Building near $3000 gaming computer

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dlaxman31

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
315
I need your expertise on these objects. I have debated weeks upon weeks with different set ups. Below are the following. All items are being purchased at Newegg.com

Set up #1:
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 SONY 22X DVD Burner w/ LightScribe Black SATA Model DRU865S - Retail
Item #: N82E16827131059 $56.99

1 ABS Canyon 695 4 x140mm Fan Multiple Heat Zones Full Aluminum Super Tower
Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811215012 $599.99

1 LG L227WTG-PF Black 22" 2ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824005109 $259.99

1 ASUS Crosshair II Formula AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 780a SLI HDMI ATX AMD
Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131292 $289.99

1 EVGA 512-P3-N874-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ Superclocked Edition 512MB
Item #: N82E16814130385 $202.99


1 ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ1300 1300W
Item #: N82E16817814011 $469.99

1 CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2
Item #: N82E16820145214 $119.00

1 AMD Phenom 9950 2.6GHz Socket AM2+
Item #: N82E16819103291 $184.99

1 ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
Item #: N82E16835118019 $54.99

1 ZALMAN VF1000 2 Ball VGA Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835118037 $49.99

1 Rosewill RMS-A882 Black 2 Horizontal Screens Stand - Retail
Item #: N82E16882021082 $129.99

Subtotal: $2,430.88


Set up #2

Same as Set up #1 minus Motherboard, CPU and Memory


1 CORSAIR DOMINATOR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3
16000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X2G2000C9DFNV - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145207

$320.00

ASUS Striker II Extreme LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 790i
Item #: N82E16813131274

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz
$319.99


Subtotal: $2,796.88




Soooo my question is which is a better set up? Should I go AMD or Intel. I don't care about the price at all. But don't want to go crazy all of you [H] enthusiasts
 
What are you using this rig for? Is this for gaming?

What is your budget? You said you don't care about price but a price range or at least a cap, would be helpful.

Why the 9800GTX+? There are better newer cards available, especially if you don't care about price.

I don't think you need a 1300w PSU and I am sure someone will come along and let you know whether Tagan is a good power supply or not. I didn't see anything in your build that would require 1300w's.

I think Intel is what you want to go with. Apparently they are more stable.
 
I concur with Markistehnamezor: With a $3000 budget, you're way better off with a Core i7 build. Spending $3000 today on an AMD or Intel C2D build is pretty much a bad bad idea.

And if you want to know how good the Core i7 CPUs will be:
Intel Core i7 and Gaming
Intel Core i7 Application Results

Also for $3000, you can a lot better than the 9800GTX+. You should've been able to fit in at least a GTX280 with that kind of budget. Hell you could have probably fit in HD4870X2 Crossfire with that budget with the right selection of parts.

But for now, wait until Core i7 comes out sometime during this month and do some research list building then.
 
Good point but whats the big deal with the i7? I know you can point me to the link but I want the quick version of it.

Budget I'd say a cap of $2800. The rig is mainly for gaming. I have a 3 year old computer that I'm just not happy with not performing to my standards.


*** Note****
This build is actually for a friend so I'm not sure what the previous specs are.
 
Ignoring the fact that Nehalem-based components are coming just around the corner, I see some serious issues with this build:

- A $600 case? Why are you spending that much money on a case? (It's more than what most people spend on their video cards!)

- You're purchasing one 22" monitor and one multi-monitor stand. I take it that you already have another monitor?

- And what's with the single video card and SLI motherboard? (IIRC, SLI doesn't work with multiple monitors; it will only operate on the primary monitor and disable the others while active.)

- As an FYI, Intel is better than AMD right now. (Intel's upcoming Core i7 is reportedly better than the current Core 2 series; and it's scheduled to arrive within the next few weeks.) On the Intel side, NVIDIA's (SLI) chipsets are less stable than Intel's (CrossFire) chipsets.

