1500.00$ gaming PC

[Gorrath]

Hi

I still have my old Dell XPS 600, haven't changed my PC since like 5 years and I've been feeling like buying a new one lately.

I haven't shop for PC parts in a long while so don't really have a clue where we are right now.

Last time I bought a PC, I didn't check what new processors where on the way and was really pissed when I learned I could have had a core 2 duo if I had waited 2-3 months more. So, I don't want to make this mistake again.

What are the best "affordable" things to buy right now?
Is there anything coming soon I should wait for, like the I9 or something like that?

I'm in no hurry to buy something so I can wait, my PC still runs ok but I'm planning on buying a new one before Diablo 3 so I still have a couple months to shop.

I would like to pay around 1500$ but wouldn't mind going up to 2000$ if it's really worth it.
I'm not the kind of person who would buy a 700$ graphic card but still would like something nice in the 250-300$ range.

I don't want the most expensive CPU but would like to have a really good one and I'm willing to pay to get a really good motherboard that will let me upgrade my CPU in 1-2 years if something cool comes out.
I don't want to make the same mistake again, wasn't able to really upgrade my current PC without changing the MB.

By the way, I'm from Canada if it matters.
Also, I'm not so great with computers so overclocking isn't for me.

Thanks

Patrick

 

[g-unit1111]

You might want to fill this out first : http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

But I can answer a few things for you:

Last time I bought a PC, I didn't check what new processors where on the way and was really pissed when I learned I could have had a core 2 duo if I had waited 2-3 months more. So, I don't want to make this mistake again.

Well the Sandy Brige-E CPUs just were released today. But they are quite pricey (cheapest model in this range is ~$600). X79 motherboards certainly aren't cheap either.

I don't want the most expensive CPU but would like to have a really good one and I'm willing to pay to get a really good motherboard that will let me upgrade my CPU in 1-2 years if something cool comes out.

The best bang for your buck is the i5-2500K, which if you want to take on OC'ing can easily get to 4.5 - 5.0 GHz easily without a lot of extra hardware - you'll need a good cooler in order to achieve the higher speeds though. Sandy Bridge is like the peak of Intel right now (until Ivy Bridge that is... :lol: ) but an SB system will last you a few years without sweat.

I'm in no hurry to buy something so I can wait, my PC still runs ok but I'm planning on buying a new one before Diablo 3 so I still have a couple months to shop.

Blizzard games (save for WOW) aren't that resource intensive as a lot of other games you could be playing - a system built around the i5-2500K will handle anything they release just fine. Where you'll notice a big difference is not in the processor you choose but the GPU you choose. Lean toward the GTX 570 or the Radeon 6950 - that will last you a few years.

By the way, I'm from Canada if it matters.
Also, I'm not so great with computers so overclocking isn't for me.

Not really - the parts are pretty much the same no matter where you go. If you're not gonna OC then maybe the i5-2400 would be a better fit as it's a CPU that cant be overclocked. I still recommend a good cooler though.

 

[cutebeans]

The only thing to worth waiting for now is the AMD 7000 series of GPU which is coming out in december.



(Best right now)
i5-2500k CPU
z68 motherboard MOBO

 

[Emelth]

here is a quick build for you to look at

Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $100.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147107

Intel Core i5-2500K - $220.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681911507

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 - $175.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157250

Enermax ETS-T40 T.B.APOLLISH CPU Cooler - $44.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835214024

MSI N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB - $270.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127608

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB - $140.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

Crucial M4 64 GB SSD - $115.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $45.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified - $105.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

Total: $1214.00 (not including MIRs/Shipping)

 

[Gorrath]

The best bang for your buck is the i5-2500K, which if you want to take on OC'ing can easily get to 4.5 - 5.0 GHz easily without a lot of extra hardware - you'll need a good cooler in order to achieve the higher speeds though. Sandy Bridge is like the peak of Intel right now (until Ivy Bridge that is... :lol: ) but an SB system will last you a few years without sweat.

Guess I could say I'll wait for the Ivy bridge but then, something better would be a few months fro release and I would say I'll wait for that,etc, etc lol

You're saying i5-2500k is a good choice but I thought the i7 has been around for a while so was thinking i7 would be the obvious choice but seems I know even less than I thought about the new stuff lol

 

[cutebeans]

Ivy Bridge will be released on Late Quarter 4 of next year.

