Looking to put together a good PC for < $1k

TStudent

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2009
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Hi all,

Title pretty much says it all. I've been Googling around looking basically for the best bang for the buck. I don't need anything top of the line, but I want to be able to play nice game on average settings. :). I'm pretty computarded so work with me here. :D

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 810 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX810WFGIBOX - Retail $139

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $80

Memory: 2 x G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL4D-4GBPI-B - Retail $130

Video Card: XFX HD-487A-ZHDC Radeon HD 4870 1GB XXX 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $163

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $75

Case/PSU: Antec Nine Hundred + EA650 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 650W Power Supply - Retail $165

DVD-RW: LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model GH22LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM $31

The total comes out to ~$800. Is there someplace where I could skimp a little more or some place where I skimped too much? Any egregious hardware conflicts that I completely failed to notice?

EDIT: Updated with links to newegg. :)
 

TStudent

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2009
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Jae: Because I accidentally linked to the wrong thing. :D. I've updated the initial post.

Elconejito: I have a 19" 4:3 monitor as well as a 26" widescreen that I use interchangeably.
 

Maverick2002

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2000
4,694
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I assume we're only talking about the box here (which is what you linked). For $1000 you can put together a Core i7 920, GTX 260 (216), 6GB RAM system ... which is going to smoke what you've listed here. Check out the i7 configurator at http://www.cyberpowerpc.com ... the pricing (on the low/mid end) is very comparable to Newegg components and will give you a good idea of what you can get for how much.
 

TStudent

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2009
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Cyberpower PC is a complete joke. I would never, ever, purchase anything from them for so long as I live. They sold me defective parts, refused to refund, failed to repair, hung up on me in tech support, etc. Just check out their entry on the Better Business Bureau:
Complainants allege the company sells defective merchandise, and fails to provide warranty service as agreed. Some complainants allege they receive merchandise which is inoperable or defective at the time of delivery. In other cases customers complain they return defective components two or three times for the same repair, or, repaired items are retuned without the repairs performed, in the same condition as when they were sent in for repair. Complainants are generally dissatisfied with the level of customer service provided, claiming they are unable to reach company personnel by phone, and e-mails are not responded to. Some complainants who request refunds on defective products are dissatisfied with the company's policy of deducting S & H charges from the refund amount. The company has responded to most complaints by issuing RMA's for exchanging defective products, providing refunds, or offering additional repair assistance. In some cases, the responses provided did not address the complainant?s allegations. Some customers disputed the company's responses claiming the company did not follow through on promised resolutions, or that repairs performed did not remedy the original problem.

But your advice on putting together an i7 system is noted. I'll take a look at my options, but I am never even going to give Cyberpower PC the value of my ad downloads after my past experiences with them.
 

Maverick2002

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2000
4,694
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Eaaaasy there. I never said buy from them. I just said price the parts out. Their low/mid range system & component prices typically reflect those on Newegg and it's much faster. It will give you a good idea of what you can/can't afford.
 

TStudent

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2009
5
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I'm sorry, I just had an absolutely volatile reaction. Thank you for keeping a cool head and for your advice. :).
 

ScorcherDarkly

Senior member
Aug 7, 2009
450
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Buy the case sans power supply and get a decent PSU. Antec, PC Power & Cooling and Corsair are all decent brands. 500W will handle what you have listed with ease, if you think you might add a second video card or more hard drives in the future then go for something a little bigger to give yourself some room.
 

TStudent

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2009
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The case comes with an Antec 650W power supply though. Commentary on the webpage for the graphics card states that the graphics card alone eats up a good chunk of 450W, which is why I went with the 650W version.
 

betasub

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2006
2,677
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Originally posted by: TStudent
Commentary on the webpage for the graphics card states that the graphics card alone eats up a good chunk of 450W, which is why I went with the 650W version.

LOL, a single 4870 "eats up a good chunk of 450W"? ATI or XFX might recommend a particular wattage (to cover over-rated, poor-quality PSUs, or already heavily-loaded systems) to power the entire system, but the 4870 is not a power hog.

Total system power draw from Anandtech Video Review - Power Consumption Comparison
 

bludragon

Member
Jun 25, 2008
42
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Nice system, but here is what I would do:

I would seriously wait a few weeks and get a core i5.
I would spend less on the RAM, also, I haven't looked into pricing on the AMD boards, but would it not be worth going ddr3 at this point just to allow future upgrades?
I'd also add a few $$ to the hdd to get the 1TB version
Is the small oc on the gfx card worth it over: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814150394 for $145?
It may be worth upgrading the case to:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129061 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139004
 

heyheybooboo

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2007
6,278
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Check this rig out for $680 after rebates.

  • # Thermaltake V9 Black Edition ATX Computer Gaming Chassis with Dual Oversized 230mm Ultra-Silent Cooling Fans VJ400G1N2Z Mid ... - Retail

    # 239582AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX945FBGIBOX - Retail

    # 239582SAMSUNG EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

    # 239582OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR800C44GK - Retail

    # 239582ASUS M4A78-E AM2+/AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

    # 239582LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS50 - OEM

    # 239582Rosewill Xtreme Series RX750-D-B 750W Continuous @40°C ,80 PLUS Certified, ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91, SLI Ready CrossFire ... - Retail

    # 239582SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100269VXLE Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

I imagine that OCZ ram will work just dandy - you may have to set the timings/voltage manually. Another kit will run you $50 (but don't think you really need it).

You can add a WD 640Gb Black for your OS/Apps drive and a ZEROtherm ZEN FZ120 120mm CPU Cooler and still come in under your original budget.

I'd make sure that Cooler fits in that case - it's a big 'un (The Cooler, that is).

At stock volts you should have some decent OC headroom on that Phenom 945 - higher if you wish to 'experiment' a bit.