Gaming rig build (newbie)

B

bbooska

Posts: 14   +0
Hello, my name is Brandon. I'm looking to build a new computer. I would like a computer that is decent enough to handle most new games with decent quality. ie. (COD MW2, Couterstrike Source) and games such as those. My budget is about 700, or slightly over. (up for debate)


I've been looking at the processors and I'm unsure how good of one I'm going to need.
the graphcis card is also a open end....

anyone have any cheap effective computers they would recomment... any help would be great appreciated.


Remember 750ish budget. Gaming computer.

Thanks for your time :D
 
Hi, does $750 (USD right?) include monitor/mouse/keyboard/OS...? Harddrive size?
I'm just going to assume that you'll be willing to build because that makes it more interesting for me. Actually, I've recently been using nearly the same parts...oh well it makes me happy because they're good.

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR1600C8LV4GK
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor HDX925WFGIBOX

Total: $650 USD. That leave you some money for the case.
 
Well the mouse/keyboard/monitor will be used from my old computer for the time being. and as far as the case goes? any recommendations?



I was told by a friend to go for an intel build. as far as the processor and what not..

what are your thoughts?

Thanks :D



*edit* I'd perfer windows 7 be in the price. :D
 
Windows 7 as a OEM or retail copy is going to seriously increase your budget, or reduce it for components. If you can allow for that seperately you'll get a much better spec for your money.

As for AMD/Intel - Both are worth considering, though with AMD you do tend to get better value with your cpu. Quite a few people on here with serious gaming computers are using AMD CPUs to very good effect.

I'll certainly be changing to AMD next summer, even though I've been in the Intel camp for years now.

What case you want depends on where its going, how much space you have, and how big or small you want it to be. You looking for a full tower setup?
 
Intel and AMD are both great, at different price ranges you will get more for your money over another. AMD is not some off brand, its very well known. Heres a bunch of cases
http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?Category=9&name=Computer-Cases

this is the case I went for about a year ago, it cost me around 80$
photo01-plus.jpg


if interested go here
 
I see. Okay well thats just take the OS out of the cost then, and work from there. I've heard that the intel core 2 duos are as good as the quadcore AMD's. is this an exaggeration?

(i'm not trying to insult AMD at all, I'm sorry if it seems that way)


I'd just perfer the most bang for the buck as they say :D
but also something that will be stable and not burn up on me :)


Thanks :D

*edit as far as the case goes... I have plenty of room... so as big as it NEEDS to be. as far as looks... I'm easily pleased. I don't need a fancy looking one. just one that gets the job down, and is as quiet as possible :D
 
I see. Okay well thats just take the OS out of the cost then, and work from there. I've heard that the intel core 2 duos are as good as the quadcore AMD's. is this an exaggeration?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not.

I'd just perfer the most bang for the buck as they say
Click to expand...
Anyway, the build I posted above still stands:
hellokitty[hk] said:
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR1600C8LV4GK
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor HDX925WFGIBOX

Total: $650 USD. That leave you some money for the case.
Click to expand...
The case I've been recommending at this price point is the Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, doesn't really matter though. Whatever you think looks decent.
 
bbooska said:
I see. Okay well thats just take the OS out of the cost then, and work from there. I've heard that the intel core 2 duos are as good as the quadcore AMD's. is this an exaggeration?

(i'm not trying to insult AMD at all, I'm sorry if it seems that way)


I'd just perfer the most bang for the buck as they say :D
but also something that will be stable and not burn up on me :)


Thanks :D

*edit as far as the case goes... I have plenty of room... so as big as it NEEDS to be. as far as looks... I'm easily pleased. I don't need a fancy looking one. just one that gets the job down, and is as quiet as possible :D
Click to expand...


Go with the amd build, it would last you longer than a "core2duo," as you call it. Maybe he was referring to the core i5 series or better but who knows. The ram HK selected is okay, I like the hdd and the rest of the line up for your budget. As far as a case the antec 300 is really nice for small to medium builds. I heard good things about the xclio though so that's entirely what you may or may not like as far as looks.
 
