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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

brain_stew said:
This is on the very edge of your budget but it obliterates anything else I can find:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229199


Alternatively there's this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227274

Its not as good value but its a very nicely balanced rig and will easily accomplish what you're after.

Hm. Very nice. Good finds. Thanks for the info too. So is my only option a gamer rig though if I hope to run SCII on medium or high settings?
 
SamuraiX- said:
Hm. Very nice. Good finds. Thanks for the info too. So is my only option a gamer rig though if I hope to run SCII on medium or high settings?

You'd have more options if you built a PC yourself as you could customize it. But, mid-grade gaming PC will cover your light gaming needs while also allowing you to perform every day tasks.
 
I hate to bring it back up, but I managed to land a free (dad works at an industrial site, they hand out the old and unusued to employees) NEC monitor. It's a MultiSync LCD2080UX+ with a native contrast ratio of 1600x1200.

Admittedly, I'm not a genius when it comes to all this resolution shit so my brain automatically tells me "bu...bu... it's not widescreen!"

So my question is, as far as gaming is concerned, is 1600x1200 a proper gaming resolution or would I be missing out on anything (like view of the playing field) for games like StarCraft 2?

Just matching the numbers up, a 1680x1050 would have a decent amount of less pixels, right?

Thanks for any help.
 
1stStrike said:
You'd have more options if you built a PC yourself as you could customize it. But, mid-grade gaming PC will cover your light gaming needs while also allowing you to perform every day tasks.

Something I wasn't aware of, you get to choose every single component building at cyberpowerpc.com. Popular, well reviewed, name brand components. I thought they just sold that non-descript pre-built crap on newegg where none of the components are listed. This is the best alternative for people that don't want to build themselves, or want to avoid OC-locks and 400 watt off-brand PSU in Dell's or HP's
 
I'm going to repost this here, I'll probably get more answers...

I'm looking for a new monitor; so far I've had my PC connected to my plasma TV, but StarCraft 2 has created some bad, bad image retention, so it's time to switch the PC to a monitor.

My PC is basically the "$1000 Canadian Build" from the OP, with a few tweaks. Mu budget would be 200-300$. The ability to rotate the monitor to a vertical position would be a huge plus (for my shmup love). Right now I'm kind of lost since there's such a huge choice, with varying quality.

Edit: In Canada!
 
Reallink said:
Something I wasn't aware of, you get to choose every single component building at cyberpowerpc.com. Popular, well reviewed, name brand components. I thought they just sold that non-descript pre-built crap on newegg where none of the components are listed. This is the best alternative for people that don't want to build themselves, or want to avoid OC-locks and 400 watt off-brand PSU in Dell's or HP's

Good tip. I just put together this rig on that site:

Configuration
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366
HDD: 1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOTHERBOARD: * Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+171] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)


Does this seem like a decent deal for under $1200?
 
PC-gaf, could you guys please evaluate this build? Am I getting a decent bang for the buck here? Or can someone else suggest a better build for $1200-ish?

I wanted the P183 case because I read that it is pretty quiet, and Newegg suggested a mobo-combo deal, but the mobo seems priced a bit high to me. Do mobos make a huge difference in performance?

Note, I have a couple more HDDs and a dvdrw I'm planning on re-using in this rig.

Update:
Changed the pic to reflect a less expensive mobo since I won't be overclocking.

newegg%20build%202.png
 
Motherboards are differentiated by featureset and OCing options not performance. If you don't need all the high end features of that motherboard, then don't pay for them.
 
So I get a terrible virus recently and it's really done a number on my computer. It's been 7 years since I got my sony vaio, and I think it's time to trade it in. My dvd drives have failed to work, the ball bearings on all the fans are loose, and my hard drive is on its last leg.

The problem is I'm way out of the loop on the current technology, the top processors and graphics cards. It seems to me that prices have dropped pretty sharply so I'm definitely in the market to buy a new one. The thing is I want to buy another one that will be top of the line and last me a long time. I'm not sure I want to build my own, so I was looking at package deals at best buy. Is this a bad idea? I know it's cheaper to build, but it's so convenient having everything right in front of me ready to go, and it's all covered under warranty. I'm looking at the package deals, because my monitor is absolutely terrible, and has been for a while now.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+Es...?id=pcmprd133000050037&skuId=9999133000050037

This is the one I'm really leaning towards right now. 8 gigs of ram, 1tb Hard drive, 24 inch monitor, and sleek looking. What's the catch here?

