First Gaming PC Build Under $1000

[roberts1138]

So you've done it Tom's Hardware. You've made me decide to build my first PC. But now that I've made that decision, I can't seem to make any others I've done a bit of research (almost all of it on Tom's), but my indecision on parts, and lack of knowledge on compatibility and actually building a rig kinda have me stumped.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next two weeks (sooner the better)

Budget Range: Under $1000 but willing to go over for Monitor/speakers/keyboard

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming (Skyrim, GW2, WoW, SWTOR all on utra/high), surfing the internet, watching movies

Parts Not Required: mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I like Newegg and Amazon, but open to anything

Country: US

Parts Preferences: Have a slight preference to Intel and Nvidia, but still open to anything

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Not in the near future

Monitor Resolution: Whatever's best with the determined GPU

Additional Comments: I have limited desk space, so probably needs to be a midtower or smaller. I will need an OS (probably not Windows 8. I hear it's dreadful) a monitor and speakers would be nice. Please let me know what you guys think, and keep in mind it'll be my first build so if you have any tips I'd be grateful.

Edit: I'm not opposed to saving money either. I know the games I play aren't the most graphic intensive so if you can suggest a build with the stats I listed for less, I'll take it.

 

[bigcyco1]

CPU http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SZ0E1K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=cupcre06-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007SZ0E1K
Motherboard http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R21KBC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007R21KBC&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
Memory http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00569K7LM/cupcre06-20
GPU http://www.amazon.com/MSI-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-N670-2GD5/dp/B008BGXYAS/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356558149&sr=1-2&keywords=msi+gtx+670+power+edition+twin+frozr+iv+2gb
Case http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GXZ8MM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009GXZ8MM&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
Hard Drive http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T3GRNW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005T3GRNW&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
Optical Drive http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0033Z2BAQ/cupcre06-20
PSU http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LB5AZY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LB5AZY&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
CPU Cooler http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002G1YPH0&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20
OS Personal choice Gaming Computer Build Component Summary – Budget: $1000ish
Now to give you a run down of my choices for the build for you and explain the details. Core i5 3570K. For those who know me and have me do their builds, you’ll know that it’s just about the best processor you can get for the money today. With plenty of performance, top notch overclocking capability and enough horsepower to run any game you throw at it, the choice is a no brainer.

You’ll notice throughout the build that i am using a lot of Corsair components, and it’s for good reason too. It was only a year ago that Corsair cases were among the most high end in terms of both quality, features and price, but lately it seems like Corsair is taking a huge step in providing more affordable solutions without sacrificing a ton of quality and features.

The Corsair Carbide Series 200R is one of those new budget oriented cases that comes in at a mere $59, but includes a ton of features to make it suitable for anyone looking to build a new PC, but is limited to a budget.

With support for up to 8 fans, dust filters for the PSU and intake, tool free design, and a clearance of up to 320mm for those extra long graphics cards, it’s a beast of a case that doesn’t carry a beast of a pricetag.



Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

$25 cooler that will work magic. Seriously though, at this price, there’s no cooler out there can that beat this thing.




Motherboard - Gigabyte Z77X-D3H

Ever since Intel’s introduction of the Z77 chipset, motherboard giant Gigabyte has made huge leaps in in improvements on their motherboards all the way from the budget end to the extreme high end and the Z77X-D3H is a perfect example of what kind of top quality products can be achieved.

With support for PCIe 3.0, SATA 3 6Gb/s, 8 channel integrated audio, Gigabyte’s fully digital power delivery system, and ultra durable 4 features, it’s got a lot going for it.

That said, once you realize that Gigabyte only wants a mere $144.99 this makes the Z77X-D3H one of the best priced, fully featured Z77 motherboards on the market today!


Memory – 8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz DDR3 Low Profile 1.5v

I'm back to my usual memory configuration, and sticking to it! Thanks to another round of recent price reductions, the 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz kit is now only a mere $39.99! With excellent reliability, great performance, a low profile and an amazing price, there really isn’t a better option on the market.

GPU - MSI GTX 670 Power Edition

We’re building a gaming PC today, so that means we’re going to splurge a little on graphics and what better graphics card than the MSI GTX 670 Power Edition?

