$850 Gaming Computer

Hi i am somewhat of a noob when it comes to computers so i came here looking for some help. i am looking to build my first gaming computer i mostly play MMOs thats pretty much it. i want this computer for mostly gaming but i also want to be able to do some school work on it as well. i have a budget of about $850 with taxes and shipped. i want to build the best computer i possibly can while staying on my budget.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: By the end of October or Early November BUDGET RANGE:$750-$850

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: mostly gaming and a little bit of school work

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers,

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: none

OVERCLOCKING: maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024

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SAPPHIRE 100279-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
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Total: $859.85

Do you need an operating system?

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Message edited by Transmaniacon on 09-23-2009 at 09:50:02 PM

Reply to Transmaniacon

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz
+
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2
Combo Price: $294.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.246589

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
+
MSI N250GTS-2D512-OCv2 GeForce GTS 250 512MB
Combo Price: $184.98
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Total = $776.87
$30 Mail in Rebate

GPU should be able to max out most games at your resolution.
However, my build's still $70 under budget so you can get a better GPU if your planning to upgrade your monitor soon.

Message edited by build on 09-23-2009 at 10:14:08 PM

Reply to build

herron6506 wrote :

Hi i am somewhat of a noob when it comes to computers so i came here looking for some help. i am looking to build my first gaming computer i mostly play MMOs thats pretty much it. i want this computer for mostly gaming but i also want to be able to do some school work on it as well. i have a budget of about $850 with taxes and shipped. i want to build the best computer i possibly can while staying on my budget.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: By the end of October or Early November BUDGET RANGE:$750-$850

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: mostly gaming and a little bit of school work

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers,

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: none

OVERCLOCKING: maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024

Will let you do your own research, but the Phenom II x3 720 is powerful enough for what you'll be doing. Quad Cores won't give you any boost in gaming. Save that money for your Power Supply and Graphics Card.

Look at other threads, a lot of help is there, and you can compare with their replies. You can get a good mid-tower case for $45 - $55, and save money on the type of memory you get. DDR3 > DDR2, no real difference between Triple Channel and Dual Channel.

For that monitor resolution, can't beat the HD 4850 x 2 price to performance-wise, but a single GTS 250 or HD 4850 will be adequate.

You make logical points, however at that resolution he won't need anything more than a GTS 250/ATI 4850.

The way I see it, he should get a powerful processor now that will last let's say 5 years and just upgrade the GPU when he feels his current GPU doesn't cut it anymore or when he upgrades his monitor.

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Reply to build

lol Transmaniacon is an idiot, you suggested 4870 for 1280x1024 . plain pathetic. plus that 4870 sucks, it blows into the case, unlike others.
4850 or even gts 250 be good enough to max all settings in 1280x1024

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Message edited by overshocks on 09-23-2009 at 10:23:08 PM

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Reply to overshocks

Yea you could save some money that way, but if he doesn't need an OS, then he can use all his budget and get the better GPU.

Reply to Transmaniacon

overshocks wrote :

lol Transmaniacon is an idiot, you suggested 4870 for 1280x1024 . plain pathetic. plus that 4870 sucks, it blows into the case, unlike others.
4850 or even gts 250 be good enough

Is this really necessary...?

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Reply to Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon wrote :

Is this really necessary...?

Yes, because you are suggesting the wrong stuff.

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build wrote :

You make logical points, however at that resolution he won't need anything more than a GTS 250/ATI 4850.

The way I see it, he should get a powerful processor now that will last let's say 5 years and just upgrade the GPU when he feels his current GPU doesn't cut it anymore or when he upgrades his monitor.

I agree. A GTS 250/ATI 4850 is good enough.

I differ on the processor debate. The Phenom II x3 720 BE is more than powerful enough to handle any gaming experience even for 2-3 years, especially when more Graphics Cards are less CPU intensive. Save that extra money on the CPU/Motherboard/Memory and apply it towards getting a 1900 x 1200 monitor. That will also last a couple of years. I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years.

