New Gaming Computer Build $800 - $1200

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nebnobla

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Jun 4, 2012
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Approximate Purchase Date: This week, or in the next few weeks if more expensive.

Budget Range: $800 - $1200 Before Rebates (Are rebates almost negligible?)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Internet (Email, Netflix), Office Works Programs (Word, Excel, etc); Multitasking capabilities all around.

Parts Not Required: Monitor, Mouse, Ethernet cable

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: First time building and exploring parts, seen Newegg a few times though, seems credible.

Country: I live in Canada

Parts Preferences: Intel, by the sounds of a computer clerk I was talking to at Canada Computers. Check my spec list to get an idea.

Overclocking: Maybe (Not totally sure how this works and if it is worth it, etc?)

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe ( What are these? )

Monitor Resolution: 1440x900, I think. Acer X193w, TCO'03 Displays

Additional Comments: Fast and smooth gameplay. Quiet is preferred, and cooled (try to make sure heat is not a bottleneck). No need for lights or anything fancy, I don't want a computer/decoration, it can be bulky or weird looking, performance first. I want emphasis on good hardware, I'm fine with generic quality of everything else. Reasonably priced components, but delivering good quality.


So before I list what I have I just want to give you the rundown on what I want. I've always played games on my computers but I have never been able to use high quality settings as it would get too choppy and unenjoyable. I have been using a MacBook pro for the last few years with a Windows XP partition, it runs alright with the games but still occasionally crashes and I have had a few RAM sticks get corrupted or something. In any case, I just want to be able to play my games to the maximum entent for once.

I am used to moderately low frame rates (15 - 40) in the more demanding games and I would like to play Diablo 3 and maybe SWTOR with good performance on this PC. I will sacrifice small size for better circulation, and I don't need anything with lasers shooting out of it or lights or whatever. Though, I would prefer if it wasn't ridiculously bulky for the components.

I'm not keen on much of the terminology so if you could use computer terms of well known meaning it would be preferred. Here's what I got:

CPU:

Intel Core i5-2500K Processor 6M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz

GPU

EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550ti

SSD

OCZ VERTEX 3 VTX3-255AT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal SSD

DVD/CD Drive

ASVS 24x DVD Burner

PSU

APEX AL-D500EXP 500W ATX 12V Power Supply


So I need:

Memory: (Don't know how much or what brand I should get for good quality, high performance, not a ripoff, etc)

Motherboard: ( I hear it's good to invest a pretty good amount into it so you can upgrade easier?)

Storage: Want a Disk Drive to, 1 TB I suppose

Cooling systems: necessary?

As far as the Case, Keyboard, and anything else I forgot, I don't really have a good idea of what is good but reasonably priced.


Thanks
 
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chulex67

chulex67

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Aug 16, 2011
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Okey First of all , Welcome, Im gonna Make you a Build that i think Will be Able to give you what you want, you have a good budget for a good pc.

First Case, this is a good case with airflow.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

Cpu: I see you Dont Know how overcloking works but i guess you can read some tutorials in the future if needed. i give you a combo Cpu plus motherboard all good with these 2.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.975816

Ram, A good 8 gigs 1.5v rated , super stable Ram.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

Power supply, a Seasonic 600w, you cannot go cheap in this part, its the heart of your pc.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096

Video Card, Well this is your First Dedicated Card, so Lets invest a little more here so you can max your Games.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133397

Storage: I see you Want an Ssd, but OCZ have alot of problems with their SSD, thats why they sell them so cheap, besides you only really need 60 gigs as a Main Os Storage and Some Programs you use, Theres no really a Difference if you Store your Games in the SSD.

SSD: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148447

HDD: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

Well Thats all , Its about 919 usd.

Keyboard and Mouse: Theres really no way i can tell you what to get here, just get 2 Cheap ones that are Wired For gaming, you Can later Upgrade to a Razr or otherbrand.

Monitor: I really suggest Upgrading to a better monitor, if you keep using ur monitor, u will max every game u run because of the Resolution you are using. I suggest you this monitor , cheap, Full Hd, and good Size.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236079

Everything with the monitor would be about 1100 usd without Rebates.


PD: I know what you mean about the heat becoming a bottleneck, I come from only Laptops too, you Dont run in to these kind of trouble in desktop pcs, unless you are Overclocking and using Crossfire and sli, Oh BTW.

Crossfire and Sli are the names given to when you Use 2 Video Cards at the same time, They Sync to give you a boost in Graphic Performance, They have to be the same card or to have same Clock Speeds atleast.

Crossfire = Amd Sli = Nvidia.

