• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Mid-high range gaming system for around ~$1000

M

Moosehuffer

Junior Member
My current box (AMD single core 2.4 gig, nvidia 7800 video card) is about 3.5 years old and really struggling with most games out now. I handled BioShock ok on low settings, and have postponed anything newer until I upgrade. I'm aiming to buy a new system around early June for Summer break gaming!

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Gaming! And some software development. Target resolution is 1280x1024. I'm not a silence freak but ideally quiet is better - the noise drives my gf crazy.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Target is $1000. Absolute limit would be $1200. I'm a student, any money saved is awesome.

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

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Just a monitor and hard-drives (2 drives, 640gig and a 120gig). If there is any value in a 400Watt power supply, it would be nice to re-use as well. I have a case too that is about 5-6 years old. I'm not sure if new gear will fit or if its just better to get a new one.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
I checked the (very helpful) Attention System Builders 2.0 thread stickied up top, but its 2 months old. I also checked out this thread and it made me wonder if I really need an i7 or not.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I'm up for it, but I've built rigs in the past thinking I would do it and then never do. Everytime I try it it crashes before the OS loads. I think I'm missing something.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Early-Mid June


Here is the set I'm currently thinking of:

* Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

* ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
(The CPU/Mobo are a combo deal)
$535.

* G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
$90

* XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
$200

* CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V
$109

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$75

OPTICAL DVD Drive
$25

Total: $1034

My biggest Question - is the i7 *really* worth it? Seems like everyone here is pumped on them, but I feel like an alternative would be a dual core E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz with this motherboard and thats $230 right there for a fancy case and/or better GPU. If game devs actually start heavily multi-threaded I could always upgrade to a quad-core which should be quite cheap down the road, right?

Second question - Any take on a better GPU, or is the above ok? What kind of performance improvement can I expect over my current 7800 gt? 😛




 
PhII 720BE / Gigabyte 790x: $219
(For an $80 upgrade: Asus M4A79T Deluxe AM3)

2x2Gb of DDR2 or DDR3 should run you $50

Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB: $190
(pretty much overkill at your resolution but 4x the jam of what you have now 😀)

The Corsair 750TX 750w is $95 AR with promo code EMCLSLW44 valid till 05/14/2009. It might give you a little headroom for a future CrossFire ...


For the money saved you may CrossFire the HD 4870 and snag a really nice new LCD monitor for $150-$200 at a 1920 x 1XXX resolution to make it all worthwhile.
 
I'd probably save $300 on the CPU/mobo and go dual-core 775 with P43 or P45 motherboard. Dropping from 6 GB of DDR3 to 4 GB of Crucial DDR2-80 saves another $45.

With that you can afford a GTX 275 and a bunch of games for your "old tech" system.
 
I gotta say the PhII 720BE / Gigabyte 790x looks like a sweet deal.

Theoretically will a system like this, with the HD4870 or the GTX260 pretty much handle most games out now? A year from now? I'm probably not even thinking of crysis or far-cry, more like GTA4, Fallout3, Left4Dead, and Empire:TotalWar.

Would the above CPU/MoBo be able to handle 6 gigs of Ram? Is 6 gigs of Ram even necessary?

I've pretty much always shot for systems around $1000-1100 and then run them into the ground for 3-4 years. This one is right around $660. Just wondering, but what is the draw to the i7's? Future proofing? Overclocking?

 
Well, if you feel uncomfortable spending so little (lol), just bump it up to the Phenom 955 and 8GB of RAM 🙂
I personally just upgraded to PE720BE($120) and Gigabyte AM3($115) mobo with 4GB of DDR3 1333 ($50). Kept my HD4850 512MB.
4GB should be plenty for a while. I normally have at least one vm running 2k3 server or winxp in the background with 1GB allocated to it, AV, mouse/kb manager, video card tools, a couple of browsers open, email client, and I never experience lack of RAM when I run Stalker CS, Oblivion, GTA4, or Two Worlds on top of all that.
here is my honest recomendation:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.189855
throw in a good AM3 mobo from Gigabyte/ASUS/MSI for ~$130, HD4870 1GB just to be sure, and you're set at least until next summer. Get more expansive mobo ($150+) with dual pcie x16 slots and keep your options for a second hd4870 open. that way you can extend your PC's gaming life for probably another year (you will be able to pick up the same card for ~$120 a year from now). plus you will still have 2 RAM slots available for more RAM (I doubt you will need it). AND that CPU should be able to hit 3.8Ghz easy on a $20 aftermarket HSF.
I mean, really, this is a no brainer.
 
i underestimated the lifetime for that system a bit. considering what you have now, the new PC will last 2-3 years without any upgrades. 3-4 years with additional video card in a year or so, and maybe RAM in a couple of years.
Also, after building a couple of systems for clients with OCZ Vertex, i would urge you to look into SSDs. just like Anand said, once you tried SSD, it's hard to go back to hdd. 120G Vertex is around $350 right now.
 
You guys rock. Yes, it does feel a little uncomfortable spending so little. I figure I should take advantage of my tolerance for low-res and 35-40 fps and just save some $$. I'll just upgrade again a year or two from now. Here is the current list:


Phenom II X3 720 / Gigabyte 790x:
$218

Saphire Radeon HD 4870:
$190

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W PSU
$100

Crucial Ballistix 4gb (2 * 2g) SDRAM
$51

Optical Drive -
$25

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black ATX Mid Tower:
145


Total is $731. I could probably save on a cheaper case, but just like the looks of the Antec.



 
Originally posted by: Moosehuffer
You guys rock. Yes, it does feel a little uncomfortable spending so little. I figure I should take advantage of my tolerance for low-res and 35-40 fps and just save some $$. I'll just upgrade again a year or two from now. Here is the current list:
Click to expand...

35-40fps? I think you should be able to pull off a bit more than that... I'm running a single 4830 on an old dual-core machine and it still pulls of 20-40 fps for Crysis on 1280x800, 2xAA and High Settings.

All in all, I'd say its a nice system.
 
Originally posted by: Ichigo
Go Wolfdale and buy a new monitor.

Buying all that hardware and skimping on the monitor is awkward.
Click to expand...

I'm low maintenance. 😀 for now the extra $$ is making me totally happy. I may def take some of the cash and get a new monitor later, though. I've played most games at 1024 for so long 1280 still seem new and exciting.
 
that antec case is very nice, you'll like it. It's also very quiet. If you get a good aftermarket heatsink you can probably get the computer near silent except for heavy gaming, but at that point you won't really care then anyway...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top