Gaming Rig Build

jterp7 said:
lol actually if you do get i7 you may be inclined to make small upgrades earlier since you would have a compatible socket, mem, mobo, whereas with the q6600 upgrading would be a more involved process. So by spending more, you would have a superior system, which would actually still tempt you into upgrade earlier since it would be easier.:p
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Alright, so are you recommending i7 or not?
 
Alright, then it looks like I'm back to this...

CPU- Intel Core i7 920- $290
Motherboard- Asus P6T Deluxe LGA 1366- $300
Memory- G.Skill 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333- $140
Hard Drive- WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200 RPM AALS- $75
Video Card- EVGA GeForce GTX 280- $315
Computer Case- Cooler Master Centurion 590- $60
Power Supply- Corsair 750-TX 750W- $130
DVD Burner- Samsung 22X DVD+/-R- $27
Keyboard- Saitek Black Standard Eclipse- $35
Mouse- Logitech MX518- $40
Operating System- Windows Vista Premium 64-bit for System Builders- $100
Monitor- BenQ G2400WD- $370
Total- $1882 (not including tax and S+H)

Price is not too bad, actually. Hell, if I'm feeling crazy I might just shell out for a second 280.
 
How should I purchase? Should I look around and get each component from the cheapest source or just buy everything from one site? (I'm buying online) Should I use Paypal? Any other suggestions about purchasing would be much appreciated.
 
That depends on how you want to do it. If you want to save as much as you can, you should go ahead and do the math and pick out all the cheapest parts from different places. However, buying everything from 1-2 sites is easier to handle. You won't have to deal with multiple retailers. If you are living in the US and plan to order everything online, just use newegg. They pretty much offer the cheapest prices for just about everything.
 
I used to buy a whole system just from one retailer, which is good if your getting financing deals, but these days there really is no reason to even put everything on one order, except combo deals, I still buy most things from newegg but if you check the deal sites you can generally catch deals on a couple components on sale at competitors sites , and if you have stores around like frys or microcenter they can save you some cash, microcenter has the 920 for 230. I personally like dealnews.com for finding deals but a lot of peole use slickdeals, and make sure your getting the newegg email promos since they have featured a lot of ddr3 and socket 1366 deals, as well as graphics card deals
 
Try one site. If you don't like the price, shop around for everything else, but don't forget to factor in shipping costs. For some people, its only a $10-$20 difference if they get everything from newegg, and they don't mind. For others who'd rather save the $20 will buy from different sites. If you don't want to do the shopping, then just get it all from newegg. However, they no longer have the lowest prices on everything, so shopping around could save you some money. Though, they do have the best customer service. ;)
 
Sorry I keep changing my mind, but other interests have come up making me want to cut costs a little. No huge changes were made however...

CPU- Intel Core i7 920- $290
Motherboard- Asus P6T Deluxe LGA 1366- $300
Memory- G.Skill 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333- $140
Hard Drive- WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200 RPM AALS- $75
Video Card- XFX GeForce GTX 260- $250
Computer Case- Cooler Master Centurion 590- $60
Power Supply- Corsair 750-TX 750W- $130
DVD Burner- Samsung 22X DVD+/-R- $27
Keyboard- Saitek Black Standard Eclipse- $35
Mouse- Logitech MX518- $40
Operating System- Windows Vista Premium 64-bit for System Builders- $100
Monitor- Acer X223Wbd Black 22"- $170
Total- $1617 (not including tax and S+H)

Alright, so is this the best price/performance buy for i7 or can I go any cheaper?
 
Still looks good, even if you switch to Danny's even cheaper suggestions.
 
if you're interested in maximum savings, get the 920 locally from MC (assuming that is an option). Personally, I wished I bought everything at newegg, since buy.com was slow shipping out and TD, well see sig. Even with free shipping I got all of my newegg stuff trouble free in only 2 days. Note that by buying around, especially for my silverstone case, saved me about 100. Hmm I forgot to mention axiontech/directron, which has issues with CORRECTLY sending out your tracking number and CS in general. I was close to filing a BBB complaint with them. So depending on your total system cost, it may be worth it, but I think if I were to do it all again, I'll pay more and get it all from the egg. That's my 2cents.
 
i say order from different sites becuase it is fun to receive a ton of boxes :)
 
Danny Bui said:
You can shave off $30 by going with this PSU:
PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W PSU - $100

If you don't need all of the features for the P6T Deluxe, you can drop down to the P6T or UD4P for a $40 to $50 savings:
Asus P6T Intel X58 ATX Motherboard - $250
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4 Intel X58 ATX Motherboard - $260
Click to expand...

Thanks!

jterp7 said:
if you're interested in maximum savings, get the 920 locally from MC (assuming that is an option). Personally, I wished I bought everything at newegg, since buy.com was slow shipping out and TD, well see sig. Even with free shipping I got all of my newegg stuff trouble free in only 2 days. Note that by buying around, especially for my silverstone case, saved me about 100. Hmm I forgot to mention axiontech/directron, which has issues with CORRECTLY sending out your tracking number and CS in general. I was close to filing a BBB complaint with them. So depending on your total system cost, it may be worth it, but I think if I were to do it all again, I'll pay more and get it all from the egg. That's my 2cents.
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Noted.

Bambi005 said:
i say order from different sites becuase it is fun to receive a ton of boxes :)
Click to expand...

...umm.... noted?

Thanks guys.
 
