PC gaming desktop

D

darkness12

CAG Veteran
For those of you who might recognize me, recently I was looking for a gaming laptop but I recently decided I'd be better off getting a gaming desktop + a decent laptop simply for note taking, web browsing, etc.

So now I'm back and I need help looking for a Gaming desktop :D

Before, I was planning on buying a laptop so I had "build it on your own" completely out of mind, however I will consider that option this time. I would still much prefer to just buy a prebuilt desktop, however.

I'll try to sum up what I'm looking for:
Max budget:$1100-1200, I'd MUCH prefer it to be ~$1000.
Purpose:Gaming obviously, looking into high performance for FPS shooters primarily
Example setups:Haven't been looking at parts individually but here's an example of a prebuilt computer I like:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113086

Only problem I see with it is the video card but if I go through with that purchase I'd replace it with a high end video card later on.

So to sum it all up, I am considering building my own comp but I'd need a full shopping list (I'm clueless lol) so I'm leaning to buying a prebuilt comp but upgrading the video card later on, all helpful comments are greatly appreciated :)
 
Can you go to Gateway and build your own FX542X? It seems the Blu Ray drive is overkill for just a gaming rig. If you could remove that it should drop down $100-200 giving you more than enough extra to get a high end video card.

But on closer inspection it looks like that box is kinda small for some of those huge cards out there. You might not be able to fit a 4870 in there. *shrug*

Hell does the PSU even have an extra 6 pin connector? I'm sorry I'm not much help..
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']What do you already have to work with, do you need a monitor, OS, peripherals, extra cables/adapters, etc.?[/quote]

Unfortunantly nothing, last computer (custom in-store computer) died a while ago so every part of the computer will have to be bought.

I've been thinking about it and if building my own computer isn't as hard as people think it is I'd be willing to give it a shot, it def will be cheaper then a prebuilt.

Also, monitor, speaker, etc isn't needed to fit into the ~1k budget, I have those. The monitor is crap but will do until I buy a 22 inch substitute.


As for the first post I don't think Gateway does custimizations :(
 
Alright here's the first one (just using newegg, you can probably shop around and get better prices or free shipping on certain items at other retailers like ZZF):
Antec 300 Case 50$ + shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Corsair 750TX PSU 120$ +shipping (100$ ar)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

P5Q Pro Mobo 130$ +shipping (115$ ar)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299

Kingston 4GB DDR2 1066 52$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104038

Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 230$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115131

Radeon 4870 1GB 235$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102801

SAMSUNG F1 1TB HDD 95$ +shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152102

LG everything DVD/CD everything burnificator 25$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152

=937$ + shipping/tax if applicable
=912$ + " " ar

Parts explained-
Antec 300 solid mid tower case, two fans, 1 top 1 rear. Really case is pretty much up to you but I figured I'd give you a complete build.

Corsair 750w PSU. Ridiculous. This will power whatever. Its way more power than this build needs, but I tend to buy a fatty PSU and reuse it in multiple builds.

P5Q Pro. I chose to forgo the x58 i7/QPI motherboards as the i7 prices right now are quite high. The x48 set of boards don't offer enough over the P45 chipsets to warrant their cost. The P45 chipset is a worthy successor to the excellent P35 offering minor improvements in almost all categories, FSB not being the least of which. Comes with 2 PCI-E slots just in case you ever want to do x-fire. Lots of usb, decent # of sata, standard 1 pata, and hey, its even got firewire.

Kingston 4GB. Depending on your OS, you'll only be using 3.2gb or so of this, but thats alright, its cheap. I chose to go with 1066 instead of the normal 800, because the prices are very similar. This Kingston set in particular has nice (for the speed) timings @ 5-5-5-15. It does use 2.2v, which is the highest you're likely to see on most memory, but you'll have no issue. Being able to run at these faster speeds while still maintaining those timings means that you'll be able to better keep your memory in synch with your CPU when it comes time to overclock.

Quad Core Q94XX. I personally don't think quad cores are worth the money, but you had a lot to work with so what the hell. This one comes in at 2.66ghz stock with a fatty 6mb L2 cache. Set that fsb to 400 and boom, ezmode 3.2ghz.

Radeon 4870 1GB. Cheaper than a 260gtx and better in some games. This Sapphire Model wisely keeps the core and memory clocks at acceptable speeds meaning that you don't get issues that many other cards brands of the 4870 and 4850 have. You'll be playing whatever you want with the possible exception of GTA IV, but that doesn't really count since its a piece of unoptimized shit that has no good reason for its ridiculous requirements. Either way, with 1gb of GDDR5 memory and your slick quad-core CPU, even GTAIV should run well.