Based off Nvidia’s new Kepler design, the GTX 670 provides top notch performance with extremely high efficiency, so you’re guaranteed to be getting a ton of performance without a lot of energy or creating a lot of heat either. With MSI’s Power Edition GTX 670, you’re also getting MSI’s legendary Twin Frozr IV cooler, which will provide excellent cooling along with MSI’s triple overvoltage design that allows you to do a little overclocking to improve performance if you’re feeling adventurous.
Storage - Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM

Well, we had a budget of only $1,000 and you know some sacrifices had to be made in order to fit the budget. This is one of those sacrifices. For your build today, we’ll be going with a Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM hard drive, which if you asked me one or two years ago would’ve probably been my ideal choice when building a new gaming computer.


PSU - Corsair TX650 V2

Once again, i will be falling back on our trusty Corsair TX650. High quality Seasonic made power supply for a great price to boot.This is an excellent price for an extremely good gaming build that will play pretty much everything you throw at it at high to ultra settings.It also be great for Video Editing/Rendering photoshop elect.

Optional Components

Some people have interest in speakers, sound cards and keyboards, so i'll also including some recommendations for these items as well. I won’t be explaining the choices as peripherals are quite very much dependent on the person using the PC (For example, someone serious about audio may end up with $400 Audioengine 5+ speakers and an ASUS Xonar Essence STX), but here are some suggestions that are a good fit for this build.

Sound Card Creative Sound Blaster Z http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ISU33E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009ISU33E&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20 $104
Speakers Logitech Z313 Speakers http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002HWRZ2K/cupcre06-20 $40
Gaming Headset Plantronics GameCom 780 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ZS5ATM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006ZS5ATM&linkCode=as2&tag=cupcre06-20 $57

Keyboard Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RRLQIO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hhmsquiddiscount-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002RRLQIO $$59.99

 

[smorizio]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor
150.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811345024
50.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151256
18.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
70.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148662
36.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
122.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840
80.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147185
100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130825
179.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130839
130.00 for 650ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116589
160.00 for 24..inch
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116532
145.00 22..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
windows 7 home prem 64 bit oem. 99.00 windows 8 same price.

 

[strife_ff7]

Here you go http://pcpartpicker.com/p/uidX and here are some good speakers http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Inspire-Multimedia-Speaker-Technology/dp/B0028N6YH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356562407&sr=1-1&keywords=creative+speakers+t12
Now if you don't care too much about the sound quality these are ok http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121002

You could save a good bit with a couple of changes but you won't be able to oc the cpu or add a second gpu later.
cpu - i5 3470 $180 http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-3470-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B0087EVHVW/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1356562776&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=i5+3470
mobo - asrock h77m $70 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157303
You will lose almost no performance now with these changes but later in a year or two the other setup would be better to have. I also didn't add a cpu cooler to the first build you will need to add one if you're going to oc it. If you do get the first setup and want to oc the cpu get this cooler master hyper 212 evo $30 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005O65JXI/?tag=pcpapi-20

 

[bigcyco1]

Here one other suggestion.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/uiWh

 

[roberts1138]

Wow these all look pretty great! Thanks for the quick replies. And yes, strife_ff7, I'm a bit of an audiophile so thanks. I'm siding more with the amazon listings mostly due to being a prime member so I save a lot with shipping and automatic deals. What are your thoughts on an SSD? I'm wondering if that luxury will be worth it in any of these builds? Please, I must learn.

 

[bigcyco1]

.Imo it is a luxury

As in all things, the value is in the eye of the buyer. What matters to you may be unimportant to someone else.

SSD offers speed, lower power requirements, and low heat ,As a primary disk an SSD is truly a joy a to work with.Some feel there's no need to use them to store tons of movies or MP3's, a simple 64 or 128 GB drive to run the operating system and most commonly used applications is more than enough to experience a truly significant increase in speed.Again imo it is a luxury but Nowadays, I think every PC should include an SSD period. They’re waaaaaaaaay faster and they draw less energy, but unfortunately they do cost a significant amount more than a traditional hard drive.However if i was on a tight budget i would not even consider buying one.

Those who have some extra budget laying around, I’d definitely suggest going with a 128GB Samsung 840 Pro or 256GB Samsung 840 Pro in combination with a 1TB Seagate Barracuda. This will allow for plenty of hard drive space for storage while OS and application files may be placed on the SSD for that extra top notch performance.

 

[roberts1138]

Best answer selected by roberts1138.