Gaming PC

[Dog--]

So I've got about a thousand bucks (CDN) to spend and I want to get the most out of it when buying a PC for gaming. I really don't want to play any newer games, I just mostly want to play Starcraft 2, Portal 2, Oblivion at max settings. That's pretty much it, any ideas/suggestions?

 

[Ennui]

A few preliminary questions:

1) How much is $1000 CDN in USD? Roughly the same amount right?
2) Are you just building a box (Case+PSU+Mobo+CPU+GPU+RAM+HDD) or do you also need to buy peripherials (monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse)?
3) Do you have any specific hardware/manufacturer preferences, eg do you prefer AMD to Intel CPUs, or AMD to Nvidia GPUs?

If I'm right about CDN being roughly equivalent to USD these days, building a solid and relatively future-worthy gaming rig (for a year or two) should be cake, that's plenty of money.

 

[Dog--]

Yea it's pretty much the same, I think our dollar might be worth a few more cents then yours if that. And yes, I do need to buy a monitor (I'll just buy the cheapest LCD I can find, prolly a 19'' or so).

Really the only preference I have is Nvidea graphics cards.. I've always had them and have always loved them.

 

[Dog--]

Yea it's pretty much the same, I think our dollar might be worth a few more cents then yours if that. And yes, I do need to buy a monitor (I'll just buy the cheapest LCD I can find, prolly a 19'' or so).

Really the only preference I have is Nvidea graphics cards.. I've always had them and have always loved them.

 

[Higlac]

I just finished my pc for about $1000. The thread is here. Right now, my processor is running at 4.6GHz and I can play everything I own on maximum settings with an Nvidia 460.

 

[Ennui]

Well, for a CPU I would recommend getting either a core i5 2500k if you like Intel, or if you want to go AMD (my preference, but slightly less performance for your buck) I'd say to go with the Phenom II x4 970 @ 3.5ghz or one of the higher end Phenom II x6 cpus.

Use http://anandtech.com/ (benchmarks section) to get a good idea of price/performance ratios for CPUs and GPUs.

If you want NVIDIA, I'd say you should get a GTX 560ti.

Then just add a decent budget mobo (I usually get gigabyte mobos) for $100-$150 and you'll have around $500 left over for a decent case, PSU, RAM (you will be good with 4gb DDR3 1333, which will cost probably about $60) and a monitor.

One issue is the OS... do you have a copy of windows you can install? Win7 is expensive, even if you get an OEM copy.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Well if it isn't dog--, I thought you died or something.

 

[Higlac]

If you do go with the 2500K, then at least get the p67 chipset. Also, don't be afraid of good ram, it makes a huge difference.

 

[Dog--]

How easy are PC's to put together? I think I could probably figure it out, but I wouldn't want to **** it up by connecting something wrong or not connecting something... I'm really off my game when it comes to PC's to be honest, I haven't had a gaming PC in like 2 years, and haven't kept up with anything in terms of new processors or GPU's or anything really.

I was kind of looking for maybe a complete build on newegg someone could link me to?

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I recommend youtubing some building vids too (just for the general feel of it). It's like a big (and small!) clunky puzzle.

 

[Maestro]

Well, for a CPU I would recommend getting either a core i5 2500k if you like Intel, or if you want to go AMD (my preference, but slightly less performance for your buck) I'd say to go with the Phenom II x4 970 @ 3.5ghz or one of the higher end Phenom II x6 cpus.

Use http://anandtech.com/ (benchmarks section) to get a good idea of price/performance ratios for CPUs and GPUs.

If you want NVIDIA, I'd say you should get a GTX 560ti.

Then just add a decent budget mobo (I usually get gigabyte mobos) for $100-$150 and you'll have around $500 left over for a decent case, PSU, RAM (you will be good with 4gb DDR3 1333, which will cost probably about $60) and a monitor.

One issue is the OS... do you have a copy of windows you can install? Win7 is expensive, even if you get an OEM copy.

Dude, check your RAM prices. That's what 2x4gb costs. I would also mention that getting an AM3+ mobo is a much better idea than an AM3 because AM3+ works with the Phenom II and will work with Bulldozer down the road. They also are much more likely to have UEFI, which eats BIOS's lunch.

Also, the CoolerMaster Storm series is a solid case to get. I have the scout and it's a great case.

 

[Higlac]

Putting a PC together isn't so much as hard as it is stressful. If you're nervous, get Newegg's one year warranty, that way if you break something, just mar the packaging and say it was damaged in shipping. <.< >.>

Ram is cheap now, though I suggest spending a little extra and getting good ram. I got 2x4 GB of 1866 for about $75.

Also, the CoolerMaster Storm series is a solid case to get. I have the scout and it's a great case.

This, so much this. I have the sniper, and aside from one thing, it's absolutely perfect. With the one thing being that the tool-less PCI slots not working with my video card.

But if you really want a pre-built, I suggest http://www.ibuypower.com/

Edit: I neglected to mention that my case is absolutely monstrously big as well. Not for use on top of the desk.

 

[Ennui]

I also HEARTILY recommend Coolermaster cases, I absolutely love my HAF 932. The 932 is a massive full-ATX tower though, probably bigger than you want (I have five hard drives and I wanted room for a future SLI build, plus I just like roomy cases with good airflow). I'd recommend looking at the Storm series, or at one of the smaller cases in the HAF series, like the 922. Building with my Coolermaster case was a pleasure, much better than my previous two cases (Apevia and NZXT - the Apevia was nice and sturdy but with bad airflow, while the NZXT looked cool but was really a flimsy piece of shit).

How easy are PC's to put together? I think I could probably figure it out, but I wouldn't want to **** it up by connecting something wrong or not connecting something... I'm really off my game when it comes to PC's to be honest, I haven't had a gaming PC in like 2 years, and haven't kept up with anything in terms of new processors or GPU's or anything really.

I was kind of looking for maybe a complete build on newegg someone could link me to?

Don't puss out and get a complete build... if you do though, go with Higlac's suggestion and use Ibuypower, I got my first gaming PC from them back when I was 14 or so and it was great. Still, it's kind of expensive, and building your own PC is a fun experience.

Don't be intimidated, putting together a PC isn't nearly as challenging as you might imagine. Basically you just follow the instructions in your motherboard manual and connect everything to the right spots. Also we will be here to walk you through it / answer any questions you might have (and there are zillions of videos and articles to help too).

The only slightly nerve-wracking part is installing the CPU in the mobo socket, but it's still easy, just something that requires some delicacy. Really if you can read and use a screwdriver, you're perfectly capable of building your own PC, and you will learn a lot about computer hardware in the process

 

[CowPunk]

I also agree with Ennui, cooler master is pretty bangin. I am also a pretty big proponent of Rosewill cases. I have one and a few of my friends have them, they are pretty slick. For the vid card, I also recommend the 560ti. I use the MSI and I love it. My roommate has the 460, and it still kicks ass tho.

There is something incredibly satisfying about building your first pc. I feel it is a good thing to learn any way.

 

[Unfocused]

The only slightly nerve-wracking part is installing the CPU in the mobo socket, but it's still easy, just something that requires some delicacy. Really if you can read and use a screwdriver, you're perfectly capable of building your own PC, and you will learn a lot about computer hardware in the process

What's with the CPU installation anxiety; somebody in another thread also mentioned something about shitting themselves when something snapped during installation

Unless something changed since the Pentium 4 era, when I last installed a CPU, you just put the CPU in the socket (you can't make a mistake, since it won't fit if it's not rotated the right way) - there's no pushing it in or anything - and then you just pull a little lever to lock it in place. Then you put the radiator on top of it and lock that in place (and IIRC that could be a little tricky, I'm not sure). So where's the nerve-wracking experience?

Now removing the RAM sticks - that I remember to be dodgy. I don't know if it's normal, or perhaps that was just my mobo, but it was hard to get those bastards out. Same thing with the power cable from the PSU, I was half-expecting the mobo to snap while I was wrestling with it.

 

[Ennui]

The anxiety-inducing part is where you have to lower it into the socket and make sure you don't bend any of the hundreds of tiny pins and completely **** the CPU up I've had two friends have to RMA their CPUs because they accidentally bent a pin or two.

Also, on one of my older builds, the heatsink assembly (where you snap it into place with the lever like you described) was ultra flimsy and I was terrified I was going to break it.

Replacing RAM never really bugs me, but I do HATE trying to take the massive 12 or 16 pin or whatever mobo power cable out, I almost broke my old mobo doing that.

 

[Dog--]

What do you guys think of this build? It costs about $1100, though... And I still need to buy a monitor..

Gamer HAF 92A
1 x Case ( CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case - Black )
0 x Case Lighting ( None )
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None )
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None )
1 x Processor ( [= Six Core =] AMD Phenom™ II X6 1055T Six-Core CPU )
1 x Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System [AMD] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan )
1 x Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module - ** FREE Upgrade to DDR3-1600 ** Corsair or Major Brand )
1 x Video Card ( AMD Radeon HD 6850 - 1GB - Single Card )
1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA )
1 x Motherboard ( [CrossFire] ASUS M5A97 -- AMD 970 w/ 2x PCI-E 2.0 x16 )
1 x Motherboard USB / SATA Interface ( Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface )
1 x Power Supply ( 600 Watt -- Standard )
1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
0 x Data Hard Drive ( None )
1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
0 x 2nd Optical Drive ( None )
1 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black )
0 x Meter Display ( None )
0 x USB Expansion ( None )
1 x Sound Card ( Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE )
1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
1 x Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit )
1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse )
0 x Monitor ( None )
0 x 2nd Monitor ( None )
1 x Speaker System ( iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
1 x Wireless Network Adapter ( ASUS USB-N13 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 300Mbps Wireless USB Adapter )
1 x Power Protection ( Mighty Voltage Regulator - Opti-UPS SS1200-AVR )
0 x Headset ( None )
0 x Video Camera ( None )
1 x Advanced Build Options ( iBUYPOWER Specialized Advanced Packaging System - Protect your investment during transportation! )
0 x Case Engraving Service ( None )
1 x Warranty ( Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
1 x Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

$1,072.00


$1,072.00

 

[Maestro]

Wait.

OK, price is good, but you don't need an X6 processor, the return on investment will suck long-term when Bulldozer comes out. Also, 600W gives you almost no room to grow. If you would be willing to replace the PSU later with a beefier model then don't worry, but that rig will not support another 6850 for damn sure. Don't get DDR3 1333, get DDR3 1600 or 1866. With a liquid system you could easily overclock your CPU and take advantage of the improved RAM performance.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Strange looking list.

 

[Higlac]

Is that price with shipping? IIRC, they charge like another $100 for shipping. Also, I can't recommend highly enough the 2500K, this thing is monstrously fast for the price, and is well worth the extra $60ish.

One more thing, I recommend that you look at what sort of components you can put together yourself on Newegg for the same amount. It's not hard, and it's well worth the experience.

 

[Maestro]

Is that price with shipping? IIRC, they charge like another $100 for shipping. Also, I can't recommend highly enough the 2500K, this thing is monstrously fast for the price, and is well worth the extra $60ish.

One more thing, I recommend that you look at what sort of components you can put together yourself on Newegg for the same amount. It's not hard, and it's well worth the experience.

Yeah, but Intel releases a new socket every other week so he'll be saddled with it until he buys a new mobo. Not only that but it's slower and more expensive than the Phenom II X4 black edition.

 

[Higlac]

It is a bit more expensive yes, but it has much greater processing power than the 1055, and moderate overclocking brings it way past any of the phenoms.

 

[Maestro]

It is a bit more expensive yes, but it has much greater processing power than the 1055, and moderate overclocking brings it way past any of the phenoms.

The Dhrystone test it is a huge difference, but on Whetstone the difference drops to ~12%. Beyond that I see no mention of what hardware the Phenom system is running on, so for all we know the mobo is bottlenecking it. So yeah, it's faster, and part of it is the CPU, but I don't think that benchmark is a very thorough one.

With a Phenom II X4, a very moderately priced CPU, performance matches just about anything you could possibly do. What the X4 on AM3+ offers is long term upgradeability with the Bulldozer series. The i5 socket (LGA1155) will be outmoded with any upgrade to the next-gen Intel offerings.

 

[Ennui]

I still think he'd be better off going with socket AM3+. He just wants to play Starcraft 2 and stuff, he's probably not gonna be overclocking a 2500k if he gets one anyway.

I would still say go with one of the high end Phenom II X4s (970, 975, or 980... Black Edition Deneb core). They're significantly cheaper than the sandy bridge stuff, he can get socket AM3+ for upgrading and he will notice virtually no difference for his gaming/computer using purposes compared to the 2500k.

Really that list from ibuypower is kind of... meh TBH. It's really a lot better to build your own so you can pick out specific components that EXACTLY suit your needs / budget / desires.

The mobo is solid, but if you are going to go ahead and buy an SLI/Crossfire ready board, you better get a better PSU. 600W isnt gonna cut it for 2 beefy GPUs. Since this is a budget build, I sort of want to say you should just get a single PCI-E slot mobo and spend a bit more on the graphics card, since having multiple GPUs isn't really a "budget" kind of thing in most cases since it's not quite as cost efficient generally speaking as having a single video card.

If you just got one graphics card, you can spend another $50 or so and get a GTX 560ti or HD 6950 which are about the best compromise between power and price right now (low $200s). If you go with Nvidia I strongly recommend eVGA as a manufacturer.

In fact I'll just throw together a list for you since I'm bored and I like looking at computer parts anyways

Here you go:

$900 USD, has everything you need except for a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers. And it's better than the PC you built thru Ibuypower.

Same case, a better power supply, a solid mobo with AM3+/SATA 6.0/USB 3.0, a SATA 6.0 harddrive, a WAY better graphics card, the best quadcore Phenom II on the market (3.7ghz and could be overclocked to probably 4.5 at least).

