[$1,000 UD Budget] Need Gaming PC

[GeekPlaya]

Hello all, I hope everyone's doing well..

I am slowly teaching myself hardware, because I want to get a gaming computer for obviously gaming, but also video editing and software development. I figure whatever can handle games well, could also handle video editing fairly well.

I need your help in deciding what I should buy, as I am building my PC from scratch (least expensive way).

What I have so far... : http://graysonadams.com/specs/

What should be changed if not everything?

Goal

• Run Battlefield 3 around High (as I know Ultra requires an expensive GPU) with AA.
• Play Crysis 2 on High
• Minimal 35 FPS on most modern games (hopefully much higher on something like Minecraft)
• Able to render fast in Sony Vegas
• Hopefully not too loud of a computer
• Not having to worry about overheating

 

[GeekPlaya]

*Removed that stupid parsed smiley face in most post

 

[lehtv]

When do you need this built?

Do you want to overclock?

Assuming budget is $1000, and you already own Windows 7, monitor etc.? What is your monitor resolution?

 

[GeekPlaya]

When do you need this built?

Do you want to overclock?

Assuming budget is $1000, and you already own Windows 7, monitor etc.? What is your monitor resolution?

Preferably within 30 days, and if not that, by the end of school (May). I know GeForce is having a new line-up and Radeon is improving one of its' series within the next month or so.

I get worried about the idea of overclocking and the potential damage it can cause. I'm also unsure on how to make sure nothing goes wrong while overclocking. Surely it puts strain on the CPU, right?

I do own a monitor, and it has some sort of funky screen solution, but it's Samsung and it's fairly decent. It's like 16**x****. Sorry, I have no clue what it is, as I am not home, but it's not HD and it's at least 17".

 

[lehtv]

Preferably within 30 days, and if not that, by the end of school (May). I know GeForce is having a new line-up and Radeon is improving one of its' series within the next month or so.

That's good to know. You should definitely wait for radeon HD7850 to be released, and maybe even the NVIDIA counterparts. I can recommend a specific build once you know you're ready to start making purchases.

I get worried about the idea of overclocking and the potential damage it can cause. I'm also unsure on how to make sure nothing goes wrong while overclocking. Surely it puts strain on the CPU, right?

There's practically nothing that can go wrong as long as you're doing it right. If you're interested, there's a potential for 20-30% more performance at relatively little effort, but that extra performance may or may not be of use to you. Compared to not overclocking, it not only requires a more expensive CPU, but you also need to pay for an aftermarket cooler and a more expensive motherboard. So if you're looking for best bang for buck don't OC.

I do own a monitor, and it has some sort of funky screen solution, but it's Samsung and it's fairly decent. It's like 16**x****. Sorry, I have no clue what it is, as I am not home, but it's not HD and it's at least 17".

Ok. I would buy a new monitor, an fairly decent 23" 1080p monitor can be had for under $200. Trust me, you'll be better off enjoying a bigger screen, even if that means less processing power or features. Would you be prepared to pay for a new monitor along with a $1000 system, or do we need to subtract that $200?

 

[GeekPlaya]

That's good to know. You should definitely wait for radeon HD7850 to be released, and maybe even the NVIDIA counterparts. I can recommend a specific build once you know you're ready to start making purchases.

There's practically nothing that can go wrong as long as you're doing it right. If you're interested, there's a potential for 20-30% more performance at relatively little effort, but that extra performance may or may not be of use to you. Compared to not overclocking, it not only requires a more expensive CPU, but you also need to pay for an aftermarket cooler and a more expensive motherboard. So if you're looking for best bang for buck don't OC.

Ok. I would buy a new monitor, an fairly decent 23" 1080p monitor can be had for under $200. Trust me, you'll be better off enjoying a bigger screen, even if that means less processing power or features. Would you be prepared to pay for a new monitor along with a $1000 system, or do we need to subtract that $200?

I'm content with my current monitor for now.

How does this look:

Mobo: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157271)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072)
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226191)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136284)
GPU: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127565)
PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028)

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116986)

Case + DVD Player/Burner: Combo - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 + LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS70 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.845560)
Extra Case Fan: COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm Blue LED Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103060)

(shipping included when necessary)
121.99 + 7.87 + 219.99
129.99 + 234.99 + 69.99 + 1.99
99.99 + 60.98 + 7.99 + 39.99

Grand Total: $995.76

 

[GeekPlaya]

BTW: My current monitor is: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics...9/product.html

They don't sell it anymore (it's a bit old), but I'm assuming this website never lowered the price from what it originally was. So, it wasn't too cheap and I think the quality should still be relatively good, right?

