A $1,000 Complete System Build

[Skott]

PLEASE when you POST threads asking for input on system builds tell us...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

For a family member and spouse who download music and play FPS games like CoD: Black Ops. They also play WoW.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

Trying to stay below $1000.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

USA, New Egg mostly I suppose.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

Intel for the CPU. others I'm flexible on.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

I have a new Corsair TX750w lying here in box unused so I figured I could use it to save some money. Kinda overkill for this build but waste not want not. It could prove useful down the road if they ever want CF/SLI.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

Yes, and will continue to read and research.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

No, no overclocking. This couple knows nothing about overclocking and giving them that could be troublesome I feel. LOL

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Probably 1920x1080. Seems like most new monitors coming out with that.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

In about a week depending on sales and/or shipping times.

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.

Okie dokie.

This is for a daughter and spouse. She likes to download music and play WoW which he does as well but he also likes FPS games like CoD: Black Ops. Basically looking to build them something that will play A Title games for the next couple years at least. I figure 2-3 years down the road I can upgrade it for them. I thought to keep costs down and avoid any possible problems to go with a non-overclocking system. Keeping it simple. His gaming laptop is going on 3 years old so he needs something better.

Here is my preliminary build idea.

CPU-Intel i5 2500 - $209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115073
The i5 2500 is about as good as it gets and price wise is not horribly bad. Considered a i5 2400 but concerned it may not be enough power for later as system ages. Also to help save money planned on going with stock retail cooler. No overclocking so should be fine.

Mobo-AsRock H61M-VS - $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157241
Saw this suggested in another build. Its a low end budget mobo thats cheap. USB3 is not required so should work. I haven't read anything bad about it. Not many reviews exist though. Not against going with another choice as long as its reliable and stable.

RAM-4GB is plenty for gaming and what not. - $38.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231425
This RAM is what NE had suggested to go with the mobo above. Pretty cheap. Not against other brand or choice as long as its reliable and works.

Case-Antec 300 - $69.95 - $10.50 instant = $59.45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042
I considered the Vulcan and Elite 341 mATX cases but then decided since I'm using a non-modular psu and may need to go ATX later on that the 300 would be more suitable. Its an older design case but still very useful and popular for today's rigs. I'm open to better ideas.

PSU-Corsair TX750w - Already have it.
As I mentioned above I had this sitting around unused and felt I could save money by using it. Its rather overkill but later on if I upgrade the system to something better it could prove to pay off.

CD/DVD- Sony Optiarch - $19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827118039
Need a simple burner/player. Used Sony before and they're fine. Blue ray not needed.

HDD-Samsung Spinpoint F3 - $64.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152185
1TB should be enough for them to start off with. This hdd is popular and pretty good. I could get something cheaper I suppose but I'll go with this as a base suggestion. I think it will work with the mobo chosen. *Note: No SSDs will be used in this build. Too expensive and not needed IMO.

O/S- Windows 7 Home premium 64bit OEM - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116986
All they need I believe. Comes with SP1.

GPU-EVGA GTX460 - $169.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130570
A 460GTX or a ATI6850 would be a good start. This card is about the best bang for buck in the $150 range. I was hoping to get price down enough to a ATI 6950 or it's nVidia equivalent but that won't be easy without making compromises. The upside is that later on they could get a better card and upgrade. Xmas is not far off. LOL

Monitor/LCD- 22" - $159.99 - $40.00 Instant = $119.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824262011
This Hanspree seems to be good enough. With the rebate it is pretty cheap right now. Not against going with something else. Hoping to stick with 22" as size. Need not be 1920x res.

Speakers- Logitech X40 2.0 - $27.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121002
I chose this unit simply because I have a set for my SFF rig and they work well. Might be able to find something else to save some money or something better.

Keyboard-Lite On - $7.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823107128
Nothing fancy. Cheap. Useable.

Mouse- Logitech MX518 - $44.99-$10.00 instant = $34.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104178
A mouse is a very personal thing IMO. Not everyone likes the same types/models. The MX518 is a good one though so I thought I would try and get him one. Money could be saved here by going El-cheapo standard usb mouse.

Case fans-Scythe S-Flex 120mm $19.99 x 3 = $44.97 (save $5)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185006
The Antec 300 has room for three additional case fans. I should get at least two but planning for three. I want to make sure there is good airflow since I was planning on not getting a after market HSF for the CPU. I have used this particular model before and like them. Currently sold out at NE but I can find them somewhere I'm sure.

