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Gaming/Development PC under $1k

Z

Zyde

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Messages
151
EDIT: Updated November 08th

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($147.86 @ Newegg) -$60 MC deal
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($108.99 @ US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($359.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1061.80 - $60 (MC mobo deal) = $1001.80
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-11-08 15:16 EST-0500)

---------------------------------------------




The above is what I came up with (I already have a high-capacity SATA HDD). I plan to use the PC for:

* Gaming (2 x 1920x1200 monitors)
* Development (Visual Studio)
* Video Encoding (Sony Vegas)
* Side-Note 1: I picked an nVidia card so I can play around with PhysX
* Side-Note 2: PSU must be modular


And here are my questions:

  • Do you think I'll be able to purchase all of the above for under $1k with Black Friday's sales? If not, which components can I cut back on to save money without what I plan to do with the machine?
  • Is 1.25GB of memory enough for playing games like Skyrim on high settings on a 1920x1200 monitor? While I have two monitors, the game will only run on one of them (I leave IM and browser windows running on the second).
  • Are there any cheaper mobo alternatives (by ASRock)?
  • Will I miss the lack of hyper-threading in the 2500k for things like compiling heavy solutions and projects in Visual Studio, and doing other things on the computer (YouTube, IM, browsing, perhaps even playing a game) while waiting for the compile to finish? Same question while waiting for videos to encode. Should I be investing in a 2600k instead?
  • The Cooler above actually costs $20 if I order it in the next 2 days using Promo Code BLKNOVTP via NewEgg's Black November deals. Edit: The question part of this bullet point is whether I need a cooler at all, if I do not plan on over-clocking?
  • Is 64GB enough for a primary Win7 OS drive?
  • Any other suggestions that you may have are welcome.

Thanks in advance!
 
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1) Can't really say since I can't see the future. But if you need to cut costs, drop the video card down to the $220 to $240 GTX 560 Ti. Drop the case down to something cheaper as well. Up to 1GB of RAM. Go with a cheaper mobo.
2) Dunno because the game isn't out yet.
3) Why AsRock? You do know they only have a two year warranty? If you do want mtoherboard advice, please answer this question: What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
4) Yes
5) If you live in a warm or hot home or place, then yes get a 3rd party HSF. Otherwise if you're not overclocking, then no need for the 3rd party HSF. Hell you wouldn't need to go with the Core i5 2500K or Core i7 2600K if you're not overclocking. You should be fine with either the Core i5 2400 or Core i7 2600. With that said, Microcenter does have price cuts on the 2600K.
6) Yes
7) Besides the really odd preference for AsRock, setup looks fine.Though for your usage, you should be trying to get 16GB of RAM.
 
Danny Bui said:
1) Can't really say since I can't see the future. But if you need to cut costs, drop the video card down to the $220 to $240 GTX 560 Ti. Drop the case down to something cheaper as well. Up to 1GB of RAM. Go with a cheaper mobo.
2) Dunno because the game isn't out yet.
3) Why AsRock? You do know they only have a two year warranty? If you do want mtoherboard advice, please answer this question: What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
4) Yes
5) If you live in a warm or hot home or place, then yes get a 3rd party HSF. Otherwise if you're not overclocking, then no need for the 3rd party HSF. Hell you wouldn't need to go with the Core i5 2500K or Core i7 2600K if you're not overclocking. You should be fine with either the Core i5 2400 or Core i7 2600. With that said, Microcenter does have price cuts on the 2600K.
6) Yes
7) Besides the really odd preference for AsRock, setup looks fine.Though for your usage, you should be trying to get 16GB of RAM.
Click to expand...
1.) Thanks, I think I'll pick a cheaper case after all. I got carried away with how nice that one looks.
3.) I need 6GB/s SATA and USB 3.0 support, but other than that any standard mobo will do. I picked ASRock because of what people say about the company and their components; so just word of mouth really. I've always used Asus mobos in the past.
4/5.) In that case, I might get the 2600k after all.
7.) I can upgrade to 16GB of RAM later, and start with 8GB now.

