$2000 Gaming Build

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bazinga73

bazinga73

Honorable
Mar 23, 2013
22
0
10,510
Purchase date: Next month
Budget Range: around $2000
System usage most to least important: BF3(max settings), BF4, Crysis 3, WoW
Monitor: Yes
Keyboard, mouse etc: No
OS: Yes
Parts preference: Intel processor, AMD gpu
Overclocking: Yes
Crossfire/SLI: Yes, but in the future, so 1 for now
Monitor resolution: 1920x1080

Additional comments:
-Nothing below the 7900 series because i can get crysis 3. if u can suggest a better nvidia card with better value and performance then alright.
-Is haswell worth waiting/getting?
-try to include some alternate cases to your 1st choice.
-The ram brands available here are only g.skill,corsair,crucial,kingston (im looking at the online price lists so im assuming)
-if possible, recommend me some good cheap gaming mouse and keyboards. (not including in the $2000)

This is what i had with a smaller budget in the past, without a monitor:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VzP8
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VzP8/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/VzP8/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.97 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($65.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($402.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($17.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Total: $1128.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-07 00:39 EDT-0400)

thanks! :bounce:
 
Solution
J
Here's my suggestion. It runs a bit over $2,000, but you could cut that down significantly 1, if you have Microcenter access, 2, by dropping the Phantom 630 to a 410, or 3, by switching to Gigabyte Radeon 7970s.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.16 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive...
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At that budget, and if you don't wish to do a multi-GPU solution, you're looking at a pretty straightforward collection of core components, and then a lot of wiggle room with respect to quality-of-life and/or fluff stuff -- large SSD(s), expensive chassis, a high-end monitor*, that sort of thing.

(The problem with high-end monitors, of course, is that the bigger the display, the more horsepower you need to game on it at native resolution, and thus, the less mileage you'll get out of your core hardware. So it's a bit of a self-sustaining money pit, one that I'd personally avoid, but that's up to you.)

Or you could put together the core system with modest QoL/fluff and save some cash for later (put it towards that second GPU you mention down the road, for example).

All of that said, the basic configuration at $2,000 basically builds itself: i7 3770k, mid-to-high-end z77 motherboard, 8+ GB of memory (of a reputable brand, but it doesn't need to be premium stuff; personally I'm a Kingston guy), and a single HD 7979 GHz edition. Your budget is very high for a dedicated gaming rig, but it's not quite high enough to justify extreme high end hardware (LGA 2011 motherboard/CPU, GTX 690 or Titan). Some people would probably even tell you that a 3770k is overkill, but personally I don't see why anyone would turn down Hyperthreading in a $2,000 rig. Eventually those extra (virtual) cores will matter in games, even if only a little bit.

Cases are largely subjective. You obviously have the cash for a $100+ case, and most any case from a highly-touted manufacturer in that price range will likely satisfy you. I'm talking brands like Antec, Corsair, Fractal Design, Lian Li; even Rosewill's turning some heads these days -- but anything I tell you case-wise will inevitably be second or third-hand information. If you really care about the case, I urge you to read reviews on sites like Tom's, Anandtech, SilentPCreview, Techreport, and Hardwaresecrets.

So I s'pose the upshot of all of my rambling here is that your request is both straightforward and subjective. Perhaps a little more info about your specific preferences would help us craft further recommendations.
 
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As Fulgurant said, without a CrossFire/SLI, at this budget point you have a lot of disposable currency. Are you sure that you don't want a multi-GPU configuration and that you want to spend this much?
Secondarily, do you actually have access to a Mircocenter, or was that just the tendency of Part Picker to chose the lowest-priced vendor?
 
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No love for NZXT? The Phantom line has been getting great reviews these days.

 
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Fair enough. It's hard to list all the manufacturers making quality cases these days, something I am absolutely thrilled about.
 
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hmm, then i'll go for crossfire/sli now. why not, haha. i'm satisfied with i5, no need for i7. i'll be gaming for very very long hours, so more money can be invested in a good case, better cooling solution and some fans. 8GB of ram is just nice. For the monitor, preferred size would be 23 inches, around there. as long as it does not exceed much of $2000.
 