- While we're on the subject of Intel -- I'll make it clearer: go Intel -- DDR3 memory doesn't offer any performance benefit over DDR2 RAM with the Core 2 series. (DDR3 is used exclusively with the Core i7 series.) Nor does having low latency "performance" RAM like the Corsair Dominators; the Core 2 series processors work well (at both stock speeds and overclocked) with just about any RAM that's certified under JEDEC specifications.

I'll stop nitpicking right now, but please help us out by answering the following questions:

- Is gaming the sole purpose of this build, or will you be performing other functions (e.g. video/3D editing, encoding/decoding, HTPC) as well?
- Which features do you want on the motherboard?
- Are you reusing any parts? Do you have any parts that you've already bought for this build? (Please be as specific as possible.)
- Will you be overclocking? Using water cooling? Both?
- How long do you want this build to last?
- When do you plan on ordering everything? Are you willing to wait a few weeks to check out the upcoming X58/Core i7 components?
 
tiraides said:
(IIRC, SLI doesn't work with multiple monitors; it will only operate on the primary monitor and disable the others while active.)
Click to expand...

Latest beta Nvidia drivers now allow for multiple monitors enabled while SLI is enabled.

Oh and OP, this best sums up Core i7's performance:
Core i7 > Core 2 Duo > AMD Phenom
 
Your main concerns:

Jesus christ man 600$ for a case? And that 469$ 1300w PSU is overkilling overkill.
 
One more question: What's the deal with the multi-monitor rack? Are you going with two 22" LCDs, a large/small combination... or...?
 
tiraides said:
- Is gaming the sole purpose of this build, or will you be performing other functions (e.g. video/3D editing, encoding/decoding, HTPC) as well?

Mainly just for gaming and other generic computer stuff
- Which features do you want on the motherboard? Enough SATA ports for many HDs and also slots for crossfire or SLI
- Are you reusing any parts? Do you have any parts that you've already bought for this build? (Please be as specific as possible.)
Not sure trying to find out as soon as I can again building for a friend
- Will you be overclocking? Using water cooling? Both?
No over clocking just stock don't wanna mess with it all. Not watercooling.
- How long do you want this build to last?
Well considering his last build lasted ehh 3-4 years or so, I'd say around the same time frame.
- When do you plan on ordering everything? Are you willing to wait a few weeks to check out the upcoming X58/Core i7 components?
Click to expand...

Sooner is obviously better with Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 out. But I guess if I waited this long whats a little longer?!
 
It's better to wait if you're going to spend that much. You'd feel sick when new technology comes out and for the same price you pay, you could have gotten something better in perfromance. But, if you do build now, I'd spend half that amount or even less.
 
You missed one question:

tiraides said:
- A $600 case? Why are you spending that much money on a case? (It's more than what most people spend on their video cards!)
Click to expand...

But definitely wait for the X58 motherboards and Core i7 CPUs with that kind of cash and longevity requirement.
 
Just have to add another comment for the $600 case... wowzers
eeek.gif
ecstatic.gif
content.gif
 
Here's a sample build you could get right now:

$240 - Antec Twelve Hundred & TruePower Quattro 1000W PSU combo deal
$320 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (with free copy of FarCry 2)
$220 - Asus P5E Deluxe
$38 - Xigmatek HDT-S1283 & ACK-I7751 retention bracket
$64 - OCZ Platinum Edition 2x2GB DDR2 1000 kit
$25 - Samsung SH-S223F DVD burner
$75 - Western Digital WD6400AAKS HDD
$550 - VisionTek HD4870X2
$100 - Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM
=====
$1632 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

This is an equally capable build (minus monitor and monitor rack) that costs less than what you would have paid for yours. While the dual-GPU HD4870X2 is overkill for one 22 inch monitor, it should work well with your multi-monitor setup. And I even saved you the trouble of waiting for FarCry 2 -- you get a free copy with the purchase of the Q9550.

But I suggest, like everyone else, that you wait for X58 and Core i7. Just know that you could easily do much better for much less.
 