Thanks for your post, btw!
 
grOOvstEIn said:
1.) Thanks, I think I'll pick a cheaper case after all. I got carried away with how nice that one looks.
3.) I need 6GB/s SATA and USB 3.0 support, but other than that any standard mobo will do. I picked ASRock because of what people say about the company and their components; so just word of mouth really. I've always used Asus mobos in the past.
4/5.) In that case, I might get the 2600k after all.
7.) I can upgrade to 16GB of RAM later, and start with 8GB now.

Thanks for your post, btw!
Click to expand...

Ok, since you can buy from Microcenter, buy the Core i7 2600K for $280 there and you'll save $60 MSI Z68A-G45 moterhboard which would make it $70.

As for cheaper case, I recommend these:
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56W 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
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58W ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-60FN ATX Case
$125 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$125 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$125 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
 
Follow-up question:

Is this Antec 750W PSU enough to drive an overclocked 2600k and a GTX 570 on maximum load? I'm not sure I understand the 12V rails bit correctly - but that PSU will run my graphics card without any problems, right?

Is there any other modular PSU in that price range which is better than the aforementioned one?
 
Yes that PSU will handle what you want just fine.
Right now I think that's the best you can get, though check out the Corsair 750W V2 psu, if it's cheaper go with it.
 
Skillz said:
Yes that PSU will handle what you want just fine.
Right now I think that's the best you can get, though check out the Corsair 750W V2 psu, if it's cheaper go with it.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

---

Another follow-up question:
Is there any difference between the ASRock P67 Extreme4 motherboards models: B3 and Gen3, besides the PCI Express 3.0 compatibility (for when Ivy Bridge processors are released)? If I am not planning on upgrading to Ivy Bridge, is the Gen3 a waste for me? Would I lose anything else by just getting the B3 instead?
 
I don't really see the point in spending that much on a motherboard where you probably wont be using all the features you're paying for, while getting a less warranty than a similar featured and priced motherboard or spending half as much money for less features that you probably wont use, with a longer warranty that you hope you never have to use.
 
Skillz said:
I don't really see the point in spending that much on a motherboard where you probably wont be using all the features you're paying for, while getting a less warranty than a similar featured and priced motherboard or spending half as much money for less features that you probably wont use, with a longer warranty that you hope you never have to use.
Click to expand...

Which one would you recommend then? The MSI one as per what Danny Bui recommended above? I can get the P67 Extreme4 for $149 at Newegg.

I really like ASRock's build quality and was pretty impressed with the plethora of features in this youtube video, along with what I have heard people I know say about the company.

As I mentioned above, USB 3.0 and 6GB/s SATA support are all I really need as far as features are concerned. Toslink/optical out for audio would be nice as well.
 
You do realize ASUS makes ASRock and it's their "low end" line of products right?

Yes that motherboard Danny recommended will do everything you need and cost considerably less, while giving you a longer warranty.

I also would take what a sales man says with a grain of salt. They're just trying to sell you something.
 
yeah that AsRock mobo is stupid overpriced for a mobo with only a 1-2 year warranty. That MSI mobo I recommended earlier is more than enough for your needs. Not to mention that you're not taking advange of MC's $60 off most Z68 or P67 mobos if you buy it at the same time as the Core i7 2600K. If you still want to do overkill, go with the MSI Z68A-GD65 or Asus P8Z68-V or Asus P8Z68-V Pro from Microcenter.

Also, the choice of RAM is not a good one since you can get similar performance for $9 less:
$47 - G.Skill Sniper F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM

PSU wise, find out what's the shipping cost of that Antec 750W PSU. IIRC, the site you're buying the PSU from tends to have high shipping prices to the U.S. which negates a lot of the savings. If the shipped price of that Antec 750W exceeds $90, don't bother with as $10 to $15 more gets you a significantly higher quality Antec 750W PSU:
$105 - Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W PSU

Also note that the Antec TP-750 is only partially modular. A lot of the cables are still fixed onto the PSU.

If you want modular, this is the cheapeast modular PSU I can recommend for your setup:
$100 - SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W Modular PSU
 
Thanks for your informative and helpful posts, Danny.

