recommend a system for me

[lolpeacehomie]

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

Gaming - I specifically want a computer capable of playing the following: Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, CS: Source.


2. What YOUR budget is.

1000-1200

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

U.S.A. - Newegg, Mwave, Fry's

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.

Whatever I can game on.

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

My computer is Ancient.

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

Maybe

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

Overclocking scares me (honestly).

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Early May Late April

Hi guys, i'm about to build a computer soon (late April early May) and I was wondering what kind of system
would you guys recommend for me. I have about 1000-1100 to spend on the system (not including monitor).

Now here are my needs:
This computer is going to be used mostly for gaming. I dont do any video editing/rendering or anything of that nature. The types of games i play right now are pretty old school because my computer is pretty dated (4 years old). I play Warcraft 3 DOTA, Crossfire and starcraft and counterstrike 1.6 (source kills my computer). I used to play 1.6 pretty competitively and I plan on playing source.

I want a system that will be able to play Starcraft2, Diablo3, Source & Street Fighter IV. As you can probably tell, i dont play MANY games and i'm not too interested in those super high end games out right now such as Crysis or FarCry. I also would like to maybe future proof my computer a little so i can upgrade it in the future.

Anyways, sorry for the long post - i've been out of the loop for a while.

thanks for the help!

 

[AstroGuardian]

Since you dont have any hard core needs i would recommend this:
1. No less than 600W PSU for future upgrading
2. Any P45/P43/P53 motherboard. Ttry focusing on Gigabyte, MSI or Asus.
3. 4gb of RAM is cheap enough not to think about 2
4. Geforce 9800/9600 or AMD 4850 should be just fine and will offer you some kick for 3D games.
5. No need for Quad Core. Go for Intel E7400 / E8400 / Phenom X3. And don't be scared of basic OC. It's safe enough these days.

Later you could add massive CPU and GPU power on this rig with no problems.

Sure there are faster machines but you sound like you don't need it.

 

[oynaz]

I mostly agree with AstroGuardian, however:

1. A 600 watt PSU is way overkill. Considering the suggested components, it will run very inefficiently. Get a quality ~watter instead. If you need to upgrade down the road, the money saved on power will mean you can simply replace it with minimum, if any, loss.

 

[lolpeacehomie]

since you say i don't need quad core - i can probably build this system for a lot less than 1000 right?

also, i've researched system needs for starcraft 2 and diablo 3 and i'm not sure how intensive the games will be (i know blizzard tends to release games that aren't super hardware intensive).

StarCraftWire.net Recommended Specs:

* CPU: Athlon X2 / Core 2 Duo
* Memory: 2 GB RAM
* Graphics Card: Geforce 8600 GT
* Hard Disk Space: 7 GB

As for Athlon X2 / Core 2 Duo; either one should do pretty fine, if it?s overwhelming these, we?re all in trouble. When it comes to RAM, as cheap as it is right now, and with the hungry demands of Vista, it is the sweet spot for gaming and most gaming computers are shipping with 2 GB now. The Geforce 9600 GT is a very good buy, quite cheap these days, but if lower is necessary, the Geforce 8600 GT should do fine, as will the Radeon HD 3850.

taken from http://www.starcraftwire.net/a...system-requirements/P1

i just want my system to be able to not only play but destroy the games i will be playing most (starcraft 2 and diablo3).

 

[swanysto]

E7500 - 140 +shipping
9800gtx+ or similar - 160 +shipping
4gb PC6400 - 50 at the most + shipping
WD 640gb HD - 60 +shipping
Gigabyte EP45 UD3R - 120 + shipping
Corsair 550 PSU - 90 -20mir +shipping

Since you aren't overclocking you dont need a heatsink. That setup would leave you with 380 dollars for shipping, case, cd/dvd/bluray drive and any other accessories you need. You could always shave a bit of money off those too. GTS250 might save you 20 bucks. You could probable get a cheaper motherboard too, I have just heard that is a pretty stable one.

 

[AstroGuardian]

Originally posted by: oynaz
I mostly agree with AstroGuardian, however:

1. A 600 watt PSU is way overkill. Considering the suggested components, it will run very inefficiently. Get a quality ~watter instead. If you need to upgrade down the road, the money saved on power will mean you can simply replace it with minimum, if any, loss.

I agree with you too, but not as rigorously. Difference between efficiency gains in this case is not even measurable. So i would point again that 600W psu should be the solution.