Why is the cost of such a mid-range performance computer $2600.. I bought mine for 600 bucks and it's nearly the same performance.
 
Some people like having a lot of power. In the OP's case, it's about playing games on multiple monitors at high (visual) settings. While I could have easily used a mid-tower case, a sub-800W power supply, an E8-series Wolfdale dual core, and a P45 motherboard -- which would have brought the total closer to around $1000-$1200 -- I wanted to show the OP that a powerful machine (with plenty of options for future upgrading) can be had for less than what he was spending.
 
Considering cases are subjective and the "first contact" in a room, should be left to the buyer. At least for me, aesthetics > function. Deduct from the initial $2.8k and work with a $2.2k budget, which is way much imo.

- $57 DVD burner? Seriously?
- Zalmans are fail - try S1283, TRUE
- 9800GTX? I shoved 2x4850s in mine with a budget of 2-3 times less than what you have.
- Intel
- 1300w PSU..? That's 1/4 of the budget and it won't even improve your games. Not even 2x4870X2s require that.
- G.Skill Ram 1000MHz can be had for ~$70-$80
- 22" on a $2.8k budget..... Wut?
 
I think the OP understands now that he doesn't need to spend that much money.
 
Heh... you guys are astonished at a $3k system.... :rolleyes: ... a buddy of mine just built a $6k tri-SLI system (not including case, lol). He ordered the parts a few weeks ago, but didn't get to put it together until these past few days. He had some issues with his parts, so he called newegg and they actually took back the 790i board and QX CPU, waived restocking fee, and paid for the return shipment! I guess its easier to get that kind of deal when you spend $1400 alone on a CPU, lol. He tried to pre-order a Nehalem extreme and X58 board, but they don't do pre-orders unless the parts are actually in the system (which they're not). He's patiently waiting for the 17th to roll around. :p
 
i7 920 $350
P6T $320
3x2GB $280
antec signiture 850W $260
antec 900 $120
pick your screen $400
KB/M $100
2x GTX280- $820
WD6401AALS $85
pick your sound $100
vista HP OEM- $130

even after tax thats sub $3k and it would kick ass on either of your setups. Add a second screen and still fit under the limit. Its pretty close to what Im building, too.
 
He has 2 19" monitors right now and is upgrading to 2 22" monitors and prefers that they not be 24" as this might be a little too big for a desk.

He does not mind going with the 100W power supply as this will save him another $50 but he wants to ensure for the future that if he adds additional items he can.

The budget is no more than $3000.00 and he does not mind waiting on the i7 chip but will there be an ASUS motherboard to support this chipset when it comes out?

The case is not the big thing, yes it is $600 but is on sale for $500. There is another one (link is below) if you could provide your thoughts.

He went with the 9800gtx as there was not alot of difference between that care (the overclocked one on newegg) and the GTX280 if you look at the specs. I am pretty sure he does not need 2 cards at this point but might place this in the future.

Any thoughts?
 
Also,

The 9800GTX_ has these core settings which seems to beat the GTX280. What are your thoughts? This is the overclocked one that is being sold on newegg.

Chipset Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Core clock: 792MHz
Stream Processors: 128
Memory Clock: 2304MHz
DirectX: DirectX 10
OpenGL: OpenGL 2.1
HDMI: 1 via Adapter
DVI: 2
Model #: 512-P3-N878-AR
Item #: N82E16814130386
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
 
Did you just say the 9800GTX beats the 280? [GG] You're just looking at clock speeds. Do some homework and look up comparative reviews and benchmarks that line cards up together, like stuff on techpowerup. Don't wanna blast you too harshly but you seem pretty oblivious to hardware; you should really invest in more hw time by informing yourself of what's there.
 
dlaxman31 said:
The budget is no more than $3000.00 and he does not mind waiting on the i7 chip but will there be an ASUS motherboard to support this chipset when it comes out?
Click to expand...
Yes there will be:
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTU2NywxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==
dlaxman31 said:
The case is not the big thing, yes it is $600 but is on sale for $500. There is another one (link is below) if you could provide your thoughts.
Click to expand...
What link? Even at $500 that case is too much. I highly highly doubt that your friend needs a $500 case that's not much better than some $150 to $200 cases out there.

dlaxman31 said:
He went with the 9800gtx as there was not alot of difference between that care (the overclocked one on newegg) and the GTX280 if you look at the specs.
Click to expand...

