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Advice on $1000 Gaming Build based on August Budget Intel Gaming Build

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Hey all,

Starting at the Budget Intel Gaming Build, I switched a few things around and added a couple to suit my needs. Let me know what you think.

Purchase date: this week

Budget: $1000

System Usage: Gaming/Dreamweaver/Photoshop

Preferred website: Newegg/MicroCenter

Country: USA

Overclocking: Maybe a little

Monitor Resolutions: 2 monitors(1920x1080 on one and 1680x1050 on the other)

!!!Update! Microcenter has a CPU/Mobo Combo Deal!!! See bottom!

Intel i5-2500k $179.99 MicroCenter
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml...

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 $149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 2GB Video Card $264.99 $244.99 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

!!!Update! Going with Samsung EcoGreen F4 2TB SATA $79.99!!!
Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB 6.0GB/S SATA $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

!!!Update! No longer s Shell Shocker, $139.99. Is this still worth it?!!!
Seasonic X650 80 Plus Gold 650W Power Supply $109.99 (Shell Shocker)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

G.Skill Ripjaws X 16GB 4x4GB 240-Pin 1866 Desktop Memory Kit $99.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Coolermaster HAF 922 Mid Tower Case $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total = $1002, but I got the bottom two items to sweeten my deal.

Optional (But purchased anyway):

Antec Kuhler H20 620 Liquid Cooling System $64.84
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

ADATA S511 120GB SATA III MLC SSD $190 (Had to include the SSD, but obv optional)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

More about : advice 1000 gaming build based august budget intel gaming build

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Gaming Expert

Pretty good.

HD - If you are going to use the SSD as your boot / OS drive, then swap the WD Black with a Samsung F4 2TB. As a storage / apps drive you won't notice the difference between the two and the F4 will get you double the space at a lower cost.

MEM - Drop the overclocking modules and go with DDR3-1600 1.5v CL8 modules. Tweak / OC by lowering the latency...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU - If you are planning on adding a second HD 6950, bump the PSU up to a 750w for some headroom.

Motherboard : ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX - $129.99

This one has a PCIe 3.0 slot. You can upgrade to an Ivy Bridge processor easily.

Hard Disk : Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA 3.0GB/s 7200rpm - $59.99

Other parts are OK.

Thanks for the feedback:

HD: I just researched a little more and your right, for the same price I can get a 2TB option.

Thanks for the headsup.

Memory: For the same price the Snipers arent better? Im new to this so please explain.

PSU: The Seasonic X series is rated lower than it actually is. According to benchmarks its steady at 730W, plus its fully modular and (I did buy it with the Shell Shocker price) its $109.99.

Seems to be a better deal than the TX750 imo.
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008Rohit said:
Motherboard : ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX - $129.99

This one has a PCIe 3.0 slot. You can upgrade to an Ivy Bridge processor easily.

Hard Disk : Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA 3.0GB/s 7200rpm - $59.99

Other parts are OK.


Thanks for the feedback

Mobo: I like the Mobo I selected as I wont be going to a new processor. I pretty much build a computer then use it for 3 years and build another one. The i5-2500k should hold me over, just as the core2duo did 3 years ago :) 

HD: Definately Changing to a 2TB option
Gaming Expert

orionshadow said:


Memory: For the same price the Snipers arent better? Im new to this so please explain.


DDR3-1600 CL8 is roughly the same speed as DDR3-1866 CL9 due to its lower latency. The GSKILL CL8 modules can be tightenen down to CL7 (most of the time). The same could be said for the CL9 modules as well, but if you start tightening the latency levels the DDR3-1600 shows a slight advantage...
http://www.thetechrepository.com/showthread.php?t=160


Also, the F4 2TB (5400 RPM) is only slightly slower than the F3 1TB, and when used as a storage / apps drive, won't show a noticable difference. You have the SSD as the boot / OS drive so the secondary HD speed is less important...

sadams04 said:
DDR3-1600 CL8 is roughly the same speed as DDR3-1866 CL9 due to its lower latency. The GSKILL CL8 modules can be tightenen down to CL7 (most of the time). The same could be said for the CL9 modules as well, but if you start tightening the latency levels the DDR3-1600 shows a slight advantage...
http://www.thetechrepository.com/showthread.php?t=160


Also, the F4 2TB (5400 RPM) is only slightly slower than the F3 1TB, and when used as a storage / apps drive, won't show a noticable difference. You have the SSD as the boot / OS drive so the secondary HD speed is less important...


