$1,500 Gaming System Build

derrickwmartin

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May 11, 2010
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Hi everyone, this is my first post on TH, but I have been a fan and user of reviews and advice from this place for years. I am now posting on the forums for some advice in a new system I am looking to build. I have looked and looked and looked but there is so many options out there that I do not know what works together and what doesn't now a days. The last system(s) I built were back in the day when the P4's had "Hyperthreading" and then I later built an althlon 64 system. Reading over the past few months I have come to realize that everything has pretty much shifted ties and is almost the opposite of way back when. I am currently in the process of redeploying back to the United States from Iraq and am interested in building a new system. So if anyone could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Here is the form filled out below:



APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within a month.

APPROXIMATE BUDGET: Around $1,500

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming and everyday use.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard/Mouse, Speakers/Headset nothing peripheral need really.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com is preferred, but I am not basis to any other sites. I would just prefer them be mainly from one site.

PARTS PREFERENCES: I am not sure on what I really want to use an AMD or Intel based system, I have used both and like both.

OVERCLOCKING: YES

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, but not included in the initial build.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050 or better preffered.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Would like a case with a window, but doesn't need to be required. Nothing a little modding the case can't take care of.



Thanks to everyone in Advanced for helping me out,

Derrick
 
I'm just making sure I've got this right. Do you need the OS and monitor included in the budget? I'll post two builds, one with those included, one without.

Without OS/monitor:

CPU/HSF: i5-750 and Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus $222
Mobo/PSU: Asus P7P55D-E Pro and Corsair 750W $265 after rebate
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $120
GPU: HD 5970 $700
HDD: Seagate 7200.12 500 GB $55
Case: HAF 922 $100
Optical: Cheap SATA DVD burner $20

Total: $1,482

With OS/Monitor:

CPU/Mobo: i5-750 and Asus P7P55D-E Pro $375
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $120
GPU: HD 5870 $395
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB $90
Case/PSU: Antec 902 and Earthwatts 750W $155 after rebate
Optical: Cheap SATA DVD burner $20
HSF: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus $30
OS: Windows 7 Home 64-bit OEM $100
Monitor: Asus 23" 1080p $180 after rebate

Total: $1,455
 
I'll do the easy one first. The i7-930 (a newer, better 920) is not worth extra money for gaming, but it cost more than just the $90ish difference in the CPUs. You have to factor in the price difference in the boards (usually about $50-100) and the upgrade to triple channel RAM (usually about $70). All told, the price difference is more like $200-300.

As for the 5870 over the 5850, it depends. The 5850 gives you excellent performance in most games. It tends to fall short when trying to run Crysis at full details at 1920x1080 resolutions, where the 5870 is still good. While this isn't that important right now, it shows how well the GPUs will fair in the future. I tend to think that the 5870 is a good choice as long as you don't have to sacrifice something more useful for it, which you don't.
 

derrickwmartin

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May 11, 2010
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18,630
Alright so what you are saying is to stick with a i5 based system build for gaming rather than spending the extra cash on the i7 build?

What you told me about the GPU sold me. I am all about trying to make this system as future proof as possible with the amount of money I have at hand.


Also, another question, sorry for all the questions. Why did you choose the Asus Motherboard? Just curious.
 
Stick with the i5.

I choose the Asus board for a number of reasons.

First, it's a high quality board. Asus and Gigabyte make the best, more reliable boards out there right now, regardless of the type.

Second, it's loaded with features. It has a wide variety of external ports. It's got a lot of room for expansion.

Third, it's an extremely future proof board. Not only does it have Crossfire support at good speeds, but it also feature USB 3/SATA III ports. Unlike many P55 Gigabyte boards, the Asus doesn't disable features (specifically USB 3/SATA III speeds) when you add a second GPU.

Finally, the price is good. Many Intel boards tend to have very high prices, but are practically the same as the cheaper ones. This Asus board is on the lower end in terms of price, yet on the higher end in terms of features.