The Ultimate 'Build-A-PC' Thread. Complete With Pricings & Recommendations (06/06/10)

[quote name='nastyislegend']After lots of reading and skimming discussions, I have decided to build my own gaming rig as well. Here is what I have come up with.

Case - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
GPU - HIS IceQ X H785QN2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Processor - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...
Motherboard - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
PSU - Rosewill Green Series RG630-S12 630W Continuous @40°C,80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core ...
Disk Drive - LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM

I would like any recommendations or suggestions. Saving a more money would be nice. Keep in mind I'm am a total "noobz"(?) when it comes to computers and their components so be gentle!! Thanks guys.[/QUOTE]
Check out this link:
http://www.hardware-revolution.com/computer-systems/gaming-pc/

I used that when building mine. I didn't follow any of the builds exactly, but I just used it as a guide (I wouldn't recommend going with the PSUs they recommend though, I would personally go with Corsair or another reputable brand.)
 
[quote name='Kaltic']Has anyone used ASRock or Biostar motherboards? I've noticed that ASRock has won some customer choice awards on newegg, but I have only had experience with ASUS motherboards.[/QUOTE]
I have an ASRock board. It's one of their budget boards (880GM-LE), but it works just fine.
 
A few questions:

1. Which of these laptops (for gaming) is better?

HP Pavilion dv6-6135dx

Acer Aspire 7750 AS7750-6458

It is to my understanding that both of these have almost identical graphics cards, but the Acer has the edge on processing power (4 threads at 2.4 GHz up to 3.0 GHz with the i5 compared to 4 threads at 1.5 GHz up to 2.4 GHz with the AMD quad-core).

Apparently Acer laptops are not the best, is this true?

Are there any other refurbished or new laptops you guys would recommend with good gaming graphics cards for ~$500-600?

Thanks.
 
Nasty adding at least a Blu-ray reader isn't that expensive but I would also just suggest a writer for backup data use.

Sager(or Saeger) is who produces some of the best laptops Twisted. My laptop has a desktop i7 in it, take that as you will. It's a beast but the battery life is for shit obviously.
 
So I just got my ASRock Z68 motherboard in from newegg and I had one question for all of you. There is some plastic film (similar to what you find on cell phones or other electronics) covering the metal cover of the chipset. I am assuming I take it off, but not really sure.
 
Hey guys, would love to know if any of you could give me help on how to build/order a gaming PC here in Germany. I Really want to have an english operating system and have looked at some places but there is always the problem with shipping and the german os. Budget of around 1000 euro

Thanks for any help!!!
 
Going to be trying to build a gaming pc towards the end of August. But I am completely lost as to what to do and what components work together. Anyone have any helpful advice or links? Kinda overwhelmed and not sure what to look at as far as parts.

Edit: As far as my Budget, hm somewhere between $700 to maybe as high as $1000. Ideally I want to end up with a desktop that can run The Witcher 2 really well (since thats a fairly taxing game as far as I know and something I'd like to play at high settings.)

Edit 2: I've looked back through the thread some and found a site that had this build on it.
http://www.gamersnexus.net/pc-builds/46-pcbuildupg/837-ivy-bridge-pc-build-may

Being a novice when it comes to this, how good of a pc is that? Could it run the Witcher 2 well? How long before I'd need to consider upgrading anything? Thank you for any responses.
 
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I like that PC, the i5-2500k is awesome and so is the GTX 570.

Going to kill The Witcher 2 with that setup. Keep researching the sales, you can use that as a way to piece together a cheaper PC.
 
Thanks for the reply J-cart, I will keep researching and looking at things in my spare time. Thankfully I have over a month before I will be looking to start making purchases. So if nothing else hopefully things will be a bit cheaper.
 
College student here, looking to build a computer for the first time. The budget is 700-800, looking to play manly strategy games like Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, Civ 5, and eventually Company of Heroes 2.

I'll have the money saved up come November, or December. Where should I start to look at sample builds, websites, etc. ?

Found this thread on Reddit, seems helpfull.
 
Been juggling the idea of getting new PCs.

Would need 2x. I have a P4 2.8 GHz with half a TB of stuff that I haven't touched since November 2009. GF still uses an AMD 4200+ or something from the same time period, I forget. Also have an HP laptop with an onboard video card.

