Flexible gaming build

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kronegker

n00b
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
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Hi guys. I'm a big fan of this website and want to ask your suggestion on a good flexible gaming build. I'm looking for an all-round mobo in case I want to upgrade my CPU, video card in the future. Also I'm quite a noob in terms of building/buying computer parts (usually I can't figure out whether the parts are compatible to each other or not), so your help is greatly appreciated!

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
70% gaming (I plan to play games like Civ 5, Mass Effect, Total War Series) and 30% statistical programming (Stata, Matlab, Fortran, etc).

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$900 not including tax and shipping.

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

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.
Motherboard, CPU, GPU (at least 2 gb), PSU, Case, SSD, RAM (hopefully 16 gb)- essentially the tower and its contents. No peripherals needed.

EDIT: I already have SSD and HDD, and they are not part of the $900 budget.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I have a Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 128GB, so I don't need to buy another SSD. The SSD is not part of the $900 budget. I also have a 320 GB harddrive lying around, 5400 RPM, but don't remember the model.

EDIT: HDD is Seagate Momentus Thin 320GB Thin 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 2.5-inch HDD ST320LT.


6) Will you be overclocking?
No but I don't mind learning.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
24", 1920x1080.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
By the end of July or early August.

EDIT: I prefer the month of July.

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. I prefer Crossfire or SLI support. I also would like the motherboard/soundcard to support a 5.1 surround sound system.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I'll have Windows 7, 64 bit.

Thanks again for your time and expertise. I don't mind paying slightly less (or more) so feel free to list a few alternatives for each part. Sometimes it's good to see the tradeoffs. I look forward to hearing your advice! You are awesome!
 
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kronegker said:
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
By the end of July or early August.
Click to expand...

Ok, what's the likelihood of you buying before July 31st? If the chance is low, please come back in August and ask for advice then. I say that because a lot of our recommendations involves Newegg's combo deals to save you money. However those expire at the end of the month they were introduced in. So if August is a more likely time for you to make your purchases, please come back in August and bump up this thread.
 
Ok, what's the likelihood of you buying before July 31st? If the chance is low, please come back in August and ask for advice then. I say that because a lot of our recommendations involves Newegg's combo deals to save you money. However those expire at the end of the month they were introduced in. So if August is a more likely time for you to make your purchases, please come back in August and bump up this thread.
Click to expand...

Good point! I'm more likely to order the parts before July 31st. Thanks!
 
Wait, did you mean HDD rather than SSD in your answer to question 4?
 
Wait, did you mean HDD rather than SSD in your answer to question 4?
Click to expand...

I already have both SDD and HDD (I finally looked up the model and it's Seagate 5400 RPM 320 gb, SATA 3.0). They are not included in the $900. Sorry if I was confusing!
 
So here's what I recommend:
$330 - Core i5 3570K CPU + Asus P8Z77-V AT Motherboard Combo from Microcenter
$80 - 2 x G.Skill Value Series F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$300 - MSI R7870 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB PCIi-E Video Card
$200 - Corsair 650TX V2 650W PSU + Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case Combo
----
Total: $910 plus tax.

Thats 16GB of RAM max right there. With the combos you're saving at least $100. So buy before the end of July!
 
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Hi guys,

I plan to pull the trigger next week but have a few questions on some possible alternatives:

1. Will the Corsair 650TX be able to support (power and capability-wise) crossfire if I want to add another GPU in the future? If not should I get the Seasonic X750 for $120 instead? One of the tradeoffs is that I don't get to buy the PSU/Case combo. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-151-087&SortField=1&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1#scrollFullInfo.

2. What is the value added between Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon HD 7850? The price difference is $60.

Thanks again for your advice.
 
kronegker said:
1. Will the Corsair 650TX be able to support (power and capability-wise) crossfire if I want to add another GPU in the future? If not should I get the Seasonic X750 for $120 instead? One of the tradeoffs is that I don't get to buy the PSU/Case combo. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...rue&Keywords=(keywords)&Page=1#scrollFullInfo.
Click to expand...

I'd recommend a 750 watt PSU for CFX/SLI. While the Seasonic X750 is a good choice, especially at that price, the TX750 V2 would also work just as well. Go with whichever you could find for less.

kronegker said:
2. What is the value added between Radeon HD 7870 vs Radeon HD 7850? The price difference is $60.
Click to expand...

Simply put, the HD 7870 is better, but it costs more and requires more power. See this head-to-head comparison between two XFX cards.

The "added value" of the 7870 over the 7850 depends on the games you play and the resolution they're played on. Assuming that Mass Effect 3 is the most resource-intensive game you'll play, various benchmarks have shown that either card would work well (with max settings at 1920x1080, you'd go above 60fps with either card).
 
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azeem40 said:
650W is enough for 2 7850s even if you OC both.
Click to expand...

True, but I'm in the better-safe-than-sorry camp.

I still recommend either the Seasonic X750 or the Corsair TX750 V2 because each PSU draws 62A of power on its 12V rail versus the TX650 V2 and its 53A of power. Having a little bit of extra power in reserve will help prolong the PSU's lifespan, which works best when it's operating under 40% to 60% of its maximum load.

Plus, finding a completely modular, 80 Plus Gold-rated power supply from a known-to-be-good vendor/manufacturer for $120 shipped is a steal. I believe that the Seasonic X750 is worth the $30 premium over the Corsair TX650 V2.
 
I'm well aware of the fact that you now need a new case... but what do you need?

The TX750 V2 has a couple of good case/PSU combo deals available:

$215 - Corsair TX750 V2 and Corsair 500R combo deal
$225 - Corsair TX750 V2 and Corsair 550D combo deal

However, the Seasonic X750 doesn't have any similar combo deals. You'd have to pair it with a comparatively cheaper case. Here are a few options to consider:

$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K57
$70 - Lian Li PC-7B plus II
$80 - Lian Li K60B
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58W
$80 - Corsair 300R
$100 - Corsair 400R
$110 - Cooler Master HAF 922

Most of these cases have some sort of promotion code that reduces their final price; and I made sure that they all had free ground shipping.

So, which case and PSU are you considering now?
 
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A lot of options! This is great!

If I go with the TX750 V2 I would pick the Corsair TX750 V2 and Corsair 500R combo deal for $215.

If I go with Seasonic X750 I was originally going to pick the Corsair 400R which would make it a total of 120+100 -7 (promo)=$213.

But turns out the Cooler Master HAF 922 has a $15 promo so with the X750 it would be 120+110-15=$215, the same price as the Corsair TX 750 V2/ Corsair 500 R combo.

The Cooler Master HAF 922 is (arguably) better than Corsair 500 R and the Seasonic X750 is (arguably) better than the Corsair TX750 V2. So picking Cooler Master HAF 922 and Seasonic X750 seems like a better deal? Let me know if this makes sense and I'll probably order them tonight!
 
Although after reading about the Cooler Master HAF 922, I'm slightly intimidated by its size, which begs the question: Are there smaller towers that are capable of fitting two graphic cards and have a similar cooling performance as the Cooler Master HAF 922? It seems like both Lian Li K60B and Lian Li Lancool PC-K58W both fit this criteria in which case is size the only reason why Cooler Master HAF 922 is more expensive? Sorry for the noob question.
 
Choosing a case involves not only looking at each case's available features but also dealing with your own personal tastes. You can't really go wrong.

Ultimately, you need to decide which case you're willing to live with.
 
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