1000$ Gaming PC

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530
Hello, I'd like to build a Gaming PC that can play both online and offline games (e.g. WoW and Portal 2) with high graphics settings and at least 60 fps effortlessly.

I found this in the forums, so I'll fill it out.

Approximate Purchase Date: Whenever

Budget Range: < or = 1000$ USD

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Multitasking, Online streaming, Movies

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NewEgg or any American electronics store

Country of Origin: Overseas, but shipping to USA

Parts Preferences: AMD Radeon for Eyefinity

Overclocking: I don't know much about this, so maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Only if 2 of a certain one is cheaper and better than a single one

Monitor Resolution: Undecided

Additional Comments: Full tower with extra space for potential upgrades

EDIT: I'll be running it with 3 monitors eventually. And, this is my first attempt at building a computer so any and all advice is much needed and appreciated.

I'll be playing Dirt 3, Bioshock 2, Civilization V, Sims 3, Mafia 2, Crysis 2, and some others, mostly racing games and rpgs / mmorpgs.
 
I'd have to say that Eyefinity is cool, but how many monitors are you planning on using? If it's only two I'd say Nvidia is still a valid option. (Also, ATI isn't Radeon anymore, it's AMD Radeon)

As for $1000 check out my $1000 build here.
http://www.squidoo.com/electronicandmore
I'd go with the 6950 2GB if you plan on 3 or more monitors. I'd go with the 560 Ti stock OC'd if it's only 2 or less.

Try to stay away from SLI/CF as much as possible. Portal will favor it, but you will see no benefit from WoW. Portal is real easy to run like all Valve games.
 

FoxEnigma

Distinguished
Jun 16, 2011
24
0
18,510
I currently built a gaming computer with around that budget I forget the exact amount but should be close to a grand..

I used the following

Coolmaster CM II 690 Case
CoolMaster Hyper N520 - About 35 dollars on new egg
Diamond Radeon 6870 1 gig video card - Around 260 I believe
Asus Crosshair IV Formula motherboard - Around 250
A HDD i had from an old computer so I didn't have to reinstall windows (I don't own a copy of Windows 7 CD)
G. Skill Ripjaw ram (8 gigs)
Processor is an AMD Phenom II x4 core 955 (should be like 3.6 ghz i think)

Def. fits your ATI Radeon preference
The Asus Crosshair has auto overclock buttons on the motherboard as well as tools letting you overclock such as a Turbo Unlocker for the processors

The only thing is that the tower I chose was a mid tower but has plenty of space and airflow, 2 openings for pipes for watercooling, a bracket for a radiator to install, and lots of mesh on the front for airflow...

So far i haven't really played any intense games yet but using CPUID the temps should be ok...

You can see my post on the forum about the temps i'm getting currently

Also it was a little bit of a pain getting the cooler onto the motherboard b/c you have to attach a bracket to the back of the motherboard while positioning the cooler on top, my friend helped me build the rig so we didn't have a too difficult time putting it on.
 

cburke82

Distinguished
Feb 22, 2011
1,126
0
19,310
Will you be playing any other games that are harder on your PC than those 2? Because if you want to go with 3 screens AND have 60 FPS AND play a game like Metro 2033 on full details then you will prob need more PC. But those games would be fine with a 6950-6970 like Azn said.
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530


I'm planing on setting up 3 monitors. I'd prefer to not use SLI/CF so that is reassuring.
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530


I'll mostly play rpgs/mmorpgs along with racing games. I may play Crysis 2, but I tend not to play first person games like Metro 2033.

I'll look into the 6950, thanks.
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530


Thanks! I'll definitely be looking into that mobo and I was leaning towards Ripjaw ram on NewEgg. I'm new to building computers and intense gaming in general (my current laptop cannot run modern games, it plays WoW at lowest settings at 15-20 fps... so I'm hoping to build this new one so that I can actually do something :p) so I don't know much about overclocking.
 

0ozee

Distinguished
Apr 22, 2011
107
0
18,690


crysis 2 isnt so hard to run compared to crysis 1/metro 2033, you should be good to go witha 6970 on eyefinity
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530
Like I said I'm completely new to this, but how does this set up look:
and will it all fit in the tower?

Tower - Full ATX, 160$
Motherboard - MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155, 133$
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz, 110$
GPU - Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5, 340$ (315$ after mail and rebate)
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3, 70$
Hardrive - Seagate Momentus Solid State Hybrid Drive, 100$
PSU - SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W, 72$
Fan - COOLER MASTER Hyper TX3, 25$

Total Cost = 985$

I think that the fan may be too cheap or low grade to overclock the processor and keep it cool, any thoughts?
Most importantly, will the current build fit together and actually work?
Secondly, what improvements would you make both performance wise and money wise?

