$1000 Build

rowdypixel

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 1, 2008
Messages
327
After nearly 5 years of loyal service, my last build has finally bitten the dust and won't turn on. I'm mostly convinced it's just due to me snapping the power button and it no longer connecting the jumpers, but I've been looking for a reason to upgrade anyway. ;)

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Development (both web and desktop). Gaming. I usually play games that are old enough to go on sale, but since I like to keep them around for a few years, we can also think of it as a mid-to-high end gaming build.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around $1,000. I can be flexible. If adding another $100 or $200 can give me a greatly improved build, I can spend the extra money. This is before taxes and shipping.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Michigan - by Grand Rapids (no Microcenter or Fry's nearby)
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, Motherboard, CPU Cooler (if necessary), Motherboard, RAM, HDD/SSD, Video Card, Wireless Adapter, Case, Power Supply
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be reusing my monitors (I have one @1920x1080 and 2 @1440x900). Keyboard, mouse and speakers.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Probably.
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
23" at 1920x1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
By the end of November. Depends on if the general advice is to wait for Black Friday or just go go go.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
USB 3.0. SATA 6Gb/s
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes. I have Windows 8 x64 (upgradeable to Windows 8.1).


Here's what I have up to this point:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($225.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI B85-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($132.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($224.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Encore ENEWI-1XN42 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.72 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE82 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1098.59
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-16 10:13 EST-0500)
 
A B85 and K series CPU don't mix. You'l want a Z87 motherboard to be able to fully utilize all the features of that CPU. That's not to say you can't put a K series CPU in a B85 and expect it to work.
 
Also, you can get EVO over PRO for SSD. 32 GB of memory appears to be an overkill as well. That's about $150 saving. I'd put those savings to better MOBO. Also, I'd consider HX750 since it's around the same price range (AR, of course).

I have a thread in this forum (build in progress) and did quite a bit of reading on several highly reviewed products. Originally, I wanted to stay within ~$1300ish but not I am pushing close to $1500...Regardless, anyone who is building sub $1000 gaming rig should take a look IMO.
 
Good to know. I just looked to make sure it was the right socket and had the right features. I didn't think about chipset differences.

I've swapped out the B85 for the ASRock Pro3.

Complete Parts List:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.98 @ Amazon)
Memory: Kingston 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($124.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($224.99 @ NCIX US)
Wireless Network Adapter: Encore ENEWI-1XN42 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($8.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.72 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE82 550W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($85.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1105.60
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-16 11:42 EST-0500)

Also, you can get EVO over PRO for SSD. 32 GB of memory appears to be an overkill as well. That's about $150 saving. I'd put those savings to better MOBO. Also, I'd consider HX750 since it's around the same price range (AR, of course).
I run virtual machines fairly regularly, so I wanted to opt for more memory if possible. It's something I will take into consideration. I much prefer the fully modular design of the NZXT. I'm not going to be pushing the 550W PSU, so the extra wattage doesn't help me much AFAIK.
 
Last edited:
I recommend a slightly different tack:

$312 - Intel Core i5-4670K and ASRock Z87 PRO3 combo
$342 - MSI R7950-3GD5/OC BE HD 7950 and Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 combo
$120 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$100 - Samsung 840 EVO 120GB SSD
$63 - Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
$14 - Rosewill RNX-N150PCe 802.11n PCI-E wifi card
$67- Rosewill CAPSTONE-550-M 550W semi-modular PSU (included $18 discount promo code EMCYTZT4842, ends 11/17)
$43 - NZXT Source 210 Elite
=====
$1061 - Total before taxes and shipping

I took advantage of a couple of combo deals and found a couple of cheaper alternatives to what you were considering. (But I have to give full credit to Enilder for finding the Rosewill Capstone-M on sale.)

Don't knock the Rosewill PSU just because it isn't fully modular. Only the main 20+4-pin motherboard and 4+4-pin ATX12V connectors are permanently attached to the power supply. As for the quality of the power supply itself, ignore the 80 Plus rating; JonnyGURU gave a positive review of the non-modular 750W model.

If you spend more on anything, spend the extra ducats on the case. The NZXT Source 210 Elite has an extra (140mm top) case fan, a USB 3.0 front port, and tool-less drive bays, all of which aren't included with the "plain" Source 210 case.

