New Gaming Computer ~$1500

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
I

icewavezero

Honorable
May 3, 2012
17
0
10,510
Approximate Purchase Date: Not sure, within a month

Budget Range: ~$1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Serious Internet surfing (50+ tabs)

Parts Not Required: Headphones

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com Amazon.com

Country: California, America

Parts Preferences: by brand or type I would like Corsair for RAM (flexible, not super important), Intel (Needed), and I am probably wrong, but I believe ASUS is the better choice monitor wise? Not sure.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future

Monitor Resolution: 1440x900

Additional Comments: I want something pretty boss.

Now let's move on to my part selections. I am just starting this out, feel free to adjust.


Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB 4x4 - $90
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-Channel-Memory-CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B/dp/B004RFBIUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336431054&sr=8-1

Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Full Tower Case - $160
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051U1XMI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hhmsquiddiscount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0051U1XMI

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 Graphics Card - $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102987&Tpk=Sapphire%20Radeon%20HD%206950%20Graphics%20Card

Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB HardDrive - $124.25
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B0036Q7MV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336431508&sr=1-1

Intel Core i7-2700K Processor - $310
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i7-2700K-Processor-BX80623I72700K/dp/B005X64OA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336489113&sr=8-1

Windows 7 Professional - $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 PSU - $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021&Tpk=CORSAIR%20Enthusiast%20Series%20TX750


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


ASUS Black 19'' 5ms WideScreen LCD Dual Monitor - $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.908108


Total: $1396.25

Again, I am totally new to this. This is the first build I have done, and am not sure if I will be using this, or doing something else. This build is completely open. I do not think any parts will be incompatible, but that's up to you guys. Change things out if you think they are better. Think of this like a shell to build on.
 
Solution
boodahz
If you can get over the idea of Overclocking you have a (still) incredible system here.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.79 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($131.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($479.99 @ Newegg)...
Sort by date Sort by votes
B

boulbox

Honorable
Apr 5, 2012
1,880
0
11,960
i say no to vengance
get something with a smaller heatsink as vengance is very big and will block a cpu cooler like hyper 212

go i5 2500k instead of i7 it will save you money and you won't even know a difference in gaming

no need to win7 pro you can just get home prem

6950 is a great GPU if you can switch it to a 7870 it will be a lot better for gaming

my build
PSU/CPU:CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 and Intel Core i5-3570K - $354.98
Case/MOBO:Corsair Carbide Series 500R White and ASRock Z77 Extreme4 - $249.98
CPU cooler:COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO - $34.99
OS:win7 home Premium SP1 64-bit - $99.99
Ram:G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB @ 1600 - $46.99
GPU:VisionTek 900505 Radeon HD 7850 2GB -$249.99
Total:$1332.12 with your monitors, dvd burner, and 1TB western digital

found out it was a 1500 budget if you want quick starts you can get a 128GB SSD
Cruical M4 128GB - $124.99
OR
you can go for a better GPU
so a 7970
HIS IceQ X² H797QM3G2M Radeon HD 7970 3GB
the gpu will bring you to around a $1400
and if you want the SSD instead it will be around $1450
would rather go with better GPU tho
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
unclejehmimah

unclejehmimah

Honorable
Feb 27, 2012
168
0
10,710
The guy above me is wrong about the processor. You want an i7, but maybe not a 2700k. You're paying more for out of the box clock speed. You want the i7 for HT, you say you want a lot of tabs while browsing so that will help. He's also wrong about the CPU cooler, the Hyper 212 is a very obvious choice, but it has a lot of RAM clearance issues. So I would say go with an equivalent water cooling solution, like the Antec Kuhler 620, plus you can tell people your computer is water-cooled ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

boulbox

Honorable
Apr 5, 2012
1,880
0
11,960

no there is a thread about i5 2500k vs i7 2600k 2600k was slower at times because of HT

please learn your facts your just making him spend more money for nothing
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
J_E_D_70

J_E_D_70

Splendid
Mar 21, 2012
7,294
59
30,290
If you're not planning a high overclock, get the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 with an i5-3570K and save yourself $60.

