46 replies to this topic

[Scanlon]

I need to know where I should go or how to go about getting/building a real gaming computer. I have an initial budget of $1,200. I have nothing but a beat up old notebook, so I'll be starting from scratch. Also I have no skills in electronics and I have no familiarity with brands. (what's good, what's ok, what's poor.) It's all greek to me, but Im a good learner.

[Barbaric Soul]

where do you live(what country)?

Edited by Barbaric Soul, 03 May 2012 - 06:10 AM.

[Scanlon]

USA

[Chas]

Okay, what you're going to see here is lots and lots of personal preference, backed up by technical jargon.

Generally it's slightly better to build than straight-buy. Simply because you wind up with tighter control over what components have gone into your system. Not because it's cheaper. Remember, it's only cheaper if your PERSONAL time has zero value to you.

Some people will point you to AMD for "best value".
Others will point you toward Intel for "best performance".

Intel just released a refresh cycle.

The older Sandy Bridge platform for i5 and i7 is STILL a world-beater though.
The brand new Ivy Bridge is pretty much an almost clock-for-clock replacement at a slight price premium due to them being "new".

Actual price difference, whether you're looking at i5 (2500K vs 3570K) or i7 (2600K vs 3770K) is about $60 total ($30 on the processor and $30 on the equivalent class of motherboard).

For memory, you're probably looking at DDR3 1600 memory. I recommend you go for the "low profile" stuff if you're not going to mount the default cooler (and are planning to OC). Just ran into a build for a friend where he'd had to swap out memory to accomodate a liquid cooler.

At $1200, you have a couple options here for drives.

Just an SSD (though this'll leave you space constrained).
Just a hard drive (though you won't see maximum disk throughput and will have slower application loading).
One of each (though this may push you out of your price range).

It depends on how flexible your budget is.

Now the BIG personal preference issue: Video cards.

Some people swear up and down by nVidia.
Others bow before the altar of AMD.

Personally, I'm an nVidia boy. I've had far fewer problems with nVidia than I have with AMD(ATI) boards. Granted, I'm in an unusual position as I actually know people at nVidia who are uniquely able to assist me in strange circumstances. It doesn't mean I bleed green when you cut me though.

Some people here may try to make some complex wannabe-philosophical argument to back their "horse" in the race. Keep the following thing in mind.

You have exactly TWO loyalties here. In order or importance they are.

• Your pocket book before all else.
  
• Performance. Note that this loyalty is also informed by the concept of stability, as a stupid-powerful card that crashes all the time isn't much of a performer.

So, as an off-the cuff part reference (taking into account my biases):

• PSU
  
• Case
  
• Motherboard
  
• CPU & Cooler
  
• Memory
  
• Video Card
  
• Boot/Storage Drive (HDD)
  
• Optical Drive
  
• OS

If you're in the US, and ordering from Newegg, this'll put you just over $1060, not including shipping.
However there's about $60 in mail-in-rebates there.

Things I haven't included:

• Keyboard
  
• Mouse
  
• Speakers
  
• Headphones
  
• Camera
  
• Monitor (A suggestion)

[Vulpesveritas]

Building is going to be your best bet. Given your budget, I would recommend the following;
Case: Your choice, I recommend the following-
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811146081
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811147108
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811235033
Motherboard:
Intel: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157299
AMD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157267
CPU-
Intel: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116504
AMD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819106009
GPU:
Intel: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814150609
AMD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161404
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820103006
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182073
HDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136798
ODD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827106335
Heatsink: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835103099
TIM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835426020
Price comes out to just under $1200

[Vincent Vascaul]

Newegg.com is where I shop, I recommend Intel Sandy bridge procs atm and AUS motherboards. Both Nvidia and AMD have good video card offerings right now. You should be able to get a really nice setup for your budget.

[Johannes Falkner]

OP needs to answer some questions first:
Do you intend to overclock?
Is this computer going to be used for other workloads than gaming? (What kind? Some tasks favor many cores, while others favor faster cores.)
Is space a concern?
Do you want a silent system?
Is this machine going to travel to LAN parties? Etc.

The basics:
Windows 7
4GB RAM (Minimum)

A lot of the rest depends on what your priorities are. A couple of people have given you pieces to work with but without a little more input on your end we can't give you a fully customized build.