The AMD 7000 GPU series will be out by this year.

 

[g-unit1111]

The best bang for your buck is the i5-2500K, which if you want to take on OC'ing can easily get to 4.5 - 5.0 GHz easily without a lot of extra hardware - you'll need a good cooler in order to achieve the higher speeds though. Sandy Bridge is like the peak of Intel right now (until Ivy Bridge that is... :lol: ) but an SB system will last you a few years without sweat.

Guess I could say I'll wait for the Ivy bridge but then, something better would be a few months fro release and I would say I'll wait for that,etc, etc lol

You're saying i5-2500k is a good choice but I thought the i7 has been around for a while so was thinking i7 would be the obvious choice but seems I know even less than I thought about the new stuff lol

Intel has used the i3/i5/i7 as the basis for their CPUs since about 2009. I'm running a first gen i7-920 in my gaming system. Pretty much any CPU they release from now until whenever will have those same designations.

The older i7's are based off the X58 platform and the P55 platform - the X58 platform is an excellent platform itself - it's what is in my system. The P55 is pretty decent but I don't think it was Intel's best stuff. Sandy Bridge blows everything away though. I'm using an i3-2100 at work and it can run circles around just about any machine on the network it's on.

Here's another build for your consideration:

Case: Corsair Carbide 400R - $89.99
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII 950W - $149.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P - $169.99
CPU: 3.30 GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $219.99
Cooler: EVGA M020 - $49.99
RAM: 8GB Kingston Hyper X Grey (2 x 4GB) 1600MHz 1.5V - $52.99
SSD: 64GB Crucial M4 - $114.99
HD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $149.99
Optical: Lite On 24X DVD Burner - $19.99
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 560 Superclocked Ti 1GB - $259.99
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99

Total: $1381

 

[Zero_]

my sig

 

[Emelth]

Any opinions on the builds that some of us have suggested?

 

[Gorrath]

Any opinions on the builds that some of us have suggested?

Yeah, they seem like very solid build for a really good price.
Sounds like the i5-2500k is the way to go right now.

I've started reading some reviews on the Sandy Bridge E.
Everyone seems to agree the upgrade is not worth the huge price increase but I'm still tempted lol.

I might wait until next month to see the new AMD 7000 GPU line to see if there is anything nice not crazily priced. I was planning on buying my new PC in 1-3 months.
Maybe by then, the Sandy bridge E prices will have dropped a bit. Well, maybe not, but we never know! lol

 

[cerreragt]

Hi

I still have my old Dell XPS 600, haven't changed my PC since like 5 years and I've been feeling like buying a new one lately.

I haven't shop for PC parts in a long while so don't really have a clue where we are right now.

Last time I bought a PC, I didn't check what new processors where on the way and was really pissed when I learned I could have had a core 2 duo if I had waited 2-3 months more. So, I don't want to make this mistake again.

What are the best "affordable" things to buy right now?
Is there anything coming soon I should wait for, like the I9 or something like that?

I'm in no hurry to buy something so I can wait, my PC still runs ok but I'm planning on buying a new one before Diablo 3 so I still have a couple months to shop.

I would like to pay around 1500$ but wouldn't mind going up to 2000$ if it's really worth it.
I'm not the kind of person who would buy a 700$ graphic card but still would like something nice in the 250-300$ range.

I don't want the most expensive CPU but would like to have a really good one and I'm willing to pay to get a really good motherboard that will let me upgrade my CPU in 1-2 years if something cool comes out.
I don't want to make the same mistake again, wasn't able to really upgrade my current PC without changing the MB.

By the way, I'm from Canada if it matters.
Also, I'm not so great with computers so overclocking isn't for me.

Thanks

Patrick

well if you want to overclock then go for P67 boards and i5 2500K is a good choice for now, get H50 cooler and overclock it to 4.5 or 4.8 and you will get killing performance.
and in GPU i'll suggest 560 ti twin frozer 2 or 6950 1 gb sapphire.

 

[Gorrath]

Best answer selected by gorrath.