Need Recommendation ($1000 Budget) Gaming Pc for Arma 3

[Heath10125]

I understand there are alot of these threads around and I don't mean to waste peoples time but I hear the expertise of the members on this forum is high and that there are some members here with understanding and experience light years beyond my own.

That being said im interested in getting a gaming pc for upcoming Arma 3, and secondary games like battlefield 3 etc. will also be played on it but Arma 3 is my main focus.

Want to run this at as high settings as possible and my budget can be pushed upwards to $1500 but would really appreciate a 1000-1200 build with a few things highlighted that I could get to further the quality if i wanted to spend a bit of extra $

This is a new build and I have no parts to transfer but will source a monitor seperately (Although recommendations here would still be highly appreciated)


Anyway I hope there is someone out there who can take the time to recommend something for me and help me out as this would save me much time and money wasted on fooling around myself.

 

[MatildaPersson]

There's three cases I love:

Cooler Master HAF X - if you want a ton of features and can afford it, it's a fantastic case.

Corsair C70 - I love this case. It's pretty cheap, looks great and has everything you need.

Cooler Master Storm Enforcer - if you don't want to spend a ton on your case, this one is an awesome pick. It looks cool and doesn't skimp on the touches that make a case easy to work with.

Up to you on what you like the look of best.

Power supplies are very, very important. I really can't stress that enough. If you cheap out on a PSU and get a no-name brand or a poorly reviewed one on the cheap, you can literally destroy key components in your computer. A stable, clean and efficient PSU is top priority. I recommend something like the Corsair TX-750. For this build, 750watt is as low as I'd want, but you could probably get away with a bit lower. Up to you.

I think Arma 3 is fairly CPU intensive (for a video game, anyway). I'd go with an i5 3570K. Pick up the amazing value CPU cooler, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO to top it off. That should easily overclock to 4.2Ghz and stay cool.

Motherboard is a very easy choice: ASRock Z77 Extreme4. It's cheap, reliable, does it's job and overclocks simply. It's well reviewed for a reason!

*** Important note***

I see a lot of people get motherboards that aren't at least Z77 and wonder why they can't overclock. You need at least a Z77 to overclock a CPU, even when it's a "K" variant.

*** ***

For GPUs (graphics cards) I personally love the GTX 670 and recommend it for most any gamer. It very nearly matches the 680 and SLIs like a champ. The 660 Ti is a distant second. While not a bad card, I think it's better to spend a tiny bit more and get the 670, but to each their own.

I don't like Radeon cards, so I don't recommend them. Some people love them and find them fantastic value and overclockers. But I've fond them unreliable; Crossfire, despise updates, is miles behind SLI and I find even the lone cards tend to spend a lot more time in the 99% than Nvidia cards, meaning Radeon renders a choppier image. Just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

RAM is often oversold and overhyped among enthusiasts. The truth is, the speed and timings of RAM make virtually no difference to video game performance. Hardcore overclocking and timing tweaks might, maybe, perhaps see a single frame improvement. Maybe. Honestly, I say pick up some Corsair RAM that you like the look of and find cheap enough. 1333mhz is perfectly, 100% fine and often surprisingly cheaper than faster RAM.

Hope this helps at least a little!
Matilda~

 

[Heath10125]

Great really appreciate such a quick response

Will cost your suggestion out


Still love to hear from others with what they think and again thanks for your in depth response

 

[cball1311]

Don't want to overclock.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H77 Pro4/MVP ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($87.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.50 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Volant (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($181.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($24.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1192.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-24 22:07 EST-0500)

Want to overclock:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($38.50 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Volant (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.98 @ Outlet PC)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($181.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 Wireless Standard Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($24.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1270.35
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-24 22:09 EST-0500)

These rigs will run any games on high/ultra settings for some time to come.

 

[masterman467]

I believe Matilda hit the nail on the head about... everything. Obviously a very knowledgeable person.

This:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21422245 Is what i'll be picking up in the next month or so.

 

[Heath10125]

cball1311 thanks alot for your suggestion!

You have all taken a good amount of time to help me out and its really pleasantly supprising

@masterman467 nice!

 

[Heath10125]

What do people think about this??

Obviously with the bulk of it taken from the great advice above especially matilda!

CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core
$219.99 @ Newegg
CPU Cooler

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing
$29.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155
$124.99 @ Newegg
Memory

Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
$39.98 @ NCIX US
Video Card

Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB
$386.98 @ SuperBiiz
Sound Card

Asus Xonar D1
$89.74 @ Mwave
Case

Corsair C70 Military Green (Green) ATX Mid Tower
$132.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V
$69.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive

Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
$59.99 @ Newegg
Total: $1129.63



Don't...

Bump posts


http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/283384-33-read-first

People will comment in their own time.

 

[Heath10125]

And also what do people think about his monitor?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs248hp

 

[boulbox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4et7kDGSRfc

skip to 7:10

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($162.28 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer G236HLBbd 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1153.15
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 04:08 EST-0500)

 

[boulbox]

And also what do people think about his monitor?