So that was a myth than? regarding the Intel>AMD

It would be more beneficial to get a quad core AMD than a dual core intel?
 
In these times of the price war it would be in your interest to side with the amd quad core. More bang for the hard earned buck imo.
 
Hmm It would see that build is slightly over my budget. would anyone care to throw a build in there using the i3? and a decent graphics card?
 
How much overbudget?

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR1600C8LV4GK
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX

$620 USD, without case.
You can surely find decent cases for $50 - $60.

i3 would be nearly the same, just change the motherboard and processor.
Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3530
GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2V LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
About the same price, but you lose USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s. IMO also an inferior CPU choice. AMD is just better at this price point.

EDIT: I glanced at some benchmarks, and it turns out that you might want an AMD Phenom II X3 740 Black Edition Heka 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor HDZ740WFK3DGI - OEM instead. Doesn't come with a fan though.
 
A budget to mid range aftermarket cooler wouldn't cost much anyway HK. My Arctic Freezer pro rev.2 only cost me £15 new. :) It's obviously not as good as a Coolmaster V8 and others, but for the price it does a very good job of cooling my overclocked Q8300.

I'd still go with your first system though. :)
 
hellokitty[hk] said:
How much overbudget?

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR1600C8LV4GK
GIGABYTE GA-870A-UD3 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor ADX640WFGMBOX

$620 USD, without case.
You can surely find decent cases for $50 - $60.

i3 would be nearly the same, just change the motherboard and processor.
Intel Core i3-530 Clarkdale 2.93GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor BX80616I3530
GIGABYTE GA-H55M-S2V LGA 1156 Intel H55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
About the same price, but you lose USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s. IMO also an inferior CPU choice. AMD is just better at this price point.

EDIT: I glanced at some benchmarks, and it turns out that you might want an AMD Phenom II X3 740 Black Edition Heka 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor HDZ740WFK3DGI - OEM instead. Doesn't come with a fan though.
Click to expand...


I think I'm going to go with the i3, simply becuase I plan to upgrade it to an i7 when taxs come back ;D

So with the build you gave me (swapping the amd for the intel/mobo) would I need to buy any coolers? or should that be fine?
 
bbooska said:
I think I'm going to go with the i3, simply becuase I plan to upgrade it to an i7 when taxs come back ;D

So with the build you gave me (swapping the amd for the intel/mobo) would I need to buy any coolers? or should that be fine?
Click to expand...

Most decent I7's from what I understand are socket 1366. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong though!

The I3/I5 are socket 1156 so you wouldn't be doing yourself any favours by doing that unless you wish to replace your motherboard as well.

As for coolers:

Retail (in the description) includes the cooler heatsink.
OEM (in the description) is a bare CPU, without a cooler.

You'll see these terminologies used throughout sales sites. In general OEM hardware is no frills, and as a manufacturer would purchase it, without cables and accessories, and normally come in simple boxes or anti-static wrapping.

Retail items include cables, software, and general stuff a consumer would expect when buying something in a fancy coloured box.
 
HK et al
I too am thinking of a build in this price-range. Definitely would like to make sure it has the USB3.
So I am considering your first list of components. My questions concern OS.

M$ has the family pack WIn7 available. This would allow me to upgrade my wife's and another computer, plus a third.
BUT... I am not clear: Would this work as a new install on a new build, or do I need to have a previous os installed first?
If the previous OS is required, does it need to be XP or Vista, or could it be say Win2k? (Or :evil: Linux? :haha:)
OR Should I just skip the Windows and go Linux?

My concern on the later is that the system would not be strictly entertainment, but a majority of use will be productivity.
Not only would I want games to work...
I am heavily invested in remaining compatible with M$Office (Word.docs, Excel.xls, Powerpoint.ppt, and to a lesser extent Access).
I have scanning and image manipulation programs that may or may not port well to windows inside linux... (Like OmnipagePro17), and Dragon Naturally Speaking.
I am doing more with images all the time, including now videos of various formats.
I also have a variety of "specialized" programs relating to my Not-For-Profit Employment.
(To be clear, this is a HOME computer, used solely by me and in order to take work home - it is not a small business computer.)

