Need some advice - best bang for the buck under $1K

[monkeydelmagico]

Digital Storm puts together some good rigs. Quality parts. I've heard good things about their service. Fair prices, usually only a couple hundred over parts costs depending on the build. If you don't want to hassle with build-your-own I'd vote for the DS.

 

[BigChickenJim]

There's nothing inherently wrong with purchasing a pre-built system; many extremely knowledgeable enthusiasts do it because their time is simply more valuable to them than a few hundred extra bucks. That's perfectly fine. However, I would caution you against purchasing a pre-built without fully understanding what is in it. You're going to have a hell of a time troubleshooting if you aren't intimately familiar with your parts and how they fit/work together. You're also going to find it hard to plan ahead for future upgrades--and you will eventually need to upgrade--without a solid working knowledge of your particular machine.

Of course, you also have to consider the quality of workmanship you're getting. The best components in the world don't mean jack if they're thrown haphazardly together by some lazy scrub. Out of all the pre-builders, Digital Storm is the only one that consistently gets great reviews.

Finally, you can't discount the sense of achievement you'll feel in knowing that you built your rig from the ground up. That feeling was half the reason I abandoned console gaming for the world of PC. Trust me, you'll feel a rather stupidly personal connection to your machine if you build it yourself.

Anyway, it's your call. If you go pre-built, research, research, research and be triple sure you're getting a good, reliable machine from a trustworthy builder. Good luck!

Edit: As for Rome 2, both of those rigs will do fine on high/ultra. The devs have said that it will be similar in performance demands to Shogun 2. I played Shogun 2 frequently on my current rig before my CPU overclock with only a single 7870 and averaged 35-50 FPS on all ultra (normal unit sizes) settings even during massive battles. Total War games are usually fantastically optimized and run at acceptable levels even on relatively low-spec machines. The devs have said that they're shooting for the same thing with Rome 2, so I wouldn't worry.

 

[crashtech]

The OP did want a rig that would be an all-around high performer, I think:

How will that DS rig handle ultra settings on current gen games - particularly something like Rome Total War 2 and Battlefield 4 or any other monster games coming out?

That's why I recommend aiming high on the GPU.

 

[hackerballs]

if you are just buying.......buy the intel one with better gpu

 

[Subyman]

Get the Digital Storm rig, but up the GPU and lower the CPU if you need to stay within budget. The 760 is a good card, but if you can get into a 770 it will be well worth it in the future.

DS is pretty much the only prebuilt manu that I would recommend. I've seen their stuff in person and they are made with great attention to detail. Even the cables are tied off and tucked like an enthusiast would do. I also like how they are transparent with what exact parts are going in the rig, unlike most prebuilts that never state the motherboard or PSU used.

 

[BigChickenJim]

The OP did want a rig that would be an all-around high performer, I think:



That's why I recommend aiming high on the GPU.

I don't disagree. You should always get the best GPU setup your budget will allow in any new rig. However, he's already bumping his budgetary ceiling and even the lower of the two GPUs he's looking at in the two pre-builts he selected will be more than capable of handling Rome 2 and BF4 at ultra or ultra/high settings with little difficulty judging from the information we've seen about those games thus far (both are said to be similar to their predecessors in terms of performance demands).


Here's the proof:

http://www.techspot.com/review/572-nvidia-geforce-gtx-660/page4.html

http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews.../evga-geforce-gtx-660-review-1096787/review/2


If he goes with the cheap(er) option for now he can (and should, as this thread shows) upgrade to a multi-GPU system when/if he needs to.

Just my two cents

 

[crashtech]

Maybe, if we know that the OP wants, and is capable of implementing, a CF or SLI system.

 

[BigChickenJim]

Maybe, if we know that the OP wants, and is capable of implementing, a CF or SLI system.

Yes, that's true. Again, that leads us back to the argument that pre-builts come with significant downsides in terms of forward planning. There's no wrong choice here, he'll just need to decide what's more important to him.

 

[DominionSeraph]

OK, you win!

He wins even more now. Dell Outlet desktops just went on sale. 20% off <$499, 25% off 500-999, and 30% off >$1000.
All the cheap 8500's are snapped up at the moment, but his $650 i7/8GB/1TB has now become $600 for an i7 with 2TB and 12GB RAM.
Or even better, $644 with a i7, 2TB, 12GB, Win 8 Pro, and a GTX 660. (weird pricing tiers)

 

[Avalon]

Just FYI, but this is the mobo in the newegg system you originally linked - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...irtualParent=1

 

[crashtech]

He wins even more now. Dell Outlet desktops just went on sale. 20% off <$499, 25% off 500-999, and 30% off >$1000.
All the cheap 8500's are snapped up at the moment, but his $650 i7/8GB/1TB has now become $600 for an i7 with 2TB and 12GB RAM.
Or even better, $644 with a i7, 2TB, 12GB, Win 8 Pro, and a GTX 660. (weird pricing tiers)

What are the power supplies like in those? Enough for a high-end GPU?