 
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chulex67

chulex67

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you just Resumed everything i said lol nice tutorial you have there, but with the prices changing every day, is better to Find Combos in Neweeg. I also think The Cronoss from mushkin is a good SSD, i have one in my old laptop , but i too have see them fail, its to be expected 1 of 100 Fails, still good quality and for 2 more usd you get the 3.5 adapter. I Still preffer Crucial Brand Because of the speed, Quality and Tech Support.
 
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aznshinobi

aznshinobi

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Oct 19, 2009
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Prices do change everyday but generally prices stick to similar prices. Combos are nice, I'm not saying don't get them. I'm just sticking what I would suggest for separate buys as usually combos don't have what you want. Sometimes there are the few exceptions however. It's not like one day a PSU is going to be $90 then drop to $60 rarely the case. Maybe a slight $5-$10 deviation but generally they're not changing.
 
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nebnobla

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Jun 4, 2012
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Do you think I should go with the combo suggested by chulex instead of your individual recommendations? And does that RAM you suggested have 2 cards or 1?

And I assume you know what your talking about since it says addict under your image lol.. but in any case, is there any particular component that would more likely be the bottleneck in terms of components? And will any of the high end components not be able to be used to full capacity do to the lesser quality of other components?

Thanks
 
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aznshinobi

aznshinobi

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There should be no bottleneck. The idea of "lesser quality" is created by people who have brand bias honestly. The proof of that, in benchmarks a $140 Asrock Extreme4 Z77 benches the same as a $220 Asus Z77 Sabertooth, that's saying something.

As for the selection. Completely your choice.
Wouldn't go with the GTX 560 though, would go for the 7850 at least and then upgrade your monitor to a 1080P.
 
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Ernigator

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Jun 4, 2012
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I have a question. I'm not computer savvy at all so forgive me if I come across as offensive. @Chulex67, your pricing on the parts seem pretty reasonable and I would like to make my own computer as well, but is it future-proof? What I mean is how long do you think it will be able to keep up with games and such, as technology for it because better? Of course you can't really tell the future but let's just say, would it be able to last up to 5 or 10 years? Realistically speaking. $900 is a large investment for a college student like myself. I don't want to spend another $900 in a few years again just be able to enjoy gaming at it's highest quality.
 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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Feb 11, 2012
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Niklas_13

Niklas_13

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For 1,089.42 + 20 MIR ( IMO if i was buying a gaming rig ) i would get a setup like this

MOBO PSU http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.964679

CPU http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

GPU http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130782

RAM http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416

HDD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

CASE http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

DVD http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136247

IMO gaming is 70% GPU ( you have a low rez monitor and this card is over kill for it ) but if you upgrade the rez down the road this card will haddle games with a 1920 X 1080 rez for years to come.

I see little point ATM for a SSD ( IMO your money is better spent in the GPU )

For the CPU there is no reason to OC it for years to come ( no need to OC it ATM )

MOBO this mobo is a single GPU mobo ( and you wont need to sli ( IMO most people will buy a new GPU in 3 to 4 years ) rather then buying another GPU to run 2, Also it dont mean all game will play wells with a sli setup or you will get 2X the FPS by adding another GPU.

 
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aznshinobi

aznshinobi

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mATX = bad fit for Crossfire/SLI. It's a great board but the measurements would make it annoying to work with honestly.

As for bigcyco1 those are my builds yes. That's why I said "Check out my $850 build here". Not check out these builds here.

As for Niklas. Even after the combo discount that PSU costs $75 and can't SLI the GTX 670. Granted it's a good single GPU but still, also as you stated the motherboard wouldn't fit another GPU. If he ever wanted to buy another to upgrade or something along those lines... Wouldn't that be hinderence. Afterall the GTX 670 is fairly long, it probably is going to cover up some of the SATA/USB ports.

Just my opinion though.

And yes, those builds would last. All of these would, after overclocking lasting even longer.
 
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chulex67

chulex67

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you are a veteran, so you have alot of time and post in the forums you are the senior here,I was just Making my Point to the Op, I feel really sad that you used 1 Comment in all this post just to respond me and not helping the Op of the post.

Ernigator : Please make your Own Post like the Op, And Yes Cpu wise It would Last atleast 2-5 years without slowing down in games, if you dont want to make a post , look at aznshinobi builds, it has a little tutorial and builds that range between the 400, to 1500.



nebnobla: Do you have any other questions we can answer here in the forum?
 
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Niklas_13

Niklas_13

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aznshinobi, your right !!! my build is a single GPU setup ( i said that ) Just showing the poster the differnt options out there.

Yes the PSU will only run 1 GPU, this is why i didnt go with a 750 for sli ( because my build is not sli ready )

I built my system 4 years ago ( had a HD 5850 in it ) with a Corsair 750 and a P55-UD4P thinking i will do Crossfire in a few years..... you know what ? I never to this day needed to add a 2nd GPU. that gpu still can run any game out there with my i5 750 @ 40 + FPS also with the prices of that card, i wount pay 230 dallors to crossfire 2 HD 5850 today. I would sell the HD 5850 and take the 230 and buy a new GPU that would smoke a sli 5850 setup for a few dallors more.