Res: 1680 x 1050

 

[lehtv]

Alright. I thought the monitor was smaller than that. 21" 1680x1050 is OK, but I'd still look into buying 24" 1080p or even 27" 1080p at some point

That build looks good for 1680x1050 but I would change some things:

Mobo: If you don't need SLI/crossfire - and the vast majority don't, at 1080p or less - get Asrock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 $105 shipped.

HDD 2TB 7200RPM for less $ than your WD Caviar

PSU XFX 650W is easily a better PSU and costs the same. +2 years of warranty, Seasonic manufactured, 4 PCIe connectors, excellent power quality, quiet.

 

[DSF]

Unless you really want the blue LED, I'd go with a nice quiet case fan like a Scythe Slipstream.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185057

It's a little pricier than the fan you chose, but you might be able to get a better deal by shopping around.

It depends on your priorities though. I like making my PCs as quiet as possible, but one quiet fan isn't going to matter if the rest of your components are loudish.

 

[GeekPlaya]

Alright. I thought the monitor was smaller than that. 21" 1680x1050 is OK, but I'd still look into buying 24" 1080p or even 27" 1080p at some point

That build looks good for 1680x1050 but I would change some things:

Mobo: If you don't need SLI/crossfire - and the vast majority don't, at 1080p or less - get Asrock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 $105 shipped.

HDD 2TB 7200RPM for less $ than your WD Caviar

PSU XFX 650W is easily a better PSU and costs the same. +2 years of warranty, Seasonic manufactured, 4 PCIe connectors, excellent power quality, quiet.

Unless you really want the blue LED, I'd go with a nice quiet case fan like a Scythe Slipstream.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185057

It's a little pricier than the fan you chose, but you might be able to get a better deal by shopping around.

It depends on your priorities though. I like making my PCs as quiet as possible, but one quiet fan isn't going to matter if the rest of your components are loudish.

Here's what I got so far from you all and some other forums:

Mobo: $104.99 - ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157279)
CPU: $219.99 - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072)
RAM: $39.99 - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226191)
HDD: $129.99 - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136284)
PSU: $71.98 - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028)
GPU: $389.99 - MSI N580GTX Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 580 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127567)
OS: $0 - No longer needed...

Case + DVD Player/Burner: $60.98 - Combo - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 + LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS70 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.845560)
Extra Case Fan: $7.99 - COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm Blue LED Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103060)

Grand Total: $1,025.90

 

[GeekPlaya]

I just can't go over $1,000. Updated again

Mobo: $104.99 - ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157279)
CPU: $219.99 - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072)
RAM: $39.99 - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226191)
HDD: $129.99 - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136284)
PSU: $71.98 - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028)
GPU: $319.99 - MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III PE/OC GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127582)

Case + DVD Player/Burner: $60.98 - Combo - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 + LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS70 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.845560)
Extra Case Fan: $7.99 - COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm Blue LED Case Fan (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103060)

Grand Total: $955.90

 

[azeem40]

With current HDD prices, you are paying a premium for Caviar Black - get the Caviar Blue as it is better value.

 

[GeekPlaya]

With current HDD prices, you are paying a premium for Caviar Black - get the Caviar Blue as it is better value.

It's relatively more expensive (Blue).

My latest specs will now be kept at: http://graysonadams.com/specs/

I have updated them, can you tell me what you think now?

 

[azeem40]

How is Caviar Blue more expensive?

 

[lehtv]

The MSI 560 Ti you originally linked in post #6 is cheaper and better than the Gigabyte card. Get it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127565

I'm unsure as to why you want the Corsair CX600. The XFX PSU is equivalent to Corsair's TX series. If you had Corsair TX650 and CX600 for the same price, you'd obviously choose the TX.

Also, the hard drive is still more expensive and lower capacity than what I linked. However if you think 1TB is all you will ever need, then you should get this Seagate drive for $102.

 

[GeekPlaya]

The MSI 560 Ti you originally linked in post #6 is cheaper and better than the Gigabyte card. Get it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127565

I'm unsure as to why you want the Corsair CX600. The XFX PSU is equivalent to Corsair's TX series. If you had Corsair TX650 and CX600 for the same price, you'd obviously choose the TX.

Also, the hard drive is still more expensive and lower capacity than what I linked. However if you think 1TB is all you will ever need, then you should get this Seagate drive for $102.