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Here's my suggestion. It runs a bit over $2,000, but you could cut that down significantly 1, if you have Microcenter access, 2, by dropping the Phantom 630 to a 410, or 3, by switching to Gigabyte Radeon 7970s.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.16 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($433.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card (2-Way CrossFire) ($433.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($131.17 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.96 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($264.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2118.63
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-07 01:07 EDT-0400)

Edit: Keyboard and mouse are very much personal preference. You would probably be best off choosing them yourself.
 
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Solution


Nope, i live all the way in singapore. I just use pcpartpicker as reference. And everytime after adding up all the parts from the online price lists here, it somehow ended up around $70~$100 (USD) more than the list stated in this forum. Things are slightly more expensive here. And not all cases/ram brands/power supplies are available at the shops im purchasing from. i'll go for crossfire now since i know i have enough money.
 
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Honestly, if you're only at 5% over American prices, you are quite lucky. I helped out a South African fellow recently, and as I recall his prices were over 33% higher.
Ah. Were some of the brands I used in my suggestion not available? I can suggest alternatives if that's the case.
 
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Wow, yeah that's about how i want it to be. just a few questions,
1) do you know how much difference is there between crossfire 7970, Ghz edition and normal?
2) im not familiar with crossfire/sli, is 850w psu enough, what is recommended?
3) is there another case with similar price and quality? some shops here don't sell NZXT cases. :pfff:

and if i buy 2 graphic cards, i'll have 2 crysis 3, haha. i suppose i could sell the extra one. 😀
 
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The Ghz. Editions are superior to the normal cards, but normal 7970s can be overclocked to the point of having the same performance. A major reason I picked those particular cards was that they have Sapphire's Vapor-X cooling system, which is quite good.
850w is funtional, but I was trying to keep costs down. For my own 7970 CrossFire, I use a 1000w PSU.
Honestly, I use and recommend NZXT products so much that my knowledge of other high-end cases has somewhat atrophied. I could dig something up, but you'd likely be better off seeking someone else's advice.
 
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I found a shop that has the phantom 630 and the M12II 850w psu. i did not research much on NZXT cases as i never thought i'll consider them since my first choice shop only sell case brands like, corsair, cooler master, fractal design, antec, lian li, silverstone, thermaltake and some other brands that i think are not so good. if i were to get a 1000W(or more) psu, $2000 budget aside, which will you strongly recommend? i read many articles saying that psu is the most important or one the most important parts of a pc, so i would just wanna be on the safe side. i am actually willing to spend more so i can increase my budget slightly now, since i know that a decent crossfire build costs more.

and also if possible, could anyone else reading this suggest some very good quality cases in the $100~$200 range. if not i'll just research more, i must make sure i get the most out of my money.
 
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I have a deep personal love for SeaSonic, so my recommendation for a 1000w PSU would be this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151105&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Edit: A glance over the Newegg product page shows an oddly high count of negative reviews. Though that's not the case everywhere (the Amazon page has 19 five star, 1 four star, and nothing else), that could well be a warning sign. It's well-reviewed from the professionals, but you might consider this as an alternative: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151110
 
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Yea, i was just reading the 1 star reviews and was worried that i'll be the unlucky one to receive a faulty one or encounter some major problems. Then not only i'll be pissed off at the power unit, but also the fact that i should have gone for the 1050W X series or other brands, probably corsair.

Okay, so i guess i'm almost ready with my build, now i just have to wait for the next month. Alright, thanks Jack for your help. :bounce: i'll post again 2-3 days before purchase, and with the release of haswell, hopefully prices will drop so I can choose better parts.
 
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For what it's worth regarding Corsair, SeaSonic makes most of their better PSUs anyway. Honestly, as far as manufacturing goes, they're the big name for quality. That said, that specific PSU seems to have an oddly large number of problems, so the 1050w would definitely be a good alternative.

It was my pleasure to help. There will probably be a few shake-ups in prices by that time, so your build will need a little updating, but the core of it seems quite functional (not to toot my own horn 😀 ). I look forward to helping finalize it.
 
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Okay, thanks again. 😉
 
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