900 - 1000 dollar build, gaming and engineering software

[mattysiebs]

Hey, I'm planning to build a computer for gaming and some engineering software (ProE, Solidworks, and the like). This will be a first for me, and while I've read a lot of forum posts, I'm stuck and seeking some advice.

Approximate Purchase Date: within a month

Budget Range: 900-1000 Before Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, engineering software, movies

Parts Not Required: monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: ncix, newegg, tiger, microcenter

Country: US

Parts Preferences: Intel, AMD/ATI

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution:1920x1200

Additional Comments: I'm considering the i5-2500k from Microcenter, but I noticed that the i5-3750k was only 20 bucks more, whats the big difference between these two, and which would you suggest? Also considering a good graphics card, and can't really tell which would be better: 7850, 7870, and 7950, or nvidia 560, 670. I know its a lot, but I'm a noob at this. Any suggestions?

 

[2fast4thetown_down]

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadc70.asp?id=676725

$1000

 

[g-unit1111]

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadc70.asp?id=676725

$1000

On a custom built forum why would you recommend a pre built PC with a sub-par CPU and GPU?

Here's what I would recommend:

Case: Corsair Carbide 300R - $79.99
PSU: Seasonic S12 II 620W - $86.99
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 - $139.99
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - $229.99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - $34.99
RAM: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600Mhz 1.5V - $46.99
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - $99.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 - $249.99

Total: $971.89

 

[2fast4thetown_down]

^+1 That is better sorry I didnt read the subject

 

[z_4]

Here's a build suggestion, having components from both newegg and microcenter. Have a look:
From microcenter:
CPU: $190- i5-3570K(Though i5-2500K & this chip perform similarly, i suggest this because, buying this with mobo comes cheaper)

Motherboard: $70- Asrock Z77 Pro4

From newegg:
Optical Drive: $15- Samsung

RAM: $49- GSkill Sniper 8GB

PSU & HDD: $125- Corsair CX500 & Seagate Barracuda 500GB( 500 watt PSU is more than enough unless you plan to add another GPU)

SSD: $80- OCZ Vertex 3 128GB(Great SSD, also cheaper due to the ShellShocker deal, get this before the deal goes off)

Cooler: $30- CM Hyper 212+(For your overclocking needs)

GPU: $400- EVGA GTX 670(A great card , ideal for gaming)

Case: $40- NZXT Source 210(or whatever you like)

Total(Excluding Rebates): 999 USD

Rebates,promos: ~$25

If you feel the need to accomodate an OS i.e. Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (get it here worth $69). You can drop the SSD, or downgrade the GPU to XFX 7870 worth $320

 

[g-unit1111]

GPU: $250- EVGA GTX 670(A great card , ideal for gaming)]

Seriously? A 670 generally runs $400 - it's not obtainable on a $1K budget no matter how much you try to squeeze out of it.

 

[z_4]

Seriously? A 670 generally runs $400 - it's not obtainable on a $1K budget no matter how much you try to squeeze out of it.

Typing mistake was copy-pasting from some other build

 

[azeem40]

On a custom built forum why would you recommend a pre built PC with a sub-par CPU and GPU?

Here's what I would recommend:

Case: Corsair Carbide 300R - $79.99
PSU: Seasonic S12 II 620W - $86.99
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 - $139.99
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - $229.99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - $34.99
RAM: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600Mhz 1.5V - $46.99
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - $99.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 - $249.99

Total: $971.89

Since he lives near a microcenter, get the CPU and MOBO from there. Since he is not CF/SLIng, get the Pro3 Gen3 Z77 for $60 after buying i5-3570k. Use the $ saved and get a GTX 670.

 

[mattysiebs]

Any ASUS boards, I've heard some good things about AsRock, but a lot of people I have talked to have suggested Asus as a good Mobo source.

 

[g-unit1111]

Any ASUS boards, I've heard some good things about AsRock, but a lot of people I have talked to have suggested Asus as a good Mobo source.

I personally like Gigabyte boards but I think that's because I've had more success with them than any other brand I've tried - and that includes Asrock, Asus, and MSI.

 

[azeem40]

Get the GA-Z77-DS3H.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0388327

 

[bigcyco1]

I'd say it's more a matter of personal preference when it comes to motherboards and based on each individual experiences with different company's sometimes will be great sometimes be a nightmare a prefect example g-unit1111 has had great success with Gigabyte more so than with Asrock, Asus, and MSI.total opposite for me i have had great success with Asus,Asrock. more so then i have had with MSI or Gigabyte and because i have had or my family members.friends elect. Have had such horrible experiences with MSI mobo i would never even give them a thought when it comes to mobo only thing i like of their is GPU does that mean MSI makes bad mobo no it does not but because of mine and my friends experiences with them we'd never use or buy any boards made by MSI. anyways just my 2 cents...LOL!

 

[azeem40]

Seriously? A 670 generally runs $400 - it's not obtainable on a $1K budget no matter how much you try to squeeze out of it.

I beg to differ my friend. I have done it.

 

[bigcyco1]

Try this

ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

bundled with:

1x Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz ...
$394.98 http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.959052



ODD:ASUS 24X 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 DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM $16.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204#top

RAM:Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model BLS2KIT4G3D1339DS1S00 $42.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148543#top

Case+PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.976668 $149.98


GPU- MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr II GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127682#top $249.99

Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697#top $99.99
CPU Cooler: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=N82E16835103099 $34.99 This comes out to roughly around $990-$995 with this build you will have a kick ass mid high end gaming beast! If you have any questions just ask.