Thanks again.

EDIT: fixing a url.

I just read that I need an unlocked 2500k to overclock the i5...if I need that then I will have to change to Processor to an Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz, for 220$, and then pay for intel to unlock it, for 50$. Or so I've read.

That would change the total to 1,075.
 

RCXDerp

Distinguished
Apr 28, 2011
44
0
18,530
Sorry for me posting a lot, but maybe you should check out Z68 motherboards like the ASRock Z68 Extreme 4 for like $50 more, that should help a little, and why buy an open box motherboard?
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530


I read that the 2500k would only overclock if it was unlocked, and if I couldnt find an unlocked one that I would have to pay for intel to do it, that was all. But after some more research I realized that the 2500k was the unlocked version of the 2500... And I don't mind the posting, it's very helpful.

What advantage would the ASRock Z68 Extreme 4 have over the MSI board, other than not being open boxed? I selected that one because it was cheaper, by the way, which probably wasn't a good choice.

And the 212+ is much better , thanks.
 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130582
Save money you don't need expensive motherboards to overclock to high ghz. The motherboard isn't what usually effects OC (it is a small factor but not a huge one) the grade of the CPU is a factor. Though some report 5ghz OCs, the Hyper 212+ I would say can only handle somewhere around 4.4ghz. Also, another limiting factor, not all 2500Ks are made to the 100% quality others are. 4.5ghz is probably the sweet spot, anymore and it's a plus, not a given.

Stay away from Open box. If it is missing anything you won't know till it arrives (usually on motherboards I wouldn't chance it. Many problems can arise.
 

spookie

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2010
132
0
18,680
1333mhz ram might be a good idea, although going over that is a waste of money. why are you going with that spesific case? (its quite expensive)
unlocking a 6950 2gb could save some money although it isn't always sucessful, if you want to play it safe then spend extra money on the 6970. I'm hoping to build a pc for myself in the near future in the same price range. Your selection looks almost the same as what I have in mind
 

O762

Distinguished
Jun 22, 2011
26
0
18,530
How about this RAM? I may not need 1600, but It is only two dollars more than the 1333 and has a lower latency.
I think that the 6950 will be fine for what I want, and as you said, if I need to I can always unlock it.
Also, I chose that tower because it was a brand name that I knew of, having not build a computer before, and it fit my specifications. If you have any other suggestions I'd be glad to hear them?

Thanks for all the help.
 

Lukums

Distinguished
Jun 8, 2011
61
0
18,640
This is the Australian Pricing - I'm sure it will be WAY cheaper on newegg.

NZXT Phantom Full case
i5 2500k
Fatality 67 red motherboard
6970 Radeon AMD supports 6 montiors
XSMS3 8Gb Ram kit
Corsair 1000W

$1460 - Again au pricing

I believe us is $1150

Good luck mate
 

spookie

Distinguished
Nov 11, 2010
132
0
18,680
The Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 seems to be a good case, having enough fans for cooling and being a scaled down version of the twelve hundred it stil looks great and is a lot cheaper. But choosing a case that you think looks good(within your budget) is important since you will be living with it.
 

wenqi

Distinguished
Apr 29, 2011
240
0
18,680
yeah from what i have read, if you are not going to SLI or Xfire then 1kw is overkill i think 750w is enough. i think the Corsair HX-750 would be a good choice. but since you have the slots for Xfire, then you might want to leave the option open for the future. i recommend the corsair HX-850
 

wenqi

Distinguished
Apr 29, 2011
240
0
18,680


the earthwatts isn't good value:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=163
and the radimax unit is made by top power:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7550
IMO the HX-850 is more because its BETTER:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=153
i wouldn't by a cheap unit if i were you but if you want something cheaper try the TX-850 or TX-750 (and TP-750 by antec), they are more budget friendly:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4169931&SID=z1maapv7a072
if i were to buy a computer for $1000 it wouldn't make sense to me taking a "shortcut" with the PSU especially since there is a corsair unit that is ABOUT (in other words a bit more) the same price as the others. (oh @ AznShinobi the reason why i say the TX-750 is the same as the Raidmax unit is you'll probably find that the radimax unit is overated (IMO)

oh and BTW heres what a cheap PSU will do:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] t&reid=204

 
It's 20$ less than the 750TX ATM, that's a good value. Wenqi look at the review closer and you'll find he states that if on sale it's a good deal. (referring to the Newegg 75-90$ deals for the EA750)
You also can't read your own posts. They are made by Andyson which is a solid brand. Please look up your actual articles before you post them.
EA750 review
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/09/18/antec_earthwatts_750w_psu_review/9
850AE review
http://yutubemedia.com/raidmax-rx-850ae-850w-psu-review/2/
Oh hey look? It lives up to 80+ Gold.