That is pretty much it. A complete system. For around $960. Any pricing, rebates, and combo deals subject to change of course. Although everything above is listed as non combo. Curious to see what the good folks here at AT can do to help me out. Of course I'm open to better ideas and suggestions.

 

[z1ggy]

They won't be able to CF/SLI on that mobo. Also if they aren't going to OC, why bother with the i5, just go with an i3. Also, allow a little budget perhaps for an after market cooler? I don't know how well the stock HSF will do... Prob fine but I always like after market just to be safe.

 

[mvbighead]

Also if they aren't going to OC, why bother with the i5, just go with an i3. Also, allow a little budget perhaps for an after market cooler? I don't know how well the stock HSF will do... Prob fine but I always like after market just to be safe.

This... makes... no... sense.

The i5 is a superior line of CPUs over the i3s. The K series allow for better overclocking, which if the op isn't interested in, he is just fine sticking with an i5-2500 (non k variety). The i3s are pretty much strictly dual core, while most i5 (including the op's selection) are quad core.

As for the after market cooler... if he's not overclocking, there is no need. Further, most manufacturers pretty much stipulate if want the warranty, you must use the provided cooling solution that comes with the CPU.

If the OP is trying to get the most out of his $1000 rig that won't be overclocked, using the included cooling solution will leave 30-40 bucks that can be spent on RAM or other upgrades.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, an i5 2500 is the right choice for gaming not the slower dual-core i3.

I'd be tempted to skip 1-2 of the extra fans and put that money into a 560 ti and/or 8 GB RAM to stretch the life a bit farther.

The intel chips run cool so 3 extra fans seems like overkill.

 

[mvbighead]

Yes, an i5 2500 is the right choice for gaming not the slower dual-core i3.

I'd be tempted to skip 1-2 of the extra fans and put that money into a 560 ti and/or 8 GB RAM to stretch the life a bit farther.

The intel chips run cool so 3 extra fans seems like overkill.

I was thinking the same thing about the fans. To me, a 120mm exhaust fan, and maybe a good size intake fan is about all you need with most systems.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Yes, an i5 2500 is the right choice for gaming not the slower dual-core i3.

I'd be tempted to skip 1-2 of the extra fans and put that money into a 560 ti and/or 8 GB RAM to stretch the life a bit farther.

The intel chips run cool so 3 extra fans seems like overkill.

Personally, I would skip all the extra fans. You are not overclocking it, and the Antec 300 is a decently cool case with out the extra fans. If the system runs hot, the fans are an easy addition later. Take that extra $45 and you are in striking distance of a HD6950 1gig.

 

[Skott]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'll try and clarify some things. I don't think going with the i3 is a better solution in this situation. I think its better to stay with the i5 since this is mainly a gaming build. Trying to stick with a i5 2500 but I do realize I may need to drop down to a i5 2400 to get some things extra like a better GPU. I don't think it would be good to go less than the i5 2400 though. And as I mentioned no OCing is planned with current build. Maybe later down the road if they want to upgrade to new CPU, mobo, ram, etc. Next gen basically.

Which leads to my mobo choice. Very basic with no OCing involved. Now some day maybe they'll want a new gen system and then there may be OCing involved or need/want CF/SLI needed. A new mobo can be swapped in then. I don't see them needing or wanting it for quite some time though. They don't seemed to be interested in those things anyway.

The reason why I was thinking three case fans is because of the case. The Antec 300 comes with a 120mm fan in back and a 140mm fan on top. They are both Tri-Cool fans and many have complained they are loud. I watched a YT video of one and I do agree on full speed they are quite loud. Many people seem to suggest running the fans on the low speed and it will do fine. Not having a front intake fan really worries me. I agree the side fan is not necessarily needed but not having a front intake... that bothers me especially considering I think the two back fans should be used as exhaust. I really do believe at least one fan in front should be installed to get fresh air in. Dropping from three fans to one would save some dollars. I'll seriously consider it. Looking forward to more input. Thanks in advance.

 

[mvbighead]

To me, you have large fans because they can move large volumes of air quietly. Turn your tri-cool fans to low or medium, whatever is optimal, and leave them be. The air flow that they provide will be more than enough to get warm air out of the system.

Go ahead an add an intake fan, but I would leave the others alone, IMO.

As for the CPU, my personal take is that buying in the low end of the right tier generally gives the best bang for the buck. So in your case, dropping to an i5-2400 from the i5-2500 will have minimal impact on the system performance. And, the money saved can be put to use on a better GPU or more memory, which, IMO, would provide a bigger performance increase than a few hundred MHz.