 

[g-unit1111]

I beg to differ my friend. I have done it.

Yeah but wouldn't you have to cut like massive corners on the motherboard, PSU, and CPU? I saw that $1K system build and they did exactly that - you have the 7970 but then you're running a cheap motherboard with a crappy case on top of it.

 

[azeem40]

It included an i5-3570k and an Extreme4 Gen3 Z77 Board.

 

[bigcyco1]

I usually only include a GTX 670 in 1,300 and up builds but i guess it's possible in 1,000 build though i wouldn't know how to pull it off without cutting some corners LOL!

 

[g-unit1111]

I usually only include a GTX 670 in 1,300 and up builds but i guess it's possible in 1,000 build though i wouldn't know how to pull it off without cutting some corners LOL!

Yeah I was thinking the same thing - I saw that system marathon $1K build and they did exactly that. :lol:

 

[bigcyco1]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing - I saw that system marathon $1K build and they did exactly that. :lol:

:lol: yeah seen that.

 

[bigcyco1]

Any ASUS boards, I've heard some good things about AsRock, but a lot of people I have talked to have suggested Asus as a good Mobo source.

My build includes Asus board though there is nothing wrong with AsRock i have owned four different AsRock none ever died i just gave them away when i upgraded and to be honest for the price are rock solid but i do prefer Asus myself :lol: P.S. Gigabyte is pretty good to i have a Z77 GIGABYTE G1.Sniper 3 board on my secondary rig and it's a overclocking beast! Also,overkill unless you plan on running tri or quad gpu though i am running x2 GTX 460 1GB in SLI on it :lol: but when i can afford better i will upgrade.

 

[mattysiebs]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I've actually managed to stretch the budget to over 1000 by a little bit. I found a $379 dollar GTX 670 from MSI and I'm seriously considering going for it.

[PCPartPicker part list](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/aUq4) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/aUq4/by_merchant/) / [Benchmarks](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/aUq4/benchmarks/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80623i52500k) | $169.99 @ Microcenter
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z77extreme4) | $139.99 @ Microcenter
**Memory** | [Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-memory-cmz8gx3m2a1600c9) | $48.99 @ Newegg
**Hard Drive** | [Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-hd103sj) | $109.99 @ Newegg
**Video Card** | [MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n670gtxpm2d2gd5oc) | $379.99 @ NCIX US
**Power Supply** | [Rosewill 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply](http://pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-hive750) | $76.50 @ Newegg
| | **Total**
| Prices include shipping and discounts when available. | $925.45

Case and Cooler are the only thing now needed, and I want to go with the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer (which looks sick). But that leaves the CPU cooler, and I'm not totally sure where to go with that.

 

[bigcyco1]

looks pretty good as for cpu cooler take your pick i have personally used them all at sometime or another and there all decent CPU Cooler:THERMALRIGHT SILVER ARROW DUAL14CM ROUND FAN HEATSINK
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CF4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTHERMALRIGHT-SILVER-ARROW-DUAL14CM-HEATSINK%2Fdp%2FB003XRAKLQ&ei=_JPhT5fBNOaw2QW7pdjmCw&usg=AFQjCNHI-MZYKU2ahV-tLWOMvRskh3fg6Q&sig2=B0mUpnS6kbDfAS79npKCCQ

CPU Cooler:Noctua 6 Dual Heatpipe with 140mm/120mm Dual SSO Bearing Fans CPU Cooler NH-D14 - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820148410

:
PHANTEKS PH-TC14PE_BL 5 x?8mm Dual Heat-Pipes Dual 140mm Premium Fans and Quiet CPU Cooler with Patented P.A.T.S Coating
by Phanteks
http://www.amazon.com/PHANTEKS-PH-TC14PE_BL-Heat-Pipes-Premium-Patented/dp/B005OQJVP0/ref=pd_cp_pc_1/178-7594657-4819959

CPU Cooler: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=N82E16835103099

CPU Cooler:COOLER MASTER V6 GT RR-V6GT-22PK-R1 120mm DynaLoop CPU Cooler w/ Universal bracket & Dual Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103089#top


NZXT HAVIK CPU Cooler with Dual 140MM Fans - Silver/Black
https://www.google.com/url?url=http://www.amazon.com/NZXT-HAVIK-Cooler-Dual-140MM/dp/B005869XYK&rct=j&sa=X&ei=mZ3fT42FNano2gXrqoHiCA&sqi=2&ved=0CHUQ_ggoADAB&q=NZXT+Havik+140&usg=AFQjCNGc6IxA2piashcNZopZEVwu80oHCw&cad=rja


CPU Cooler:Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Heat Sink With 2 Noctua Fans
http://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NH-U12P-Heat-Sink-With/dp/B002N2JVEE/ref=pd_cp_e_0

CPU Cooler:Thermaltake Frio Overclocking-Ready Intel Core i7 (six-core ready) & i5 Compatible Five 8mm Heatpipes Dual 120mm Fans Intel & AMD Universal CPU Cooler CLP0564
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150#top

 

[bigcyco1]

Make sure you get low profile ram so it doesn't conflict with your heat sink any of these will work and of course there others RAM:G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416#top

RAM:CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9B
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233196#top

RAM:CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186#top

 

[mattysiebs]

How does this look? http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-CNPS9900A-Ultra-Quiet-Cooler/dp/B001P1B7B4/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0 Would this fit high profile ram?

 

[bigcyco1]

Never used it before and not sure if it would fit with the big heat sinks ram sorry maybe somebody else can offer some input there