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1500$ budget! help me?

nuclearactiveguy

nuclearactiveguy

Weaksauce
Joined
Dec 2, 2011
Messages
66
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
gaming and video editing

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
my budget is 1500$ tax and shipping NOT included

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US, massachusets

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.
honestly... all the basic components like:
MOTHERBOARD, CPU, OPERATING SYSTEM, RAM, PSU, VIDEO MONITOR, DVD/CD DRIVE, GRAPHICS CARD, HARD DRIVE, COMPUTER CASE.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
nothing being re-used

6) Will you be overclocking?
possibly, so yes...

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1080p 23"

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
usb 3.0, SATA 6GB/s and etc (suggestions open)

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
NO
__________________________

BUDGET: 1500$ max! but id like to save money if possible... I plan on playing games like "skyrim" "FO:NV" "FO3" "Counter Strike Source" "GMOD"

so as you can tell these are not the heavist games in the world... but i also want something that will be good for a least 2 or 3 years before I really have to update!

In more info. I have a ASUS 8GB QUAD CORE 2.2GHZ Windows XP with a GTX460 768mb. 500HDD

This is all the info that I have... idk if its worth upgrading it... or not. but it can run crysis at ultra-settings

Anyway.. just throwing it out there.

Heard an extreme amount of good things about this forum . :D
 
Asus 8GB Quad Core 2.2 GHZ? Doesn't really tell us much. Do you mean you have an asus MoBo, with a quad core processor mounted? If so, which models?

Also, how much/how heavy of video editing do you plan on doing? Hours of rendering/editing, or more as a hobby/side project?
 
well idk thats the problem... i bought it back in 2008, im in afghanistan. right now so i cant rly check...

the whole video thing is just a hobby thing
 
Ok that raises the second question. In the FAQ you said you will be buying ASAP, but your in Afghanistan. Does this mean you'll be buying online exclusively to ship to your Mass. home, or are you waiting until you come back to buy?
 
i will buy the parts now and assemble when i get home. In the army you don't get much free time so i want everything ready to go when i get home. the only thing i can really think of to delay buying until then in the monitor and the video graphics card.
 
Sorry for the delayed reply, had to take a business call.

Okay, now we can start the build.

Since you just video edit more as a hobby, you won't need a super CPU.

Intel i5-2500K - $225
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

MoBo to go with that that has the stuff you listed that won't blow your budget to hell:

Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H - $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502

RAM:

G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 - $44

GPU:

MSI R6970 Lightning OC - $390
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127581

PSU:

Corsair HX750W - $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

For storage, I prefer a SSD boot/HDD storage drive option. If that's how you want to go:

Crucial M4 64GB - $111
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 7200RPM - $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145533

CD/DVD burner:

Asus 24x DVD burner - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
---------------------------------------------
Total:$1,220 Before Tax + Shipping (No tax plus usually free shipping from Newegg)


This leaves you with $280 from your original budget to get a monitor and case. I'm not too clear on your monitor, you listed it among the parts you need but then you listed a 23'' 1080p as your monitor, are you looking to replace an existing one, or looking to buy a new 23'' one? Either way, $280 should cover you for both of those. Case wise, it all depends on preference really, in terms of how they look, how many bays they have, etc, I'm sure some other users will have lots of suggestions on that front.

The above preliminary build list will definitely handle all the games listed above at 1920x1080 without a problem, and probably all the other newer titles too. The processor and graphics card are both easily overclockable should you choose to do that in the future, but I would suggest getting a CPU cooler/fan if you do OC, my recommendation would be the Cooler Master Hyper 212+.

RAM-wise, whenever you have more cash on hand, or when Newegg has one of their frequent sales, you can pick up another 2x4gb set to expand to 16GB if you want.

For storage, the SSD is a nice plus since it will definitely reduce load times for OS/commonly used software, but if you want to cut $110 out of your budget, it's optional.

Hope this helped!
 
wow thanks!

but i have my doubts about this Graphics card you chose :/

Ive had some bad experiences with Radeon.

I am however open minded! Now about that... I've been looking at this card


ASUS GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) ENGTX570 DCII/2DIS/1280MD5 Video Card
GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) ...
1280MB GDDR5
PCI Express 2.0 x16
$349.99

now is this card better? I've some rather good experiences with GTX series... like the GTX460 768mb, I can run crysis on Ultra settings no problem so I can just imagine what the GTX570 may accomplish
 
Radeon's done better recently, I personally used to have problems with them too. The main issue with them now is mostly drivers, they've had some cases of taking a while to release drivers that optimize for the latest games.

