New Gaming Rig $1,000

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daktaklakpak

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Mar 29, 2009
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Hello, anywho I was wondering if I could get some feedback/suggestion on building a new gaming rig. I already have a few parts in mind, but am not sure if I should stick with them. The main purpose of this PC is gaming, and I would like to be able to run most games on high settings (Empire, DoW2, etc…). And while I would like to stay under $1,000 on the price, am ok with going higher as long as there a noticeable improvement in performance. I know there no such thing as future proofing a system, but I would like to make a build that could play games on high/normal settings for the next 3+ years. Originally I thought about making a quad-core, ddr3, system, but I could not justify the price to myself, so I went with a duel-core, ddr2, system instead.

A few more things to consider, first am not against over clocking, but I haven’t done it in years, so am trying to avoid it. Next I heard this dvd burner has issues with vista, so it might have to be swapped out of the build. Also am not too sure about the Ram, if it is worth it to get pc 8800 over pc 6400 with the mobo I have picked. Lastly am not sure if the cooling is needed since I may not over clock this cpu, and if I do I should get a different one.

First off, I should say that I plan to use my current monitor (LG W1952) at 1440 by 900.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 ~ $179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

Cooling: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro ~ $31.99: Combo with CPU $10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P ~ $134.99: $20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358&Tpk=UD3P

Power: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ~ $89.99: $20 MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Ram: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1100 (PC2 8800) ~ $70.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231194

Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP ~ $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 ~ $189.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

HD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB ~ $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

DVD: HP Black 20X ~ $26.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827140031

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit –OEM ~ $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

Total: $985
After combo and MIR: $935
 
It looks good, but I would swap the cooler for the Xigmatek S1283v Dark Knight and upgrade the PSU to 750tx so you can xfire later. If you won't xfire, then you can go with a GA-EP43-UD3L mobo and stick with that PSU to save some money. You also won't see hardly any boost from ddr2-1100mhz ram on a core 2 build, so just stick with DDR2-800. G. Skill PI Black DDR2-800 are a good deal at $45 at newegg. If you will do a really heavy OC though (like above 4ghz) then it might be a good idea to stick with that ram so you don't get stability issues.
 
Suggestions:

1) Save $25 and get this:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

2) This PSU is better for the money:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341019&Tpk=OCZ700SXS

3) I'd recommend this RAM:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227291&Tpk=OCZ%20Platinum%208GB

(Ram speed makes almost no difference in real-world performance)

4) Just a suggestion, the WD640 is great, but you can get this for $100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152102&Tpk=HD103UJ

5) Personally, I hate ATI, so I'd recommend this GPU:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434

This is OC'able to over 675/2300 MHz, and already performs better than the 4870 in most real-world apps.



7) Great mobo choice, and this CPU cooler would go great:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

8) Antec 900 wins, if you can spend the extra.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

9) Another matter of brand, but this is a great drive:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136153



Lastly, this does cost a bit more, but if you can shell out the dough, go for this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
 
Cool, thanks for the feedback. I think i'll look into the nvida vs ati in regards to which one i should get for the games i plan on playing.

In any case, i think i'll hold off on buying parts for a few months. Am about to become very busy, so there no real need for me to buy a new computer at this time. I know that sounds odd, since i posted in the first place, but my situation has change from not having a job in a few weeks to working 65 hour weeks for 3 months. But yeah, i still want to thank you two for the feedback, i plan to follow up on it in a few months when i have more time.
 
First, stick with your build just change the ram to 800mhz and cooler to the s1283v.

Second, if you would rather just stick with 1 gpu insteand of a dual slot, best to stick with ati for dual slot due to budget, nvidia is pretty expensive on good quality boards going sli route.

(For the 1 GPU) I suggest the Gigabyte UD3R 1 x16 2.0 slot and the Sapphire 1gb 4870/GTX 260.

There both basically paired together just differen manufacturer's. You will see mostly the same performance in either card.

(For 2 GPU) Your pick on the motherboard and ATI is a +1.

Also, if you want to dual gpu's, always look for Combo's on the PSU's.

RC-690 doesn't have it's psu combo's any more so here's some other good case's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.178136
Has 4 rails which i would prefer due to energy build up + yes, it is better for overclocking i dont care what anyone else says, it's safer and more reliable, words will only prevent problems, but, if there words from what people have seen with there own eyes, it's a whole different story.