Ok you definitely did not do any research at all. Read this review of the GTX280:
http://hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTUxOCw0LCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

Also you might want to see this side-by-side comparison of the 9800GTX and GTX280:
http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=559&card2=567

Geez. [GG] indeed.
 
UM, the 9800 only has 128 stream processors... the 280 has over 200 stream processors.

280>9800GTX+

GPU review is your friend.
 
lowteckh said:
Did you just say the 9800GTX beats the 280? [GG] You're just looking at clock speeds. Do some homework and look up comparative reviews and benchmarks that line cards up together, like stuff on techpowerup. Don't wanna blast you too harshly but you seem pretty oblivious to hardware; you should really invest in more hw time by informing yourself of what's there.
Click to expand...

Sad thing he's the one building this for his friend, I'd only imagine how oblivious his friend is.
 
No need to bashful. Though I personally wouldn't let someone inexperienced play with $3000 worth of parts. Lazy = fail, just do the HW.
 
tiraides said:
Here's a sample build you could get right now:

$240 - Antec Twelve Hundred & TruePower Quattro 1000W PSU combo deal
$320 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (with free copy of FarCry 2)
$220 - Asus P5E Deluxe
$38 - Xigmatek HDT-S1283 & ACK-I7751 retention bracket
$64 - OCZ Platinum Edition 2x2GB DDR2 1000 kit
$25 - Samsung SH-S223F DVD burner
$75 - Western Digital WD6400AAKS HDD
$550 - VisionTek HD4870X2
$100 - Vista Home Premium 64-bit OEM
=====
$1632 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

This is an equally capable build (minus monitor and monitor rack) that costs less than what you would have paid for yours. While the dual-GPU HD4870X2 is overkill for one 22 inch monitor, it should work well with your multi-monitor setup. And I even saved you the trouble of waiting for FarCry 2 -- you get a free copy with the purchase of the Q9550.

But I suggest, like everyone else, that you wait for X58 and Core i7. Just know that you could easily do much better for much less.
Click to expand...

^^^^ I second that.

To the OP: If you're willing to spend $3000 on a computer, at least budget wisely. When I think of a budget that big I think of a few things that not everyone can afford (these are things I'd personally add to tiraides list):

Double the RAM to 8 GB
Watercooling!!

High-end sound card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156005

High-end PC speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120

Also, I think of having at least a Velociraptor, if not two in RAID 0:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136260

Or even an SSD... or two in RAID 0:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220342
 
dlaxman31 said:
... The 9800GTX_ has these core settings which seems to beat the GTX280. ...
Click to expand...

hehe... thats like saying a Pentium Extreme Edition 965 @ 3.7Ghz will outperform a Core2Duo E8400 @ 3.0Ghz. Believe it or not, a 1.8Ghz Core2Duo E6300 performs the same as a Pentium Extreme Edition 965 @ 3.7Ghz. You need to do more research.

The GTX280 is based on the newer GT200 GPU while the 9800GTX+ is based on the G92+.

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=571&card2=567

There are more review links on the bottom of that comparison page. ;)
 
If you don't want to wait for Core i7, consider going with an x48 board with DDR3 support and getting yourself some DDR3 1600 modules. They'll last you longer for future builds.
 
