Need a build around $1000

A

Armageddon Nigh

Posts: 10   +0
This will be my first time building a pc. Getting tired of prebuilts. I see a lot of people using the Intel I7 processor and was wondering if that was a good choice. The foremost thing I have no clue about is what motherboard to choose. I want to be able to run WoW, newer fps games, and (this sounds silly) Minecraft. I have just around $1000 to spend - more if I get a couple of things sold. I'd prefer an nVidia graphics card. Lastly, I plan on upgrading in the future. That's why I feel so confused on the motherboard. I'd like something functional now, so in the future I can tweak. Thanks.
 
Are you planning to use any hardware from your current system: monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.?
 
I have a monitor and mouse, but will not have a keyboard if I can get this PC sold somehow. My monitor's native resolution is 1680x1050. If I happen to get this PC and PS3 sold I should be closer to $1400. I'm not a fan of speakers for gaming so I won't need those.
 
Go with the latest Intel Sandy Bridge offerings if you want to stick with Intel. Go also with Windows 7 64 bit OS and I know red1776 who builds quite a few systems holds to the belief that if you are going to game go with 8 gigs of RAM.

Are you in the U.S.?

* One other thing, both AMD will be having new releases later this year. You might want to hold off - if you can - to see what is coming down the road, so to say.
 
Yes, I'm in the US. What's a decent RAM brand selection? DDR3 obviously. I really don't think I could wait until later this year. I'd like to just get a decent system and then upgrade as I go. When it comes to motherboards I'm completely clueless, so what's a good one? Sorry if my sentences sound a bit fragmented. ADHD makes me think too quickly.

Would I be right in saying that if I buy the best future-proof motherboard I'd be better off for when I want to upgrade the GPU, sound card, etc.?

When I go on sites like Newegg or Tigerdirect I always feel overwhelmed, so I came here for a point in the right direction in the form of a build. I'm always like "this one... no that one... this is nice... nah..." Ya know? lol
 
Armageddon Nigh said:
. I really don't think I could wait until later this year. I'd like to just get a decent system and then upgrade as I go.
Click to expand...
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Any system you buy now is effectively an evolutionary dead end - so your upgrades are going to be limited to more RAM, better graphics and peripherals.
Both Sandy Bridge (P67/Z68 chipset) and AMD (the AM3 socket) are both only going to be upgradeable if Intel and AMD bring out faster versions of the CPU's that are already on the market.
AMD's Phenom II X6 is a great CPU for multi-tasking and the majority of home computing, but the models that are on the market now will likely be it as far as it's development are concerned. You could upgrade the motherboard for more bells and whistles (the upcoming 990FX/X chipset) but thats about it.
Intel's Sandy Bridge has little more leeway. Faster clocked CPU's will arrive, but since the present 2500K and 2600K models overclock impressively it becomes little more than a PR exercise.
For $1000 you could equip yourself with either based system and get a lot of bang for your buck.
I also note you stated a preference for an Nvidia card. If this preference is deep seated and the PowerColor HD6970 (AMD) card that Ritwik suggested in his build is not to your taste then a suitable alternative would be Sparkle's GTX 570 at $320 (after mail-in rebate). Either card will generally "max out" in-game quality settings up to 1920x1080 resolution.
 
Thanks a lot guys. What cooling systems will I need? I forgot to add that I'll need to buy the OS as well.

What about nvidia cyclones sli?
 
Okay.
I'll revise Ritwik's build to factor this in:
Windows 7 64-bit OEM $100
Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 board $110 (if you're using nvidia graphics you wont need a Crossfire board)
The TX650w has a $20 mail-in rebate and the Antec Three Hundred Illusion is $15 cheaper than the CM690 II , or the HAF 912 also at $60.
The HAF 912 would be compatible with a full size aftermarket cooler such as the CM Hyper 212 ($30 + shipping)
All up (with the cheaper Asus board, GTX 570, HAF912, Win7 x64 OS and cooler and the $20 Corsair rebate) comes to $995
 
With the Antec 300, I'll be worried that GPUs which are a little long might not fit in the case.
 
Do you think it would be best if I waited until later this year to get a PC? I'd really like to get one as soon as possible, but if I'm able to get a better PC for my money I'll wait. I should also be able to get my PS3 and other PC sold by then as well.

Now I can't even get craigslist to verify my phone number. This is getting really annoying.
 
Whether it's worthwhile waiting or not is probably dependant upon your probable budget later in the year. The choices are those that have been debated here ( AMD Phenom II X6 and Core i7 LGA1155) which will be valid up until June-August. AMD's Bulldozer CPU's are due to launch in June with retail availability shortly thereafter along with a new motherboard range. You wont be able to purchase a system with these core components for the same budget ($1000), although the present build we have put forward should become cheaper as Bulldozer moves into the performance segment of the market. If Bulldozer approaches Sandy Bridge in performance -as it should- then a Sandy Bridge (Core i7 2500K & P67 / Z68 board) combo would also likely fall into your present budget.
Intel's next CPU line (Ivy Bridge) isn't due for release until the end of the year. I would expect that to be roughly the same price (or marginally more expensive) than Sandy Bridge is now.

So, if you can afford to wait I think you could maybe $100-150 by buying the same system in July/Aug, which you keep in your wallet or put towards upgrading another component ( 8Gb RAM instead of 4, or an SSD hard drive- both of which should be cheaper than they are now) which can appreciably add to the performance of the system.
 
What about this? I'm sure I've missed something.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131646
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

I had forgotten that Newegg didn't charge tax. Shipping ends up around $7
If this build is alright, I'll probably go with it.

That motherboard is crossfire compatible. Would there be a better choice for an nvidia card?
 
The motherboard you have selected is an AMD while the CPU is Intel. They will not be compatible. You need to pick an Intel LGA 1155 socket motherboard for the 2600K.

If the motherboard suports only CrossFire, pick an AMD card so that you can add a second in the future. If it's only SLI, then go with nVidia for the same reason. If it supports both CF and SLI, go with whichever you prefer.
 
The 2500K has an unlocked multiplier -very overclock friendly- If you want to take advantage of that you would need to get a P67 based motherboard. If you plan to build now then you should sign up with Newegg (as example) and they will contact you as soon as new P67 stock arrives -you will have to relatively quick on actioning the purchase once you are informed of availability as the boards will be big sellers for the time being.
As for which board...Based on the original launch specs and pricing (and expandibility to SLI/Crossfire) I would suggest
Asus P8P67 Pro
ASRock P67 Extreme4
Gigabyte P67A-UD4
MSI P67A-GD65
If you are likely to stay with one graphics card then these boards are single card versions of the boards listed above. They are also cheaper because of it.
Asus P8P67
ASRock P67 Pro3
Gigabyte P67A-UD3P
MSI P67A-GD53 -this board still supports dual graphics cards
 
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