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Looking for help building a Gaming PC.

S

SlasnerSb

Member
I want to build the strongest gaming pc I can manage with the budget I'm working with

Budget: $950~

The only items I have are a case(Antec 900) and the OS(windows 7 pro)

I have no preference on particular brands, no preference on HDD vs SSD or anything else of the like. I'm just looking for recommendations on how to get the best bang for my buck.

The only game I'm playing frequently ATM is League of Legends which I understand is not a graphically demanding game but once I build a gaming rig I will play games like Bio Shock infinite, Crysis 3, Farcry 3, etc..

Any help is very much appreciated, thanks!
 
Take mfenn's $1000 build (also reposted below) but drop the case he suggests since you have one for a final budget of $950. Done.

Our very own Sleepingforest has written a nice guide that lays out what these parts do in simple terms.

3/3/2013 update:
i5 3570K $215
ASRock Z77 Pro3 $90 AP
Kingston DDR3 1333 8GB $44
Gigabyte GTX 670 $360 AR
Samsung 840 120GB $95
Toshiba 1TB $60 AP
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Rosewill Hive 650W $68 AP
NZXT Source 220 $50
Total: $1000 AR AP

- The trick to using the Newegg gift cards is to place one order for the items with gift cards, wait until they email you the code (usually after the charge your CC), then place another order using the gift card codes.
- There is a dual-fan 7850 2GB available for $180 AR and a dual-fan 7950 3GB available for $270 AR if you want to spend less but still get very good gaming performance
- If you intend to OC (the system is capable) grab an aftermarket HSF like the budget Hyper 212+ for $26 or the mid-range Xigmatek Dark Knight II for $47.
Click to expand...
 
The GTX670 for $360 is not a good bang for buck pick.

If the OP is interested in Crysis 3 and Bioshock: Infinite, the obvious choice is this Sapphire HD7950 for $270AR, which will equal a GTX670 is most games: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202006

Also, I tend to disagree with mfenn's approach on RAM. For a high performance system, I would not save a few dollars by choosing DDR3-1333 over DDR3-1600, especially now that Intel officially supports that speed without overclocking on Ivy Bridge platforms, which a 3570k/z77 is. This Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 is currently $48: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145345
 
Agree with Termie.

Another thing to change on mfenn's build is the PSU. Z77 Pro3 is a single GPU board which means that you won't benefit from more than a 500W unit. But unfortunately there aren't any good deals on good 500W units right now.

The Hive 650W only has two PCIe connectors so while it's technically powerful enough for a dual 7950 setup, it lacks the connectors. I'd get the Capstone 650W for $85 which corrects that and also is more efficient and has longer warranty.
 
You can get cheaper DDR3 RAM than the Veangeance (roughly $5 less). The 7950 is a good point though.

On the other hand, I wouldn't bother getting a better PSU and a better motherboard for CFX since it's less cost effective than selling the old one and getting a single new one.
 
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Sleepingforest said:
You can get cheaper DDR3 RAM than the Veangeance (roughly $5 less). The 7950 is a good point though.

On the other hand, I wouldn't bother getting a better PSU and a better motherboard for CFX since it's less cost effective than selling the old one and getting a single new one.
Click to expand...

Sorry to be tough on you, but that's old 1.65v stock. I wouldn't touch it.

I agree moving to a more expensive motherboard doesn't make sense. The Corsair CX500 is available for $50AR right now: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139027
 
Ah, okay then. I don't feel bad--after all, you just saved the OP from getting out of spec RAM in the name of saving a few dollars.
 
lehtv said:
Another thing to change on mfenn's build is the PSU. Z77 Pro3 is a single GPU board which means that you won't benefit from more than a 500W unit. But unfortunately there aren't any good deals on good 500W units right now.

The Hive 650W only has two PCIe connectors so while it's technically powerful enough for a dual 7950 setup, it lacks the connectors. I'd get the Capstone 650W for $85 which corrects that and also is more efficient and has longer warranty.
Click to expand...

