New gaming build, $1k

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cbliss1000

Limp Gawd
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Hi - posting this on behalf of a friend. If possible we'd love to assemble it this weekend - I live near a Microcenter.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming and game development using Unity, Blender, Adobe CS.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000 USD including tax and shipping

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Cambridge, MA, US

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.
CPU, GPU, PSU, Mobo, RAM, HD, Case, Monitor

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 any parts, though I have a GTX 260 available if necessary.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Included in 4 and so open to suggestions.
Something modest would fine for now.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Now

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.
Not sure. Any suggestions?

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No.
 
Without a monitor or OS, you're looking at about $700 in hardware. Do you know if your developing programs are highly multithreaded? If so, AMD's FX Vishera could be a good value for you.
 
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($87.74 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.10 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($327.36 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT H230 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus VS228H-P 21.5" Monitor ($137.58 @ Newegg)
Total: $998.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
 
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The Z87-G41 isn't a good choice for overclocking since it only has 4 phases to the CPU. You're also going to want 2 DIMMs of memory to get dual channel. I think a GTX 770 is disproportionately out of budget for this build, a GTX 760 is more sensible. The H80i is also a stretch, a Hyper 212 will be almost as good fo $30. Any cost cutting should be put toward an SSD.

The OP can get more performance out of an eight core Vishera if his work is suited for multithreading.
 
Well next bundle up is the asrock z87 ex4. 12 phase PWM with options for xfire or sli with heatsinks all around including the VRM. Still within ops budget via microcenter. In regards to Vishera the amount of heat and power associated with a mild oc simply isn't worth it with a budget cooler such as a hyper 212 evo
 
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A hyper 212 can handle a mild OC on a Vishera no problem. The performance gain on multithreaded tasks is the primary advantage over an i5 and is well worth the bump in heat if it improves productivity.

The 4670k + Z87 extreme4 bundle would come out to $307 after sales tax (in store).
It also looks like an OS wasn't included in the above list which is going to require things to be cut down.

A cheaper Vishera route would be:
FX-8320 ($160) - 125W

Mobo:
6 Phase Asus M5A99X EVO ($115 after MIR)
or
8 Phase Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ($127 after MIR)

Cooler:
CM Hyer 212 Evo ($30 after MIR)
or
Noctua U12P ($68) - still cheaper than H80i, performs better and much better acoustics

VGA...drop down to a GTX 760:
Asus ($260 after MIR)

RAM...2 DIMMs:
2x4 GB Adata CL9 1600 CL9 1.5V ($73)

Keep same PSU:
XFX/Seasonic 550W ([http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013]$60 after MIR[/url])

OS...OP did not specify so I will call it $80
_
_
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At this point, without a case, storage media, optical drive, or monitor the build is at $778 - $828.
This means all the major components need to be cut and high end cooling (or even overclocking) will not fit into the budget. There are no K series i3's to drop down to, and regressing to an overclockable Ivy Bridge will still be expensive with a limited chipset.

In fact, even the octo-core Vishera needs to be dropped to a hex-core 95W FX-6300 ($120) - now the multithreaded capability is much better than a similarly priced i3 and can still be overclocked on the Hyper 212.

Revised mobo:
8 phase Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ($100) - note 970 chipset incapable of SLI but that's irrelevant

Add $15 for ODD
Now we're at $738 without case, storage, or monitor.

I can't recommend any monitors, and the OP needs to provide some feedback on storage capacy before I proceed. But as it stands, I don't think a system of acceptable quality that meets the OP's requirements can be made appreciably cheaper. The GTX 760 may even need to be dropped to a GTX 750 Ti.
 
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I would strongly recommend two monitors. Microcenter's website doesn't work for me but you should be able to get a CPU and motherboard for under $50 each. For example, on ebuyer.co.uk the Pentium G3220 is £40 and the MSI H81M is £35. This will allow for a better GPU.
 
I believe most of the programs support multithreading to some degree but it's not, perhaps, a high priority for me.

Really appreciate the feedback and ideas so far. Other perspectives?
 
Quartz-1 said:
I would strongly recommend two monitors. Microcenter's website doesn't work for me but you should be able to get a CPU and motherboard for under $50 each. For example, on ebuyer.co.uk the Pentium G3220 is £40 and the MSI H81M is £35. This will allow for a better GPU.
Click to expand...

Wahhh?
 
Here's an update from said friend with the build he's looking at. Feedback?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT H230 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $754.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-13 14:51 EDT-0400)
 
cbliss1000 said:
Here's an update from said friend with the build he's looking at. Feedback?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT H230 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $754.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-13 14:51 EDT-0400)
Click to expand...

It looks fine, although $70 for a mechanical 500GB is small even for today's standards. I guess you went WD black for the lack of SSD? Also I don't see any point on the CM Hyper N520 the stock Intel cooler is fine as long as it's seated properly. You're obviously not overclocking with the non k processor
 
cbliss1000 said:
Here's an update from said friend with the build he's looking at. Feedback?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39f42/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive $70.99 @ Newegg
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: NZXT H230 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $825.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-13 14:51 EDT-0400)
Click to expand...
No reason to get the i5-4570 for $159.99, it doesn't have any bundle discount!
The i5-4670k at $189.99 has a $30 bundle discount when purchased with a motherboard, making these two effectively the same price, and one potentially much faster.

Try to stick to 120mm or 140mm fans as a rule. The 92mm fans on that N520 will move less air and make more noise than 120mm's.
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is going to be cheaper ($31.99 @ Microcenter) and perform better than the N520.

A WD Black 1TB is $79.99 at Microcenter, double the capacity for $9 seems like a no brainer if he's going without an SSD. Personally, I'd get the $60 WD Blue 1TB and find some way to get an SSD.

Actually, here's what I'd do:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39lVl
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39lVl/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39lVl/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Microcenter) After Combo Discount
Memory: A-Data XPG V2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: PNY XLR8 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($64.99 @ TigerDirect)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Antec One ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $832.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-13 18:24 EDT-0400)
Click to expand...

Steam runs on linux, and you can find a decent 24" monitor for $160. Not sure if your friend would want IPS or best refresh rate.

w/Monitor: Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $972.90
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/39nlf
 
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Wow, really good feedback. Cheers. I'll send this his way and post back questions/updates/pictures.
 
Pretty good, I would get the XFX PSU over the Corsair CX. 3 year vs 5 year warranty. Plus the OEM for the following is Corsair=CWT for their CX series and XFX= Seasonic for their pro series
 
Kueller's list looks good but I agree with Sixthsense the XFX PSU is better.

There is a chance that the Hyper 212 will obstruct the first DIMM slot, so Adata XPG V2 may not be compatible if you plan to upgrade to 4 DIMMs in the future (populate slots 2 & 4 first).

The PNY XLR8 is an old Sandforce SSD but it's a steal at $65 for 120GB and the WD Blue WD10EZEX is probably the cheapest single platter 1TB drive you can get.

You still have to factor in another $100 for the OS and ODD combined.
 
rastaban said:
Kueller's list looks good but I agree with Sixthsense the XFX PSU is better.

There is a chance that the Hyper 212 will obstruct the first DIMM slot, so Adata XPG V2 may not be compatible if you plan to upgrade to 4 DIMMs in the future (populate slots 2 & 4 first).

The PNY XLR8 is an old Sandforce SSD but it's a steal at $65 for 120GB and the WD Blue WD10EZEX is probably the cheapest single platter 1TB drive you can get.

You still have to factor in another $100 for the OS and ODD combined.
Click to expand...

I'd go for a seasonic unit myself...I just didn't know there was one available for $50.

I really highly recommend finding some way to get an SSD for the OS drive. The responsiveness is just night and day compared to a platter drive.
 
Hey guys - we're at microcenter right now and found a nvidia gtx 660ti for 219$. Any reason not to get this, as opposed to the 760 recommended above?
 
cbliss1000 said:
Hey guys - we're at microcenter right now and found a nvidia gtx 660ti for 219$. Any reason not to get this, as opposed to the 760 recommended above?
Click to expand...
The 760 is fast enough to justify the extra $20 to $30 for it.
 
Hi everyone - just wanted to express my thanks again and post a picture of the final build (it was late and we were too lazy to give cable management much thought - it'll have to wait).

The final build was basically Kueller's build, including the PNY XLR8, and with a 660ti (too cheap to pass up) and a different case. The final cost, after rebates, was just about exactly $1k, inclduing an OS and a SteelSeries Rival. Pretty good! Who knew MC did price-matching?

zeOtSIe.jpg
 
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