Some rules of the road for computers:
1. You can have small footprint, high performance or quiet operation. (pick 2 at your price range)
2. Storage is fast and small or big and slow. (ssd vs hdd)
3. Small (mini-ITX and some micro ATX) cases and big video cards do not mix cheaply/easily and generally require experienced builders.
4. Your case is probably the piece you will keep the longest, choose wisely. (Particularly for connectivity such as USB3 and eSATA)
5. Games typically only need fast dual cores now, but the trend is toward multicore. (GHz is not a reliable estimator of chip speed)

[Adeptis]

It should be noted that $600 will buy you a reasonable gaming PC. $1200 will buy you a pretty damn exceptional one. I Googled what CryEngine 3 (the engine MW:O is being built upon) needs, and the specs are pretty minimal. Just follow the advice given you by the other posters and you should be set.

[Packman]

Agree with what those above have said. I haven't researched parts lately, so refer to others in this thread for what exactly to buy If you want more general information, this is what I've learned about box building. TL/DR version: see above, and when you put stuff together, DON'T FORCE IT.

WALL OF TEXT: ONLINE

Overall, you want to do four things.

Number 1: Match brands. Get as many things as possible from the same manufacturer. I bought an Antec case and offbrand (cheaper) fans…and the fans didn't fit. Back to the store for me. Same goes for the power supply: many case manufacturers also make power supplies, there's a reason for this. Most of these components these days will drop into a new machine, but unless the components have been physically tested with each other, they might not actually fit. On that note, be aware that AMD owns ATI, and that Intel is working pretty arm-in-arm with NVidia. They get their own drivers to work first before making sure their competitors stuff works. The motherboard will say what kind of special video card tricks it knows how to do (ATI Crossfire vs NVidia's identical card-linking-thingy who's name I forget right now). If you go for an Intel processor, you'll need an intel-compliant motherboard, and it's probably a good idea to get an nvidia video card. Same for AMD/AMD motherboard/ATI video if you go the other way around.

Number 2: Match your motherboard's specs to your CPU's specs to your RAM specs. The RAM will have an operating speed which you want to keep in line with what your CPU will talk to it at. It does no good to have RAM that runs at 2mHz if your CPU's memory access speed is 1.3 mHz. Again…learn from my several hundred dollar mistake. Same goes for the motherboard, make sure it can handle the speeds that the ram and cpu can handle, or the motherboard will keep your kickass CPU from every doing anything fancy. All of these numbers are listed, just make sure they line up. A CPU rated at 3.3gHz is it's processing speed, it's memory clock is a seperate number.

Number 3: Know the triad: Price, Quality, Speed. Pick two. If you want quality and speed, you're gonna pay. If you want it cheap but quality, it's not gonna be the fastest thing on the shelf. If you want cheap and fast, it'll burn out in a year or two. Or worse. Certain things are worth spending the money on (video card, power supply). You are probably going to want middle of the line CPU, RAM, video card and power supply at your price range. A fantastic motherboard shouldn't run you more than a hundred bucks for the CPU and RAM you'll get.

Number 4: Understand the price curve. It's exponential. The instant new tech comes out is when it is at it's most expensive, and it drops VERY rapidly. If you are not going to drop 2k on a box, look back in time a year and see what stuff got the best ratings. It'll be half/quarter/eighth the price. My RAM was 400 bucks when I bought it in 2009. Now it's a tenth of that. My machine is still top of the line. Computers don't get outdated quite as fast these days as they used to. Build yourself a kickass computer from 2010 or mid 2011, and you should get good power for your money. Remember, video cards, cpus and ram can run you thousands of dollars if you let them. Motherboards, cases and power supplies are relatively cheap, don't be afraid to spend twenty more bucks on the good stuff there.

i have a friend who waited for the "Ivy Bridge" cpus to come out because they do some new magic with RAM. if you need to be on the bleeding edge, don't hesitate, but don't buy the 'best of the best black edition extreme killer FTW'. You will pay 300 bucks for a 10% speed boost. Find a good middle line model, and it won't be too much more than the previous generation (as mister Chas pointed out so well). If you won't notice it (and chances are you won't), find yourself a good Sandy Bridge i5 or i7. This same pricing structure is alive in video cards and ram as well.

A few random points:
I would avoid liquid cooling, and unless the fan noise drives you crazy, the stock fan should probably be OK unless you are obsessed with overclocking. I have a friend who just built a box and bought a liquid cooling unit, but never installed it as the stock cooler that came with the CUP keeps it well within operating temperatures.
I would avoid overclocking until you understand what it does and how it works. I've seen more than one friend tear their hair out just trying to get an overclocked machine back to running. I cannot help you there.