Once the monitor is upgraded, then you can SLI/Crossfire. From a gaming standpoint, nothing beats the Phenom II x3 720 BE price to performance-wise.

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overshocks strikes again :lol:

Don't worry about him, he's going through a rough time in his life at the moment

@El_Capitan: I still feel quad core is the way to go. I'll just leave it at that.

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Message edited by build on 09-23-2009 at 10:33:53 PM

Reply to build

overshocks wrote :

Yes, because you are suggesting the wrong stuff.

Maybe consider working on your communication skills...

Its a $40 difference in GPU. If the OP decides he wants to get a widescreen LCD monitor for his gaming computer, far-fetched right?, then he is going to be limited in what he chooses. If he only has a GTS250, he is going to be constricted to what monitor he can buy without losing considerable performance. Now if he wants a nice 22-24" monitor, he is going to have to upgrade his GPU to keep up.

Spend a little more now, save more later...

Prices will be falling on the HD4870 soon anyway, it would be dumb not to get one with his budget.

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Reply to Transmaniacon

Transmaniacon wrote :

Maybe consider working on your communication skills...

Its a $40 difference in GPU. If the OP decides he wants to get a widescreen LCD monitor for his gaming computer, far-fetched right?, then he is going to be limited in what he chooses. If he only has a GTS250, he is going to be constricted to what monitor he can buy without losing considerable performance. Now if he wants a nice 22-24" monitor, he is going to have to upgrade his GPU to keep up.

Spend a little more now, save more later...

Prices will be falling on the HD4870 soon anyway, it would be dumb not to get one with his budget.

A 1900 x 1200 monitor is nice even if he wasn't spending all his time gaming. Plus, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be gaming at that resolution. A monitor at this resolution will last a lot longer than a video card. Prices for video cards also drop a lot faster than monitors do (in most cases, monitor prices jump higher, same as HDTV's - I can explain that at another time).

By the time he saves for a good monitor by not investing in a better graphics card, prices for them will have decreased a lot more than a monitor will. By then, he'll have the option of upgrading his graphics card, rather than upgrading his graphics card and realizing he needs to spend $200 on a good monitor to make use of his existing graphics card.

We're talking about an upgrade now. He doesn't want to wait, and if he does wait, he'll run into this issue again until the next time. Once he gets a new monitor, I won't suggest anything more than an adequate graphics card.

Transmaniacon wrote :

Maybe consider working on your communication skills...

Its a $40 difference in GPU. If the OP decides he wants to get a widescreen LCD monitor for his gaming computer, far-fetched right?, then he is going to be limited in what he chooses. If he only has a GTS250, he is going to be constricted to what monitor he can buy without losing considerable performance. Now if he wants a nice 22-24" monitor, he is going to have to upgrade his GPU to keep up.

Spend a little more now, save more later...

Prices will be falling on the HD4870 soon anyway, it would be dumb not to get one with his budget.

Communication skills? LOL what's wrong

Funny you used "if". Like you said that's a "if", if he is going to upgrade monitor or not. 4850/gts 250 is decent enough for 1280x1024 now.

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Reply to overshocks

build wrote :

overshocks strikes again :lol:

Don't worry about him, he's going through a rough time in his life at the moment

@El_Capitan: I still feel quad core is the way to go. I'll just leave it at that.

I strike noobs with idiotic suggestions without supporting them.

Rough time huh? Oh really? You're my daddy right, or a pedophile who stalks me?

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Reply to overshocks

El_Capitan wrote :

I agree. A GTS 250/ATI 4850 is good enough.

I differ on the processor debate. The Phenom II x3 720 BE is more than powerful enough to handle any gaming experience even for 2-3 years, especially when more Graphics Cards are less CPU intensive. Save that extra money on the CPU/Motherboard/Memory and apply it towards getting a 1900 x 1200 monitor. That will also last a couple of years. I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years.

Once the monitor is upgraded, then you can SLI/Crossfire. From a gaming standpoint, nothing beats the Phenom II x3 720 BE price to performance-wise.

"I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years."