SAMSUNG F1 1TB HDD. Its a hard drive. Its a shit load of space. It has a 32mb cache. It has a decent seek time with good transfer rates. AND its under 100$. What more would you want?

LG everything DVD/CD everything burnificator. Your media drive. Self explanitory. SATA interface, 22x dvd, 25$ oh boy.

This comes out to be 937$ before shipping, and shipping is sure to be quite a bit as the Case, PSU, and mobo (some of the heaviest things) of course newegg isn't offering free shipping on.


--
Note, that with a few changes here and there, you could easily squeeze 200-250$ out of this build and pick yourself up a nice LCD and still keep it under 1k. I'll throw up a sample build for you if you're interested.

Enjoy.
 
very nice build man, thanks for taking the time to put that together.

on another forum I saw this build:

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 512MB GDDR5
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W
G.Skill 4GB PC6400 (DDR2-800) RAM
Western Digital Caviar 500GB 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache
Pioneer 20x SATA DVDRW
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Mid-Tower
Click to expand...
but yours def seems better, a few questions though, like I said im new to this stuff so this may sound horribly stupid lol:

1)Do I still need to get a CPU cooler/thermal greese or is that not required with your build?
2)Later on I might go for a GPU upgrade, by going Radeon now does that mean I can't go nVidia later?

I might come up with a few more later on but off the top of my head that's all, I'm not too worried about the actual setup because there are tons of guides online + a cousin of mine does this sort of stuff for a living, I just want to make sure I've got a good setup :)

thanks bro
 
[quote name='darkness12']1)Do I still need to get a CPU cooler/thermal greese or is that not required with your build?
2)Later on I might go for a GPU upgrade, by going Radeon now does that mean I can't go nVidia later?[/quote]

1. CPU's come with stock heatsink and thermal grease already on them.

2. The only way that nVidia or Radeon would mess it up is if you want dual or more cards and get a Crossfire Mobo or SLI mobo where Crossfire is ATI and SLI is mobo. However, I'm not 100% on this. Also, you may have to reformat because the drivers leave behind shit (or at least used to) that cause conflicts with the other company.
 
1. You never *need* thermal paste. It only takes off a couple degrees, but in any case, most heatsinks you pick up these days will have it already applied. You won't need to buy extra, but I guess its nice to have some around if you want to reapply at some point.

2. No, you can switch cards whenever you want.

That above build you posted would be a decent start to cutting some costs, but I was trying to get it close to 1k for the first build. As you said though, the one I posted is better, but more expensive.

[quote name='dragonsho']Also, you may have to reformat because the drivers leave behind shit (or at least used to) that cause conflicts with the other company.[/QUOTE]
There are some good driver cleaner apps out now that, in most cases, make it hassle free.
 
That looks like a pretty solid build. I would suggest that you buy the case at a local computer store. That way you dodge the shipping costs (although for almost $1000 they may/should give you free shipping).

Also I personally would look into nVidia for your video card. But that is a matter of opinion. The power supply is a solid choice if you plan to upgrade in the future. In my opinion, I would look at other brands of RAM. OCZ or Corsair for instance.

Ultimately it all boils down to how much you want to spend. Buy a solid motherboard and upgrading will be easier down the road.

Good Luck
 
[quote name='plasticbathmonki']Not trying to criticize, but this really isn't a good deal for the build. I'm guessing it's only 32-bit since it has only 2 gigs of RAM (not necessary, but a plus). Also, most of the parts are last gen anyway,so you'd save a mountain by DIY.[/quote]

/agree

Not a big tiger direct fan. That case looks like garbage. A good case goes a long way. Get a Lian-Li, Antec, or Cooler-Master.

lol its m-ATX, get a real mobo.

not bad for the money I guess. I think that would be free shipping... if tiger still does that over a certain purchase?
 
Well what is there to be said about it?

Its a pre-built, it has less storage, no idea if the PSU is quality, no idea what the mobo is, 4850 isn't a bad card, though its obviously not a 4870, and if you are dropping down to the 4850 level, I'd rather go for a 9800 GTX+. It has an i7 CPU but do you even know what that does for you?