Also why is this one so much cheaper?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+Es...?id=pcmprd133000050036&skuId=9999133000050036

Like I said I'm way out of the loop on parts, processors, and graphics cards, so I really don't even know what to look for.
 
This is what around $1200 gets me at cyberpowerpc.com:

hie said:
Configuration
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-940 2.93 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366
HDD: 1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOTHERBOARD: * Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+171] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

and this is what a little over $1300 gets me at Maingear.com:

Chassis: VYBE ATX Compact Chassis - Black Brushed Aluminum
Motherboard: Asus® P7P55D-E LX Supporting SATA 6G and USB 3.0
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-760 2.8GHz Quad-core Processor
Processor Cooling: MAINGEAR Certified Intel® Retail Cooler
MAINGEAR Redline Overclocking Service: Intel® Turbo Boost Advanced Automatic Overclocking
Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) Crucial DDR3-1333
Graphics and GPGPU Accelerator: NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 460 1GB GDDR5 w/ PhysX [PERFORMANCE]
Power Supply: MAINGEAR™ Certified 650 Watt Ultra Quiet Power Supply
Hard Drive Bay One: 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black SATA 6G 7200rpm 64MB Cache
Optical Drive One: 24X Dual Layer DVD RW Drive w/ LightScribe Technology
Audio: 7.1 Channel High Definition Surround Sound Supporting S/DIF Optical Out
Network Adapter: On-board Gigabit Ethernet
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit


...so I'm thinking the Maingear build maybe looks a bit better for the $? Any input would rock! Thanks.
 
RickA238 said:
Did anyone's order for the Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 at ewiz.com for $58 go through? Mine got cancelled and it's showing out of stock now. Did I just miss the boat, was it pulled for being a mistake?

Quoting again because i have an update. They just emailed me saying that its out of stock and asked if I wanted to keep the order. I dont know why they wouldve cancelled yours.
 
hie said:
This is what around $1200 gets me at cyberpowerpc.com:



and this is what a little over $1300 gets me at Maingear.com:

Chassis: VYBE ATX Compact Chassis - Black Brushed Aluminum
Motherboard: Asus® P7P55D-E LX Supporting SATA 6G and USB 3.0
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-760 2.8GHz Quad-core Processor
Processor Cooling: MAINGEAR Certified Intel® Retail Cooler
MAINGEAR Redline Overclocking Service: Intel® Turbo Boost Advanced Automatic Overclocking
Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) Crucial DDR3-1333
Graphics and GPGPU Accelerator: NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 460 1GB GDDR5 w/ PhysX [PERFORMANCE]
Power Supply: MAINGEAR™ Certified 650 Watt Ultra Quiet Power Supply
Hard Drive Bay One: 640GB Western Digital Caviar Black SATA 6G 7200rpm 64MB Cache
Optical Drive One: 24X Dual Layer DVD RW Drive w/ LightScribe Technology
Audio: 7.1 Channel High Definition Surround Sound Supporting S/DIF Optical Out
Network Adapter: On-board Gigabit Ethernet
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit


...so I'm thinking the Maingear build maybe looks a bit better for the $? Any input would rock! Thanks.

Howabout Avadirect or NCIXUS.com? Both sites are good and I've personally used avadirect to pick out a pc for my brother. If you go NCIX, you'll pick out parts like normal but have to select an "assembly" option that you also add to cart if you want them to assemble and test things for you
 
kagete said:
Howabout Avadirect or NCIXUS.com? Both sites are good and I've personally used avadirect to pick out a pc for my brother. If you go NCIX, you'll pick out parts like normal but have to select an "assembly" option that you also add to cart if you want them to assemble and test things for you

Thanks for the tip. I just built an Avadirect.com rig somewhat like the Maingear.com one...but it came out to over $2000....? the only difference with the Avadirect one was an i7 930, less memory(3GB), a smaller HDD (500GB) & a GTX 470 instead of the 460.

would that better proc & GPU be worth the $700+ increase over the i5 760 & GTX 460?

