$1000 (Canadian) gaming computer that runs cool

[cf4legend]

approx buying date: end of april

budget range: under 1000

system usage: gaming/movies/internet

parts not req'd: keyboard, mouse, speakers, OS

pref. sites: ncix.com, newegg.ca, any place in canada with competitive pricing basically

no OC, no SLI

not sure about monitor resolution, but the display itself should be between 20/24 in. don't think i need to get into the 1920 x #### range.

additional comments: I don't need to max out graphics for any of the current games, but it should run smooth for medium-high settings (on a continuum from low to ultra). I'd also like it to run cool, so i would like to know details about which case is best for airflow, the number and brand of fans to get, where to place them, etc. No water cooling please. I don't need it to run silent, but it can't give me a headache or something. I'm most likely putting it near the floor, so dust may be an issue. I'm leaning towards the ncix assembly option for $50. Has anyone experienced issues with their assembly/testing?

any help i'd appreciate a lot, especially from experienced builders and those who already have similar systems that have treated them well without any major hitches

 

[Somebody_007]

Here is a rough sketch of what might be a good system

cpu: i5 750
gpu: hd5850
hdd: WD caviar black 620gb
mobo: GA P55A ud4p
psu: corsair 650 or 750
case: no clue maybe CM 690
ram: any 4gb with low timings and high frequency

 

[cf4legend]

ok well I guess I should have just put something out there first. Here's some of what I've looked at:

G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL Ripjaws PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Core i5 1.5V Memory Kit

XFX Radeon HD 4770 750MHZ 512MB 3.2GHZ GDDR5 Dual DVI TV Out PCI-E Video Card *IR-$20*

Corsair VX550W 550W ATX 12V 41A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan

Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower Gaming Case 300 ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB & Audio

Those components come out to C$425.

I still need a motherboard, CPU, display, reliable harddrive. Any ideas?

 

[scione]

Well since its for gaming I would not go for an i5 but a Phenom II x4 to leave more headroom for a better graphics card, because unless your playing gta4 which is cpu intensive than a phenom should be fine, along with this MOBO . Since you are not crossfiring/SLI I recommend the 5850 *(will it fit?)* IF you budget allows, but if not then the 5770
for a hard drive i would recommend the samsung spinpoint f3 if you can find one here except i would go for the 500gb or 1 tb version

ok so thats my input something for you to think about


hmm and i dont know about a display

 

[Guest]

Display: Dell UltraSharp 2209WA - 229.00
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=320-7825

GPU: XFX 5770 - $163.49
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150462&cm_re=5770-_-14-150-462-_-Product

CPU/Mobo Combo: AMD Athlon II x3 435/Gigabyte 770 USB3 Motherboard - $171.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.353290

Seagate 7200.12 500GB - 59.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395&cm_re=seagate_7200.12-_-22-148-395-_-Product
OR
1TB version 99.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433&cm_re=seagate_7200.12-_-22-148-433-_-Product

The rest of your products look solid.

Comments:
Display: I have heard great things about this monitor. Good ergonomic features, good resolution, decent input lag and vibrant colors. If you doubt me go start a post in the monitor forums. At $229 this thing is pretty sweet.

GPU: 5770 good upgrade over the 4770. I'd wait though till the end of this month to the beginning of April since Nvidia is going to release new GPUs and this may lower prices.

Hard Drive: Samsung F3 hard drives never seem to be in stock. Next best option is the Seagate 7200.12 (note the .12 part) either 500GB or 1TB.

CPU/Motherboard: Athlon x3 435 a solid tri-core CPU. The 770 meets your needs as it only supports one GPU but has USB3/SATA6 for the future.

PS. If you prefer to shop from NCIX. Use their Pricematching feature. ...But only Dell sells the monitor I listed above.

 

[cf4legend]

Thanks for the input Rokez and scione. Regarding the motherboard, what options do I have if I use a 770 mobo, and the video card fails on me. Will I be able to interface with the computer to see what's wrong? For a nervous newbie would it be better to have integrated graphics? To that end I'm considering:

Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H AMD785G ATX AM3 2PCI-E DDR3 Video Sound GLAN CrossFireX HDMI Motherboard

Also, I've read that the Antec threehundred has 2 fans included. Is that enough for my system? What about a heatsink for the CPU?

 

[scione]

As long as you don't overlclock or SLI/crossfire, the fans included in your case should be sufficient and the stock heatsink and fan on the cpu will be enough.

You also may want to go with the cpu/mobo combo Rokez recommended because it supports usb 3.0 and SATA III making it future proof

If possible order the samsung spinpoint f3 at a local pc parts store but if thats not possible and you have trouble finding it then the seagate will be fine

Also regarding the graphics card i am unsure what you mean. If the card is dies then you would return it for a new one. Or it may be a drivers problem and you would just do a drivers update. those are your only options really. Both are easy to amend.

If your going to be playing games at all I recommend that you go with the 5770. Relying on the Integrated graphics will really cut your choices of games that are playable.

Any more questions?

 

[cf4legend]

I didn't mean to use the integrated graphics by itself for gaming. I'm speculating that it's possible for the card to poop out or have some sort of problem, such that if I had an IGFX-less board, I would not be able to see anything at all on my computer. If I was doing any work on it, I'd at least like to transfer it or continue working on it when the card craps out, using onboard. In that situation, as contrived as it may be, I don't want to bother tinkering around in the back or waiting for a replacement card. If my worries are legitimate, what motherboard is recommended?

As for the fans, the ones supplied by the Antec Three Hundred model are both exhaust, top and rear. I looked around and I think it would not hurt to have an intake fan at the front. Are there any recommendations? I'm looking for a 120mm fan that will last a good while. And if I want to replace the stock fans, what is the go-to brand?
I'm looking at:

GELID Solutions GELID Silent 12 PWM 750-1500RPM 120MM PWM Control Fan 58CFM 12-25.5DBA HDB 4PIN

 

[Guest]

Yes that is a legitimate concern that can happen from time to time. If you want to be extra secure and get a motherboard with an integrated GPU I would recommend:
Athlon II x3 435/Gigabyte 890GX USB3/SATA6 - 212.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.353224
(not only does this motherboard come with integrated GPU but it also supports the upcoming 6-core CPUs from AMD and allows you to crossfire.)

It will definitely a good idea to add new fans but sadly I have no experience with what is a good fan to add.

 

[scione]

ah i gotcha on the graphics. I would go with the combo that Rokez recommended. Thats a good deal.

For a 120mm fan I would recommend the SILVERSTONE FM121-B 120mm $18.49
or the COOLMAX CMF-1225-BL 120mm $8.99

Both of them are good although the silver stone being more expensive has a higher max CFM

There is no one brand I recommend for fans although generally speaking you would look for the highest CFM( cubic feet per minute) to move the most air, and then if you care about it noise or dBa, the lower the quieter here is a chart

as you can see the noise level of the silver stone nearly reaches that of a quiet library.

Hope that helps

 

[cf4legend]

Hey thanks guys,

Ok now I've got a memory question. I've read that the Athlon II x3 435 supports up to DDR3-1333. Is it better to get 1333mHz or 1600mHz-rated RAM? The g.skill one is 1600mHz, and will probably be set to 1333mHz. If I leave it as it is, will there be any stability issues? Would I need to change the timings?

Thanks.

 

[scione]

Running the gskill ram at 1333mHz and advertised timings will be fine. You shouldn't find any problems.

But if you want here is an alternate ram kit those patriots are advertised at 1333mHz and they have similar timings as the gskill ram.