Maybe these things don't matter as much to you since, from your perspective, I'm just some random guy on some message boards handing out a list of parts and saying buy these. I suppose that's much like someone giving you a "prebuilt" config. that you just have to physically assemble, instead of you getting to know the parts yourself and feeling confident in your choice, but I know I want to pick every part of my own builds. There is a big difference, at least for me.
 
i7 is a lot of money when the budget is $1000 and as you said, at least $100 is tied up buying an OS.

Pre Built is generally a waste of money. Check your local computer shop and see what kinda prices they have. Then no shipping, and you get it that day.
 
I had a $1K budget, which...kinda went over. I wrote about it in my blog back in October but here's the basic rundown. Note that prices and everything might change. The only things I didn't pay for are my motherboard (which is crappy) and heatsink:

MOTHERBOARD
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard
Originally $183.99, probably sells for $90 now.

PROCESSOR
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115037
$169.99

HEATSINK
Intel Socket 775 Heat Sink and Fan- D60188-001
Originally $60ish? Sells for $15 - $30 now.

OS
Windows Vista Business
Valued at $159.99 if bought at retail. I think I paid $119.99 at Newegg? I forget.

CASE
RAIDMAX SMILODON Extreme Black ATX-612WEB 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811156078
$74.99

VIDEO CARD
VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814129113
$279.99

MEMORY
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231122
$66.99

HARD DRIVE
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822148274
$139.99

CD/DVD-BURNER
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151171
$23.99

POWER SUPPLY
Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817182030
$64.99


Tower cost is about $1000, depending on if I guessed right about those parts he gave me and the OS price. And I did get some rebates, which totaled out to be around $160.

And the monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc:
MONITOR
SAMSUNG T240HD Rose-Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824254005
$469.99 Better deal at Costco for $399.99

Already have:

KEYBOARD
Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
Amazon price: $76.99 (got it at Best Buy clearance for ~$28)

MICE
Logitech NEW G5 Laser Mouse
Amazon price: $44.99

With a $1K budget, I'm sure you can do even better. Me and my friend kinda rushed this along so I could have it ready by a certain date (big project was coming in the next week). It's where I work with batch file conversion, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, AutoCAD, little bits of sound and video editing.

That's what it SHOULD be doing and gaming should be just a bonus. But it's the other way around when not a lot of work comes in. I'm not gonna complain tho. I can run Crysis at 1920x1080 with most settings on Very High at 45 - 50 fps. I should go for better...maybe when I replace my motherboard.
 
I am am putting together a PC right now, waiting for final parts to show up and I think except for my VId Card this is an awesome gaming rig (as I am not really into PC gaming, just buiding for ASP.NET Development and Virtual Machines and ubuntu), total cost was about 450 dollars this is the parts, all parts came from Newegg over the last month catch sells.

Assu 780g chip Pro AM2+ mobo
Phenom 9950 Agenna Black Edition quad core
8 gigs ddr2 800 ram
1 500gig 7200.12 seagate drive (1 platter 500gig drive)
Saphire 3870 512 meg ddr3 PCI-E 2.0 vid
Apevia Case and PSU.
Lite On DVD burner.

I think you get the above system and maybe just do 4 gigs ram and UP the Video Card you could have a knock out system for less than the 1000$ budget.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']Well what is there to be said about it?

Its a pre-built, it has less storage, no idea if the PSU is quality, no idea what the mobo is, 4850 isn't a bad card, though its obviously not a 4870, and if you are dropping down to the 4850 level, I'd rather go for a 9800 GTX+. It has an i7 CPU but do you even know what that does for you?

Maybe these things don't matter as much to you since, from your perspective, I'm just some random guy on some message boards handing out a list of parts and saying buy these. I suppose that's much like someone giving you a "prebuilt" config. that you just have to physically assemble, instead of you getting to know the parts yourself and feeling confident in your choice, but I know I want to pick every part of my own builds. There is a big difference, at least for me.[/quote]

Oh no I really appreciate the build you set up and most likely will go for it, I just wanted to mention that prebuilt for some reason lol. I will be purchasing the parts today but first am just gonna finalize my picks.

Thanks for the other builds guys but I think I will be going with Crystalklear unless anyone else has any other suggestions =)

edit: Here's another question for yall :)

I checked out the case specs to make sure it'd fit where I was planning to put it and it's dimensions are 18" x 18.3" x 8.1" (whit fit perfectly). My question is will this size case limit my future GPU choices? Is it possible to tell from now or only when everything is setup in the case already?

Last question I have (sort of has to do with the 1st one) is regarding the GPU you recommended Crystal. Before finalizing my purchase (everything is set cept for the gpu) I went over everything and I'm happy with it all but I'm a little worried about the Radeon card pick. For a difference of 25 bucks I could get the nVidia equivalent (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330), that particular model apparently has been doing better on some cases than the 280. I've used nVidia all my life and am a bit worried about not going nVidia for this new comp as well, (heard things about Ati patches and stuff, this could be changed now though) would you choose the XFX 260 if you were in my position and wanted an nVidia Radeon 4870 equivalent? Would I need to change my motherboard to work with SLI? (if im not mistaken that motherboard is crossfire, a better question would be would SLI work with my setup haha) Also, if that pick wouldn't work with my setup, what nVidia card would?

Thanks again for your patience :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
In your case, if you don't mind spending that little extra, a 260gtx would be a another good choice.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330
This black edition comes in at 250$ after rebate and comes already overclocked in addition to giving you a free copy of Farcry 2.
This was the card I had originally chosen for you in that first build, but after doing a little looking myself, the 4870 1gb performs equally or better than it in some games. You'd have to look at which games to know if you'd play them or not. So, with that in mind AND it being cheaper, I went for the 4870 for you instead. If you don't like ATI or are wary about them, that's a factor I wasn't considering, so, taking that into account, I'd say get the 260gtx. Also, be aware that if you start looking around at other 260's there is an old and a new version. The 216 shader version is the one you want, not the older one.

Now, on to SLi. If you know you're gonna go with nVidia from here on out and think you'll use SLi at some point in the future, you will need a different motherboard (or the know-how to hack your board). You have enough juice for it, so apart from the motherboard, you can easily do SLI/X-Fire.

Seeing as ATi has been the leader in video cards during the majority of my parts research, I know hardly anything about the recent N-Force chipset motherboards, I've always just looked at the intel chipset motherboards. So, I don't really know anything about them. The range of boards that newegg has range from the 750i to the 790i, I would assume the 790i is the best, but I don't know the specifics about the chipsets to tell you if its worth it or not for the extra money. Hopefully someone else can help you out with that.
Here's a link to the nvidia boards on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...escription=&Ntk=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

And I wasn't trying to say that my build was the best or even that it was the best in that price range, what I was more focused on was questioning why you seemed to keep bringing up pre-builts. I then figured that in actuality, someone giving you a build (ie. me) to make and just buying a pre-built isn't really all that different apart from the money and labor difference if you aren't doing some supplemental research yourself. Again, not trying to say that you aren't doing research of your own.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']In your case, if you don't mind spending that little extra, a 260gtx would be a another good choice.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330
This black edition comes in at 250$ after rebate and comes already overclocked in addition to giving you a free copy of Farcry 2.
This was the card I had originally chosen for you in that first build, but after doing a little looking myself, the 4870 1gb performs equally or better than it in some games. You'd have to look at which games to know if you'd play them or not. So, with that in mind AND it being cheaper, I went for the 4870 for you instead. If you don't like ATI or are wary about them, that's a factor I wasn't considering, so, taking that into account, I'd say get the 260gtx. Also, be aware that if you start looking around at other 260's there is an old and a new version. The 216 shader version is the one you want, not the older one.

Now, on to SLi. If you know you're gonna go with nVidia from here on out and think you'll use SLi at some point in the future, you will need a different motherboard (or the know-how to hack your board). You have enough juice for it, so apart from the motherboard, you can easily do SLI/X-Fire.

Seeing as ATi has been the leader in video cards during the majority of my parts research, I know hardly anything about the recent N-Force chipset motherboards, I've always just looked at the intel chipset motherboards. So, I don't really know anything about them. The range of boards that newegg has range from the 750i to the 790i, I would assume the 790i is the best, but I don't know the specifics about the chipsets to tell you if its worth it or not for the extra money. Hopefully someone else can help you out with that.
Here's a link to the nvidia boards on newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...escription=&Ntk=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

And I wasn't trying to say that my build was the best or even that it was the best in that price range, what I was more focused on was questioning why you seemed to keep bringing up pre-builts. I then figured that in actuality, someone giving you a build (ie. me) to make and just buying a pre-built isn't really all that different apart from the money and labor difference if you aren't doing some supplemental research yourself. Again, not trying to say that you aren't doing research of your own.[/quote]

Good stuff, I will browse around and find out what motherboard has been getting the best reviews.

