19 replies to this topic

[Moo1]

Well, the computer I'm using now is a laptop that I got around 5-6 years ago. It's not bad, but sometimes the CPU usage goes up to 100% a little while after I start it up, and I end up having to restart it, and the keyboard is a little messed up. Add that to the fact that it lags when playing anything higher than SNES roms, I think it's time to get a new computer. Anyway, I don't really ever take my laptop with me anywhere, so I'll probably be going with a desktop. I found a site that gives some tips and has a few builds on it (http://www.build-gam...-computers.html and http://www.build-gam...g-computer.html), so I decided to do some mixing and came up with this:

Motherboard
ASUS Sabertooth P67 B3 TUF Edition ($210)

CPU
Intel Core i5-2500K BX80623I52500 Unlocked Processor ($220)

RAM
Corsair XMS3 12GB (3x 4GB) ($88)

Video Card
EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti ($118)

Sound Card
Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-FI Titanium 7.1 Sound Card ($90)

Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ($55)

Second Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ($55)

DVD Burner
Asus DRW-24B3ST/BLK/G/AS Internal 24x CD/DVD Drive ($25)

Case
Cooler Master RC-310-RWN1-GP Elite 310 Mid-Tower Case ($40)

Power Supply
Thermaltake W0382RU Modular Power Supply 750 Watts ($60)

Keyboard
Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 $60

Mouse
Logitech Gaming Mouse G500 ($50)

Speakers
Logitech 980-000402 Z623 Speaker System ($110)

Monitor
I'll probably see if I can use my TV for this, but if I can't I'll get:
Samsung XL2370HD 23" Widescreen LED HD Monitor $260

TOTAL COST: $1441 (USD)

I'm not sure whether to get some version of Linux and just use a Windows emulator when I need to, or go with Windows. Anyway, anybody have any tips for me?

Edited by Moo1, 16 September 2011 - 07:30 PM.

[Faintingcow]

Ahh how people pay over $100 for rubber dome keyboards LOL

[Moo1]

Ahh how people pay over $100 for rubber dome keyboards LOL

Well, I have a laptop right now, so I need a new keyboard, and that one looked good. Mouse, too, since the one I have is pretty worn out. Having trouble left-clicking lately.

Edited by Moo1, 16 September 2011 - 07:42 PM.

[Faintingcow]

Well, I have a laptop right now, so I need a new keyboard, and that one looked good. Mouse, too, since the one I have is pretty worn out. Having trouble left-clicking lately.

Check out Cherry Mechanical Switch Keyboards

[lolwowcow]

Filco Majestouch gogogo

-Not sure why you're getting 3 sticks of RAM, as LGA 1155 doesn't support triple channel, so you'd end up running single channel.
-Get a Maximus Gene-Z. Z68>P68
-Samsung Spinpoint F3s are pretty much the best non-SSD drives for cheap (don't go velociraptor, please)
-Why do you need a 750W PSU? You have a shit GPU with a 2500k

[Moo1]

Check out Cherry Mechanical Switch Keyboards

Jeez, that thing is more expensive than the one I put on the list. And I thought 60 bucks was a lot for just a keyboard, too.

Edited by Moo1, 16 September 2011 - 08:32 PM.

[Faintingcow]

Jeez, that thing is more expensive than the one I put on the list. And I thought 60 bucks was a lot for just a keyboard, too.

You can find cheap ones, thats just the type of switch
you can get Cherry Blue, Cherry black, Cherry brown, ECT. ECT.

Ill find the thread that informs you about what you would want and prices for some decent keyboards

if you really play games that much on the computer, unless you want a keyboard just for looks then get the logitech, but if you're a true gamer most prefer to have a keyboard that fits and gives the response they want.

