$1500 Gaming PC

[arkon262]

Approximate Purchase Date: This Week

Budget Range: ~$1500 After Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming primarily, surfing the internet

Parts Not Required: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, amazon.com

Country: United States

Parts Preferences: Edit as I forgot this section - Always been a fan of Asus parts, I am willing to pay a bit more to get higher quality parts.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050

Additional Comments: I am hoping to build a system that is somewhat future proof, in that I won't need to upgrade it a year from now. To put it into perspective I am replacing a nearly 4 year old PC that I never once upgraded a part in. I am looking at the following build:


Case - Antec 1200
Motherboard - ASUS P8Z68-V Pro Gen3
CPU - Core i5 2500k
Power Supply - OCZ ZT Series 750W
Video Card - MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III
RAM - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) x 2
Boot Drive SSD - 128GB Crucial M4
Storage Drive - Western Digital Caviar Black 1.5TB 7200 RPM
DVD Drive
Windows 7 Home Premium

This puts me at $1,675.11 before any rebates...a shade over my intended budget.

 

[g-unit1111]

Try this - it will save you $175 and you'll get a far better GPU out of it:

Case: Fractal Design Arc MIDI - $99.99
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2 - $89.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3H - $159.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $229.99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - $34.99
RAM: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $69.99
SSD: Samsung 830 64GB - $109.99
HD: Seagate Barracuda XT 1TB - $139.99
Optical: Lite On DVD Burner - $17.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 - $449.99
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99

Total: $1,502.89

 

[azeem40]

I agree with g except for the Hard Drive. Since Hard Drive prices are sky-right right now, I would get a 500GB one to save some $.

 

[g-unit1111]

I agree with g except for the Hard Drive. Since Hard Drive prices are sky-right right now, I would get a 500GB one to save some $.

They're starting to come down in price, though very slowly. If you look around enough you'll be able to find a 1.5 or 2TB hard drive for the price of the one I listed but you'll be trading space for RPMs on that deal.

 

[somekidxd]

You can consider ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s. Other than that, G Unit's looks awesome

 

[Why_Me]

A few things I would do different starting with the vid card. This card down below runs neck and neck with the gtx 570 yet when both are over clocked it mops the floor with the 570 while using less power and less voltage. It's also on a newer die. If you do decide to stick with the 570 (no idea why you would), you want an 850w psu in order to have some juice left over if you decide to add another card later on. A 750w psu can easily push dual's 560 ti 448 though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FCCOII/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0069RZ0LW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1P08DECCM3F01CQ7ZCN1 $289.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
MSI N560GTX-Ti 448 Twin Frozer III PE/OC - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (448 Cores) PCI-E 16X Graphics Card

Cheaper board but almost identical to the Asus Pro.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792 $179.99
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

A solid and quick storage drive...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840 $124.99
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

A modular psu worth taking a look at.

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Enthusiast-Certified-Performance-CP-9020003-NA/dp/B005E98FVS/ref=sr_1_16?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1328515700&sr=1-16 $122.26 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Enthusiast TX V2 Series 750-Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified High Performance Modular Power Supply CP-9020003-NA

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=dp_cp_ob_pc_title_2 $22.88 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Asus 24xDVD±RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)

Save a few more dollars on your RAM...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220570 $41.99 FREE SHIPPING
Patriot Signature 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory with heatshield Model PSD38G1600KH

Faster and less expensive SSD...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211588 $154.99 FREE SHIPPING
ADATA S510 Series AS510S3-120GM-O 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM


Here's a nice cpu h/s (can be found for cheaper @ amazon). This h/s allows you to add another fan for a "push - pull effect" although I doubt you will feel the need to add another fan. Also keep in mind that anything past 4.4GHz on these Sandy Bridge cpu's is a total waste with zero gain.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 $34.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+

Here's another alternative to that Antec 1200...which looks great, but has gotten some bad reviews of it by people on this board who own or have owned that case. Antec has gotten cheap lately with their cases not to mention that case is narrow and has small fans which make for more noise. The larger the fan, the slower the RPM means less noise and better air movement. This case down below is listed as a "mid tower" by Cooler Master, but if you look at the specs it's actually a larger case than the Antec 1200 and has more room where it counts...as in width and length.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119224 $99.99
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 BLUE RC-922M-KWN2-GP Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Side window

That CM case up above allows you to add a 200mm side fan to it like this one down below. Side fans are important if you have a card that vents heat into the case and not out the back. Just about all the newer MSI cards vent the heat inside the case....great cards btw, you just want a case with ample cooling/ventilation/airflow.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-R4-LUS-07AB-GP-MegaFlow-200mm/dp/B002FRLEIS/ref=pd_vtp_e_1 $14.73 Free Standard Shipping
Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AB-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Blue)

This fits right on the front of the case like it was made for it...same color scheme and it gives you those two front USB 3.0 ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811996037 $11.99 FREE SHIPPING
Biostar CABLEUSB3.0 USB 3.0 Cable Bracket

 

[g-unit1111]

You can consider ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s. Other than that, G Unit's looks awesome

I still hesitate to recommend that board because of the limited expansion options. If you were building that micro ATX system from a while back then I can see where it would come in handy.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Maste [...] pd_vtp_e_1 $14.73 Free Standard Shipping
Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AB-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Blue)

This fits right on the front of the case like it was made for it...same color scheme and it gives you those two front USB 3.0 ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811996037 $11.99 FREE SHIPPING
Biostar CABLEUSB3.0 USB 3.0 Cable Bracket

If you get the Arc MIDI - you can skip these items as it includes USB 3.0 and the extra fan wouldn't be worth the money on that case.