Oh and I understand you're build wasn't meant to be perfect, I'm doing research along with what you recommend and am not going soley on your word, most of the recommendations you've made are solid but I have been still checking them out.

For example, the at GPU :)

I'll post what I end up with for the mobo + GPU later, thanks for the response.
 
Okay, decided on a mobo + GPU.

I will go with the XFX nForce 780i SLI Intel Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813141005

and the XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330

so my final build will be:
Antec 300 Case 50$ + shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Corsair 750TX PSU 120$ +shipping (100$ ar)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

XFX nForce 780i SLI Intel Mobo 209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813141005

Kingston 4GB DDR2 1066 52$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104038

Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 230$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115131

XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition $275
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330

SAMSUNG F1 1TB HDD 95$ +shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152102

LG everything DVD/CD everything burnificator 25$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152

My grand total with shipping turns out to be $1,182.71 - $75 from rebates, so either way I'm around budget range.

The FINAL question I have regarding this build is based on my lack of experience regarding computer making and is simply for reassurance: will this all fit in my case? + another GPU later on for SLI? :D lol
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As someone who has a Q6600.. you shouldn't get the Q9400. I haven't kept up with procs since my build but it looks like the Q9400 is essentially a 45nm Q6600.

You don't realize how often I notice something running slow, see CPU usage at just 20% - 25%, open up my detailed resource manager and notice one core is 100% while the others are near idle.

I wish I had either saved money by getting a comparable dual-core or a higher-clocked dual core.

If hell-bent on quad core go i7, otherwise something like an E8500 will save you some money, some heat/power, and also give better performance in most applications that matter.

I also think you could save some money by getting a cheaper PSU. That PSU seems a little overkill... but that's only a change to make if you really wanna save some bucks, since it's good to have an overkill PSU with that GTX 260.

Otherwise everything looks good. Put your SLI ideas aside -- not only is the GTX 260 a hot behemoth but a much more sensible approach, financially, is to simply wait a few years and upgrade to another single card. SLI is only worthwhile when you need absolute top of the line right now and want to spend $600+ to get it. Otherwise, a single card is nearly always gonna give a superior price/performance ratio.
 
Here's TH's CPU chart: http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-q3-2008/Winzip-11,Marque_fbrandx14,824.html

Keep in mind this is slightly dated, so there's no i7.

Winrar is my favorite benchmark for CPUs because float calcs are so crucial in everything, but you can change the benchmark to whatever you like.

You can see the E8500 outperforming the Q9450 by about 20% at stock speeds -- it also seems more overclock-friendly.

Winrar is not quad-core optimized, but very few programs are.
 
The PSU is more of a "good buy" that I will keep and use for the future.

I changed my motherboard soley for SLI, if I don't go with SLI in the future but remain using a single-card should I replace my mobo with something else than or is it fine as is? (scratch this question, regardless of SLI or not it's still a fine mobo)

As for the Processor I will look into it, the Quad core was more of a "sort of" future proof decision, I will check out the other option and get back to you guys later. Duo probably would be the better choice because most programs wouldn't make use of it and I'm mainly going for a gaming rig. I'll look into it though :)
 
[quote name='Koggit'] As someone who has a Q6600.. you shouldn't get the Q9400. I haven't kept up with procs since my build but it looks like the Q9400 is essentially a 45nm Q6600.

You don't realize how often I notice something running slow, see CPU usage at just 20% - 25%, open up my detailed resource manager and notice one core is 100% while the others are near idle.

I wish I had either saved money by getting a comparable dual-core or a higher-clocked dual core.

If hell-bent on quad core go i7, otherwise something like an E8500 will save you some money, some heat/power, and also give better performance in most applications that matter.[/quote]

I second the E8500. My friend advised me against the Q6600. He's got the same issues as you, Koggit. One core doing all the work while the others do nothing.

I only went for the E8400 because at the time, the CPU support list for my mobo didn't have it listed. Go for E8500 if you're not gonna go quad core.
 
Okay, I did some more research on going either quad or dual and I think I will remain with my quad core decision.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dual-quad,1720-20.html

Most of the sites I checked out for info on this all agreed quad core is the best choice for "future proofing" your setup at least for a bit but the Tom's Hardware article showed that as more applications start supporting quad core technology, there's more and more of a reason to use quad core.

I know it may take some time until the majority of applications take full advantage of quad core technology but I'd like to have a little security and don't want to upgrade my setup for at least some time.
 
[quote name='darkness12']Most of the sites I checked out for info on this all agreed quad core is the best choice for "future proofing" your setup at least for a bit but the Tom's Hardware article showed that as more applications start supporting quad core technology, there's more and more of a reason to use quad core.

I know it may take some time until the majority of applications take full advantage of quad core technology but I'd like to have a little security and don't want to upgrade my setup for at least some time.[/QUOTE]

Look at the dates on articles.. they've been saying that for two full years, it still hasn't even begun to happen.

Since I built this PC, one program I use has been optimized for parallel computing: Mathematica. That's it. Every other program, of the 20+ I use on a regular basis, are in the same state they were two years ago, either single-core or dual-core optimized.

I thought quad core would be beneficial in multitasking, but I've found my hard drive to be the real bottle neck there.

But, hey, it's your money & it's your computer, so that's all I'm going to say on the matter, your decision has no affect on me.
 
Hey bro

That looks like a good build ,but i have a few suggestions
1.Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz_______$187.99
 i don't think the quad cores are worth it unless you do a lot of Video editing, AutoCAD, or use quad thread programs

2.Seagate Barracuda ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB_____$54.99
Run 2 in Raid 0, i prefer my extra storage to be on a separate HD.
also i am still not to sure about the 1Tb hds

3.BFG Tech GeForce GTX 280____$284.99 (after rebate)
not much difference in price but a big boost in performance

that should be $981 vs $989 after rebates and not counting shipping
(if my math is right)


EDIT
i just saw the "future proofing" comments. i am sure that in the next OS (after Win7) quad cores will by then be totally main stream 100% .
i just would not buy any high end components just for the sake of so called "future proofing" (READ: i don't believe in that wording and or concept)
some things will still be usefull just like my moms 2001 Compaq which i still use to day MAME FTW!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Not sure if you've pulled the trigger yet on your list above, but just to add one more opinion, I think your listed components is total overkill for what you're planning to do with your PC. You said high end FPS gaming, correct?

IMHO, forget SLI. SLI is truly for enthusiasts and requires a lot of maintenance and tweaking. In fact, not even too many games scale correctly with SLI. And unless you're planning on running 1920x1200 resolution or above, SLI isn't even worth it. Drop that XFX 780i board and just pick a solid board that costs less than $100.

Directly related, you won't even need a 750w PSU anymore if SLI is not a factor. A solid 500w will run a single GPU just fine. Save a few bucks there. I'm currently using a Corsair 520HX running a GTX260, 3 HDD, 1 optical drive, 4 case fans. No problems here.

And as for quad core, IMHO quad cores are overkill at the consumer level. Unless you're planning on running computational programs and constantly doing video rendering, a dual core will suffice. I don't even believe there are too many consumer level software that utilizes dual cores efficiently, let alone quad cores. And if your focus is on games, there still ain't too many games optimized for dual core. Check out some reviews of recent PC games. They usually dedicate a page to core utilization and you'll see what I mean. Save yourself more money here, just go with the budget E7000 series that can be had for $99 if you look around. Even the E5000 would be fine.

4GB ram can be had for less than the one you listed. G.SKill 4GB DDR2 800 can be had for $40. Corsair XMS series can be had for about $20 - $27 after rebate with the same specs. Unless you plan on overclocking your RAM, you don't need DDR2 1066.

And do you honestly need a 1TB HDD? Capacities like that are for media storage, not for OS and games. 250gb or 320gb will work for most desktop users. But if you want to avoid running out of space just in case, go for a 640gb.

And are you going with the Intel stock heatsink? If not, you'll have to add another item to the overall costs.

Don't get me wrong, what you have listed is great. But if all you're planning on doing is hard core gaming and nothing else that's hardware demanding, save some money by going with lower priced stuff (but still high quality) and focus all your money on a high end GPU (or LCD monitor if you don't have one yet or upgrade to a high end one).
 
There's no way I'd get a HDD smaller than 1TB right now.. I have 2TB and still crave more, I've only got ~400gb free. 1TB is only about $100.
 
I agree with what the others are saying, your rig is pretty overkill. Here's what I built, it's pretty practical and cheap for the average user.

LIAN LI PC-A05 $79.99
Foxconn A7GM-S $66.99
Antec earthwatts EA380 380W $34.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000 Brisbane $55.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 $39.99
Seagate Barracuda 250GB SATA $54.99
LG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA $24.99

Subtotal = 357.93

The prices fluctuate on Newegg and when I bought the parts the shipping was free for all of them but I don't know about now.