-----

"Building" a computer is not all that technical. If you know how screws and clamps work, you should be able to handle it. Be sure to ground yourself at all times, don't rub your fingers all over the CPU and the RAM, and don't wave high powered magnets around inside the case. There are plenty of "how to put x inside a computer" guides on the internet. As a general rule of thumb though, above all else, DON'T FORCE IT. Nearly every single plug on a motherboard is keyed to only go in one way these days, most are even color coded with arrows. If it doesn't fit, either the angle is wrong or it doesn't go there. Follow that and you should be ok.

Don't be tricked into thinking you need ALL the hertz, or all the gigs. I defy anyone here to find me a machine that uses more than 8 gb of ram while gaming. Mine never uses all 4gb of mine. At RAM prices today though, less than 4 GB is silly.

You WILL want to spend money on the video card if you have anything left over, as I am assuming this is a gaming box. 1.5 gb of video card dedicated ram isn't tough to get today, and that will make the difference. The more triangles your card can remember, the smoother your game will be.

Newegg can generally tell you what brands are quality. Do a quick internet search for any parts you buy to check for recalls or bad runs (I lost a hard drive two months after I built it…manufacturer known defect). Don't forget the CPU thermal paste.

Good luck and good gaming.

[Vulpesveritas]

Okay have a few problems with this.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

Agree with what those above have said. I haven't researched parts lately, so refer to others in this thread for what exactly to buy If you want more general information, this is what I've learned about box building. TL/DR version: see above, and when you put stuff together, DON'T FORCE IT.

WALL OF TEXT: ONLINE

Overall, you want to do four things.

Number 1: Match brands. Get as many things as possible from the same manufacturer. I bought an Antec case and offbrand (cheaper) fans…and the fans didn't fit. Back to the store for me. Same goes for the power supply: many case manufacturers also make power supplies, there's a reason for this. Most of these components these days will drop into a new machine, but unless the components have been physically tested with each other, they might not actually fit. On that note, be aware that AMD owns ATI, and that Intel is working pretty arm-in-arm with NVidia. They get their own drivers to work first before making sure their competitors stuff works. The motherboard will say what kind of special video card tricks it knows how to do (ATI Crossfire vs NVidia's identical card-linking-thingy who's name I forget right now). If you go for an Intel processor, you'll need an intel-compliant motherboard, and it's probably a good idea to get an nvidia video card. Same for AMD/AMD motherboard/ATI video if you go the other way around.

Number 2: Match your motherboard's specs to your CPU's specs to your RAM specs. The RAM will have an operating speed which you want to keep in line with what your CPU will talk to it at. It does no good to have RAM that runs at 2mHz if your CPU's memory access speed is 1.3 mHz. Again…learn from my several hundred dollar mistake. Same goes for the motherboard, make sure it can handle the speeds that the ram and cpu can handle, or the motherboard will keep your kickass CPU from every doing anything fancy. All of these numbers are listed, just make sure they line up. A CPU rated at 3.3gHz is it's processing speed, it's memory clock is a seperate number.

This is bs, in a number of ways. Fan sizes are standardized now from 140mm downwards, and it is only the larger fans that are case specific. Motherboard and the like, Intel CPUs do just as well with either AMD or Nvidia graphics, though AMD graphics do have a slight advantage on an AMD CPU system due to a united overclocking and assessment tool. Other than that even that has no advantage.
RAM wise, with Intel XMP and AMD systems supporting 1866mhz RAM, most RAM on the market will work. DDR3-1333mhz or 1600mhz are the most cost effective RAM out there right now. Intel is not working arm-in-arm with Nvidia, whatsoever. Want to show me a document that states it? AMD tried to buy Nvidia, but were turned down and bought ATI instead. Nvidia works just fine with AMD, AMD works just fine on Intel. Ask any reviewer.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

Number 3: Know the triad: Price, Quality, Speed. Pick two. If you want quality and speed, you're gonna pay. If you want it cheap but quality, it's not gonna be the fastest thing on the shelf. If you want cheap and fast, it'll burn out in a year or two. Or worse. Certain things are worth spending the money on (video card, power supply). You are probably going to want middle of the line CPU, RAM, video card and power supply at your price range. A fantastic motherboard shouldn't run you more than a hundred bucks for the CPU and RAM you'll get.