Filco Majestouch gogogo

-Not sure why you're getting 3 sticks of RAM, as LGA 1155 doesn't support triple channel, so you'd end up running single channel.
-Get a Maximus Gene-Z. Z68>P68
-Samsung Spinpoint F3s are pretty much the best non-SSD drives for cheap (don't go velociraptor, please)
-Why do you need a 750W PSU? You have a shit GPU with a 2500k

there's a pretty good deal at newegg for 8gb of ripjaws for $50 they are DDR3-1600 as well so he can run dual channel.

[lolwowcow]

Ram is cheap now; you can consistently find 8 gigs of DDR 3 for $40-$50

Mech keyboards will run you ~$100 (Unless you go for the Blackwidow, ugh). It's worth it though. srsly

[Moo1]

Filco Majestouch gogogo

-Not sure why you're getting 3 sticks of RAM, as LGA 1155 doesn't support triple channel, so you'd end up running single channel.
-Get a Maximus Gene-Z. Z68>P68
-Samsung Spinpoint F3s are pretty much the best non-SSD drives for cheap (don't go velociraptor, please)
-Why do you need a 750W PSU? You have a shit GPU with a 2500k

To be honest, all of my past computers were store-bought. I know how to build a computer (my friend taught me, though I've never actually built one. Only done some tweaking), but I'm not very up to date on the parts I should use. That's the main reason I asked for help.

[lolwowcow]

What do you plan on doing with this computer? Gaming? CAD? Facebook+Email? Encoding?
Do you need it by a specific date?
Do you have a preference for Intel/AMD?
Do you have a preference for AMD/Nvidia?
What's your price range?

[Moo1]

What do you plan on doing with this computer? Gaming? CAD? Facebook+Email? Encoding?
Do you need it by a specific date?
Do you have a preference for Intel/AMD?
Do you have a preference for AMD/Nvidia?
What's your price range?

-Mostly for gaming and reading fanfiction.
-Not really, though I'm hoping for around christmas. Hoping there will be some good deals around then.
-I've heard that Intel is a bit ahead of AMD at the moment, but I don't really care as long as it works good.
-I don't really care as long as it works good.
-I'm thinking maybe somewhere around $800-$1500? I really don't want to spend $1500, but if it's something that'll last me a good while, I'd be willing to. Just update some of the parts when they get outdated or something. I'd probably be willing to go up to $2000 if I really had to, but since most of the stuff will be really outdated in like, 5 years, I'm thinking it may be a bit too much.

[lolwowcow]

Do you plan on overclocking at all? If so, your case is an important choice. You might also want to pick up an aftermarket heatsink. A CM 212+ is an extremely good choice at a low cost. Look into a H50/70 or a Antec 620 if you want a prefab'd water loop (for cheap)

Since you don't need it now, wait for AMD Bulldozer benches to come out and see how they compare to the 2500k.

Since you actually plan to play games, look into a 6850/6870/6950/6970 or 560 TI/570/580 depending on your preference for AMD/Nvidia

Buy a good PSU. Look for 80+ Bronze/Silver certified PSUs. Plan to spend ~$100 on it, since a good one will last you through many different builds. A shitty one will overheat and blow your system. Think about how much power you actually need. If you're only running 1 GPU, you only need ~400-500 watts. A good 650W PSU will let you SLI/Xfire lower end cards. EDIT: You could just buy a 1200W PSU, but it would be horribly inefficient.

I'd suggest getting a small SSD to boot from and a F3 for storage, but that's up to you

Edited by lolwowcow, 16 September 2011 - 09:00 PM.

[Moo1]

Do you plan on overclocking at all? If so, your case is an important choice. You might also want to pick up an aftermarket heatsink. A CM 212+ is an extremely good choice at a low cost. Look into a H50/70 or a Antec 620 if you want a prefab'd water loop (for cheap)

Since you don't need it now, wait for AMD Bulldozer benches to come out and see how they compare to the 2500k.

Since you actually plan to play games, look into a 6850/6870/6950/6970 or 560 TI/570/580 depending on your preference for AMD/Nvidia

Buy a good PSU. Look for 80+ Bronze/Silver certified PSUs. Plan to spend ~$100 on it, since a good one will last you through many different builds. A shitty one will overheat and blow your system. Think about how much power you actually need. If you're only running 1 GPU, you only need ~400-500 watts. A good 650W PSU will let you SLI/Xfire lower end cards. EDIT: You could just buy a 1200W PSU, but it would be horribly inefficient.