How serious are you about overclocking? You could save some more money by going with a different processor and motherboard:

$200 - Intel Core i5-4570
$75 - MSI B85M-G43

The i5-4570 is only 200MHz slower than the (stock speed of the) i5-4670K, which isn't noticeable in everyday tasks. And even though the MSI B85M-G43 has two SATA 3Gb/s ports mixed in with the other four SATA 6Gb/s ports, it has two physical PCI-E x16 slots (one is 4x electronically) and supports USB 3.0. (As an aside, you can connect any and all hard and optical drives to the SATA 3Gb/s ports, as they won't use the full bandwidth available to them.)

If you're serious about overclocking, however, get the CPU cooler now:

$25 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler

Its sibling, the Hyper 212 EVO, is a little better, but it isn't $10 better.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for the input. I typically tend to overclock as much as possible without increasing the voltage to my CPU. My understanding is that the K series allows this much more easily than the standard i5.

I've looked at my old PC more, and I'll be re-using my 2TB HDD and the wireless card, so I can take out those expenses. Any suggestions for where to repurpose that money, or would it not make a very big difference?

I've taken both of your advice and my build now looks very similar to the one tiraides lists.

$312 - Intel Core i5-4670K and ASRock Z87 PRO3 combo
$342 - MSI R7950-3GD5/OC BE HD 7950 and Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 combo
$120 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$100 - Samsung 840 EVO 120GB SSD
$0 - 2TB HDD - Already Have
$67- Rosewill CAPSTONE-550-M 550W semi-modular PSU (included $18 discount promo code EMCYTZT4842, ends 11/17)
$43 - NZXT Source 210 Elite
$25 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler
Total: $1009 before taxes & shipping


I'd like to pull the trigger on this today, but at the very least I'll buy the PSU, since it's the last day for the promo code.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
You can safely purchase that PSU without a second thought. If I was in your situation, I'd go for slightly "better" case than the one you are getting (you are already "saving" ~$100 worth of parts by not getting HDD and wireless card). Also, I'd get EVO over Plus for CPU cooler.
 
I plan on it. I just want to make sure I'm not ordering anything else from newegg today so I can save on shipping.
Any case recommendations? I'm not sure what I would get for spending more money on a case.
 
This case is on sale today:

$65 - Corsair 300R windowed ATX mid-tower case (compare the price to NewEgg)

The 300R has dual front USB 3.0 ports (versus one port on the Source 210 Elite), more internal space, and a better build quality. Plus, who doesn't love Corsair?
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
After a fair amount of browsing different cases, I quite like the design of the CM HAF XB. Anyone have any experiences with it or other recommendations?
 
After a fair amount of browsing different cases, I quite like the design of the CM HAF XB. Anyone have any experiences with it or other recommendations?

Also take a look at Air 540 by Corsair. It has a good review (also reviewed by hardocp).
 
It is a very nice looking case, but I have a hard time justifying the extra $40 over the XB. I'm actually having a hard time justifying the XB :)
 
After a fair amount of browsing different cases, I quite like the design of the CM HAF XB. Anyone have any experiences with it or other recommendations?

Very fugly to me.

I second Tiraides' recommendation for the 300R while it's on sale. BUt other cases I recommend looking at:
$50 - Corsair Carbide Series 200R ATX Case
$75 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$90 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK White Full Tower ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$125 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-W ATX case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$115 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$170 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Full Tower ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B-USB3.0 ATX Case
$250 - Silverstone FT02S-W-USB3.0 ATX Case
$245 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW ATX Case
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Everything is on it's way! Thanks for the help everyone.
Here's what I ended up with:

$312 - Intel Core i5-4670K and ASRock Z87 PRO3 combo
$342 - MSI R7950-3GD5/OC BE HD 7950 and Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 combo
$120 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$100 - Samsung 840 EVO 120GB SSD
$67- Rosewill CAPSTONE-550-M 550W semi-modular PSU (included $18 discount promo code EMCYTZT4842, ends 11/17)
$50 - Corsair Carbide 200R
$25 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler

I'm excited to put this one together!
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top