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[Felix Lighter]

After the announcement of the SC2 release date, I decided I just start looking into building a new PC. I'm looking to spend about $1000 for the PC and maybe another $500 for a monitor. I keep throwing things together at newegg but I always end up over budget. Any recommendations for getting the best bang for my buck would be appreciated.

 

[DrLazy]

Hi guys,

Will some PC expert take mercy on me and give me advice on a budget PC to play starcraft?

I just want a decent rig. I don't need super high end. I'd love to stay in the $500 range, sans monitor. Above me in the thread they suggested the "econobox" found here... http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/18747/2 ... but I'm nervous about putting together my own PC. I'd have no idea where to start.

I have a beta key burning a hole in my pocket. Help!

 

[Jokey665]

What should I be looking for in a monitor?

 

[Felix Lighter]

Here's one of my over ambitious builds. Worst of all, this doesn't even include a case. Obviously, I'm trying to get too much out of $1000. Where am I wasting money? Where do I need to compromise? Should I budget less for my monitor and put it towards the PC?

Also, would there be any reason to go with say an i5 750 over the AMD?

 

[Javaman]

What's the biggest bang for the buck video card these days? My current 9800GT's fan is acting up and I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. Is there anything in the pipeline worth waiting for? I could probably eek out a couple of weeks or months more if there's a major price drop coming. I'd prefer something with 2 or more video outs (running dual monitor) and am leaning towards Nvidia. Would I see much performance gain over the 9800GT on my 2.8 x4? Thanks!

 

[Cheeto]

What's the biggest bang for the buck video card these days? My current 9800GT's fan is acting up and I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. Is there anything in the pipeline worth waiting for? I could probably eek out a couple of weeks or months more if there's a major price drop coming. I'd prefer something with 2 or more video outs (running dual monitor) and am leaning towards Nvidia. Would I see much performance gain over the 9800GT on my 2.8 x4? Thanks!

I think the 5770 is in that price range, not sure if thats considered the best though

 

[Launch]

What's the biggest bang for the buck video card these days? My current 9800GT's fan is acting up and I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. Is there anything in the pipeline worth waiting for? I could probably eek out a couple of weeks or months more if there's a major price drop coming. I'd prefer something with 2 or more video outs (running dual monitor) and am leaning towards Nvidia. Would I see much performance gain over the 9800GT on my 2.8 x4? Thanks!

I got a 5770 for £130, which was recommended to me by pretty much everyone I ask, and I play everything at 1920x1080 and it copes well above my expectations. (X4 955, 4gb RAM)

also has 2 DVI and a HDMI.

 

[dionysus]

After the announcement of the SC2 release date, I decided I just start looking into building a new PC. I'm looking to spend about $1000 for the PC and maybe another $500 for a monitor. I keep throwing things together at newegg but I always end up over budget. Any recommendations for getting the best bang for my buck would be appreciated.

What are you looking for in a monitor for $500? Unless you are going for 3D or are planning on gaming from far away from the screen, I am not sure why you need to spend more than $300.

 

[Minsc]

What are you looking for in a monitor for $500? Unless you are going for 3D or are planning on gaming from far away from the screen, I am not sure why you need to spend more than $300.

It's easy to spend over 1K on a monitor, Dell has quite a few around 1-1.5K and NEC 30" panels that are closer to 2K a pop i think. I think a few people here have the 1K Dell panels.

 

[dionysus]

I think the 5770 is in that price range, not sure if thats considered the best though

I'd say it is the best value on the market. Great performance for the price.

 

[Felix Lighter]

What are you looking for in a monitor for $500? Unless you are going for 3D or are planning on gaming from far away from the screen, I am not sure why you need to spend more than $300.

To be honest it's been so long since I built a PC, I'm not sure how to best spend my money. I would like a quality 24+ inch monitor. If I can do that $300 then I'm all for it. I can roll the savings back into the PC.

