New Gaming Build ~ $2000

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jojomexi

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Sep 17, 2012
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Hello everyone! I've been scouting these forums for a bit, and have learned quite a bit before jumping on here to inquire about my own build, and with November sales starting up, I am to hopefully catch some parts at good deals. It is not necessary, and I will only sacrifice performance if it is a crazy good deal. Anyway, lets lay it out and see what you all can provide me with!

Approximate Purchase Date:

End of November / Early December

Budget Range:

~$2000. With or without monitor price included, depending on the build.

System Usage from Most to Least Important:

Gaming, Movies, Emulation (ex: PS2)

Are you buying a monitor:

yes

Parts to Upgrade:

Whole Build

Do you need to buy OS:

no

Preferred Website(s) for Parts:

Doesnt matter, pcpartpicker usually will do the job.

Location:

Des Moines, IA

Parts Preferences:

Intel chipsets, dont really have much other preferences.

Overclocking:

yes

SLI or Crossfire:

If recommended, sure

Your Monitor Resolution:

Im not too picky, but would like a sweet spot for gaming. I've seen a lot of the time going 1080p with a 24" monitor is going to provide the best experience with gaming, since 1080p on a 27" looks distorted/abnormal. I would like 1440p, but I've seen how you sacrifice refresh rate and input lag severely.
I'm also on the edge of a 120Hz for the reduced input lag (though I dont care about 3D at all)

Additional Comments:

I would like to run any games at ultra settings if possible, i have no qualms of setting up 16GB RAM even if just for padding. I dont need any LED's on my tower. I DO want an SSD for my OS/games, so 128GB, or preferably a fast 256GB. I don't plan on going with more than one monitor, at least in my current plans. Any additional recommendations for peripherals is gladly appreciated. I want to reduce clutter as much as possible, so any awesome wireless mice and keyboards, etc, are welcome. I've seen that most wireless speaker setups are bad, but if theres one out there I'd like to at least know about it.

Any other questions I will try to respond to in a timely fashion. Thanks!

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:

I've been using a Samsung r780 17" laptop for the past few years, and have been planning for quite some time to upgrade around black friday time, and ready to go all out (sensibly) on a powerful and clean rig.

Include a list of any parts you have already selected with descriptively labeled links for parts. Please do not post only links.

I believe people will already refer me the i5 3570k for overclocking.

Dual nvidia 670's maybe? 680? ATI 7970?

For cooling I don't plan on messing with liquid, so keep in mind for wanting to overclock.


Thanks guys!
 
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M

monstersti

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Oct 4, 2012
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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mkOw
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mkOw/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mkOw/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler ($72.29 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($352.00 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($352.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 900W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($139.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1996.19
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Some things you might wana look at is the case and the cpu cooler if u dont need that big of 1 or dont like the look of it u can change those out but this hits ur price point very well
also i am wondering if u need a keyboard and mouse cause i didint see it in ur post unless i skipped it and if i did im sorry if u need a keyboard and mouse ill rework this build
Also u might want to look at a diffrent monitor some people dont like that 1 and some people do due to the fact that u cant move the screen at all
Mouse:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/razer-mouse-rz0100151400r3u1
keyboard:
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/microsoft-keyboard-jqd00001
 
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P

pushanthegreat

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Oct 18, 2012
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Corsair Graphite 600T Silver Edition Case In stock $187.00
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard In stock $139.00
Corsair HX-750 V2 80 PLUS Gold Power Supply In stock $199.00
Intel Core i5 3570K In stock $233.00
Corsair Hydro Series H100 CPU Cooler In stock $145.00
Noctua NF-F12 PWM 120mm Fan In stock $29.00
Western Digital WD Black 2TB WD2002FAEX In stock $172.00
Intel 520 Series 120GB SSD In stock $145.00
Corsair Dominator Platinum CMD8GX3M2A1866C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 In stock $115.00
ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP Due 07/11/12 $505.00
ASUS Xonar DGX In stock $35.00
Pioneer DVR-220LBKS Black 24xDVDRW OEM In stock $25.00
CoolerMaster 120mm Silent Blue LED Fan In stock $15.00
CoolerMaster CM Storm Force Blue LED 200mm In stock $25.00
ModSmart 10cm UV Blue Cable Ties - Pack of 10 In stock $1.00
HDMI v1.3 Male to Male Cable 1.8m In stock $6.00
ASUS VE247H 23.6in Widescreen LED Monitor In stock $169.00
Logitech G700 Wireless Gaming Mouse In stock $89.00
Logitech G110 Gaming Keyboard In stock $69.00
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX3 Headset PC/XBOX/PS3/MAC In stock
 
