I would like to build a custom desktop computer for under about $1500. I am enticed by the long term and short term cost savings of desktops, as well as the better cooling options and customizability. I love trying out different hobbies and editing programs, and perhaps with less competition I would be considered a "poweruser". It will be used to play Team Fortress 2, and perhaps a bit of Battlefield. I do not want to pigeonhole this as a single-minded gaming rig, however. I would like a machine that would allow me to dig deeper into making music. Specifically, I will eventually hook up an external USB Audio Interface (Soundcard) and play software synthesizers with unnoticeable latency. I believe this is a largely processor-intensive... process.
I have heard that overclocking is a good way to get your money's worth, and I'm willing to learn (or have one of my friends teach me
). I like the option to turn up the graphics when playing games, but turn down the temperatures and fan noise when playing music or idling. I am conscious of airflow in the case, as I believe this is the best way to keep the case cool and quiet at the same time.
If it matters, the last computer I owned was a Lenovo Y560 laptop (1st gen i7, mobile Radeon 5730).
I am not including monitors, keyboards, mice, cables, peripherals, or the sound card in the $1500 price tag. This price tag is also not set in stone, as I am mostly concerned with "sweetspot" value for money.
CPU: Either the i7-4770K or the AMD FX-8350. Benchmarks rank these processors very closely, although the price of the Intel is about double that of the AMD. As far as I can tell, the tradeoff is power consumption and heat production. Would that be accurate? I might go for the AMD in that case. This is probably my most important decision...
GPU: I do spend a decent amount of time gaming (TF2, Battlefield). However, I am not the type to sacrifice all in the name of depth-of-field blur or a little more anti-aliasing. I'd rather get a midrange card and overclock it.
MOBO: Which means the motherboard should support overclocking. I'd also love ample USB ports including one or two 3.0s.
Memory: I'll be starting with 4GB RAM and probably upgrading as I see fit.
I'll be getting a SSD (~120 GB) and a big HDD.
OS: I plan to run Windows 7 (this factors into the cost of the computer).
Case: I have no idea what case to get. Apparently serious overclocking cases can be quite expensive. I'm looking to spend about a hundred bucks on the case. I care *nothing* for side windows or LEDs. I want something quiet with good cooling capabilities, ATX tower sized (at least I think that's the terminology).
PSU should be a reasonably simple decision once I know the wattage of the other components.
I'm doing most of my shopping via www.memoryexpress.com/SystemConfig/, as I live in Canada. I'm hoping for some of you to lend your expertise in choosing parts for a system that will run well as a unit. Thank you very much!
I have heard that overclocking is a good way to get your money's worth, and I'm willing to learn (or have one of my friends teach me
). I like the option to turn up the graphics when playing games, but turn down the temperatures and fan noise when playing music or idling. I am conscious of airflow in the case, as I believe this is the best way to keep the case cool and quiet at the same time.If it matters, the last computer I owned was a Lenovo Y560 laptop (1st gen i7, mobile Radeon 5730).
I am not including monitors, keyboards, mice, cables, peripherals, or the sound card in the $1500 price tag. This price tag is also not set in stone, as I am mostly concerned with "sweetspot" value for money.
CPU: Either the i7-4770K or the AMD FX-8350. Benchmarks rank these processors very closely, although the price of the Intel is about double that of the AMD. As far as I can tell, the tradeoff is power consumption and heat production. Would that be accurate? I might go for the AMD in that case. This is probably my most important decision...
GPU: I do spend a decent amount of time gaming (TF2, Battlefield). However, I am not the type to sacrifice all in the name of depth-of-field blur or a little more anti-aliasing. I'd rather get a midrange card and overclock it.
MOBO: Which means the motherboard should support overclocking. I'd also love ample USB ports including one or two 3.0s.
Memory: I'll be starting with 4GB RAM and probably upgrading as I see fit.
I'll be getting a SSD (~120 GB) and a big HDD.
OS: I plan to run Windows 7 (this factors into the cost of the computer).
Case: I have no idea what case to get. Apparently serious overclocking cases can be quite expensive. I'm looking to spend about a hundred bucks on the case. I care *nothing* for side windows or LEDs. I want something quiet with good cooling capabilities, ATX tower sized (at least I think that's the terminology).
PSU should be a reasonably simple decision once I know the wattage of the other components.
I'm doing most of my shopping via www.memoryexpress.com/SystemConfig/, as I live in Canada. I'm hoping for some of you to lend your expertise in choosing parts for a system that will run well as a unit. Thank you very much!
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