 

[Minsc]

To be honest it's been so long since I built a PC, I'm not sure how to best spend my money. I would like a quality 24+ inch monitor. If I can do that $300 then I'm all for it. I can roll the savings back into the PC.

Keep in mind there's a huge performance drop going from 1920x1080 to 2560x1600 when picking a monitor. The difference is literally you can get by with a $150-300 GPU @ 1920x1080, but move to 2560x1600 and you basically lock yourself in to the $300-700 GPU market.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Keep in mind there's a huge performance drop going from 1920x1080 to 2560x1600 when picking a monitor. The difference is literally you can get by with a $150-300 GPU @ 1920x1080, but move to 2560x1600 and you basically lock yourself in to the $300-700 GPU market.

1920x1080 or 1920x1200 work for me. It's a shame how shitty LCD monitors look outside of their native resolution.

 

[dionysus]

1920x1080 or 1920x1200 work for me. It's a shame how shitty LCD monitors look outside of their native resolution.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005127

Very large monitor, same brand I use.

 

[Felix Lighter]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005127

Very large monitor, same brand I use.

Thanks for the tip. I was just looking at this one as well. It's only 23 inches but it reviewed well at Cnet and it's only $320.
http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-px2370/4505-3174_7-34048108.html

 

[Phloxy]

I heard that stuff like cyberpower and ibuypwer are not trustworthy, is that the case?

 

[causan]

What's the biggest bang for the buck video card these days? My current 9800GT's fan is acting up and I'm looking to spend around $100-$150. Is there anything in the pipeline worth waiting for? I could probably eek out a couple of weeks or months more if there's a major price drop coming. I'd prefer something with 2 or more video outs (running dual monitor) and am leaning towards Nvidia. Would I see much performance gain over the 9800GT on my 2.8 x4? Thanks!

I purchased this 5770 last month and have not been disappointed with its performance and how quiet it runs even under full load. Great upgrade over my old 8800gt.

 

[h0pper]

is there anyone here willing to walk me through building a new PC? I'm not asking for help with the actual assembly, just choosing components and stuff.

I am looking to spend between $1,000 and $1,500 (including a monitor) and would like to be able to play Starcraft 2, MW2, etc. I also like to be able to max out graphics and get at least 60 fps.

any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Minsc]

I heard that stuff like cyberpower and ibuypwer are not trustworthy, is that the case?

I know someone with a cyberpower pc, and they actually recommend it. They even had to have it serviced at one point, and they had no complaints about the service.

 

[dionysus]

is there anyone here willing to walk me through building a new PC? I'm not asking for help with the actual assembly, just choosing components and stuff.

I am looking to spend between $1,000 and $1,500 (including a monitor) and would like to be able to play Starcraft 2, MW2, etc. I also like to be able to max out graphics and get at least 60 fps.

any help is greatly appreciated.

In general, pick a CPU. Find the socket type, pick a motherboard with that socket type and the size you want. For a normal desktop it is ATX size. Pick an ATX case in that case. Pick a graphics card, ensure that the motherboard has the right slot. Should be PCI Express 2.0 x 16. If one graphics card, 500W psu, recommend corsair. If more, look at 650W+.

In specific, since two of you are asking for the same requirements.

Edit. I actually don't know shit about visiontek graphics cards, you might look at other brands like ASUS or gigabyte for example.

Edit 2. Forgot the hard drive, I'd recommend spending a little extra and going for a high rpm hard drive.

 

[Minsc]

Edit 2. Forgot the hard drive, I'd recommend spending a little extra and going for a high rpm hard drive.

All you ever need for a HDD is a Samsung Spinpoint F3 or WD Black (baring the need for more HDDs), 1TB is usually fine and they go for like $90, the next step up is going SSD for an OS drive ($100-$300) and the previously mentioned HDD for a gaming drive (+$90).

 

[Felix Lighter]

Thanks, that helps a lot. I might tweak that setup a little but really points me in the right direction.

