Gaming PC $1000-$1500

[Fullhouse]

Hi,

Looking forward to buy a gaming pc soon. I have most of the components figured out and would appreciate it if you guys have any advice or suggestions over my build..

I'm new to building my own PC but i've been looking around some forums to get the rough idea. One of my concerns is that i dont know if i can build this PC myself since i've never done or even try it before. But other forums say its pretty straight forward. Planning to follow the newegg guides for assembling the PC. What do you guys think about this?

Approximate Purchase Date: soon, latest by february

Budget Range: $1000 - $1500 rather tight budget so the lower might be better. But still im more concern about the quality over price issue.

System Usage from Most to Least important: games (COD, maybe BF3, and the coming diablo 3)

Parts Not Required: speakers, keyboards and mouse. Well i only have mouse right now, i think i know what im getting for keyboard, but suggestions are more than welcome.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com or maybe tigerdirect and amazon. Cmparing these 3 sites for the better deal.

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: intel, not sure bout case.

Overclocking: maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Additional Comments: i like a quiet PC. My current laptop is buzzing like crazy..

So below is my build..
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790
$209.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
$224.99


EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1563-AR 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=N82E16814130610
$229.99

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
$89.99

Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 LGA1366 LGA1155 LGA1156 120MM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
$29.99

Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
$109.99

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
$48.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795
$129.99


LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R Model iHAS124-04
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
$17.99

Linksys WMP600N Wireless Adapter with Dual-Band IEEE 802.11a/b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 PCI WEP, WPA & WPA2 Personal, WPA & WPA2 Enterprise
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124342
$49.99

SAMSUNG S22A350H ToC Rose Black 21.5" 2ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 DCR 1,000,000:1 (1,000:1)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001484
$189.99

AZZA Helios 910 Black / Red interior Japanese SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517007
$77.99

Total $1429 almost hits my max budget...

Well what do you guys think? Felt that WDC is rather expensive, but i heard they r best at hdd.. Not sure whether i shud get the ssd or not.. Would the case fit? Shud i just get the full case tower?

Your advices are most welcomed
Thanks a lot!

 

[sosofm]

There is cheaper but qualitative mobos. You can drop the price with minimum 50$.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131729
Even with these you can do SLI or Crossfire in the future.
Its a verry good build.

 

[Fullhouse]

There is cheaper but qualitative mobos. You can drop the price with minimum 50$.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131729
Even with these you can do SLI or Crossfire in the future.
Its a verry good build.

The asus you suggest is of about the same quality as the pro gen 3?

Also, it looks like the case has no space for my hsf. Am i right? Well reviews say that the case provide more than enough fan but i dont know which one to follow..

Thx for the suggestions

 

[sosofm]

This is the same like i recomended you first but is gen 3 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792 is 180$ my mistake.
Cases : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112247
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133176

 

[Silvune]

A better PSU:
Rosewill Capstone 650W 80Plus Gold $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182071
It is better because it is more efficient. Higher efficiency doesn't always mean that the fan will be quieter, but that is the theory. In the case of the Rosewill Capstone series they are based on Super Flower Golden Green units, which have typically been shown to have maximum fan speeds of below 1000RPM. Whereas the 650TXV2 has a fan that can produce 42dBA, which will not be quiet.

There is a possibility that the tall heatspreaders on the Corsair Vengeance RAM will interfere with CPU heatsinks, like the Hyper 212 Evo, so I'd suggest getting a set without tall heatspreaders as they are unnecessary on DDR3 RAM.
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS9 1.5V 996995 $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226191

Or a set with voltage of 1.35V:
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CAS9 1.35V 996988 $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226184

Corsair also sell low profile versions of their Vengeance sets.

The Hyper 212 Evo has a maximum fan speed of 2000RPM, it will not be quiet if it ever reaches that speed. So you might want to be prepared to replace the fan if you find it's too noisy for you.

The WD 500GB isn't worth ~$45 more than something like this:
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200RPM $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
If you are spending ~$130 on a HDD it should be a 1TB drive.