You've been out of the market for a while. If you want a high quality motherboard, you're looking at paying $150-250 depending on if you're running AMD or Intel.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

Number 4: Understand the price curve. It's exponential. The instant new tech comes out is when it is at it's most expensive, and it drops VERY rapidly. If you are not going to drop 2k on a box, look back in time a year and see what stuff got the best ratings. It'll be half/quarter/eighth the price. My RAM was 400 bucks when I bought it in 2009. Now it's a tenth of that. My machine is still top of the line. Computers don't get outdated quite as fast these days as they used to. Build yourself a kickass computer from 2010 or mid 2011, and you should get good power for your money. Remember, video cards, cpus and ram can run you thousands of dollars if you let them. Motherboards, cases and power supplies are relatively cheap, don't be afraid to spend twenty more bucks on the good stuff there.

i have a friend who waited for the "Ivy Bridge" cpus to come out because they do some new magic with RAM. if you need to be on the bleeding edge, don't hesitate, but don't buy the 'best of the best black edition extreme killer FTW'. You will pay 300 bucks for a 10% speed boost. Find a good middle line model, and it won't be too much more than the previous generation (as mister Chas pointed out so well). If you won't notice it (and chances are you won't), find yourself a good Sandy Bridge i5 or i7. This same pricing structure is alive in video cards and ram as well.

Ivy bridge is great, 10-20% faster than Sandy Bridge clock for clock, uses less power, but sandy is still better for overclockers as Ivy has issues handling high voltage. However, you have more upgradability on an AMD system as LGA1155 dies with Ivy. Moore's law (Computing power doubles every 18 months) ended a few years back. We're reaching a point of diminishing returns, largely due to costs of materials, increasing problems dissipating heat with reduced size, and quantum tunneling which is inevitable more and more the smaller you go with silicon.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

A few random points:
I would avoid liquid cooling, and unless the fan noise drives you crazy, the stock fan should probably be OK unless you are obsessed with overclocking. I have a friend who just built a box and bought a liquid cooling unit, but never installed it as the stock cooler that came with the CUP keeps it well within operating temperatures.

BS again, closed liquid coolers are great, though they aren't as good price / performance as an Air cooler. The best air coolers fight with the closed loop systems. The Thermalright Silver arrow, Phanteks coolers, Noctura coolers, and the Coolermaster TPC 812 and V12 all do very well against them, while costing less and you don't have to worry about it leaking or running dry over time.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

I would avoid overclocking until you understand what it does and how it works. I've seen more than one friend tear their hair out just trying to get an overclocked machine back to running. I cannot help you there.

So long as you don't overclock outside of voltage, there is no problem whatsoever. You can always get back into the bios if you have stability issues. Just monitor your temps and don't overclock more than 10% above stock clocks, and don't touch the voltage dial if you're a noob and you should be fine.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

-----

"Building" a computer is not all that technical. If you know how screws and clamps work, you should be able to handle it. Be sure to ground yourself at all times, don't rub your fingers all over the CPU and the RAM, and don't wave high powered magnets around inside the case. There are plenty of "how to put x inside a computer" guides on the internet. As a general rule of thumb though, above all else, DON'T FORCE IT. Nearly every single plug on a motherboard is keyed to only go in one way these days, most are even color coded with arrows. If it doesn't fit, either the angle is wrong or it doesn't go there. Follow that and you should be ok.

This is true.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

Don't be tricked into thinking you need ALL the hertz, or all the gigs. I defy anyone here to find me a machine that uses more than 8 gb of ram while gaming. Mine never uses all 4gb of mine. At RAM prices today though, less than 4 GB is silly.

With RAM prices today, multitasking, and some games (looking at bethesda titles) You can use more than 4GB. 8GB is considered the standard for Gaming anymore (I've had Obilivion with mods crash my 4GB RAM limit. My CPU and GPU are fine though. For an example.)

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

You WILL want to spend money on the video card if you have anything left over, as I am assuming this is a gaming box. 1.5 gb of video card dedicated ram isn't tough to get today, and that will make the difference. The more triangles your card can remember, the smoother your game will be.

1GB is enough for most games these days, but with your budget I highly recommend getting a 2GB card. But the rendering speed is more important than the RAM of the card. In your budget range, an AMD Radeon HD 7850, 7870, or 7950 are your best bets.

