Help customizing computer

[bigh117]

Hello everyone! I am currently trying to find myself a gaming computer, which will more than likely be used primarily to play Star Wars the Old Republic. I have a budget of about $1000, and after searching around, iBUYPOWER seems to be the best "bang for your buck" that gets me the specs i want. I have customized the Paladin E to the following specs.

Case
Azza Spartan Gaming Case Black
Case Lighting
None
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction
None
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion
None
Processor
Intel® Core™ i5-3570K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i5-3570K
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive
None
Processor Cooling
Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1155] - Standard 120mm Fan
Memory
8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card
AMD Radeon HD 6870 - 1GB - Single Card
Video Card Brand
Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA
Motherboard
ASUS P8Z77-V LX
Intel Smart Response Technology
None
Power Supply
700 Watt - Standard
Primary Hard Drive
1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive**Free Upgrade to 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Single Drive**
Data Hard Drive
None
Optical Drive
24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black
2nd Optical Drive
None
Flash Media Reader / Writer
12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black
Meter Display
None
USB Expansion
None
Sound Card
3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Network Card
Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit
Keyboard
iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard
Mouse
iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse
Monitor
None
2nd Monitor
None
Speaker System
iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System
Video Camera
None
Case Engraving Service
None
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty Service
Rush Service
Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days
Free Stuff
1 x [Free Game Download] - Total War: Shogun 2 Free with purchase of AMD video card
Free Stuff
1 x [Free Game Download] - DiRT Showdown Free with purchase of AMD Radeon video card
Advanced Build Options
1 x Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower Achieve exceptional airflow in your chassis
Advanced Build Options
1 x Basic Pro Wiring

This computer would run me about $975 including shipping. What do you guys think? I am open to suggestions as long as it doesnt push my budget.

My biggest questions come with the processor and graphics card.

I was thinking about switching the i5-3570k out for the i5-3450. this would save me $40. Also, i was not planning on overclocking the 3570k so i was thinking the 3450 might be a good idea since I'm already spending more that i really want to.

Also, i was thinking about switching the Radeon 6870 for the 7770. Based off my research, I've found that the 6870 would perform slightly better... but the 7770 would save me $22.

Lastly, i've already experienced first hand that iBUYPOWERr's customer service isn't too great. that combined withg some reviews i've read is making me nervous. Should i scrap this company completely? My friend has an iBUYPOWER that he is happy with, and the computer does come with a 3 year warranty, which makes me feel a little better.

Let me know what you guys think! i'll take any suggestions, but please definitely address the processor and the graphics card. Thanks!

 

[TheBigTroll]

i totally recommend building one yourself

heres a build that i put together. if you dont know how to do so, do this

1: find the cheapest price for the components.
2: price match them at ncix.com( open up price match and throw in the url of the site that you found the price in)
3:select the assembly option in the shopping cart

they make really good PCs and they include windows 7. this is all for 50 bucks

heres the build

:http://pcpartpicker.com/p/8KNa

yes i know its a bit over 1000$ but this will max out most of all games out there on a 1080p monitor

 

[bigh117]

i've been considering building one... although i really dont know much about computers other then what i've researched over the past couple of weeks. my concern with building one is that if something went wrong, i wouldnt have a warranty to replace my computer. i'll definitely leave it as an option tho.

i know that for the amount of time i will be playing, the computer i listed would do me wonders. my biggest concern is going through iBUYPOWER because i don't know much about them and after my talk with them today, it seems like their customer support is awful

keep suggestions coming guys! any input would be appreciated

 

[TheBigTroll]

ncix has a 1 year warranty for their workmanship. if anything goes wrong, they will fix it. they will also do extensive testing and benchmarking. you also get the advantage of all the seperate warranties of each product. they are usually 1-5 years depending on the component. dont go with ibuypower. they usually charge you more than what you should pay for.


oh and ncix also has their own custom builds. they are pretty sweet and some of them are preoverclocked

check it out

http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc_new/

 

[bigh117]

do you personally have a problem with iBUYPOWER other than their prices? because from what i've found they seem to actually have good prices.

also is ncix in Canada? because i am in the U.S. and shipping would probably kill me acrosss the border

 

[TheBigTroll]

they have ncix us

 

[TheBigTroll]

ibuypower seems good enoguh to me. if you really want to go with them, go ahead

 

[bigh117]

what do you feel about switching the 3570k out for the 3450... keep in mind im not planning on overclocking. also what about the 6870 vs 7770?

 

[azeem40]

6870 is WAY better than the 7770. The i5-3450 can be swapped in.