Possible cost of this gaming rig

[dlf 0]

Was wondering if I could get a possible price for this. I'd personally would rather buy a prebuilt computer instead of buying the parts and trying to assemble myself (even with help). If I do assemble, EVERY part should come from Newegg or Tigerdirect (or you all can suggest other good sites)

Hardware

- USB 2.0 speeds that are minimum of 30 MB a second

- USB 3.0 speeds that are at lest 300+ MB/s (if at all possible with a mechanical hardrive, or a somewhat cheap SSD)

- Windows Experience Index of at lest 5.0 (minimum)* (although the higher I guess the better)

- Firewire (and or eSata port) --- because I have a external hardrive that has both along with USB

- At lest a solid terabyte

- Has either a VGA or DVI port (current monitor I have has both)

- Multicard reader (although I mainly need SD and Memory Pro Stick Duo)

- Able to use a PS3 controller AND A XBOX 360 controller (and it if possible all of Wii's main controllers)

- Quad core CPU

Software

- Windows 7 Ultimate (64 bit)

- May run Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit and or XP as well as Ult 7 64 bit.

- May run folding@home (although I use my PS3 for that when I'm not using it)

- Able to run most games from DOS era on, probably high settings

- Will use steam

-- Elder Scrolls

-- Portal 1 & 2

-- Batman Arkham (Asylum/City)

-- Sonic Generations

-- Quake

-- Wolfenstein (3D)

-- Commander keen

and others

- Will use CD/DVD's of the games I have:

-- Warcraft 2 - Tides of Darkness & Beyond the Dark Portal

-- Warcraft 3 - Reign of Chaos & Frozen Throne

-- Diablo 1 - 3 (when it comes out)

-- The Sims 1 - And all expansions

-- The Sims 2 (probably)

-- Simcity 4000 & Rushhour

--- Eventually Simcity 5 (Woo!)

- May use emulation (to run up to the PS2/GameCube/Xbox (not 360)/WIi) & the handhelds.

What I don't need

- Speakers (already have two)

- A monitor (@ this time)

- NOT OVERCLOCKED, NOR NEEDING A COOLING SYSTEM OTHER THAN A FEW FANS

- Alienware . . . . . .

- Absolute latest and or most expensive 'tech'. But able to run what I want without much issues.

* - My current (slimline)'s lowest is 2.6 (graphics), than game graphics (3.0), processor/RAM are 4.7 & primary hardisk is 5.6 . . . My current computer can play Warcrafts, SimCity & TS1.

That's all I can think of the moment. Max budget, If possible within a grand or slight more.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

My recommendation:

CPU: QX9770

GPU: Zotac Geforce 240 or 250

8 GB RAM

These desktops usually cost $1000-$3000

  Edited March 2, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[GMT 389]

geforce 240-250? srsly?

also you can consider yourself extremly lucky to find a non-second-hand Core 2 Extreme.

Plus as soon as you pass the $1.5k - $2k area, you are in the highend stuff.

The only thing that gives your proposal a $1000-$3000 range might be the over the top prizing for factory-new Core 2 Extreme as they are a rarity for enthusiasts, as a geforce 240 is an outdated and very very low budget card nowadays, somewhere around 50 bucks.

(after all, he said he wanna play arkham city which might end up as a slideshow this way)

my advise: don't go too far away from highend unless you wanna buy another pc a couple years down the road.

you can get yourself a good Core i7 together with the correct mainboard, some ram, and a good gpu (around the gtx570) for about one grand and can rest assured that thing will serve it's purpose for quite some time.

here's an idea I found as a bundle at newegg.com

linkie

this setup plus 8gb ram plus 750mw power supply you pretty much do a spotlanding at one grand.

one tb hdd isn't too expensive either.

thing is, you always gotta crosscheck shops and manufacturers.

