$2000-$2500 Gaming Computer Help

[eros4tw]

Ok, so I am in need of some serious help in upgrading my current system. I am wanting to play FFXIV when it comes out, and my current system scored a 2300 out of 8000 on the benchmark test. I want to try and see what the best possible build I can get would be, staying in the budget of around $2000-$2500 (less is better, but with the range it gives people more wiggle room).

Here is what I have in my current system that I believe MAY be re-usable - I figure I could reuse the case, maybe the Power Supply, maybe the Cooler, and the DVD Drive to help save some cash to put towards the more serious upgrades ("maybe" does not mean I wont replace it; so if you think I should upgrade it, then suggest a better part):


SAMSUNG SH-S203N 20X SATA DVD Burner Black Drive Bulk

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Full Tower Case w/25cm Fan Side Panel (Black) Retail

ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

I also will probably keep the HD I have now, but I should probably get another one also (anywhere from 500GB - 1TB+)


I 100% DO NOT NEED:

Monitor
Mouse
Keyboard
Speakers
(anything else that is not directly related to upgrading the guts of the PC)

So, have at it - show me what you got! I really want to try and get a lot of power out of this system to run the beejebes outta FFXIV.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

With a budget of $2000-$2500, your possibilities are endless. For the highest settings on FFXIV, I reccomend:

CPU: i7 930 - $300

Mobo: P6X58D-Premium ($300), GA-X58A-UD3R ($200), GA-X5A-UD5 ($290), MSI Big Bang X-Power ($300)

RAM: 6GB DDR3 1600-2000 Triple-Channel sets go for from $160-$220 (Corsair, G. Skill, Mushkin, Kingston, and Crucial)

GPU: You COULD keep the 260, but you might want to buy another one for SLI or sell it and grab two GTX 460's in SLI. 460's go for around $200.

PSU: If you keep the single GTX 260, then keep the old PSU. If you SLI, then buy a Corsair 850HX, Antec Signature 850 watt, Antec TruePower 850 watt, or a XFX 850 watt ($150-$250)

HSF: Corsair H50 ($80), Hyper 212+ ($50), Dark Knight ($45), Noctua D14 ($90)

Case: Your case should be fine, but if you want something else, try the Antec 1200 ($200), the HAF X ($200), or the CM Storm Sniper ($130)

ODD: Your current one is fine

HDD: Your current one is fine, but if you want to upgrade or expand, 1TB 7200 RPM dirves currently are under the $100 mark

Fans + Accessories: You never know, but just set aside ~$50

Monitor: Good 21.5" 1920 x 1080 monitors go for around $200 (get one with HDMI)

Speakers: Lots of options, but Creative T3130, Logitech has many 2.1 options, and so does Klipsch and Cyber Acoustics

Mice: I'll hazard a guess that you have one

Keyboard: Same as above

Total: $1585-$2160 (For a complete rehaul and tax + shipping not included)

As you can see, if you go for an in-between system from the above, you might have enough for a watercooling loop. But thats your choice. Well, I hope you can find a nice system from my suggestions. Good luck on your build!

 

[eros4tw]

Thanks for the reply....

What do you think about using a i7-875K Unlocked instead of the 930?

Been reading mixed reviews on 930 vs i7-875K in terms of value - on Newegg the difference in price is $40 (with the i7-875K being the more expensive one). In terms of Overclocking abilities, it looks like the i7-875K can get pretty high up there pretty easily.

What about GTX 460 x2 vs ATI Radeon HD 5870 x2?

Also in terms of a new monitor, keyboard mouse and all that stuff - I dont need it. I wanna spend the money on the guts of the system itself.

 

[a7xfire]

i know you said you were looking to max around $2500 but for roughly $300 more you can get this kit which seems pretty awesome for the price

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6536353&CatId=4149

 

[aznplayer213]

Well first off if your in a the united states and near a microcenter (cross your fingers and visit there website) you can pick up a core i7 930 for around $199. Second I would not recommend the 875 only on the grounds of the limitations it has if you are going to try to run 2 460s or any form of sli/crossfire (except dual solutions like the 5970 X2) Since the 1156 lacks the number of x16 lanes, you wouldn't get the full usage of your graphics card. (read for more detail http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pci-express-3.0-pci-sig,2695.html) On other stuff such as mobo, I prefer Asus mobos for ease in OCing but gigabyte is much better on reliability end. Be warned though gigabyte uses the awful color schemes for there boards! For the PSU, I agree with Antec TruePower Series but you can get other PSUS with better 80plus ratings for cheaper. Remember the higher the rating for 80 plus the more expensive it is. I bought a coolermaster 750 80 plus silver for around 110. Been working fine on my i7 system. Best of luck on building a gaming system!

 

[Guest]

I would rather get the 930, since you get a better motherboard and the i7 1366 series can easily break 4 Ghz with some tweaking. As for the 460 x2 vs. 5870 x2, the 5870s will win because the 460 is intended to compete with the 5830. However, the dual 5870s will be more costly and will require a bigger PSU. However, the 460s have been tested to surpass two 5850s (HardOCP), so they are currently the best value. Without the monitor, keyboard, etc, make the grand total of my suggestion about $300 less.