Picking parts for a new gaming rig, 700-800$ budget.

[shamsz]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within a month.


Budget Range: 700-800$


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming


Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Headphones.


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com


Overclocking: Yes.


SLI or Crossfire: Not currently, possibly for future.


Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080


Basically, with no instruction or knowledge at all besides doing some of my own research, using Newegg, I've come up with this machine. I have no real knowledge on hardware at all, and am unsure if this is even compatible with each other.


Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor + Motherboard Asus P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard BUNDLED
330$

Video Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1373-AR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) Superclocked EE 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
190$

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
65$

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
60$

Power Supply: Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply
60$

Computer Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
60$

Cooler: Hyper 212 Plus
25$

For a grand total of :
$886.21 (including tax/shipping)

I am aiming to reduce this to 800$, or try and increase the performance from what I am currently spending..

Sorry for repeatedly editing, trying to include as much info as possible.

Before anyone flames me for making a terrible machine or something, I am saying in advance I have no experience with these kind of things. I am kind of hoping to use this as a building block to go off of. To be honest, I am not even sure if this is all compatible with each other, or if I need to add anything else? If possible, I'd also like to trim any extra dollars off this as possible. I'm thinking the processor and graphics card I chose might be a bit too pricey.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sadams04]

Overclocking: No clue what this even means, someone fill me in.

SLI or Crossfire: No clue what this even means, someone fill me in.

Overclocking is running your PC past its stock settings. This is typically with the CPU, MEM and GPU. If this is your first build, then I would recommend overclocking the CPU only. The 2500k responds well to an overclock of 4.5ish GHz. You WILL need an aftermarket CPU cooler to keep your temps in check. Add the trusty Cooler Master Hyper 212+ for $30.

SLI / Crossfire allows you to scale your GPU by adding multiple cards. In your case, a good upgrade option down the road would be to add a second GTX 460 in SLI to get a boost in graphics performance. This major thing to keep in mind here is with the motherboard selection. Make sure the board you choose has two 16x or 8x PCIe slots. Some boards have the first at 16x and second at 4x speeds. The second GPU running at 4x is not ideal...

Google is your friend with both of these. Plenty of articles out there with a much more detailed info...


CPU - If you choose not to overclock go wtih a non-K series processor. Either the i5-2400 or i5-2500.

MB - Good board, however only one 16x PCIe slot. If debating on SLI, consider upgrading to the Asus P8P67 Pro.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

GPU - The GTX 460 is a fine card, however the GTX 560 ti is a step up for not much more money. The HD 6950 1GB is also in that price range and on the same performance level.

HD - Samsung F3 1TB

PSU - 650w is plenty of power for a single GPU. If planning for SLI / Crossfire (dual GPUs), opt up for an 850w. Antec, Corsair, XFX or Seasonic...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=xfx+power+supply

CPU Cooler - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

 

[shamsz]

Thanks for the input sadams.

Overclocking seems like something I could be interested in doing. Is overclocking endangering any of my hardware? How necessary is the SLI? From what I'm reading on these Newegg reviews, the GFX card that I selected runs everything currently available on high settings. My problem here, is I'm already above my budget, and I kind of need ways to decrease my cost here rather than increase them. I'm already pushing it with what I've chosen.

Thats why I've taken the lesser GFX card (I'm actually thinking of going less than this one for cost), the lesser MOBO, etc. If I ended up with a very high performance rig I'd be comfortable budging off my 800$ max to 900$, but I wouldn't really feel comfortable going farther than 900$. Are you trying to basically say I can't get what I'm asking for at the price I am willing to pay? 800$ seems like a decent amount of money for a higher than medium end gaming rig. But then again I have no clue about this.

 

[sadams04]

SLI isn't necessary right now. The bonus with SLI is that future upgrade to extend the life of your PC by adding the second GPU. The only thing for now would be the motherboard to support a SLI setup.

How about something like this build? It is set up for overclocking the CPU, SLI ready motherboard, two open memory slots, and a power supply large enough for the second HD 6870 down the road.

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500k - $225

Motherboard: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 - $160

RAM: GSkill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 1.5v 9-9-9-24 - $30

Graphics Card: XFX HD 6870 - $160 after MIR

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG F3 1TB - $60

Case: Xigmatek ASGARD II Mid Tower - $30

Power Supply: XFX Core Edition PRO 850W - $90 after MIR

DVD Burner: Sony 24X DVD Burner - $20

Case Fans: 2 x KINGWIN 120mm 40CFM @ 19dBA - $7 / $14

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - $25

$814

 

[shamsz]

SLI isn't necessary right now. The bonus with SLI is that future upgrade to extend the life of your PC by adding the second GPU. The only thing for now would be the motherboard to support a SLI setup.

How about something like this build? It is set up for overclocking the CPU, SLI ready motherboard, two open memory slots, and a power supply large enough for the second HD 6870 down the road.

