$800 Gaming Build

[Paladin5]

Approximate Purchase Date: December 11 to January 15

Budget Range: <$800

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Work, Internet

Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Microcenter , Newegg

Country: USA

Overclocking: Maybe in the future

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future

Monitor Resolution: 1280 x 1084 (may upgrade if I've got enough money leftover)

CPU: ($180) Intel i5 2500k - I've got a store less than 2 hours away, probably worth the time/gas unless a better deal comes around

Motherboard: ($95) BIOSTAR TZ68A+

Memory: ($39) Kingston 8GB DDR3 1333

Video Card: ($130) GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA Series GV-R685OC-1GD Radeon HD 6850

Case: ($50) HAF 912

HD ???

Power: ($40) OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W or ($50) CORSAIR Builder Series CX500

Total: $635 before shipping/tax

Concerns: I'm not sure if I choose the right motherboard.

Which power supply should I go with?

As for the hard drive, I've heard that conventional are very high priced right now. Should I go with a 500GB for $85 or should I go with a SSD and expand later? If the later, how much space do I need on a SSD if I want it to be my primary drive?

How is my case choice?

This is my first build.

 

[Murz]

If you get any Z68 mobo + i5 2500k at Micro Center they take an additional $50 off the mobo, looks like your mobo qualifies. I actually just ordered this combo from Micro Center this morning: 2500k + Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3. Total came to $258.58 after tax.

 

[Paladin5]

If you get any Z68 mobo + i5 2500k at Micro Center they take an additional $50 off the mobo, looks like your mobo qualifies. I actually just ordered this combo from Micro Center this morning: 2500k + Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3. Total came to $258.58 after tax.

That's a very nice deal, looks like I will be taking a trip to Microcenter after all. I've heard some bad things about Biostar lately and I'm thinking that I might go with the Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 as well.

Edit:

Here's the new build:

Approximate Purchase Date: December 11 to January 15

Budget Range: <$800

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Work, Internet

Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Microcenter , Newegg

Country: USA

Overclocking: Maybe in the future

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future

Monitor Resolution: 1280 x 1084 (may upgrade if I've got enough money leftover)

CPU: ($180) Intel i5 2500k

Motherboard: ($90) Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX

Memory: ($30) G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB

Video Card: ($130)[FONT=&quot]SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity[/FONT]

Case: ($50) HAF 912

HD ($93) Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s

Power: ($50) Corsair Builder Series 600 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply

Optical Drive: ($19) ASUS 24X DVD Burner

Operating System: ($100) Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

CPU Fan: [FONT=&quot]($34) COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO [/FONT]

Total: $776 before shipping/tax

 

[mfenn]

That looks fine to me. You can save some money by getting the ASUS P8Z68-V LX instead of the UD3. That would let you get a 6870 instead of the 6850.

 

[Paladin5]

That looks fine to me. You can save some money by getting the ASUS P8Z68-V LX instead of the UD3. That would let you get a 6870 instead of the 6850.

Microcenter's got a pretty nice deal going with the UD3 right now and I don't think I really need a 6870 at the moment so I think I'll just stick with what I've got right now (unless a better deal comes along). Thanks for the input though.

Also, I switched the optical drive to save $3 (better latency as well).

 

[Googer]

I've dealt with BIOSTAR in the past and have never been completely satisfied with them. BIOSTAR is the white box special motherboard used a lot by small mom and pop computer shops. I would get a Gigabyte, MSI, or ASUS motherboard. But I've read Gigabyte won't have a FULL UFI roll out untill 2012, untill then some of their products will still be shipping with the obsolete BIOS. That board you selected supports a maximum of 16GB RAM. For another $30-50 you can get a better board with 32 or 64 GB RAM support along with better build quality and more features.


As far as power goes, $40 is on the low end. I would at a minimum get a high efficiency SEASONIC or a PC Power and Cooling Silencer: PPCS760 or PPCS910. Higher quality power leads to better system stability, longevity, and fewer problems in the long run (I've seen my share) as well as lower power bills through less wasted (expelled) heat and less power drawn from the wall.


For my system, this is what I would buy:
https://www.google.com/search?&q=PPCT860

 

[Murz]

Microcenter's got a pretty nice deal going with the UD3 right now and I don't think I really need a 6870 at the moment so I think I'll just stick with what I've got right now (unless a better deal comes along). Thanks for the input though.

The deal at Micro Center is on ANY Z68 mobo, not just that Gigabyte one. So the ASUS mobo that mfenn recommend will also receive the $50 discount.

 

[mfenn]

The deal at Micro Center is on ANY Z68 mobo, not just that Gigabyte one. So the ASUS mobo that mfenn recommend will also receive the $50 discount.

Yep, and while an LX and UD3 will perform exactly the same, the 6850 and 6870 certainly do not!

 

[Paladin5]

I see what you mean, for some reason when I was searching Microcenter before I couldn't find the LX. Is the LX really equivalent to the UD3? It seems more on the level of the AP from the specs. I certainly wouldn't mind upgrading to a 6750.

Edit: Another question: Newegg's got a i7-2600k kit for $589.99 w/o GPU. Would it be better than my current build (w/ a Radeon HD 6850)? I would have to return my case and optical drive to Newegg though which would add shipping costs/restocking fee.