The Seagate drive is apparently out of stock, and the Corsair CX6000 will work fine for me.

Both Seagates are either out of stock or too expensive.

How is Caviar Blue more expensive?

Every single one I found was more expensive than my current. Care to show me a link from NewEgg.com?

 

[lehtv]

Hm, ncix did say it's in stock. Oh well.

CX600 will work fine, but it still doesn't make sense to buy it when you can get something better for the same price. Or you can go with XFX 550W - which is actually rated more powerful for +12V than CX600 - for $50 AR shipped. Again better quality.

The rest of your build - approved. :thumbsup:

 

[GeekPlaya]

We're getting it from Fry's. Here's the final build, and I'm pretty firm on it.

http://graysonadams.com/specs

 

[azeem40]

PSU = crap. Get a better unit.

 

[mfenn]

We're getting it from Fry's. Here's the final build, and I'm pretty firm on it.

http://graysonadams.com/specs

This is a lot worse than some of the previous builds we've been tossing around. From the top:
- Mobo: Requires a rebate to get down to the price of the more featureful ASRock Z68 Extreme3
- CPU: $210 at Newegg.
- RAM: Overpriced as hell compared to this $35 PNY 8GB DDR3 1333 kit
- HDD : Fine, but if you don't absolutely need 1TB, you can save some money by getting the 750GB 7K1000.D
- PSU: Pretty crap compared to the $65 XFX Core 650W.
- GPU: Moderately overpriced compared to this Galaxy GTX 560 Ti at $200 AR
- Case: Fine
- Cooler: Fine
- Assembly: Not required

 

[GeekPlaya]

This is a lot worse than some of the previous builds we've been tossing around. From the top:
- Mobo: Requires a rebate to get down to the price of the more featureful ASRock Z68 Extreme3
- CPU: $210 at Newegg.
- RAM: Overpriced as hell compared to this $35 PNY 8GB DDR3 1333 kit
- HDD : Fine, but if you don't absolutely need 1TB, you can save some money by getting the 750GB 7K1000.D
- PSU: Pretty crap compared to the $65 XFX Core 650W.
- GPU: Moderately overpriced compared to this Galaxy GTX 560 Ti at $200 AR
- Case: Fine
- Cooler: Fine
- Assembly: Not required

Perhaps you missed the bit where I said "We are getting it from Fry's".

The assembly will be necessary. If you're going to suggest anything, please make it from Fry's and not anywhere else. It's my parents' decision as to where we get the parts, and they are saying Fry's.

A lot of what you have said you cannot get there.

- Mobo: Is fine as is. I couldn't find ASRock's on Fry's, and the MSI is practically equivalent.
- CPU: Can't do NewEgg.
- RAM: Fixed. However, it's just Samsung now. Would this be an issue as it is a less popular manufacturer?
- HDD : It's fine for now.
- PSU: I just changed it to Antec's.
- GPU: From what I see it is cheaper.

 

[GeekPlaya]

Anyone else?

 

[lehtv]

Why don't you assemble it yourself from online ordered parts?

If you must buy from Fry's, that build looks OK. No major complaints. I wouldn't say any of the components are overpriced per se, just not as well priced as what you can find online.

Enermax NAXN 550W ($60) would be sufficient for this build, and should be fine for future builds too, given the decrease in power consumption we're seeing lately.

- RAM: Fixed. However, it's just Samsung now. Would this be an issue as it is a less popular manufacturer?

Samsung manufactures everyone else's RAM, basically.

 

[gevorg]

This WD 1TB is $50 cheaper than that Seagate (SATA600 is not worth that much of a difference), and I would trust WD more than Seagate (YMMV, IMHO). Also, the difference between 5400RPM and 7200RPM is not as big as they used to be, so 5400RPM today will be just fine as the primary drive, until you save for SSD.
http://www.frys.com/product/6192549

For mobo, I would go with Asus rather than MSI:
http://www.frys.com/product/6726425

Also, have you thought about waiting for ~3 months until Intel Ivy Bridge is released?

 

[mfenn]

Perhaps you missed the bit where I said "We are getting it from Fry's".

Nope, I saw that bit just fine. I simply ignored it because you didn't give a good explanation as to why the parts had to be from Fry's (generally more expensive). You should have given the explanation below before getting irritated at someone who is trying to help.

The assembly will be necessary. If you're going to suggest anything, please make it from Fry's and not anywhere else. It's my parents' decision as to where we get the parts, and they are saying Fry's.

A lot of what you have said you cannot get there.