ibuypower

[amrogers3]

Hello, been thinking about putting together a gaming rig, but don't know much about gaming hardware. I have put together and fixed several PCs but I am way behind on what's out there as far as hardware goes.

I have a few copies of Maximum PC mag and have read about the 3 different builds they have put together, basically, they have the low, medium, and top of the line build. I can connect wires all day and I think I would be able to build one, esp if I have the parts list pre-generated, like the builds listed in the MaxPC mag.

Is it worth putting a custom rig together or should I buy something from IBuyPower.com? A friend of mine who has built rigs in the past says it's not worth the trouble when you can get it custom and put together for not much more money.

I am looking to spend around $2K for a rig. Thoughts?

 

[shad3dpixel]

Building your own is not only cheaper but offers more flexibility (you are not restrained to their setup choices). It also is a good learning experience. I recommend building your own.

 

[amrogers3]

Don't know if you are familiar with the builds in MaxPC mag. If so, are those builds pretty good?

 

[Dangman]

Don't know if you are familiar with the builds in MaxPC mag. If so, are those builds pretty good?

Depends on one which specific builds you're talking about and how old the mags are. I've seen quite a few MaxPC mag builds that has made me say "What the fuck where they thinking?" In addition, if the mags are from like two months ago, they're already a tad outdated. So they may not be good choices now.

Now whether or not to go DIY or prebuilt is largely dependent on how much you value your time, your willingness and capability to troubleshoot PC hardware issues (i.e do you have spare parts or PCs with compatible parts), how much the ability to blame someone else for your computer issues is worth to you, and whether or not you're willing to give some bang for the buck value.

Yes a DIY setup would get you a significantly better bang for the buck value when it comes to the computer hardware themselves. However any issue that may occurs is all on you. No the forums won't always be able to help you out should issues occur. At the end of the day, your troubleshooting skills is gonna be key, not ours.

With a prebuilt PC, yes you're often paying $400 to $500 more than a DIY setu. So a $2000 build from a prebuilt will probably have $1400 to 1600 worth of parts. But at least you have a guaranteed line of support as well as the higher chance of getting a stable PC since they're doing the testing, not you.

 

[amrogers3]

Thanks Danny, you have given me good advice before. I appreciate your input. +1 rep

Do DIY builds require much troubleshooting these days? Seems like manufacturers make most of this stuff plug and play, is that correct? I have put together a couple of SuperMicro builds with no issues. However, I wasn't trying to get the max performance out of the hardware and there wasn't as much hardware as a gaming build with GPUs, cooling systems, and all the bells and whistles.

Is it worth waiting for the Haswell proc? And what is the best way (or site) to research best gaming hardware and compatibility?

For starters, what do you think of the following:

• ThermalTake New Soprano case (it's probably too new to comment)
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
• samsung 840 250GB
• Corsair CX600 (too much power? how do you figure out power requirements once I find a proc?)

Need help determining

• Proc
• GPU
• RAM
• Mobo

Trying to build a reasonably quiet case hence the reason for picking the New Soprano case and trying to keep it less than $2000. Problem is the 212 Evo can be up to 36 dB. I looked at liquid cooling but they aren't much quieter and they're more expensive. For example, the Corsair Hydro Series H100 is up to 39 dB.

 

[Dangman]

Thanks Danny, you have given me good advice before. I appreciate your input. +1 rep

No prob.

Do DIY builds require much troubleshooting these days?

If you have an issue or just have bad luck, yes they do require quite a bit of troubleshooting. Troubleshooting is also especially hard if you don't have spart compatible parts or PCs to test with.

Seems like manufacturers make most of this stuff plug and play, is that correct?

Mostly correct.

Is it worth waiting for the Haswell proc?

Depends on how badly you need a new PC.

And what is the best way (or site) to research best gaming hardware and compatibility?

Go through this subforum . Seriously we go through tons of build lists every week.

As for sites, I generally hit up HardOCP, Anandtech, Xbitlabs, and Bit-tech for video card and CPU reviews.

• ThermalTake New Soprano case (it's probably too new to comment)

Definitely looks nice. Doesn't look like the other fugly cases that Thermaltake has been releasing over the past few years. early reviews shows it being a solid case.

• Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Problem is the 212 Evo can be up to 36 dB. I looked at liquid cooling but they aren't much quieter and they're more expensive.

You could always replace the stock fan with a quieter model. Though I recommend trying out the stock fan for yourself first to see if it's actually that loud for you.

• samsung 840 250GB

I'm ambivalent about this part. While it's certainly cheap, the fact that it's slower than its older and similarily priced (before they sold out) Samsung 830 brother realy bothers me. Not to mention the concerns of longevity.

• Corsair CX600 (too much power? how do you figure out power requirements once I find a proc?)

Not too much power but just not that great of a buy. I recommend the higher quality Antec Neo Eco 520C instead. You read reviews that do power consumption tests to get an idea of power usage.

Need help determining

Before we go any further, please answer the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!" so that we can help you better.

 

[amrogers3]

yes sir, I can do that.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Strictly gaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
less than $2000 not inc monitor or tax or shipping
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US, Arkansas
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.
Mobo, RAM, CPU, Case, HD, GPU, Cooling, PS
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Not reusing
6) Will you be overclocking?
yes
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
need to buy a monitor, possibly the BenQ XL2420T, 1920 x 1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
within the next 2 months
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.
This is where I want to future proof my build. Def need Crossfire/SLI, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No, I will probably buy Win7, unless advised otherwise

A digital temperature readout would also be nice.

 

[Dangman]

If you can't narrow down the time frame before January 31st, then please just come back when you're 1-2 weeks away from buying parts to start planning a build. Our parts recommendations can sometimes sometimes changes weekly due to pricing, availability, and value. So your best bet for an up-to-date build list is to ask for advice when you're 1-2 weeks away from buying.

Believe me, it does not help you that much to plan a PC build far in advance.

 

[amrogers3]

Will do.