Gaming Rig - Max $1,200

[Ironhead34]

I am building a new system from group up - first one in almost 9 years. This will be used primarily for gaming. Final price, taking into account taxes and shipping, needs to be right around $1,200. If you see any problems or have any suggestions for the build I would be happy to hear them.


Case - COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP - $79.99

Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W - $119.99 plus $20 rebate

Motherboard - ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel - $129.99 with $20 combo savings and $15 rebate

Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 - $189.99

Memory - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) - $79.00 plus $30 rebate

Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100259L Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 - $199.99 plus $20 rebate

Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB SATA w/32MB cache - $84.99

CD/DVD - Samsung SH-S223F 22x DVD+/-RW DL - $24.99

OS - Windows Vista Home 64-Bit OEM for System Builders - $99.99

Monitor - Acer X193W+BD Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD - $139.99

CPU Heatsink - COOLER MASTER Hyper Z600 - $59.99 plus $25 rebate

Thermal Compound - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - $5.99


Total Cost of Components - $1,194.89
Tax - $83.64
Shipping - $35.00 (estimated)
Checkout - $1,313.53

Rebates - $110.00
Final - $1,203.53


Thanks for any input!

 

[videogames101]

That heatsink is way overpriced, go for a xigmatek 1283.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233003

In fact, it may even perform better.

 

[DSF]

No need for a 750W PSU for that system. 550W would be plenty. There are a few good rebates going - I believe the 650TX and PCP&C 610W are sharply discounted.

There's also no need for DDR2-1066 with that Q6600. DDR2-800 will take the chip as far as it will go. If you're not overclocking then I'd change the processor anyway.

Personally, if I were buying a new monitor I wouldn't go smaller than 20". You're buying a graphics card that can handle screens all the way up to 24". A monitor is something that can easily go with you from build to build for years, so I wouldn't skimp on that part. With the money saved from the PSU, RAM and heatsink you should be able to move up to a 20-22" LCD. (Especially if you can find a way to squeeze in another $50, depending on how tight your budget is.)

 

[Ironhead34]

I appreciate the feedback. I can drop the overall price by about $100 by

- changing the heatsink
- dropping down to 650W on the power supply
- dropping the RAM down to DDR2-800
- going with an E8400 processor

With those savings I could upgrade to a really nice 22" Samsung LCD monitor and still be at the $1,200 price point.


Given that I haven't built a new system in so long I doubt this is a computer that I will be frequently upgrading. Obviously no one has a crystal ball, but do you think this system will still be fairly relevant in 3 years for casual gaming?

 

[DSF]

For casual gaming, sure. You may want to upgrade the graphics card during that time, but the CPU should be ok.

By the way, the PCP&C 610W PSU is $55 after rebate with free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817703005

 

[Denithor]

4870 1GB is much stronger than the 512MB version. Going forward the extra VRAM will help significantly as games become more & more memory intensive (there are plenty of benchmarks around showing the 4870 512MB choking at higher res with AA where the 1GB card keeps cruising along).

 

[swanysto]

Yes, I would definitely go with a bigger monitor. You will seriously regret a 19inch.

 

[themisfit610]

Yes, make the investment into both a >19" LCD, and a 1GB 4870. Stretch the budget, or wait until you can afford those upgrades. Both are 100% worth it.

~MiSfit

 

[TidusZ]

I recommend the Gigabyte p45-UD3R over the asus. It will overclock more. Even $30 cheaper for a better board. Gigabyte UD3R get the UD3P if you want 2 pci-ex16 slots for future xfire.

 

[Blain]

 

[jae]

make sure you look at the combo deals of the items in your cart. e8400 should have a ombo deal with an Asus or Gigabyte P45 board.

 

[Ironhead34]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I went ahead and locked in the order a few hours ago. I'm sure it won't be perfect but an awesome upgrade to an old, old system.


Case - Cooler Master 690 - $79.99

PS - PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W - $104.99 plus $35 rebate

Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 - $114.99 plus $15 rebate

Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 - $164.99

Memory - G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (4-4-4-12 CAS 4) - $44.99 after $5 promo code

Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $224.99 plus $15 rebate

HD - Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA - $69.99

CD/DVD - Samsung SH-S223F 22x DVD+/-RW DL - $24.99

OS - Windows Vista Home 64-Bit - OEM for System Builders - $99.99

Book - Microsoft Windows Vista Inside Out - Free with purchase of OS, why not!

Monitor - Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD - $159.99

CPU Heatsink - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle - $36.99 plus $10 rebate

Heatsink Bracket - HDT-S1283 Retention Bracket - $8.49

Thermal Compound - Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - $3.79


Components - $1,139.17
Tax - $81.83 (damn you NJ!)
Shipping - $29.86 (free shipping on everything but the case, heatsink & compound)
Checkout - $1,250.86

Rebates - $75.00
Final Damage - $1,175.86

 

[videogames101]

Looks excellent,

I forgot to mention that bracket, it's excellent for the heatsink, instead of those damn push-pins.


Good gaming ahead, and continue posting on AT!

 

[Blain]

* Get the 640GB "Black"... higher platter density.
* "1680 x 1050"... You can get by with the 512MB 4870.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: Blain
* Get the 640GB "Black"... higher platter density.
* "1680 x 1050"... You can get by with the 512MB 4870.

read the post?

Originally posted by: Ironhead34
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I went ahead and locked in the order a few hours ago. I'm sure it won't be perfect but an awesome upgrade to an old, old system.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: videogames101

Originally posted by: Blain
* Get the 640GB "Black"... higher platter density.
* "1680 x 1050"... You can get by with the 512MB 4870.

read the post?

I did, it said...

Originally posted by: Ironhead34
I went ahead and locked in the order a few hours ago. I'm sure it won't be perfect...

Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $224.99 plus $15 rebate

HD - Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA - $69.99

Monitor - Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD - $159.99

Having already ordered doesn't mean he can't change the order.
Newegg is cool about that.

 

[Ironhead34]

The hard drive is still the "Black" version, just smaller in size. At least according to WD's specifications sheet it looks like it will still perform the same as the 640 GB:

http://www.westerndigital.com/...y/sata/2879-701276.pdf


I definitely went back and forth on the 1GB vs 512MB version of the card. My conclusion from reading many articles is that no one really agrees which version is better under 24". Given that I don't want to touch a single component on the computer for a few years I decided to err on the side of caution.


Just for fun, this is replacing the following "high end" system:
950 Mhz Celeron
320 MB of PC133 RAM
32 MB GeForce 2

Haven't been able to play a new computer game since early 2004.

 

[Ironhead34]

Just a follow up - everything came in the mail yesterday. With the exception of some cable management frustration due to the size of the power supply everything installed perfectly. This thing is incredibly quiet and blazing fast. Thanks again everyone for all of the suggestions.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Originally posted by: Ironhead34
Just a follow up - everything came in the mail yesterday. With the exception of some cable management frustration due to the size of the power supply everything installed perfectly. This thing is incredibly quiet and blazing fast. Thanks again everyone for all of the suggestions.

Yeah I own that PSU personally and if you have a smaller case, cable management can be a biznitch. Excellent power supply though, holds voltages quite well even after 2 years of service. Maybe look into a full tower case if cable management/airflow is an issue. After moving from a mid tower to my Antec 1200, temps dropped considerably and looks much cleaner. Enjoy your new rig