The GTX 570 is also a very strong card, and will perform amazingly. Normally, I'd tell you to get this model instead:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130622

since it has a higher default clock. However, the ASUS one does currently offer a $30 rebate, so if you can get on that it would be the better choice, since you can always overclock it yourself.
 
Yes, there is the GTX 580 and GTX 590, but the 580 typically comes in at around $500-$600, and the 590 at $750 (and is also sold out currently). You'll have to expand your budget to work those into your build.

The motherboard has 3 PCI-E 2.0 slots, but due to spacing chances are you'll only be able to fit two cards. However, if you do plan to SLI, you might also have to upgrade your power supply to a 850 or 1000W. You could either get the higher PSU now, and wait on the second graphics card, or you can go with the above build, and then get a new PSU+Card down the road.
 
as long as I can dual lol... but i plan on using dual when my machine needs a update

I might just buy the GTX570 that you recommended.

but if I dual... does that mean 2x the performance the single card can give? or is a game going to run on only one
... i honestly dont know how it works lol
 
SLI and Crossfire (AKA 2 card configs) don't double performance. First, both cards have to be identical (IE, you can't SLI a GTX560 with a GTX 580). They will be limited by whichever has the lower mem width, so typically people just buy the exact same card from the exact same manufacturer to guarantee optimization.

Most older games actually don't support SLI/Crossfire, and thus gain no benefits from a two card build. However, newer ones such as BF3, Skyrim, MW3, etc DO support SLI/Crossfire. In these cases, performance can be boosted anywhere from 15% to 30% or thereabouts, depending on the game. So if you used to run a game at say 40 fps, you'll see an increase to say 50-55 fps.

Having SLI/Crossfire may help your video editing though, especially if you overclock your CPU.
 
umm idk . seems like radeon has many more cores but still people tell me nvidia is better... plus ull worry about dual later on
 
Which programs are you using for video editing? That will help determine whether or not an Nvidia-based video card is appropriate for your build.

The current trend is that Nvidia has the more powerful cards, but AMD (formerly ATI) has the cheaper cards. Unless you're seeking excellent gaming performance regardless of cost, we will recommend an AMD card more often for those with a similar budget as yours.

And it's a good idea not to worry about a dual-card SLI or CrossFire setup at this moment. Most people who think about going that route end up sticking with a single-card setup.
 
Last edited:
oh ok. but for someone with 0 experience with overclocking AMD's is this a good idea?

and the whole SSD is not happening yet, i just have no idea how it works. plus.how can 64GB help me in anyway?
 
There are guides and third-party software that can help you overclock virtually any video card, regardless of whether it's from Nvidia or AMD.

I would recommend an SSD, but given your budget priorities, you can hold off for now. That said, a good SSD (like the aforementioned Crucial M4) has much faster access and seek times than even the fastest SATA HDD. With a 64GB SSD, you would fill it with your OS and (a few) key programs, and you would use the HDD to store everything else.
 
ooohhh.. so if i got the SSD solemn for the OS the system itself would pretty much work fast ? and as far as everything itself.. wouldnt be a problem i guess
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
ooohhh.. so if i got the SSD solemn for the OS the system itself would pretty much work fast ? and as far as everything itself.. wouldnt be a problem i guess
Click to expand...

Pretty much just for the OS, small applications, and probably a game or large application or two. Up the SSD to the 128GB version if you have the spare cash and really want that extra bit of leeway.
 
ill look into it. i might downgrade from 1 TB HDD to a 128GB SSD if possible.

i may game a lot. but i use steam.. so i unstall games if i dont need them anymore
 
The SSD is in no way a replacement for a HDD. I haven't been able to get by with anything under 300 GB of storage space for applications in years. Keep in mind, this is just for programs/files/etc I access regularly, not a storage disk (I have two 2TB externals for that). The average game nowdays clocks in from 7-10GB, so a few of those and you would already have filled up half of your 128GB SSD. If you don't have the budget for both a SSD and HDD, just get a 1TB HDD for now and wait for the SSD prices to drop some more.

Also, for most people a 64GB SSD is sufficient. A few gigs for Windows 7, a few more for MS Office/FF etc, and you have like 40 gigs for games, so you can have 4-5 of your most commonly played games on there no prob.
 
ill just stick to HDD and id like some suggestions on cases... i dont understand. do i need to but a ATX full tower if im going to get a ATX motherboard? and what is compatable with ATX? what Hard drive is compatible? all of them? I know they have to be SATA 6gb/s with the motherboard im getting and L1155
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
is the processor a major part of how graphics may be affected in a game?

is amd any close to Intel?
Click to expand...

