Building First Gaming Rig $900-$1,100

knightzz

Distinguished
Apr 16, 2009
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18,510
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: (Probably within a month or two unless you feel I should wait for something)

BUDGET RANGE: (US$900-1,100 not including monitor)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: (high end games, video editing)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: (keyboard, mouse, OS(already have Windows XP Professional)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: (newegg.com)

PARTS PREFERENCES: No preference

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: (Probably 1680x1050 and up)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: (Relatively quiet PC, easy to overclock, stable)

Hello. This will be my first time building a good gaming rig and I would like your expert opinions on this. My goal is to have a fast computer that is primarily for games and I may dabble in video editing on the side. I prefer to be able to install a second card in the future for a Crossfire setup when my gaming demands increases. I've never overclocked but I look forward to doing that without it being too difficult to do and I prefer for the system to be relatively quiet. It doesn't have to be super quiet or anything. Just something that doesn't remind me of a running engine that is a few feet away from me.

I've been playing around with Newegg's wish list and this is what I've come up with so far.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core
Model #:BX80569Q9550
Item #:N82E16819115041
$269.99

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Model #:GA-EP45-UD3P
Item #:N82E16813128358
$134.99

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
Model #:100259-1GL
Item #:N82E16814102801
$189.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
Model #:CMPSU-650TX
Item #:N82E16817139005
$94.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB
Model #:WD1001FALS
Item #:N82E16822136284
$109.99

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
Model #:F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK
Item #:N82E16820231144
$31.99

Sony Optiarc DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA
Model #:AD-7240S-0B
Item #:N82E16827118030
$23.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP
Model #:RC-534-KKN2-GP
Item #:N82E16811119106
$49.99

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
Model #:HDT-S1283
Item #:N82E16835233003
$36.99

XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail
Model #:ACK-I7751
Item #:N82E16835233019
$8.49

ASUS VH222H Black 21.5" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Model #:VH222H
Item #:N82E16824236053
$179.99

Subtotal: $1,131.39

FYI, I compiled this list by picking different parts from the different System Builder Marathon articles and choosing the 4-5 star items on Newegg to start. Please let me know your opinions on any other pieces that would do better and why, plus let me know if I need to order anything else like cables and such. I prefer to buy everything all at once and put it together that same day without delay if possible. I currently have Windows XP Professional and I do not plan on using Vista unless there is a good reason to use it. Thank you for your time and input.

EDIT: Looks like I screwed up the linking part. Would definitely appreciate it if someone were to show me how to fix it. Thanks.

EDIT2: Thanks irkjab. Was able to fix the link.
 

irkjab

Distinguished
Apr 9, 2009
317
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18,790
For your budget, I might consider going with a core i7 system.

Also, for the cooler, I would get a Xigmatek Dark Knight it is a newer version of the HDT-S1283, and comes with a lga 775/1366 mounting bracket. Also, cheap at $40.
 
Well as you are not parts specific, willing to overclock and would like to crossfire, I would suggest you take a look at the X3 720
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3533

So you can save some money on the CPU and get a more powerful graphics card to support the 1920 x 1080 monitor resolution better...

So here goes the list...
CPU + Mobo - Combo Price: $254.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.182106

RAM - $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189

HDD + CPU Cooler combo - Combo Price: $141.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.177110

Graphics Card - $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150359

CASE - xthekid's suggestion - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

PSU - $120 (For current setup, this is an overkill but is necessary for the 4890 Crossfire)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

DVD - Same
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Monitor - Same
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236053

Total - $1095...
And for the games, the above system can easily handle resolutions upto 1900X1200 easy...(Except Crysis :p)