Packman, on 03 May 2012 - 08:35 AM, said:

Newegg can generally tell you what brands are quality. Do a quick internet search for any parts you buy to check for recalls or bad runs (I lost a hard drive two months after I built it…manufacturer known defect). Don't forget the CPU thermal paste.

Good luck and good gaming.

This I agree with... mostly. Remember that a person is more likely to review if there is a problem than if there isn't. And every brand has DOA items. Things which slip through QC or are damaged in shipping happen. That's the way things are.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 03 May 2012 - 08:51 AM.

[JazzySteel]

If you dont have much experiance with working on small electronics or building computers I would suggest not trying it. Sure it will save you money and it is a fun and rewarding task. But there are so many little things and such that could go wrong you dont want to waste your investment.

As far as companies go you can never go wrong with ASUS. Stay away from cheap brands like Acer and Gateway, and if at all possible use Intel/Nvidia over AMD/ATI.

<--*works IT*

[Everett]

Quote

Also I have no skills in electronics and I have no familiarity with brands.

If you're not confident in the ability to build a system (mostly a matter of making sure your cable seatings are correct and properly putting the TIM on your CPU and seating the heatsink, then you can buy a pre-built system, either from a major manufacturer (ie Dell), or an online store (iBuypower, Cyberpower, Alienware).

Currently for gaming systems, an Intel i5 or i7 CPU is currently going to give you the best performance. I use an AMD X6 Phenom II 1090T BE, but that's because I'm an overclocker and wanted to leverage the lower price point of associated motherboards with the savings that the CPU gave me too.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet... if you can get a Hybrid Drive or an SSD for your Operating System drive? *DO IT* This piece of technology has been one of the most amazing advancements to performance in the last decade. I have actually changed my computer's power button from Power Off to Sleep because with the SSD, I can recover to a working state in under 3 seconds, and the machine only consumes 1 Watt when sleeping.

Quote

The best air coolers fight with the closed loop systems.

This is mostly true, but there are some significant exceptions in the details. Closed loop water cooling systems typically offer better noise profiles, OR better performance especially when set up in a Push-Pull configuration. I've been extremely happy with my Corsair H80.

Edited by Everett, 03 May 2012 - 09:12 AM.

[Vulpesveritas]

Everett, on 03 May 2012 - 09:07 AM, said:

If you're not confident in the ability to build a system (mostly a matter of making sure your cable seatings are correct and properly putting the TIM on your CPU and seating the heatsink, then you can buy a pre-built system, either from a major manufacturer (ie Dell), or an online store (iBuypower, Cyberpower, Alienware).

Currently for gaming systems, an Intel i5 or i7 CPU is currently going to give you the best performance. I use an AMD X6 Phenom II 1090T BE, but that's because I'm an overclocker and wanted to leverage the lower price point of associated motherboards with the savings that the CPU gave me too.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet... if you can get a Hybrid Drive or an SSD for your Operating System drive? *DO IT* This piece of technology has been one of the most amazing advancements to performance in the last decade. I have actually changed my computer's power button from Power Off to Sleep because with the SSD, I can recover to a working state in under 3 seconds, and the machine only consumes 1 Watt when sleeping.

I would agree with this, if it weren't for the fact that you can get an OC'd Radeon HD 7870, a Radeon HD 7950, or Nvidia GTX 580 vs a GTX 560ti / Radeon HD 7850 (about a 10-30% performance difference depending on card.) vs an AMD FX 4170 against an intel i5 system's cost. for the $100 you save on system cost (if you don't OC.) you gain 5-10% more CPU power but lose 10-30% GPU power. And for gaming, the GPU is far more important.

Just my input.

[Packman]

Vulpesveritas, on 03 May 2012 - 08:50 AM, said:

Okay have a few problems with this.

(and some other stuff)

Sorry, I should have specified that it WAS my case fans that didn't fit, not cpu. And I agree, it WAS bs. Just a quirk of the case I bought.

Thanks for the corrections, I *have* been out of the game for a bit. i have no documentation, just remembering a list of mother board specs...and remembering most of them were either supportive of either ATI or Nvidia, but not both. Glad to hear that's been resolved now.

[Shepard]

Ok, since you say that you are starting from scratch, I assume that you need the whole shebang, including monitor, OS, keyboard and mouse, speakers and of course the actual rig. This is the best I can squeeze out of $1200 from Newegg.

