Recommendations on New Build plans $1000

chrispero · Jun 27, 2012

So first off, I would like to announce that I am in fact a newbie in the pc building world. I just started researching how and what to buy to create a legitimate gaming platform within a full tower case.
These are my current plans (hardware wise):

CPU: Intel i5 3570k Ivy Bridge 3.4 GHz LGA 1155 77w
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti (Fermi - WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?) Twin Frozr II 2Gb vram
Mobo: Asrock Z77 Extreme4 LGA DDR 1155 6 Gb/s
Memory: CORSAIR Vegeance 8Gb (2 x 4Gb) DDR3
Case: Cooler Master Storm Series Trooper
After Market Cooling Unit: None
PSU: SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX 12V
Hard Drive: Looking for recommendations for a 500Gb HD
Optical Drive: Any standard Optical drive (looking for recommendations) (im not looking for the blue ray player included)

Not included in budget: Windows 7 64bit, mouse, monitor, keyboard.

Basically I am trying to build a gaming pc for under $1000. I am not planning on running anything crazy like Crysis or GTAIV to use up huge amounts of RAM etc. I am looking for an "ok" for my build for being both compatible, practical, and decent. For the things I need recommendations for, its pretty self explanatory; I am looking for high value parts that wont cost a pretty penny, as I know the first 5 items on my list are already putting me over $800 already.

Also if you think I should not really need any of the listed parts then please let me know. If one of them is overkill, or if I can find something with virtually the same performance for a smaller price please let me know. I am planning on playing Bf3, Gw2 and future MMOs or shooters with relatively high video quality without framerate or lag issues.

So in general, if anyone could critique my build, or recommend other parts, I would highly appreciate it.

Thanks Guys!

ScrewySqrl · Jun 27, 2012

the build, as is should be fine.

I'll suggest a 1 TB drive (running about $99 right now) and a 90 (as low as $80) or 120 GB SSD (as low as $93) as a boot drive

chrispero · Jun 27, 2012

Why would I need a 1 TB drive?

What would be the reason for a solid state boot drive?

Thanks

ScrewySqrl · Jun 27, 2012

1TB is much more storage than a 500gb.

and the SSD reduces boot and loading times amazingly! (power on to ready-to-use in 15 seconds or less), games loading in a few seconds

chrispero · Jun 27, 2012

So you have to understand that I am really trying to stay under $1000. That pretty much excludes that extra SSD (for now, I can always buy one when I feel its worth it).

Also I know 1Tb of storage is more than 500Gb, the question was concering whether or not I NEED that much to run games and perform simple tasks lie MS office and surfing the web/youtube etc.

Thanks!

Spicy_benie · Jun 27, 2012

this is my suggestion
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/aXJ9

ScrewySqrl · Jun 27, 2012

Alright. there is a 500 GB drive for only $60 on Newegg right now.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145531

also, for the same price as the twin Frozet 560Ti, you can get an XFX HD7850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150608

the 7850 performs like a GTX 570, at the energy costs of an 6850. you can run a single 7850 with an Antec 380W PSU, Crossfire with like a 520-550W high quality PSU. (Antec, Corsair, SeaSonic, XFX)

I think you can build a PC within the $1000 pricetag with at least a 90 GB SSD in it. gimme a few hours to fiddle with Newegg, and I'll post a build for you

Merueth · Jun 28, 2012

Dat GTX 670.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ Best Buy)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: XFX 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($63.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $996.92
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

In case the cost goes over for you:

1. Get a 500 GB HDD, you can save $30 that way.
2. Get 4 GB of RAM, and upgrade it as needed.
3. Lose the Optical Drive.

I don't think you should get an SSD, as at this price range, your main focus should be on graphics power. Once you crest the $1200 point (Imo), you can start to spend on luxurys like a nice case and a SSD. The GTX 670 should average more than 60 FPS in BF3, with similar results in every game atm. Once you get the money, by a CM Hyper 212 EVO and overclock the 2500k.

chrispero · Jun 28, 2012

I appreciate everyone's input, this is all so helpful.