The Azza Helios 910 is 205mm wide, which is usually wide enough to accommodate CPU Coolers up to 165mm tall. But obviously the large side fan will reduce this. So you might have to remove that fan.

 

[phenom90]

you can get some cheaper parts without compromising in quality i can assured you... take a look...

mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 - $122

gpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162074
Galaxy 56NGH6HS4IXZ GeForce GTX 560 Ti - $185 after rebate

psu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
XFX Core Edition PRO650W (P1-650S-NLB9) - $65 after rebate

hsf: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181011
CORSAIR CAFA70 - $25 after rebate

ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231461
G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2 - $50

hdd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB - $130

lcd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236052
ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P - $170 after rebate

case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147107
Rosewill BLACKHAWK - $90

as for computer case i know my pick is more expensive compared to yours but since casing isn't something that we'll often swap like every rest of the components so it's better to pick one that has room for expansion and cooling.... at $90 this case has come with most of the fans included so no worry about the airflow issue...

 

[Fullhouse]

Thx everyone for the suggestions.

Thinking about the asus v-gen3 or the asrock. I believe asus is the better brand but is the $60 extra is worth it?

I think im sticking with my evga superclocked 560ti..

Taking the advice to go for the seagate 1tb for the better deal. Actually what about the WD caviar green or blue? Are they worse than the caviar black, given that the price difference could be up to 30% cheaper.

Probably will go for the rosewill psu, but can other people confirm this for me?

About the RAM im still leaning towards the corsair vengeance.. The reviews are good on this ram.. What about gskill ripjaws?

The azza helios has so many good reviews.. The probable swap for me might be the rosewill or the thermaltake case.. Can someone help me out?
Thanks!

 

[Fullhouse]

If I'm going to overclock, will the cooling system and 650W PSU going to be enough? does it even have to do with the PSU?

 

[madchemist83]

Funny I just build pretty much same pc yesterday.
i got asus p8z68 deluxe /gen 3 cause microcenter didn't have any pros
2500k
corsair vengeance low profile which is not necessary cause I got Zalman 9900 MAX
Barracuda XT 2Tb and Crucial m4 64Gb
Asus blu ray
all sitting in fractal design arc midi with Corsair TX 750 V2 in it as I plan on sli
EVGA Superclocked

 

[Fullhouse]

Funny I just build pretty much same pc yesterday.
i got asus p8z68 deluxe /gen 3 cause microcenter didn't have any pros
2500k
corsair vengeance low profile which is not necessary cause I got Zalman 9900 MAX
Barracuda XT 2Tb and Crucial m4 64Gb
Asus blu ray
all sitting in fractal design arc midi with Corsair TX 750 V2 in it as I plan on sli
EVGA Superclocked

lol.. i guess our build is quite a good standard solid build for that budget range. What is the tradeoffs for the corsair vengeance low profile and regular?

How is it so far? Whats the results on playing those modern games out there?

 

[aznshinobi]

i5 2500K + Patriot 8GB DDR3 1600 $241
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.805911
Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 $122
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
NZXT H2 $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146072
Rosewill Capstone $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182071/dp/B005A2RJOI%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005A2RJOI
Diamond 7970 3GB $550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103201
Crucial M4 128GB $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
Seagate 500GB $85
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST500DM002/dp/B005CT56R6%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005CT56R6
Asus DVD Drive $19
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-24x8x16x-48x32x48x-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_img_b
Cooler Master Hyper 212+ $27
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB002G1YPH0
Total: $1314 before rebates

 

[madchemist83]

True story 7970 is best choice right now if you have money to spend.
Honestly I haven't played any games just install windows and everything loads super fast. I had a bit difficulty getting cables behind mobo

 

[madchemist83]

Trade off is that low profile allows you to install heatsinks that otherwise might interfere with ram heatsink

 

[Fullhouse]

True story 7970 is best choice right now if you have money to spend.
Honestly I haven't played any games just install windows and everything loads super fast. I had a bit difficulty getting cables behind mobo

well, no money for 7970..
hmm comparing asrock z68 extreme3 gen3 with asus p86z68 v gen3, which one would be better?