CPU: Intel core i5 3450 http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116506
M/B: Asrock H77 Pro4/MVP http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157302
GPU: Sapphire 7850 2GBhttp://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102986
RAM: Patriot 8GB (2x4GB) 1600mHz http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820220569
HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 7k1000 http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822145533
ODD: Samsung 22x DVD burner OEM http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151244
PSU: Roseweill Green 530W 80 plus http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182199
Case: Rosewill FUTURE Gaming http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811147108
Monitor: LG IPS231B-BN 23" http://www.newegg.co...N82E16824005240
OS: MS Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium OEM http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986
Keyboard n Mouse: Logitech Mk200 combo http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823126193

This total will come up to around $1150.

[Alex MSQ]

Quote

CPU: Intel core i5 3450
M/B: Asrock H77 Pro4/MVP
GPU: Sapphire 7850 2GB
RAM: Patriot 8GB (2x4GB) 1600mHz
HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 7k1000
ODD: Samsung 22x DVD burner OEM
PSU: Roseweill Green 530W 80 plus
Case: Rosewill FUTURE Gaming
Monitor: LG IPS231B-BN 23"
OS: MS Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium OEM
Keyboard n Mouse: Logitech Mk200 combo

Maybe GPU Sapphire/MSI/Gigabyte 6930 1GB for better cost/perfomance
It would be better to have Gigabyte/MSI MB on H77 Chipset with only 1 PCI Ex 16 slot
RAM PQI/Kingston is cheaper, Goodram, Corsair are also valuable. 1600MHz, 8 or 16Gb
HDD pay attention on Western Digital Caviar Black. Hitachi is less reliable. Also i prefer that conf:
60-120GB SSD (OCZ Vertex 3 SATA III) for Windows and favorite games + 500Gb-1Tb Western Digital Caviar Black SATA III for storage/swap
ODD ONLY AND ONLY ASUS DRW-24!!!
PSU OCZ ZS Series 550W 80 plus or it would be better Seasonic, but it costs. Sapphire 7850 2GB needs 650W min.
CASE - Aerocool PGS VS-9W. Cheap, silent and convenient. For really good case ask for Lian-Li.
Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U2312HM Black or U2412M
OS: MS Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium or Ultra
KB and mouse at your choise. I have simple Genius/Logitech mouse for 6$ and PLEOMAX KM-C20 with separate keys. Don't ever use wireless kb/mouse.

Edited by Alex MSQ, 03 May 2012 - 10:50 AM.

[Vulpesveritas]

Shepard, on 03 May 2012 - 09:33 AM, said:

Ok, since you say that you are starting from scratch, I assume that you need the whole shebang, including monitor, OS, keyboard and mouse, speakers and of course the actual rig. This is the best I can squeeze out of $1200 from Newegg.

CPU: Intel core i5 3450 http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116506
M/B: Asrock H77 Pro4/MVP http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157302
GPU: Sapphire 7850 2GBhttp://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102986
RAM: Patriot 8GB (2x4GB) 1600mHz http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820220569
HDD: Hitachi Deskstar 7k1000 http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822145533
ODD: Samsung 22x DVD burner OEM http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151244
PSU: Roseweill Green 530W 80 plus http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182199
Case: Rosewill FUTURE Gaming http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811147108
Monitor: LG IPS231B-BN 23" http://www.newegg.co...N82E16824005240
OS: MS Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium OEM http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986
Keyboard n Mouse: Logitech Mk200 combo http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823126193

This total will come up to around $1150.

IMO paying too much for monitor. And if he's in school or is willing to run Windows 8 beta and pay later then both routes will be cheaper. And my point above stands that you can shave $100 off the CPU+Mobo going AMD, and put more for the GPU and have a better all-around system. Also, for gaming he'd be better off getting a TFT display rather than an IPS (I own an IPS by the way, and I know how good they are, but I still would recommend price/performance.) http://www.newegg.co...N82E16824236175 and that shaves off another $50.
Saying we are going AMD and have an extra $200 to spend, then we can either upgrade the GPU to a Radeon HD 7970, or do a lot of other things, namely a better PSU, a 7870, and a better HDD and RAM.
Also Brand wise, HIS IceQ cards run faster and cooler than any other 7870 or 7950. XFX Double Dissipation coolers are the better low end cards, and have lifetime warranties, and therefore a better 7850 option. 7970s it's between the HIS IceQ X2, Sapphire Dual cooler, and the XFX card. The XFX card has the warranty, the sapphire card is quieter, and the XFX card is the coolest of the bunch. And the MSI lightning overclocks the highest. Each has advantages at the highest end tier.