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DeusAres

DeusAres

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Jun 4, 2012
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Alright, I'm gonna set you up with a great base build. Feel free to make changes. Also, if all you're doing is gaming and media playback, you don't need a $2000 rig. This is for people who want either multi-monitor setups or for people who do lots of video editing/rendering. Try something like this...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.22 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.93 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($352.00 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec Eleven Hundred ATX Full Tower Case ($98.48 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: HP LA2405x 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($253.99 @ B&H)
Total: $1515.56
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Reasoning for my choices:

The i5 3570k is solid start for any gaming rig. It's fast and stable out of the box. It can easily be overclocked past 4 GHz with Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo. Which leads us to the CPU cooler...

The Hyper 212 Evo is one of the best bang for the buck coolers out there. You're more than welcome to pay more for a "better" cooler, but the cooler master will more than get the job done. It's also lighter than other coolers; this keeps unnecessary pressure off you're motherboard.

I chose the Gigabyte Z77 UD3H motherboard for it's durability and features. It's similar to the Asrock Z77 extreme4 with the exception that it is a bit thicker and more durable. Not hating on the Asrock, it's a great board too; I just prefer the Gigabyte board.

As for the RAM, I chose 8gb of G.Skill sniper. You really don't need any more than 8gb for gaming. Feel free to throw 16gb in there if you want; you won't notice the difference unless you plan on video editing/rendering. Even then, the differences are fairly subtle.

For a storage drive, I chose the Western Digital caviar black. It's fast, reliable and fairly cheap in comparison to the other drives in it's range. One of the best selling drives on the market today. Solid choice.

As for the SSD, I chose the OCZ Vertex 4. It's fast and somewhat reliable. I keep hearing good things about this particular drive, but I'm still skeptical of OCZ products. If you want, you can switch this out with a Samsung 830 256gb SSD. Solid drive for the money.

For the GPU, I chose the HD 7970. It's currently the fastest single GPU in the world. Can't go wrong here. It's extremely fast for the money. $352 for a 7970 is crazy. I remember when they were $500 a pop. Anywho, you won't need anymore than one 7970 for what you're doing. Anything more and it's a waste of money; however, if you have the money to burn, feel free to go for it.

I chose the Antec 1100 for the case. This, however, should be a personal decision. Just make sure YOU absolutely love the case you pick out. Also, make sure it's compatible with your motherboard and what not. I'd personally go with the Antec 1100. It's cooling capabilities are superior to most cases out there. It's roomy and very clean; it's a beautiful case. I'd recommend that you grab a few extra 120mm case fans for it. I'd recommend some Corsair SP120s.

For the PSU, I decided to grab a 750watt Corsair. It's 80+ silver/gold certified and made by a reputable company. It's more than enough power for your needs. If you plan on doing Crossfire/SLI in the future, this baby can easily handle two 680s or 7970s. If you want, you can bump this up to 850 watts for a little more head room. But 750 watts is more than plenty.

I included a Blu-ray reader and dvd burner since you mentioned you planned on watching movies.

As for the monitor, I chose a 24 inch HP monitor. It has a resolution of 1920x1200 and has a refresh rate of 60Hz. It's perfect for your needs and will make every game you play a beautiful experience.

Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!
 
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O

ohhgourami

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Sep 6, 2011
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Should aim for something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.77 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor M5S Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone FT02B ATX Mid Tower Case ($239.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $1469.67
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

The "input lag" on IPS panels isn't noticeable. The color reproduction is MUCH better than any TN panel. If you want 24", 1920x1200 is better than 1080. So a monitor like the HP ZR24w.

Get this headphone: http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATH-AD700-Open-air-Audiophile-Headphones/dp/B000CMS0XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351929957&sr=8-1&keywords=ad700
MUCH MUCH better than whatever garbage Turtle Beach has to offer.
 
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PANZER4

PANZER4

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Jul 2, 2012
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If your a risk taker, maybe you could try out a catleap 1440P off eBay. If you get the one with only DVI on it, apparently there is very little input lag on it. Also, these screens used to be able to do 120 HZ, but the controller boards don't allow that anymore, but it shows you what there capable of
 
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J

jojomexi

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Sep 17, 2012
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so far im liking this setup the most. i do agree with a lot of you reasoning, and will do further research into your specs.

On the monitor end of things, i HAVE been hearing about these catleap 120hz monitors, and good reviews, but apparently finding these 120hz version is hard.

My questions are:

Does anyone on here have a catleap 2b 120hz to verify its quality??

If i WERE to get a 27" 120hz, would a 7970 still be enough to power the resolution and refresh?
 