 

[mvbighead]

Also, consider the:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...300%20illusion

If you don't mind the lights, it comes with all the fan slots filled.

 

[fffblackmage]

The reason why I was thinking three case fans is because of the case. The Antec 300 comes with a 120mm fan in back and a 140mm fan on top. They are both Tri-Cool fans and many have complained they are loud. I watched a YT video of one and I do agree on full speed they are quite loud. Many people seem to suggest running the fans on the low speed and it will do fine. Not having a front intake fan really worries me. I agree the side fan is not necessarily needed but not having a front intake... that bothers me especially considering I think the two back fans should be used as exhaust. I really do believe at least one fan in front should be installed to get fresh air in. Dropping from three fans to one would save some dollars. I'll seriously consider it. Looking forward to more input. Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure why you're complaining about the fans being to loud on "high." Of course they'll be loud. Any fan spinning fast will be relatively loud. I must admit, the Antec fans aren't the quietest, but they're pretty decent on the "low" setting. I would try them out first before deciding to replace them.

IMO, having a side fan is more important than a front intake, because the side fan can cool mobo components (primarily the VRMs and the chipset). It's more important if you're using a tower heatsink that doesn't move air down on the mobo.

 

[mfenn]

To me, you have large fans because they can move large volumes of air quietly. Turn your tri-cool fans to low or medium, whatever is optimal, and leave them be. The air flow that they provide will be more than enough to get warm air out of the system.

Go ahead an add an intake fan, but I would leave the others alone, IMO.

As for the CPU, my personal take is that buying in the low end of the right tier generally gives the best bang for the buck. So in your case, dropping to an i5-2400 from the i5-2500 will have minimal impact on the system performance. And, the money saved can be put to use on a better GPU or more memory, which, IMO, would provide a bigger performance increase than a few hundred MHz.

Completely agree.

For the case, there is also the choice of the Rosewill Blackbone. Slightly cheaper construction, but it costs less and has lots o fans.

Now we come to the main issue with your build, which others have alluded to. You're worried too much about the CPU and not enough about the GPU. You will not be able to tell a seat of the pants difference between the i5 2400 and the i5 2500. You will be able to tell a difference between the GTX 460 and GTX 560 Ti (mail-in rebates, just do them).

 

[Skott]

Okay, if I switch to a i5 2400 instead of the i5 2500 and move up to a 560Ti instead of the GTX460 that comes to a grand total of $984.31. Counting all the current rebates and deals. And I can keep the extra fans if I want.

If I drop the extra fans I could move back up to a i5 2500 and the Diamond 6950 that SMOGZINN linked for a total of $974.39. Again thats counting current rebates and deals. With some money left over I could still add a fan or two or possibly go with the Antec 300 Illusion that mvbighead linked. I'll have to ask them how they feel about a lighted case though.

Great info and suggestions, guys. Thanks a lot.

 

[mvbighead]

If it were me, I would like to the last thing you suggested. i5-2500 and a 6950. Again, keep the current fans, and maybe look to add a fan to the front of the non-Illusion case. I personally am not too much for lights, but figured it was worth mentioning that other case as I at one point had considered it as it had extra fans.

And one more case I will throw into the discussion is the LanCool PC-K57:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-318-_-Product

It has a rear fan that is 120mm, and a front intake fan that is 140mm. USB3.0 on the front, and an all around solid case. I ended up on this case as I didn't much care for the idea of a top fan. Also, the drive bay holds an SSD as well as has a large gap where your video card should be so that you'll have absolutely no problems getting it to fit in there. It also has a cable channel along the back to help you hide the cables.

 

[mfenn]

Great info and suggestions, guys. Thanks a lot.

The 6950 1GB and GTX 560 Ti pretty much trade blows in games, so you can get whichever. It sounds like the 6950 + i5 2500 is a better deal though.

 

[CuriousMike]

I'd personally put all my money in the best monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Whatever is left, purchase the CPU/GPU/Mobo.

 

[mnewsham]

I'd personally put all my money in the best monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Whatever is left, purchase the CPU/GPU/Mobo.

700 bucks for a monitor 100 for mouse and 100 for keyboard, that leaves 100 for everything else :awe:

Am I doing it right?

 

[mfenn]

700 bucks for a monitor 100 for mouse and 100 for keyboard, that leaves 100 for everything else :awe:

Am I doing it right?

No no no, you're supposed to do it in order! $1000 monitor, and thrift store for the rest! :awe: