New Gaming Rig Help

D

Durntdude

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Messages
87
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Purpose of machine is almost entirely gaming. Secondary use is running multiple VM's

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Budget: $1150-$1250 Hard limit, includes taxes and shipping

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Orlando, FL, 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.
Components needed: (Note: the parts in () are what I plan to use unless you guys can find something better overall.)
Computer Case (Antec 300) $55
Power Supply (Corsair 750 Watt Modular) $170 - 25 after MIR
Motherboard(MSI Z77A-G45) $130-10 after MIR
Processor (Intel Core i5-3450)$195
CPU Cooler(Antec Kuhler H2O 620) $65
Memory (GSKILL F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL) $80 ($40x2 for 16 GB RAM, no less)
SSD (SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC256B/WW 256GB) $170
Video/Graphics Card (???)
Mouse (G400 Logitech) $35

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Re-using a keyboard and nothing else

6) Will you be overclocking?
Not in the foreseeable future

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
27.5" 1920x1200. Occasionally I may play on my tv which is 40" 1920*1080

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 2-4 days

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.
2x USB 3.0 or more
Gigabit LAN
1x SATA 6 Gb/s
Onboard vid for backup is always nice

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Windows 7 Pro 64 bit

EDIT: I plan on putting Steam + my most common non steam games on the SSD, thus I need 120-150GB + OS in space
 
Last edited:
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
7) What is the resolution of your monitor?
 
get a K series processor... just spend the 30 bucks for the i5-3570k for the overclocking potential
 
$30 for an extra 300 Mhz+overclock ability isn't bad I suppose. That will leave 250ish for a video card. Any suggestions (only 1 video card, I don't like SLI/crossfire. Makes the room way too hot)

Any opinions on any other hardware?
 
FYI, editing a post unfortunately doesn't "bump up" a thread like a new post would. Hence why people won't know if the thread has been updated or not and therefore be late in replying.

Anyway, if you're buying from Newegg, ditch that CPU and mobo and go with this CPU + mobo combo:
$316 - Intel Core i5 3470 CPU + MSI Z77A-G45 Intel Z77 Motherboard Combo

Slightly cheaper but you get a slightly faster CPU and same mobo. I wouldn't spend the extra $30 for the 3570K since it would require a better and therefore more expensive mobo for overclocking. If you do want that 3570K and can fit it in somehow into your budget, I recommend this CPU and mobo combo:
$355 - Intel Core i5 3570K CPU + Asus P8Z77-V LK Intel Z77 Motherboard Combo

Case wise, I wouldn't recommend the Antec 300 since it's relatively cramped and has little to no cable management features. I recommend this budget case instead:
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case

GPU wise, I'd look at the GTX 660 TI like this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130810&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

PSU wise, Since you're not doing SLI, you really don't need a 750W PSU. Even with heavy duty overclocking, a solid 500W to 550W PSU is all that you need. I recommend the following PSU if you don't need modular capability:
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU

If you do want modular capability:
$75 - SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze 520W Modular PSU

If you want higher quality and modular capability:
$120 - Corsair HX650 650W Modular PSU

Any of the three PSUs I listed above will be more than enough for your needs and are of great quality.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
The suggestions are extremely appreciated. I am actually happy with those changes.
Thanks for the help, off to buy.
 
Last edited:
Try this on for size, at $1222 before rebates:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.82 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($144.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($296.97 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS90 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G400 Wired Optical Mouse ($33.50 @ Amazon)
Total: $1202.20
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

EVGA's FTW line has a great rep. MSI's "Power Edition" is also a strong choice. UD3H has a very solid rep. 212 EVO is an air cooler but does an excellent job for the price.

If you went with 8GB of RAM and used a placeholder mouse for now, you could probably swing a GTX 670. But since you say that you'll be running VMs a lot, I can't make that call. But games won't need 16GB, that's for sure.

The Radeon 7950 is a good alternative, but things have been looking a little shaky over at AMD lately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top