Thanks for the info. I believe, bang for buck this is the best way to go and while looking I found 16GB Kits sold by Newegg (DOH!) and found the following:

Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws X 16GB 4x4GB DDR3 1600 $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Im a WD slut unfortunately and I like this HD for $10 more
Hard Drive:
WD Caviar Green 2TB SATA 6.0 GB/S $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Gaming Expert

orionshadow said:
Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws X 16GB 4x4GB DDR3 1600 $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Im a WD slut unfortunately and I like this HD for $10 more
Hard Drive:
WD Caviar Green 2TB SATA 6.0 GB/S $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


That memory will be fine. You could probably tighten the timings on those modules to 8-8-8-24 if you wanted to tweak some...

If you are a WD slut then you at least know what you want. :-) In all fairness though, the Samsung has a better reliablity record and is the faster drive. You will be fine with either..

sadams04 said:
That memory will be fine. You could probably tighten the timings on those modules to 8-8-8-24 if you wanted to tweak some...

If you are a WD slut then you at least know what you want. :-) In all fairness though, the Samsung has a better reliablity record and is the faster drive. You will be fine with either..


I really appreciate your help in tweaking my build.

The Samsung would be faster even with a 3.0 GB/s connection vs a 6.0 GB/s on the WD?

I'm crossing my fingers as to the quality of the drive :)  I might regret it, and if so I will probably go back to the Samsung.

Best solution

Gaming Expert

No mechanical hard drive will saturate a SATA 3.0GB/s link yet alone 6.0GB/s. An SSD is a different story, but for a traditional hard drive that is all marketing crap. Yes... The F4 is still faster than the WD Green.

You might want to look at picking up the motherboard from Microcenter as well. They have $40-50 off a motherboard with a purchase of a 2nd gen Intel processor. Deal is thru August...a few days left.

jReps0l said:
You might want to look at picking up the motherboard from Microcenter as well. They have $40-50 off a motherboard with a purchase of a 2nd gen Intel processor. Deal is thru August...a few days left.


Really? I was just there yesterday when I bought the processor and the sales rep didnt say crap about that.

Edit:
The deal is only for AMD processors

Re-Edit:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/98ab8cea#/98ab8cea/...

Thanks a ton man, I save $70 getting the bundle. Will be returning the Processor and rebuying with the mobo.

sadams04 said:
No mechanical hard drive will saturate a SATA 3.0GB/s link yet alone 6.0GB/s. An SSD is a different story, but for a traditional hard drive that is all marketing crap. Yes... The F4 is still faster than the WD Green.



I looked at PCmarks benchmarks and you are 100% correct, the F4 smokes the WD, :-D.

So after careful consideration and just in time, I have cancelled my order at Newegg. :( 

So now I have to wait for the funds to unhold (3-5 days they say)

Changes:

Memory
G. Skill Ripjaws 16GB 4x4GB 1600 DDR3 Kit $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Hard Drives
2 x Samsung EcoGreen F4 2TB SATA Hard Drives $159.99 (Raid 0) Thoughts?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

CPU/Mobo Combo
i5-2500k + Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Combo $279.99 + 6% Tax = $296.98 (Saving me $33.00)
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/98ab8cea#/98ab8cea/... (In Store Only)

Still going with the seasonic but the $30 off deal is gone. Is it still worth it compared to a TX750 solution?

Power Supply
Seasonic X650 $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
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