So go with a Core i7 with and ASUS P6T Deluxe and utilize DDR3 1600 vs DDR3 2000? I have no problems pointing him to the GTX280 and I believe he already understands this by reading the replies that everyone has been placing. I appreciate everyones time as some do not have the knowledge of others. As for the other case I was refering to the link is below

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103022&Tpk=xcilo 1000

This would be the setup.....how does this look? (Everything from Newegg)

Set up:
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1 SONY 22X DVD Burner w/ LightScribe Black SATA Model DRU865S - Retail
Item #: N82E16827131059 $56.99

XCLIO 1000 Black / Silver 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail - $269.00

2 LG L227WTG-PF Black 22" 2ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824005109 $259.99

1 ASUS P5T Deluxe Motherboard

BFG Tech BFGEGTX2801024OCXE GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail - $449.00


1 ABS Tagan BZ Series BZ1300 1100W
Item #: N82E16817814011 $349.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X2G2000C9DFNV - Retail - $320.00

1 i7 Processor (not sure on speed yet depending on price)

1 ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler (WASNT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE)
Item #: N82E16835118019 $54.99

1 ZALMAN VF1000 2 Ball VGA Cooler - Retail (WASNT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE)
Item #: N82E16835118037 $49.99

1 Rosewill RMS-A882 Black 2 Horizontal Screens Stand - Retail
Item #: N82E16882021082 $129.99
 
What's with [you] and massively overpriced and overkill PSUs paired with hardware that doesn't even remotely touch the wattage?

Again, DVD Burner for $57!?
280 costs like $350AR these days.
Case well... if that's your taste.
If you're going i7 you don't need high end ram like that. $320 for 2x1GB seriously?
Said, before, Zalmans are fail and you don't need an aftermarket VGA cooler.
 
According to this article, having a power supply that's over a 1000 watts is often worse than unnecessary, as its less efficient than a smaller one would be. Unless you're running tri-SLI, half a dozen hard drives and the most powerful processor around, I doubt it's worth getting anything more than 800 watts.

Another thing - if you're looking around on newegg its a good idea to sort items by best rating. The masses tend to have a good sense of bang for buck.
 
enginurd said:
Heh... you guys are astonished at a $3k system.... :rolleyes: ... a buddy of mine just built a $6k tri-SLI system (not including case, lol). He ordered the parts a few weeks ago, but didn't get to put it together until these past few days. He had some issues with his parts, so he called newegg and they actually took back the 790i board and QX CPU, waived restocking fee, and paid for the return shipment! I guess its easier to get that kind of deal when you spend $1400 alone on a CPU, lol. He tried to pre-order a Nehalem extreme and X58 board, but they don't do pre-orders unless the parts are actually in the system (which they're not). He's patiently waiting for the 17th to roll around. :p
Click to expand...

ya cause they realise your friend isnt very smart for spending that much on a CPU cause very few people do, especially with i7 around the corner

some people just like to spend $3k to brag they spent $3k then you hear what they got and laugh that they could of save $2k and got the same performance or better!


wait for i7 for sure.
 
I'm going to leave the case alone. As lowteckh alluded to earlier, cases are highly subjective based on each individual's wants and needs.

Having said that, you don't need to be spending over $50 on a DVD burner when you could get one (the Samsung SH-S223F I referenced earlier) for half of that amount. Because the retail motherboard has most of the cables you'll need for your build, you could save yourself some money by going with OEM hard drives and optical drives.

Hold off on getting a CPU cooler, as we don't know (yet) which ones would fit the new LGA1366 socket. Also, I don't believe that the Zalman VGA cooler would be enough for something as large as the GTX 280.

You don't need to spend that much money on a power supply capable of handling the GTX 280. (For two 22 inch monitors, you probably won't need anything more than the GTX 280 -- or the HD4870X2.) The Corsair TX750 could easily work for your needs at less than half the price of the ABS power supply.

You'll need DVI-D cables for your monitors (unless you have some on hand already), but you should buy those from Monoprice.com.
 
A 1kw for Tri SLI or X2 Quadfire. Noctuas are supplying free 1366 mounts for their stuff.
 
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