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471&Tpk=AMD%20Phenom%20II%20X4%20940%20Black%20Edition

    ASUS M4N72-E $134.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131367

    XFX GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 $194.99 (x2)
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-150-329-_-Product

    OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB $65.99 (x1 or x2 im thinking 2x would be over kill... also a bit on the bulky side)
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289

    Western Digital Caviar Black 640 $69.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

    ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" $179.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236051

    Rebates:
    CPU Rebate -$25.00
    VGA Rebate -$30.00
    VGA Rebate -$30.00
    RAM Rebate -$25.00
    RAM Rebate -$25.00
    Monitor Rebate -$20.00

    Total: $950.47


    Not so sure about the RAM, it's kinda bulky and may get in the way of ribbons. Also the MB looks like it only has one place to plug in a DVD-rom drive (I have 2).
    Let me know what you think!
  15. Why are you set on SLI? You can get fine performance out of a single GPU. The 22" screens you were looking at won't run at a resolution that require 2 GTX 260's. A single GTX 275 or a GTX 285 would be plenty, depending on which monitor you go with.

    And on that note, I would go with this monitor. I think 1080P on a 22" monitor is too much, all the things on the screen are too small at that size and resolution IMO.
  16. What I was also considering is buying one gtx 260 and just putting it in my current computer. *shrugs*

    Would it bottle neck with an AMD Athlon 64 x2 (2.41ghz) 4800+?
  17. xthekidx said:


    And on that note, I would go with this monitor. I think 1080P on a 22" monitor is too much, all the things on the screen are too small at that size and resolution IMO.


    I know some people that have to have HUGE icons on their desktop, but wouldn't you rather keep a clutter-free one?

    What 'things' are too small though?

    Also, you don't necessarily have to run at 1920 x 1080.
  18. text is small.

    and why would you pay for 1080p res if you weren't going to use it?
  19. xthekidx said:
    text is small.

    and why would you pay for 1080p res if you weren't going to use it?


    I never said i wasn't going to use it, i said some people that have issues with small text and icons might want to use a different resolution
  20. crak said:
    Researched and revised some junk.
    What do you guys think of this?

    AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition $189.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471&Tpk=AMD%20Phenom%20II%20X4%20940%20Black%20Edition

    ASUS M4N72-E $134.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131367

    XFX GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 $194.99 (x2)
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-150-329-_-Product

    OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB $65.99 (x1 or x2 im thinking 2x would be over kill... also a bit on the bulky side)
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289

    Western Digital Caviar Black 640 $69.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

    ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" $179.99
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236051

    Rebates:
    CPU Rebate -$25.00
    VGA Rebate -$30.00
    VGA Rebate -$30.00
    RAM Rebate -$25.00
    RAM Rebate -$25.00
    Monitor Rebate -$20.00

    Total: $950.47


    Not so sure about the RAM, it's kinda bulky and may get in the way of ribbons. Also the MB looks like it only has one place to plug in a DVD-rom drive (I have 2).
    Let me know what you think!



    Most MB's these days have only one IDE, and it can support 2 devices. You'r new HD will be SATA and therefore won't make a difference. If you need additional IDE channels you can pick up SATA to PATA converters fairly cheaply
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