I currently only really want to play some strategy games I've missed, like Sword of the Stars, Galactic Civilizations, Starcraft 2, etc. And Torchlight, Diablo III, and Grimrock. Being able to play some multiplayer FPS would be nice, but I haven't played them since CS.

GF seems like she wants a laptop, so she could play while watching TV, or I'm playing a console game. She also doesn't like that her computer is in the guest bedroom, even though we only get guests a couple times a year. We don't have a tablet either.

Thing is, I don't have a desk or chair anymore. We sold the desk, and she stole my chair, which is probably 8 years old anyways.

I can't decide on getting 2 laptops (ASUS G75s or similar), two desktops, or the combination.

I'd like to get an i7 Ivy Bridge, but it also seems like an overkill.

Doubt the GF needs an i7, but she sounds mildly bitter that her ex always gave her lesser products.

It'd be a plus to have a desktop to get rid of all my old backup CDs and DVDs, which would require at least 2TB. GF has about 300GB, and never filled that up.

Being able to play Borderlands 2 on it might be a plus, but we'll play on the PS3 if not. Not a big deal.

While price isn't a concern, I'm cheap, and we're saving for a house. I don't mind dropping $3k on two laptops, but I worry they won't last even three years. Battery life doesn't matter, since it most likely won't leave the house much, if at all.

Already have one 24" monitor I can use, so it does cut down a desktop price a bit. But I would need a new case/psu/etc.

Any advice? Should I just build something cheaper, like an i3/i5, or i7 without a video card, or get mid-range gaming laptops?
 
Hello all. I am a first time builder and brand new to this type of thing. I was in another thread on the CAG site and was sent over here to post my ideas for a build and get feedback. I would really appreciate any constructive feedback. I just dont want to screw anything up.

Main purpose of the pc is to game. I really desire nice graphics and speed. I will be playing games that would require medium to ultra settings. I also will be using a 50 inch panasonic viera 3d plasma tv as my monitor. I have build a sort of man cave and would like to add a great pc to it.

Here is what I have come up with and prices. I would like to try to save some money off this if possible. Again, any feedback would be great.

CPU Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core $259.99
Motherboard Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 $224.98
Memory Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 $59.99
Hard Drive Western Digital RE4 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM $79.99
Video Card MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB $237.49
Case NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower $99.88
Power Supply Cooler Master 850W ATX12V / EPS12V $119.99
Optical Drive LG GH22NS90B DVD/CD Writer $19.98
 
[quote name='ctuck7777']Hello all. I am a first time builder and brand new to this type of thing. I was in another thread on the CAG site and was sent over here to post my ideas for a build and get feedback. I would really appreciate any constructive feedback. I just dont want to screw anything up.

Main purpose of the pc is to game. I really desire nice graphics and speed. I will be playing games that would require medium to ultra settings. I also will be using a 50 inch panasonic viera 3d plasma tv as my monitor. I have build a sort of man cave and would like to add a great pc to it.

Here is what I have come up with and prices. I would like to try to save some money off this if possible. Again, any feedback would be great.

CPU Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core $259.99
Motherboard Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 $224.98
Memory Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 $59.99
Hard Drive Western Digital RE4 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM $79.99
Video Card MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB $237.49
Case NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower $99.88
Power Supply Cooler Master 850W ATX12V / EPS12V $119.99
Optical Drive LG GH22NS90B DVD/CD Writer $19.98[/QUOTE]

What games are you eyeing to play?

I'd say you can cut back on the MB and probably even get the i5-3470 or i5-3570. Then again, if you are truly finding the 3770 for that price, I'd probably get it.

I'd stick with a P77 motherboard, but unless you are planning on multi-gpu, I'd say any one with a 16x PCIe slot should suffice. You'd be more than pleased spending about 100-160 depending on the brand. Lots of good choices out there.

You can probably save a little bit on the PSU as well. I'm tired and an not in a calculating mood, but pick (almost) any name brand (Antec, Raidmax, Corsair, Cooler Master, etc...) Bronze 80 plus PSU at >= 650W and you should be set. I know you can save a bit there. Just pick a brand you are comfortable with. I've used all that I listed in one system or another without an issue.

With the savings you could get a 7870, another good card for just a bit more.

If you are going with a 64-bit OS and going to do anything else other than gaming, I'd say just bite the bullet and get 16GB of RAM. Wait for a sale and get it for
 
[quote name='elessar123']Been juggling the idea of getting new PCs.