 

[beast786]

I know this thread is about hardware.

I have a question about nHancer and DX11 card. Should I post it here or we have a thread for that type of questions?

 

[Javaman]

It's pretty unanimous, the 5770 it is. Thanks everyone!

 

[h0pper]

In general, pick a CPU. Find the socket type, pick a motherboard with that socket type and the size you want. For a normal desktop it is ATX size. Pick an ATX case in that case. Pick a graphics card, ensure that the motherboard has the right slot. Should be PCI Express 2.0 x 16. If one graphics card, 500W psu, recommend corsair. If more, look at 650W+.

In specific, since two of you are asking for the same requirements.

Edit. I actually don't know shit about visiontek graphics cards, you might look at other brands like ASUS or gigabyte for example.

Edit 2. Forgot the hard drive, I'd recommend spending a little extra and going for a high rpm hard drive.

thanks alot, I appreciate the help. I'll get started with this.

 

[DanDeschain]

Can you reinstall the Windows 7 OEM on a different HDD as long as it uses the same mobo?

 

[Jokey665]

So I'm looking for a monitor, less than $200. I'm currently eyeing this one. Any problems with it/any other better monitors for a similar price? I'm looking for 1920x1080 native res.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Any reason to have more than 4GB of ram for gaming right now?

 

[PumpkinPie]

Can you reinstall the Windows 7 OEM on a different HDD as long as it uses the same mobo?

I'm pretty sure you can, the mobo is the deciding factor I think.

 

[Mr_Brit]

Any reason to have more than 4GB of ram for gaming right now?

Nope.

 

[Oreoleo]

Nope.

Eh... I manged to get my PC to use up all 4GB of RAM while playing GTA4 at 1080p, and I'm sure there are others at high resolutions that do as well. Granted, yes, 90% of the time 4GB is enough, but 8GB is far from useless.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Ok, I decided to go slightly in a different direction. I've also decided to go a little over budget. How does this look? Am I wasting money anywhere? Any stupid decisions?

Sorry for bumping the hell out of this thread today and thanks for help so far...

 

[The Lamonster]

Eh... I manged to get my PC to use up all 4GB of RAM while playing GTA4 at 1080p, and I'm sure there are others at high resolutions that do as well. Granted, yes, 90% of the time 4GB is enough, but 8GB is far from useless.

I'm about to upgrade to 8GB. My multi-tasking (aka short attention span) will surely thank me :lol

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

I heard that stuff like cyberpower and ibuypwer are not trustworthy, is that the case?

I bought from them before. they are well built, great prices and you get what ask and pay for. HOWEVER, i was not satisfied with their customer service, it's very slow to get anything going. I would say use to buy your first gaming PC, and then get to know that desktop and build your own later on. it's what i did and it made for a better experience. I recommended it overall.

 

[Lion Heart]

Hopefully you guys can update the gaming builds before SC2 comes out, and also add a $500-$600 Canadian build as well. I was going to ask for advice but no point now, I'll just wait a few months.

 

[Oreoleo]

I'm about to upgrade to 8GB. My multi-tasking (aka short attention span) will surely thank me :lol

RAM is cheap enough. I don't regret upgrading

 

[Mr_Brit]

RAM is cheap enough. I don't regret upgrading

It really isn't right now, at least compared to two years ago where it was dirt cheap.

 

[diederich]

I heard that stuff like cyberpower and ibuypwer are not trustworthy, is that the case?

I had a bad experience with cyberpowerpc. It was delayed and they didn't let me know, the computer was d.o.a. twice before I gave up and just returned it and finally ended up getting screwed out of some money. My customer service experience was pretty awful as well. Really unresponsive and mostly unhelpful.

A few months later I bought similar parts for less from newegg and ended up with a much better computer, plus I know all the bits inside.