Best thing is to focus on certain parts and then search for best prices.

there's even comparable prebuilt rigs available at about one grand, if you don't wanna do the assembly at home.

of course you can get yourself corresponding ATI/AMD parts, but I'm not familiar with them anymore as I ran into 2 severe problems with this combination 12 years ago. (then I setteled for a 2.5ghz p4 with an 5x00 nvidia onboard gpu and ran happily until 2 years ago as got myself a new one)

as for myself, my current specs are Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 @2.5ghz, 8GB DDR2 800 Ram (Samsung), MSI Twinfrozr 2 GTX560ti (2GB version) with 2 Western Digitial Caviar Black HDDs (640GB/2TB) and 750mw power supply)

(basically it's an Acer Predator G7700 with double the ram, additional HDD and a better GPU)

But I am upgrading in due time to a new CPU around the Core i7 2600K

  Edited March 2, 2012 by GMT  

[Shadow Assassin 336]

OK, let's break this down:

- USB 2.0 speeds that are minimum of 30 MB a second

- USB 3.0 speeds that are at lest 300+ MB/s (if at all possible with a mechanical hardrive, or a somewhat cheap SSD)

USB standard calls for following: 480Mbit/s for 2.0, up to 4Gbit/s raw transfer for 3.0. Easily achieved.

- Windows Experience Index of at lest 5.0 (minimum)* (although the higher I guess the better)

Easily achieved.

- Firewire (and or eSata port) --- because I have a external hardrive that has both along with USB

Most motherboards have them.

- At lest a solid terabyte

Suggest, if you want a SSD: get a 64GB SSD for OS and a 1TB mechanical hard drive for storage.

- Has either a VGA or DVI port (current monitor I have has both)

VGA is obsolete. DVI is so easy to come by it's not funny.

- Multicard reader (although I mainly need SD and Memory Pro Stick Duo)

Cheap to come by nowadays.

- Able to use a PS3 controller AND A XBOX 360 controller (and it if possible all of Wii's main controllers)

You will need a Bluetooth USB dongle and the appropriate software for the PS3 and Wii controller. Not familiar with this, though, but if you look around on the Internet, you'll find ways to get your PS3 controller to work with a PC. As for 360 controller, is it wired or wireless?

- Quad core CPU

Easy enough to come by.

Now.

Let's build a PC with those specifications and see how much it comes up to.

First things first: a combo.

That's $511.99, includes motherboard, CPU, mechanical hard drive and RAM.

Follow that up with a 60GB SSD. $85.99.

Most importantly, we need to power that. This lovely Corsair CX600 will do just fine. Only $69.99.

You need an optical drive, I hear? This Sony one will do - $17.99.

And a memory card reader. This one seems nice. $16.99.

And to hold all these lovely, lovely parts? You need a case. Maybe this one will do. $47.99.

$750.94 so far. We can splurge a bit on the graphics card, then.

This XFX 6950 graphics card is a good choice. $204.99. A disclaimer about that graphics card? You might be better off waiting a little longer until the 7870s hit.

Final price?

Hold onto your chairs. It's... $955.93.

A reasonable price for a full system, and it's easily upgradeable.

[dlf 0]

I don't have anything 360 related, yet, except for 1 game: Wolfenstein. As for VGA/DVI, if I put the computer on the floor (slimline currentling being used is on the desk), that gives me more space to put a second monitor, I could probably use HDMI or DVI with the new computer and a new monitor and VGA with this (although it has DVI support)

[Shadow Assassin 336]

I could probably use HDMI or DVI with the new computer and a new monitor and VGA with this (although it has DVI support)

Most mid-range/high-range graphics cards come with multiple DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort connections, so you can actually use DVI for both monitors.

[dlf 0]

Pressuming I get a 360 (already have a PS3) and a second monitor, multiple HDMI ports on the computer and monitor would be good -- as I could hook either system (PS3/360/computer) to the monitor -- if the TV the PS3 is hooked up to is being used . . . . Will probably still wait a few months for my own reasons.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I recommended those because they are cheap and there are plenty of games that utilize one core so a high end 4 core processor without hyperthreading would be good for SimCity 4, Cities XL, Sims 2, Bioshock, etc.