Would need 2x. I have a P4 2.8 GHz with half a TB of stuff that I haven't touched since November 2009. GF still uses an AMD 4200+ or something from the same time period, I forget. Also have an HP laptop with an onboard video card.

I currently only really want to play some strategy games I've missed, like Sword of the Stars, Galactic Civilizations, Starcraft 2, etc. And Torchlight, Diablo III, and Grimrock. Being able to play some multiplayer FPS would be nice, but I haven't played them since CS.

GF seems like she wants a laptop, so she could play while watching TV, or I'm playing a console game. She also doesn't like that her computer is in the guest bedroom, even though we only get guests a couple times a year. We don't have a tablet either.

Thing is, I don't have a desk or chair anymore. We sold the desk, and she stole my chair, which is probably 8 years old anyways.

I can't decide on getting 2 laptops (ASUS G75s or similar), two desktops, or the combination.

I'd like to get an i7 Ivy Bridge, but it also seems like an overkill.

Doubt the GF needs an i7, but she sounds mildly bitter that her ex always gave her lesser products.

It'd be a plus to have a desktop to get rid of all my old backup CDs and DVDs, which would require at least 2TB. GF has about 300GB, and never filled that up.

Being able to play Borderlands 2 on it might be a plus, but we'll play on the PS3 if not. Not a big deal.

While price isn't a concern, I'm cheap, and we're saving for a house. I don't mind dropping $3k on two laptops, but I worry they won't last even three years. Battery life doesn't matter, since it most likely won't leave the house much, if at all.

Already have one 24" monitor I can use, so it does cut down a desktop price a bit. But I would need a new case/psu/etc.

Any advice? Should I just build something cheaper, like an i3/i5, or i7 without a video card, or get mid-range gaming laptops?[/QUOTE]

What game(s) does she want to play on the laptop? That dictates things.

As for you, I'd say build an i5 desktop. Far more bang for the buck if you are a CAG.

Drop me a PM if you'd like and I can point you to some things.
 
[quote name='jmbreci']What game(s) does she want to play on the laptop? That dictates things.

As for you, I'd say build an i5 desktop. Far more bang for the buck if you are a CAG.

Drop me a PM if you'd like and I can point you to some things.[/QUOTE]

Both of us would like to catch up on older games. For her, she wants something she can play Sims 3, Neverwinter Nights 2, Diablo III, Torchlight, Magicka, and be able to run MMOs. If it can run Borderlands 1/2 at a decent detail, it'd be a plus. I'm actually leaning towards getting her a Llano laptop for about $500.

For me, something that can run Diablo III, Starcraft II, Torchlight, Magicka, Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilizations... and hopefully CS:GO.

For the most part, neither of us need top of the line, but I also don't want to have to upgrade for awhile. For me, however, having a lot of space is almost a must.

I actually have never strayed from Intel, but the Llano does look like a very cheap and capable chip, especially since the mid-range mobile Llanos have pretty decent graphics benchmarks.
 
Hey guys! I've been looking around and getting ideas for what type of build I want for a higher end gaming rig. In my searching around I came across Newegg's pre built pc's. Is this comparable to components I could buy on my own or can I do better? This will be my first time building a pc and will do so in a month or 2 when I get the stable funds.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1018081

And on a side note. I've been seeing that Intel's new Ivy Bridge should be releasing soon. Would this result in price drops on their previous chips that would result in spreading funds to upgrade certain parts a bit more? Thanks in advance!
 
Ended up getting the GF a laptop with the new Trinity A10-4600M, and she's loving it.

I started ordering parts for mine. So far, I got:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower $96.41
Asus P8Z77-V LK Intel Z77 DDR3 LGA 1155 Motherboard $125.99 w/ $20 MIR
CORSAIR Pro Series HX750 750W 80 PLUS SILVER Certified $132.17 w/ $20 MIR
SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 256GB SATA III MLC Internal SSD $194.99

Getting soon:
Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz $214.99

Not planning on overclocking, but I want the Intel 4000HD as a backup/while I wait on a graphics card. Want an NVidia Fermi card, but I'm not satisfied at the price/performance ratio compared to ATI cards. Might run SLI/Crossfire for fun, thus the slightly higher quality PSU, which is barely enough to run a pair of mid-ranged graphics cards.