 

[·feist·]

RAM is cheap enough. I don't regret upgrading

Not anymore. Between the Samsung factory issues and the constant demand for memory in devices, ram has gone up considerably in price. In the past few months, the ram I bought from Newegg shot up $20 in price and has been at this current high for several weeks now. I refuse to buy more until the cost drops at least $10.

I'm about to upgrade to 8GB. My multi-tasking (aka short attention span) will surely thank me :lol

Even with somewhat light multitasking it isn't uncommon for my usage to rocket up to ~85%. If I had the option of going with 3x2GB that would probably be the best price/use balance for me. As is, I'll need to step up to 8GB.

 

[·feist·]

In general, pick a CPU. Find the socket type, pick a motherboard with that socket type and the size you want. For a normal desktop it is ATX size. Pick an ATX case in that case. Pick a graphics card, ensure that the motherboard has the right slot. Should be PCI Express 2.0 x 16. If one graphics card, 500W psu, recommend corsair. If more, look at 650W+.

In specific, since two of you are asking for the same requirements.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa193/brooksgj25/samplesystem.jpg

Edit. I actually don't know shit about visiontek graphics cards, you might look at other brands like ASUS or gigabyte for example.

Edit 2. Forgot the hard drive, I'd recommend spending a little extra and going for a high rpm hard drive.

thanks alot, I appreciate the help. I'll get started with this.

If you're going to go with an AMD X6 and 790/890 motherboard look back a few pages in this thread or search around online. There were a few stores and sites offering $20-50 off on the X6s alone or chip/board combos.

 

[ChoklitReign]

Will video cards with a PCI Express 2.1x16 slot work on a mobo's 2.0x16 slot? What the hell is the point?

 

[·feist·]

Ok, I decided to go slightly in a different direction. I've also decided to go a little over budget. How does this look? Am I wasting money anywhere? Any stupid decisions?

http://i39.tinypic.com/154isk2.jpg

Sorry for bumping the hell out of this thread today and thanks for help so far...

Online & in-store:

Core i7-930 Processor Boxed $199
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331303

Samsung SpinPoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB SATA2 7200rpm 32MB Hard Drive $70
$82.34 - Coupon Code
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=HD-HD103SJ&c=CJ#



Any reason that you're looking at the Antec 900-1 instead of the Antec 900-2? The 900-2 can regularly be found for ~$100.


Here are a few other case options in that price range:


LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black $99.99
Original Price: $129.99
You Save: $30.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112239


COOLER MASTER CM690 II Advanced Black $89.99
Original Price: $99.99
You Save: $10.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216


COOLER MASTER Storm Scout $79.99
Original Price: $99.99
You Save: $20.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196



NZXT also has some options worth considering:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Category=7&Manufactory=2120&SpeTabStoreType=1


I have a CM690 II Advanced and I love it. I believe Newegg currently has the best online price for it.
External hot-swap 2.5" & 3.5" HDD dock, removable support bracket for up to 3 graphics cards, 6 internal tool-less HDD racks (the bottom 4 can be removed for more airflow), separate air intake for the PSU, 8 PCI slots and a wide range of options for air and water-cooling. I know some people who've actually switched from an Antec 900-1 to a CM690-2. Of course, there are a lot of Antec 900-2 owners who swear by that case (and its improvements over the 900-1) so both are great choices.


Good Luck.

 

[h0pper]

If you're going to go with an AMD X6 and 790/890 motherboard look back a few pages in this thread or search around online. There were a few stores and sites offering $20-50 off on the X6s alone or chip/board combos.

ok, thanks for the tip

 

[ghst]

if anyone's considering buying a pre-built gaming pc in the uk, dinopc have some surprisingly uninsulting deals:

http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/pcs-gaming.asp?idcategory=94

i'd never usually recommend prebuilt, but if you're a total thumbfisted incompetent and want the security of a 3-year package warranty, you could do alot worse.