 

[mfenn]

I see what you mean, for some reason when I was searching Microcenter before I couldn't find the LX. Is the LX really equivalent to the UD3? It seems more on the level of the AP from the specs. I certainly wouldn't mind upgrading to a 6750.

Here's the link to the LX. The performance of the boards are identical, the only difference is in features. The UD3 has more features (mainly Crossfire and SLI support). If you never use those features, they are useless to you and not worth paying for.

Edit: Another question: Newegg's got a i7-2600k kit for $589.99 w/o GPU. Would it be better than my current build (w/ a Radeon HD 6850)? I would have to return my case and optical drive to Newegg though which would add shipping costs/restocking fee.

Not a good deal IMHO. The bundle has got a subpar PSU and SSD, an overpriced mobo, and a random "$15" screwdriver tool. Not to mention that the i7 2600K is not worth paying for if your primary use is gaming.

 

[Paladin5]

Not a good deal IMHO. The bundle has got a subpar PSU and SSD, an overpriced mobo, and a random "$15" screwdriver tool. Not to mention that the i7 2600K is not worth paying for if your primary use is gaming.

That's good to hear, I can stick the original plan then (which is a bit cheaper). I should have most of my major components by the end of this week then I just need to wait for a good hard drive sale and (if I'm lucky) a Windows sale.

One last question: will my stock fans (a 120mm in front & a 120mm in back) plus my non-stock CPU cooler provide enough cooling? Or should I add a 200mm or two to be safe? I'm not planning on overclocking right away.

 

[Murz]

One last question: will my stock fans (a 120mm in front & a 120mm in back) plus my non-stock CPU cooler provide enough cooling? Or should I add a 200mm or two to be safe? I'm not planning on overclocking right away.

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Yeah I was wondering the same thing about my new rig. I have the Antec 300 which provides a rear exhaust fan and a top exhaust fan. Is that paired with the Hyper 212+ sufficient cooling?[/FONT]

 

[fourdegrees11]

You really should upgrade that monitor to something half way decent

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009305

 

[mfenn]

One last question: will my stock fans (a 120mm in front & a 120mm in back) plus my non-stock CPU cooler provide enough cooling? Or should I add a 200mm or two to be safe? I'm not planning on overclocking right away.

The stock fans are plenty for this rig. A stock 2500K and 6870 do not put out that much heat at all.

 

[Googer]

You really should upgrade that monitor to something half way decent

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009305

Like a USED SONY 21" or Viewsonic Professional CRT would be better than that and for less money. Check your local craigslist or ebay for a new old stock monitor or one that has seen little use. It's the best bang for the buck; superior color, black levels, and no ghosting.

 

[Paladin5]

Thanks for answering the cooling question, mfenn.

As for the monitor, I would love to upgrade but, since I'm about to start grad school and my budget is a bit limited at the moment, I'll probably end up sticking with my old Dell 19". I can always upgrade at a later date and my old monitor still functions fine.

 

[jlazzaro]

Like a USED SONY 21" or Viewsonic Professional CRT would be better than that and for less money. Check your local craigslist or ebay for a new old stock monitor or one that has seen little use. It's the best bang for the buck; superior color, black levels, and no ghosting.

assuming his computer desk is rated for 200lbs

 

[Termie]

Honestly, if you can avoid it, don't buy a slow, low-end 500GB hard drive for $93. I'd much rather buy a 64GB SSD with that money, and go easy on game installations until hard drive prices come down. In the short term, you will profit from having a computer that feels way faster.

The Crucial M4 64GB is currently $110 at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148441

You can fit W7, Office, and probably 3 or 4 modern games on there. If you have a lot of documents, consider running them off a thumb drive for now, or any old drive you have available.

 

[Googer]

assuming his computer desk is rated for 200lbs

I have the largest CRT Monitor Sony ever made, and it weighs 100lbs. My 21' monitors on the side weigh about 70. No problems with desk support at all with my garage sale special.

 

[Googer]

Honestly, if you can avoid it, don't buy a slow, low-end 500GB hard drive for $93. I'd much rather buy a 64GB SSD with that money, and go easy on game installations until hard drive prices come down. In the short term, you will profit from having a computer that feels way faster.

The Crucial M4 64GB is currently $110 at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148441

You can fit W7, Office, and probably 3 or 4 modern games on there. If you have a lot of documents, consider running them off a thumb drive for now, or any old drive you have available.

I would still get a FAST single platter 1tb HDD with that SSD and use the SSD as a cache for the HDD (I forgot what intel calls it).

 

[mfenn]

I would still get a FAST single platter 1tb HDD with that SSD and use the SSD as a cache for the HDD (I forgot what intel calls it).

Smart Response Technology (SRT).

 

[mfenn]

You can fit W7, Office, and probably 3 or 4 modern games on there. If you have a lot of documents, consider running them off a thumb drive for now, or any old drive you have available.

You had me until you said 3 or 4 modern games. Windows 7, WoW, and SWTOR would pretty much eat up an entire 64GB drive, not to mention the need for at least some amount of swap space.

 

[recycledsole]

does Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 support SLI?

 

[mfenn]

No it does not. It does support Crossfire though, not that you would ever want to do Crossfire with midrange cards like 6870's though.