No idea on RAM yet, but I'm planning on a 4x4GB kit. For sure getting either Corsair or G.Skill low profile 1600s.

I haven't decided on Windows 8 installed in a Virtualbox in Xubuntu 12.10/12.04, or Xubuntu in a Windows 8 Virtual Machine. Probably the former, since I've been using Ubuntu 99% of the time in the past 2 years. Going to skip Windows 7 due to the higher cost, as Windows 8 is going to be a $39.99 upgrade.

Adding a graphics card when I find one for the right price, probably around Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

Adding platter HDDs later as well, during the same time period. Getting at least 2x2TBs, but probably 3x2TBs in RAID5. Haven't figured out how I want to backup 4TBs of data yet.

Getting a blu-ray burner, though I'm not planning on using it much, but they're relatively cheap. Seems a waste to spend $50 on a bluray drive, when a burner is like $90.

From past experience, I only really upgrade video cards and HDDs, about twice per computer. Thus I'm going with 16GB of RAM off the bat.

I'm still iffy about getting the 3570K instead of the 3770k though...
 
You are getting a k series processor but don't plan on overclocking? That seems rather silly, considering that easy overclocking is practically the whole point of the k series. Getting the 3770 over the 3570 would be even sillier. For just a hundred (maybe more) extra bucks you can increase your gaming performance by 1%! What a deal! The only way that it could possibly be worth it is if you do LOTS of video encoding or 3d graphics work or run some other extremely cpu intensive applications like those.

...

Anyways, I am finally building a new PC after many years of using this old piece of shit. The only major component I have left to decide on is the video card. I'm basically considering three different price ranges, namely the 6870, 7850, and 7870. Each step up means a 15-20%ish performance increase but also a $60-$70ish cost increase. Not really sure which way to go. Any thoughts?
 
[quote name='TripJack']You are getting a k series processor but don't plan on overclocking? That seems rather silly, considering that easy overclocking is practically the whole point of the k series. Getting the 3770 over the 3570 would be even sillier. For just a hundred (maybe more) extra bucks you can increase your gaming performance by 1%! What a deal! The only way that it could possibly be worth it is if you do LOTS of video encoding or 3d graphics work or run some other extremely cpu intensive applications like those.[/QUOTE]

Couple reasons I'm getting the K series. It has a better integrated video card, since I'm not buying a graphics card til at least around Black Friday. The 3550 has an HD2500, vs HD4000 on the 3570K. I also plan on doing a lot of transcoding. No 3D graphics work (I used to, but I don't enjoy it). Planning on doing light Photoshopping and at least some data processing, though I only have a valid license from like 1999. Hoping the rumors are true that they're making Photoshop free, and charging for functions.

Considering the 3570K is literally only $5 more than the 3550, I don't see a reason why not to get it. I'm not building a purely a gaming computer by any means, though it will probably be the majority of the use.

The reason I'm considering a 3770K is because I know I won't upgrade the processor in the future. But I'm probably sticking with the 3550K.

P.S. Only reason I don't like to overclock is because it shortens the lifespan of parts. I probably will overclock it if I'm still using the same PC several years down the line.
 
Anyways, I am finally building a new PC after many years of using this old piece of shit. The only major component I have left to decide on is the video card. I'm basically considering three different price ranges, namely the 6870, 7850, and 7870. Each step up means a 15-20%ish performance increase but also a $60-$70ish cost increase. Not really sure which way to go. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Well if you are going with the 6870 you can always unlock a 6850.
 
[quote name='z3r0s']Well if you are going with the 6870 you can always unlock a 6850.[/QUOTE]

You may be thinking of a 6950 -> 6970. The 6850 can be unlocked, but it won't match a 6870.
 
You may be thinking of a 6950 -> 6970. The 6850 can be unlocked, but it won't match a 6870.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's was what I was thinking all the numbers get the best of me sometimes.
 
Was thinking about building one, then I saw this. Could I make something better for cheaper? I need one in a hurry for school. I realize I'd have to get a good graphics card (You know .. for Microsoft Office and stuff ;) ) and a blu ray drive, but other than that.. basically, what's good and bad about this?
 
