Help with $1000 Gaming/Editing rig

S

shroud27

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
76
1) Figure out your budget: Max $1000 due to customs restrictions :mad:

2) Figure out which components you would need for your setup.
I need, CPU, motherboard, Ram, PSU, Monitor, videocard.

3) Determine what the computer is going to be used for:
Mostly gaming with photo/graphics editing and light video encoding, 3 or 4 divx movies a week that take around 40mins each on my Athlon 4200+.

4) Figure out which features you want on your computer: Don't need raid nor have a lot of hard drives. Only need a couple sata ports, one IDE and the PCIX16X

5) Determine whether or not you are planning on overclocking any of the components. Well both videocards I've overclocked even a tiny bit have ended up dying on me... last CPU I overclocked was a good ol' Athlon 2500+ unlocked. I guess if I get a good cooler and there's a good performance gain I could risk it.

6) Determine how long you want your machine to last. Machine will need to last at LEAST 2 years. It's not easy for me to obtain new PC parts since I don't live in the US.

7) DO SOME RESEARCH. I have been reading these boards several times a day for about a while now and read a lot of reviews.

8) Come up with a list of what you want:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Combo GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R
PNY VCGGTX260XPB GeForce GTX 260
Combo with Thermaltake W0106RU 700W
OCA Reaper 4gb PC2-6400
Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Asus 22'' LCD
Total Newegg $1049, minus $105 in possible rebates. free shipping on everything

Will the AC 7 Pro fit with the OCZ reaper's tall heatsink/pipes? On the newegg reviews seems some people aren't getting that $50 rebate on the PSU.


or from Amazon:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L
Ocz 500W Stealth Xstream Psu
OCZ OCZN800SR4GK 4 GB Kit 800MHZ DDR2 PC2-6400
MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB
Acer V223-WBD 22" Widescreen TFT LCD Monitor

Total from Amazon $958.36 minus $85 in possible rebates, free shipping.

I guess the PSU on the amazon build is kind of weak maybe I could change the OCZ for a Antec Neo-HE-500 500-Watt

I couldn't find the AC7 in amazon and I have no idea which cooler could work, OCZ Vanquisher? OCZ Vendetta? Any recommendations on improving either build? I know the Amazon one needs a lot of work but since its coming a bit under budget I could fit an extra $50 on PSU/Motherboard upgrades.

9) Figure out where you are going to purchase everything from.
Newegg or
Amazon, Buy.com
(Newegg doesn't accept international credit cards so I'd have to pay by check and I'm not so trusting of the postal service. Amazon and Buy.com do accept international credit cards)

I've always used generic "el cheapo" PSU's without problems but I think I'm gonna go for a good PSU for this build. My main issue is debating whether the Q9550 is enough of a long/short term upgrade over the E8500 to warrant the extra $130. Ive seen some benchmarks in which it smokes the 8500 but in some games the 8500 gains the advantage. I'd be willing to live with a small decrease in performance in some games to have more long term computing power.

I deeply appreciate any advice.
 
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Antec Thre Hundred and Neopower 550 watt - $71
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&SubCategory=7&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1
Code: 20ANTEC

Q6600 - $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018

Asus P5Q Pro - $105 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299

Asus 4870 - $220 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121276

Gskill 4gb DDR2 800 - $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122

AOC 21" LCD - $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824160014
Code: LCD102310

Logitech KB and Mouse: $13
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126017

2x Hitachi 320gb drives: $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145129

Sony DVDRW: $24
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118012

Freezer 7 Pro: $27
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

Scythe 120mm fan: $8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185052

With no rebates or promo codes it comes out to $1030.
 
I'm going to combine some parts from your and ordovician's builds... and mix in a few changes of my own. I used NewEgg primarily because it had better deals than Amazon does. If I need to, however, I'll make an Amazon/Buy.com list some time later.

$65 - Antec Earthwatts EA650 PSU (free shipping)
$87 - Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L
$185 - Intel Q6600 (retail) (free shipping; Buy.com 5% discount included)
$44 - Xigmatek HDT-S1283 & ACK-I7751 retention bracket (free shipping on CPU cooler)
$55 - G.Skill 2x2GB DDDR2 800 kit (free shipping)
$260 - HIS HD4870 512MB (free shipping & $20 mail-in rebate)
$170 - Acer X223Wbd (free shipping)
=====
$866 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

I tried to piece this build based what you mentioned in the first post. I went with the EA650 power supply since it's a quality PSU that's on sale. Since you didn't need many features on the motherboard, I went with the GA-EP43-DS3L, which is a good, cheap overclocking board.

