Help building $1000 budget gaming rig

[LtSmith]

Hey there,

I was just putting together a build on newegg that I was hoping you guys would be able to look at for me and let me know what you think and if you saw any conflicts in the hardware I selected, or if you have any suggestions for better deals/hardware that would substitute for what I already have. The only real requirements I have are to keep it around $1,000 (preferably just under) and to include an Intel i5 2500k. I am really just looking for the best bang for the buck. Any insight you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 2 weeks

Budget Range: $900-$1,100 before rebates

System Usage: primarily gaming

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, but open to others

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: I prefer Intel and Nvidia, but am open to quality AMD and ATI solutions

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1600 x 900 to 1920 x 1080






Build

HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Chassis Gaming Case w/ Front Blue LED 120mm Fan & Top 120mm Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121096
$64.99 -$25.00 Instant ($39.99)

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502
($128.99)

EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1567-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130651
$249.99 ($219.99 after mail-in rebate card)

Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044
$89.99 -$20.00 Instant ($69.99)


Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
($219.99)

(2) CORSAIR XMS 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M1A1333C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233132
$24.99 x2 ($49.98)

SAMSUNG EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152173
$59.99 -$5.00 Instant ($54.99)

Acer S211HLbd 21.5'' 5ms LED-Backlight LCD Monitor Slim Design
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009261
$169.99 -$50.00 Instant ($119.99)

SAMSUNG Black Blu-ray Combo SATA Model SH-B123L LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151222
($56.99)

Total Cost (After Rebates): $960.90



Again, if you guys have an entirely different build with the same basic components at around the same price I would love to see them. (I did see the BestConfigs Poll - Budget Intel-Based Gaming PC topic, but many links were out of date).


LtSmith

 

[wintermint]

I would keep everything but make some changes. If you want to sli with the 560 ti, you should have at least 700W. Some people managed it on their 650W but that's really pushing it. I would opt for Antec HCG 750W instead because it's a great budget power supply with a reliable brand.
Antec High Current Gamer Series 750W $90 [$65 after MIR]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049

Sandy Bridge makes the best with 1600mhz [performance to price ratio]. You will probably not notice any decrease in performance but 1600mhz is the sweet spot. The price between 1333mhz and 1600mhz has been decreasing over the year. I would opt for either G. Skill or Kingstons because they're usually cheaper than Corsair and still make kick ass RAMs.
Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1600MHz $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104266

The hard drive you chose is good but it is only running at 5400rpm. You can get the same brand, same storage space, and better performance for only $5 more.
Samsung Spinpoint F3 $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

I wouldn't recommend gigabyte for overclocking. I heard their bios is still old.. you may have some trouble but it's manageable. There isn't any good Z68 with dual x8 near gigabyte price vicinity so that's the best you can get for what you pay. Have fun with your build.

If you live near Microcenter, you can grab the i5-2500k for cheap :]

 

[fury0609]

i was recommended this asrock z68 mobo by Why_Me
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
looking at it i think it looks great
and sli is dual x8

in this thread
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/319017-31-more-budget-gaming#t2374267

 

[LtSmith]

Should I consider a SSD and do you think additional cooling will be required for some OCing?