I opted to spend a bit more on the GPU and CPU than other components, which are easier to upgrade. There is also an equivalent ASUS mobo for the same price if you would prefer that to Gigabyte. I decided to skimp just a wee bit on RAM (4gb of 1600 instead of 8gb and maybe faster speed) and hard drive space (750gb is a great start, but hard drives are cheap and super easy to install so you can always just get another terabyte or two once you need it) since this is a budget build and these things are easy to upgrade. You could also exchange the 560ti for a 6950 for another $30 or so, but I recommend sticking with the Nvidia card.

You can get a good sized monitor for $100-$150, and if you want a gaming mouse expect to spend $50-60, but you can always just get a cheap optical mouse and keyboard for like $20 total and upgrade that later. As for speakers, spend at least $50 on a 2.1 system, (Logitech, Altec Lansing are brands I've had good experience with) but I strongly recommend spending at least ~$100 on a good set of 2.1s, so you might wanna just get a semi cheap headset for now and get speakers when you can afford to get decently good ones.

 

[Higlac]

The Dhrystone test it is a huge difference, but on Whetstone the difference drops to ~12%. Beyond that I see no mention of what hardware the Phenom system is running on, so for all we know the mobo is bottlenecking it. So yeah, it's faster, and part of it is the CPU, but I don't think that benchmark is a very thorough one.

With a Phenom II X4, a very moderately priced CPU, performance matches just about anything you could possibly do. What the X4 on AM3+ offers is long term upgradeability with the Bulldozer series. The i5 socket (LGA1155) will be outmoded with any upgrade to the next-gen Intel offerings.

Ok, I'll admit that the AMD chip will offer upgradeability, and he'll notice no difference, I'm probably just a little biased towards the 2500k, since it's so easy to overclock. And the fact that it'll run at 4.2 Ghz on stock cooling, and then benchmark at the same level as the 1100T.

So, yes, the AMD will be a better choice if you want better peripherals. Just don't skimp on ram or a power supply.

 

[Dog--]

Is that sort of overkill? Preferably something cheaper, I have $1000 to spend but I'd rather not spend more then I have to, like I said I just wanna play SC2 max setting mostly..

 

[Higlac]

Yeah, it's probably overkill. Go with the AMD and buy a better monitor.

 

[Bakurei]

If you're just going to run SC2 at max then even that comp is an overkill. If you're not going to overclock then don't spend a dime on the motherboard, you're just throwing money away.

 

[Higlac]

If you're just going to run SC2 at max then even that comp is an overkill. If you're not going to overclock then don't spend a dime on the motherboard, you're just throwing money away.

Ignore this. You'll want USB 3.0 as well as SATA III. Also, a low end chipset will bottleneck your computer, especially if you want to get a new processor or upgrade in the future.

 

[Ennui]

Also, the computer I posted will run the SHIT out of BF3... I daresay on high settings and res even.

 

[Unfocused]

Also, the computer I posted will run the SHIT out of BF3... I daresay on high settings and res even.

That tweet where some DICE guy said two 580's would be required for maximum settings is a bit worrying though :|. I want to build a similar system soon, with a single 570 and I was hoping it would run everything maxed out in 1920x1080.

 

[Maestro]

That tweet where some DICE guy said two 580's would be required for maximum settings is a bit worrying though :|. I want to build a similar system soon, with a single 570 and I was hoping it would run everything maxed out in 1920x1080.

That sounds like bad code optimization more than it does awesome appearance. What I have been seeing doesn't put it too much above CryEngine.

 

[Dog--]

Well guys, I finally bought my computer (should be here any day now), here's the specs...

The important bits:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=47459&vpn=HDZ955FBGMBOX&manufacture
RAM: Mushkin 2x4GB DDR3-1333 http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=55544&vpn=996770&manufacture=Mushkin enhanced
Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=62416&vpn=M5A99X EVO&manufacture=ASUS
Videocard: XFX AMD HD6870 http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=62756&vpn=HD687AZHFC&manufacture=XFX
HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 500GB http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=57878&vpn=0F10381&manufacture=Hitachi
PSU: XFX 550W CORE http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=59615&vpn=P1550SXXB9&manufacture=XFX

And I actually forgot to buy a disc drive (I dunno how I forgot that..), so I went to a local computer store and picked up a 22x DVD drive (also a dual-layer burner) for about $30 including the two cables I needed.

 

[Dog--]

Any critiques on the system?

Ended up costing about $992 by the way.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Nvidia > ATI.

 

[Dog--]

To be honest this is my first ever ATI, I've ALWAYS been a nVidia guy. We shall see how it turns out.

 

[Quixoticism]

Actually AMD has the better price for performance cards until you get to the 570. Critiques are past though since you've already gotten everything.
I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Dog--]

Just arrived today and holy shit.. I've never even used a computer this fast, this thing is ridiculous. It can play every single game I own at max settings no lie. I went all out and bought a new monitor too a new chair new desk wireless usb stick for my net, speakers, etc etc etc.