1500-2000 Gaming PC.

Admas · Feb 10, 2012

Approximate Purchase Date: At the end of February. Most likely around the 25th.

Budget Range: 1500-2000 after rebates. I have a cushion of about 300 so a little higher before rebates should be fine.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming< Surfing the internet< Watching movies.

Parts Not Required: Need all.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com and ncix.com. Others if they have better deals but no in-store pickup.

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: None, but would like the best possible.

Overclocking: Maybe, in the future but not now.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe, if possible with my budget, but not absolutely necessary.

Monitor Resolution: Would prefer to have 1920x1080 and run with highest graphics.

Additional Comments: I need a case that is sturdy but looks good, maybe with a window and leds (but not really needed.) A quiet PC is always a plus.

I'm willing to change some things if what I'm asking may be impossible.
I need everything from the ground up. I just moved last year and lost all my computer stuff. It's been 3 months and I think that I finally need a better computer than this Dell Inspiron E1405. It's a sturdy machine but... you know.

drunkducki · Feb 11, 2012

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244 - $15.99
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM

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

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767 - $84.99
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817997013 - $4.99
Rosewill RX-C200P 2.5" SSD / HDD Plastic Mounting Kit for 3.5" Drive Bay

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049 - $99.99
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 - $46.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 - $121.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - $229.99
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=N82E16832116986 - $99.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 - $29.99
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442 - $179.99
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102062&Tpk=rat%207 - $77.99
Cyborg CCB437080002/04/1 Black USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175001 - $50.00
Saitek Eclipse II Illuminated Keyboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049 - $199.99
ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=67605&vpn=R7970-2PMD3GD5&manufacture=MSI%2FMicroStar&promoid=1029 - $569.99
MSI Radeon HD 7970 925MHZ 3GB 5.5GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

Total: $1912.83

g-unit1111 · Feb 11, 2012

drunkducki :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244 - $15.99
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM

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

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767 - $84.99
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817997013 - $4.99
Rosewill RX-C200P 2.5" SSD / HDD Plastic Mounting Kit for 3.5" Drive Bay

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049 - $99.99
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 - $46.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 - $121.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - $229.99
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=N82E16832116986 - $99.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 - $29.99
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442 - $179.99
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826102062&Tpk=rat%207 - $77.99
Cyborg CCB437080002/04/1 Black USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823175001 - $50.00
Saitek Eclipse II Illuminated Keyboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049 - $199.99
ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=67605&vpn=R7970-2PMD3GD5&manufacture=MSI%2FMicroStar&promoid=1029 - $569.99
MSI Radeon HD 7970 925MHZ 3GB 5.5GHZ GDDR5 DVI HDMI 2XMINIDP PCI-E Video Card

Total: $1912.83

That's a pretty good build, but are you sure you want to spend $120 on peripherals? I'd get a cheapo Logitech keyboard / mouse and then put the rest into getting a better motherboard. The Asrock is good, don't get me wrong, but there's far better boards and that $120 can be better spent elsewhere. You can also drop the extra SSD mounting kit as the HAF comes with one.

azeem40 · Feb 11, 2012

It does? Both HAFs do?

JackNaylorPE · Feb 11, 2012

Howz $1,998 ?

Case - $ 105 - Corsair 500R Black http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009
$20 off w/ promo code EMCNHNC46, ends 2/13
PSU - $ 95 - Corsair TX850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139022
15% off w/ promo code EMCNHJN69, ends 2/16
MoBo - $ 205 - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790
CPU - $ 230 - Intel Core i7-2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Cooler - $ 43 - Hyper 612 PWM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103103
TIM - $ 5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $ 50 - (2 x 4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 (White) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233199
GFX - $ 230 - Asus GTX 560 900Mhz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121425
GFX - $ 230 - Asus GTX 560 900Mhz Same
HD - $ 125 - Seagate Barracuda1TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
SSD - $ 170 - Patriot Wildfire 120 GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220599
20 off w/ promo code HARDOCPX2X8E, ends 2/14
DVD Writer - $ 58 - Asus Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247
Monitor $ 290 ASUS VG236HE Black 23" 120 Hz Monitor
Keyboard - $ 100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100
Mouse - $ 62 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

Highlights.....

-Case has front USB3 port
-MoBo has 3 year warranty
-Optical plays Blue Ray movies
-SSD is tier 3 - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-review-benchmark,3115-6.html
-RAM has no issues with toothed heat sinks hitting CPU cooler
-Cooler is within 0.5C of best http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=797&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=4
-Monitor is 120Hz
-GFX tops single 580 by 40%, 7950 by 43% and 7970 by 28% in Guru3D game test suite ...... card can be OC's as much s 30% over reference
http://www.pureoverclock.com/review.php?id=1201&page=17

Didn't include OS.....get on campus if possible for $10-25 ... otherwise the extra $100 still within ya $300 flex zone

Admas · Feb 11, 2012

drunkducki: Your build looks interesting but I'm confused by the other poster, meaning that, would it be wiser to invest in a better motherboard? I can spend up to 2000 if that will allow me to get a better one if I can. And does the HAF come with a mounting already? Also, peripherals are important to me, so I like to have good quality and sturdy ones.

