New build, 1st time, gaming < $1300 - New Build

boostedz

October 19, 2010 7:59:20 AM

been lurking for awhile reading up on stuff, finally decided to build my own desktop for the first time. hopefully the parts i'm leaning towards are good. any help greatly appreciated

Approximate Purchase Date: 1-3 weeks

Budget Range: $1,300 before rebates - lower the better

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, video editing, streaming, work/multitasking, movies, etc.

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, amazon, microcenter

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: intel, ati, but not set in stone

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe - eventually

Monitor Resolution:

Additional Comments:

Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz Boxed Processor - $230

Cooler Master HAF 932 High Air Flow ATX Full Tower Case Black - (RC-932-KKN1-GP) - $140

Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 ATI CrossFireX ATX Motherboard GA-X58A-UD3R - $210

Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD5850 OC 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card GV-585OC-1GD - $260

Corsair CMPSU-750HX 750-Watt HX Professional Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply -$142

Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS424-98 - Retail (Black) - $24

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

do i need a cpu cooler? was thinking about the cooler master v8, 212, or corsair h50.
Also i would like to try to keep it as quiet as possible, but dont want to go overboard trying to make things silent.

my total now is about $1221.
also don't want to crossfire or sli anything yet, would rather get a single card thats good, and maybe later on add a second card if i need to.
also, would getting a ssd be helpful for what i want to do? Or is it a luxury i dont really need?

More about : build 1st time gaming 1300

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batuchka

October 19, 2010 8:39:05 AM

Hmm since no one chimed in yet consider an AMD/Nvidia build?

Actually Icrontic got excellent results X6 + MPE in CS5 Premiere and u dun have to deal with mobos that cost an arm and a leg hehe
A case for GPU computing: Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and the Mercury Playback Engine
http://tech.icrontic.com/articles/reviews/a-case-for-gp...

Quote:

This project consists of compressed 640×480 video footage. These small video files were being eaten alive by the massive 1090T hexa-core processor and 8GB of RAM. Premiere Pro CS5′s increased performance with multi-core systems coupled with bleeding fast hardware will make fast work of any simple projects such as this, not giving the GPU enough work to really make a difference. These results do suggest that if you’re editing small-time video footage, you will not benefit much from using Mercury Playback.

So assuming u want to leverage MPE and since gaming is on the table

Tower @ $848 (ya i do up more small rigs/SFFs these days hehe) Am advocating single GPU set ups

Optional Items

CM GeminiIIS cooler $33
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=FAN-PBU1&title...

60GB Sandforce based SSD $125 Free Ship
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

With all optionals taken up : $1006

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geofelt

October 19, 2010 2:48:45 PM

Looks good; here are a few suggestions:
1) On the cpu, are you near a microcenter? They have a 950 for $229, or a 930 for $199. I would opt for the 930 since it is trivial to OC the i7-9xx processors to 3.5 or so.
2) You might wait a week or so to see what amd announces for the 6xxx series upgrades. I think you should spend a bit more for a 5870/GTX470 class card to get a balanced system.
3) For a good modular psu that is a bit cheaper @ $110, look at the XFX 750W:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
4) the system begs for at least a mild overclock. Get a cooler up front. It is much easier to install it initially, compared to taking a working pc apart and doing it later. A cooler will keep your system quieter and cooler under load. You can OC easier and higher. Most any will be good. I like the large tower type coolers with a slow turning 120mm or larger fan. How about the cm 212 @$30?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
5) Cases are a personal thing; get what appeals to you. The HAF 932 will be fine. However, you can get an equally effective case for half the cost. Look at the Antec 300 illusion version for $70:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
6) I love the SSD. It makes everything feel so much snappier. It really won't help games much though. I would consider it a luxury. Still, see if you can't find $100 or so for a 40gb Intel X25-V for the OS and a few apps. If you can't, plan ahead, and create a 160gb partition on your hard drive for the OS and apps. Later when the SSD prices come down(jan-feb), you can clone that partition and make an easy transition.

---good luck---

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boostedz

October 20, 2010 1:46:57 AM

batuchka - thanks for the input. i'm looking for more of a midtower/ fulltower setup. rather have the extra room inside the case, and hopefully it allows better cooling. But i'll look into the nvidia cards. and i know that if i go the amd route, the chip/mb's are cheaper. but the deal for the i7 seems pretty good, and i rather go intel than amd. just a personal preference. Also the psu you listed in the combo, does it provide enough power the setup im trying to build? and would it support dual cards?

geofelt - thanks for the input too. to answer your questions/suggestions:
1- i'm near a microcenter, i might get the 930 if there isnt much difference between the two.
2. i guess i'll wait a bit and see what the prices end up being, maybe go nvidia.
3 - the psu looks good, but the one i was thinking about is $142 from amazon so no tax and free 2day shipping and no rebate to deal with. i would rather avoid rebates if possible.
4. sounds good, i was thinking about that cooler, so i will probably add that in.
6. i'll probably pick up a 60gb ssd

any other suggestions? thanks in advance

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tecmo34

October 20, 2010 2:08:58 AM

Case... If you like the HAF 932, why not get the HAF 922 for similar performance and size at a fraction of the cost

MOBO: I would switch to the ASUS SABERTOOTH X58 Motherboard or spend a little extra for the ASUS P6X58D-E. Both boards are better than the Gigabyte UD3R

CPU: For the little extra cost, I say why not get the i7-950? It is the faster CPU and is the current one going forward (i7-930 is being discontinued).

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