Gaming computer 900$

Should I buy or Build a computer as a noobie for the budget mentioned.

  • Buy

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Build

    Votes: 0 0.0%

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alexgamer415

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Dec 3, 2011
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Approximate Purchase Date: Most likely around march when income taxes get here.

Budget Range: Anywhere from 800-1200, depends on what my current status allows. Before rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, surfing the internet, programming, watching movies

Parts Not Required: All parts are needed except the OS, the mouse and keyboard do NOT need to be fancy, just to work well. I would prefer for the monitor to be 20+ inches, within a reasonable price.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Either newegg or amazon, but I would prefer newegg

Country: America

Parts Preferences: I have no preference on parts, just suggest what you know works well. I hear that intel makes better CPU's than AMD, but I have also seen counter arguments to that statement, so I will depend on the community for that choice.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No, it just makes the whole setup more complicated, and from what I have seen and heard, does not boost the performance in most games to the point where I would consider spending that much more money.

Monitor Resolution: Depends on the monitor that you guys/girls suggest.

Additional Comments: This is the first time that I will be building a computer, so I would like to know if I would be better off just buying a prebuilt computer, and how much money I would save/lose if I build/buy my computer. If you think that I should buy a prebuilt one, please suggest one that you know is dependable. I really appreciate any and all help that I receive.
 

alexgamer415

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My current computer is incapable of playing most games sadly, but once I get this new computer, I am going to play SCII, L4D2, SWTOR, Skyrim, and maybe battlefield 3, but I don't need to have max settings on battlefield.
 

BohleyK

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Oct 8, 2009
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Needing a monitor and a case is going to put you back some. You can still get a solid build though it just won't be benchmarking material. For a monitor you are going to want to go for a 1080p resolution and I'm guessing a mid tower case to hold everything with.

You are going to want to go Intel as AMD just doesn't compete anymore. Since you have to buy a monitor and a case while being on your budget I'd suggest a Core i3 processor and a decent H61/H67 motherboard with plenty of USB ports. Or you could try to go for the i5 and a P67 board but those cost a bit more.

If you go with the Core i3 processor you can probably grab something along the lines of a HD6870 for your video card. An HD6870 will run everything pretty well. You can try to go for it with the Core i5 but as before, its going to be more expensive.
 

alexgamer415

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I know that the monitor will set me back a bit, but I've seen some pretty decent monitors for like 80-110$, so that's not too much of a problem. The main reason I want to know whether or not I should get a pre-built computer is that I bought my sister a laptop for like 720$ and it is able to run SWTOR at pretty high settings. An 800 or so dollar desktop should be able to handle pretty much all that I want to play, because it won't matter to me much if I can't play BF3. For example, I was looking at this computer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229284 and the only thing that I can see to upgrade is the Graphics card. If you could suggest other things to help, I would appreciate it!
 

BohleyK

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The thing with prebuilts are if you get one you are usually getting second hand parts. You don't know where those parts have been, who have used them, and for how long. They could be recertified parts for all you know. Also the general quality is less overall. Sure you get everything in a nice little bundle but honestly you're better off taking the time to build your own. Not to mention it is pretty fun putting it together yourself.

You can build something very similar at around the same price range and have a better machine. Just switch some of the parts around from the prebuilt as they are listed in the details. I'm willing to bet that motherboard won't handle an overclock and if it did, it wouldn't be very high. Thus making your investment into the i5 a waste. Take your time and look for parts on Newegg and Amazon, list them on here and we can critique them. Its always best to pick the parts yourself as it is your machine.

You can play BF3 with that card. My GPU is practically the same just the former generation and I can play BF3 on high at a little above 720p with ~40FPS.


:pfff: Just take gamer out of your ID
 

alexgamer415

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Lol, the only reason I don't mind if I can't play BF3 is cause I have it on the 360 as well. Anyway, I'll list some parts that I picked out, but be warned that I am not too well informed when it comes to compatibility with some parts.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146075 <----- Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138308 <-------Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125353 <---------Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171060 <--------Power Supply (Not sure if it provides enough power)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139075 <-------Ram

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074 <------CPU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136240 <----DVD Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145299 <-------Hard Drive

Hope this helps improve my build!
 

BohleyK

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Build looks good other than the RAM with no heatspreaders and I'b bump up to 550W just to be safe. Zero's got a better build with the GTX560ti over the HD6850 though. Surf for reviews and benches on GPUs, Mobos, and CPUs until you find the best solution. It takes time but its worth it.
 

alexgamer415

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Thanks for the recommendation! In fact, I can knock 100$ off your price right away, as I already have an OS. I will also most likely up the RAM, but otherwise I appreciate the help. Is there anyway I can up the system with that 100$ off?

Build looks good other than the RAM with no heatspreaders and I'b bump up to 550W just to be safe. Zero's got a better build with the GTX560ti over the HD6850 though. Surf for reviews and benches on GPUs, Mobos, and CPUs until you find the best solution. It takes time but its worth it.

Yeah, after looking at it, it is much better than the system I built. I have been looking at them for a while, but I tend to form misconceptions when I read by myself, so I tend to ask the community.
 

Grand_Admiral_K

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Dec 10, 2011
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Parroting what everyone else here has said, you really can't out enough stress the quality difference between a store bought computer and one made by yourself. By making it you customize the computer to your EXACT needs at your budget. Also, don't get yourself psyched out because it's your first build. If you take your time, read the manuals, and if necessary look for help online, you will find that it isn't as hard as you probably imagine.

So, running off of that, here's a build for you to consider.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3JQp

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($22.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI P67A-G45 (B3) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($98.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($152.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 600W ATX12V Power Supply ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total before mail in rebates: $1024.45
Total after mail in rebates : $904.45


Make a note that that case is just a recommendation, you can go pick one to more of your style but the Haf series is always a good pick. The i5-2500k paired with that P-67 board will allow you to easily overclock your machine if you wanted more speed out of it and that 6870 will be able to play just about every game to have come out yet on high (but not necessarily max) settings. If you decide you will NOT be interested in OCing then you can make the following changes to the build.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Biostar TH67B Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Total before mail in rebates: $949.45
Total after mail in rebates : $879.45


If you needed to save more money, you could even drop down to a lower graphics card too, it just depends on how much performance you're looking for. In order of descending performance my recommendations would be... 6850, 6790, 5750. I wouldn't venture any lower than that 5750 though and I have to say that 6870 I originally picked is DEFINITELY worth the modest amount of $150.

Now, a keyboard and mouse is just something I feel to be more to an individual's taste than anything, like a computer case. So, just hop on newegg and find some ones that look appealing in your price range and look at the reviews. I personally like Razers and a friend of mine swears by Logitech so you can start there.

Anyway, I hope this helps!
 

alexgamer415

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Dec 3, 2011
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It's replies like this that make me think that this is the best computer forum that I have ever seen. The amount of though put into this one reply is more than alot of people put into their entire time on a forum. I really appreciate the help, and your build looks pretty good, a little more expensive than I would like, but still worth it. I will most likely go with this build, but as I said, I am not ordering this computer for a couple of months, so many things are liable to change. I am also hoping that anyone who sees any faults will be able to improve the build. Once again, thanks to you Grand_Admiral, and to all the others who have helped me to this point.