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<$1500 gaming rig, 1st build - Please Critique Specs

Forum Homebuilt Systems : General Homebuilt - <$1500 gaming rig, 1st build - Please Critique Specs

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I haven't upgraded in 4 years, looking for something that can handle the latest & greatest in pc gaming FTW! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Nov. 1st

BUDGET RANGE: $1200-$1500

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, gaming, gaming, surfing/word processing

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: OS, speakers,

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, tigerdirect.com, as i have listed below. Price is the primary concern.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: AMD CPU, 24" LCD, and full tower case

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe eventually

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920 x 1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
*I would like a quiet PC, Upgradability and longevity are both highly valued.
*Monitor and speakers are not 100% necessary atm and are located at the bottom
*Are all the components compatible? Any possible problems with them?
*Can i use a med. case for this rig?

*I had a friend help me with the specs, just seeking approval. I don't know a lot about compatibility and performance between the different parts. Also, I am indifferent to where the parts are purchased, if there are better deals elsewhere let me know. Feel free to comment on the build, any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

CPU+MOTHERBOARD $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.273333

HEATSINK $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835118051

RAM $85.99 TWO OF THESE = $171.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

CASE & POWERSUPPLY $214.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.266000

HARD DRIVE $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136317

VIDEO CARD 5850 (DIRECTX 11) $289.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] CatId=3669

CD/DVD BURNER $29.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827118030

SATA CABLE $2.89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6812270093

MOUSE + KEYBOARD $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6823126032

SPEAKERS $78.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6836121006

Widescreen LCD Monitor $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824254040

Add a reply

Welcome to the forum.

This HSF is superior
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103065

This RAM is faster, and for sure just stick to 4gb of it
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231279

This HDD will be much faster
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152185

That PSU is ok but it won't support crossfire - 750W is good, but more importantly 4 pci-e connectors. See if you can find a good combo for one like this

Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371025

Finally, why the SATA cable?

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Reply to jbakerlent

You only need 4GB, not 8. AMD has the lower budget builds all sewn up right now, but at your budget range you need to be looking at the i5 750 at least, or even an i7 920.

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Reply to Proximon

^+1 for both posters above on parts and going i7 (LGA1366 *NOT* LGA1156).

@OP: DO NOT get that Zalman cooler. get a Core Contact Freezer ($20 after MIR @ Newegg)
See HSF reviews here: http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

Case is a personal choice, but consider a HAF 932 + Corsair 650TX.

Also OP would you happen to live near a MicroCenter? Again, consider going i7 920.

Message edited by Shadow703793 on 10-26-2009 at 05:35:32 PM

------------------------------

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif

Reply to Shadow703793

I originally planned to keep the cost below $1150 for everything, not including the monitor and speakers. The new monitor and speakers (which i plan to buy at a later date) pushed the cost to more like $1400-$1500.

Meaning the i7 is a bit over my budget, and the AMD combo deal is attractive. But thanks for the suggestion(s).

As for the cooling system... I'm considering retooling the the ZALMAN CNPS10X Extreme after the poor reviews it received (see "Not meant for AM3 Socket!!!" ). The COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 is cheaper and quieter.
Does Sunbeam make a Core-Contact Freezer compatible with AM3?

thanks for your posts

Reply to Chingachgook

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