Question on <$1000 Gaming Build

[blitzhill]

First time posting here - I am looking at building a new gaming machine for $900-$1000, and have been looking at the August 2012 gaming build from newbcomputerbuild.

http://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/gaming-pc-builds-month-august-2012/

It seems like a pretty good setup, but I have a couple of questions:

1) I saw somewhere the Kingston RAM and Ivy Bridge processors don't play well together, is this true?
2) Is there another case that's not as flashy that is similar priced and has a similar layout?
3) What would be the opinion of using the NVIDIA GTX 570 over the ATI 7950 for this build? Seems to be similar performance but quite a bit cheaper?

Thanks!

 

[jmsellars1]

1) Not true, you will just want 1.5v RAM. The thing is, a lot of Kingston RAM is 1.65v.
2) The Coolermaster Elite 430 or 431 is a bit cheaper and is still great.
3) The HD 7950 is a lot better than the GTX 570, it should sit between the GTX 580 and GTX 670.

 

[Isaiah4110]

First time posting here - I am looking at building a new gaming machine for $900-$1000, and have been looking at the August 2012 gaming build from newbcomputerbuild.

http://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/gaming-pc-builds-month-august-2012/

It seems like a pretty good setup, but I have a couple of questions:

1) I saw somewhere the Kingston RAM and Ivy Bridge processors don't play well together, is this true?
2) Is there another case that's not as flashy that is similar priced and has a similar layout?
3) What would be the opinion of using the NVIDIA GTX 570 over the ATI 7950 for this build? Seems to be similar performance but quite a bit cheaper?

Thanks!

I haven't read anything about Ivy Bridge processors not liking Kingston RAM, but you certainly don't have to feel locked in to the Kingston RAM recommended there. You can find performance level 1600 MHz, 8 GB dual channel kits for anywhere from $35-$45 from several good quality brands. You should be pretty safe with anything from Kingston, Corsair, Patriot and GSkill. I believe the vast majority of RAM manufacturers also provide a lifetime warranty on their products.

2) A Case is the most easily changeable component of any pre-build parts list. I would highly encourage you to check out the selection on Newegg.com and pick something out that suits your tastes.

3) Quick hit on the differences between the GTX 570 and Radeon 7950: The 570 is "only" PCIe 2.0, only has 1 GB of RAM, is older and uses a lot more power. The 7950 fits the latest PCIe spec (3.0), has 3 GB of RAM, is a newer model, and is way more power efficient. I would definitely say it is worth it to go for the 7950 unless you are wanting to find places to cut costs so you can add an SSD to be used an a system/boot drive.

 

[Isaiah4110]

This list comes in at $1050 after mail-in rebates, but really that is because I added an operating system (Windows 7), which was left off the list you linked. I was also able to add a very good Solid State drive to improve your boot and software load times.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ Compuvest)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.49 @ B&H)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($21.48 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($90.80 @ Amazon)
Total: $1051.16
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-28 14:52 EDT-0400)

 

[blitzhill]

This list comes in at $1050 after mail-in rebates, but really that is because I added an operating system (Windows 7), which was left off the list you linked. I was also able to add a very good Solid State drive to improve your boot and software load times.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ Compuvest)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.49 @ B&H)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($21.48 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($90.80 @ Amazon)
Total: $1051.16
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-28 14:52 EDT-0400)

Thanks for your list, I actually already have a 830 128GB SSD as well as a Windows 7 copy. Thinking about buying most of the parts minus the video card and hard drive and going ahead and getting it running, then buying the video card once price drops a little more or I get the money together to buy it. I currently have a HD 6670 and an older 1TB drive I can use until I get the remaining parts. Looks like I could get it running for about $500 leaving off those parts.

Thanks!

 

[blitzhill]

Best answer selected by blitzhill.

 

[Isaiah4110]

Glad you liked the list! The one other piece I left of that list is an after-market CPU cooler. If you ever want to OC that CPU then you will definitely want one. I'm not big into OCing myself, but if I remember right the CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO is an inexpensive but often recommended cooler. It is selling for $30 on Newegg right now.

If you do end up wanting to overclock (and haven't before) then I highly recommend making your way over to the OC section of this forum and seeing what advice you can get there.