A balanced PC leaning toward gaming for $2k?

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fleecejohnson

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Mar 6, 2010
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Hey everybody.

While I love the fact that Cyberpower gives you so many options for custom-building, I'll confess that my geekier days are perhaps behind me. These days, I only know enough to be dangerous (perhaps to myself). Would some of you kind souls please take a gander at my latest $2k configuration and offer your input?

I'll be using it for a fairly balanced array of tasks (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Painter, a little video editing, lots of browser tabs, torrents, and lots games). Here's what I've been looking at from Cyberpower $2,111):

CoolerMaster Elite 310 Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel
Intel® Core™ i7-960 3.20 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
(3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
12GB (2GBx6) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Modul
Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels
Power Supply Gasket
Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts
Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more)
Asetek LCLC 120 Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Extreme Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX275 1792MB 16X PCIe Video Card
XtremeGear SLI/CrossFireX Ready 700W Power Supply
2TB (2TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HD
2x LG 22X DVD±/±RW + CD-R/RW Dual Layer Drive
Windows 7 Home Premium

Thanks for your help!
Evan
 
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Well that motherboard is 229$ on newegg, but if you get their combo offer, you get both of them for $787.98. Honestly, you're gonna get 8 cores with 8MB of L3 cache and you should go for the 920 because its got better value for money and the socket's the same you can always upgrade later when the prices go down. 6x 2GB sticks of corsair costs 360$. The coolermaster case is 40$. The Watercooling system costs about 150$. Dude why get a GTX when you can get a 5870 for a few bucks more, that's 400$. All that stuff's the main harware, should get you to 1750$ the hard drive should cost about 100$ and those DVD drives shouldn't be more than 75$ and PSU @ 70$. You'd save if you built it yourself and its more fun. Besides dude for the stuff you're talking about you don't need a lot of processor you need a lot of RAM, if you were talking about 3D intense stuff like Maya or CATIA then you'd need a better processor. Liquid cooling's a little unnecessary 😛 I wouldn't do it, you should get a huge heatsink for about 50 bucks (Hyper212) and that should take you to 4.0 GHz. Oh and it's not worth getting a board that can do 3 cards because only 2 of them work at x16 and one of them's at x4. IMHO, you'd save at least 600$ and drop your price to ~1500$ if you put it together yourself.
 
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Yes, + 1milion on that post:) HD 5870 will tear GTX275
 
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Thanks a lot for you input! I should clarify upfront that building my system from scratch isn't a viable option. I just don't have the know-how, or the time, or the inclination. So, while I realize it's not ideal, and a lot of hard-core types will dismiss me for that, it's just a fact, even if I am paying a few hundred more than I should. But I find that Cyberpower is attractive because they at least offer a slew of options, and I don't mind paying them a few hundred for pro assembly, clean wiring, and lifetime tech support.

That said, I think what you say totally makes sense. They don't offer the 920 chip for some reason, on the 930 and 940. The 930 would save me over $300 -- is that the route I should go, and keep the RAM at 12GB?? (I would prefer 9GB, but they offer 6 or 12.)


The 5870 (1GB) is offered for $150 more. I've always been a Nvidia lemming, but I'll totally check that card out. Sounds like that's a must-upgrade?

The watercooling system is free with a current special they're running, and my board choice was based on the cheapest (but well reviewed) board they offered that was "OC certified."

Again, thanks for your thoughts!
 
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Antec 902 w/ TP-750 PSU (9.5 jonnyguru perf. rating) $195
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.345273

or if ya want that sound deadening stuff

Antec P183 w/ TP750 $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.345258

Antec P183 w/ CP850 $234
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.345235

ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 and i7-930 $580
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.350315

or if ya insist on the 960 .... but the 930 can easily OC past the 960 to 4 GHz - 50 % overclock (960 can be OC'd too....but for $300 you decide whether it's worth it)

ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 and i7-960 $863
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.345108

Won't use 12 GB for gaming, start w/ 6 GB DDR301600

CAS 6 - $229 and up http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147%201052129233%201052429371%201052345114%201052526967&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE

CAS 7 - $179 and up http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147%201052129233%201052429371%201052345114%201052528354&name=7

CAS 8 - $126 and up http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147%201052129233%201052429371%201052345114%201052529367&name=8

Air cooling good to 4.4 Ghz .... don't see need for water cooling on 20% OC

Heat Sink - For performance and ease of installation, I find that the Prolimatech Megahalems best fits both criteria. Here's what I'm putting in new builds Mega w/ IC Diamond TIM and twin Scythe PWMfans (make sure ya MoBo can handle the fan wattage). ($65 HS, $7 TIM, $11 for each of the two PWM fans and a $7 Y cable splitter)

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8807/cpu-pro-01/Prolimatech_Megahalems_Rev_B_Intel_CPU_Heatsink_LGA_775_1156_1366_AM2_AM2_AM3_Hot_Item.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7038/thr-41/Innovation_Cooling_Diamond_7_Carat_Thermal_Compound_-_15_Grams.html?id=BZWnrfIC
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10026/fan-639/Scythe_Slip_Stream_120mm_x_25mm_PWM_Fan_-_SY1225SL12LM-P.html?tl=g36c365s936
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8418/cab-150/FrozenCPU_PMW_Y_Splitter_Cable.html

If that's a budget breaker, look at the Xigmnatec S1283 or one of the others here:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks
http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm#INTELHEATSINK
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=371&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=15

And for the TIM, same deal with the top 3 or 4 here:

http://www.hwreviewlabs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64%3Amega-44-thermal-paste-round-up&catid=32%3Around-ups&Itemid=47&limitstart=3
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup_10.html#sect1
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=138&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=3

GFX Card - Use this but take note, fermi cards arrival on March 26 may shake things up a bit

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-graphics-card,2544.html

You didn't list your resolution but I consider the entry point to DX11 gaming the 58xx series. $410

Why two HD drives ? Not seeing there's no reason to have em....just that you haven't stated one so can't judge if it is a good idea. If the money's there, opt for an SSD and a HD.

OCZ Vertes Turbo w/ Win 7 Home Premium $474
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.355228

Seagate 76200.12 $85
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433

$2057
 
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OK, with thanks to all for their input, here's my revised config:

-- CoolerMaster Elite 310 Mid-Tower Case with See-Thru Side Panel

-- Intel® Core™ i7-930 2.80 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366

-- Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more)

-- (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6X58D Premium Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3 FCLGA1366 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III RAID, 3 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI (All Venom OC Certified)

-- 6GB (2GBx3) Corsair Dominator DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module

-- ATI Radeon HD 5870 1GB DDR5 16X PCIe Video Card [DirectX 11 Support]

-- XtremeGear 700W SLI/CrossFireX Ready Power Supply

-- 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

-- LG CH08-LS10K 8X Blu-Ray Player & DVDRW Combo Drive [+80]

With liquid cooling, sound dampening, Windows 7 pre-installed, and 3-day rush turnaround, it comes to $1969. Am I getting closer? :)





 
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In todays age, you can get a decent custom built from iBuypower for a decent price, you couldn't really save that much doing it yourself. Here is a VASTLY superior rig:

Gamer Paladin F875
Netbook / Notebook Bundle ( None )
Case ( NZXT Tempest EVO Gaming Tower Case - Black )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None )
Case Lighting ( None )
Processor ( Intel® Core™ i7 930 Processor (4x 2.8GHz/8MB L3 Cache) )
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive ( PowerDrive Level 2 - Up to 20% Overclocking )
Processor Cooling ( [Free Upgrade] Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 120mm Radiator [SOCKET-1366] )
Memory ( 6 GB [2 GB X3] DDR3-1333 Triple Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand ** Free Upgrade to DDR3-1600 ** )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon HD 5870 - 1GB - CrossFire Mode (Dual Cards) )
Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA )
Free Stuff ( [Free Game] - H.A.W.X - Free with purchase of Intel Core i7 Processor )
Motherboard ( ASUS P6T SE -- Intel X58 Chipset CrossFire Supported w/8-ch HD Audio, Triple-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, 3 PCI-E MB )
Motherboard Add-on ( None )
Power Supply ( 850 Watt -- Corsair CMPSU-850TX Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Primary Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
Data Hard Drive ( None )
Optical Drive ( 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
2nd Optical Drive ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( None )
Meter Display ( None )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ....) - 64-Bit )
Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black )
Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse - Black )
Monitor ( None )
2nd Monitor ( None )
Speaker System ( iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
Wireless Network Adapter ( Zonet ZEW2545 802.11n 130Mbps Wireless USB Adapter )
Power Protection ( None )
Headset ( None )
MP3/MP4 Player ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Warranty ( Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

$2,011.00

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Configurators.aspx?mid=355

Change to i7 930, add 20% overclocking and change to Corsair 850w.
 
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Pay me $50 and I'll put it together for you. I can't guarantee lifetime support, but I'll upgrade it and fix broken things as long as you pay for the shipping to and fro.

I know that you wouldn't do this, just a shot in the dark, but don't you have any geeky friends who'd do this for you, it is sooooo much cheaper.
 
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Fleece, buddy it takes no know-how honestly 😛 I used to be a laptop guy until December. The know how you need is lefty-loosey righty-tighty. If you put your computer together yourself you wont need their support if something goes wrong and you'll know what the heck's going on. It's your call dude, its kinda hard to screw this stuff up because they don't use the pins that stick out on the processor so you cannot damage your processor handling it like the old pentium ones or the amds. besides you're gonna buy an overclocking MB you are going to have to mess with the voltages yourself so you cannot expect your computer to come out of the box cute and ready to use. if you're not gonna tweak the settings then don't go for an expensive mobo you can get many for 100$ cheaper. besides dude that's why you're here on this forum we can help you with anything you'd need, this route will save you tons of money (~600$) and you can buy 2 graphics cards or even a 5970 :O) on that board which is perfect. While we're on it, nVidia kinda took a break after the 8 series cards their newer cards are severely over priced and don't perform as good as the ATI cards, I had an 8800GTX until last month and I upgraded to a 4870HD and it works way better dude, the ATI cards handle more stream processes than the nVidia cards.
If you would rather have someone else put it together then I can put up an ebay auction for a good amount and you can pay me through that and I can get everything and put it together and ship it out to you UPS this way you have 100% buyer protection (goes well with my 100% +ve feedback 😛). It's still up to you dude, you the man. Way better if you get everything and put it together, it'll be like legos :).
 
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I totally hear ya, and I do really like the idea of having someone knowledgeable such as yourself build it. But realistically, if I'm going to be dealing with someone remotely via UPS, I'd feel much better with a company (warranty, shipping policies, tech support, etc. etc.)

BUT, with that said. You might've sparked a great idea. I wonder if I could find someone local (San Diego), and ideally with this savvy community's blessing, who I could hire to come help me put a beast together. Now THAT would solve all my problems at once, and put some well-deserved cash in the pocket of someone who enjoys building systems, rather than forking it over to some company like "iBuyPower" (my god I hate that name).

Everyone has advised me to build it myself, and I totally agree in theory, but I'd much rather split the difference and get some knowledgeable local help.

Think that's a viable solution? Do you, or does anyone here, know how I might go about making that happen?

Thanks! :)



 
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Fleece I like the sound of the latest option you put up - If you are getting it built by someone.

You changed the motherboard to a later version with USB 3 etc which can only be a good thing for potential future proofing.
The rest of the rig looks good.
The only thing i would perhaps recommend is maybe a change in HDD's - depending on the MB ofcourse.

WD have new drives out that are 64MB cache and 6GBs transfer speeds - I am thinking of getting a few of these myself - maybe look at those ?

otherwise I like it

As far as building yourself goes. I did my first ever PC build last month and I had no idea what I was doing but in the end it was just common sense and follow the manual. The PC actually still goes so I must have done something right
 
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Just a quick followup...

I've gone ahead and started a new thread (in new system builds), to see if there isn't someone around me who I could hire to help me build a new rig from scratch.

Many thanks to all of you for your helpful comments!!! :) Please do check out the new thread: A proposition to regulars in the Greater San Diego area!
 
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sounds like a plan dude
 
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Odd because iBuyPower is the only "budget" custom PC maker I would trust, and cyberpowerPC is overpriced in comparison.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/iBUYPOWER
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/CyberPower

As you can see they both get great ratings, though you should not that ibuypower manages that with almost half the reviews.

Remember that when you buy from these budget companies you will get pretty average warranties. Most of the bltching comes from having to ship your PC in for repairs if needed. The good makers like Vigor-gaming will give you more options, but you'll pay half again. If you want the ultimate quality, support, and a computer that is superior than what most on these forums can build, Falcon Northwest is always there but you will pay out the ass for it
 
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Yeah, I think I might've stumbled onto a perfect compromise if I find someone local to help. Everyone is rightfully nudging me in the DIY direction, so if I could get my 60% confidence up to 90%+, I'm sold.

As for motherboard, my latest thinking is the Asus P6X58D, which I've read really great reviews on -- both layout and futureproofing. I agree on the HDD too. If I can save some $$ with a quasi-DIY, I'd even consider a SSD + WD HDD. Wow...the thought of a 10 second boot AND 6GB transfer? MmmmMMMmmaahhhh. 😎

I think I've already learned a lot here just from osmosis in a short time lol.

 
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Some youtube tutorials on building a pc might boost your confidence. I taught and watched my gf build her families computer and before she didn't know squat. It is fairly easy and if you don't force anything and keep yourself grounded (static) and plug everything into the right spots you shouldn't have a problem. (I built my first pc using the mobo manual)
 
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Lol, well I have to confess that I pussed out and bought a pre-built.

Two things in my defense, however. First, my post in search of a local accomplice failed to generate any candidates. Second, I found a system at Newegg that meets or exceeds all my needs for $1,699. Here's what I got:

iBuypower 941SLC
Case: NZXT Lexa S
Processor: Intel Core i7 930
Mobo: Asus P6T SE
Memory: Corsair 12GB (2GB x6) DDR3-1600
Video: ATI Radeon HD5850
Storage: 2TB SATAII
Optical #1: LG Blu-Ray Combo Drive
Optical #2: Sony 24x DVDRW
PSU: 800W iBuypower
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

I really don't need 12GB RAM just yet, I realize, but I will. I don't ever in my life recall thinking "I'm glad I didn't buy that extra RAM, turns out that whole thing was just a fad."

And a similarly-equipped rig configured directly at ibuypower.com runs a couple hundred bucks more. The parts for this alone on Newegg are over $1600, so I don't mind paying a little extra for assembly and lifetime tech support. And I'm glad to have interjected Newegg into the process -- their reputation reassures me that nothing should go too horribly afoul. (And let's hope those weren't among the final words of an imminent victim of "computer explosion.")

Now comes the hardest part: waiting.

A very heartful THANK YOU to everyone who offered their guidance!!
 
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Well, Alienware, what do you expect......😉🙁

You pay $1000 the name and $1000 for the case...
 
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