Gaming Computer for < $1200

barnumdefect · May 30, 2011

Approximate Purchase Date: Hopefully before the end of the slight Memorial Day Sales specials I was looking at catching.

Budget Range: I can fiddle around the $1200 range, I might be able to get it up to 13ish dependent on how my paycheck comes out.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, HD Entertainment, Coding, General Computing

Parts Not Required: HDD, disc drive, keyboard, mouse, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country of Origin: US

Parts Preferences: No particular preference aside from reputable names, though I'd be willing to try an off-brand if it was highly recommended.

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Not in the current build though it may be upgraded in the future, so a maybe I suppose.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I'd prefer it to not be rip-roaring loud, but I tend to have my volume pretty loud so my level of 'quiet' might be slightly higher than the norm.

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So, without further ado I hand my specs over to my admittedly more seasoned and knowledgeable fellows:

Case: NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W

Mobo: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3)

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3

Video card: XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB

Heatsink/Fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

Monitor: ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P

Any suggestions or corrections on the setup are greatly appreciated, thanks for taking all the time to take a look at this!

Silvune · May 30, 2011

Don't get the old Corsair 750TX, get the 750TXV2 which is more efficient, newer, better all round and the same price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

Builds with two 6870s can be quite easily run on good 650W PSUs.
This is a bit cheaper and is modular so you'll have fewer cables to need to hide, not that this would really be a problem in a large case like the NZXT Phantom:
XFX 650W XXX Edition 80Plus Bronze Modular $89 ($30 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207007

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus is a bit expensive at $40. My suggestion is to find it somewhere else for $30 (or less) or get this instead as it gets better temps and comes with a quieter fan:
Scythe Mugen 2 Rev B $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142

gametstr · May 30, 2011

A pretty solid build u got there. Here are my opinions

GPU : I 'd look to getting a better GPU. Although the 6870 would do a great job at ur resolution if u decide go dual monitor or a higher res monitor and want ur GPU to last longer before ur next upgrade get the 6950 2GB @ around 250$AMIR Better over all value.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102914&cm_re=6950_2GB-_-14-102-914-_-Product

The following two would be my personal choices but they dont matter much. U already have good parts for those.
Monitor :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049

PSU : if u go with corsair do go with the 750 TX v2 like Silvune suggested

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088&Tpk=seasonic%20650
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087&Tpk=seasonic%20750

Note about the mobo : have u also considered the z68 based boards? these are what the p67s should have been imo. Although they dont matter much to u do check them out.

need4speeds · May 30, 2011

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102878
$109.99 SAPPHIRE 100297L Radeon HD 5830 1GB

Crossfire with a total of 2240 shaders for $220?

Jinzo · May 30, 2011

barnumdefect :

Okay well i put together a good gaming build for you and this is from newegg let me know what you think
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135224
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145343
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150531
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146073
You can downgrade the processor to the i5 2500k and get windows 7 home premium 64 bit oem if you dont think you will need the hyperthreading the 2600k has that comes to 1245$ after mail in rebate

gametstr · May 30, 2011

Jinzo :

^ Good Rig.
Except I 'd ditch the i7 for an i5 2500K.
Also there is no point in getting a 6970 over a 6950 2GB especially at this resolution.(There are also reference designs available now on newegg)

The money saved here can be spent on the monitor the op needs.

boiler1990 · May 30, 2011

Man I hate looking at links...

I have the 6950 2GB and a 1920x1080 monitor and my games run perfectly.

The Gigabyte UD4 is a great motherboard, but realize that the open box motherboard probably won't come with a backplate and all of the cables that retail motherboards do come with (SATA, any converters/extenders, etc.)

mjmjpfaff · May 30, 2011

i5 2500k- 225$@newegg
asrock p67 extreme4- 160$@amazon (no shipping costs)
corsair vengeance 8gb ram- 75$@newegg( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345&cm_re=8gb_ddr3_1600-_-20-145-345-_-Product )
hyper 212 plus- 28$@ amazon( http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1306765822&sr=1-1 )
gtx 560 ti- 220$@amazon( http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004XUCCRM/ref=dp_olp_new_map?ie=UTF8&qid=1306765876&sr=1-5&condition=new this card is better than the 6950 when using 1080p)
dvd drive- 20$@newegg( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204&cm_re=asus_dvd_burner-_-27-135-204-_-Product ) but you already have one oh and a hdd
psu- 95$@amazon( http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthusiast-Certified-compatible-platforms/dp/B004MYFODI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1306766196&sr=1-1 )
nzxt phantom- 140$@amazon(pick your color- http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=nzxt+phantom&sprefix=nzxt+phantom)
ssd if its in budget corsair force 3- 238$@newegg(there is also the 60gb ocz agility 3 if 120gb it too expensive)
did i miss anything?
total- 1221$ hmm might want to go with that 60gb agility 3 or an 80gb intel 320 series.

barnumdefect · May 30, 2011

Thanks everyone for all of the replies, I ended up changing the PSU to the V2 and I changed the CPU fan/heatsink and added thermal paste as it looks like it doesn't come with it to begin with. I think this is the system that I'll be ordering unless there are any other suggestions. I'm happy I came here to ask this question, I've always enjoyed reading TH but had never got around to coming to the forums, you guys are a great help.

boiler1990 · May 30, 2011

@Jinzo: Stop hijacking this thread. Start your own thread.

@Barnumdefect: The Hyper 212+ comes with thermal paste. It's basic but it gets the job done. I've bought 2 212+'s from Amazon.