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500k - $225

Motherboard: ASRock P67 EXTREME4 - $160

RAM: GSkill 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 1.5v 9-9-9-24 - $30

Graphics Card: XFX HD 6870 - $160 after MIR

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG F3 1TB - $60

Case: Xigmatek ASGARD II Mid Tower - $30

Power Supply: XFX Core Edition PRO 850W - $90 after MIR

DVD Burner: Sony 24X DVD Burner - $20

Case Fans: 2 x KINGWIN 120mm 40CFM @ 19dBA - $7 / $14

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - $25

$814

Looks really good tbh.

However I have a few questions / concerns about your build.

First of all, isn't it really inefficient to not have the bundles Newegg offers? I mean it seems like saving that extra 20-30$ per bundle would end up saving around 100-150$ which would be the difference between my 800$ budget and 950$.

2. Is there any reason you prefer the HD6870 over the GFX card I originally had listed? They are the same price, but the one I originally listed has better reviews. I have no knowledge over this hardware so I can really only take what people on the site are saying.

3. Instead of the case you posted, would there be any problem in using the one I had originally posted? I am a huge fan of that case.

4. How big of a drop off is the 4GB RAM from the 8GB RAM, it seems like 30$ is a small price to pay for double the RAM.

 

[nd_hunter]

For even more savings, look at the 2500k/MSI motherboard combo and Antec PSU linked below

Intel Core i5-2500k
MSI P67A-G45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.660241
$319.98, $299.98 after rebate

Antec High Current Gamer 750w PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049
$94.99, $69.99 after rebate
Plenty of power for overclocking and Crossfire

Instead of buying a case and fans separately, why not get a decent case with enough fans already installed for the same price?

Rosewill Blackbone
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023
$44.99

These changes to sadams04 suggestions bring the price down to just over $700 after rebates.

 

[shamsz]

For even more savings, look at the 2500k/MSI motherboard combo and Antec PSU linked below

Intel Core i5-2500k
MSI P67A-G45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.660241
$319.98, $299.98 after rebate

Antec High Current Gamer 750w PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049
$94.99, $69.99 after rebate
Plenty of power for overclocking and Crossfire

Instead of buying a case and fans separately, why not get a decent case with enough fans already installed for the same price?

Rosewill Blackbone
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147023
$44.99

These changes to sadams04 suggestions bring the price down to just over $700 after rebates.

That motherboard is 1 x16 and 1 x8, isn't 2 x 16 recommended for SLI?

Also, even though my original posts case is 15$ more than the one you've listed. I'm willing to spend the extra 15$ as I love the style of the case. Unless there is something it is lacking that I am not aware about.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Looks really good tbh.

However I have a few questions / concerns about your build.

First of all, isn't it really inefficient to not have the bundles Newegg offers? I mean it seems like saving that extra 20-30$ per bundle would end up saving around 100-150$ which would be the difference between my 800$ budget and 950$.

2. Is there any reason you prefer the HD6870 over the GFX card I originally had listed? They are the same price, but the one I originally listed has better reviews. I have no knowledge over this hardware so I can really only take what people on the site are saying.

3. Instead of the case you posted, would there be any problem in using the one I had originally posted? I am a huge fan of that case.

4. How big of a drop off is the 4GB RAM from the 8GB RAM, it seems like 30$ is a small price to pay for double the RAM.

1) Bundles are sometimes a deal, and sometimes not a deal.

2) the HD6870 is a better card than the GTx460, which is roughly equal in ability to a HD6850, a step down from the 6870.

3) Cases are subjective. Use what you like within your budget.

4) You won't see much difference in games with only 4 GB vs 8 GB, other programs (like photoshop) can use all the ram they can grab.

 

[shamsz]

Is there a difference between

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150506&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=a8tv644uj7rg

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150521

???

 

[nd_hunter]

2. Is there any reason you prefer the HD6870 over the GFX card I originally had listed? They are the same price, but the one I originally listed has better reviews. I have no knowledge over this hardware so I can really only take what people on the site are saying.

3. Instead of the case you posted, would there be any problem in using the one I had originally posted? I am a huge fan of that case.

4. How big of a drop off is the 4GB RAM from the 8GB RAM, it seems like 30$ is a small price to pay for double the RAM.

I'll take a poke at answering these questions...

2. The 6870 is a current generation card, while the 460 is a bit dated (still a good card though). The 6870 also performs a little better than the 460, both in single- and dual-card setups.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/313?vs=290 <--Single card comparison
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/314?vs=301 <--Dual

3. He was saving you some cash

4. With a somewhat limited budget, memory is the easiest way to save cash. Gaming doesn't use more than 4GB so unless you do a lot of multitasking, your really won't notice the difference.

 

[shamsz]

Thanks a lot for the speedy answers guys, I've learned soooo much in the past few hours just from these Q&A's.. honestly at this point I feel pretty well suited to search for the best bang for my buck.

At this point anyone who can just suggest combo's, or post what they feel would be the most efficient bang for your buck deal.