I built my Kids a gaming PC and put the HD 5850 in it and bought a GTX 560 ( and i am happy with it ) if i hade the money i would of picked up a GTX 670 :)


So when i try to help someone, and the main use of the PC is for games. I will fit the best GPU in it and then the best CPU then add the other parts.


Anyways like you said all the builds would be good, it all come down to what he wants.

To the poster Do your homework, and look into OCing your CPU and SLi or Crossfire and see if that is something you would like to do before you buy your parts.

IMO OCing should be done as a last effort to squzze the last drop out of your hardwhare before its time to upgrade again.

GL with the build and Enjoy!!!
 
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nebnobla

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Jun 4, 2012
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. So by the sounds of it I feel like I should maybe go with shinobi's or chulex's scheme and maybe do a little more soul searching for the MOBO?

And I'm not too keen on exactly the differences with SLI/Crossfire and in spite of the fact that I've read all sorts of stuff on them they both seem to be fairly competitive technologies that both deliver a standard of quality, I mean, is either one a more reliable, stable, consistent scheme over the other? I want a purely competent system.

Also, I can't help but to look at the fiscal health of AMD/NVIDIA/INTEL on a corporate level, by the looks of it NVIDIA and AMD might be trying to weather the economic instability a little rougher and I'm afraid that may present some implications in their ability to deliver products that will keep my system moderately future proof as time goes on, is Intel a safe haven for performance? I wouldn't want to feel like a Blackberry user in RIM's circumstances, and according to the market, it's not far off from what these other companies are on the path to, moreso Nvidia.

I am fairly confident with your recommendation to get the 7850 GSU and the i5 3870K, what MOBO would work well with these? I don't think I would want more than 2 GSUs in the future if that. I kinda feel overloaded with so many different recommendations, is there a general concensus among you experts as to what components have been listed seem to fit what I desire?

Thanks

neb
 
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nebnobla

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Jun 4, 2012
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Oh and I suppose it matters which kind of gaming I like. I am not an first person shooter kind of guy, I prefer RTS, MMOs, etc. So basically an emphasis on a more detailed UI and more particular unit responses and less dynamic screen movement and radiant colours. If it helps, I probably won't ever play crysis or BF3 or anything like that at all, I prefer RTS, not FPS, with a few exceptions with less demanding games. So that may have some other implications in terms of GSU, etc.

Example games: Warcraft 3, WOW, SC 2, Diablo 3, Tribes Ascend, SWTOR, etc.

Smooth gameplay, preferably no lag/choppy to what degree that is possible. Nice colours, easy on the eyes. Nothing that is ridiculously fancy and unneccessary from a fiscal and future proofing point of view.
 
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Niklas_13

Niklas_13

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The best GPU and CPU for your budget would be a i5 3570K with a GTX 670 GPU........... You need to ask yourself if the added money to have the option to sli/croassfire down the road is worth it to you.

^^^ This will need to be answered before the parts can be picked out, because of the mobo and PSU you get.

Sli is for Nvidia based GPUs - Crossfire is for AMD based GPUs

You link 2 GPUs together to act as one card ( in return giving you more GPU power ) So you have a rez of 1920X1080 and play your fav game and get 60 FPS, well if i add a 2nd GPU i will get 120 FPS ? not always you might get 30 more FPS or you might get a game that wont play right with a 2 GPU setup. its a hit and miss.

For the MOBO i would go with a Z77 chipset ( if you want to sli/crossfire ) look for a mobo with 2 PCI E 3.0 slots 16X 8X or 8X 8X
If you want a single card setup to save money a mobo with 1 PCI E 3.0 Slot

Really its up to you if you want to spend say 70 to 100 bucks more and beable to sli/crossfire if you want to.




 
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nebnobla

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Jun 4, 2012
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So why not the 7850 GPU compared to the GTX 670? It seems the 7850 is substantially cheaper for a good product, and the GTX seems to be the highest of it's class at that price.
 
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azeem40

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He might be playing only those games now, but we don't know what other games he will be playing later on. The GTX 670 will ensure that for the next 3 or so years he can play with good framerates.
 
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Niklas_13

Niklas_13

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^^^ what he said!!! you siad you what something to last........ The GTX 670 will last along time with a rez of 1920x1080

BTW i just picked one up today at micro center, they Price matched newegg for the EVGA GTX 670 @ 399.99 Sweet card

really with your monitors rez even a GTX 560 would rock FPS in games..... So unless you plan to upgrade the monitor down the road the 7850 will last 5 + years with that rez.
 
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