$1000 budget gaming PC (buying tomorrow at Micro Center)

wigglez

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Approximate Purchase Date: Sunday (9/19/2010)

Budget Range: My budget is $1000, but I don't want to necessarily spend that much unless it's necessary. I'd like to essentially build a gaming PC with good quality parts for the best "bang for the buck" This budget is before rebates as well.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, movies, web browsing


Parts Not Required:
PSU: OCZGXS700 GameXStream (unsure if this PSU will be good enough to power a 1 GPU build) http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/power/ocz/gamexstream700/index.htm
Hard Drives
DVD Drive
Mouse
Keyboard
Speakers
Monitor


Preferred Website(s) for Parts:
newegg.com, microcenter.com (Going to the one in Orange County this Sunday with my brother), honestly any other reliable sites to purchase parts from like tiger direct.


Country of Origin: United States


Parts Preferences: I was planning on an AMD Phenom 965 BE and 870A-G54 Socket AM3 870 ATX from micro center. Reason being it's only $200, although I'm not sure how good of a mobo that 870 is. I would like a mobo that would be able to crossfire in the future, but isn't necessary as I'm still not 100% sure if I will be doing this in the future. I am open minded to intel or AMD as I've used both in the past. I've just opted for AMD because their builds seem to be cheaper and from some of the benches I've seen, produced roughly the same results.

GPU wise I was thinking about the Radeon 5850/5870 or the nvidia 460/470. Preferring the Radeon 5850 as it seems like the best performance per dollar out right now. That and I hear ATI cards run cooler than nvidia.

I don't have a preferrence really for ram. Anything that is of decent quality.

Case wise it's all about quality/performance. I'm not interested in a flashy looking case, but I'm not saying I would overlook other cases if they are good in performance because they are flashy.

Overclocking: For the time being... No. I've never OCed anything before and don't know how it works, so I don't want to toy with it.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200


Additional Comments: Because I will be heading to the nearby micro center tomorrow, I was hoping for a build with the best of both worlds (micro center + newegg). Living in the valley in Southern California, my room tends to get especially hot in the summer time. I've actually had a GPU die on me last summer because it got too hot (this is with no OCing at all). I'm sure it was also due to my ancient Antec Sonta case from about 7-8 years back.

I've been running Windows XP on my current PC for quite some time now, so probably should get a Windows 7 copy by now. I think I saw one on newegg for $99? Wasn't sure if it was the upgraded version or actual for 64 bit version.

I can't think of anything else to really add in right now, but I am planning on heading to the micro center tomorrow afternoon (less than 24 hours), so I guess I'm not really giving the community here a lot of time to try and help me. I would however appreciate any type of help I can get in helping me make my decision on a build!
 
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wigglez

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Bump before bed. I'll see if I can try and piece together some of the things I have found in the morning. Would appreciate any help though overnight! Going to be heading to the micro center in the afternoon tomorrow.
 

karma831

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Hmms...I notice you're not getting any replies. I'll do my best I can in the 10 minutes I have before I head to bed.

CPU: $199
Intel Core i7-930 Processor Boxed
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331303

Mobo & Graphics Card: $519.98
GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 X58 ATX Motherboard

GIGABYTE Super Overclock Series GV-N470SO-13I GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.505473

Case & Ram: $204.98
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ

COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.492953

Total: $924.95

You can probably add another 470 for SLI in the future if you ever upgrade your PSU.

Edit: Crap I forgot the OS :cry: ...Oh well hopefully somebody else will post some suggestions before you head out to Microcenter.

Also you should really good for an Intel build since you have access to a Microcenter and your budget is pretty decent for the few components you need. Good luck!
 

wigglez

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Turns out I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about my new PC :( Decided to get up and watch a movie to make me fall asleep instead.

Wanted to say thank you for my first reply =) I've had a lot of other people say the same thing you said. That I should go with an i7 because I have a micro center near me. Problem is the i7 mobos are sooo expensive! I think they start at a minimum of $200?

Had a few questions though... is there any reason why you chose the GTX 470? I hear they run pretty hot which was one of my biggest cons for considering getting it. I did hear it's better than the 5850 though. I plan on playing Final Fantasy 14, which is pretty graphics intensive it seems. Mobo wise, what makes that x58 mobo good? Besides seeing if it has 2x PCIE slots for sli/xfire, I have no idea how to really know if a mobo is good =X I've heard those gskill rams are good, but I have no idea why =) Case why I don't think I've heard much about that one before. It does have 3 fans though which is an upgrade to my current case (honestly almost any case these days is an upgrade to my current one). I've heard I think it's the HAF822 or 922 which are good as well?

Sorry if it seems like I'm nitpicking. I just try to question everything so I can learn about hardware a bit more =)

edit: oh another thing I saw. the GPU is a super overclocked series. Does that mean that it's just factory overclocked? Two reasons why I didn't want to OC any of my hardware was because I hear they run hotter and it shortens the lifespan of the product. Does this also apply to this GPU? How much of an increase in performance will I be seeing compared to the stock GPU?
 
