Gaming Desktop - First Build

[Ballista]

Hello! I'm looking forward to building a gaming desktop. Here's what I'm looking for and what I've got so far...

Approximate Purchase Date: Within 1-2 weeks

Budget Range: ~$950 USD before rebates, after shipping (including monitor)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, 1080p videos

Parts Not Required: Mouse, keyboard, speakers, OS

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

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: For my HDD, I wont need much space; a 500GB should serve me well.

Overclocking: No.

SLI or Crossfire: No, but I'd like SLI/Crossfire supporting system for possible future upgrades.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Preferably, a quiet desktop.

*Note: build below will be edited as I find new parts
*() - after rebates

CPU: Core i5 2400 LGA 1155 Boxed Processor - $149.99

MOBO: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $167.99

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBXM - $59.99

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $49.99

GPU: ASUS EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5/V2 Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - $182.99 ($162.99)

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply - $99.99 ($89.99)

DVD: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM - $26.99

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $59.99 ($49.99)

Monitor: Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 ACM 12,000,000:1 (1000:1) - $149.99

Total Cost: $947.99 ($907.99) after shipping

That's about it. Know of any better, cheaper parts? Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[geekapproved]

I hate people who live near Microcenter. ARGGGHHH!!

Everything looks great except the hard drive. If you want a WD drive, then get a WD Black, not a Blue. It has 2x (32mb) the cache or 4x (64mb) the cache depending on which model you get and it also has 2more years warranty.

The Samsung Spinpoint is also a good drive to consider.

 

[Ballista]

Thanks for the reply. Heh, 15 mins away from Microcenter.

I'll change HDD to this...

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $49.99

Also, I happened to find this motherboard that supports x8/x8...

MOBO: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $167.99

 

[nd_hunter]

Check out this XFX 650 watt PSU. Same quality as that Corsair you picked out, but has a great discount.

I have the HAF 912 and I love it. I added two 200mm red Megaflow fans (front intake, top exhaust). It looks great and it is silent. Check out Amazon for the fans (cheaper and free shipping if you have an order over $35).

 

[geekapproved]

That's a nice motherboard.

 

[majin ssj eric]

You sure you're going to be happy with a non "k" processor? You never know if you are going to want to overclock later and if you get a 2400 you won't be able to. The 2500k is only $30 more and at least you would have the option to OC later on....

 

[geekapproved]

$30 plus another $35-50 for a cooler.

 

[majin ssj eric]

My Hyper 212+ was $27 but, yeah, point taken...

 

[geekapproved]

LOL
Yeah I looked up 212 on Newegg it said $35 plus $8 shipping. Probably could find it cheaper somewhere like Amazon.

 

[nd_hunter]

He doesn't have to get an aftermarket cooler at this time. He will still be able to push it to 4Ghz on the stock one.

I ordered my 212+ from Amazon for something like $32 and free shipping about a month ago.

 

[cin19]

I got one for $20 from MC, and right now it is for sale and after MIR for $23 in MC.

 

[Ballista]

I'm going to stick with the 2400; I don't plan on overclocking.

As for the XFX PSU, I read its reviews on Newegg, and some of the reviews stated that the PSU was making weird noises. I know Newegg reviews can be faulty, but I just fear purchasing a low quality PSU. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Ballista]

Bump.

 

[nd_hunter]

I believe that XFX is a very quality product. I've read on this forum that it's a rebranded Seasonic. I have the 650 watt version, as does my father and neither of ours makes any noise. I can't even hear the fan on it.

And I've found that while Newegg reviews can be helpful, I also take them with a grain of salt. Not everyone is as knowledgeable as they claim (same can be said for here, lol), and those who go through several RMAs on the same product don't believe something they did wrong could be the cause of their woes. While it is possible that they could've gotten several bad components in a row, their claims of this are a little more common than they should be.

Wow, sorry for the somewhat off-topic rant, but I feel very comfortable recommending that unit.

 

[Ballista]

Thanks, I'll go with the XFX. It looks like I'm set to start buying my parts. Any final suggestions?

 

[nd_hunter]

ASUS makes better monitors with better warranties. A 23" 1080p LED goes for around $180 though. Quicker response time (2ms vs. 5ms) also. Just food for thought.