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs248hp

If you choose something that expensive, do it right with an IPS monitor then.

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs239hp

cheaper and better pretty much

 

[EasyTransfer]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£57.11 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£126.98 @ Novatech)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£32.36 @ Dabs)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£67.68 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 180GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£140.00 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (£199.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case (£97.00 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£80.31 @ Ebuyer)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer (£17.63 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£67.96 @ CCL Computers)
Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard (£32.99 @ Novatech)
Mouse: Saitek CCB437030002/04/1 Wired Laser Mouse (£34.99 @ Novatech)
Total: £1116.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 11:10 GMT+0000)

 

[boulbox]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£161.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£57.11 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£126.98 @ Novatech)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£32.36 @ Dabs)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£67.68 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 180GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£140.00 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (£199.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case (£97.00 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£80.31 @ Ebuyer)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer (£17.63 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£67.96 @ CCL Computers)
Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard (£32.99 @ Novatech)
Mouse: Saitek CCB437030002/04/1 Wired Laser Mouse (£34.99 @ Novatech)
Total: £1116.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 11:10 GMT+0000)

OP needs monitor

 

[EasyTransfer]

If you can spend this much than go for it, this is a beast.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF3U/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.76 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($187.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Intel 520 Series Cherryville 180GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($376.48 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($25.97 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard
Mouse: Saitek CCB437030002/04/1 Wired Laser Mouse ($52.52 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1500.62
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 06:14 EST-0500)

 

[boulbox]

Also the mobo isn't that great for it's price, you might as well go Gigabyte UD5H or UP 4 that that price range and will have better stuff inside of it

 

[EasyTransfer]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF9v
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF9v/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/zF9v/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.76 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($41.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($376.48 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($25.97 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($181.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4 (UK Layout) Wired Standard Keyboard
Mouse: Saitek CCB437030002/04/1 Wired Laser Mouse ($52.52 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1497.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-26 06:35 EST-0500)

Monitor now included and mobo changed

 

[Heath10125]

Greatly appreciate the amount of responses, and detailed ones at that,

I have to ask though whether the Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB is better than the GTX 670?

After some searching im inclined to believe that for its price the Gtx 670 is perfect for games like Bf3 and Arma 3?

The extra few dollars doesn't bother me,

Also what kind of level of settings will my proposed setup allow me to play most games at and what kind of FPS can I expect from this?

Appreciate any and all responses

 

[cball1311]

Here are some benchmarks using the reference 670 (nvidia stock clocks, etc.)

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_670/9.html

All settings are on ultra. 1900x1200 is 1080p

 

[Heath10125]

Thanks for the link reafirmed what I had suspected and read,

nearly 70FPS!

Thats fantastic.

Just going to make a revised setup that im considering and will repost,

Certainly be interested in your and others opinion as a second draft so to speak with minor adjustments

 

[Heath10125]

Also having troubles picking a soundcard if someone could assist?

 

[cball1311]

No need for a sound card as the motherboard has 7.1 channel integrated.

 

[Heath10125]

Great thanks for the advice Cball you have been a consistent help

 

[cball1311]

No problem . What did you end up choosing for your build. I see a bunch of suggestions but none of your thoughts. We like to hear from the OP too

 

[Heath10125]

Final Parts list comments are much appreciated


CPU Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor $229.99 -$10.00 FREE $219.99 Newegg
Remove

Buy

$10 promotional gift card w/ purchase, ends 1/31

CPU Cooler
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler $29.99 FREE $29.99 Best Buy
Remove

Buy
Motherboard
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard $134.99 -$10.00 $124.99 Microcenter
Remove

Buy

$10.00 mail-in rebate

Memory
Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $38.50 $38.50 NCIX US
Remove

Buy
Add Additional Memory
Storage
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $69.99 FREE $69.99 Amazon
Remove

Buy
Add Additional Storage
Video Card
Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card $398.99 -$20.00 $7.99 $386.98 SuperBiiz
Remove

Buy

$20.00 Mail-in rebate

Add Another Video Card For 2-Way SLI
Sound Card Choose A Sound Card
Case
Corsair C70 Military Green (Green) ATX Mid Tower Case $129.99 FREE $129.99 Amazon
Remove

Buy
Power Supply
Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply $109.99 -$20.00 $4.99 $94.98 Newegg
Remove

Buy

$20.00 mail-in rebate

Optical Drive
Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer $18.99 $6.98 $25.97 Newegg
Remove

 

[Heath10125]

Best answer selected by Heath10125.

 

[Heath10125]

Yeah im really excited with this and will update pics if thats possible when I get the parts + when i set it all up,

Truly all the help i've received has been much appreciated.


Although i have one final question regarding the cpu cooler,

I have had someone who knows alot about computers inform me that the heatsink that comes with the intel cpu is very good and a third party one might be unescesary,

Would really appreciate thoughts on this although he doesn't really know how much gaming ill be doing i'd be interested in your valued opinions.