[quote name='Scorch']Was thinking about building one, then I saw this. Could I make something better for cheaper? I need one in a hurry for school. I realize I'd have to get a good graphics card (You know .. for Microsoft Office and stuff ;) ) and a blu ray drive, but other than that.. basically, what's good and bad about this?[/QUOTE]

Once everything was said and done, you could definitely make something much better for around the same price or decently better for cheaper. The processor is okay, but nothing to write home about. You would need a graphics card, like you said, and you would probably need a different power supply. If I was at a computer, I would try to show you some mock builds in that price range, but I'm out in the boonies on my phone.
 
ehljtk.jpg


Build one like this but with a better GPU and its =)
 
So I'd like to build a pretty decent gaming PC but dont really know much about computer and get very confused by all the different number and names with the components and video cards. I watched some of the Newegg tutorial videos, but I am still kinda lost.

I'd like to spend between 500-600 dollars total on the computer, and I'm not in a major rush, just wanting to make it happen piece by piece. It seems like a graphics card would be one of the last things I'd want to purchase as they are always improving and getting cheaper (so by the time i could actually make use of the video card I may be able to afford a better one than I could now). I'd like as much as advice as I can get, but so far I was thinking:

Case- $50 Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Video Card- $300ish 7870 series, Hoping it will have gone down in price by the time I'm ready. Please let me know of other better/ cheaper alternatives that will suit my needs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

Motherboard- AMD i-5 2500 $200ish (again I dont know much so please offer suggestions)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Memory- Probably get 8gb ram, unless you guys think 16 would be a better choice

And then I would need to choose a power source, and HDD and get the other items to finish it up, but these seem like the most crucial components. I dont want to have to do much upgrading for a while so thats kinda important too, and thanks again for any help in advance.
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']So I'd like to build a pretty decent gaming PC but dont really know much about computer and get very confused by all the different number and names with the components and video cards. I watched some of the Newegg tutorial videos, but I am still kinda lost.

I'd like to spend between 500-600 dollars total on the computer, and I'm not in a major rush, just wanting to make it happen piece by piece. It seems like a graphics card would be one of the last things I'd want to purchase as they are always improving and getting cheaper (so by the time i could actually make use of the video card I may be able to afford a better one than I could now). I'd like as much as advice as I can get, but so far I was thinking:

Case- $50 Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Video Card- $300ish 7870 series, Hoping it will have gone down in price by the time I'm ready. Please let me know of other better/ cheaper alternatives that will suit my needs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

Motherboard- AMD i-5 2500 $200ish (again I dont know much so please offer suggestions)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Memory- Probably get 8gb ram, unless you guys think 16 would be a better choice

And then I would need to choose a power source, and HDD and get the other items to finish it up, but these seem like the most crucial components. I dont want to have to do much upgrading for a while so thats kinda important too, and thanks again for any help in advance.[/QUOTE]

$500 to $600, and you want a $300 card?

You'll probably be spending $40-60 on a case, $60 on a psu. RAM will be $40-45 for 8gb (you definitely don't need 16). The i3 ivy bridges should be coming out soon, if you want an Intel. Those should be about $120, I'm guessing. Add the cheapest z77 motherboard would be around $100. Add an HDD for $80-100 (frankly, a 1TB caviar black for $100 is a good price, but you know your needs better). Assuming you don't need a keyboard/mouse/monitor, that leaves $115-160 for a video card.
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']So I'd like to build a pretty decent gaming PC but dont really know much about computer and get very confused by all the different number and names with the components and video cards. I watched some of the Newegg tutorial videos, but I am still kinda lost.

I'd like to spend between 500-600 dollars total on the computer, and I'm not in a major rush, just wanting to make it happen piece by piece. It seems like a graphics card would be one of the last things I'd want to purchase as they are always improving and getting cheaper (so by the time i could actually make use of the video card I may be able to afford a better one than I could now). I'd like as much as advice as I can get, but so far I was thinking:

Case- $50 Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Video Card- $300ish 7870 series, Hoping it will have gone down in price by the time I'm ready. Please let me know of other better/ cheaper alternatives that will suit my needs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

Motherboard- AMD i-5 2500 $200ish (again I dont know much so please offer suggestions)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...yMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

Memory- Probably get 8gb ram, unless you guys think 16 would be a better choice

And then I would need to choose a power source, and HDD and get the other items to finish it up, but these seem like the most crucial components. I dont want to have to do much upgrading for a while so thats kinda important too, and thanks again for any help in advance.[/QUOTE]

There are a couple of things that need to be covered here. $500-600 is a very reasonable budget, but the parts will need some changes.