Of course, if my computer ends up failing (GT 5628), I might need to gut it and replace it with brand new parts.

Does anyone know of a good GeForce GPU with power consumption between that of a 8500 and an over clocked 8800?

  Edited March 3, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[GMT 389]

Does anyone know of a good GeForce GPU with power consumption between that of a 8500 and an over clocked 8800?

nvidia lists the stock 8500GT @ 40watts max and the stock 8800ultra @ 175watts max

in that spectrum, the best you can get is the regular gtx560ti (regular as in not the 448core) which is listed @ 170watts max. german magazine pcgameshardware did a big test and awarded it the best value for money in it's price range (10/2011 issue).

the lowest consumption of current gen geforce - I consider the 5xx current gen as the 6xx has only just arrived and has one item - is afaik the 520gt (as the 510 is oem-only) listed @ 29watts max

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Never mind, a friend of mine who REALLY knows computers put a bunch of upgrades on my NewEgg wish list for less than $300. I could copy that list.

[iEatRazorz 24]

http://www.tech-forums.net/pc/forum.php

Those guys there can guide you through getting the best bang for your buck and building it if you need the help.

[Han Solo 34]

Here's a few bits of advice I'd give to anyone who's looking for a new PC and is willing to self build.

1. The vast majority of the time, you'll end up with a better computer if you self build. It'll either be cheaper or have a better spec than anything you'll find that's pre-assembled.

2. Get a Corsair PSU (power supply unit). The reputation for being the best PSU's is well earned. I recommend their TX series or if you can afford it and you actually need the extra power, their AX series.

3. Don't go for "MOAR POWER!!!!" when buying a PSU and don't scrimp. Use a PSU calculator (don't forget capacitor ageing). The closer the PSU is to your actual power requirements, the more reliable, efficient and cheap to run it and your machine will be. Think of it this way, a poor quality PSU is more likely to fail and could take your entire PC with it. A quality PSU is essential because, although it may cost a little extra in the short term, it could save you the cost of replacing your whole PC and it'll save you money on your electricity bill as it'll be more efficient.

4. Go with Intel. In years gone by, AMD and Intel were punch and counter punch but at the moment Intel is clearly superior. Also don't get sucked into buy top of the range chips. @OP judging by your needs, you won't need anything more than an Intel i5 which will be good for a good couple of years to come.

5. If you're not going to overclock, don't spend extra money on getting a CPU that is unlocked (unlocked Intel chips end with a K e.g. i7 2600k). And, on that note, go for an Ivy Bridge version of an Intel chip. If overclocking is taken out of the equation then Ivy Bridge chips are the better choice.

6. Don't discount liquid cooling. There are some excellent "closed loop" liquid coolers out there that out perform similarly price air coolers and they're just as easy to install. They don't require you to fill reservoirs or to up liquids. I recommend Corsair's H series, just make sure they'll fit in your case. The H series also come with good quality T.I.M. pre-applied (see number 10.).

7. Don't just go for looks when it comes to the case. There are some very nice looking cases out there that fall down when it comes to practical concerns such as installation of components, cooling and dust intake (dust filters are essential but you can buy after market ones).

8. Spend your money where it's needed. If you're buying a rig for gaming then you should be spending more on the graphics card.

9. When buying RAM, don't waste money on ultra low latencies and high clock speeds as you won't be able to tell the difference in the vast majority of circumstances. Go for 1600Mhz as it's what's supported by the Intel i series chips. Also, don't bother getting more than 8Gb unless you're planning to edit videos/music or use CAD programs. In fact, 4Gb is probably enough.

10. This is a little more on the technical side. If you're going to apply the heatsink paste yourself, learn how to do it correctly. Incorrectly applied heatsink paste (or TIM as it's known) can have a big effect on your machines temperature levels and lifespan. You also need to know how to install a coaler correctly, this can also have a big effect on your machine.