I'd say..

i5 2500K
8gb G-skill
HD6870
and the original case I listed are all items that I for sure would like to have.

I'm gonna suck it up and just say my budget is 900$ at this point.

Gonna construct something up real quick and post a list of what I have going on after I look through some things.

I still would love to have any more info / suggestions anyone has.

 

[nd_hunter]

That motherboard is 1 x16 and 1 x8, isn't 2 x 16 recommended for SLI?

Also, even though my original posts case is 15$ more than the one you've listed. I'm willing to spend the extra 15$ as I love the style of the case. Unless there is something it is lacking that I am not aware about.

You can't get x16/x16 on P67 without an NF200 chip. This adds latency (and a significant price increase) so you only see a 1-3% performance increase over x8/x8, which that MSI board will do with two cards.

I get that you like that Centurion case. While it lists for only $15 more than the Blackbone, it will also cost you $10 to ship it, while the Blackbone has free shipping. The Centurion also lacks a motherboard cutout. This would enable you to add an aftermarket cooler later without disconnecting everything and pulling the motherboard itself out.

 

[shamsz]

Shipping isn't an issue because I can pick it up from Newegg since I live 1 hr away from them, and I'd rather make that drive than pay for the shipping.

 

[shamsz]

You can't get x16/x16 on P67 without an NF200 chip. This adds latency (and a significant price increase) so you only see a 1-3% performance increase over x8/x8, which that MSI board will do with two cards.

I get that you like that Centurion case. While it lists for only $15 more than the Blackbone, it will also cost you $10 to ship it, while the Blackbone has free shipping. The Centurion also lacks a motherboard cutout. This would enable you to add an aftermarket cooler later without disconnecting everything and pulling the motherboard itself out.

And sorry, I don't understand this whole x16 / x8 stuff. What is a P67 what is a NF200 chip, lol.

 

[shamsz]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.681268

Would this power supply be fine for my needs?

Or this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152035

 

[ScrewySqrl]

I wouldn't trust either of those power supplies.

If you plan to use only a single 6870 or GTX560ti), I suggest this Antec PSU for $58.99 ($53.09 after promo code)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371047

For Crossfire/SLI of either of them, I suggest this XFX 650W PSU, $89.99 w/ $20MIR.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014

As for 16x/8x vs 16x/16x, One a VERY high end card (6970, GTX 580), 16x/16x is about 2% faster in most games than 8x/8x. that means if you get 100 FPS in 16x/16x, you get 98FPS in 8x/8x. Or 50 fps vs 49. With a mid-range card like a 6870, the difference is even less, so having 8x/8x is no real handicap.. Its 2 FPS or less.

 

[Why_Me]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within a month.


Budget Range: 700-800$


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming


Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Headphones.


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com


Overclocking: Yes.


SLI or Crossfire: Not currently, possibly for future.


Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080


Basically, with no instruction or knowledge at all besides doing some of my own research, using Newegg, I've come up with this machine. I have no real knowledge on hardware at all, and am unsure if this is even compatible with each other.


Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor + Motherboard Asus P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard BUNDLED
330$

Video Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1373-AR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) Superclocked EE 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
190$

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
65$

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
60$

Power Supply: Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7,i5" Power Supply
60$

Computer Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
60$

Cooler: Hyper 212 Plus
25$

For a grand total of :
$886.21 (including tax/shipping)

I am aiming to reduce this to 800$, or try and increase the performance from what I am currently spending..

Sorry for repeatedly editing, trying to include as much info as possible.

Before anyone flames me for making a terrible machine or something, I am saying in advance I have no experience with these kind of things. I am kind of hoping to use this as a building block to go off of. To be honest, I am not even sure if this is all compatible with each other, or if I need to add anything else? If possible, I'd also like to trim any extra dollars off this as possible. I'm thinking the processor and graphics card I chose might be a bit too pricey.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I don't see Windows on that list. Do you already have an o/s or do you need to include that also in the total price of the build ?

 

[shamsz]

I don't see Windows on that list. Do you already have an o/s or do you need to include that also in the total price of the build ?

Oh sorry about that, windows is not on the budget.

 

[Why_Me]

FREE SHIPPING for this entire build.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153 $49.99 FREE SHIPPING
Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049 $94.99 - $69.99 after mail-in rebate FREE SHIPPING
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.689907 $324.98 save: $25.00 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 $24.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1311298228&sr=1-1 $59.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Samsung Desktop Class Spinpoint F3 1 TB SATA 3.0 Gb-s 32 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare-OEM Drives, HD103SJ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039 $19.99 FREE SHIPPING
Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model AD-7260S-0B - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814261108 $179.99 - $159.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
Palit NE5X5600HD02F GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Total: $754.92 *not including mail in rebates

*larger case down below

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Tower-Case-RC-912-KKN1/dp/B003ZM7YTA $54.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower ATX Case (RC-912-KKN1)