You're wrong, 1440P is becoming a standard in Japan already. It would take far less time than 8 years.

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Reply to overshocks

overshocks wrote :

I strike noobs with idiotic suggestions without supporting them.

Rough time huh? Oh really? You're my daddy right, or a pedophile who stalks me?

You take things way too seriously as always

By the way, I posted in this thread first so technically your stalking me :lol:

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Reply to build

overshocks wrote :

"I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years."

You're wrong, 1440P is becoming a standard in Japan already. It would take far less time than 8 years.

Just because Japan's doing it, doesn't mean the rest of the world will. The U.S. just started the digital transition this year. Japan pioneered the HDTV movement, so they'll always be ahead of every other country. 70% of the U.S. population doesn't even have HDTV's yet, and I doubt the ones that have it can afford to go 1440P with the economic climate it's in. I even doubt that 50% of those that do have HDTV's have ones capable of 1080P.

So, no, I don't think we'll be going to 1440P anytime. Most likely we'll skip a grade to 1800P. Anyways, by that time, OLED LCDs will be the market. You can upgrade your monitor then.

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I completely agree that a HD4850 is suitable for that resolution, but with a likely price drop on the HD4870, he could pick one up and be set for a while.

Reply to Transmaniacon

El_Capitan wrote :

Just because Japan's doing it, doesn't mean the rest of the world will. The U.S. just started the digital transition this year. Japan pioneered the HDTV movement, so they'll always be ahead of every other country. 70% of the U.S. population doesn't even have HDTV's yet, and I doubt the ones that have it can afford to go 1440P with the economic climate it's in. I even doubt that 50% of those that do have HDTV's have ones capable of 1080P.

So, no, I don't think we'll be going to 1440P anytime. Most likely we'll skip a grade to 1800P. Anyways, by that time, OLED LCDs will be the market. You can upgrade your monitor then.

"Just because Japan's doing it, doesn't mean the rest of the world will."
That's just an opinion, not an actual fact though.

I can somewhat agree with you here though.

7"0% of the U.S. population doesn't even have HDTV's yet, and I doubt the ones that have it can afford to go 1440P with the economic climate it's in. I even doubt that 50% of those that do have HDTV's have ones capable of 1080P."

The fact that you said "That will also last a couple of years. I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years. " is a big controversy, you don't know what's happening in 8 years or even a year from now. I do agree with the skip a grade to 1800P, most likely will happen too.

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Reply to overshocks

build wrote :

You take things way too seriously as always

By the way, I posted in this thread first so technically your stalking me :lol:

I'm a serious person, thank you. "Technically" isn't enough to be true

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Reply to overshocks

overshocks wrote :

"Just because Japan's doing it, doesn't mean the rest of the world will."
That's just an opinion, not an actual fact though.

I can somewhat agree with you here though.

7"0% of the U.S. population doesn't even have HDTV's yet, and I doubt the ones that have it can afford to go 1440P with the economic climate it's in. I even doubt that 50% of those that do have HDTV's have ones capable of 1080P."

The fact that you said "That will also last a couple of years. I don't see 1080P becoming 1440P anytime in the next 8 years. " is a big controversy, you don't know what's happening in 8 years or even a year from now. I do agree with the skip a grade to 1800P, most likely will happen too.

Of course it's an opinion. Everything in these forums is about opinions. I don't know what's happening in 8 years or even a year from now with 100% accuracy. In 8 years, would I have a 1440P system? Probably. Do I think it'll be prevalent? No. I think 1080P will be by then. There will be something better than Blu-Ray, too. Is that a guess? Yes.

Anyways, we're getting off topic. My point is, invest in a decent graphics card for the now, not for later. If you want a better graphics card, I'd suggest a better monitor first, so you can see more of the glorious results.

"Anyways, we're getting off topic. My point is, invest in a decent graphics card for the now, not for later. If you want a better graphics card, I'd suggest a better monitor first, so you can see more of the glorious results."

Good enough point here.
4850/gts 250 be fine for 1280x1024 now.

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Reply to overshocks

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