Gaming PC build ~$1000-1200

[MrGone]

Hey! So I've decided that it's time to stop gaming on my laptop and move into the big leagues. I believe I have put together a pretty solid build, but it came out ~$100 more than I was hoping for. I have no problem coughing up that extra $100 if need be, but I would like some input on where I can cut back in order to get into my projected price range.

I'm just going to go down the list of suggested points in the sticky:



Approximate Purchase Date: At the lastest by the end of 2012. I'm aiming for sometime in October.

Budget Range: Ideally $1000-1200 before shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Video Rendering, general word processing

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Do you need to buy OS: Yes, but I have a question here; since I am looking at an October buy date and Windows 8 is dropping on the 26th, is it worth it to buy Windows 7 for the $40 upgrade price to Windows 8?

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg is definitely my preference, with Ncix a close second, but I'm open to other websites if the savings are quite big.

Location: Decatur, Illinois

Parts Preferences: I prefer brands I trust, such as Intel and Asus. Nvidia cards have also been my preference over Radeon.

Overclocking: Maybe/Yes; I have dabbled in overclocking, but not too much. I've heard that you can get up to 4.2 with the i5-2500k, which would be nice.

SLI or Crossfire: No probably not; perhaps sometime in the future, though

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I've had pretty good performance on most games with my laptop, but it's definitely time to have a solid desktop.


Updated pcpartpicker links:

w/ 120GB SSD and GTX 560 Ti

w/ GTX 670 and no SSD


Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+

ASUS P8Z77-V Lk ATX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 3PCI SATA3 SLI DVI HDMI DP USB3.0 Motherboard

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4X1866C9

OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti DirectCU Top OC 900MHZ 1GB 4.2GHZ DDR5 2xDVI HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card

COOLER MASTER Storm Enforcer SGC-1000-KWN1 Black SECC / ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (optional ) Power Supply

Antec Earthwatts EA-650 Green 650W Power Supply ATX12V 2X38A SLI/CROSSFIRE Active PFC 80PLUS Bronze

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM

Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1


I plan to put my OS and the games I play mostly on the SSD drive, while having 1 TB for all other purposes.

First, how does the build as is look? I think I did a pretty good job, but then again I'm no expert in the field.

My second question is where do you think I would be able to "downgrade", per-say, in order to get within my $1000-1200 window?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Spicy_benie]

Try something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($349.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1164.76
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-09 02:03 EDT-0400)

 

[MrGone]

I guess I should state that I plan to put my OS and the games I play mostly on a SSD drive, while having 1 TB for all other purposes. I'll put that in the OP as well.

 

[MrGone]

Also, I prefer Nvidia over Radeon. I just do not feel comfortable with Radeon

 

[DeusAres]

Looks great!

Like suggested above, you may as well grab the newer tech. Get the 3570k. If you don't plan on taking advantage of the new ivy bridge features such as PCIe 3.0, then there's no need....the 2500k would be a great pick.

The easiest way to reduce the price is to drop the SSD. SSDs don't help in performance. They merely cut down load times. I'd put all the cash I can in an adequate CPU and beefy GPU. The hd 7950 or the gtx 670 would be excellent picks for a GPU. Shouldn't have any problem running games on max settings and at comfortable frames.

You could also save a few dollars by getting this case...
COOLER MASTER HAF 912.

If you plan on doing SLI or Crossfire in the future, you'll want to step up the PSU to a 750w. Just make sure it's manufactured by a reputable company and is 80+ certified.

Everything else spicy recommended looks good to me.

Also, stick with Windows 7. I wouldn't bother with Windows 8 as of now...especially for gaming. Never know what legal issues will appear nor do we know how stable this release will be.

 

[rickl7069]

Well, the one thing I see is that you can drop the memory to 8 gigs, don't really see no reason you should need 16.

I don't understand your statement about being uncomfortable with radeon video cards. I have used Radeon and Nvidia in many systems and they both work the same to me. When I build a system, I just see which one offers me the most bang for the buck at the time I'm building, push it in the slot, load the driver and it works. I guess brand loyalty is nice and all that, but I'm more loyal to my dollars than any name brand.

 

[MrGone]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've lowered the RAM to 8 gigs; my idea with the 16 gigs was to have enough to where I never have to worry about it, but if 8 gigs is enough for video rendering and gaming, it'll do.

I do like the look of the HAF 912, so I'll switch to that case.

Okay, so my choice is between getting the 120GB SSD and the GTX 560 Ti for ~$300 or getting the GTX 670 for ~$400. Is the 670 without SSD really worth that extra $100?

 

[DeusAres]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I've lowered the RAM to 8 gigs; my idea with the 16 gigs was to have enough to where I never have to worry about it, but if 8 gigs is enough for video rendering and gaming, it'll do.

I do like the look of the HAF 912, so I'll switch to that case.

Okay, so my choice is between getting the 120GB SSD and the GTX 560 Ti for ~$300 or getting the GTX 670 for ~$400. Is the 670 without SSD really worth that extra $100?

Yes!

You can always add a SSD later. SSDs only decrease load times. They do not affect the actual performance of the game itself such as the FPS. Take a look at the following benchmarks...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-benchmark,3232-8.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-560-ti-448-core-benchmark,3082-4.html

The gtx 670 would be the logical choice.

Also, 8gb of RAM will suffice for video rendering, but 16gb would help quite a bit. However, I'd recommend you save the $50 and put it towards the gtx 670 for now.

 

[MrGone]

I'll definitely take that into consideration! I've got a couple of months to figure it all out, thanks for all the help!

 

[DeusAres]

No problem; good luck.

 

[Spicy_benie]

don't forget to pick a best answer and post here when you are ready to order and have made your decision

 

[MrGone]

Oh I will for sure! How exactly do I pick a best answer, if I may ask?

 

[azeem40]

There should be an option called "Select best answer."

 

[azeem40]

psu+cse:
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Graphite grey and black Steel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1020976
$143.98

That Cx500 only provides 420W on the 12V rail. It is not enough to run a 560ti or a 7950.

 

[azeem40]

No, it is not. 560ti needs a 500W PSU that provides 500W, not something providing 420W.

 

[azeem40]

I somehow get the feeling you aren't telling me the full story.

 

[azeem40]

When the combo deal has nothing to do with his requirements, it is stupid to link them.

 

[MrGone]

I agree with azeem, those combo deals do not interest me at all.

 

[MrGone]

Plus, every single one of your combos cost more than the parts I have already picked out, so meh.

 

[DeusAres]

The RAM and mobo deal is actually a pretty awesome deal. If you get that combo deal, you get 2133MHz RAM at the same price of 1600MHz.

You could also get the H60 for nearly $45. Versus paying approximately $65+ elsewhere.

I appreciate your contribution, verbalizer. I'll have to start looking out for combo deals like this when I do my own build. Maybe I'll end up with a noctua for $40 or something.