Need help with build for RTS gaming

[miri]

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

Gaming, probably starcraft 2, wanna play it at max settings at 1680x1050

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

$800

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

US

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.

Prefer intel and nvidia

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

hard drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse, dvd-rom, OS

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

no

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

stock speeds

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?

before the summer

thanks for any suggestions

 

[miri]

i want to purchase a antec sonata 3, are there any videocards that wont fit in it?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: miri
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Gaming, probably starcraft 2, wanna play it at max settings at 1680x1050

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

$800

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

US

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.

Prefer intel and nvidia

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

hard drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse, dvd-rom, OS

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

no

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

stock speeds

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?

before the summer

thanks for any suggestions

What kind of hard drive, what kind of monitor, and what OS?

 

[MykC]

Get a quadcore there is a big gain in the RTS genre over dual core cpus.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115055 LGA 775 Q8200 $175
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128358 Giga P45 $135 - $20MIR (xfire)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231209 2x2GB G.Skill PI Black DDR2 800 $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...yCodeValue=683%3A20729 1GB 4870 $200 - $30MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827136152 LG DVD Burner $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136319 WD 640GB AALS $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817341010 OCZ 600W PSU $70 - $20MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137 CM 690 case $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233029 Xigma Dark Knight $40 (Intel)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835186020 Artic MX-2 Thermal Compound $7

$863 - $70MIR = $793

Other suggestions:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.165048 Phenom II 940 with Biostar Motherboard $285 (I prefer this cpu/mobo combo over the intel one, cost the same)

Nvidia GPU (sticking with ATI card gives you the option to crossfire down the road)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...yCodeValue=679%3A46813 512MB 9800GTX+/GTS 250 $145 - $40MIR

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: miri
i want to purchase a antec sonata 3, are there any videocards that wont fit in it?

Don't know about Radeons, but I think any current model GeForce will fit. Only one that will not might be the 9800 GX2, but you likely won't be buying that. One thing though is that the Sonata III has an optional fan mount right behind the hard drive bays. You won't be able to install a fan there with a larger video card.

 

[Denithor]

The 4850x2 and 4870x2 cards might not fit as they are freaking HUGE but everything else should work fine.

MykC has a great list there, the only thing I would change is the Q8200 -> Q8300 and/or go with the PhII 940 setup (which will actually be faster in most applications).