* Memory *

I've been waiting for the Black Friday sales to start appearing before ordering my components, and just noticed that the G.Skill Sniper series 4GB (the one that Danny recommended) is available for $39.99 via this newegg promo. Is there any real difference between the Sniper and Ripjaws X series? Looking at this comparison chart, the only real difference seems to be the motherboards that they are designed for.



* PSU *

Here are some that I am specifically eyeing:

  • OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W: $50.99 after promo coupon and mail-in rebate ($80.99 before rebate)! This has a lot of positive reviews, but I am worried as the model is almost 2 years old. Is this a bargain and will it work with my components or should I be looking at more recent PSUs?
  • CORSAIR Professional Series HX650(W): $99 after mail-in rebate ($119 before rebate). This one has a plethora of positive reviews as well, and people seem to swear by it. However, this is pricier than the first option.
  • CORSAIR Enthusiast TX V2 Series 650W: $99 and modular; fits the bill and has quite a few positive reviews.

I am okay spending around $100 on a decent PSU; the MC cpu+mobo deal helps me save more than what I'll gain in the PSU department.
 
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grOOvstEIn said:
Thanks for your informative and helpful posts, Danny.

* Memory *

I've been waiting for the Black Friday sales to start appearing before ordering my components, and just noticed that the G.Skill Sniper series 4GB (the one that Danny recommended) is available for $39.99 via this newegg promo. Is there any real difference between the Sniper and Ripjaws X series? Looking at this comparison chart, the only real difference seems to be the motherboards that they are designed for.
Click to expand...

No difference. Go ahead and grab that G.Skill Sniper 8GB set.

grOOvstEIn said:
* PSU *

Here are some that I am specifically eyeing:

  • OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W: $50.99 after promo coupon and mail-in rebate ($80.99 before rebate)! This has a lot of positive reviews, but I am worried as the model is almost 2 years old. Is this a bargain and will it work with my components or should I be looking at more recent PSUs?
  • CORSAIR Professional Series HX650(W): $99 after mail-in rebate ($119 before rebate). This one has a plethora of positive reviews as well, and people seem to swear by it. However, this is pricier than the first option.
  • CORSAIR Enthusiast TX V2 Series 650W: $99 and modular; fits the bill and has quite a few positive reviews.

I am okay spending around $100 on a decent PSU; the MC cpu+mobo deal helps me save more than what I'll gain in the PSU department.
Click to expand...
The OCZ isn't a good buy due to its relative low quality. It would have to be $50 before rebate before I'd recommend that to anyone intelligent.

And to be fair, the 650HX is technically older than that ModXStream Pro. So age isn't exactly an issue. However the Corsair is of significantly higher quality. Speaking of Corsair, you've mixed up the feature of the two Corsair PSUs: The HX 650 is modular whereas the 650TX isn't. In any case, I would not recommend the TX 650 V2 since it's a tad overpriced at $100 considering that the Antec 750W PSU I recommended earlier costs $5 more. As for modular PSU, the HX650 is a good PSU but at $120 (I don't factor in rebates until they're actually in my hands) but a tad overpriced considering that this significantly higher quality Seasonic costs only $10 more:
$130 - Seasonic X650 Gold 650W Modular PSU
 
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Danny Bui said:
And to be fair, the 650HX is technically older than that ModXStream Pro. So age isn't exactly an issue. However the Corsair is of significantly higher quality. Speaking of Corsair, you've mixed up the feature of the two Corsair PSUs: The HX 650 is modular whereas the 650TX isn't. In any case, I would not recommend the TX 650 V2 since it's a tad overpriced at $100 considering that the Antec 750W PSU I recommended earlier costs $5 more. As for modular PSU, the HX650 is a good PSU but at $120 (I don't factor in rebates until they're actually in my hands) but a tad overpriced considering that this significantly higher quality Seasonic costs only $10 more:
$130 - Seasonic X650 Gold 650W Modular PSU
Click to expand...

I looked up that Seasonic X650 Gold PSU, and this video on youtube impressed me quite a bit. Fully modular (as opposed to semi), and 80+ Gold Certified. Hmm... this PSU is definitely the top contender, but $130 is a bit pricey. Here's hoping for some good price drops this Black Friday.

And thanks again!
 
Looks great, but one thing concerns me, though I may be wrong.

