GAMING PC BUILD ($1300-$1500 STRICT BUDGET)!

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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I'm new to building my own desktop PC and I am having trouble figuring out what is compatible and what is not. Just wondering if someone knows what parts I should buy for the budget and quality I request.

Approximate Purchase Date: this month (May)

Budget Range: $1300-1500 (after rebates & discounts and taxes + shipping costs)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: GAMING

Parts Not Required: none

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences: intel i7 processor (3rd generation preferred), LCD monitor, Nvidia Geforce graphics, lots of fans, 18-24 gb RAM, full tower case

Overclocking: Preferred, but not if it affects the price ; Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: any

Additional Comments: make it look cool :D


MY MAIN CONCERN IS COMPATIBILITY; LINKS WOULD BE GREAT, THANKS!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1335826538&sr=1-4 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-400r-mid-tower-case.html <----- another look at that case

http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-Series-80PLUS-Performance-compatible/dp/B005A2RJOI/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1335805455&sr=1-5 $89.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
OCZ ZS Series 750W 80PLUS Bronze High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandy Bridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.910431 $374.98
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX806237I53570K

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme4 <----- another look at that board

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $34.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544 $44.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAO

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-AD-7280S-0B-Internal-Drive-Black/dp/B0057FRTPW/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $17.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_6?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1335686168&sr=1-6 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 $118.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_cp_e_2 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

http://www.amazon.com/ML228H-22-Inch-Ultra-Slim-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B00413PHEQ $149.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Asus ML228H 21.5" 1920X1080 2ms Full HD LED BackLight LED Monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 10,000,000 :1 (ASCR)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236099 <----- that same monitor @ newegg

Total: $1,086.86 *not including shipping and rebates


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127662 $369.99 - $349.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING 5% off w/ promo code MSI425, ends 4/30
MSI R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Video Card

http://www.overclockers.com/msi-r7870-twin-frozr <----- review w/benchmarks of that MSI 7870

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418 $359.99
GIGABYTE GV-R787OC-2GD Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

http://www.guru3d.com/article/gigabyte-radeon-hd-7870-oc-review/ <----- review w/benchmarks of that Gigabyte 7870

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121624 $349.99
ASUS HD7870-DC2-2GD5 Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/HD_7870_Direct_Cu_II/ <----- review w/benchmarks of that Asus 7870
 

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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CORSAIR Vengeance 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model CMZ32GX3M4X1600C10 $250

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 $250

SanDisk Extreme SDSSDX-120G-G25 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $139

THESE ARE SOME CHANGES I HAVE SUGGESTED: everything else looks good as long as it is compatible. I thank you for your suggestions (especially on the processor and MB since that will save me a lot of money!)

~$1312, which fits right into my budget!

if something is not compatible please tell me with any other suggestions. HELP FROM OTHERS IS ALSO WELCOME!
 

I thought you were interested in a gaming build? If that's the case then those changes you made in that post are horrible in regards to a gaming build.

Maybe you want to actually click those links I posted on those cards and read the links and look at the benchmarks. That's always a big plus imo when you come to a tech forum looking for advice. :)
 

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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I guess that as of now the games I would like to play are fine on the processor that I have suggested, although due to the extra money I may upgrade to your suggestions (Radeon HD 7870) for future gaming. I have heard many complaints though on the SSD you suggested about it dying after 2 weeks-2months and do not want to take the risk. As for the RAM, I am hoping to run a server on this computer as well as having many multitasking capabilities.
 
4GB of RAM for a gaming build is fine. 8GB (2x4GB) is over kill for a gaming build but it's so cheap atm that we are suggesting it on here. Anything more than 8GB of RAM is usually for someone who plans on working with large files for Adobe, CAD, heavy video editing, etc... now if you plan on doing any of the before mentioned professionally or even heavy casual/hobbyist then you would want more than 8GB of RAM.

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-SSDNow-120GB-Solid-KW-S2120-4B/dp/B007B6YP9I/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1335686396&sr=1-3 $129.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Kingston SSDNow V+200 120GB SATA III 6Gb/s 2.5 Inch Solid State Drive KW-S2120-4B

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1874/ <----- review of that Kingston 120GB SSD

 

bdbeall

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May 27, 2010
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I chose a beautiful full tower case with 4 fans, and a pretty good 1080p lcd.
You said you want 18-24 GB Ram, i compromised at 16GB,
An Nvidia card doesnt make sense for you price point right now so i chose AMD
An i7 Ivy Bridge chip is probably overkill but it is included.
I also picked a 700W PSU so you can throw in another 7850 down the road for cfx.

