First Build: i5-2500K $800 - $1000 Gaming PC

[NOnja]

Woot! First post

Approximate Purchase Date: Preferably sometime this month

Budget Range: $800 - $1000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming [BC2, BF3, Portal 2, LOTRO], occasional video editing [Sony Vegas Pro 10], watching movies online

Parts Not Required:Mouse [Logitech G500], Speakers (old, beat up, 2.1 system but it works well enough), OS [Windows 7 Ultimate]

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg or other reputable site, but whoever has the best deals really

Country of Origin: USA, Florida (no Frys or Microcenter nearby...grrr, but I have friends in Atlanta, GA *shrug*)

Parts Preferences: Whatever gives me bang for my buck, but I really like the HAF 922. Currently going with an Intel build, but if Bulldozer is coming out in the next month and is comparable to Sandy Bridge at my price point, I could wait...maybe...but I don't really want to...lol

Overclocking: Most likely though probably not immediately.

SLI or Crossfire: Not initially, but I'd like to have the capability in case I want to throw in an extra card down the road.

Monitor Resolution: 22" 1680 x 1050 and 20" 1600 x 900

Additional Comments: This is my first build ever. I've been using a 5 yr old Dell Latitude D820 to try (strong emphasis on "try") to play games like BF2, L4D2, and LOTRO, so I'm used to seeing 15-30 FPS in games. I just graduated, got a job that pays pretty well, and I've got a paycheck on the way. Time to spend some of that hard earned dough. I want a good system that I wont have to upgrade for a couple years, but I don't want to splooge too much because I might buy a car (currently driving an '06 Corolla w/ 293K miles, yeah baby) in the summer and I've got loans that I'll have to pay in a few months. I'm also used to being conservative with my money (mainly 'cause I never have any lol), but I'll spend it when it makes sense for the long run.
I've got a $25 off $50 or more coupon from newegg that expires March 6th, so I plan on buying something by then. Probably a keyboard or something...Suggestions?


I've been reading the forums for a while and gathered the below parts based on the suggestions here, but I feel like I could trim a little fat in some areas...then again, maybe not. You guys tell me Anyway, on to the parts:
Case: HAF 922 - $110
GPU: XFX HD-585X-ZAFC Radeon HD 5850 1GB - $209
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V - $80
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz - $230
RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) - $55
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM - $55
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Keyboard - $53
Optical Drive: ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - $19
*CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 - $35
........*I'll probably only buy this if the stock fan isn't adequate
Mobo: The current ones on newegg don't seem that great

Total: $840 w/o rebates, mobo, and $25 off >$50 coupon


Oooh, I also use http://camelegg.com/ to track price changes and trends for newegg products. It's a great tool that I've been wanting to share w/ everyone. Anyway, thanks in advance for everyone's help!

 

[WR2]

Hello nonja;

Might be your first post but it's clear you know what you're doing. Good job (and congratulations on the job too).

The only item I saw you might want to consider are PSU options: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W or XFX XXX 650W
OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W (46Amps +12V) with has free shipping so it's the same $70 price A/R as the 600W (42Amps +12V.
The XFX XXX 650W PSUs are also modular, have 52Amps +12V and the price for the green fan model is $67 A/R with shipping.
The gray fan model is $75.

 

[WR2]

Nice find on http://camelegg.com/
I'll be using that and suggesting it for anyone not buying right away.

You're clearly en route to a high performance system. I'd say yes to a CPU cooler even if you don't plan on overclocking right away.
It's just so much easier the get it on during the initial build instead of adding one later.

 

[NOnja]

Hello nonja;

Might be your first post but it's clear you know what you're doing. Good job (and congratulations on the job too).

The only item I saw you might want to consider are PSU options: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W or XFX XXX 650W
OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W (46Amps +12V) with has free shipping so it's the same $70 price A/R as the 600W (42Amps +12V.
The XFX XXX 650W PSUs are also modular, have 52Amps +12V and the price for the green fan model is $67 A/R with shipping.
The gray fan model is $75.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm torn between the XFX P1-650X-CAH9 650W (grey fan) and the OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W .

The XFX is rated for 650W continuous and has a 5yr warranty.
The OCZ is rated for 700W max and has a 3yr warranty.
Both PSUs are modular and will be the same price assuming the MIRs go through.

Which would you say carries more weight? Warranty or power output?

 

[boiler1990]

The XFX 650 isn't as good as XFX's other PSUs (the 750 and 850 Black Edition). I'd shy away from both and get the Antec EA650W (also 650W continuous output), which is about the same price and is made by one of the better PSU manufacturers. I'm using it to run the build in my signature.

 

[WR2]

When people are considering two videos cards I always look at the rating for the +12V amperage. If they're close you can look at the other factors like warranty, price, modular cables, and even appearance.
The OCZ 700 46A and XFX 650 52A is fairly a large 6Amp (72Watt) difference.
The XFX besides having that great warranty is made by Seasonic and that carries a lot of weight with me.

And of course you want to look at the expert reviews to make sure the PSUs can do what they claim:
FX 650 W XXX Edition Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
@ JonnyGuru the opinion was slightly different: XFX XPS 650W XXX Edition Power Supply review
The reviewer did mention that it will never be an issue for 99% of users. And the price concern and style concerns he has have been address with the current excellent price and the gray fan unit.

HardOCP has some concerns with the OCZ 700 performance under very hot conditions. This would also be an unusual condition for most users to encounter.

 

[NOnja]

Best answer selected by Nonja.