 

[Arkaign]

What are the power supplies like in those? Enough for a high-end GPU?

Depends on what you consider high end. I know someone with a Gigabyte 6970 OC edition that's been running for a year or more problem free (along with 2 HDDs and an SSD!)

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19458767.aspx?PageIndex=3

Per that thread, 7870OC looks confirmed as well. I think the 6970OC takes about as much power as a 7970 non-Ghz, and certainly more than any normal Kepler-based single-GPU card.

Dual-GPU cards are probably a no-go though, for the combination of the lack of enough PCI-e power, and not enough 12V+ amps.

In my experience, Dell's power supplies in the XPS and Optiplex lines are actually really solid. I often see the 'Delta' power supplies in them last for long after the machine is even useful. I rarely see a bad one, or one fail from hard use. On the other hand, in the Inspiron and lower end Dimension lines I've seen a fair share of crappy PSUs.

 

[crashtech]

Most of my experience with Dell desktops is with their low-end stuff, some without even a PCIe slot. The one XPS desktop I repaired a few years ago was actually pretty nice. Buyer beware, if you don't know what you are looking for, a good deal might not be so good.

 

[DominionSeraph]

What are the power supplies like in those? Enough for a high-end GPU?

I'd say no to a GTX 770+ or 7970+. While all 460W, I don't think they necessarily come with the same number of 6-pins, either.
But it obviously has enough for the GTX 660 and 7870 they can be specced with.

 

[javaman320]

Thanks for the all the replies guys.

I think the Digital Storm rig would be the best most quality of all the pre-builds I've looked at: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadvanquish.asp?id=843036

To clarify, this guy shouldn't have any trouble at all running Rome Totar War 2 on ultra on say 1920x1080 res?

EDIT: I'm guessing it's probably wiser to go with the DS because of the quality of the parts used.

 

[crashtech]

I think you are pointed in the right direction, since the PSU in the one you are looking at should handle a GPU upgrade at a later time, should the need arise. I like the fact that they assemble them out of all name-brand parts.

While some of the other options may save you a bit of money, I don't think you can go wrong with your latest choice from a quality and functionality standpoint. I think it's been established that this setup will play your game at 1080 with everything on, though for some other games you might eventually have to step up to a better GPU.

 

[BigChickenJim]

Thanks for the all the replies guys.

I think the Digital Storm rig would be the best most quality of all the pre-builds I've looked at: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadvanquish.asp?id=843036

To clarify, this guy shouldn't have any trouble at all running Rome Totar War 2 on ultra on say 1920x1080 res?

EDIT: I'm guessing it's probably wiser to go with the DS because of the quality of the parts used.

It's hard to say definitively since I don't believe the final recommended specs for Rome 2 have been released yet, but I would be shocked if you couldn't max it comfortably at 1080P with that rig.

Yes, run away from Cyberpower and go with DS.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Thanks for the all the replies guys.

I think the Digital Storm rig would be the best most quality of all the pre-builds I've looked at: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadvanquish.asp?id=843036

To clarify, this guy shouldn't have any trouble at all running Rome Totar War 2 on ultra on say 1920x1080 res?

EDIT: I'm guessing it's probably wiser to go with the DS because of the quality of the parts used.

It really depends on what you're willing to tolerate for your fps minimums. I don't know about Rome Total War 2, but my 670 (which is essentially the same chip as the 760) can run BF3 on high with 2xAA but not ultra. I compromise with the settings because I like to keep the fps above the 50's at all times. On Ultra, complex scenes will drop into the high 30's, which would be fine on a single player game or RTS, but for a multiplayer shooter it's a no go.

Hopefully that gives you some perspective on what to expect. Honestly, the difference between ultra and high is usually so minuscule it doesn't matter anyway.

That system will be amazing and will be more than capable of accepting a GPU upgrade in a few years if you like. I love the PSU in that thing. Great choice. :thumbsup:

 

[RaistlinZ]

I would go with that Digital Storm. Add a second 760 down the road for SLI and you'll have plenty of power for a long time.