Don't overthink it either. I'd say make the changes that Danny suggested (if you want to save a little bit more money) and then just commit. It looks like you have a really nice setup already and you will not be disappointed. If you keep changing your mind, you will never buy anything :p
 
look at the evga x58 mobo and get a combo with one of the evga video cards. i think the x58 and gtx 260 is $495. might save you a few bucks. also like someone else said you might be able to get the i7 920 for $230 at micro center or frys with local pickup. i got mine a couple weeks ago at frys. check amazon for the power supply. they sometimes have them much cheaper. i got that pc power and cooling 750w for $65 after mir from amazon with free shipping.
 
axlvtt said:
Don't overthink it either. I'd say make the changes that Danny suggested (if you want to save a little bit more money) and then just commit. It looks like you have a really nice setup already and you will not be disappointed. If you keep changing your mind, you will never buy anything :p
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I think you're right. I've been at the "ready to purchase" stage for about a month now, and I haven't taken action. I think it is about time to get buyin'! I'll definitely be taken some pictures if you guys want to see how this rig turns out. After all, you all were very instrumental in it.
 
How easily do you think this rig will fit on this table?
3285705977_fee0e457fe.jpg

The 360 will be moved aside, obviously.
 
Easily.

If we want? Its not even a question of whether we want or not... post them pics! :p
 
Alright, so here is what I've got in my Newegg.com Shopping Cart:

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail - $289.99
Motherboard: ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail- $249.99
Memory: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail- $135.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM- $79.99
Video Card: XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail- $249.99
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail- $59.99
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - $99.99
DVD Burner: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM - $22.99
Monitor: Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2500:1 - Retail- $169.99
Keyboard: Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 - Retail - $19.99
Mouse: Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical 1800 dpi Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail - $39.99
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM - $99.99
Shipping: $31.72
Total: $1550.60
I'm also supposed to get a free gift of a World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde novel, and my video card says it comes with a free FarCry 2 and COD5.

So am I ready to pull the trigger? Am I missing any basic components? Remember, I'm not reusing anything so everything you see listed is what I'm going to have to work with to build a solid computer.

Thanks!
 
Looks realy good, only thing I saw missing was aftermarket cooler if you were still planning on getting one. You have to let us know how this thing performs once you build it
 
eastpetersen said:
Looks realy good, only thing I saw missing was aftermarket cooler if you were still planning on getting one.
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Oh yeah, I almost forgot. So, I'm guessing I still need one of these, right? Or is it something I can wait on? If I do in fact need it right now, is the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366 RT ($75) still the best choice?

eastpetersen said:
You have to let us know how this thing performs once you build it
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I'll be sure to take photos and give you guys details on how it performs.

Thanks.
 
lol I have a Noctua and am still at stock, with a 920 you have even less reason to OC. Even at stock speeds you'll outperform mild C2Q OCs, but keeping that in mind you may want to do so down the road, so save yourself the time now and put in the TRUE.
 
Alright, I was gonna buy last night, but a friend ended up coming over and I had to put it off. Now I just need to wait for my dad to get home today and I'll order everything.

While I'm waiting though, I was toying around with changing things up a little for fun. How does this compare?

CPU + Motherboard Combo: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail + GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail- $528.98
Memory: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail- $135.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM- $79.99
Video Card + Game: EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail + Nvidia Gift - OEM Free with purchase!- $244.99
Case: Rosewill R5604-BK 0.8mm Japanese Cold Rolled Steel Dual 120mm Fans Screw-Less design ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail- $59.99
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - $99.99
DVD Burner: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache IDE 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM - $22.99
Monitor: Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2500:1 - Retail- $169.99
Keyboard: Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 - Retail - $19.99
Mouse: Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical 1800 dpi Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail - $39.99
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM - $99.99
Shipping: $7.00
Total: $1519.88

A little different and a little cheaper. What do you think?
 
i don't really like the case and the dvd burner should probably be sata instead of ide.
 
Alright, I'm just gonna go with my original choices.

CPU: Intel Core i7 920- $289.99
Motherboard: ASUS P6T- $249.99
Memory: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600- $135.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB AALS- $79.99
Video Card: XFX GeForce GTX 260 Core 216- $249.99
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 590- $59.99
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 750W- $99.99
DVD Burner: SAMSUNG Black SATA 22X DVD Burner - OEM - $24.99
Monitor: Acer Black 22"- $169.99
Keyboard: Microsoft Comfort Curve- $19.99
Mouse: Logitech MX518- $39.99
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit for System Builders- $99.99
Shipping: $34.69
Total: $1564.57

This plus the Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366 RT cooler, which is about $75

Well, I'm ready to start buying if you guys are. Am I good to go?
 
Alright, the order is out and it all should arrive Saturday. I'm lookin' forward to putting it together, and I'll make sure to take pictures and tell you guys how it all comes out.
 
falconxxxpunch said:
Alright, the order is out and it all should arrive Saturday. I'm lookin' forward to putting it together, and I'll make sure to take pictures and tell you guys how it all comes out.
Click to expand...

looks like a nice build. if you're new to building just remember to ground yourself before touching any of the parts. don't want to static zap your new stuff. could buy a static bracelet for $8 to be safe.
 
Just take your socks off, don't work in a carpeted area, and always remember to touch your case or power supply before you handle the parts. Simple :)

Edit: or you can just play it 100% safe and build your computer while completely naked.
 
Anyone got any good links to sites that give good explanations on how to put everything together from start to finish? I've already looked some over, but I'd like to get some trusted names.
 
D'oh! Forget to get speakers. Oh well, I'm sure I can find some crappy ones kicking around till I can get replacements. Come to think of it, do you guys think I might be lucky enough to find some cheap at my local Circuit City (are they still alive?)?

Anyways, hopefully this should all arrive tomorrow, and I'm a little nervous about setting it up. Besides not building on a carpet, are there any other basic-yet-important tips you guys have for building this thing?

Hopefully this won't be too hard! I'll definitely take some pictures if you guys wanna see.

Thanks!
 
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