Build be a work/gaming rig

D

dj_unforgetable

n00b
Joined
Aug 15, 2002
Messages
46
Help me out here folks :) The last system I build was almost 4 years ago so I've been out of the game too long.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Some gaming (looking towards SC2, and some WoW) but I'll be using it mainly for work. I usually have MacOSX and Linux running in two VMWare sessions on my box and I want a system (CPU/RAM) that can support this along with the casual SC2 gaming without bogging down. All the VM's won't be running at the same time along with gaming, so don't worry about that :p
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around $1200CDN total with tax.
3) Where do you live?
Toronto, Canada
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Video Card, HDD (1TB+), PSU, Cooling (air ideally, watercool not a stretch), Case (nothing fancy, not against mATX), Drives (Plain DVDRW), Wireless Cards (if not part of motherboard)
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Ideally no, but if it's easier than pencil-etching Athlon CPUs, then yes :)
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I already have a 24" monitor and might upgrade to a 30".
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In the next month.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Nothing fancy, SLI would be nice if I choose to upgrade eventually I suppose.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
I'll be installing Windows7 64bit.

I'd like to go i7 based on the reviews I've seen and the real-world gaming video I watched here, but I'm not sure if the Phenom x6 will serve my professional needs and my gaming needs. I've also read that the LGA1336 socket lasts longer than the LGA1556? I'd like to have this sytem remain more or less the same for at least 1.5 years. In terms of ram, 12GB (6x2GB) DDR3 should be enough I suppose?

I'm also thinking about getting a really cheap/small/fast SSD to boot only my OS, and getting a larger/slower HDD to put data onto ...

Hit me with you got !

Edit: Lol, you can see my old age based on the system in my sig, lol!
 
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You won't be getting 12gb of ram for an i7 build and an SSD with that budget, sorry :(
Why do you need to be running the VM's at the same time as gaming?
Without getting into the specifics of each items price from newegg.ca you could go with:
i7 930 + Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
6GB G.Skill DDR3-1600
XFX HD 5850
WD Black 1TB or Samsung F3 1TB
Corsair/Antec PSU 550-650w
CM 690 II or equivalently priced case.

Now consider this, if you give each VM 1gb of ram then you will have 4gb for system uses (assuming that these VM's are running all the time). I believe 4gb of ram would be plenty for gaming so you may just want to stick with that.
 
Appreciate the response and your honesty :) Yea, it was a mixup on my part, all vm's won't be running during gaming :p

Otherwise, the build looks good!! Would anyone make adjustments?
 
Not really, thats the cookie cutter 1000$-1200$ build I would suggest to anyone. If you want you could downgrade to an AMD quad and maybe spare some money for an SSD but I would suggest sticking with the above and then adding in an SSD at a later time.
 
yes, that's a very solid build, and the one most typically recommended around here for that price point. Check out combo deals on all the components to save a few bucks, and, if you can afford it, pick up an 80 gb intel x25 for your apps and OS.
 
An X58/Core i7 system will outperform the AMD X6 system in most tasks, especially if you double the RAM amount and add in an SSD in the future.

Intel's Hyper Threading technology allows its Core i7 processors to perform about as well as a six-core processor.
 
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