From what I remember, that Hyper 212+ Fan pulls air into it, and then through the heat fins. In your current setup, it would be pulling air from the back of your case, and then passing it through the fins to the front. However, it is also directly facing your case rear fan, which is pulling air from the back of the case and out the rear.

If this is true, you essentially have two fans, spaced what looks like 2 inches apart, pulling air from the same space in two opposite directions. This wouldn't damage your components or anything in any way, but it would definitely reduce the effectiveness of both fans, and probably cause them to run at higher RPMs than required.
 
Tsuyoi said:
Looks great, but one thing concerns me, though I may be wrong.

From what I remember, that Hyper 212+ Fan pulls air into it, and then through the heat fins. In your current setup, it would be pulling air from the back of your case, and then passing it through the fins to the front. However, it is also directly facing your case rear fan, which is pulling air from the back of the case and out the rear.

If this is true, you essentially have two fans, spaced what looks like 2 inches apart, pulling air from the same space in two opposite directions. This wouldn't damage your components or anything in any way, but it would definitely reduce the effectiveness of both fans, and probably cause them to run at higher RPMs than required.
Click to expand...
The above is true unless the OP actually flipped the fan so it went like this:
dogbyte_13 said:
he is probably pulling air from the front to back like this

<---IIII<---
Click to expand...
 
I did indeed reverse the heat sink fan so that it doesn't conflict with the back exhaust fan and so that both are pushing/pulling in the same direction.

I feel that this is still not optimal, however - and would like the heat sink fan to actually push air directly onto the heat sink instead of pulling air through it. The reason that the fan is on the other side is because the fan does not fit with the DIMM slots nearby.

I have a question though: the MSI motherboard manual states that for dual channel, 2 memory sticks should be populated into DIMM slots 1 & 3 (as per my current configuration, see pics in previous post). As previously stated, RAM on DIMM slot 1 stops me from attaching the heat sink fan on that side. Can I switch my RAM config from 1 & 3 to 2 & 4 (from the blue primary slots to black)? Will that result in a degradation of performance or speed in any way?
 
grOOvstEIn said:
I did indeed reverse the heat sink fan so that it doesn't conflict with the back exhaust fan and so that both are pushing/pulling in the same direction.

I feel that this is still not optimal, however - and would like the heat sink fan to actually push air directly onto the heat sink instead of pulling air through it. The reason that the fan is on the other side is because the fan does not fit with the DIMM slots nearby.
Click to expand...
How bad is the fit? Like just how far up is the fan when it's touching the RAM itself? If like 90% or more of the fan is covering the heatsink while the fan is just above or touching the RAM itself, that will be fine for normal opertions IMO.
grOOvstEIn said:
I have a question though: the MSI motherboard manual states that for dual channel, 2 memory sticks should be populated into DIMM slots 1 & 3 (as per my current configuration, see pics in previous post). As previously stated, RAM on DIMM slot 1 stops me from attaching the heat sink fan on that side. Can I switch my RAM config from 1 & 3 to 2 & 4 (from the blue primary slots to black)? Will that result in a degradation of performance or speed in any way?
Click to expand...

I think you should be fine with 2 & 4. Shouldn't be a degradation of performance or speed.
 
I see, thanks. The fan is about 90% on the heat sink - and the 10% protrusion bothers me slightly. :(

I am also considering returning or selling this heat sink and buying this instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

I'm not sure from the posted dimensions but that looks like it should fit just fine with all 4 DIMM slots populated (which is the plan eventually). It has a ridiculous number of positive reviews, but I thought I'd run it by you folks at [H]ardforum before jumping in.
 
grOOvstEIn said:
I see, thanks. The fan is about 90% on the heat sink - and the 10% protrusion bothers me slightly. :(

I am also considering returning or selling this heat sink and buying this instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

I'm not sure from the posted dimensions but that looks like it should fit just fine with all 4 DIMM slots populated (which is the plan eventually). It has a ridiculous number of positive reviews, but I thought I'd run it by you folks at [H]ardforum before jumping in.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go with that HSF as it's rather old, pricey, and isn't that much better than the Hyper 212+ to justify the price.
 
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