I'd still recommend the 6950 2GB. It's an amazing card and will beat out any comparable card at 1920x1080. I unlocked mine to a 6970 (NEED a reference model) and used the extra shaders. Haven't tried OCing beyond stock though, as there are some power/heat issues when its unlocked.

barnumdefect · May 30, 2011

Aye, the Hyper 212 does but I was recommended switching over to the Scythe Mugen as it was a bit quieter/had a better level of cooling.

[strike]I'm looking at my build currently and I could handle the additional $50 or so that it would cost to get the 6950 2GB if you recommend it. Is there a specific one that you would suggest? There's quite a few options for the 6950 and is the difference in performance that great from the 1GB to the 2?

I mainly ask because from what I've read on anandtech, the only time the 1GB version falls behind is on the crushingly high resolutions, though they also mentioned it might become important in future games at the 1920 resolution, and for just around 20$ I suppose it's better to future-proof.[/strike]

[EDIT] I'm not sure how this escaped my notice, my mobo has 2.0 PCI-E slots, not 2.1. I can't go for either my original card or the 6950. Now I need to change gears and look for a card that will fit that requirement. If you have any suggestions in that realm it would be greatly appreciated.

boiler1990 · May 30, 2011

The Scythe Mugen is also a good cooler. The Hyper 212+ isn't "bad" by any means, though. It can handle OCs past 4.5GHz, and for only $30, it's the best deal in town.

I'd recommend Sapphire and MSI as brands to get (I have an MSI reference model which is hard to find for some reason); XFX does have the double lifetime warranty (so if you sell it, the buyer is covered as well), but their stuff is hit or miss in the grand scheme of things.

The 2GB model will also help with multiple monitors (might be of interest later, since monitors are pretty cheap now), as well as handling the future games like you've noted.

barnumdefect · May 30, 2011

I think I may head back to that one, it's a little bit bigger from what I can tell, but I know it'll fit my case; and if I'm saving the 20 additional bucks I can put that towards the graphics card a little more easily.

It looks like my rushed attempts to edit after my realization about the 2.0 PCI-E weren't quite successful hahah, that's my fault though. Do you have any recommendations for a card that would fit that slot since I'm missing a 2.1 slot?

boiler1990 · May 30, 2011

The 2.0/2.1 slots don't matter; it doesn't mean they aren't compatible. I'm not exactly sure what the differences are, but I believe it is software/driver based.

PCI-Express was made to be backwards compatible; you can use 1.0 cards on 2.0 slots and vice versa (with some performance decreases of course), but I've never seen/used a 1.0 card or motherboard before.

boiler1990 · May 30, 2011

idk how to make a thread so my bad first time on these forums but if you could just link me to the correct 560 to get ill leave his thread

Click the "Ask the Community" button at the top-right of basically every page.
If you start a thread using the form in the "How to ask for help" stick I and other members can get a better idea of what you're doing. I will only recommend components once I know budget, needs vs wants, etc.

barnumdefect · May 30, 2011

Ahhhh, well that's terrific. I think I'll be picking up this MSI card as it's only 250$ after rebate and it seems to be one of the cards that can be unlocked to a 6970.

mjmjpfaff · May 30, 2011

looks like it is

Why_Me · May 31, 2011

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Enforcer-Interior-SGC-1000-KWN1/dp/B004WK3KKQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1306786833&sr=1-7 $89.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer USB 3.0 Mid Tower ATX Case with Window and Black Interior (SGC-1000-KWN1)

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-120mm-Case-R4-L2R-20CR-GP/dp/B0026ZPFBG/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b $9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Cooler Master 120mm Red LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20CR-GP)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021 $109.99 - $99.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

http://www.amazon.com/ASRock-P67-Extreme4-B3-Motherboard/dp/B004QTHYZK/ref=sr_1_6?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1306786691&sr=1-6 $159.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASRock P67 Extreme4 B3 Intel P67 ATX DDR3 2133 Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.644259 $296.98 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1306789496&sr=1-1 $28.78 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler, RR-B10-212P-G1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565 $249.99 (Before $20.00 Mail-In Rebate) FREE SHIPPING
MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236112 $189.99 - $179.99 after mail-in rebate card
ASUS VE247H Black 23.6" 2ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 300 cd/m2 10,000,000:1 (ASCR)

*Below are reviews/benchmarks of that MSI 560

http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-n560gtx-ti-twin-frozer-ii-review/

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2011/01/27/msi-geforce-gtx-560-ti-1gb-review/1

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_gtx560_twinfrozr_2/

JackNaylorPE · May 31, 2011

The Corsair TX750 V2 or XFX Core Edition 750 whichever is cheaper on day you buy. But if Overclocking and dual GFX cards are in the equation, I'd want the Corsair AX or XFX Black Edition, both of which get 10.0 performance ratings n jonnyguru.com

The Asrock comes with only a 2 year warranty ..... te Asus version comes witha 3 year warranty but is $20 more. However, with the Asus you get a $20 combo discount letting you upgrade to the better board for the same price as you're paying now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.642515

The asrock Z68 boards BTW only have a 1 year warranty if ya going that way.

I'd try and squeeze another $50 into the GFX board

6870 - 434 fps / 701 in CF
560 Ti (900Mhz) - 494 fps / 862 in SLI

The 750 watter can handle both.

I'll echo the Scythe Mugen 2 recommendation and pick up 7C

mjmjpfaff · May 31, 2011

what games will you be playing?

Gaming Computer for < $1200

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