New $1k gaming build

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DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
I'm looking to build a new box and want to spend less than $1000.

Machine will be for gaming, plus basic office tasks and casual photo/video editing.

Budget is $1000

Buying in the USA, from Newegg if possible.

No brand preference. I try to go with best bang for the buck and I've found that Intel, AMD, ATI, and nVidia have all held that title at different times.

Monitor, mouse, and keyboard do not need to be part of the budget.

I searched and read some threads to get a general idea of what the best bang for buck components are right now and I got some suggestions and advice in an earlier thread.

No plans to overclock at first, but would like to have the option.

I'm not positive, but I think the 22" LCD I'll be using is 1680x1050 and last I heard, it was ideal to run at native resolution.

Here is what I have picked so far, all from Newegg:

$165 - LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 PLUS Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Combo deal

$135 - GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

$220 - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

$85 (with promo) - CORSAIR XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1600C9

$210 - SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

$65 - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

$18 - ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

$100 - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Total: $998

I know 750w might be more than I need, but I really liked the PC-62 and the Newegg combo deal seemed pretty good.

8GB of RAM might be overkill as well, but with the $15 off promo, I though it was worth spending $85 instead of $50 for 4GB.

Same with the 6870, but for about $30 more, it looked like a worthy upgrade over a 6850.

What do you guys think?

Any feedback, advice, suggestions are appreciated. I plan to place my order later today.
 
Last edited:
FalseChristian

FalseChristian

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2002
3,322
0
71
Not bad. It's way better in this time to build a half-decent gaming machine for under a grand. In the old days it would've cost $4,000. Congrats!
 
DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
Speaking of HSF's, do I need to add one or is the one that comes with the CPU sufficient if I'm not overclocking for now?
 
mnewsham

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
136
DT4K said:
Speaking of HSF's, do I need to add one or is the one that comes with the CPU sufficient if I'm not overclocking for now?
Click to expand...

If not overclocking then you wont NEED a HSF, however a good HSF would help keep temps down further and allow you to OC at your leisure.
 
B

betasub

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2006
2,677
0
0
^ He should use the stock HSF supplied with the CPU. A HSF (or CPU cooling of some sort) is required!
 
M

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
5
71
www.mfenn.com
Normally I would say that the 750W PSU is ludicrous for a build with a 6870. However, you are effectively getting it for $65, so I think that I'll keep my mouth shut. :D

I agree with mnewsham about the RAM, but other than that, I think it looks good!
 
DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
mfenn said:
Normally I would say that the 750W PSU is ludicrous for a build with a 6870. However, you are effectively getting it for $65, so I think that I'll keep my mouth shut. :D

I agree with mnewsham about the RAM, but other than that, I think it looks good!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I figured it was overkill, but the price was right and I figured that should give me plenty of breathing room if I decide to get a second 6870 in the future and put together a 3 monitor Eyefinity setup.

I did end up ordering RAM with heatsinks, so hopefully I won't regret it.
I got: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2800CL8D-8GBXM

I know, I know, the higher speed and lower latency won't be noticeable. But it was $30 off and to be honest, though I'm ashamed of it, I fell for the aesthetics. :)

So my final order from Newegg was:

    • 1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
    • 1 x GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
    • 1 x Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
    • 1 x ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
    • 1 x G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM
    • 1 x Sega Sega Shogun 2: Total War
    • 1 x LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
    • 1 x SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
    • 1 x Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply
    • 1 x Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
    • 1 x SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Total w/ shipping: $1037

The only thing I'm really second guessing is the 6870 vs 6950. I'm hoping I won't regret not spending the extra $60 or $70.
 
DT4K

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
mfenn said:
The heatspreaders will probably be OK since I don't see an aftermarket HSF in the parts list.
Click to expand...

No plans to OC right now. If I go that route in the future, I'll just have to take a careful look at the dimensions of the HSF and how much space there is between the cpu socket and the RAM
 
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