Thanks again!
 
Hey, if I pick up a GTX 460, can I use my current 260 for Phys X? Does it need to be in SLI I assume? Not sure my mobo does that.
 
hie said:
Thanks for the tip. I just built an Avadirect.com rig somewhat like the Maingear.com one...but it came out to over $2000....? the only difference with the Avadirect one was an i7 930, less memory(3GB), a smaller HDD (500GB) & a GTX 470 instead of the 460.

would that better proc & GPU be worth the $700+ increase over the i5 760 & GTX 460?

Thanks again!

Don't select the links on avadirect's front page. try to customize a desktop system that has the processor you want. They should come out around the same price range as other site.

fake edit: oops, or not. I dont think avadirect has the gtx460 selectable as an option yet.
 
Last time I checked (mid 2008), Cyber Power PC did not have a good reputation, to say the least. I can vouch for AVADirect.com, though. They're great! But you will pay a premium for them.

Maybe Cyber Power has cleaned up their act. Not sure.
 
rise888 said:
PC-gaf, could you guys please evaluate this build? Am I getting a decent bang for the buck here? Or can someone else suggest a better build for $1200-ish?

I wanted the P183 case because I read that it is pretty quiet, and Newegg suggested a mobo-combo deal, but the mobo seems priced a bit high to me. Do mobos make a huge difference in performance?

Note, I have a couple more HDDs and a dvdrw I'm planning on re-using in this rig.

Update:
Changed the pic to reflect a less expensive mobo since I won't be overclocking.

You need to get Triple Channel memory. Also, I noticed you didn't have a DVD drive in there. If you're set on getting that case, maybe you should go for this combo deal? $1 more for a DVD drive (with shipping calculated). Even if you don't need one I don't see why not for that price!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.465861


Edit: Played around with some combo deals. I kept everything pretty much the same from what you listed, but I changed the RAM and got you some extra perks. Not a big fan of OCZ ram, but it's on the motherboard's QVL list so it should be fine and I wasn't too sure of your budget and kept it as low as possible. Also swapped your X25-M SSD for another one by A-Data. Still an Intel, but it has their sticker on it instead and it costs a bit less.

-A-DATA 80GB X25-M SSD
-Antec P183 (w/ free wrist strap) + LITE-ON 24X DVD Burner Combo
-Gigabyte 1GB GTX460 + OCZ Gold 6GB (w/ free 4GB flash drive) Combo
-GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R + OCZ GameXStream 850W PSU
-Intel Core i7-930 w/ Free Dirt 2 Combo
 
I'm buying my first gaming PC, can someone tell me if I am getting my money's worth here?:

-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
-Intel® Core™ i7 960 Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 8MB Cache)
-12GB DDR3 1333MHz (3x 4GB) Tri Channel Memory
-1TB - SATA-II, 3Gb/s, 7,200RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
-Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 CrossfireX™ Enabled
-Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
-Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Price: $3998 + taxes and fees

I'm ready to buy it right now from Dell Alienware. Should I go ahead and do it?

I want to maximize Crysis with mods and max out other high end visuals games with mods as well.

Thanks:D
 
bigboss370 said:
I'm buying my first gaming PC, can someone tell me if I am getting my money's worth here?:

-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
-Intel® Core™ i7 960 Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 8MB Cache)
-12GB DDR3 1333MHz (3x 4GB) Tri Channel Memory
-1TB - SATA-II, 3Gb/s, 7,200RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
-Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 CrossfireX™ Enabled
-Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
-Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Price: $3998 + taxes and fees

I'm ready to buy it right now from Dell Alienware. Should I go ahead and do it?

I want to maximize Crysis with mods and max out other high end visuals games with mods as well.

Thanks:D


I really think you're way over paying. You can get similar performance for much less money. I'd hold off until you get some more advice.
 
JSnake said:
Last time I checked (mid 2008), Cyber Power PC did not have a good reputation, to say the least. I can vouch for AVADirect.com, though. They're great! But you will pay a premium for them.

Maybe Cyber Power has cleaned up their act. Not sure.