 

[Why_Me]

I still hesitate to recommend that board because of the limited expansion options. If you were building that micro ATX system from a while back then I can see where it would come in handy.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Maste [...] pd_vtp_e_1 $14.73 Free Standard Shipping
Cooler Master R4-LUS-07AB-GP MegaFlow 200mm LED Case Fan (Blue)

This fits right on the front of the case like it was made for it...same color scheme and it gives you those two front USB 3.0 ports.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811996037 $11.99 FREE SHIPPING
Biostar CABLEUSB3.0 USB 3.0 Cable Bracket

If you get the Arc MIDI - you can skip these items as it includes USB 3.0 and the extra fan wouldn't be worth the money on that case.

A 200mm side fan would help bring the temps down in that case if you have a vid card that's exhausting all it's heat inside the case and not out the back. That side fan blows right on the mobo. Now imagine what two of those cards dumping heat inside any case would be like while o/c your cpu and said vid cards.

For the $100 range it's tough to beat that CM 922 and this Corsair 400R down below.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055Q7BR4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

 

[g-unit1111]

A 200mm side fan would help bring the temps down in that case if you have a vid card that's exhausting all it's heat inside the case and not out the back. That side fan blows right on the mobo. Now imagine what two of those cards dumping heat inside any case would be like while o/c your cpu and said vid cards.

For the $100 range it's tough to beat that CM 922 and this Corsair 400R down below.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055Q7BR4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

The Corsair 400R is a solid case, I really like their stuff (I own the Graphite 600T and love it). I also really like the minimalist design of the Arc MIDI, I'd love to get one for my work PC but the last thing I need is more empty cases lying around. :lol:

 

[arkon262]

Thanks for all of the advice. I am sifting through all of the options. I am still leaning towards going with a full tower case instead of a mid...thoughts on the HAF X?

Edit to add: I am considering going with 16GB of RAM, if so I assume I need to get something that is low profile give the size of aftermarket heatsink/fans?

 

[hellfire24]

nzxt phantom is a great case.looks sexy,high air flow and a good full tower.for $110,it's a bloody steal!!!!!HAF X is awesome but too expensive.16GB is super overkill.
here's my suggestion for your build-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125414
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
7950 is enough for 1080p.overclock it well
this machine is going to be very nice!!!!

 

[g-unit1111]

nzxt phantom is a great case.looks sexy,high air flow and a good full tower.for $110,it's a bloody steal!!!!!HAF X is awesome but too expensive.16GB is super overkill.
here's my suggestion for your build-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125414
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
7950 is enough for 1080p.overclock it well
this machine is going to be very nice!!!!

I agree with most of those choices (and I really like the NZXT Phantom) but why the small HD?

 

[arkon262]

So what are the thoughts on Radeon cards? It seems like recently they have had a ton of driver issues with games such as Skyrim, Rage and Arkham City.

 

[g-unit1111]

So what are the thoughts on Radeon cards? It seems like recently they have had a ton of driver issues with games such as Skyrim, Rage and Arkham City.

I think that mainly has to do with the Catalyst software being built around existing drivers and hardware and the new cards require a totally new version of it, which AMD released last week. That should clear a lot of issues up as of lately.

 

[arkon262]

I think that mainly has to do with the Catalyst software being built around existing drivers and hardware and the new cards require a totally new version of it, which AMD released last week. That should clear a lot of issues up as of lately.

Excellent, I was not aware of the root cause, so I had been shying away from the AMD cards.

I am sure it is irrational, but I am still leaning towards a full tower, either the Antec 1200 or the HAF X. I would rather err on the side of having more space than I need, rather than not enough.

 

[g-unit1111]

Excellent, I was not aware of the root cause, so I had been shying away from the AMD cards.

I am sure it is irrational, but I am still leaning towards a full tower, either the Antec 1200 or the HAF X. I would rather err on the side of having more space than I need, rather than not enough.

I'm not a fan of full towers - I understand the need for them but if you transport your PC anywhere they will not make it easy to do so. Most mid towers now give you plenty of room for big video cards and things like that - my HAF 912 will house my Radeon 5800 easily, and if I install a bigger video card, one of the drive cages is easily removable for that reason. You could always go with a larger mid tower like the Graphite 600T or Carbide 500R if space is a concern.

 

[arkon262]

I'm not a fan of full towers - I understand the need for them but if you transport your PC anywhere they will not make it easy to do so. Most mid towers now give you plenty of room for big video cards and things like that - my HAF 912 will house my Radeon 5800 easily, and if I install a bigger video card, one of the drive cages is easily removable for that reason. You could always go with a larger mid tower like the Graphite 600T or Carbide 500R if space is a concern.

For me, once my case is in place, it doesn't move. My current PC in the last 4 years has only been moved to slide it out and clean out dust that has accumulated. I will have to check out the Graphite 600T.

 

[hellfire24]

I agree with most of those choices (and I really like the NZXT Phantom) but why the small HD?

i feel uncomfortable to spend $100+ on a HD.prices are going down but at a very slow pace
upgrade when 1tb is under $100

 

[arkon262]

Best answer selected by arkon262.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey