$1500 budget advice.

[justinrmassie]

Approximate Purchase Date: As soon as I have a build.


Budget Range: Around $1500


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and Music


Parts Not Required: N/A


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com

Country of Origin: U.S.A


Parts Preferences: Anything


Overclocking: Maybe


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe


Monitor Resolution: Not sure.

Additional Comments: Just need advice on parts for a pretty good gaming computer around $1500. Appreciate it!

 

[eloric]

Here is everything, all parts included, with a little bit of room in your budget for some minor tweaks:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K for $225 Standard top end gaming CPU.

Motherboard: A$US P8P67 PRO for $175 Full featured board, capable of cross fire, plenty of overclocking utilities.

Video: HIS H695F2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB for $245 after rebate Unlock this to a 6970, and you can add a second card for an upgrade.

RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB for $80. Standard issue, nice voltage.

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB for $65.

Heat Sink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus for $42. Overclocking is so easy with the sandybridge, and this inexpensive cooler will keep your temps in line.

DVD: LG Black 24X DVD for $25

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 922 for $90 after rebate Plenty of room for a comfortable build. This case has lots of nice features for cable management, good air flow, cut out for replacing cooler, etc. Cases are personal choices, so if this does not appeal, there are plenty of other selections.

Power Supply: XFX Core Edition PRO850W for $116 after rebate

8 Pin Extension: APEVIA 9 1/2" Cable for $7. Need this with bottom mount power supply cases to reach the supplemental motherboard power. Just makes the build a little easier.

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for $100.

Monitor: ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms for $169 after rebate. Top ratings from Newegg on this model. Decent size, 2 ms response. Includes speakers, but you may want to purchase them separately.

Mouse: Logitech MX 518 8 Buttons for $36. Highly rated gaming mouse.

Keyboard: Saitek Cyborg V5 for $46. Not only hihgly rated, but it looks cool too.

Total price: $1421 shipped to your door, ready to build.

You did not indicate your experience at building out PCs - need references?


Edited to correct Asus hyperlink.

 

[justinrmassie]

Thanks! I really like this build.

This will be my first time building a computer and yes i could use some references if you don't mind.

I really appreciate it.

 

[eloric]

Don't know if you have purchased yet, but noticed a combo for your CPU and motherboard: i5 2500k and A$US mobo for $350. It saves $25.

While you are waiting for your parts to ship, print this out: Step-by-Step Guide to Building a PC. Look at the feedback on your components to see if there are any tips or tricks to follow for installs. Normally I recommend paying close attention to the case, but for the most part people love this case and don't have problems with building it out.

Here is a sticky to install your heat sink: Installing the Cooler Master Hyper 212+. The tricky part to me is figuring out which notches for the screws in the back plate match the motherboard. Once you figure that out, it is pretty easy. I recommend attaching the heat sink before your motherboard goes into the case, but make sure you have access to your 8 pin supplementary power. Think about attaching your extension to the motherboard first if it looks like there will be a tight fit later.

Finally, if you have an issue after it is all put together, here is the troubleshooting guide: "System won't boot" and "no video output" checklist. If you print this out and study it before hand, it may help avoid an issue later. It sure has helped me.

Above all, take your time and plan the steps in your head before putting things together, follow the instructions closely and have fun!

Good luck.

 

[justinrmassie]

oh nice!

thanks a lot, I appreciate it.

do you think the power supply is enough to support two hd 6950's if i choose to add another in the future?

 

[eloric]

Yes, the PSU is hefty enough for two 6950's unlocked to 6970's, with your CPU overclocked to 4200 Ghz at 1.4 volts, runing at 90 percent capacity and you would still have 20 percent left over for aging capacitors. Some would argure that your wattage is too high.

I used this Ant3c power supply calculator for the calculations.

edited to fix the hyper link - again.