CyberPower jammed the IDE ribbon cable so tightly against the underside of my 8800 GTS that the edge of the card wore thru the cable and made my DVD drive keep disappearing. That was in the first month after I bought it, and for weeks I thought it was a software/registry problem.

There was plenty of room in the case, too. They just did a really sloppy job. This photo was taken after I replaced the worn-thru IDE ribbon cable with a nice rounded IDE cable.

100_3379.jpg
 
Felix Lighter said:
I really think you're way over paying. You can get similar performance for much less money. I'd hold off until you get some more advice.

but isn't it worth it to get a moderately future-proof system?
 
bigboss370 said:
but isn't it worth it to get a moderately future-proof system?

It's the law off diminishing returns. You could buy a $1500 PC now and another $1500 PC that out performs that Dell in a few years. Spending 3 times more isn't getting you anywhere near 3 times the longevity.
 
bigboss370 said:
but isn't it worth it to get a moderately future-proof system?

You realize you can open a computer and add parts onto it right? You can also overclock a computer. "Future proof" is relative. How do you define "future proof"?

You don't need to spend that much money to play games at their highest resolution right now. Right now you could build a PC that will eat everything you throw at it for $1,200. In two or three years you can build another PC that will eat everything you throw at it for $1,200 (hell, it might be cheaper then) and you'll still have saved quite a bit of cash.

That build you have will be out dated by then and you'll need to upgrade it regardless.

It just doesn't make any sense unless you just want to blow money.
 
Curufinwe said:
CyberPower jammed the IDE ribbon cable so tightly against the underside of my 8800 GTS that the edge of the card wore thru the cable and made my DVD drive keep disappearing. That was in the first month after I bought it, and for weeks I thought it was a software/registry problem.

There was plenty of room in the case, too. They just did a really sloppy job. This photo was taken after I replaced the worn-thru IDE ribbon cable with a nice rounded IDE cable.

Damn that's ugly. When I looked inside my brother's avadirect-built PC 2 months ago in order to add another harddisk, the cabling job they did was magnificent, even though the case had barely any cable routing holes. I actually felt bad about adding that second harddisk and messing it up.


Oh and don't ever pay $4000 for a PC! With that much money you can buy a $1500 PC, a $500 3D setup or even a projector, and $2000 worth of hookers and blow for PC-GAF.
 
@bigboss370

If you want a pre-built system there's a dell that brain_stew has been suggesting that should give you all the performance you need. I'd have to do some searching to find it.

Edit: Here's a review that shows the exact configuration. http://www.anandtech.com/show/3798/dell-studio-xps-7100

If you want to build one yourself, Hazaro has a build you can start with.

http://i.imgur.com/A55hA.jpg


Since your budget is so high it should be a good starting point and you could upgrade a few things from there.
 
OK Gaf, building my first PC, here's what I have:

2d0cmt5.png


I have three questions:

1.) Are all these parts compatible? This is my first time
2.) Where can I lower costs? I'm over my budget by a little
3.) Can someone recommend a case / PSU?

mucho thanks
 
bigboss370 said:
I'm buying my first gaming PC, can someone tell me if I am getting my money's worth here?:

-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
-Intel® Core™ i7 960 Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 8MB Cache)
-12GB DDR3 1333MHz (3x 4GB) Tri Channel Memory
-1TB - SATA-II, 3Gb/s, 7,200RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
-Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 CrossfireX™ Enabled
-Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
-Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Price: $3998 + taxes and fees

I'm ready to buy it right now from Dell Alienware. Should I go ahead and do it?

I want to maximize Crysis with mods and max out other high end visuals games with mods as well.

Thanks:D

No.

What country are you based in? Please tell me that's not US dollars?
 
Mikhal said:
You need to get Triple Channel memory. Also, I noticed you didn't have a DVD drive in there. If you're set on getting that case, maybe you should go for this combo deal? $1 more for a DVD drive (with shipping calculated). Even if you don't need one I don't see why not for that price!
Dual Channel runs fine.
bigboss370 said:
I'm buying my first gaming PC, can someone tell me if I am getting my money's worth here?:

Price: $3998 + taxes and fees
Nononononononono.
For $3,995 I will make your $2,500 computer, be your tech advisor, and fly to your house to fix it if you pay me :lol
I have three questions:

1.) Are all these parts compatible? This is my first time
2.) Where can I lower costs? I'm over my budget by a little
3.) Can someone recommend a case / PSU?
Yes, get a 750, get an Antec Sonata / CM 310 case + Antec Earthwatts 500W
22" Monitor will be $50 cheaper.