Case is totally your choice. I love NZXT, the next guy loves Corsair, my girlfriend has a Rosewill that works great. I've seen people use a cardboard box as a case. Whatever you like the best and has the features you want at the price you want to pay.

Graphics card should be your most expensive component. I don't think you'll be able to afford spending more than around $200 with a $600 budget, however. I've owned both the 6970 and the GTX 680, and discovered that I prefer Nvidia over AMD. That being said, I would recommend the 560ti 448 if you can find it on sale around $200.

Motherboard- The i5-2500k you listed is actually a processor, not the motherboard. It's also made by Intel, not AMD. You should expect to spend between $50-100 for a motherboard. It has to be compatible with your processor, or you're gonna be in for a bad time. You'll want an 1155 socket if you choose the Intel processors.

Processor should be your second most expensive component. I would recommend an i3 for your budget. You should expect to pay slightly over $100.

Memory should be no more than 8gb unless you have money to burn. Anything more than 8gb will sit unused. Catch this on sale for under $40.

Power supply needs to be at least 500w. I wouldn't skimp on this. Get one that's quality.

Hard drive should be whatever you need. Pretty cut and dry.

Optical drive should run under $20.
 
Thanks guys! Really appreciate the feedback. Obviously I know there are budget things (such as a 200 or 300 dollar part) but I was consdering that the prices may have dropped by when I was ready to buy that part. Probably still need to do a lot of tweaking but like I said I really appreciate the feedback and advice.

Also I work at a school that goes through computer equipment like crazty so I was considering asking the IT guy for a computer case and if they had any extra memory which may help drop the cost as well

Also, will the components you've suggested be decent options for the longer term?
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']Thanks guys! Really appreciate the feedback. Obviously I know there are budget things (such as a 200 or 300 dollar part) but I was consdering that the prices may have dropped by when I was ready to buy that part. Probably still need to do a lot of tweaking but like I said I really appreciate the feedback and advice.

Also I work at a school that goes through computer equipment like crazty so I was considering asking the IT guy for a computer case and if they had any extra memory which may help drop the cost as well

Also, will the components you've suggested be decent options for the longer term?[/QUOTE]

The suggested components should run current settings on high. That will decline over time, of course. You could get several, several years out of them before you would need to upgrade, depending on how nice you want your games to look. And if you do find second-hand RAM, just make sure it's DDR3.
 
So my time frame i wanted to finish by is going to be around October (due to moving around that time and having more room). I had originally thought I could spend between $500-$600, but Im a bit ahead of schedule on my funds for the project so I may be able to spend more than I had originally anticipated. A question I have is whether its better to buy piece by piece over time (I would figure starting with the components that dont drop in price as much or have much advance in technology), or save and buy everything at once (but money always burns a hole in my pocket for things like this).

If it is better to go piece by piece (which I think I would prefer if its not a terrible idea), Which part(s) should I start with if I have around $200 right now
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']So my time frame i wanted to finish by is going to be around October (due to moving around that time and having more room). I had originally thought I could spend between $500-$600, but Im a bit ahead of schedule on my funds for the project so I may be able to spend more than I had originally anticipated. A question I have is whether its better to buy piece by piece over time (I would figure starting with the components that dont drop in price as much or have much advance in technology), or save and buy everything at once (but money always burns a hole in my pocket for things like this).

If it is better to go piece by piece (which I think I would prefer if its not a terrible idea), Which part(s) should I start with if I have around $200 right now[/QUOTE]

It's best to only buy on sale, and all around the same time. If you bought something on sale today, it will be on sale for even cheaper in October. Plus you don't want to buy piece by piece and then discover your budget was smaller than you imagined, leaving you stuck without funds to purchase missing components. However, if you've planned it out well and want to pick up pieces along the way, you can go that route fairly successfully. Just wait for a great deal before you pick anything up using that method, or you will be doing yourself a great disservice. Just have an idea of what to be looking for and pick up whichever one is at rock bottom. Don't worry about buying them in any order.

I would stick to the original build suggestions and use any extra funds to purchase an SSD. They're getting shockingly cheap and have a really phenomenal impact on PC and game load times.
 