Spicy Benie: Your build looks pretty practical, though isn't it cheaper and simpler to buy two 4Gb RAM memory sticks instead of four 2Gb ones? Also in terms of memory, does it matter what company you choose? I keep hearing that CORSAIR vengeance are very good, which is why they are in my original build. Is 500W going to be enough for this system? I feel as though I should have more but honestly I don't know the technical aspects of power supplies.

ScrewySqrl: I am still wondering if 500Gb is enough, I feel like it should be, as I do have an external 500Gb hard drive to store movies and music on. What do you think? Also, in terms of the video card, I always hear that in general Nvidia makes more reliable cards.
Does anyone else have any input on what brand of video card is best?

Merueth: I really don't feel like spending over $400 on just a video card, I feel it unnecessary and, well, expensive. I know I can play BF3 with wonderful FPS on high settings with only a 560Ti. As far as motherboards go, what should I be looking for?

General Questions:
I already have a 500Gb External Hard Drive first off, so this might affect what you think I should get.

Also, I have heard a lot of debate on the i5 3570k vs. the i5 2500k. Do they have the same performance? What are the specific differences I will see with both processors?

Everyone in the last 3 posts has recommended a mid-tower computer case. I ALWAYS hear that mid tower cases get really hot and are hard to work with. I would love your opinions on why you think I should get a mid-tower over a full-tower, as I don't know if a mid-tower would be right for me (it is cheaper though haha). I just don't want a hard drive that will cause parts to melt or break due to heat, because of a mid-tower. If there are ways to prevent this THAT would be very helpful to know.

Also what is the difference between an optical drive and a cd/dvd burner?

In terms of motherboards, I have no clue what is good and what is bad. Are there certain features other than DDR3 or 1155 compatibility that I need to look for?

THANKS GUYS!

ScrewySqrl · Jun 28, 2012

bctande1 · Jun 28, 2012

CPU - Go i5 2500k. The real benefits of Ivy Bridge lie in the HD 4000 integrated graphics chip, which, given that you have a discrete GPU, will be of no use to you, unless you are looking for lower temps at stock. Right now, IVY is stills bit of a risk for overclockers,despite the new 22nm process. And there is really no point to going ivy for a gaming rig because the differences between 2500k and 3570k when gaming are negligible. You can sava few bucks going sandy.

GPU - I just bought a 7850 myself and I am really enjoying it. The new manufacturing process makes it a great overclocker because even at max OC, your temps will eat relatively low and that drastically increases the lifetime of your card. And it is just a solid card overall, best for the price no doubt about it.

Ram - 4gbs will do you fine, GTA 4 utilizes more VRAM on the GPU than it does regular ram. Additionally it is a poorly optimized game and you will see much more performance out of a higher end system which is unnecessary. If you wanna go safe with 8gb, no problem there.

SSD and HDD - unless you're going to get an SSD over 64 GB there's no point of hoping for a little shorter loading screens, Because the only thing you will be able to load on the 64B GB SSD is the operating system. I'd say go one terabyte hard drive. you will be able to store much more games as opposed to an SSD, where you will only be able to store a few games. And loading screens do improve but are only useful for games like battlefield 3, where loading screens can be frustratingly long.

Case - good

MOBO - z77 for ivy and z68 for sandy, obviously

Merueth · Jun 28, 2012

Sqrl, while the 7850 consumes very little power, that's cutting it too close with the PSU in my opinion, especially since the CX series is not exactly the best out there. Obviously you have plenty of money left to upgrade it, but that is one place where I would not cut corners by getting a cheap one.

Mid towers are great cases, and are typically much better than full towers in the under $100 category. Almost every build I know of uses a mid tower, other than a few exceptions when you need stuff like liquid cooling for a 3930k and a couple of GTX 680s. Other than that, mid-tower is generally the way to go.