The Q6600 is good enough for your needs, and it's a great overclocker. You don't need any "performance" RAM for overclocking the Q6600, so I swapped out OCZ Reaper kit for the G.Skill DDR2 800 kit. Additionally, I included a better CPU cooler, in the form of the HDT-S1283, to aid in overclocking. (The ACK-I7751 retention bracket makes mounting the CPU cooler much easier for you. Oh, and the OCZ Vendetta 2 is very similar to the HDT-S1283.)

I chose the retail version of the Q6600 for its three-year warranty; with the Buy.com 5% coupon, it's only $5 more than the OEM version (and $5 less than the NewEgg price, if it means anything to you). You could still get the Q9550 if you want the raw power it provides, but many people here have been satisfied with the performance of the Q6600 at both stock speeds and overclocked.

Since you seem to want a 22 inch monitor, I found a cheaper one in the form of the Acer X223Vbd. The GTX 260 and the HD4870 provide excellent performance with gaming, so you can't go wrong with either choice. If you could afford to, though, I suggest picking the card from a brand that offers a limited lifetime warranty. BFG, EVGA, and XFX offers it on the NIVIDA side, but only VisionTek provides one for AMD/ATI cards. (My choice was made based on price... your choice from Amazon, however, is cheaper.)

A(n off-tangent) note about CPU benchmarks: Gaming benchmarks tend to favor dual core processors because they often run at higher speeds than their quad core equivalents. However, quad core processors tend to do well in productivity based benchmarks because their additional cores could be used to run separate programs simultaneously on them. Most of today's games become largely GPU-dependent at higher resolutions, so you don't really suffer any "penalty" from using a quad core processor compared to using a dual core.

With the leftover cash saved from this build, if you wanted to, you could get newer, faster hard (disk) and optical drives. (Do you also need a new OS license?)
 
Nice lists both. One thing is the 21 AOC monitor is vga only no DVI. Also if and when the budget is tight looking to the E8500 is not really taking a step down, Or you could as aforementioned go with a Q6600 if you feel you need the quad. Myself, on a barebones $500 budget I went with the E7200 and its no slouch at all either. You voiced concerns with OCing but the Core2Duo lines is virtually made to be OC'd. I pull 3.6Ghz out of the E7200. The E8x00's are often clearing 4Ghz on air as well. On default voltage alone I'd venture 3.2Ghz for an E7x00 and 3.7Ghz for an E8x00 are guaranteed although of course YMMV
 
The thing is I'm going to spend the holidays with some family in the US, so I want to bring back the best available parts I can, money would be of no issue except we're only allowed $1000 worth of stuff on the way back through customs.
I thought about the Q6600 but as an almost 2 year old mid range CPU I'm afraid it will start to show its age in a year and I need this build to last me a good 2 years at least. I already have a 120Gb Maxtor and a 320Gb WD and I will be sticking to my XP license so no need to spend any money there.

I modified my cart with your suggestions which are as usual, right on the money.
Newegg:
$170 Acer monitor
Evga GTX 260 $254 lifetime warranty
Antec 650W$64
Gskill 4gb ddr2 800$54.99
Intel C2Q Q9550$320
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R$120-25combo=$95

I decided to keep the Q9550 since I found it cheaper on amazon ($305 shipped), I also kept the P45 Gigabyte motherboard since the P43 with shipping came to $95.96, the P45 minus the combo with free shipping on both comes to $95 exactly, so I get an upgrade in chipset and a couple firewire ports for free. Which brings the total to $996.93 using the AC freezer 7 pro because the Xigmatek ($63.25 with shipping and bracket vs $26 for the AC 7) would bring me over my budget and quite frankly the 120mm fan might not fit in my case.

As for the Amazon list I added the Antec 500W Neo, OCZ Vendetta cooler, and upgraded the monitor to a P22 for a total of $1009.20

Would that PSU be enough? for an extra $10(after rebate) I could put in a 680W BFG

So there would be no real tangible advantage to say spending $10 more and getting PC2-8000 1000mhz ram?