After skimming the last few pages looks like I did pretty good with my build a couple months ago. A few guys over in the OTT helped me out as well. From what I've talked to with a few friends its a beast of a build. The only thing I'm concerned about is that I've read that Caviar Green drives die pretty quickly. Is that true? I would eventually like to upgrade the SSD, but its good for right now just for the OS. Just out of curiosity, SLIing the 560 Tis should carry me for a long while shouldn't it?

Antec 900 case
2TB WD Caviar Green HDD
64GB Crucial M4 SSD
16gb DDR3 1600 G.Skill Ripjaws series RAM
Intel i7-3820 CPU
ASRock X79 Extreme6 motherboard
2x EVGA 1gb GTX 560 Ti Fermi SLI'd GPU
Rosewill Bronze 1000W PSU
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus
LG 12X blu ray burner
Win7 Ultimate
Total cost was around $1725-$1800

Eventually I want to watercool the CPU. Be nice to watercool the video cards, but theres no room left in the case for anything unless I bought a new one. Which I might in a year or so
 
[quote name='HumanSnatcher'] The only thing I'm concerned about is that I've read that Caviar Green drives die pretty quickly. Is that true? I would eventually like to upgrade the SSD, but its good for right now just for the OS. Just out of curiosity, SLIing the 560 Tis should carry me for a long while shouldn't it?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I it's true. You can help prevent it by setting the drive to not park the head so often. Google how to do it.

As for the SSD; I bought a 256GB 830, but I'm having buyer's remorse. I partially wish I bought a 128GB drive instead, paired with a Caviar Black drive or velociraptor.

And about the SLIs, I'm not 100% sure, but I think for the same price, you can get a single card with the same performance at less power. This one I'm not sure about, since I've never ran SLI or high end $500+ cards.
 
Going to be ordering parts for my new desktop this week. Anyone know a good wireless network card? Nothing to expensive, just something that will be stable and have a good connection.
 
Sorry to double post but I don't need a wireless card anymore. I ordered everything I'll need to build my new gaming rig. But seeing as this is my first build, does anyone have a good handy guide they like to use? I saw the 2 listed in the 2nd post of the thread but I didn't know if anyone had any others they'd like to suggest.
 
[quote name='Scorch']Any good recommendations for blu-ray drives? Nothing fancy, not looking for a burner, just want to be able to watch movies.[/QUOTE]
Depending on the price, you might as well get a burner. This is what I have in my rig. Only 60 bones. And its actually 15 bucks cheaper than what I paid for it 3 months ago

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136250

I coulda swore that I answered you a couple days ago. I must have gotten sidetracked before I hit Post. Hopefully that helps ya tho.
 
Hey guys, still planning my computer and I have a question. Everyone seems to say and agree that its a good idea to get a SSD and it seems people also recommend getting like a 1tb harddrive as well. My question is what do you use the SSD for if you have 1tb of space on a different HD.

Do you install the OS to the SSD to make it boot/operate faster and do you install your games to the SSD? Or just the saves to load quicker? Wondering because most people recommend a 240gb SSD but I know games are huge so that seems like it'd fill quick. Thanks again CAGs
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']Hey guys, still planning my computer and I have a question. Everyone seems to say and agree that its a good idea to get a SSD and it seems people also recommend getting like a 1tb harddrive as well. My question is what do you use the SSD for if you have 1tb of space on a different HD.

Do you install the OS to the SSD to make it boot/operate faster and do you install your games to the SSD? Or just the saves to load quicker? Wondering because most people recommend a 240gb SSD but I know games are huge so that seems like it'd fill quick. Thanks again CAGs[/QUOTE]

You'll install the OS and the most important apps and games to the SSD. Everything else goes on the hard drive. I have a 256GB and currently have OS and ALL apps and games on the SSD, but it's filling up and I'm going to need to get another soon or pick up a 512gb, if I plan on keeping all of them on the SSD.
 
[quote name='btw1217']You'll install the OS and the most important apps and games to the SSD. Everything else goes on the hard drive. I have a 256GB and currently have OS and ALL apps and games on the SSD, but it's filling up and I'm going to need to get another soon or pick up a 512gb, if I plan on keeping all of them on the SSD.[/QUOTE]

I did think of the prospect of buying a 240 or 256gb SSD now and upgrading to another larger one down the road when its closer to full and SSD's are cheaper to try and have only SSD as my storage
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']I did think of the prospect of buying a 240 or 256gb SSD now and upgrading to another larger one down the road when its closer to full and SSD's are cheaper to try and have only SSD as my storage[/QUOTE]

If you have a 7-series chipset (Ivy Bridge), Intel finally released TRIM support which means that you can RAID two 240 or 256 and get higher performance at a cheaper price than a single larger capacity SSD. That appears to only be for the 7-series though.
 
