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Help make my gaming build cheaper

D

daveyjwin

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
198
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
PC Gaming mainly
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000, give or take
3) Where do you live?
Michigan, USA
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.
Case, Power Supply, Motherboard, CPU (Fan?), RAM, Video Card, DVD Drive, Hard Drive, OS
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None, this will be a new build
6) Will you be overclocking?
Probably not.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
24" @ 1920x1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Next two weeks
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
I don't know. Nothing special?
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No, I need Windows 7, 64 bit I think


I haven't done any upgrades to speak of to my computer in about 4 years, and haven't built one from scratch in about 7, so I'm a bit rusty at all this stuff. I went through Newegg, and found a bunch of things I want, but then it came out to almost $1400, and I'd like to keep it around $1000. I'm not really sure what's the most important nowadays, and how important things like RAM and CPU brands are (AMD vs Intel? X4 vs X6 vs i7 vs i5?) are, compared to the all important graphics card (GeForce vs Radeon?). Mainly, I just picked the most popular, highly reviewed things, and I got a little greedy. So, if you [H]Gods can help me either A) make my picked components cheaper, or B) just suggest a completely different setup that would be awesome. Also, make sure I didn't do anything stupid, like pick incompatible components. Here's what I have picked out so far:

Case - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Processor - Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80601960
Fan - ZALMAN CNPS9900ALED 120mm 2 Ball Low-noise Blue LED CPU Cooler
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9T-12GBRL
Video Card - EVGA 012-P3-1472-AR GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) SuperClocked 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
HD - Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARS 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
DVD Drive - ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM


So... help me!
 
Yeah with the exception of the case, PSU, and DVD burner, that whole setup is just a horrible choice for the money. Waay overpriced. You're better off starting again.

I recommend this setup:


$240 - AMD Phenom II 965 Black Edition CPU + Asus M4A87TD/USB3 AMD 870 AM3 Motherboard
$41 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$230 - XFX HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$65 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$22 - LG iHAS124-04 DVD Burner
$100 - Antec Truepower New TP-750 750W PSU
$100 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance ATX Case
$100 - Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM
---
Total: $961 plus tax and shipping
 
Thanks for the input, that's exactly the kind of info I need. However, the total of what you have there is $868, pre tax and shipping... not that I'm complaining, the more I save, the better.

Would I be likely to notice an increase in RAM from 4GB to 8GB? I remember last time I upgraded, I went from 1GB to 4GB, and it was amazing, would I see any real difference from 4 to 8? Would it be worth an extra $50? If I were to do that, should I get 4x2GBs, or 2x4GBs?

If I were to get this combo (Video + PSU) vs the two you listed above, would I notice any difference? It'd save $85, and according to Passmark, the 6850 is almost the same as the 6870. I don't really know anything about PSUs though, and the one you recommended seems fancy.

Thoughts?
 
daveyjwin said:
Thanks for the input, that's exactly the kind of info I need. However, the total of what you have there is $868, pre tax and shipping... not that I'm complaining, the more I save, the better.

Would I be likely to notice an increase in RAM from 4GB to 8GB? I remember last time I upgraded, I went from 1GB to 4GB, and it was amazing, would I see any real difference from 4 to 8? Would it be worth an extra $50? If I were to do that, should I get 4x2GBs, or 2x4GBs?

If I were to get this combo (Video + PSU) vs the two you listed above, would I notice any difference? It'd save $85, and according to Passmark, the 6850 is almost the same as the 6870. I don't really know anything about PSUs though, and the one you recommended seems fancy.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I would go for an AMD build over an Intel build for best value. Good for long term since AMD doesn't change sockets every year. As for RAM I personally think 4GB is enough since almost all games are still 32bit and restricted by the same 4GB memory limit as Windows. Also get 1x4GB if you can so you can expand in the future without replacing the RAM. Also I think the less sticks of RAM you have (not capacity) the easier to overclock your system since it puts less stress on the MCH. At least on my crappy old mobo anyway :D.
 
For most games, you wouldn't notice much of a difference. But if you can afford to, I'd recommend buying a second 4GB stick, especially if you plan on performing heavy multitasking or using resource-intensive programs like Photoshop. (In case you're wondering, gaming isn't that resource intensive.)

Do not pursue that video card/PSU combo as that "generic" PSU doesn't run at its rated speed. If you really want to save some more money, cut corners on the case (as you can find a decent case on sale for around $40 to $70, if you're not too picky). For example, the Cooler Master HAF 912 offers nearly as much room as the CM 690 II Advanced for less money.

