Build New Gaming/Programming PC (Narrow to ~$1000)

[dfdavis]

Approximate Purchase Date: Mid July
Budget Range: $800-$1100
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Programming, Surf Internet, Watch Movies
Parts Not Required: Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers, Monitor
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com or tigerdirect.com
Country: United States
Parts Preferences: Prefer Intel and Nvidia
Overclocking: Not necessary
SLI or Crossfire: Not necessary
Monitor Resolution: Higher == better
Additional Comments: I would much rather spend my money building my own PC than buying from Dell but I haven't been able to get the price under $1000 with Windows included. I've also haven't been paying much attention to PC parts recently since I've been moving too much to use a home PC for anything other than internet. I know there are probably better options than this, but I was going from what I had seen and right now I'm at $1219.90, I'd like to be closer to $1k even if possible. Also, I've never built my own PC before so if I'm missing something else, please let me know.

Parts:
Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5

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

CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler

ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

 

[bigcyco1]

You can get a GTX 570 for cheaper than that 560TI look here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127682

 

[motorneuron]

You've made good choices here. It's certainly possible to get the total cost lower, but I don't see anything obvious without some downgrades.

A first step might be to cut the BD-ROM drive; most gamers use a much cheaper DVD combo drive. If you're really watching blu-ray, then I guess you have no choice.

You could downgrade from a Z77+3570k+custom cooler to a single-PCIe slot Ivy Bridge board along with a 3550. That would save money on the aftermarket cooler, on the processor, and on the board. But it cuts your ability to SLI/crossfire later. So you have to think about your priorities. In terms of gaming, the 3570k will be only negligibly different from a 3550.

Speaking of gaming, since this is a gaming build, you may want to upgrade your video card. It's the single most important part for gaming--definitely more important than the CPU. The 7850 is a consensus choice around this price. If you really want an nvidia, there are some 570s available for about $250-260 post-rebate on newegg, which is only about $30 more than what you're spending on that 560 Ti. But it will make a difference. By the way, what resolution monitor are you running this on?

So, those are some thoughts to shave off a few bucks. Last thing you might consider is dropping the PSU down to a 650 W unit.

 

[bliq00]

If Microcenter is an option for you, you can save $85 by buying the CPU ($189.99) and that mobo ($89.99 when bundled with the i5-3570k) there. It's in store only though I think.

 

[boulbox]

for gaming try to spend the most on the GPU
here is an example build to not let you add another card but will give you a card that will be good for 2-3 years of gaming

MOBO+HDD:MSI Z77A-G43 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 and Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB - $204.98

CPU:Intel Core i5-3550 - $199.99 with code EMCNDHJ25

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151095

CASE: i recommend 300R

GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133452
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

 

[bigcyco1]

You can save 35 dollars by buying this mobo +HD combo http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.977954 and you can save 40 dollars by buying this PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021#top and you could save 20 dollars by getting this ram 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 better GPU $5 cheaper http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127682
other than that there no way to save anymore without seriously downgrading and losing overclocking CPU which i don't recommend with this your saving around $100.00 i think that's pretty good plus your getting GTX 570

 

[dfdavis]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I've decided on a final build, but I just wanted to know how much of a tradeoff the 7850 vs 570 is for this system. Also, will I have any issues adding a regular HDD to this afterwards for more storage?

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K

Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan

GPU: HIS IceQ X H785QN2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

RAM: G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR

Storage: SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128D/AM 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) Desktop Upgrade Kit

Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO

Disc Drive: SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner

With Windows 7 this brings me to 1041 after mail-in rebates. Is there anything else I need to build and run with this system or is this complete? I've been looking through the home build manuals and saw that the Hyper 212 includes thermal paste, so I didn't get any for that.

Thanks again for all your input.

 

[bigcyco1]

You won't have any issues with adding HD later and the GTX 570 vs R7850 The 7850 is roughly 6% slower than the 570 stock vs. stock, but the 7850 has more overclocking headroom. The 7850 also has 2gb of V-RAM, vs 1.28gb on the 570 (important dependent on your resolution and what games you play)

They are neck-in-neck in most cases:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=518

I would recommend the 570 over the 7850 (unless you play vram heavy games). IF you are a bf3 fan then the GTX 570 is a no brainer both perform well. The 570 is faster the 7850 will use less power.
Go with what you like. Most likely some games will favor one, some the other.

 

[dfdavis]

Best answer selected by dfdavis.