Why not get a better graphics card when you can afford it without skimping out on the other parts? The 560 Ti can barely manage 35 FPS on ultra settings, compared to the GTX 670's 72. The 2500k is just as good as the 3570k when overclocked, and the HAF 912 is spacious and fairly easy to use. XFX PSU's are made by Seasonic, so they are high -quality as well. The GTX 570 is still a great card for almost any game, while the 6850 is now considered a low end card. That is the difference if you buy a GTX 670 vs a 7850/560 Ti.

dish_moose · Jun 28, 2012

Get the best GPU you can afford - plain & simple - you will not regret it. I vote for the GTX670.
-Bruce

ScrewySqrl · Jun 28, 2012

Merueth :

Sqrl, while the 7850 consumes very little power, that's cutting it too close with the PSU in my opinion, especially since the CX series is not exactly the best out there. Obviously you have plenty of money left to upgrade it, but that is one place where I would not cut corners by getting a cheap one.

Mid towers are great cases, and are typically much better than full towers in the under $100 category. Almost every build I know of uses a mid tower, other than a few exceptions when you need stuff like liquid cooling for a 3930k and a couple of GTX 680s. Other than that, mid-tower is generally the way to go.

Why not get a better graphics card when you can afford it without skimping out on the other parts? The 560 Ti can barely manage 35 FPS on ultra settings, compared to the GTX 670's 72. The 2500k is just as good as the 3570k when overclocked, and the HAF 912 is spacious and fairly easy to use. XFX PSU's are made by Seasonic, so they are high -quality as well. The GTX 570 is still a great card for almost any game, while the 6850 is now considered a low end card. That is the difference if you buy a GTX 670 vs a 7850/560 Ti.

the 7850 will run just fine on that 430W PSU with 28amps on the 12v rail. I run a 6850 on the same psu, and both use about the same power.

aqualipt · Jun 28, 2012

Hello mate, check my ~1000$ signature build, you will love it, and if you have any questions let me know

btw... Fermi, Kepler, PowerPC, Ivy bridge (IB), Sandy Bridge (SB), lynfiel,tahiti,,nahalem, westmere, Souther island and all those weird names are Architectures in wich a X product is based, for expample, a GTX 670 is based on Kepler architecture

chrispero · Jun 28, 2012

Where do I go to see your signature build?

Merueth · Jun 28, 2012

chrispero :

A signature is something that is repeated under every one of your forum posts. It's separated by a dotted line from the actual post.
In this case, it goes to this thread.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/351843-31-info-rigs-budget-uses-check#

loops · Jun 28, 2012

trade the 560ti w/ 480 and get a 650 psu

chrispero · Jun 28, 2012

So from what I can see, if a mid-tower case would be fine for my build, then it seems I should go with that and save up to $100. Now, seeing as how I might get a mid-tower case, I almost feel like I shouldn't have the GTX670 as it would need lots of room and perhaps liquid cooling to run without overheating (something that is hard to do in a mid tower). If someone could confirm that this might not be a good idea that would helpful.

It looks like I am sticking with an i5 3570k CPU.

As far as the GPU goes, I doubt I will go with something as powerful as a GTX670. I am a gamer, but not a professional or super heavy gamer. I only plan to be playing BF3, GW2, and future mmos and shooters, wherein I could upgrade to other stuff if need be in the future for them. I am looking at any 560ti model (please recommend a company/version) but mostly the MSI Twin Frozr model as it seems it is reliable and stays cool.

As for the Mobo, its all up for grabs, if someone could recommend a good motherboard that would use an i5 ivy, and also one of the GPUs I have been looking at, that would be great.

I will look for (and will take recommendations) a 1Tb hard drive, as well as a good company to get 8Gb of Ram from (2 sticks). I have heard the CORSAIR vengeance are good, can anyone vouch?

AS FOR THE CASE: This is the big issue im having right now. I could really use some good mid tower case recommendations for around $60-$70 that not only look cool but have the necessary features for my build.

PSU: THIS IS THE OTHER BIG THING. I have no idea how powerful of one I need. I have heard I should get at least 670w so I can SLI in the future, but I am open to suggestions.

THANKS GUYS!

Recommendations on New Build plans $1000

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