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$1500 budget for gaming rig

B

brad310

Senior member
Its been a while since i built a pc so here goes.

Ive got a $1500 budget for a gaming rig. I'll be playing Tribes Ascend, Diablo 3, and Guild Wars 2...they wont release until xmis time so i'll probably buy around thanksgiving.

I want a SSD and a 22 inch monitor. I also have to buy a KB and mouse since i havent owned a desktop in 5 years.

======================

Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129100
$160

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072
$220

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130574
$160

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231445
$70

EVGA 01G-P3-1371-TR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130565
$160

OCZ Fatal1ty 550W Modular Gaming Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341022
$70

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148348
$250

W7x64 Pro - $140
KB- $50
Mouse -$50
Headset - $40

=======================

Thats where I'm at so far. Im not sold on anything except i want a full tower and a SSD. My last 3 rigs were all AMD, i think this one should be intel from the comparisons im reading. Back when i was doing the AMD builds, the processor and mobos were substantially cheaper than comprable intels.

Id appreciate any input on the headset/kb/mouse situation...as im reading mixed reviews on everything.
 
I see a few places to save some money. Assuming you don't live near a Micro Center (where you could do even better), let me begin by recommending the NewEgg September Special:
$220 2500K + $30 2x4GB basic DDR1333 + $113 ASRock Z68 PRO3.

RAM speed doesn't matter significantly for gaming, but I notice your chosen case has a window. If you want your RAM to look blue instead of yellow, but still save a little, there's Patriot Signature for $50.

You said you need a monitor, but you didn't list one. I've had this $180 monitor recommended to me; it looks good.

You should get a better GPU than a 460. The 6870 seems to be in your price range; a 560ti or 6950 would be even better. But I'll hold off selecting one until your price range on other components is clearer. If you want to SLI, this ASRock isn't the board for you; but you probably shouldn't SLI for a moderate-high gaming rig.

I notice you're leaving out mail-in rebates; is there a reason for that?
 
Consider this SSD for $224. $204 after rebate.

I started a thread for a similarly-budgeted rig. I was persuaded to downgrade from a full-size case. For the money saved you could probably upgrade your GPU or fall more safely into your budget.

Is your monitor included in your budget because you seem to be cutting it close? My rig ATM includes a 24" monitor and is sitting at ~$1700. It also includes all the peripherals.
 
Ken, i dont plan to SLI. I wanted to get a 22 inch monitor and a gpu that would get me through a number of years without upgrading - hopefully in the $200 range. I will look at those suggestions. If that bundle saves I'll probably get it.

Mark, thx, ill read your thread as well. As far as that case selection though, i loved that it had so many fans. Full tower is much more comfortable - at work we have almost all small form factors...and physical space is not an issue for me. I could be convniced to look at another one though.
 
Ken g6 said:
I see a few places to save some money. Assuming you don't live near a Micro Center (where you could do even better), let me begin by recommending the NewEgg September Special:
$220 2500K + $30 2x4GB basic DDR1333 + $113 ASRock Z68 PRO3.

RAM speed doesn't matter significantly for gaming, but I notice your chosen case has a window. If you want your RAM to look blue instead of yellow, but still save a little, there's Patriot Signature for $50.

You said you need a monitor, but you didn't list one. I've had this $180 monitor recommended to me; it looks good.

You should get a better GPU than a 460. The 6870 seems to be in your price range; a 560ti or 6950 would be even better. But I'll hold off selecting one until your price range on other components is clearer. If you want to SLI, this ASRock isn't the board for you; but you probably shouldn't SLI for a moderate-high gaming rig.

I notice you're leaving out mail-in rebates; is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...

Agree with all of this. Additionally,
- The Twelve Hundred is in no way a $160 case IMHO. Even if it was, for a moderate build like you're planning all you really need is a good mid tower like a HAF 922 or Corsair 400R
- For $70, you can do much better on the PSU. The EA-650 for instance.
 
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