Building gaming pc

[madbutcher88]

Hi I want to build a good gaming pc(good enough to run games like cod4,hl2, and crysis on high settings with a good frame rate) I already got a good spread sheet but I also want to see my other options, also room for later expansion is also good,

All i know what im getting right now is the processor and case I want an intel quad but im not sure which one to get, I would really appreciate some guidance on what to buy thank you in advance

(Edit)

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

I will be gaming(I want to be able to run crysis on high settings with a good fr if it is possible),recording music, and maybe editing(music/videos)

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

around 1 to 1.3k but may be stretch out another 100

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from

I will buy my parts from America

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, etc, etc, you get the picture.

Well I prefer nvidia and intel

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

Starting from scratch

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

I got a somewhat basic idea

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

Im going default on this build as its my first

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
It was gonna be a few months but I recently came across some money so now whenever I get know what Im buying

 

[DSF]

Speaking strictly in terms of gaming, quad core may not be the best use of your money depending your overclocking plans, how long you intend to keep the computer, etc.

I would recommend that you fill out the questions in the sticky written by Blain. It will save everyone trying to help you a lot of time and trouble. It would also be a good idea to look at the sticky written by modoheo, as that will point you in the right direction as far as parts.

 

[madbutcher88]

^ Oh sorry thanks for informing me and I added the new part too

 

[DSF]

So you need to fit a monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers and OS into that budget as well?

 

[madbutcher88]

^no sorry for not elaborating dont worry about those things I have those things ready

 

[videogames101]

e8400
4gig of cheap ddr2 800
HD4870 or GTX260
Corsair 620hx
Asus P5Q-E (unless you want sli?)
WD 640gig
Antec P182
samsung 203n

I lack the cost on that, but it should be around 1.2-1.3k

 

[DSF]

Alright, now we're cooking.

Processor: Intel E8400
At 3.0 GHz, this processor has plenty of gas at stock speeds, and if you decide to tinker with overclocking later on, it's capable of pushing 4 Ghz with the right setup. I don't really recommend quad core for the time being to someone who isn't overclocking. A fast dual core with fare better than a slower quad core 95% of the time. This is bound to change at some point in the future, but it's tough to say when. This processor will serve you well for 2-3 years without a doubt.

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro (P45 Chipset)
Hard to argue with this motherboard when it comes with a $35 savings as a combo with the processor above. Good quality and a nice feature set for the price.

Memory: 2x2GB Mushkin DDR2-800
Since you're not overclocking, any decent RAM will do. This kit will run just fine without any tweaking in the BIOS, but it also has a little bit of headroom if you decide to tinker with overclocking down the road.

Video Card: MSI Radeon HD4850
This is the current bang-for-your-buck favorite in the video card market. It runs a little bit hot, but not critically so. In comparative benchmarks it outperforms the 8800GTS 512MB that's selling at a similar price point. Since you said you have a preference for Nvidia though, the MSI 8800GTS 512MB is another option for you. I chose the MSI cards simply because they're some of the least expensive, and they come with a free copy of The Witcher. If you would prefer cards with lifetime warranties, look at cards from Visiontek on the ATI side, and EVGA or XFX on the Nvidia side.

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar 640GB
Unless you need more room than this, the value of this drive is hard to beat.

DVD Drive: Samsung 22X SATA DVD Burner
There isn't much that separates DVD burners from the major manufacturers, so no one could fault you for going with whatever's on sale at the time you buy.

Power Supply: Corsair 520HX or Corsair 550VX
The 520HX is a little bit more expensive, but offers modular cables if that interests you. Otherwise, the 550VX is essentially the same unit without the modular design. Either one would have plenty of power for your setup and have some headroom for future expansion.

Case: This part is the one that's most governed by personal taste. What are you looking for? Low noise? Good cooling? Window? Door? Lights? Flashy? Understated?

 

[videogames101]

DSF, funny how all the builds people name nowadays are the e8400, 48xx, 4gigs ddr2 800, an asus board, and 640gig WD

like, i see those parts in 75% of all builds recommended nowadays.

 

[DSF]

Why wouldn't they be?

Personally, I'm not a fan of spending $300 on a graphics card that's going to be old news in six months, but if he has the money and wants to go for it, the 4870 is obviously a little bit better than the 4850. The 620HX is also more power than he needs for a single-card setup by a comfortable margin.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: DSF
Why wouldn't they be?

Personally, I'm not a fan of spending $300 on a graphics card that's going to be old news in six months, but if he has the money and wants to go for it, the 4870 is obviously a little bit better than the 4850. The 620HX is also more power than he needs for a single-card setup by a comfortable margin.

well, i figure possible cf expansion....

 

[madbutcher88]

alright thanks for the guidance no im not going to go sli(heard about how its a big waste of money) but I honestly want to go quad core I know its sort of a waste right now but for some weird irregularity with my common sense I want to go quad lol

also on the case Im looking for low noise and good cooling

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: madbutcher88
alright thanks for the guidance no im not going to go sli(heard about how its a big waste of money) but I honestly want to go quad core I know its sort of a waste right now but for some weird irregularity with my common sense I want to go quad lol

also on the case Im looking for low noise and good cooling

ok, the Q9450 is my recommendation, the q9300n has half the cache, so the price is actually worth it.

for a case, i recommend the P18x series for ultra quiet, decent cooling

 

[DSF]

Yeah, the P182 is a nice case, but if you're really serious about getting noise as low as possible, you'll probably want to replace the stock fans.