I'd suggest getting a small SSD to boot from and a F3 for storage, but that's up to you

I probably won't be overclocking, since I don't really want to risk it. Anyway, thanks for the tips.

[Therion]

All I can say is get a better GPU if you plan on gaming. Most games use significantly less CPU for 3D processes these days as the GPU does all the work, so I can only assume you're spending more money on a CPU because of how your old machine was using 100%


Even a $100 CPU will be better than most if not all of the top 'retail' CPUs used in their machines. And for gaming you're better off extending to the $200 range of cards. It will last awhile and is worth the investment.

Spending money on a good case is worth it. Cases carry over from builds. In 5 years a good case will be operating just like it did when you got it.


If you want a skimp on money, get rid of the sound card. Your motherboard has on-board audio and unless you're running expensive home theatre setups you won't notice much difference. on-board audio typically isnt bad at all. worst case scenario if you don't like how it sounds you can always add a sound card later, but in my system I found I didn't need one.

[Parrot]

I made a quick one. This will be good for all current games at decent settings, as well as future games at a bit lower. I went for a nice price / performance ration on all of the parts.You can add an OS, and the KB/ Mouse of your choosing.Personally, I use a DasKeyboard Pro ( Cherry Mx Blue switches), and a Razer Deathadder.

Part list permalink: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1jc7
Part price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker....jc7/by_merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($133.59 @ Mac Connection)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68P-DS3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 600W ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222AB DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $896.50
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-09-18 20:54 EDT-0400)

Edited by Parrot, 18 September 2011 - 04:57 PM.

[gwalle]

As stated above, sound cards aren't really needed unless you are actually making music (DJ, etc)... easy save point there.

An SSD boot drive would also be something to look into as another person said - 64gb one should be enough, just have your OS on it and save everything else to your other HDD's (or install the main game/s on the SDD too for faster processing)

On the keyboard side... have you looked into the Logitech solar powered wireless one (K750) ? it's ~$100 but you will never need to buy batteries for it (long term savings)

Also, are you going to be connecting via Ether cable or will you also need a wireless card (another charge to look into if needed - usually around $20-30 for something decent)?

Make sure your case can fit everything too; a few people above have commented on a good case lasting multiple builds so skimping now could cost you in the future (i know my current case will not last another upgrade, but has been functional for ~5 years and cost me ~$75).

I'm sure you've done a fair amount of research already, but i would say that is the key; be patient, know what you're looking for, know what you want out of the computer and find out what parts will suit your needs and your price.

A final comment i would make is that waiting in the building game is not a bad thing - prices drop just as fast as you buy something, so don't feel pressured into buying until your really need to and thus make the most of the current value of parts.

[Therion]

A final comment i would make is that waiting in the building game is not a bad thing - prices drop just as fast as you buy something, so don't feel pressured into buying until your really need to and thus make the most of the current value of parts.

This is especially true if your primary use is gaming. Hardware requirements havn't changed much over the past 5 years. Sometimes it's worth waiting a month for an 'obsolete' model that will do the job fine for todays console oriented visuals.

[Parrot]

This is especially true if your primary use is gaming. Hardware requirements havn't changed much over the past 5 years. Sometimes it's worth waiting a month for an 'obsolete' model that will do the job fine for todays console oriented visuals.

Eh... that depends on what game. Battlefield 3 or Crysis 2 are fine examples of pushing boundaries.

[MahSugah]

wow i didn't know hard drives were so cheap now..

i can give support to the razer deathadder, comfortable and reliable

[Coilvect]

If you're looking for something as far as comfort for a mouse I do have a death adder and a mamba. Out of the two I still prefer the deathadder. As for the ram do you NEED 12gb?