Depending on what graphics card you pick, you'd probably want a better PSU. For a decent budget card, the 4670 is ok and doesn't require a lot of power. The total will probably be around 500 bucks, which frees up 500 bucks to spend on a nice monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speaker setup.
 
never understood the love for "quality" cases myself. I always just buy a shitty 20$ case and add fans/cut out chunks as I need. As long as it has brackets for my mobo and HDD/media drives its a fine case in my book. Plus I hate that new cases are going with the PSU on the bottom design : (
 
Lian Li cases are very nice because they're spacious, have nice chassis designs, are sturdy and are very pleasant to work with. Plus they're sleek and minimalistic on the outside, and they typically have spaces for multiple 120mm fans.

If you build a lot of PCs (for other people, as a business) you come to appreciate a quality case.
 
[quote name='Sokkratez']Lian Li cases are very nice because they're spacious, have nice chassis designs, are sturdy and are very pleasant to work with. Plus they're sleek and minimalistic on the outside, and they typically have spaces for multiple 120mm fans. [/QUOTE]
What mid/full tower isn't spacious?
Nice chassis design? Sturdy? Are you kicking them or playing catch with your computer or something?
Pleasant to work with? They have a good personality and compliment you as you install parts, "wow great job steve you really secured that mobo in there!"
Doesn't get more minimalistic than a box of steel painted black.
4 screws and a drill lets you put a fan where ever you want.

And one you seem to have forgotten that everyone has to mention for some reason. I bet those lian li cases have great airflow amirite?
--
While I'm certainly not running a business making builds for people, I do a fair number, probably 4 or 5 a year for various friends, family members and workmates. I used to worry about the case, "Oh damn the p180 I gots to get one of those." But after awhile, when people's budgets were smaller than I was used to and had to really stretch to put a decent box together, I started going for the cheaper stuff. Add an extra fan and apart from the removable mobo tray / quick snap HDD brackets, it was just the same as the more expensive cases.

I recognize that some cases have special things like cable storage areas, little channels cut out for water cooling tubes and stuff like that. I just think that its not worth the extra money for that when you could cheaply replicate the same thing. Cable holders? Zip ties pushed through holes in the frame.

Now, I'm all for people preferring the look/features of a case, you should get a case that you like for whatever reason, but that chassis/spacious/sturdy thing : /


I'd think if I were to start a business doing it, I'd just use the shitty cases, do what I usually do, call it a custom case and charge more for it. I'd also be sure to highlight the features such as, "It's made from steel!"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Koggit']There's no way I'd get a HDD smaller than 1TB right now.. I have 2TB and still crave more, I've only got ~400gb free. 1TB is only about $100.[/quote]

I just don't see the benefit of running one as a main when failure rates for them are so rampant.

also you only have 400gb left...is it cause of music/vids or PORN...cause if its the latter you might have an addiction :lol: jk\
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']
Now, I'm all for people preferring the look/features of a case, you should get a case that you like for whatever reason, but that chassis/spacious/sturdy thing : /[/QUOTE]

I slantymouthface at your not understanding. Not worth it to break it down.
 
[quote name='Gspoon']I just don't see the benefit of running one as a main when failure rates for them are so rampant.

also you only have 400gb left...is it cause of music/vids or PORN...cause if its the latter you might have an addiction :lol: jk\[/QUOTE]

I've never hard a hard drive fail on me.. and even if it did, everything important (school docs) are on my gmail.

It's mostly HD movies and TV shows. 350 episodes of One Piece, six complete seasons of 24, etc. A movie alone is often 10+ GB. An HD episode is about a gig, so a standard ~20 ep season is 20 - 25 gb. It goes fast...
 
[quote name='Koggit']I've never hard a hard drive fail on me.. and even if it did, everything important (school docs) are on my gmail.

It's mostly HD movies and TV shows. 350 episodes of One Piece, six complete seasons of 24, etc. A movie alone is often 10+ GB. An HD episode is about a gig, so a standard ~20 ep season is 20 - 25 gb. It goes fast...[/quote]And hence I said 1TB HDDs are for media storage, not OS/programs/games. Keeping these separated would be a good idea to avoid performance issues. If the OP is only going to play games and not much else besides standard desktop affairs, no need for a terabyte drive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top