If you''re building a gaming rig here's the best platform.
Intel Core i5-750 -$194.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215
Intel Core i5-760 -$208.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067

ASUS P7P55D-E Pro -$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131621

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM-$95.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303

Case- any of these are good i have a 690II Basic myself great case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007583%20600006302&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=7%7C11-119-216%5E11-119-216-TS%2C11-119-233%5E11-119-233-TS%2C11-119-215%5E11-119-215-TS

OS-Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit -$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

All of these have free shipping except one.
Leaves you with enough money to buy any of the gpu's you've listed.
Imo opinion the GTX 460 1GB is the best value.
Either one of these..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600030348%20600007323%20600062521%20600007779&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=48%7C14%2D121%2D391%5E14%2D121%2D391%2DTS%2C14%2D130%2D566%5E14%2D130%2D566%2DTS
 

zucchini

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the computer davcon built is good. gskill rip-jaw ram is great imo :) the ps you have will be enough juice for 2 460 gtx's in sli. they're the best bang for the buck nvidia cards atm imo and they're perfect for your monitors res.

if you want my opinion, i would wait a mouth or two for the new cpu line up to come out. but if you want to build now, go with an i5 system. i love mine :)
 

kick53rv3

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i picked up AMD x4 965 BE at microcenter yesterday with a free MSI AM3 mobo, didn't see a good deal for GPU and RAM so didn't get anything else, they had a OCZ 2x2gb on sale but according to online sources it doesn't support AMD boards that well... so just a heads up, it was $160+$20 for mobo-$20 rebate, not too bad of a deal consider newegg has that deal for over $200
 

eloric

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Hey wigglez, have you gone to microcenter yet? have you made your choices? It is my favorite store, and their CPU's are absolutely the best rock bottom prices. I was thinking of putting together an i7-870. If you are interested, I can do it in the next half hour or so.

It is a little bit more pricey than the i7-93, but you can use an 1156 mobo, and 4 GB of RAM, so it shoudl allow more for the Graphics. Here it is for $229: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0319779

Also, if you want me to do this, what is your sales tax rate? That is a factor compared to shipping.

 

eloric

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All right, I did it anyway. Here is an i7-870 build primarily from Micro Center:

I like the i7-870 over the i7-930 because it:
- pulls 35 watts less power
- uses LGA 1156 instead of LGA1366, which is generally more expensive.
- Also, LGA 1156 uses dual channel memory and only requires 4 GB instead of 6 GB for triple channel.
- Ranks higher on passmark

The parts:

Processor: Core i7 870 Processor for $229 at Micro Center

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156
OS: Win7, 64 bit, Home Premium OEM
Mobo and OS combo for $215 after rebate from Newegg

RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB for $79 on Newegg

Graphics Card: Palit 1GB GTX 460 for $200 at Micro Center

Hard Drive: Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB for $60 at Micro Center

Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case for $54 at Micro Center, which means no shipping.

Heatsink: CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ for $24 at MicroCenter


Power Supply: XFX 650 Watt XXX Edition for $80 after rebate. from Micro Center

Whatever you do, don’t get a BFG. They are on sale at MicroCenter, but are going out of business and are not offering warranty.

DVD Burner: LG 22x for $18.

3 case fans, 120 mm, your choice for approx. $20 to maximize airflow. 2 will install on the front and 1 for the side. You will not have an overheating issue with this configuration.


Total $979 for a cool system that will play any game currently on the market.
 

eloric

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Thanks sp12, can't believe I missed that. Definitely get the Mushkin Enhanced for $80.

If taxes and shipping are going to put you over your budget, consider dropping down to an i5-760 for $170.
 

wigglez

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I don't mind if it puts me a little over my budget. I believe tax is 9.725% and shipping from newegg isn't as expensive as I use to remember.

Still sifting through all the replies =)
 

wigglez

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Would you not go with an i7 930? I hear the i7 isn't really needed for gaming as it doesn't put all of it's cores to use? But since it's so cheap, I thought about getting it anyways.

That mobo seems pretty expensive for the i5 series. Is there any particular reason why? I certainly wouldn't mind getting it if it justifies the price.

Case wise, I'm not sure if I'm reading the specs right, but it seems some of them don't come with any fans? Doesn't really say how many fans they support exactly (seems like 5), so that would mean I would have to buy fans to install as well?

Seems like everyone here likes the gtx 460s =) On some of the gamer forums I've been to, everyone is saying get the 5850, 5870, 470 and 480s. People here seem to agree that the 460s is the best dollar per performance value though.
 

wigglez

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Would I essentially be waiting to buy the newer AMD CPUs? I imagine them to be quite pricey if I did, unless you're implying that the rest of the CPUs by AMD will be dropping in price? MC currently seems to have some pretty good deals on CPU + mobo.