 

[Scythesurge]

Ok I decided on the i7-930, jumped on that Micro Center deal. I guess the next thing I need to decide is what video card to get. A 5850 is a bit more expensive than I'd like but I figure that as an investment I shouldn't really hold back too much when making this machine. I also could use some help in finding a motherboard to go along with my new processor.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Online & in-store:

Core i7-930 Processor Boxed $199
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0331303



...


Good Luck.

Damn, that Microcenter deal is in-store pick up only. I would have pulled the trigger right now if I could have ordered that for delivery. Now knowing that this deal exists makes it hard to pay full retail. Hmmmmmm...

Thanks a lot for the case tips, I decided to take your advice and go with the CM690 II.

 

[AkIRA_22]

Online & in-store:

Core i7-930 Processor Boxed $199

Bloody hell, I just payed $345 Australian for that processor a week ago.

but anyway here is the rest of the computer I just bought:

i7-930, 6GB Corsair DDR3 1600, DFI Lanparty Jr X58-T3H6, Asus 5870, Corsair Nova 64 SSD, Corsair H50 liquid cooler, Zalman 750W PSU, Antec P180 mini.

All up $2010 Australian dollars.

I'm a tragic micro ATX builder. With uATX mobo's being so good and so cheap these days it's hard not to. also the ease of transport of a uATX case is a bonus.

 

[·feist·]

Glad I could be of help to you guys, especially when it comes to saving money.


AkIRA_22, nice build. It would be even better if you can tidy up the cabling a bit. I still think about buying an Antec Mini P180 for a mATX htpc, but that will have to wait. I nearly pulled the trigger on one when Newegg had the white version on sale for $50 recently.

Ok I decided on the i7-930, jumped on that Micro Center deal. I guess the next thing I need to decide is what video card to get. A 5850 is a bit more expensive than I'd like but I figure that as an investment I shouldn't really hold back too much when making this machine. I also could use some help in finding a motherboard to go along with my new processor.

If it makes any difference to you the i7 860 is also the same price:

Core i7 860 Processor Boxed $199
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317378


As for graphics, it's absurd that some people are still paying at or above MSRP for a 5850/70. If you can hold out a bit longer (any spare cards laying around?) prices should drop soon. Otherwise, you can try using something like Bing Cashback to save ~10-15%.

 

[·feist·]

Damn, that Microcenter deal is in-store pick up only. I would have pulled the trigger right now if I could have ordered that for delivery. Now knowing that this deal exists makes it hard to pay full retail. Hmmmmmm...

Oh, that was an oversight on my part. For a moment there I thought they expanded it to online as well. If you have ANY friends or family near one of their locations, I'd suggest you give them a call. A nice little gift/favor/bribe and I'm sure someone could mail it to you or drive to your place to deliver it.

http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/index.html

I can't possibly recommend Microcenter enough when it comes to CPU prices. Until I find out that their chips are powered by the souls of children, they'll be my default option.

Thanks a lot for the case tips, I decided to take your advice and go with the CM690 II.

Welcome to the club. If you need some ideas on wiring, modding, lay-out, etc. for the case, let me know and I can post some links.

 

[Jet Grind Radio!]

In general, pick a CPU. Find the socket type, pick a motherboard with that socket type and the size you want. For a normal desktop it is ATX size. Pick an ATX case in that case. Pick a graphics card, ensure that the motherboard has the right slot. Should be PCI Express 2.0 x 16. If one graphics card, 500W psu, recommend corsair. If more, look at 650W+.

In specific, since two of you are asking for the same requirements.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa193/brooksgj25/samplesystem.jpg[/MG]

Edit. I actually don't know shit about visiontek graphics cards, you might look at other brands like ASUS or gigabyte for example.

Edit 2. Forgot the hard drive, I'd recommend spending a little extra and going for a high rpm hard drive.[/QUOTE]
Wow, dude. Thanks a lot. I was about to ask for tips for a gaming PC sub $1k and you did it already for me. I saved that image, so now I'm going to build the order and maybe change a few things around.