I may do a slight/moderate overclock but since my computer would be running almost 24/7 I wouldn't want to be too aggressive with it.

I appreciate the time and effort you guys put in to help a complete stranger build his system and I promise to post pictures when I get it going :)
 
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Customs to Venezuela actually, customs officials are very corrupt and if they see you bring in over $1000 then you have to "declare", which means they let you pass but they take anything they want from your suitcase and pretend nothing happened...
 
I personally don't like the Amazon setup as compared to the NewEgg build. I like everything listed here:

$170 Acer monitor
Evga GTX 260 $254 lifetime warranty
Antec 650W$64
Gskill 4gb ddr2 800$54.99
Intel C2Q Q9550$320
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R$120-25combo=$95

But, minus the Q9550 cpu. The Q6600 cpu is still strong and don't be worried about it showing age in 1-2 years. Most application now still don't fully utilize a quad core cpu yet. Also there's people out there who are only on a single core cpu. The Q6600 can easily be overclocked to hit 3.0ghz easily. If you are lucky, you can hit 3.4-3.6ghz speeds. Even at stock speeds it is no slouch by any means. I have a Q6600 cpu system at stock speeds with an 8800GT card and I play the graphic intensive games ranging resolutions from 1440 x 900 to 1920 x 1200. If you are worried about the 120mm Xigmatek heatsink not fitting, then get the Xigmatek 92MM rifle for $25 with a $10MIR. Coming from an X2 4200+ cpu to a Q6600 Quad upgrade is an enormous performance gain.
 
I will try passing it through customs as used since I will test it first in case I have any DOA so technically it is used, but better safe than sorry...

Maybe it was the painkillers but I could have sworn I read a review on the AC 7 pro that said it was one of the top 5 coolers. Ok, changed the cooler on the newegg build to the XIGMATEK HDT-SD964.
 
Which case are you using to build everything in?

While you could purchase the DDR2 1000 kit, having a pair of DDR2 800 RAM would still allow you some overclocking headroom:

enginurd said:
Stated FSB/4 = Actual FSB
Multiplier x Actual FSB = CPU Speed
2 x Actual FSB = RAM Speed

On Intel platforms, running the RAM higher than a 1:1 ratio with the CPU is, for the most part, useless, so don't bother trying to do so. If the BIOS does it for you, just let it. All you need is a 1:1 config, though. Here's some possible clock speeds (as always with OC'ing, your results will vary):

Q6600:
Multi x Actual FSB, Stated FSB, RAM Speed = Clock Speed
9 x 266Mhz, 1066Mhz, DDR2 533 RAM = 2.4Ghz <== Stock Speeds
9 x 333Mhz, 1333Mhz, DDR2 667 RAM = 3.0Ghz <== Good OC
9 x 400Mhz, 1600Mhz, DDR2 800 RAM = 3.6Ghz <== Excellent OC, About the Max

Q9550:
Multi x Actual FSB, Stated FSB, RAM Speed = Clock Speed
8.5 × 333Mhz = 2.83Ghz, DDR2-667 <<== Stock speeds
8.5 × 400Mhz = 3.40Ghz, DDR2-800 <<== Easy OC
8.5 × 450Mhz = 3.82Ghz, DDR2-900 <<== Good OC
8.5 × 500Mhz = 4.25Ghz, DDR2-1000 <<== If you're lucky

You won't notice the difference between CL4 and CL5, unless you're running synthetic benchmarks (and even then, its negligible), so don't pay a huge price premium for lower latency.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks!, I've knew I had seen that post around but I could never find it when I looked for it. I'm probably going to wait a couple of weeks and then try for the 3.4ghz overclock.
 
The Q6600 will OC comparatively to the Q9550, AKA there will be no noticeable difference between the two when OCed (the cache difference is not worth the price difference). Going with faster memory is usually a good idea, as long as you're overclocking (for the ability to run 1:1 with fsb), and as long as it isn't too much more expensive.
 
There's no reason to get faster rated memory if it costs a premium. And most 800mhz decent ram and all good ram should be able to overclock to 900 and above with just looser timings and/or a voltage bump.
 
lowteckh said:
There's no reason to get faster rated memory if it costs a premium. And most 800mhz decent ram and all good ram should be able to overclock to 900 and above with just looser timings and/or a voltage bump.
Click to expand...