 

[azeem40]

Do you need an OS? If not, you should be able to add the 7970.

 

[Fullhouse]

Thinking about taking the Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB 7200rpm 64mb cache in amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B004CSIFFS/ref=dp_return_1?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics
$122..

I guess its a pretty good deal comparing to the seagate barracuda 1TB which I dont need the extra 250mb while costing me around the same price..

 

[Fullhouse]

Do you need an OS? If not, you should be able to add the 7970.

Yeah i need an OS.. Windows 7 home premium 64 bit in amazon cost around $99..

 

[madchemist83]

asus would be better

 

[Tavo_Nova]

if you can go grab some win7 pro, if not home prem is good to go, oh and take the asus board, it will serve you really well, the wdcb 750gb is good, and if you don't have an SDD that one is really good enough you can even use an old 300gb as C: and then some external hdds as storage

 

[aznshinobi]

I don't get how the build I made doesn't fit your budget? You can always drop the SSD and get the OS instead...

 

[Fullhouse]

I don't get how the build I made doesn't fit your budget? You can always drop the SSD and get the OS instead...

Its really a good build, but im not willing to pay $550 for the 7970.. Its just that i think i wont be needing that good of a gpu.. Im running a 1920x1080 monitor and i think either the 570, 6950 or 6970 would be more than enough..

Last couple questions..

Should i stick with the 560ti superclocked or get the 570, 6950, 6970.. I think both 6970 and 570 have the same price on newegg.. The 6950 is cheaper but performance wise, its better than the 560ti superclocked.. What do u guys think? Im planning on playin cod3, the coming diablo3 and maybe bf3.. Would prefer if i could play high settings with 30+ fps..

Regarding the case, leaning towards the rosewill blackhawk, coolermaster haf922, Nzxt phantom and lastly coolermaster storm enforcer.. Which of these case would be quiter, provide better airflow and also easier cable management?

Thanks a lot!!

 

[aznshinobi]

Then the 6950 would be sufficient or the 560 Ti, It'd be good enough to handle COD3 and Diablo 3 at High 1080P, BF3 is probably not going to be that bad, it'll be not 60 FPS but it'll defiantly be above 30.

 

[madchemist83]

I'm playing bf3 right now on ultra .. and apart from artifacts (I'm trying to figure out if it's memory clock or drivers) games runs smooth. It's not too bad but a little annoying. Will try to lower memory clock and settings.
I would go either for NZXT or HAf ... but I still like Arc Midi best of all but that just me

 

[Fullhouse]

Okay guys.. Thanks everyone for the answer, but this should be my last question..

I think Im going with the gtx 570 or at least the 560ti 448 cores (planning to play BF3 in ultra settings, my bad for the typo on my previous post saying high settings).. I think I might go with the ASrock z68 if I'm out of my budget..

Reason I didn't choose the Radeon 6970 or 6950 is that I read reviews that AMD users need to go back and forth installing drivers, patches and do some INI settings or something like that..

Below are some of the options..

EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595
$339 weekend special

MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III PE/OC GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-127-582&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo
$370.. heard this one is cooler and quieter.. but is it worth the extra $30? thinking of OC though so the cooler fan might be worth it? I don't know.. please help me out..

EVGA 012-P3-2068-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 448 Cores Classified 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130739
$299.. I heard this one is on par or a little bit worse than the 570..

Which one do you think is better?

If I use this card, should the 560w PSU be sufficient??

Thanks once again!!

 

[angaddev]

Reason I didn't choose the Radeon 6970 or 6950 is that I read reviews that AMD users need to go back and forth installing drivers, patches and do some INI settings or something like that..

Frankly, I've had a 5870 for years, install drivers once every 6 months and it works fine. Don't believe those silly reviews.