 

wigglez

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Does anyone have any opinions on this mobo?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130275&cm_re=870A-G54_Socket_AM3_870_ATX**-_-13-130-275-_-Product

my brother is planning on getting that one, plus the AMD 965 BE today for $200. Sounds like a good price. I think it can xfire as well if needed in the future?

We're leaving in about an hour and I'm still kind of undecided. Tempted to just buying the i7 930 from there for now and maybe trying to get a build together that revolves around that. It seems like once I pick out a CPU, everything else would fall into place a lot easier. There just are so many options! I7, I5 or the AMD x4.
 

Baralis

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From what little I have found, the new AMD Phenom II 970 looks to be a 955/965 with higher stock core speed of 3.5 GHz. So unless I am missing something its not something to hold out for unless its release will cause other chips in the same range to drop in price.
 

wigglez

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That was my assumption as well... that it would just have a higher speed.

Does anyone know much about having just 1x4gig RAM stick vs 2x2gig ram sticks? I never knew you could just have 1. I thought they always had to be paired.

About to leave to the micro center real soon. haha still so undecided but I think I'm going to just go with the i7 930 if I can't find a good i5 + mobo combo for a good price. Anyone have any basic tips on how to tell if a mobo is good or not? I honestly have no idea what I'm looking at when I look for a mobo.

Is a CPU cooler necessary if I don't play on OCing at all?
 

The reason i suggested an i5 700 cpu is that they are very good gaming cpu's but an i7 800 cpu will perform just as well.
That's entirely up to you which you choose and both will work very well on the mobo i suggested.
The reason i recommended that mobo is because it has all the latest tech,overclocks well,and is xfire capable.
Most cheaper 1156 mobo will have at least one of those features missing usually xfire and the Gigabyte boards lose usb3 and sata3 when xfired.
If xfire isn't important to you then buy whatever you want i suggest an Asus or Gigabyte.
As for the ram i recommended i personally use it and it's good and fast.
The CM690II Basic comes with 2 fans an intake and rear exhaust i added a top exhaust to mine and temps are great.The CM690II's support 10 fans in total.
 

karma831

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Yea 1366 socket mobos are quite pricey. I picked that mobo because I've read a few reviews about and it was concluded to be an excellent board for an enthusiast on a budget. Its one of the cheapest x58 mobos but also loaded with all of the features such as USB3, Sata6, eSata, crossfire/SLI capable, good amount of capacitors/chokes etc (it has a Tom's hardware award). Its the probably the best x58 mobo you can get for the price. Heres some reviews you can skim through.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2010/08/19/gigabyte-ga-x58a-ud3r-rev-2-review/7
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/motherboards/gigabyte-ga-x58a-ud3r-rev-2-706277/review?artc_pg=3

Like others have said two GTX 460 in an SLI would be the best performance for the money at the moment. However, personally I would rather not go straight into a dual card configuration as it limits your upgrade path (especially when 460s can't be put in tri or greater SLI). If you think two 460s will be all that you ever need in that system's lifetime then you should definitely go for it. It was actually my first thought but you said you were weary of heat so I decided against it. Generally a dual card configuration will run hotter and be more power hungry than a single. The top card will get really hot unless you get EVGA's external exhaust cards for SLI but those sound like lawnmowers so I opted for the 470. Also I was not able to stay within budget with two 460s in the 1366 build as the expensive mobo and triple channel memory add on too much to the costs. In a 1166 socket build you could probably be able to do it though.

G.Skill has a pretty good reputation these days as they make some nice clocked and lower CAS latency RAM on lower voltages. If you're looking for a 4gb kit you should really check these out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231321&cm_re=g.skill_eco-_-20-231-321-_-Product

The CM 690 is a great case that has been extensively reviewed (google it). I personally have a HAF 922 myself and it does keep temperatures quite low but if I were to shop for another case I would go with the CM 690adv, CM Storm Sniper or a Lian Li K62. The reason is that the HAF 922 does not come with dust filters a long the bottom, side panel, and PSU area. It sucks up so much dust because of the high air flow and requires regular cleaning (monthly for myself). Also as its pretty much an open case it is quite loud after assembling your system. Of course if you don't mind a bit of noise and are able to make your own dust filters (a few ppl on youtube have DIY vids) then the HAF 922 is a great case.

I went with that particular 470 because it has a very good non reference cooler which keeps temps pretty decent (considering its a Fermi). It does indeed come factory overclocked but it runs way cooler than a reference model for greater performance. You could always underclock it down to stock frequency, but I don't see why if it can run faster on the stock voltage.

Glad to see others are also giving some suggestions. Good luck with your build!

Edit: If you don't need to buy immediately you should probably until AMD releases their 6000 series cards.
 
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