Currently, the fastest AMD CPU is slower than most of the current Intel CPUs. Remember Bullplopper, I mean Bulldozer? The benchmarks for Bulldozer are extremely disappointing compared to the hype that it received.
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
ill just stick to HDD and id like some suggestions on cases... i dont understand. do i need to but a ATX full tower if im going to get a ATX motherboard? and what is compatable with ATX? what Hard drive is compatible? all of them? I know they have to be SATA 6gb/s with the motherboard im getting and L1155
Click to expand...

You will need an ATX compatible case if you're getting an ATX case. I recommend the following cases:
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56 ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$100 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance nVidia Edition ATX Case
$100 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58W ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-60FN ATX Case
$115 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$115 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$125 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$122 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 White ATX Case
$130 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver Arrow ATX Case
$130 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium Grey ATX Case
$140 - Antec Performance One Series P183 V3 ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$140 - Silverstone RV03B-W ATX case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$170 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$178 - Silverstone RV02B-EW ATX case
$190 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

All SATA hard drives are compatible. No, hard drives do not have to be SATA 6.0Gb/s as current hard drives aren't even close to SATA 3.0Gb/s in terms of performance.
 
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so much helpful info , thank you guys

now what about the power source, if i get a GTX560ti 448cores
say it uses about 600W, and on then i get another GTX560ti 448cores in the future. do i need 1200W now? is that how it works?
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
so much helpful info , thank you guys

now what about the power source, if i get a GTX560ti 448cores
say it uses about 600W, and on then i get another GTX560ti 448cores in the future. do i need 1200W now? is that how it works?
Click to expand...
No, thats not how it works.

When Nvidia recommends a PSU, they recommend based on the wattage needed for the entire system, not the video card alone. In addition, they usually add another 100W to 200W as a buffer since there are a lot of crappy power supplies out there that can barely provide half their rated power let alone their full power.

In any case, for GTX 560 TI 448 cores SLI, you should be fine with any quality 850W PSU out there. The Corsair TX850 V2 and HX850 are solid choices.
 
thank you very much, now does that count for for the fans?

like my card requires 700W and the fan in the case 95W. so i need 795W or does it apply the same as the cards?
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
thank you very much, now does that count for for the fans?

like my card requires 700W and the fan in the case 95W. so i need 795W or does it apply the same as the cards?
Click to expand...

Same as the cards.

Though you won't find computer fans taht draw more than 3W to 4W though.
 
ok nice, thank you for all the the, now if my spending cap for a graphics card is 400$ which one would you buy?
 
In a way, it does matter, as Sony Vegas Pro benefits from GPU acceleration (where it uses the video card instead of the processor for some of its major tasks). I don't know whether or not the consumer-level Vegas Studio (HD) has the same level of GPU acceleration as the Pro version, but I know that the latter is more robust. Based on a brief search on the subject, you can use both Nvidia and AMD cards with Sony Vegas Pro, but GPU acceleration seems to work better with Nvidia cards.

But again, all of the above information is based on the assumption that you're using Sony Vegas Pro instead of Sony Vegas Studio HD. So which one are you using? That question would justify the "need" for an Nvidia card.
 
tiraides said:
In a way, it does matter, as Sony Vegas Pro benefits from GPU acceleration (where it uses the video card instead of the processor for some of its major tasks). I don't know whether or not the consumer-level Vegas Studio (HD) has the same level of GPU acceleration as the Pro version, but I know that the latter is more robust. Based on a brief search on the subject, you can use both Nvidia and AMD cards with Sony Vegas Pro, but GPU acceleration seems to work better with Nvidia cards.

But again, all of the above information is based on the assumption that you're using Sony Vegas Pro instead of Sony Vegas Studio HD. So which one are you using? That question would justify the "need" for an Nvidia card.
Click to expand...

pro version lol. i guess your right. im thinking about getting the gtx 580
 
There's no way you will get a gtx 580 for under $400 unless you are willing to buy used. They start at around $500, and the high end models come close to $600.
 
nuclearactiveguy said:
I might just expand my budget for the sole reason of a better Graphics card
Click to expand...

If you want the best best of the best single GPU out now at whatever the cost and total disregard for good value, then go for the GTX 580.

If you want good bang for the buck, you're looking at the GTX 560 TI 448 Core that came out recently. 97% of the performance of the GTX 570 but for 84% of the costs.
 
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