[quote name='MrshllJcb']Hey guys, still planning my computer and I have a question. Everyone seems to say and agree that its a good idea to get a SSD and it seems people also recommend getting like a 1tb harddrive as well. My question is what do you use the SSD for if you have 1tb of space on a different HD.

Do you install the OS to the SSD to make it boot/operate faster and do you install your games to the SSD? Or just the saves to load quicker? Wondering because most people recommend a 240gb SSD but I know games are huge so that seems like it'd fill quick. Thanks again CAGs[/QUOTE]

Steam Mover is also great for moving games from SSD to HDD.
 
[quote name='btw1217']If you have a 7-series chipset (Ivy Bridge), Intel finally released TRIM support which means that you can RAID two 240 or 256 and get higher performance at a cheaper price than a single larger capacity SSD. That appears to only be for the 7-series though.[/QUOTE]


I'm not gonna lie, I don't really understand a lot of this. I'm building my first pc so this time I'm going for ease of build and simplicity kinda. I get that you were saying that certain chips let you use two of the smaller SSD's without sacrificing performance but Im not familiar with terms like TRIM support yet. There is a Crucial m4 512gb SSD for $350 today only that I'm contemplating because it seems like id spend around $220 for something about half the size.
 
I hope I'm posting this in the right place. I've never built a pc before and I'm trying to build a good gaming pc on a budget. My goal is to be able to play Street Fighter AE 2012 and Wii games flawlessly. I don't know what the opinion on this site of emulation is but I own a wii and the games I'll be playing if that justifies it at all. I really just want to play smash brothers in hd. I would also like to be able to play most modern games maxed out fine. I'm fine with turning settings down a bit on very demanding games like battlefield 3 or crysis 2. I most likely won't be playing many of them either.

I'll be playing on a 32 inch 720p hdtv which I know if frowned upon by most pc gamers, but the visual difference really doesn't matter to me at that point. I won't be playing too many games that warrant high resolution. The most demanding games I think of that I'll be playing are the new counter strike, primal carnage, and nothing really beyond that. So if I can run those fine I'll be happy.

Here's the build I've come up with:

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti - $219
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM - $70
G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM - $24
GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3V LGA 1155 Intel B75 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - $65
Intel Core i5-2310 Sandy Bridge 2.9GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - $180
CORSAIR Builder Series CX500 V2 500W ATX12V v2.3 Power Suppy - $60
Rosewill R218-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $30

If anyone could tell me how to improve this build by getting something equal or better for a lower price I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if something in my build doesn't make sense let me know because, like I said, I have no experience building a pc and would like to know what mistakes I've made in case I want to build another pc in the future. Brand of parts doesn't matter to me at all as long as it's reliable and efficient.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that my ideal budget is $500-$600
 
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You didn't mention anything about an OS or a monitor. I'm assuming you have both of those covered?

EDIT: You also didn't mention a DVD drive.

Anyway, the parts you picked come out to $648 with no DVD drive, OS, or monitor. Leaving out the OS and monitor but adding a DVD drive...

CPU: Intel Core i5-2310 2.9GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3V Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($19.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($187.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 370 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($41.98 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $604.01

EDIT2: Plus shipping on some of those, naturally.

Also, keep in mind that as far as PC parts go, something is always going on or off sale. So if you're not buying now, this exact list is not gonna help you much. If you want to order, like, a week from now, the prices on this list will be different, and probably not for the better.
 
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[quote name='The Crotch']You didn't mention anything about an OS or a monitor. I'm assuming you have both of those covered?

EDIT: You also didn't mention a DVD drive.

Also, keep in mind that as far as PC parts go, something is always going on or off sale. So if you're not buying now, this exact list is not gonna help you much. If you want to order, like, a week from now, the prices on this list will be different, and probably not for the better.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the help.

I have the OS and dvd drive covered, just forgot to mention them. I did mention a monitor though.

I actually don't plan on buying this for about a month so I should probably keep an eye out for what's on sale and before I buy check back with this forum again for help.
 
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