Here is the build.

Case: NZXT Phantom Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068
-$130

Proc:Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501&Tpk=3770k
-$350

ODD: Lite-On DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
-$18

Primary Drive: Corsair Force Series GT Sata III 90GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233205
-$140

Secondary Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
-$100

Monitor: Acer 23" 1080P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266
-140

VGA: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161406
-240

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB 1600MHz RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233143
-97

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro 700W 80 Plus Bronze Certified http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171037
-110

Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
-$35

OS: Windows 7 HP 64-bit
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
-$100

+10 shipping roughly

Total:$1470
 

I'm guessing this build is for professional video editing correct? i7 cpu + 16GB of RAM + mediocre vid card + a cooler master psu = ???
 

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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video editting yes, i want to get into youtube gaming videos. I guess i was wrong about making a hardcore gaming build, just something that runs moderately graphic intensive games. As for the ram, I plan on running a large server (24/7 with 75-100+ users {Minecraft}) and so 24 gb ram or 32 since the price difference is not much ($75) so why not is a good idea, plus the video editting (although not necessarily professional).

From bdbeall, i like the case, the processor, SSD, the graphics card, and the power supply.

from whyme, i like the motherboard and I've heard good things about the monitor, I value the graphics card options (although bdbeall's are a good mix between the ones I was debating on), and the cooler.

The only thing is that I'm gonna need the ram and am probably going to end up just maxing it out. Now can I have a mixture of both of your guy's stuff combined and it all compatible? Thanks guys.
 

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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For the processor, i've heard there are heat problems, especially with the i7, is there a processor air cooling system you guys can guess. i'd prefer it over water cooling just for easy setup.
 

bdbeall

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May 27, 2010
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I agree with azeem40 on this one the hyper 212 Evo is only 35 bucks and stomps hard. If you really want performance air cooling and dont mind paying(dont do it) get the new frio cooler.
 

bdbeall

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May 27, 2010
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I guess you could call it a video editing build. I was just trying to get everything within the parts preferences he asked for is all.
 

UVB076

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Mar 26, 2012
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($349.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair CAFA50 61.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($23.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($86.98 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Mushkin Chronos 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Rosewill Future ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($144.49 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.23 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Hannspree HF225DPB 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1486.60
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-03 17:50 EDT-0400)
 

bdbeall

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Case: NZXT Phantom Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146068
-$130

Mobo: AsRock Extreme4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
-$140

Proc:Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] &Tpk=3770k
-$350

ODD: Lite-On DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827106289
-$18

Primary Drive: Corsair Force Series GT Sata III 90GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233205
-$140

RAM: GSKILL 32GB 1333MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231557
-$200

Secondary Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148697
-$100

Monitor: Asus 21.5" 1080P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236099&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=k13x3kc7y77m
-$160

VGA: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814161406
-$240-$20MIR = $220


PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro 700W 80 Plus Bronze Certified
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817171037
-$110

Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103099
-$35

OS: Windows 7 HP 64-bit
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp [...] 6832116986
-$100

+16 shipping roughly

Total:$1700 <-price you pay for 32GB Ram and an i7

i have a shoprunner account for newegg. pm me if you want to get free shipping.
 

bdbeall

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May 27, 2010
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We all agree with you, im just putting up what the op asks for. Also the extra 35 bucks to go from bronze to gold and 50W is good, but i was trying to keep the budget lower.
 

Apollo68

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Apr 22, 2012
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gonna get the i5 for the combo on the mobo tht way it is 1585ish
may downgrade ram to 24gb so it would be 1510.

i heard the 212 is rlly big, is my case gonna handle tht, and if not, are there any other good fans that are small, even if it is a bit more
 

UVB076

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I'm pretty damn sure that you can't have 24GB of RAM in a Sandy/Ivy Bridge.
16GB even is way more than enough.
Also, the 212 is quite "small" and will fit in most cases.

Don't cut corners man. CAFA50 and SeaSonic.
 

32GB of RAM is the max limit for an 1155 board (4x8GB). You need Windows Professional or Window Ultimate for that seeing how Windows Home Premium only recognizes 16GB of RAM.