There was pretty much no alternate ~550W PSU available that was a good deal, so that's why I stuck with the 650W. Why would you suggest changing the PSU to a dual-GPU capable one but leave the mobo as is? One doesn't make sense without the other.
 
mfenn said:
There was pretty much no alternate ~550W PSU available that was a good deal, so that's why I stuck with the 650W. Why would you suggest changing the PSU to a dual-GPU capable one but leave the mobo as is? One doesn't make sense without the other.
Click to expand...

Maybe lehtv's going for more efficiency? It sort of makes sense if electricity costs are high where OP lives.

On the other hand, Termie makes some solid suggestions for a single GPU machine, which is what I personally agree with.
 
Termie said:
The GTX670 for $360 is not a good bang for buck pick.

If the OP is interested in Crysis 3 and Bioshock: Infinite, the obvious choice is this Sapphire HD7950 for $270AR, which will equal a GTX670 is most games: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202006
Click to expand...

Come now, you know that you can't throw out statements like that without benchmarks. Not saying you're wrong for this use case, I just want to see the benches.

Termie said:
Also, I tend to disagree with mfenn's approach on RAM. For a high performance system, I would not save a few dollars by choosing DDR3-1333 over DDR3-1600, especially now that Intel officially supports that speed without overclocking on Ivy Bridge platforms, which a 3570k/z77 is. This Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 is currently $48: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145345
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, there were no good DDR3 1600 deals yesterday when I made the build. Today, I would get this Kingston DDR3 1600 8GB kit for $43 because it costs less than the Corsair and skips the silly heatspreaders.
 
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mfenn said:
Come now, you know that you can't throw out statements like that without benchmarks.



As I'm sure you know, deals change on a daily basis. There were no good DDR3 1600 deals yesterday when I made the build. Today, I would get this Kingston DDR3 1600 8GB kit for $43 because it costs less than the Corsair and skips the silly heatspreaders.
Click to expand...

That RAM is the same 1.65v that was linked earlier in this thread. I don't recommend it. I picked the Corsair not because there's anything particularly attractive about its heatsinks, but because it's the cheapest legitimate DDR3-1600 set available right now.

As for the graphics card, my point was that the 7950 comes with Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite, so if the OP wants to play these games, which he in fact does, then the HD7950 is the obvious choice. I'm also well aware of the benchmarks: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2304646

The 670 just beats the 7950, but at $70 more, and without any free games, in my opinion it's no contest. I'm actually surprised you continue to list a GTX670 in your $1000 build. I have one, but I'd never buy one today for $360.
 
Termie said:
That RAM is the same 1.65v that was linked earlier in this thread. I don't recommend it. I picked the Corsair not because there's anything particularly attractive about its heatsinks, but because it's the cheapest legitimate DDR3-1600 set available right now.
Click to expand...

I don't know why you think it's 1.65V, because it's not.

Termie said:
As for the graphics card, my point was that the 7950 comes with Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite, so if the OP wants to play these games, which he in fact does, then the HD7950 is the obvious choice. I'm also well aware of the benchmarks: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2304646

The 670 just beats the 7950, but at $70 more, and without any free games, in my opinion it's no contest. I'm actually surprised you continue to list a GTX670 in your $1000 build. I have one, but I'd never buy one today for $360.
Click to expand...

The way you wrote it sounded to me like you were saying that the 7950 was faster in those games. Sorry if I misunderstood.

Anyway, the 7950 3GB vs. GTX 670 is highly game dependent. For example, the benchmarks that you posted for Crysis 3 show that the GTX 670 is roughly 40% faster than the 7950 3GB. In others, they are about equal.

As for the build, why wouldn't I recommend it? The 7970 has gotten too expensive but the GTX 670 has nice advantages over the 7950 and is in the right price bracket. In addition, I list the 7950 and 7850 as lower-priced alternatives (as I always have) in case you want to hit $800 or $900.
 
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Thanks again for everyone's input. I have the capacity to more or less understand your guy's recommendations but at the same time am not particularly tech savvy to the extent that most of you seem to be. I will be purchasing my parts from "China Town" in my city where most of the cpu parts are sold and am using these recommendations as a blueprint. I very much appreciate the enthusiasm in making sure I get the best system possible and please keep the criticisms coming!
 
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