First time build- $2,000 - 2,500

[alexisd9025]

Hello, before anything i would like to say thanks to all those that will help me in putting together this computer. I'm starting to get into this new WoW expansion and i find myself in the need of a new computer since the one i have is old. I found myself in the alienware's website to see if i could buy one of their computers since it would had been cool, but seeing the prices and after a long talk with my brother he suggested to build one myself because it would be much cheaper, so here i am. While at the alienware's website i was making a build for an Aurora desktop that it rounded up to $2,700 or something like that, but it included 2 monitors, sound system, headphones one of which was 3D HD. So if anyone can come up with a build that would surpass the ladder i would much appreciated. So please if anyone can help me please do so I will forever be thankful.




Approximate Purchase Date: Any day from today to a few weeks.
Budget Range: $2,000-2,500 (Can spend a bit more on belts and whistles).
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Multimedia, Surfing, Programing.
Parts Not Required:Keyboard & Mouse
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Non really but im familiar with newegg.com so if it's from there better.
Country: Puerto Rico, USA
Parts Preferences: I would love a SSD on the build if possible.
Overclocking: Yes, if it's possible for a first timer.
SLI or Crossfire: Yes, if it benefits me performance wise.
Monitor Resolution: Preferably 1920x1080.
Additional Comments: The computer will be used mostly for Gaming and maybe for some light/noob programming and rendering. Mostly for playing WoW, Aion and Warhammer. I would love to be able to play this games in their maximum settings like WoW in ultra/high. I have a 44" Sharp Aquos and i was wondering if i would be able to connect the computer to it so i can sometimes play on it instead of the computer's monitor? I'll still need:

-Computer monitor (24" HD if possible to play games at the highest resolution)
-OS Windows 7
-A good pair of headphones

And would love it if it includes an SSD (To fire up the OS and maybe the games from it). This will be my first time putting a computer together myself so any tips and help will be much appreciated. Thanks everyone in advance for your time and effort.

 

[alexisd9025]

/bump anyone?

 

[computernewb]

heres a suggestion

i7- 3930k - $580 with promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116492

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme - $440
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131802

gtx 680 - $500 (or 2 for sli)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=100006654&isNodeId=1&Description=gtx+680&x=0&y=0

Crucial m4 128gb SSD - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

WD caviar black 1TB 7200 rpm hard drive - $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black 24" 8ms Pivot, Swivel & Height Adjustable LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor - $340
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528

CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX1200 (CMPSU-1200AX) 1200W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Certified 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139014

Cooler master haf 932 -$140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

wins 7 ultimate 64 bit - $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116997

total = $2930 a little over your budget but it seems like you could afford it.

and no matter what you get, you should watch this video before assembling since its your first time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls&feature=relmfu

 

[dish_moose]

Win Ultimate??? 1200W PSU????
You will not need more than 850W for GTX680SLI. It's a large budget but no need to waste it. With that mobo/cpu you would want 4x4(quad channel). I suggest i5-2500k, 212 Evo cooler, 8Gb GSKILL ram(2x4GB), Asus z68 mobo, GTX680 and keep the monitor. Go with antec, corsair, silverstone, seasonic PSU.
-Bruce

 

[g-unit1111]

Win Ultimate??? 1200W PSU????
You will not need more than 850W for GTX680SLI. It's a large budget but no need to waste it. With that mobo/cpu you would want 4x4(quad channel). I suggest i5-2500k, 212 Evo cooler, 8Gb GSKILL ram(2x4GB), Asus z68 mobo, GTX680 and keep the monitor. Go with antec, corsair, silverstone, seasonic PSU.
-Bruce

Not to mention $450 for a motherboard seems extremely excessive as you'll most likely never use all the features it offers.

Here you go:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99
PSU: Corsair Professional Series HX850 - $174.99
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X79 - $329.99
CPU: 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-3820 - $309.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $95.99
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw X DDR3 1600 Quad Channel 1.5V - $129.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $159.99
HD: Seagate Barracuda ST 2TB - $119.99
Optical: LG BD-R Burner - $74.99
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 680 - $499.99 - *OR* - Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 - $549.99
Monitor: ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor

Total: $2,424.88 (w/7970), $2,375.88 (w/680)

 

[alexisd9025]

Win Ultimate??? 1200W PSU????
You will not need more than 850W for GTX680SLI. It's a large budget but no need to waste it. With that mobo/cpu you would want 4x4(quad channel). I suggest i5-2500k, 212 Evo cooler, 8Gb GSKILL ram(2x4GB), Asus z68 mobo, GTX680 and keep the monitor. Go with antec, corsair, silverstone, seasonic PSU.
-Bruce

Thanks computernewt and dish_moose do you think you can give me the links to the parts you suggets me with a complete overlook of all the parts and the budget of it is just im a little lost hehe not much of a computer savy... tough trying to learn thanks anyways

 

[alexisd9025]

oh thanks g-unit ill look over that one but it looks real good thanks a lot!!

 

[dish_moose]

g-units build does look pretty sweet - can't find fault with any piece. I would love to own it!!! If you do want to go for a lesser $$ you would have to go z68 mobo & i5-2500K - (or you could put 2 graphics cards in)
-Bruce

 

[computernewb]

yea i guess it was a little excessive. My thought was if you have the money why not get the best of everything.

gunits build looks nice. although you might want to get a faster hard drive. its only 5900 rpm. A 7200 RPM hard drive would be nice.