 
Another thing, the WD Black 640gb is an ok hdd and i have been recommending them just as other people have because we"think" there faster and better but, WD has always had more DOA's than Seagate, and Seagate has always been the more quality based drive.

Im pretty sure some one will disagree but, it's really a mind game, you could get a bad seagate or a bad wd. or you could get a good seagate or a good wd.

I've been told by people that have been in the business for years with WD's and Seagates, gave me good valuable information, they don't have the catch on seagate, Warranty/customer help/quality/etc. Due to seeing people talk about Firmware problems, I have a 500gb Seagate, I dont have any problems, It's certain seagate drives that "Could Possibly" have that problem but, anything can be fixed.

WD - you will see there recommended by due to the x1 picked drive...
well yea, look at the price, lower your prices on alot of GB and most defenantly you'll go buy it and see it hit the top but, you'll also see more of them come in as DOA's.

It's really a pick on which to get, Seagate, WD, Hitachi.

Platters are Platters, does it make it faster? could.. but, sinking also..

Not only that there is another thing to make it go basically obs-elite(idk if i spelled it right) Obscelite or w/e. Anyways.

It's basically a Flash drive for the HDD, it could make it run crazy fast for windows.

Im just giving you information to just keep in mind on what your buying.

Even on TomsHardware, theres a graph showing +10 more votes on Seagate.

 
You don't want to take chances with your HDD, a failure there is a pain in the ass. Fullmetall where exactly have you seen data to suggest that WD drives come DOA more often than seagate? The Seagate Firmware problems aren't just some myth that people have started as a conspiracy against Seagate. They do have firmware problems than cause their drives to fail more often than any other brand. Just because your HDD hasn't failed yet doesn't mean Seagate drives are good. Consider yourself fortunate. All charts and reviews I have seen pin WD as being the most reliable HDD's, Seagates as the worst with current drives, samsung and hitachi are in between. If you have data to suggest otherwise, then please share it.
 
CM 690
AMD Ph.2 X3 720 + Win Vista Home Premium 64bit
4GB Pi Black
Gigabyte 790GX
BFG LS 550w
XFX 1GB 4890 with free Hawx
WD Caviar Black 640GB
Thermalright Ultra 120 Rev. A [http://www.svc.com/ultra-120.html](I'll find the link later, it actually performs the same as the Extreme, despite not having the extra 2 heatpipes. Costs a lot less too)


http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5540/desktopbsz.png
-Newegg doesn't like to save things to wishlist when you add combos, so that's why I did a screecap instead. Sorry.

We go back and forth on the 720vs84/500. Honestly, the AMD build seems to make more sense from an upgrade path point of view, and in more threaded apps, will give it the edge over the Core 2 Duo.

Ideas?
 
I would strongly consider getting a quadcore given the two games you've listed. Strategy games get a good benefit from quadcores over dual cores. I would conisder the AMD 9600, 940 or the Intel 8200 or 9400.
 
:bounce:

Like others said on here, that psu is too light for a Crossfire set up with 4870's. But here's an idea. If I was looking at a budget of $1,000 I might take a look at something like this.....

Move up your fsb to (9 x 400) and run at a nice cool 3.6GHz @ 1600 fsb. Later on get a 22" monitor with higher resolution.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119152 <=== Better pics and reviews of that case in this build.

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=CA-RC590 $56.10
Cooler Master Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP No Power Supply ATX Mid Tower Case (Black)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022 $74.99
OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.181190 Combo Discount: -$15.00 Combo Price: $264.98 $15.00 Mail-In Rebate
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001 $24.99
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 $8.49
XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475 $259.99
EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231219 $40.99
G.SKILL HK 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488 $99.99 Free Shipping*
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

Total: $942.49 *(not including shipping and rebates)

Or if you could go over your budget by just a few dollars.....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125255 $339.99 ($309.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)
GIGABYTE GV-N285-1GH-B GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Total: $1,022.49 / $977.49 after rebates
 
Why_Me in the anandtech review of the 4890 and the GTX 275, it showed the 4890 being a better choice for resolutions below 1920x1200. That was my rationale for going with that video card. On the processor, why the core 2 duo? Something about building a socket 775 dual core setup seems, well, pointless. The platform is dying, and if the OP wants to upgrade in a few years, he's going to have a to make some pretty large changes.
 



http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/263586-31-build-list#t1919847 <===== A good read concerning anandtech and their bogus review
 
Normally I trust a lot of what the Anandtech staff publish, but after going through legitreviews, overclocker's club, tom's hardware, and guru3d reviews briefly, I can see some foul play. I'm going to check through each site's testing procedures some more, and see what/if any discrepancies might exist.

Edit: I don't mean to change the thread topic, but I gave a look over a lot of what all the reviews seem to say. Either card is a great a buy, and you really can't go wrong buying either. The GTX 275 would likely be a better choice for those who would benefit from Nvidia's 'extras' like cuda, physx, and the like. The 4890 however, would be a better option for those interested in overclocking. When you take the clock speeds up to 950mhz+ you're looking at GTX 285 performance, but this comes with it downsides too. The 4890 will consume tons of power at these clockspeeds and will be a pain to cool and keep quiet. In anycase, the two cards are so comparable in terms of 'noticable frame rate differences' that either would leave the OP with more power than he could use at the resolution he'd be playing at. So much so, that you might want to pass up both the 275 and 4890, and just get the 4870 1GB.

Either way, back to the OP. I'd like to hear your thoughts about an AMD Phenom II X3 720 build vs the Core 2 duo e8400/8500 options.
 
Exactly thekid, you've "seen" on the computer, words from another person just like everyone else, you've seen words on a computer and you go with it. WD Black made a good hdd and thats the 640gb. If i was to get any wd it would be only that one but, otherwise, your looking at a couple of brand manufacturer's. Now the WD Scorpio does show a little bit of an overratting on uncached mb/s against the seagate, but, that's also money out of your wallet.

When i spoke with the people that actually work for the company's its a different story, there my uncle's friends and he's in the computer business aswell.

Seagate has "some" firmware problems, and those HDD's are picked out on the site but, not all of them do. Seagate's are still a choice of useful HDD's.

 
And yes, that LGA 775 is dying but, it will still last him a good 4+ years.

If you buy a 720be that would be doing the same thing, you'd have to upgrage mobo/memory/possible psu depending on if it doesn't fit requirements/gpu possible if it doesn't fit requirements.

most things you buy now will have to be upgraded in the future anyways. As for those games, i wouldn't know much about them because i've never played them but, if they use alot more in multitasking, 720be could be more of the choice or, if, "IF" is always the word, if you could find a nice combo deal on a 940.

Oh and if you go with a component that has a free game, lets sayy COD 5? you can ship it to me :))) lol.
 

Can you provide data? i choosed 500gb for my build and you are 3rd person saying 640gb is the better one

 
Platter/sink time differential.

your working with 2x320gb = 640gb vs 2x250gb = 500gb.

Same with the 1tb. instead of splitting it up into 4 different catagories, its only 3 platters which will make the sinking inbetween platters faster.

and also,

if your looking for something to speed the process your going to want the cache at 32mb instead of sitting it at a low end 16mb.



 
It'd be safe to assume that with as many nonsensical claims that fulmetall is making, that his 'advice' should be looked past until he posts some actual benchmarks to back up his inflammatory claims that go against everything that's been the general consensus here on the forums.

To the OP and AM2+ motherboard will support all the AM3 chips in the future, and you won't have to change the motherboard, ram, or anything else to get the new ones to work. Getting something like the 720BE now would suit you great for a good many years, and should a breakthrough in AM3 chips surface, you could just drop the new chip in the same motherboard, and it'd work just fine.

Going with socket 775 doesn't leave you the option to upgrade your processor in say, 2 years. The platform isn't going to be getting any more performance processors, as it will be phased to intel's mainstream/low-end spectrum. i5 and i7 will effectively cut 775 out of the 'gamer' market.
 

+1


This is partially true. AM2+ will hold any AM3 chip to come out this year. AMD Processors to come out in 2010 will require the AM3 chipset. I do agree that the 720 will do very well for you, but if you want to be able to drop another AM3 Processor in your mobo in a couple years, I think you should go with the AM3 chipset, which will cost about $30-40 more mobo+ram.
 
As of right now I don't advocate an AM3 board, but if your intent is keep upgrading this system to keep up with the latest gen stuff, an AM3 motherboard and DDR3 ram would be the way to go.
 
Im not saying to go against the 640gb Black wd, im just suggesting other information instead of putting down different branded hdd's like what everyone seems to do, stick with 1 part that you see used the most instead of speculating other parts out there and always going for 1 brand, 1 kind of hdd for everyone, there are millions of hdd's out their to be used.

To sit here and say inflammatory/nonsensical claims, is a little harsh to stifle my information. As for benchmarks, ill set some up as I research.
 
 
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