So i've done a little bit of research on the parts for a new gaming PC I want to build. Keep in mind i'm a total novice at this. Here are some of the things that I'm looking into purchasing for the new PC: Case: IN WIN Maelstrom Black SECC(0.8~1.0mm) ATX Full Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108190 Power Supply: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139013 Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423 Processor: N/A CPU Cooling: Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018 Memory: Corsair XMS3 6GB DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145222 Video Card:N/A System Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136113 Data & Game Drives: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320 So the case and the motherboard were combo deals also the power supply and memory were also combo deals saving me about $115 with that. I still don't have a processor or a video card. I was hoping you guys could help me out with that. I'm pretty much over my budget by about $200 already with the total of everything i've listed coming out at $802. Any cheap or mid-range processor and video card will do. If anyone sees anywhere where I can trim some fat off the bill than PLEASE let me know.
Get multi CPU dual min, i7 recommended. 1 Gig DDR5 Graphic ram min for gaming then 4 gig ram min for the system. Hard drive 500+ no exceptions haha. CPU 2.0+ like your mostly set, if your looking to save money then no point going hardcore. A gaming machine for me starts at 2000, but i am trigger happy it seams and can't stand lag which is why i play consoles more due to games are built for the console. As long as you got plenty of memory and good transfer speeds from your ram and graphics you won't have much of a issue really. Just secure your computer and keep it clean so you don't have to format every few months
Yeah, I don't do a lot of gaming, just mostly building it for Guild Wars 2 and Diablo 3. I'd like it to play smoothly.
Combo deal or nor not drop the case and the mobo. Heres why: Case: The cooling doesnt seem all that great. Sufficient but you can get a better cooled case for less. Mobo: Only the USB 3.0 will be useful and right now, USB 3.0 hasnt hit mainstream so you wont get much use out of the speed advantages for another year or so atleast. It also has 4 PCI Express x16 slots. Theres no need for this many PCIE x16 slots unless your going tp run multiple video cards and as Sammorris will attest to, "one is almost always better then two" in terms of GPUs. Get this Mobo. Saves you $90 right out of the gate. Now keep in mind, your switching to a socket 1156 mobo from 1366 socket. The main thing to note here is that your going from a triple channel ram set up to double channel. This will save you some money as well. Sine were on the socket subject I will point out the best cu for your money on that socket, well for gaming: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215 You could go up to an i7 860 but unless your doing video editing and real cpu intensive stuff like that, theres no need. Speaking of the CPU, good cooler, bad size. Thats a BIG cooler and I doubt it would fit in the case you recommended or the one I will recommend. First the cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608016 Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146062 HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 $17 saving over buying the two separate drives and better performance I believe. Not to mention more storage space for less money. RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145251 Video Card - You have already saved close to $200 with my suggestions and Im not done yet. This card may be more then you need, but if so will hold you over for awhile. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150462 If you need to save money drop it to a 5650. Last thing, I believe, is your PSU. You picked a 950 watt corsair. Great psu, MAJOR OVERKILL. 550 will do or bump to a 650 for extra head room. Heres the 550: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004 And there you go. Even with the video card I linked to your going to save a little bit. Oh and with the mobo you chose vs the mobo I chose, you saved about $80 because with a 1366 mobo the cheapest cpu you can get is an i7 930.
So I added everything up, and the grand total for the whole thing would be around 890... I used this video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150485 And a 500gb hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
The video card looks like it would do fine for Diablo 3, Guild Wars 2 im not so sure about. I think you might consider a 5650 from the looks of it. Better wait for Sammorris or KillerBug to give some insight on that. The hard drive swap was a good idea. The Caviar Blacks are the best WD drive for use with running an OS. The total likley went up on my build for the fact you didnt have a CPU or video card picked out. And fyi, when it comes to PSUs this is the most important part of the rig. A cheap PSU can fry the whole rig, possibly even catch fire. Then you have wasted all that money. If physically purchasing the unit(not ordering online) you can test by weight to an extent. A good PSU feels sturdy and heavy enough to bash some ones head in with lol. A cheap PSU feels more like a paper weight. Also keep in mind, wattage means little. A quality Corsair PSU will out put more real power then a cheapo piece of junk PSU despite the same wattage, even a lower wattage corsair like a 400 watt can out perform a cheap 800 watt. The real key is the amount of amps on the +12V rail(s).
Ghastly case for $100, worth more like $60. I'd say swap the case for this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066 Only $13 less, but a much better case. The PSU is the worst case of overkill I've seen in a while, a 950W PSU for a 300W PC (and that's if you use a high end video card) If you want to build a PC for $600, you cannot use an i7. It's simply not doable. Switch down to a Core i5, or better yet a cheap AMD Quad core. Nowhere near as fast, but you can actually afford it. The i5s are still very fast CPUs, but not as cheap. If you're gaming you want a high-end video card, which you'll have to prioritise since a $600 budget won't allow for high-end anything. If you don't play games much you can get away with a cheap card, it's a question of usage.