*Reposting*
1)Basic Desktop Questions
Budget: Price Range + Country
Main Use: Gaming, Video editing, or just general usage
Monitor Resolution: What resolution will you be playing your games at? Are you going to upgrade later?
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Self Explanatory

2)General Guide on what to buy (Summer)
Hazaro's buying guide (July, 2010)
De facto internet standard. Accept no substitutes :D
Tech Report Builders Guide!
A very good basic guide that has been updated for Summer. Has alternative options and many price points.

3) 15 minute video how-to
http://vimeo.com/5685229
40 minute how-to
http://www.tested.com/news/video-how-to-build-the-best-1500-gaming-pc-step-by-step/152/

4) Prospective laptop buyers please fill this out and ask their forum as well.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/wha...ould-i-buy-form-must-read-before-posting.html
 
brain_stew said:
I'm assuming that can't be US$ though, I mean that can't be right?

You're not even getting a SSD or Hexa core and the 5970 has always been a broken mess.
Looks US to me. I only added the dual 5970, and the base price jumped over $3k.


Ridiculous.gif


EDIT: Oh, CAD I see. Still beyond reason.
 
brain_stew said:
I'm assuming that can't be US$ though, I mean that can't be right?

You're not even getting a SSD or Hexa core and the 5970 has always been a broken mess.

its Canadian Dollars, and what do you mean by the 5970 being a broken mess? isn't it supposed to be the fastest graphics card? i always see it as #1 on top graphics cards lists.
 
bigboss370 said:
its Canadian Dollars, and what do you mean by the 5970 being a broken mess? isn't it supposed to be the fastest graphics card? i always see it as #1 on top graphics cards lists.

Crossfire is beyond shit, very rarely are drivers updated to support new releases in time.

The cards are underclocked and aren't supplied with enough power so they have no OCing headroom.

You're insanely limited by its 1GB framebuffer.

Its stupidly large.

Its just not a very good card, its ill thought out.


I'll put you together a config that I consider the absolute furthest anyone should realistically go before they hit major diminishing returns on NCIX.COM, for a $50 fee they'll build it for you and cover it with a warranty. This way you know you're spending in all the right areas and getting great components that can easily be upgraded used throughout. It'll probably come in @ ~$2000 and be much better than that Dell rig.
 
You can build a better PC from Newegg for around the same price, and it includes two GTX480s as well as the Hexacore processor from Intel.
 
brain_stew said:
You don't get a netbook. Get a CULV or Athlon Neo machine instead, they can actually run Word and a web browser without stalling.


Well I'm looking for something small that will be used primarily for surfing the web. Also no more than $300.

Thinking about this: Amazon link
 
bigboss370 said:
I'm buying my first gaming PC, can someone tell me if I am getting my money's worth here?:

-Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
-Intel® Core™ i7 960 Quad Core Processor (3.2GHz, 8MB Cache)
-12GB DDR3 1333MHz (3x 4GB) Tri Channel Memory
-1TB - SATA-II, 3Gb/s, 7,200RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
-Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon™ HD 5970 CrossfireX™ Enabled
-Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
-Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Price: $3998 + taxes and fees

I'm ready to buy it right now from Dell Alienware. Should I go ahead and do it?

I want to maximize Crysis with mods and max out other high end visuals games with mods as well.

Thanks:D


no way
 
Ermac said:
XP. Are you a student? You can get 7 HP on the cheap.

Not a student. I do have a retail copy of 7 HP though. I know this is a stupid question, but can I install the 32 bit disc if I already have the 64 bit disc installed on my PC? I'm guessing no since it's the same serial number.
 
RickA238 said:
Did anyone's order for the Samsung 1TB Spinpoint F3 at ewiz.com for $58 go through? Mine got cancelled and it's showing out of stock now. Did I just miss the boat, was it pulled for being a mistake?

mine went through, ordered it yesterday though
 
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