If you aren't planning on using a multi-card solution, you could find a cheaper, lower powered PSU -- but don't just grab any PSU. For example, Antec just refreshed its Earthwatts 650W power supply with a new Delta-based model. Previous versions of the Earthwatts and Earthwatts Green power supplies were known to be solid performers. (That one bad review on NewEgg is for a DOA model.)
 
daveyjwin said:
Thanks for the input, that's exactly the kind of info I need. However, the total of what you have there is $868, pre tax and shipping... not that I'm complaining, the more I save, the better.
Click to expand...
Oh you know what? I totaled up the wrong list: That $961 total was for a version of the posted list but with the $291 HD 6950 1GB card intstead
daveyjwin said:
If I were to get this combo (Video + PSU) vs the two you listed above, would I notice any difference?
Click to expand...
Yeah you would definitely notice a difference when your PC starts becoming unstable due to that crappy generic-ish PSU. Avoid Raidmax altogether.
Evi1d33d said:
Good for long term since AMD doesn't change sockets every year..
Click to expand...
Yeah not the case this year: AMD is releasing new CPUs that's gonna be incompatible with current AMD sockets. It's gonna require a new socket: AM3+ or something like that.
 
So, I've taken into account what's been said here and on another board, and here's where I'm at now:

$90 - Case - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$90 - PSU - Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply
$240 - MoBo and Processor - ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 AMD Motherboard and AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX Combo
$230 - Video Card - SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
$85 - RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL
$90 - HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$19 - DVD Drive - ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
$100 - OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Total - $944, slightly more with shipping.

Any further input on this? I'm scheduled to get my refund on the 28th, so I have 4 days to make my final decisions.

Thanks everyone!
 
What's the most strenuous game that you'll play? It may be better for you to stick with 4GB (one stick) of RAM and instead grabbing an HD 6950 in place of the HD 6870.

Additionally, swap out the Caviar Black hard drive for the Samsung F3 HD103SJ. The WD drive doesn't perform any better than the Samsung, so save yourself $25 here.

Are you in love with your case selection? If you want to save even more money -- or free up enough to grab both 8GB of RAM and the HD 6950 -- you can find a case with similar dimensions (if not similar looks) for less money.
 
I wouldn't say I play games strenuously... if it doesn't work well, I don't have any qualms about turning down the graphics. In general though, I play most of the popular games, with less emphasis on shooters (though I do play some), and a little more on strategy and RPGs. In the near future though? Dragon Age 2, Shogun, Witcher 2, and Portal 2 will likely get a lot of playtime. Mainly though, I'd like to future proof it as much as I can, so I don't have to add too much more crap for at least three more years (when I finish residency and just can go hog wild on an expensive system).

I think I want to keep the 8GB of ram, for the above mentioned reason.

I swapped out the hard drive, as suggested.

I hate to say it, but I am kind of a nerd for that case, and I'm not even sure why. I'd like to keep it though, if possible.

As far as the video card goes, is the 6950 worth $50 over the 6870? If it is, I could just spring for it, and it wouldn't be a big deal, but it's only got like a 5% boost over the 6870, according to passmark, so would it be worth it? I also noticed that the 6950 is a 2GB card. Is that a big deal? Will it be in 2 years?

Thanks again for the help everyone. The more the better.
 
daveyjwin said:
I hate to say it, but I am kind of a nerd for that case, and I'm not even sure why. I'd like to keep it though, if possible.
Click to expand...
Keep it then.

daveyjwin said:
As far as the video card goes, is the 6950 worth $50 over the 6870?
Click to expand...
Yes
daveyjwin said:
but it's only got like a 5% boost over the 6870, according to passmark, so would it be worth it?
Click to expand...
Read actual reviews for a good comparison. Don't use some synthetic benchmark that is not indicative at all of a real world performance.

daveyjwin said:
I also noticed that the 6950 is a 2GB card. Is that a big deal? Will it be in 2 years?
Click to expand...
Not really a big deal now. Maybe.
 
daveyjwin said:
6950 done.

I can knock another $25 off the total if I get this PSU vs the one recommended above. Would this be an okay swap?
Click to expand...

In this case, no. It actually costs $106 shipped, not $86. In fact, I do not include any mail-in rebates in the final cost because you may never receive the rebate even if you followed all of the instructions correctly. This makes that Cooler Master PSU priced way too close to the far superior quality 750W units for comfort. As such, that GX 750 actually costs $6 more shipped than the TP750 - and of much inferior quality than the TP750. And consider that its 650W sibling flunked testing at its rated wattage under realistic conditions because of its poor DC regulation.
 
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Thanks for the help. I'll probably post again sometime when I mess up putting it together. :)
 
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