That's true. So it's up to you to decide whether going with faster memory is worth the price. In my experience, you can certainly overclock just fine with plain old DDR2-800. However, it does suck when the multipliers and numbers work out that having faster memory would benefit you... if that makes sense. It's totally a judgement call on your behalf. (And btw, most DDR2-1000 is just factory OCed DDR2-800... got with true DDR2-1066)
 
I'm sorry to keep pestering you guys but it turns out there's a Microcenter a couple blocks away from where I will be staying and buying there has become my only choice since my credit card application was denied (boo economic crisis) So here's my updated build from there:

$299 Q9550
$29.99 Xigmatek HDT-S1283 -$15 rebate
$69 4GB OCZ Vista upgrade with $40 rebate
$119 Gigabyte P43 DS3L a rip off :(
$29 Antec Basiq 500W Good deal I think!, possibly even [H]ard for a cheap backup PSU
$249 ATI Radeon 4870 MC doesnt have any decent priced GTX 260's..
$209-$30 rebate Acer X223Wbd 22" Widescreen LCD

total=994+tax before rebates

There's also a Q9450 for $250
 
Get the retention bracket for the HDT-S1283. It will make life much easier for you.

That's a good price for a bad PSU. It's great as a backup, or for a low-wattage build, but I wouldn't try taxing a system with it. The Earthwatts line is Antec's best PSU series -- I suggest getting one of those (if they're not an arm or a leg).

Get the Q9450; you'll see little difference performance-wise between that and the Q9550, and you could easily overclock it to the Q9550's speeds. If you're planning on a major overclock, though, get DDR2 1000 RAM.

See if you could find a P45 board (like either the Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R or the Asus P5Q Pro) for around the same price as that DS3L. If it's not much more, get one of those boards instead.
 
Microcenter doesn't carry the retention bracket :(
Other PSU's are: 600W Coolmax $44.99
Coolermaster Extreme power 500W $54.99
OCZ StealthXStreme 500W $59.99
XION 630W $59.99
Antec Neo 550W $79.99
BFG 550W $79.99

The 500W and 650W earthwatts both go for $99.99 :(

GA-EP45-DS3L 775 ATX Motherboard $129.99
GA-EP45-DS3R 775 ATX Motherboard $139.99
P45 Neo-F 775 ATX Motherboard $119-$25 rebate (I have had bad experiences with MSI...)
 
Which BFG 550W PSU is that? If it's part of the LS series, I recommend getting the BFG PSU out of the PSUs you listed.

Which Antec Neo 550W is that? The NeoHE or the Neopower? And are Corsair PSUs available? If so, at what prices?
 
Sorry for the lack of details, the Antec is NEO HE550 ATX 12V, the BFG is GS 550 Watt ATX EPS/12V Power Supply.

Corsair 450W $89.99, 550W $115, and so on..

Also found:

Antec TruePower Trio 650 Watt $89.99
 
Thanks, going to buy it later today:
Intel Corporation
Intel® Boxed Core 2 Quad Processor Q9450 $249

Xigmatek
120mm 3-Heat Pipe Universal CPU Cooler HDT-S1283 $29.99

OCZ Technology
Vista Upgrade 4GB PC-6400 DDR2 Memory Kit $69.99

Acer America Corporation
X203Wbd 20" Widescreen LCD $179.99
Antec
TruePower Trio 650 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply
SKU: 736470
Manufacturer Part Number: TRIO TP3-650 $89.99

Gigabyte
GA-EP45-DS3L 775 ATX Motherboard $129.99

Im holding out for a videocard because there's really none that I like there, I'll figure out something later. My case will probably be Thermaktake Strike MX
The ram kinda sucks but overall I'm happy, Thanks for your help :)


And my case
 
What gpu will you be using then?
Also If you're getting an Acer TN panel that's fine but realize you're basically at the same pricepoint of a 22". I know in earlier posts you were looking at the 22" why did you drop down?
 
EP45-DS3L? That explains the high price. Spend the extra $10 and get the more feature-packed DS3R motherboard.

I also agree with the recommendations of the TruePower Trio PSU and getting a 22" monitor (if you can find one) for the same price as the 20" LCD.
 
Sorry I posted the wrong link, I may downgrade the size of the monitor because to be honest I don't think they will let me bring that on a plane hehe.