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bigshootr8

bigshootr8

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Mar 28, 2011
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.22 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 680 2GB Video Card ($479.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced ATX Full Tower Case ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($125.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Monitor: Asus PB238Q 23.0" Monitor ($218.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1687.10
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Graphics:
I know most people are going with a AMD solution in terms of graphics thought I would change it up with the MSI lighting gtx680. Really good cooling, on boot spins backwards just to dust off the fans (how cool is that :p). Also, unless you are running mutiple monitors or a higher resolution I don't see the need to get a machine that uses 2 cards. I think more often then not it creates issues and most people will tell you its better to have 1 good card then 2 decent cards.

Motherboard:
I went with this one in particular because most will get you a middle end board I wanted to get you a decent mid-high end board because its good to have a solid motherboard and the extreme 6 board by asrock gets decent reviews. Plus other manufactures piss me off with there 16x/8x/4x pci express outline asus, asrock both just say 16x/ 8x/8x tsk tsk!

Storage:
I went with a proven product I have a Samsung 830 and its widely regarded as one of the top dogs. I also choose it for reliability reasons Samsung has a proven track record of being one of those companies for SSD's that you know you will have easier time with.
And with a SSD I paired it with a storage drive nothing terribly fancy a 1 TB drive.

Case:
Thought it would be nice to get you a HAF case because as the prefix suggest its a high airflow case with a ton of room a ton of features and a decent amount of room in case you were to get a mutiple video card solution. Which may I add in most cases with the smaller cases you run into a situation where there is less room for the cards to breath as 2 cards normally end up sandwiched up unless you get a board like this where you can use the top slot and a lower slot for 16x 16x.

Power Supply:
Corsair has a great track record with there power supplies. It's always good to have a decent power supply powering your machine. Gives you room to use a SLi configuration.

Monitor:
I'm pretty sick of seeing everyone on these threads use the feature monitor. I went with a IPS monitor from Asus which will bring you a far superior product in terms of picture. Also, comes with a display port which would make it super easy if you ended up going with a multi monitor setup in the future.

if you are insistant on a 120hz monitor this would be a good option and it gives you 3D with it. I know you said you don't really need it but I don't see one with a option with asus.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236206

Cooler:
Seems like people are going with the evo as the solution for air if you wanted to spend more you could get a noctua or silver arrow. Past that I would look into water. The evo will give you room for moderate overclocking however if you wanted more like I said you may want to look into the noctua.

Ram: I went with low profile ram so you wouldn't be limited in terms of cpu coolers. The low profile ram comes in red, blue, white, and black so you could decide what you wanted aesthetically.

Drive: I went with a standard dvd drive wasn't sure if you had any intent on watching HD content if you do here is something to look into its a blu ray burner they are quite reasonable now days so might be something you'd like.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252
 
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PANZER4

PANZER4

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Jul 2, 2012
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Depends on the game and settings, but if you turn off antialiasing, which is unnecessary at such resolutions, and lower a few settings you could probably reach the max refresh rate in most games :)
 
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J

jacknhut

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Sep 26, 2010
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My buddy got a Catleap 2B, it's quality is alright. The stand needs some improvement since it does wobble a bit. There are lots of problems reported by various people regarding the power brick on these Korean monitor (including the Crossover, Auria, Nixeus and Overlord Tempest, not just the Catleap. The screen itself is beautiful but the problem is every screen at this resolution is beautiful since everyone who bought the catleap never used a quad HD 2560 resolution before.

Buying these monitors will be risky, but for the price it's probably worth it. Keep in mind that the 120 hz Catleap monitor price has increased to 650 USD (non perfect pixel) to 750 USD (perfect pixel version) due to higher demand. At this price, the Catleap 2B is in direct competition against the true A+ panel 2560-1440 resolution monitors brand such as Dell U2713HM, Asus PB278Q, Viewsonic VP2770.

Its up to you to decide whether 120 hz is worth the risk since you still only got 1 year warranty from Korea vs the brand name monitor with 3 years warranty such as Dell, Asus and Viewsonic. Also, before venturing into the 120hz vs 60 hz debate, keep in mind that you need a pretty beefy system to even take advantage of 120 hz monitor since getting 120 fps in demanding games such as BF3 at 2560-1440 resolution with everything at max settings (MSAA, Ambien Occlusion etc) will be tough if not impossible with just 1 HD 7970 even if its overclocked to the max. You pretty much need 2 HD 7970 to even get into the 60 -100 fps range, let alone keeping minimum 120 fps at all times to take advantage of 120 hz display.
 
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