 

[g-unit1111]

yea i guess it was a little excessive. My thought was if you have the money why not get the best of everything.

gunits build looks nice. although you might want to get a faster hard drive. its only 5900 rpm. A 7200 RPM hard drive would be nice.

Windows Ultimate is not the best of everything - unless you're running the language packs it's completely useless. 7 Pro does away with Home Premium's RAM limitations but if you're not running 16GB or more you don't need it.

If you're running a fast SSD as your primary you're not going to notice much - if any difference between having a 5900 RPM drive as your secondary and a 7200 RPM as your secondary.

g-units build does look pretty sweet - can't find fault with any piece. I would love to own it!!! If you do want to go for a lesser $$ you would have to go z68 mobo & i5-2500K - (or you could put 2 graphics cards in)

:lol:

My philosophy on builds is that I don't cut corners or go excessively on one piece (such as getting the ugly Level 10 and then sacrificing the GPU or CPU) - I try to space any given budget out equally, my first true non-workstation gaming build in '09 I made plenty of mistakes (never buying an Ultra PSU again... :lol: ), but you definitely learn from it.

 

[computernewb]

win 7 ultimate also features bitlocker so i wouldnt say its completely useless

also to the OP here is something to look at: System Builder Marathon, March 2012: $2600 Performance PC
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-3930k-overclock-radeon-hd-7970,3158.html

 

[g-unit1111]

win 7 ultimate also features bitlocker so i wouldnt say its completely useless

also to the OP here is something to look at: System Builder Marathon, March 2012: $2600 Performance PC
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-3930k-overclock-radeon-hd-7970,3158.html

Yeah but I can't see the average gamer or user benefiting from Bitlocker, but it does have that awesome XP emulator so maybe not completely worthless, I'll agree.

 

[alexisd9025]

g-units build does look pretty sweet - can't find fault with any piece. I would love to own it!!! If you do want to go for a lesser $$ you would have to go z68 mobo & i5-2500K - (or you could put 2 graphics cards in)
-Bruce

So if i "downgrade" a bit to have some more money left for other things like good headphones and mouse & keyboard do you think its a good build still or should i leave it as it is since the investment its well worth it ... ? what do you guys think?

 

[alexisd9025]

Man i would love to learn more about this amazing world of computer just dont know where to start .... hehe

 

[alexisd9025]

By the way between the two graphic cards how are they compared when it comes to WoW and BF# gameplays that are completly diffrent if you have an idea ... ? Cause like for example i read that WoW favors more Nvidia graphic cards .... any toughts on this?

 

[gary1]

I would get the GTX 680, however it's not in stock. If you can wait until it gets back in stock, it is a better buy than the 7970 at this time.

 

[alexisd9025]

oh ok there is really no hurry... well wont lie im rather excited cause i have always wanted to build a computer myself, have been looking for years for an opportunity and now it is. hehe Tough most say im rather curious how do you guys pair the parts and know what's better and yeah... hehe I know it must sound like a stupid question but bare with me please

 

[gary1]

I just built my first computer as well. It all comes down to a matter of performance/price. For example, most of us use the i5-2500k processor because it can be overclocked high, and because it is such as small difference between the i5-2500k and the i7-2600k, but a 100$ price difference, obviously the 2500k is a better value. Yeah.

For GPU's, it all comes down to the benchmarks.

 

[alexisd9025]

So you saying that now i could be saving a 100$ by downgrading to an i5-2500 instead of the i7 that g-unit recommneded? Tough he might had recommended it cause of another reason so there must be a benefit to it right ? When you say it all comes down to the benchmarks what do you mean?

 

[gary1]

Oh, I would definitely get the i7, it will definitely be better, I'm just saying, in the ~$220 range, the 2500k dominates. I would actually get the 2600k though, no the 3820.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

No do not do that. the i7 3820 is faster and cheaper than the i7 2600k- http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/intel_corei7_3820/3.htm

With the i7 3820 you get a longer lasting platform with the 2011 socket. Z68/sandy bridge will not be around as long as the x79 platform will. just look at the x58 and p55 sockets. there are almost no p55 rigs around but there are plenty of x58 rigs around. This is due to many factors including the increased memory bandwith and more native pcie lanes.

 

[gary1]

Ivy Bridge is LGA 1155.

 

[g-unit1111]

No do not do that. the i7 3820 is faster and cheaper than the i7 2600k- http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/intel_corei7_3820/3.htm

With the i7 3820 you get a longer lasting platform with the 2011 socket. Z68/sandy bridge will not be around as long as the x79 platform will. just look at the x58 and p55 sockets. there are almost no p55 rigs around but there are plenty of x58 rigs around. This is due to many factors including the increased memory bandwith and more native pcie lanes.

I agree - and the Z68 / P55 is a very just comparison. After the dust is settled with Ivy everyone will be moving over to Z77 and Z75 platforms and leaving the H61/H67/P67/Z68 systems in the dust, where the X79 will still be around - and not only will support future SB-E CPUs, will also be supporting IB-E CPUs. 8 core i7 anyone?

 

[alexisd9025]

Oh ok well thanks for the help guys This drops of wisdom are not getting lost

 

[alexisd9025]

And a question so you guys were talking about the different OS windows 7 can anyone explain hehe ? :S