Bought all the parts this morning so I didn't see Tiraides' motherboard recommendation :( I thought about it but I don't really plan to use crossfire and with the upgrade in the PSU I was already running low on budget. Thanks for the help! I'll make sure to do some folding when I put it together.

<edit>

Oh and I ended up getting the Q9550, waste of money I know but it was an impulse purchase at the last minute, at least I got a C0 stepping!
 
You need to atone for that major indiscretion....

We demand a sacrifice! (Or, you could make it up to us with some pictures of the completed rig...)
 
shroud27 said:
Sorry I posted the wrong link, I may downgrade the size of the monitor because to be honest I don't think they will let me bring that on a plane hehe.

Bought all the parts this morning so I didn't see Tiraides' motherboard recommendation :( I thought about it but I don't really plan to use crossfire and with the upgrade in the PSU I was already running low on budget. Thanks for the help! I'll make sure to do some folding when I put it together.

<edit>

Oh and I ended up getting the Q9550, waste of money I know but it was an impulse purchase at the last minute, at least I got a C0 stepping!
Click to expand...

Plane?
Are you flying somewhere with this entire rig?
A 20 vs a 22" is not going to make much difference as a carry on for a flight in terms of size. In terms of getting an electronic device that size on a plane and getting thru the xray, I don't know. You could mail it to yourself but that gets pricey.
 
GonzoP said:
Plane?
Are you flying somewhere with this entire rig?
Click to expand...

His answer:
shroud27 said:
The thing is I'm going to spend the holidays with some family in the US, so I want to bring back the best available parts I can, money would be of no issue except we're only allowed $1000 worth of stuff on the way back through customs.
Click to expand...

shroud27 said:
Customs to Venezuela actually, customs officials are very corrupt and if they see you bring in over $1000 then you have to "declare", which means they let you pass but they take anything they want from your suitcase and pretend nothing happened...
Click to expand...
 
Wow I totally missed that part. Hmmm, I suppose he could just say the system is worth $800
 
tiraides said:
You need to atone for that major indiscretion....

We demand a sacrifice! (Or, you could make it up to us with some pictures of the completed rig...)
Click to expand...

Well I do have an old 75mhz Pentium I've always wanted to turn into a keychain, does that count as a sacrifice? :p

Im getting the 22inch Acer and putting in my suitcase and checking it (with extra padding of course) I did it once with my 15 inch without any problems. As for customs I think I may buy a cheap case( thumb screws, customs officials would have to find a screwdriver to open it)and put everything inside it and just declare the cost of the case $50 :p

Heck, I'm not even sure they know how to use a screwdriver...
 
Just don't give them any motivation to "dig" into your case.

(And you better provide us with good pics... of the computer. Old Pentium keychains are a dime a dozen here.)
 
shroud27 said:
Sorry I posted the wrong link, I may downgrade the size of the monitor because to be honest I don't think they will let me bring that on a plane hehe.

Bought all the parts this morning so I didn't see Tiraides' motherboard recommendation :( I thought about it but I don't really plan to use crossfire and with the upgrade in the PSU I was already running low on budget. Thanks for the help! I'll make sure to do some folding when I put it together.

<edit>

Oh and I ended up getting the Q9550, waste of money I know but it was an impulse purchase at the last minute, at least I got a C0 stepping!
Click to expand...


You mean E0 and your lucky. I have the c1 stepping.....
 
I'm a man of my word so.. pictures!
Viaje_Toronto-Montreal_994.jpg

This was my first time trying this "cable management" thing I hear so much about... so it was my first try.

Viaje_Toronto-Montreal_995.jpg


Viaje_Toronto-Montreal_1030.jpg

Actual Parts:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 E0 stepping (sorry, brain fart)
Xigmatek HDT-S1283
Gigabyte EP45-DS3L
Evga Geforce GTX 260 Superclocked
4gb Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 4-4-4-12
Western Digital Caviar 320gb
LG GH22NS30 22x DVD-RW drive
Viewsonic VX2262wm 22" Widescreen LCD
Antec TruePower Trio 650 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply
Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case
Antec 140mm Top fan, Antec 120mm front fan, Artic Cooling PMW 120mm rear fan
JVC HARX-900 Headphones with Zalman Microfone

Thanks to tiraides, ordovician, Danny Bui and everybody else for your help. Oh, and thanks to the [H] Sound forum for the microfone/headphone recomendation. Now for some case mods...
 
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