BestConfigs Poll - Budget Intel-Based Gaming PC

[jpishgar]

It's time to vote on your favorite build for this category!

Please see below for a list of the choices available.

Leo's Favorite Build

Processor - Intel i5 2500k - $179.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589

Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 LGA 1155 - $144.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128500&cm_re=gigabyte_ud3_z68-_-13-128-500-_-Product

RAM - G. Skill Ripjaws X 8gb (2x4gb) 1600mhz 1.5v CAS8 -$74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231445&cm_re=g_skill-_-20-231-445-_-Product

Cooling - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus $29.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0315397

Graphics card - MSI GTX 570 - $329.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127552&cm_re=gtx_570-_-14-127-552-_-Product

Power supply - XFX 650w -$89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014&cm_re=xfx_650-_-17-207-014-_-Product

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 912 $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912

Hard drive - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB - $59.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0340562

DVD Burner - Samsung Lightscribe 22x Burner w/ Dual/Double Layer - $24.99
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0293535

Total Price: $994.92

techo's Build

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K : $219.99

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard : $129.99

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL : $59.99

Graphics Card: HIS H695FN2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity : $259.99

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive : $59.99

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case : $59.99

Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power : $109.99 - 15.00 mail in rebate: $ 94.99

DVD Burner: LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM: $18.99

Total Price: $903.99

Mjmj's $1000 Gaming Great

i5 2500k & Rosewill CHALLENGER 254$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.669841

GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 140$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128500&cm_re=gigabyte_z68-_-13-128-500-_-Product

CORSAIR XMS 4GB 33$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145339&cm_re=4gb_1600-_-20-145-339-_-Product

Antec High Current Gamer Series 750w 70$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049&cm_re=750w_power_supply-_-17-371-049-_-Product

Palit GeForce GTX 560 Ti x2=400$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814261100&cm_re=gtx_560_ti-_-14-261-100-_-Product

Seagate Barracuda 500GB & LG DVD Burner 51$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.668011

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 30$- http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002G1YPH0/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1307656109&sr=8-1&condition=new

Total Price: $978

 

[mjmjpfaff]

IF YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE AN UPDATED VERSION OF MY BUILD, MJMJ'S 1000$ GAMING GREAT, SCROLL DOWN. IT IS STILL BASED AROUND 2 560 TI'S. ONLY MINOR CHANGES WERE MADE OVERALL BECAUSE OF DISCONTINUED PRICING

 

[genghiskron]

the z68x-ud3 also had a combo deal with that same ram, which would have allowed you to use a spinpoint and evga 560 ti's. you also could have used the microcenter i5-2500k+z68x-ud3h combo, which was $290 a couple days ago ($300 now).

either way, i think you demonstrated pretty clearly that if you jump on the right deals, you can have an i5-2500k + dual 560 ti system for under $1000, and that cant really be beat.

no offense, but i think the single gtx 570 has no business up here seeing as there were several perfectly capable gtx 580 builds.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

i totally agree there was some very nice gtx 580 builds

 

[mjmjpfaff]

only a 6950 2gb? how did that get in here? i didnt know this was the best gaming build after you spend another 250$ on a second gpu......

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Funny seeing both the budget and high end using the i5 2500k :3

I know the i7 2600k is for ht but there are other processors than the 2500k and 2600k?

not really unless you want to go real budget...

 

[mjmjpfaff]

does anyone know what you get if you win?? everyone has been asking and i m curious too.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

haha thanks. i wish jpishgar would say!!

 

[Guest]

oh noes! I'm losing! ;(
Oh well .
I forgot about this... should've changed the graphics card. IMO my build would've been great if it hadn't been the graphics card. .

 

[mjmjpfaff]

This lol, and still not a single ssd build.

Even if I am on a budget, there is always room for a small and useful ssd.

Its like going from horse + buggy to corvette. You never want to go back to the horse + buggy.

Don't get me started on the single 6950 lol.


High end = 2x 580's or something along those lines

Budget = 2x 560's or something along those lines

? = 1x 6950 that isn't even that great of a brand

I am not dogging the build because I like it all around but the single HIS 6950 just makes me scratch my head. If you are going with a single card build, why not go for a single 580 or something >_<

you have a point with the ssd. i was pissed when i couldnt get an ssd in there

 

[Guest]

you have a point with the ssd. i was pissed when i couldnt get an ssd in there

Same. I wanted to try to get at least a little something too.

 

[lunyone]

Wonder why my "real" budget build didn't make it into this build?? Not that it matters to me, but >$900 seems to me not so "budget" to me. I had a ~$550 build for a "Budget" build.

 

[Guest]

does anyone know what you get if you win?? everyone has been asking and i m curious too.

Fame. Sort of
Your build will be in the next System Build thing and you will be given credit.

It would be very interesting to me to see a very similar to my own personal pc on the next system build if I won. This would help me a lot improve on my next upgrade by catching problems I miss

 

[Onus]

I agree, lunyone. $1000 for a PC to play games is not "budget."

 

[dagnis]

Anyone have a gaming build that is abouts 1500? or a bit less?

 

[army_ant7]

As expected, all i5 2500Ks... )

 

[mjmjpfaff]

i though all i had to compete with was leo's build since it had the 2nd best gpu setup (performance wise).... but i guess not.

 

[Guest]

i though all i had to compete with was leo's build since it had the 2nd best gpu setup (performance wise).... but i guess not.

Which makes me sad... T.T

 

[lp231]

We had this bestconfig from before and I never know what do you get if you
get the most votes.
So what do you get?

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Which makes me sad... T.T

you even said you should of put a bigger gpu in...

 

[ksampanna]

the case+cpu combo in the last build is no longer available. I wonder what will happen when that build wins & prospective buyers click that link which goes on to NOTHING.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Fame. Sort of
Your build will be in the next System Build thing and you will be given credit.

It would be very interesting to me to see a very similar to my own personal pc on the next system build if I won. This would help me a lot improve on my next upgrade by catching problems I miss

so if techo's build wins we will see a almost identical build to the last one except you cant unlock the gpu he put in....

 

[Guest]

For the sake of system build, TBH I don't want techno's build to win. Same build as last time. I really wish to see a 570 or 2x560tis. This would be interesting. Come on....

 

[lunyone]

the case+cpu combo in the last build is no longer available. I wonder what will happen when that build wins & prospective buyers click that link which goes on to NOTHING.

Maybe Newegg will honor the combo price, IDK. In my build I just put in any decent combo's that were available at the time. There are plenty of other combo's out there too that are present now, but weren't present when I did my build. Most of the time you can get a decent combo and the next week/day you get a different one that you didn't have on the other part of the build, so it seems to work out one way or another in general. I'm not making any excuses for Mjmj's build or anyone else's build, but I'm just stating what I think is common with these builds.

 

[cknobman]

All of these builds suck so I just chose the 6950 build.

I just configed a build yesterday on newegg for under $1000 and it had a 96gb ssd on it.

I would not build a gaming pc today without an SSD in it.