Alex MSQ, on 03 May 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:

Maybe GPU Sapphire/MSI/Gigabyte 6930 1GB for better cost/perfomance
It would be better to have Gigabyte/MSI MB on H77 Chipset with only 1 PCI Ex 16 slot
RAM PQI/Kingston is cheaper, Goodram, Corsair are also valuable. 1600MHz, 8 or 16Gb
HDD pay attention on Western Digital Caviar Black. Hitachi is less reliable. Also i prefer that conf:
60-120GB SSD (OCZ Vertex 3 SATA III) for Windows and favorite games + 500Gb-1Tb Western Digital Caviar Black SATA III for storage/swap
ODD ONLY AND ONLY ASUS DRW-24!!!
PSU OCZ ZS Series 550W 80 plus or it would be better Seasonic, but it costs. Sapphire 7850 2GB needs 650W min.
CASE - Aerocool PGS VS-9W. Cheap, silent and convenient. For really good case ask for Lian-Li.
Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U2312HM Black or U2412M
OS: MS Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium or Ultra
KB and mouse at your choise. A use simple Genius mouse and PLEOMAX KM-C20 with separate keys. Don't use wireless kb/mouse.

Okay more things I disagree with.
Case, there are better ones for the price. And I prefer Corsair to Lian-li. That's a preference. Of course, they're also much cheaper for what you get.
Monitor: Overpriced crap. For gaming you're best off with an Asus TFT.
OS: If it's for gaming, home premium is fine. He's not running a server which needs 32GB+
ODD: BS
RAM: Patriot is american made, I would recommend AMD RAM for the extra quality control. (still made by patriot)
GPU: The 7850 is almost as fast as the 6970, and is many times faster for highly tessellated games (like CryENGINE 3 is. Which runs MWO)
CPU/Mobo: I stand by that you're getting better price/performance on AMD.
HDD: I prefer the Caviar blacks myself. He can get an SSD later, but if he's gaming the storage is less of a concern than the rest of the system.
KB/Mouse: Up to the individual. Rosewill has some nice cheap gaming boards, Gigabyte has some decent cheap gaming mice.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 03 May 2012 - 10:50 AM.

[Alex MSQ]

If you need compact sound - use SVEN MS-320 or headphones SVEN V-900

[Vulpesveritas]

Alex MSQ, on 03 May 2012 - 10:51 AM, said:

If you need compact sound - use SVEN MS-320 or headphones SVEN V-900

Compact sound wise I recommend a headset. The Corsair Vengeance 1500 Headset is a great one to go with.
Cheap end, Plantronics has this; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16826265068

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 03 May 2012 - 10:56 AM.

[Shepard]

Vulpesveritas, on 03 May 2012 - 10:44 AM, said:

IMO paying too much for monitor. And if he's in school or is willing to run Windows 8 beta and pay later then both routes will be cheaper. And my point above stands that you can shave $100 off the CPU+Mobo going AMD, and put more for the GPU and have a better all-around system. Also, for gaming he'd be better off getting a TFT display rather than an IPS (I own an IPS by the way, and I know how good they are, but I still would recommend price/performance.) http://www.newegg.co...N82E16824236175 and that shaves off another $50. Saying we are going AMD and have an extra $200 to spend, then we can either upgrade the GPU to a Radeon HD 7970, or do a lot of other things, namely a better PSU, a 7870, and a better HDD and RAM. Also Brand wise, HIS IceQ cards run faster and cooler than any other 7870 or 7950. XFX Double Dissipation coolers are the better low end cards, and have lifetime warranties, and therefore a better 7850 option. 7970s it's between the HIS IceQ X2, Sapphire Dual cooler, and the XFX card. The XFX card has the warranty, the sapphire card is quieter, and the XFX card is the coolest of the bunch. And the MSI lightning overclocks the highest. Each has advantages at the highest end tier.

Well, I agree that for gaming, a TN monitor will be sufficient but I can't resist trying to shove in an IPS monitor. However, I don't think that going AMD instead of Intel is beneficial, especially since my choice of Intel CPU + mobo is cheaper than your choices in AMD. Now if we can save $50 off the monitor, $40 off Windows (assuming that the TS is a student), then we can upgrade the GPU to a 7870, since I have a $50 buffer in my original suggestion.