JackNaylorPE: I won't be able to purchase any parts until around the 25th, so the $20 offs and 15% offs won't be available to me. It'll be 2066 without those and including the OS, 2166. But without rebates (meaning what will be charged immediately) it's 2206. Meaning I'll have to wait on purchasing the OS, cause 2300 is my absolute limit. I'm liking your build too, so I am wondering.
What did you mean, get on campus? Do you mean, as a student?

azeem40 · Feb 11, 2012

g-unit1111 :

And besides, both of those keyboards are made of bad parts.

drunkducki · Feb 11, 2012

for me extreme3 has all the features i want/need. If you need more features or "better" brand such as ASUS you can go for a more expensive one.

i dont know if 922 comes with a mounting kit or not as i dont own one

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1429556
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/302685-28-tomshardware
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1606419

g-unit1111 · Feb 11, 2012

azeem40 :

I know for sure the 912 does because I have that case, and it came with an SSD adapter. I don't know if the 922 or 932 do but I'm guessing probably.

Didn't include OS.....get on campus if possible for $10-25 ... otherwise the extra $100 still within ya $300 flex zone

Not everyone here is a college student so they won't have access to that resource and have to pay for an OEM version or full price.

drunkducki: Your build looks interesting but I'm confused by the other poster, meaning that, would it be wiser to invest in a better motherboard? I can spend up to 2000 if that will allow me to get a better one if I can. And does the HAF come with a mounting already? Also, peripherals are important to me, so I like to have good quality and sturdy ones.

My theory on peripherals is get them last. I know having the best for the money is always a good thing, but on a build you should concentrate on the components that go into the case, not what's outside of it.

Here's my build:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Seasonic X750 Gold - $179.99
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V Pro - $204.99
CPU: 3.30 GHz Intel Core i5-2500K - $229.99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - $34.99
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw X 1333 MHz 1.5V - $44.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $174.99
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - $139.99
Optical: Samsung DVD Burner - $15.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 - $449.99 - *OR* - EVGA Geforce GTX 580 - $499.99
Monitor: Asus VS248H 23.6" 1080p LED Monitor - $199.99

Total: $1,767.98

Highlights:

- Corsair case
- Excellent cooler, CPU, motherboard
- Newest video card on the market from one of the more reputable vendors on the market
- Full HD LED monitor (Asus quality at that)
- Gold certified PSU

hellfire24 · Feb 11, 2012

Admas · Feb 12, 2012

Thanks everyone for your input. But just wondering... why isn't anyone including OS? I'm just confused about that though so it doesn't matter. For sure, I'm going with a Sapphire 7950 for the graphics card, but would it be wise to invest in a OC version? Just asking, since an extra 30 for future possibility seems good from Hellfire's build. Regarding build, I'm liking g-unit's while Naylor's seems to be a bit too close in my price range. But is there anything else I would need? (meaning coolants or extra tidbits)

g-unit1111 · Feb 12, 2012

Admas :

I don't think there's anything extra you need as far as hardware goes from what I've already listed. You don't really need extra case fans as most modern cases come with plenty to begin with, and adding them is pretty easy. You also don't need extra thermal paste as most fans include them (but if you get a fan like Xigmatek's Gaia - it does include junk paste so you will need extra there). Don't mess with things like liquid cooling or aftermarket GPU coolers as those things have the potential to be warranty-voiding.

As far as OS goes that's a bit tricky - I personally usually don't get anything but the OEM versions but according to some around here it's a bit tricky to use those legally but I don't think it will be a problem - I've only used the OEM version and never run into the issues that have risen. Alternately like Naylor said if you're at a university you can probably score a discounted version of Windows through Microsoft's academic program.

As far as the video card goes - most are OC'd out of the box. Graphics card manufacturers - especially the smaller vendors - are very wise to overclocking and the smaller manufacturers like Sapphire, XFX, and EVGA will include tools and drivers to tweak the performance accordingly. That's why I generally recommend them over say the Twin Frozr by MSI because for the most part they don't include the tools and drivers for that.

unixtreme · Feb 12, 2012

Admas :

Politically correct answer: "Because you might want to use Ubuntu, which is free, or XP (I doubt it) which is cheaper than W7."

Truth: "for 90% of the people using an OS doesn't involve actually owning it."

I know we are all against piracy and cool, but a bit of truth is welcome sometimes, hell I even bought a computer on a store and it came with an illegal OS, they could've sold it without any OS at all, or something free.

g-unit1111 · Feb 12, 2012

unixtreme :

That's actually some pretty good insight there. I generally purchase the OEM version or the upgrade version as that's usually the cheapest way to go about doing so. I agree that the full versions are ridiculously overpriced but there's not a whole lot we can do about it. Using free Ubuntu is nice but unless you really know Linux it's not really that great of an option. You pretty much have to have some form of Windows anymore as most games now run off of Steam or EA's Origin system.

Admas · Feb 13, 2012

Politically correct answer and truth, huh? That's what I was thinking. I think I'm going with g-unit's build so thanks everybody again.

Admas · Feb 13, 2012

Best answer selected by Admas.

Mousemonkey · Feb 22, 2012

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey

1500-2000 Gaming PC.

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