System Builder Marathon, August 2012: $1000 Enthusiast PC

[swingman]

I just built a computer for $984 that I think makes better cuts, especially if you don't care about overclocking ability.

i5-3470 ($184)
H77 motherboard ($75)
Samsung 830 128GB ($85) - it was on sale
16 GB memory ($80)
7950 OC ($316)

Stuffed it into a TJO8B-E micro case and have myself a small but fast gaming machine at a reasonable price.

 

[snowman_41]

You installed your CPU cooler backwards. It should work with the rest of the case fans; not against them.
<= <= as opposed to <= =>

Neat build. Thanks for the article.

 

[cleeve]

You installed your CPU cooler backwards. It should work with the rest of the case fans; not against them.
<= <= as opposed to <= =>

Neat build. Thanks for the article.

Nope. The CPU fan is working in the same direction as the case fans. The air is being pushed out of the case.

 

[blazorthon]

I just built a computer for $984 that I think makes better cuts, especially if you don't care about overclocking ability.

i5-3470 ($184)
H77 motherboard ($75)
Samsung 830 128GB ($85) - it was on sale
16 GB memory ($80)
7950 OC ($316)

Stuffed it into a TJO8B-E micro case and have myself a small but fast gaming machine at a reasonable price.

You could have gotten a Z77 board and still stayed within budget. Also, the i5s and i7s that aren't K editions can still be overclocked fairly well (up to around 20-30% with 22-25% being common) through Turbo settings and the BLCK. I don't know why you would want 16GB of memory because that doesn't help gaming unless you're multi-tasking (if you use that computer for more than gaming, then I'd expect an i7 rather than an i5) and that would have saved another $30-40 for a good Z77 board. This would have been better for an SBM. However, switching out the GTX 670 for a Radeon 7950 and a great SSD is easily a very reasonable and practical solution IMO.

 

[DeusAres]

P67 board with an ivy bridge chip?

I would've went with the 2500k and the Asrock z75 pro3 mobo. Also, I would've grabbed a HD 7950 instead of the GTX 670. You can then overclock the 7950 to nearly the same levels of a OCed gtx 670.

Hyper 212 evo should have been an obvious choice.

Would've put the extra cash towards a case such as the Cooler master HAF 912.

I would also drop the SSD entirely seeing as how it has no effect on the FPS in games. Loading times are irrelevant for most people anyhow.

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]DeusAres[/nom]P67 board with an ivy bridge chip?I would've went with the 2500k and the Asrock z75 pro3 mobo. Also, I would've grabbed a HD 7950 instead of the GTX 670. You can then overclock the 7950 to nearly the same levels of a OCed gtx 670.Hyper 212 evo should have been an obvious choice.Would've put the extra cash towards a case such as the Cooler master HAF 912.I would also drop the SSD entirely seeing as how it has no effect on the FPS in games. Loading times are irrelevant for most people anyhow.[/citation]

Gaming is about the experience. Loading times, both in and out of the games, are a part of the experience even if they don't necessarily improve FPS much at all. I would like to have an SSD in a $1000 machine. The budget is plenty high enough for it.

 

[DeusAres]

Gaming is about the experience. Loading times, both in and out of the games, are a part of the experience even if they don't necessarily improve FPS much at all. I would like to have an SSD in a $1000 machine. The budget is plenty high enough for it.

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it.

I, for one, do not care about load times considering my machine will constantly be running on standby when not in use. I would rather sacrifice the SSD for initially better FPS performance, then I could purchase a SSD later. At least at that point, I would be able to afford a 128gb SSD. 60gb just isn't enough. By the time you put the OS and updates on there, you might have enough space for Skyrim or something.

 

[blazorthon]

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it.

I, for one, do not care about load times considering my machine will constantly be running on standby when not in use. I would rather sacrifice the SSD for initially better FPS performance, then I could purchase a SSD later. At least at that point, I would be able to afford a 128gb SSD. 60gb just isn't enough. By the time you put the OS and updates on there, you might have enough space for Skyrim or something.

You can fit a good 128GB drive in with a 7950 and a K edition i5 with a motherboard to make use of that without breaking the budget. You won't get significantly better gaming performance except with CF 7850s or a 7970 GHz Edition.

Samsung DVD burner $14.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power 80+ Certified PSU $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031

Cooler Master HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Sapphire 100352SR Radeon 7950 $319.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102989

G.SKILL Ares Series 2x4GB DDR3-1600 9-9-9 F3-1600C9D-8GAO $39.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544

ASRock Z75 Pro3 LGA 1155 Intel Z75 $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304

OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

i5-2500K $219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 $29.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Total is $1009.9 not including any MIRs, shipping, and such. The Samsung 830 128 GB is also currently priced at $99.99 and is a good option if you don't like OCZ.

 

[yujenisis]

Well, stick me in the idiot box because I foolishly thought I could buy the components listed here and get a working machine. Despite reading the instructions fully, I missed the bit about the build-in incompatibility...shame on me.

For myself, and those like me, who ended up putting together a PC following these instructions and now have a machine that doesn't boot - what is the best way forward?

1. Buying some extra thermal paste and a cheap processor to update the BIOS? If so, what's the cheapest proc money can buy for 20 minutes of work?

2. Testing NewEgg's tricky return policy by exchanging the P67 mobo for a nice Z77 mobo...maybe this puppy?

Either way, I'm going to have re-assemble the thing which does have the benefit of giving me hindsight so I can make my cables management beautiful!

Help is appreciated after you're done chuckling at my expense.

 

[cleeve]

Help is appreciated after you're done chuckling at my expense.

No chuckling here! Sorry to hear that man.

Assuming you don't have a buddy with a Sandy CPU to lend you for a couple minutes, your best bet is to go to a local PC shop and ask them to update the BIOS for you. I can't imagine they'll charge much. Best to phone ahead and ask.

I've heard that some people 'buy' a cheapo 1155 Celeron from a reputable PC store with a no-questions-asked return policy, and then return it when they're done with the BIOS update... of course I'm not advocating that, just sayin'.

 

[yujenisis]

Thanks, Cleeve. But I should have read more carefully!

I ended up calling ASRock and they immediately knew what I was talking about the moment I mentioned the words 'BIOS' and 'Ivy Bridge' - the woman interrupted me and said they could send me a replacement BIOS chip (which I could install right onto the board and boot from there). The whole process takes about 3-5 days

Folks with with the BIOS issue should call 909-590-8308 and be prepared to send an invoice and serial number to: user@asrockamerica.com

I hope this helps someone else seeking help with this!

 

[cleeve]

I hope this helps someone else seeking help with this!

That's awesome man, I'm glad you worked it out!

Surprisingly accomodating service from ASRock on that one.

 

[Guest]

Would be helpful if you provided an option to purchase these components in one link. Those of us casual PC users/gamers like to do the research, but not source every individual component from multiple websites. When i read a great review like this, i want to go find a link where i can buy all that Architecture from one place!

 

[ilikemacandpc]

How about increasing the budgets to $550, $1100, and $2200. There is some great hardware just out of reach at the current price points (faster ram, cleaner cases, larger/faster ssds, better gpus, etc.), and it would give some much needed flexibility at the lowest price point ($500 is just too little). You could go back to crossfire or SLI again and see how those do. Though, at these new budgets, you should NEVER go overbudget (at time of purchase). In order to do so, do not get any shellshocker deals that wont be available when the article is posted. Also, don't use components that need something not included with what you bought, like using an extra cpu to update the bios on this board. Many people do not have such resources. maybe my suggestions are viable?

 

[Guest]

Sterimar- "I understand going over budget by a few bucks, but $57, that's a pretty significant lapse in budgeting, in my mind."

No... 5% over budget is still insignificant from an accounting standpoint.

 

[RedJaron]

Sterimar- "I understand going over budget by a few bucks, but $57, that's a pretty significant lapse in budgeting, in my mind."

No... 5% over budget is still insignificant from an accounting standpoint.

Only if you're thinking in corporate budgeting practices. For an average Joe that's been saving up for months, or possibly even a year, an extra $50 can be a pretty significant obstacle if you're just barely able to afford the new system.

 

[David Zember]

Shouldn't a rough tax estimate be included? Saying that the rig is a mere $1000 is a little misleading, to say the least.

 

[Crashman]

[citation][nom]David Zember[/nom]Shouldn't a rough tax estimate be included? Saying that the rig is a mere $1000 is a little misleading, to say the least.[/citation]You pay sales tax on your Newegg purchases? Please move to a different state.

 

[David Zember]

[citation][nom]Crashman[/nom]You pay sales tax on your Newegg purchases? Please move to a different state.[/citation]
I don't live in a state. It's Ontario, and I completely forgot that most of you are American. =P

 

[Guest]

When does the next System Builder marathon get published?

 

[Guest]

So this motherboard is not compatible with the CPU out of the box? I need to flash the bios with the new version to support the CPU. How could you screw up so bad? I'll never trust your builds anymore.

 

[rydercast]

Hi everyone. I'm a first time builder and I'm looking for something to play Arkham City and other fancy games on. But there seems to be a lot of disagreement on the parts on this list. can someone tell me why this list is bad?

 

[cleeve]

[citation][nom]rydercast[/nom]Hi everyone. I'm a first time builder and I'm looking for something to play Arkham City and other fancy games on. But there seems to be a lot of disagreement on the parts on this list. can someone tell me why this list is bad?[/citation]

It's not bad, people just like to nitpick.

The closest thing to an actual legitimate concern is the chipset to ensure compatibility. You could swap the motherboard for a low cost Z75/Z77 option.

You could swap out a lot of stuff, subjectively. For instance, the Radeon HD 7970 is $400 now. But the complaints don't make this build 'bad', it just shows there's a lot of different opinions.
The game performance speaks for itself.

 

[rydercast]

It's not bad, people just like to nitpick.

The closest thing to an actual legitimate concern is the chipset to ensure compatibility. You could swap the motherboard for a low cost Z75/Z77 option.

You could swap out a lot of stuff, subjectively. For instance, the Radeon HD 7970 is $400 now. But the complaints don't make this build 'bad', it just shows there's a lot of different opinions.
The game performance speaks for itself.

Thanks a lot friend.