 

[fourdegrees11]

Originally posted by: AVADirectJoe
I think this PC would be perfect for what you want, and it would last you at least five years before you would have to upgrade:

ANTEC, Sonata Elite Black Mid-Tower Case, ATX, No PSU
CORSAIR, CMPSU-750TX TX Series Power Supply, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V EPS12V, Multi-GPU Ready
ASUS, P6T Deluxe V2, LGA1366, Intel® X58, 6400 MT/s QPI, DDR3-2000MHz (O.C.) 24GB /6, PCIe x16 SLI CF /3, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /6, HDA, GbLAN /2, FW /2, ATX, Retail
INTEL, Core? i7-920 Quad-Core 2.66GHz, LGA1366, 6400 MT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, 45nm, 130W, EM64T EIST VT XD, Retail
KINGSTON, 3GB (3 x 1GB) ValueRAM PC3-8500 DDR3 1066MHz CL7 (7-7-7) 1.5V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
eVGA, GeForce GTX 260 Core 216, GTX 260 576MHz, 896MB GDDR3 2000MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, DVI /2, HDTV Out, Retail
WESTERN DIGITAL, 500GB WD Caviar® Black? (WD5001AALS), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB Cache
RAID, No RAID, Independent HDD Drives
SAMSUNG, Super-WriteMaster? SH-S223 Black 22x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ LightScribe, SATA, w/ Software, OEM
NONE, No Operating System (Choose OS or subject to Limited Support)
WARRANTY, Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)
1307.68

That system is overkill, and way over budget when you factor in an OS

 

[fourdegrees11]

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

AMD Phenom II X3 720 $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121272

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231241

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136320

COOLER MASTER RC-690 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R DVD Burner with LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106282

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Comes out to right at $800 before shipping and stuff, and you still have plenty of money for a monitor

 

[lolpeacehomie]

thanks for the suggestions guys..

i haven't decided how much money i want to spend on the desktop yet but if i wanted a something under 800 i will probably go with fourdegree's build.

however, i may go high end and build an i7 system (planning on spending at least 1200-1300)

keep in mind i have a 22 inch monitor and an OS and also a good gaming mouse/mousepad.

 

[lolpeacehomie]

Originally posted by: fourdegrees11
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

AMD Phenom II X3 720 $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121272

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231241

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136320

COOLER MASTER RC-690 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R DVD Burner with LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106282

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Comes out to right at $800 before shipping and stuff, and you still have plenty of money for a monitor

also, is this build compatible with a better video card such as a 4890 or gtx 275?

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: lolpeacehomie

Originally posted by: fourdegrees11
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

AMD Phenom II X3 720 $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121272

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231241

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136320

COOLER MASTER RC-690 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R DVD Burner with LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106282

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Comes out to right at $800 before shipping and stuff, and you still have plenty of money for a monitor

also, is this build compatible with a better video card such as a 4890 or gtx 275?

I would go with the same video card I have unless you are partial to ATI.

 

[fourdegrees11]

Originally posted by: lolpeacehomie

Originally posted by: fourdegrees11
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

AMD Phenom II X3 720 $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121272

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231241

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136320

COOLER MASTER RC-690 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R DVD Burner with LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106282

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Comes out to right at $800 before shipping and stuff, and you still have plenty of money for a monitor

also, is this build compatible with a better video card such as a 4890 or gtx 275?

Yes, you could substitute a much better GPU (without changing anything else) if you feel its needed.

 

[Kraeoss]

Originally posted by: fourdegrees11

Originally posted by: lolpeacehomie

Originally posted by: fourdegrees11
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

AMD Phenom II X3 720 $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121272

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 $43
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231241

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136320

COOLER MASTER RC-690 $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137

LITE-ON Black 22X DVD+R DVD Burner with LightScribe $25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106282

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16832116488

Comes out to right at $800 before shipping and stuff, and you still have plenty of money for a monitor

also, is this build compatible with a better video card such as a 4890 or gtx 275?

Yes, you could substitute a much better GPU (without changing anything else) if you feel its needed.

why the 500gb hdd when 95 more gigs can be had for like nothing
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136319

 

[heyheybooboo]

+1 for the WD 640Gb Black.

An AM3 Phenom 720BE (or an e8400) will work just dandy - and the PhII 940BE/mobo combos ($300'ish) always pop up and can't be beat for 'bang for buck' big boy toys ...

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: oynaz
I mostly agree with AstroGuardian, however:

1. A 600 watt PSU is way overkill. Considering the suggested components, it will run very inefficiently. Get a quality ~watter instead. If you need to upgrade down the road, the money saved on power will mean you can simply replace it with minimum, if any, loss.

Thats bull shit!! There is no such thing as over kill!!
A larger PSU will NOT run any less efficient than a lower watt PSU!!!
There will be no money saved on power! A PSU uses only what the system needs to use to work no more no less!!

Where do you get that BS from???
Go to any site or even ask one of the PSU people like JonnyGURU or Hoofan or anybody else....I cannot believe you are actually believe that totally false information.....