Agree you don't need win7 pro, just home premium.

If you get a CPU cooler (didn't list one and do need it for any overclocking past stock) that's not water, get low profile RAM to avoid conflicts.

Don't understand you post about "Serious Internet surfing (50+ tabs)." Why on earth would you have 50 tabs open? Even if you did, most pages are static and you don't need hyperthreading to help with a single, multi-tabbed instance of browser.

I'd recommend a larger 1080p monitor such as:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260049
(It's cheaper too). I game on the 2210 (2220 is the newer one) and it's gorgeous.

Agree you should throw in an SSD. Even my older Intel 320 feels very, very fast (compared to an older raptor).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
boodahz

boodahz

Honorable
May 7, 2012
43
0
10,540
If you can get over the idea of Overclocking you have a (still) incredible system here.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.79 @ NCIX US)
Hard Drive: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($131.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($479.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: AOC 2236vw 22.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1504.70
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-08 13:39 EDT-0400)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
M

mourice12

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2011
277
0
18,810
Why is everyone recommending Sandy Bridge whenever IB is out. Its kind of silly to recommend the old architecture over the new.

So heres what i recommend
i7 3770 or 3770k wherever you can find one in stock.

Asus p8z77-pro mobo
and everything else looks good
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Why_Me

Why_Me

Polypheme
Jan 17, 2008
16,375
2,352
69,840

+1

http://videocardz.com/32728/geforce-gtx-670-review-tweaktown <---- the gtx 670 w/benchmarks. That card is rumored to be released by the end of this week. It should hit the shelves @ $350 - $400.


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Mid-Tower-Gaming/dp/B006I2H0YS/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336476863&sr=1-8 $75.84 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Mid-Tower Gaming Case - CC-9011014-WW

http://www.corsair.com/carbide-series-300r-compact-pc-gaming-case.html <----- another look at that case

or...

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336507571&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.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027 $94.99 - $74.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W High Performance 80PLUS Silver SLI CrossFire ready Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.910431 $379.98 save: $10.00
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 BX80637I53570K

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

http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/asrock_z77_extreme4_review,1.html <----- review of that board w/benchmarks

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005O65JXI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A2EUTVCJXLAJ4K $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=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

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_5?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336501777&sr=1-5 $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.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD-RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336508384&sr=1-1 $16.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE 22X SATA DVDRW Internal Drive (Black), Bulk without Software

http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_sim_e_1 $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.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211588 $104.99 FREE SHIPPING
ADATA S510 Series AS510S3-120GM-O 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM

http://www.amazon.com/HD7870-DC2-2GD5-DisplayPort-Utilities-PCI-Express-Graphics/dp/B007JLFVNO $349.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASUS HD7870-DC2-2GD5 Radeon 2GB DDR5 VGA/DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort GPU Tweak Utilities PCI-Express 3.0 Graphics Card HD7870-DC2-2GD5

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

http://www.amazon.com/ML228H-22-Inch-Ultra-Slim-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B00413PHEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1336510853&sr=1-1 $145.99
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
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

azeem40

Splendid
Dec 11, 2011
8,940
0
31,810

It is because some people just read one bad review about IB and think to themselves it is not worth it. Some people are stubborn too. :p
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I

icewavezero

Honorable
May 3, 2012
17
0
10,510
Alright, so from the totals that I have been hearing, I have started to revise my build. I think this will be better than the last. I really do not want to go above $1350 now, as I am getting a keyboard and mouse (which I have already decided upon, Razer Lycosa and Razer Naga) and will barely have the money for it. Here it is:

Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB 2x4GB - $50
http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Veng [...] 054&sr=8-1

Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Full Tower Case - $160
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] B0051U1XMI

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 Graphics Card - $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] ics%20Card

Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB HardDrive - $100
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_5?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1336501777&sr=1-5&tag=vglnk-c1001-20

Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge Processor Bundle ASRock Z77 Extreme4 MotherBoard - $380
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.910431&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1y2020amabm2l

Windows 7 Home Premium - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116992

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 PSU - $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] es%20TX750


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


Dell Glossy Black 21.5'' HDMI LED Widescreen Monitor - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260049&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=1whb4h11uwjpl


Total: $1323
Screen size: 22x21 (Max measurements for my desk space)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I

icewavezero

Honorable
May 3, 2012
17
0
10,510
Revised. So far I have pretty much the final build. Reply by the end of nextweek-ish if you think I should change something.

Corsair Vengeance Blue 16GB 4x4GB Low Profile - $98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233198

Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Full Tower Case - $160
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B [...] B0051U1XMI

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 Graphics Card - $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] ics%20Card

Seagate Barracuda 7200 1TB HardDrive - $100
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barr [...] k-c1001-20

Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge Processor Bundle ASRock Z77 Extreme4 MotherBoard - $380
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] 020amabm2l

Windows 7 Home Premium - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116992

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 PSU - $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] es%20TX750


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


Dell Glossy Black 21.5'' HDMI LED Widescreen Monitor - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] b4h11uwjpl


Total: $1351
Screen size: 22x21 (Max measurements for my desk space)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

boulbox

Honorable
Apr 5, 2012
1,880
0
11,960
for gaming you don't need 16GB, 8GB is still a lot for gaming but we suggest it because it is so cheap
find RAM that is 8GB 2x4gb at 1600 speed

get a seasonic 620w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095
all you will need

try to get in a 64-128GB SSD cost about $100 speeds up the system by a lot

move the GPU to a 7850, you can find one cheaper than a 6950 and can perform better than a 6950
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Why_Me

Why_Me

Polypheme
Jan 17, 2008
16,375
2,352
69,840

$1,500 warrants better than a old school middle of the road video card like that 6950 you have up there. Your putting your $$$$ in the wrong places. 16GB of RAM for a gaming build and having X amount of tabs open is insane. 8GB of RAM is over kill but it's cheap atm. This build down here gets you not only twice the video card, but also a 120GB SATA 3 SSD along with a after market cpu heat sink.


http://www.anandtech.com/show/5818/nvidia-geforce-gtx-670-review-feat-evga <----- gtx 670 review with benchmarks

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=71107&vpn=GV-N670OC-2GD&manufacture=Gigabyte $399.99 Free Shipping
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 OC 980MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027 $109.99 - $89.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING 15% off w/ promo code PCPMK15OFF, ends 5/21
PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W High Performance 80PLUS Silver SLI CrossFire ready Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.944650 $209.98 save: $20.00 $15 off w/ promo code EMCNEJE47, ends 5/21
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3570K-Processor-BX80637I53570K/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337122516&sr=1-7 $228.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Intel Core i5 3570K Processor 3.4 4 BX80637I53570K

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+

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546 $46.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 $17.99 Free shipping w/ promo code EMCNEJJ24, ends 5/17
LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 $102.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

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

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=dp_cp_ob_pc_title_1 $129.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch LED Backlit with 50,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio; Full 1080P with HDMI Full HD LED Monitor - Black

Total: $1,380.90 *not including shipping, rebates, and promo codes


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Tower-Gaming-CC-9011012-WW/dp/B005E983JW/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337124019&sr=1-5 $116.16 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Mid Tower Gaming Case CC-9011012-WW

http://www.corsair.com/carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-case.html <----- another look at that case

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Tower-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337124019&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
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

boulbox

Honorable
Apr 5, 2012
1,880
0
11,960


can change hyper 212 evo to hyper 212 + as they perform pretty much similar

if you plan on doing a high over clock you can change the heatsink fan to something better since ivy bridge tends to get hot

NOTE: you will not see any difference in Overclock past 4.5 GHz(4.5GHz is a sweet spot for most gaming computers
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom