BestConfigs: MicroATX Gaming Build

[jpishgar]

It's that time again! Time to update the Tom's Hardware BestConfigs! Once again, we are opening the field to user recommendations to get the best consensus for the absolute best of the best in each category. Post the best configuration you can put together for the following build category and our editorial team will pick 5 of the best to be put up to a public vote right here in the Systems forum. The top-ranking build will go on to become one of Tom's Hardware BestConfigs and you'll get the credit for having put together a brilliant build with a special credit in the feature article.

Post your entries to this thread for the category of:
MicroATX Gaming Build

Stay within $1,200 (without shipping) and no need to include OS, monitor, mouse/keyboard. To keep things fair and level the playing field, we ask that you restrict your product links to Newegg or Amazon. Please be sure to format your list of components as follows:

Joe's MicroATX Portal Turret Custom Case Build
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price

See below for quick-copy/paste text of the BBcode.

[cpp]
Joe's MicroATX Portal Turret Custom Case Build
Processor: Component Name and Component Price
Motherboard: Component Name and Component Price
RAM: Component Name and Component Price
Graphics Card: Component Name and Component Price
Hard Drive: Component Name and Component Price
Case: Component Name and Component Price
Power Supply: Component Name and Component Price
Cooling: Component Name and Component Price
DVD Burner: Component Name and Component Price
[/cpp]

You can also use the Tom's Hardware System Builder to build your recommendation and use the BBCode export option at the bottom of the build. If you do, be sure to include a link in your post to your build on the app for quick viewing.

Good luck, and may the best builds win!

 

[g-unit1111]

The "Chameleon" Build (looks every bit like a home theater component but is an overclockable gaming beast) :

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L12 37.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($127.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($285.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone SST-GD05B-USB3.0 (Black) HTPC Case ($122.56 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($95.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1192.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-15 16:44 EST-0500)

 

[TheBigTroll]

upgraded a few components form g-units build to be more overclocking and gaming friendly

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nT0j
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nT0j/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nT0j/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12P SE2 54.4 CFM CPU Cooler ($61.91 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper M3 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($28.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($103.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($285.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.50 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($53.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1032.32
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-15 21:22 EST-0500)

us.ncix.com is the same if not better than all the other stores due to price matching

 

[kelvin08113]

INoHome's microGaming G34R
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor $219.99
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Gene Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard $199.99
RAM: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory $37.99
Graphics Card: Asus GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card $329.99
Hard Drive (SSD): Corsair Force Series GT 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk $84.99
Hard Drive (HDD): Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $63.11
Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 ATX Mid Tower Case $41.98
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series 560W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply $124.99
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler $29.99
DVD Burner: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer $17.99

Total: $1151.01

 

[mastrom101]

The Mini Gamer
PCPartPicker part list /
Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Gene Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($312.86 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1140.76
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[brandon402]

Brandon402's "Big Mini" Micro ATX Gaming Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.29 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($97.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($100.70 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($98.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS DVD/CD Writer ($29.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1149.46
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-16 11:36 EST-0500)

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nWsB

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Mjmj's MicroATX Rig

Processor: Intel i5 3570k 220$
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M 140$
RAM: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1600mhz 37$
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7850 2GB 200$
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7850 2GB 200$
Hard Drive: Seagate 1tb 7200rpm 50$
SSD: Samsung 840 Series 120gb 100$
Case: SilverStone SST-PS07B 79$
Power Supply: CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 115$
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo 35$
DVD Burner: LG 24X DVD Burner 17$

Total=1193$

 

[ckholt83]

Little Monster
CPU: Intel i5 3570k for $219.99 @ Newegg
HSF: Noctua NH-D14 for $80.99 @ Newegg
Mobo: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M3 for $139.99 @ Newegg
RAM: 16GB G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage (4 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 for 2x $34.99 / $69.98 @ Newegg
GPU: XFX Double D Radeon HD 7970 for $329.99 @ Newegg
SSD: Samsung 830 Series 128GB SSD for $99.99 @ Amazon
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM HDD for $49.99 @ Newegg
Case: SilverStone Sugo SG09B for $89.99 @ Newegg
PSU: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-750TX 750W for $59.99 @ Newegg
ODD: TOSHIBA TS-T632 Slim DVD-RW for $29.99 @ Amazon

Total: $1170.89


Heavily future-proofed with tons of overclocking headroom, 16GB of RAM, and motherboard / PSU support to add a 2nd GPU in Crossfire.

 

[zared619]

Zared619's "Little Giant"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($122.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Mushkin Callisto Deluxe 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.15 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($429.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1162.07
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-19 15:01 EST-0500)

 

[sodapop707]

Why is everyone getting so close to the maximum price range? Can you guys do some lower priced ones for those looking for cheaper micro-atx builds? thanks

 

[zared619]

Why is everyone getting so close to the maximum price range? Can you guys do some lower priced ones for those looking for cheaper micro-atx builds? thanks

Certainly.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $594.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-24 11:20 EST-0500)

 

[sodapop707]

Thanks!

 

[mousseng]

mousseng's "LANdshark"

Processor: Intel Core i5-3570k for $220
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M for $140
RAM: G.SKILL Ares 2x4GB DDR3-1600 for $38
Graphics Card: Sapphire Vapor-X 7970 GHz Edition for $475 (with a $20 rebate)
Hard Drive: Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black for $88
Case: NZXT Vulcan for $80
Power Supply: Seasonic G-Series SSR-550RM for $75 (with a $15 rebate)
Cooling: Tuniq Tower120 Extreme for $65

Total: $1181 with shipping (1146$ with rebates)

This is designed to be an overclocking-friendly LAN rig. There should be enough money left over to replace the case fans to overcome the heat issue and the mesh side-panel issue (get some positive airflow to keep the dust out).

Edited for formatting.

 

[wingraptor]

And now for something completely different.

Mat's MicroATX Overkilling out in Left Field Machine

Processor: AMD A10-5800K Trinity - $130
Motherboard: ASUS F2A85-M Pro FM2 A85X - $120
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4X4GB Kit) DDR3 1866 - $93
Graphics Card: PowerColor AX7850 HD 7850 2GB - $200
SSD: Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 240GB SSD - $170
Hard Drive: Western Digital Green 2TB - $110
Case: Rosewill Line-M Micro-ATX Mini Tower - $50
Power Supply: Rosewill Fortress 650W - $110
Cooling: Cooler Master 120mm 812 Cooler - $59
DVD Burner: LG Black Blu-Ray Burner - $55

TOTAL $1,092

 

[Bejusek]

Bejusek CAS8 FTW Mini build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($25.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone SG09B (Black) MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1198.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-27 16:48 EST-0500)

 

[noobzilla771]

"Little Monster" Fractal Arc Mini
Processor: Intel i5 3570K @ $220
Motherboard: Asrock Z77 Extreme4-M @ $140
RAM: GSkill 8gb RAM 1600 (2x4GB) @ $25
Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon 7970 3Gb @ $380
Solid State Drive: Samsung 830 128gb SSD @ $105
Hard Drive: Western Digital 7200 1TB Drive @ $70
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini @ $100
Power Supply: Seasonic 750W Modular PSU Gold @ $100
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212+ @ $25
Optical Drive: LG Blu-Ray ROM, CD/DVD Burner @ $35

Total: $1200
Crossfire compatible for future upgrade.
SSD + 1TB Storage
Blu-ray Drive
Great minimalistic-design case with high air-flow (with slot for 240mm water cooling)

 

[DarkSable]

Size Isn't Everything

Processor: Intel Core i5-3570k, $220
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO, which does fit in this case, $30
Cooling: Cougar Vortex HDB 140mm Fan, $18
Motherboard: AsRock Z77E-ITX, $150
RAM: The best overclocking ram made (Samsung's), $35
Graphics Card: MSI Radeon 7970 HD - Best blower cooled out there, which is best for this case; $419
Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB Blue, $58
SSD: Samsung 830 128GB, $103
Case: BitFenix Prodigy Black, $80
Power Supply: OCZ Fatal1ty 550w modular PSU, $70
DVD Burner: Samsung DVD/RW Burner, $15

Total: $1198, with $2 to spend on a congratulatory beer.

This is a bit of a cheater's build, I'm afraid. It's an miniITX box (that could easily be modded to be mATX), but it's small enough to count as a carry-on on an airline and large enough to pack a HUGE punch - no sacrifices are made over a desktop, aside from Xfire/SLI capabilities. (But a single, more powerful, card is almost always the better option anyways.)

It's easy to assemble, easy to disassemble, and has the best SFF case out there for modding. (And it's one of the best just plain, too.)

Oh... and the reference design on the video card was intentional - it'll perform better than a non-blower fan in this case.

 

[Isaiah4110]

No real OC capabilities on this guy, but who is really going to want to OC with a mATX form factor and a smaller case? Killer gaming performance.

Isaiah4110's MicroATX 'Double Shot' X-Fire Build

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($194.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77MA-G45 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($110.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.89 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($294.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 311 (Orange) ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1,192.80
(Prices include discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-27 18:40 EST-0500)

 

[kensingtron]

A balance of gaming performance versus CPU over clocking all wrapped up in a high end case.
Went for a matte black theme with components coolers and such.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Dark Knight SD1283 Night Hawk Edition 89.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($122.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Agility 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($229.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill 600W ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1155.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[JKatwyopc]

Jim's MicroATX Gaming Build

Processor: Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz $214.99
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-M PRO Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $139.99
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) Desktop Memory $24.99
Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GV-R797TO-3GD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition Video Card $449.99
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB Hard Drive $79.99
Solid State Drive: SAMSUNG 840 Series 120GB SSD $109.99
Case: Rosewill LINE-M Micro-ATX Mini Tower Computer Case $49.99
Power Supply: CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 500W Power Supply $59.99
DVD Burner: LG Black Blu-ray Burner $54.99

Total: $1184.91

 

[Guest]

What ATX does, Micro can.
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K $219.99
Motherboard: ASUS P8H67-M PRO/CSM (REV 3.0) Intel H67 $104.99
RAM: SAMSUNG 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) MV-3V4G3D/US $34.99
Graphics Card: ZOTAC ZT-60301-10P GeForce GTX 670 $359.99
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128N/AM 2.5" 128GB SATA III $129.99
Case: SilverStone Temjin Series TJ08B-E Micro-ATX case $99.99
Power Supply: SeaSonic SS-660XP 660W 80 PLUS PLATINUM $139.99
Cooling: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $24.99
DVD Burner: LG Black 14X BD-R Blu-ray Burner WH14NS40 $54.99

Grand Total: $1169.91

 

[hwcurmudgeon]

1. Matt's MicroATX Little Zerger
2. Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
3. Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Newegg)
4. RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
5. Graphics Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($306.98 @ Newegg)
6. Hard Drive: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($139.99 @ Newegg)
7. Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
8. Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
9. Cooling: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($69.99 @ Newegg)
10. Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1155.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-27 23:59 EST-0500)

 

[itzsnypah]

The budget limit you imposed is very high, considering it's mATX. I think a $900 limit is more realistic so that is what I stuck to.

Efficiency is King
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M ($109.99 @ Newegg)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 C8 1.35v Low Profile ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Graphics Card: Sapphire HD 7850 1GB ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung 840 120GB 2.5" SSD ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone SST-PS07B mATX ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill CAPSTONE 450-M 80 PLUS Gold Modular ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO ($29.99 @ Newegg)
DVD Burner: DVD Burner ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $866.91

Undervolt and Overclock the CPU as much as you can. 3.9Ghz @ .95v is reasonable.
This build assumes a 1920 x 1080 60Hz Monitor is hooked up to the graphics card.

 

[blazorthon]

Blazor's Little Box of Horrors
Processor: i5-2500K $199.99 (Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77M $89.99+$7.56 shipping=$97.55 (Newegg)
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X 2x4GB DDR3-1866 9-10-9-28 1.5V F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL $29.99 (Newegg)
Graphics Cards: Diamond Radeon 7850 2GB 7850PE52GV2 $184.99+$6.98 shippingX2=469.98+13.96 shipping (Newegg)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST1000DM003 $69.99 (Newegg)
Solid State Drive: Corsair Force 90GB CSSD-F90GB3-BK $94.99 (Newegg)
Case: Inwin Dragon Slayer $79.99+$10.99 shipping=$90.98 (Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec HCG-620M High Current Gamer 620W $79.99+$3.99 shipping=$83.98 (Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Rosewill RCX-ZAIO-92 $14.99 (Newegg)
Top VGA Cooler: Arctic Accelero Hybrid Graphics Card Liquid Cooler $149.99 (Amazon)
DVD Burner: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer $15.99 (Newegg)

Total: $1195.88 w/o shipping, $1232.38 w/ shipping

I'd have preferred an i5-3570K, but budget did not allow for it. The i5-2500K should still do well anyway. The CPU cooler isn't anything special and probably won't get you far past 4GHz, but that's plenty anyway. More budget would have allowed for a better cooler. The same goes for the motherboard, but again, it should do the job just fine (mid-ranged Crossfire won't suffer from using one PCIe 2.0 x4 slot much at all). The RAM isn't in any way squandered on at all (quite the opposite). I opted for two 7850s instead of a single 7970/7970 GHz Edition or 670/680 because they're superior for overclocking. To ensure that space constraints aren't an issue on temps, I went as far as getting in a good water cooler for the top card. The hard drive is a decent 1TB model. The SSD isn't what I wanted, but again, budget got in the way. Regardless, it's decent and should serve well as a boot drive. The power supply was not squandered on and should prove excellent for the task. The DVD burner was just the cheapest that I could find without major flaws that I'm aware of. The case is more expensive than I'd like, but nothing that I found cheaper seemed capable enough for the task.

Given the huge amount of attention that AMD has been giving to Crossfire drivers lately and the huge improvement on what was already generally quite excellent, I felt that opting for a dual-GPU AMD option would be better, especially since two overclocked 7850s can best any single GPU card on the market in general gaming performance even if that single GPU card is overclocked, albeit not necessarily by large margins.

 

[mcfiddish]

I just finished buying all of these components this afternoon, all from Amazon, Newegg, and Microcenter. I wish I had found this thread earlier!

Processor: i5-3570K ($214.99 @ Newegg, I paid $169.99 @ MicroCenter)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($39.99 @ Newegg, I got them free with the motherboard as a deal from Newegg)
Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GV-N66TWF2-2GD GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg, I paid the same @ Microcenter)
Hard Drive: Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg, I paid $99.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: SilverStone Sugo Series SG09B Black Steel / Plastic MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case ($99.90 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SilverStone ATX12V/EPS12V 750W Silver PFC Power Supply ST75F-P ($129.99 @ Amazon, I paid $112 on Nov 25 @ Amazon)
Cooling: Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
DVD Burner: None!

The total here comes to $1225.82, which is just over the limit using today's prices. My cost for all of this was $1142. There are also a number of rebates going on which total $140, so I'll end up spending just over $1000!

I also bought an OEM copy of Windows 8 from Newegg for $70 ($100 - $30 coupon).

I haven't opened any of the boxes yet ... here's hoping it all fits!