Anyway, jumping OS platforms has been a concern for me.
(Recently tried a dual boot, with attempted help from leeky and others, but was unable to get the Thumb approach to work quickly. Have not yet followed up on their last recommendations for how to approach that issue, but the NOT "quick and easy" has me a bit concerned.)

Thanks
 
@B00kWyrm

I'll leave the parts advice to someone else mate, I'd be relying on people here being kind and suggesting too. :)

From what I understand reading here it is an upgrade, not full edition - But you can get around that easily by using a quick install of XP or Vista to then use the upgrade version. You are also correct, it is for 3 seperate computers. Its a good price as well! :) I paid the same price per license for my several copies of 7 Ultimate!

Linux is worth considering, but I honestly feel your going to have issues trying to migrate given the dependancies on MS based software. Sure Openoffice is good, but its like going from Office 2007 back to Office 2003 in the way it works.

I wouldn't hold hopes of Wine helping you to run all of your software either. The only real way to know for sure is to try it to be honest. Some computers won't boot from flash drives (Captain would be proud of me saying that!), but I would still try it with the live CD.

If the software you need isn't too resource intensive, you can use software like Virtualbox to run a virtual MS Windows install. Generally speaking it actually runs faster for light tasks as well! Gaming wouldn't be the best idea either, as it wouldn't let you use the full capacity of your GPU when running virtually.

Sorry I'm not being more positive for you mate, I just think that your situation is a perfect example of someone who relies on Windows, and that maybe Linux (because of your MS software dependancies) isn't the best solution for you - With the exception of dual booting which would give you the best of both worlds.
 
bbooska said:
I see. Okay well thats just take the OS out of the cost then, and work from there. I've heard that the intel core 2 duos are as good as the quadcore AMD's. is this an exaggeration?
Click to expand...
This is something that was very true a while back, bu realy ian't so anymore. The reason is, games are now being written for quad CPUs. During the C2D E8400 era, they weren't, and consequently, the faster clock speed of the Intel prevailed. Today's Intel quads would be a good choice, but as has been stated, they're a tad pricey. Here's a very good Intel quad; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067&cm_re=core_i5-_-19-115-067-_-Product

And an Intel quad with hyperthreading (8 effective cores) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214&cm_re=core_i7-_-19-115-214-_-Product


bbooska said:
*edit as far as the case goes... I have plenty of room... so as big as it NEEDS to be. as far as looks... I'm easily pleased. I don't need a fancy looking one. just one that gets the job down, and is as quiet as possible :D
Click to expand...
Yeah well, cases that cool well enough for heavy gaming, have a lot of fans, fans are loud, you see where this is going don't you? I'm jus' sayin'.
 
thanks Leeky... confirmed what I was concluding.
The US M$-$tore says essentially the same - XPSP3 or VistaSP1 required.
(Family pack =$150 US ... can get a router or drive with it too - good deal for upgrades).
I just didn't know if something was possible that was not listed.

As for versions of Office...
While I still like the "look and feel" of earlier incarnations (I have 2003 at home, 2007 at work).
My real concern is compatibility of product.

Your comments about running windows programs inside of linux are also helpful.
I appreciate it.
 
No worries B00kWym. :)

Openoffice will be compatible with all Office file versions. I regularly switch between the two (Openoffice and Word 2007) for assignments when working on them dependant on whether I'm using the Pc or laptop. It has absolutely no issues whatsoever, but....

Openoffice can in my experiences be quirky with default fonts and layout > I solved that issue by just adding the new MS fonts as used in Vista, 7 and Office 2007/10. Besides, I love the Calibri font, and use it for all my publishing applications in Linux. In case your wondering, I just copied all the fonts from my W7 fonts directory to my Linux .fonts directory (well the ones that weren't in linux). Once I'd changed the default fonts to the same as MS Word (and other office apps) everything was cool. :)
 
How exactly was it, that a discussion about a gaming rig, descended into a discussion about Linux as the OS?
 
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