aliasautumn

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May 23, 2011
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I've been lurking the forums for some time now, as I knew I was going to get around to building a gaming computer for the summer. I've been a gamer for some time, jumping from FPSs, to RTSs, to MMORPGs. Right now, I'm looking to do a lot of gaming over the summer, from all three of those categories. Up until recently, I've been looking at i3 2100 builds, just enough to do some solid gaming. However, I now plan on editing some video (montages for games, short films, ect.) and was considering investing more into a build.


Approximate Purchase Date: This week, or next week.

Budget Range: $600 to $900. (If a build under $600 is enough to edit video, then of course that is preferred.)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming(Including possibly Multiboxing), Video Playback, Video/Image Editing.

Parts Not Required: Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor... In short, I only need the tower component.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg is preferred, though any trusted site is fine. I prefer to order from one site though.

Country of Origin: United States

Parts Preferences: Only real preference is just a Haf 912 case. It's a sexy, sexy case. :)

Overclocking: Yes if needed.

SLI or Crossfire: In the future.

Monitor Resolution: 1900 x 1200 (With the possibility of secondary monitor)

Additional Comments: I'm looking for a build that can handle basic gaming, and edit videos. The games I'm playing don't really require high end graphics, so I was wondering if I could put off getting a graphics card. (Starcraft 2. "Maplestory." >.<) Also, I also own a 2TB external hard drive, as storage.


Currently, these are the two builds I've been considering. (Note, I live about an hour away from a Microcenter. So unless I save a significant amount, the gas will even it up.)

=== i3 2100 Build ===

$124.99 Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge Dual Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078

$59.99 HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

$44.99 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425

*Unsure about Motherboard*

*Unsure about Power Supply*

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

*Unsure about Graphics Card*


=== i5 2500k Build ===

$224.99 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge Quad Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

$59.99 HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

$44.99 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425

$189.99 ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157250

*Unsure about Power Supply*

$119.99 OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G 2.5" 60GB SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227550

*No Graphics Card Selected (Intergrated Graphics on the 2500k)*

$39.99 Cooler Master Hyper 212+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065


Not sure if I missed anything. Actually, I think I wrote too much. Anyway, opinions on the builds, and suggestions for changes as well as which one I should get.
 
Solution
Here's a couple things I would recommend based on your requirements and budget.

1. In your case, I think the i5-2500k is the way to go.

2. Drop the aftermarket cooling for now. If you feel the need to overclock more than 4.0GHz, a cooler can be added later.

3. If you can last a month or two without gaming, Z68 and IGP will last you until you can buy a decent GPU.

4. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128503 <-- Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD2H, Lucid Virtu, SLI/CF Ready, $160

5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178333 <-- PNY 8GB DDR3 1333 CL9 1.5v, $78, $55 after MIR and promo code

6. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161368 <-- HIS HD 6950 2GB, $260, $240 after MIR...

jbakerlent

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Welcome to the forum. I wouldn't use the IGP, even with the K series. I would get a 560TI or so, Nvidia because if that's CS4 CUDA will give it a boost. I would also recommend 8GB RAM. The i3 is going to get beat pretty solidly in serious video editing, so my vote would be for the i5, of course that's where the budget comes in :(. If you can't quite fit it all in, here's what I would do in order: drop the Vertex 2, drop the Hyper if you're not overclocking, and therefore drop the 2500K down to a 2400, cut back down to 4GB.

Edit: PSU - consider an Antec Neo Eco 520C for one option
 

DXRick

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You need to narrow down your requirements. 600-900 is a large range.

SLI or Crossfire: In the future.

Monitor Resolution: 1900 x 1200 (With the possibility of secondary monitor)

The games I'm playing don't really require high end graphics, so I was wondering if I could put off getting a graphics card. (Starcraft 2......
:eek:
Do you want to actually game at 1900x1200? Do you want to plan for the possibility of SLI or XFire? These determine what motherboard (cheaper one with 16x/4x PCIe or one with 16x/8x PCIe) and PSU you get (550W versus 750W).
Starcraft 2 is a demanding game that will not work well (if at all) on integrated graphics. It is also CPU intensive, favoring the quads over the dual cores.

Overall, I would say that a i5-2400 + 6870 or GTX560Ti would be a good basis for gaming and video editing.

 

aliasautumn

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May 23, 2011
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I was planning to overclock the 2500k, hence the choice of the z68 motherboard and the Hyper 212. I designed my build to easily be upgradeable, as I can get more money in about a month or two, to add on a graphics card. If overclocking isn't advised for the price, what would the recommended build be...?

Also, the wide price range is because $600 is more targeted towards if it's a i3 build, while the $900 is for an i5 build.

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the comments. :)
 

nd_hunter

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Jul 26, 2009
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Here's a couple things I would recommend based on your requirements and budget.

1. In your case, I think the i5-2500k is the way to go.

2. Drop the aftermarket cooling for now. If you feel the need to overclock more than 4.0GHz, a cooler can be added later.

3. If you can last a month or two without gaming, Z68 and IGP will last you until you can buy a decent GPU.

4. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128503 <-- Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD2H, Lucid Virtu, SLI/CF Ready, $160

5. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820178333 <-- PNY 8GB DDR3 1333 CL9 1.5v, $78, $55 after MIR and promo code

6. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161368 <-- HIS HD 6950 2GB, $260, $240 after MIR

7. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207007 <-- XFX 'XXX' Edition 650w PSU, $89, $69 after MIR

8. A rough estimate with the above parts and a CPU (2500k $225), HDD (F3 $60), optical drive (OEM $20), and case (HAF 912 $60) is about $965 shipped, before promo codes and rebates. You can find free shipping and occasionally better pricing through Amazon. A 2500k through Microcenter (pick-up only) is significantly cheaper also.
 
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