11. When buying an SSD (which are only going to get cheaper in the next few months as there's a price war brewing), weigh up performance versus reliability and don't get sucked into "perfect world" benchmarks. Again, Intel are seen as the best when it comes to reliable SSD's but they do come at an extra cost and they're not as fast as other manufacturers. Lastly for SSD's, use them in the right way. Install your OS and most used programmes to it.

12. I'm putting this in bold because it's something everyone should know. Building a PC, once you have the right components, isn't that difficult. All you need is a little knowledge, patience and somewhere clean to work. Everything just clicks or screws into place. In my opinion, the most difficult thing about building your first PC is installing the heatsink and after you've installed it, you'll see it as being fairly easy. I guess it's like riding a bike, difficult until you've actually done it but after that it's easy.

[EDIT] I forgot one of my most important tips. Join a computer builders forum and ask them to create a spec for you, this way you'll know you're asking people whose hobby/profession is building custom computers to order. It's what I did when I built my first PC and it's perhaps the best advice I can offer.

I'd be happy to create a spec for you and answer any further questions.

  Edited May 18, 2012 by Han Solo  

[Ocram's Razr 964]

My new recommendations (based on my NewEgg wishlist):

CPU: Intel QX9770

Motherboard: Intel BOXDP45SG LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX

Graphics card: XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16

RAM: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model MD8192KD3-1333

Power Supply: Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready

[Han Solo 34]

My new recommendations (based on my NewEgg wishlist):

CPU: Intel QX9770

Motherboard: Intel BOXDP45SG LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX

Graphics card: XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16

RAM: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model MD8192KD3-1333

Power Supply: Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready

A $1000+ cpu with a mobo and GPU that can be had new for $80 each?...

[GMT 389]

keep your fingers off everything core 2 blabla. they are insanely expensive compared to the core i cpu, especially when they sport an extereme, plus the lower performance they are no longer an option at all.

to get an idea, I got an hardware test right here in the 04/12 issue of pc games, with the core i7 3960x as a reference, the c2q q9550 - which was the best core 2 quad in the test - ended up slightly behind the core i3 2100 (37.4% and 37.6% respectively, with the aforementioned i7 3960x being the 100% reference).

BUT, the q9550 right now costs - if you can get a new one standalone - more than twice as much as the i3-2100 (205€ and 95€ respectively)

It's not yet about time to say farewell to the yorkfield (core 2) if you got one already, they'll surely serve another 2 3 years (or more depending on how much game quality you're willing to sacrifice for playability)

but definitely time to say hi to a sandy bridge, nehalem or westmere (the core i series) when it comes to buying one.

in terms of value for money, this test points out the aforementioned i3-2100 aswell as the i5-2500k

[jdenm8 362]

I have an i5 2500K and it's great. I use it for gaming, light video encoding and the multi-purpose CPU taxer, PlayStation 2 emulation. It excels at nearly all of them and I have the option of Overclocking at a later date if I need it.

I can't think of a single reason to go for one of those archaic Core 2 CPUs in a new system, they're expensive and just aren't very good compared to the revolutions that Nehalem and Sandy Bridge were/are.

  Edited May 18, 2012 by jdenm8  

[Ocram's Razr 964]

1. Hyperthreading is bad.

2. I saw that model of CPU sold used for $100. The other things cost $250 combined. Therefore, the cost would be under $500.

3. The games I run are all single threaded. What is the best processor for a large Single Threaded game, like Cities XL, Tropico 3, The Sims 2, etc? Of course it would need to be compatible with my previously mentioned motherboard.

  Edited May 18, 2012 by OcramSeattle  

[jdenm8 362]

The high-end i5s are true Quad-Cores (Unhyperthreaded i7s) and not Hyperthreaded i3s. I think the i5 2300 is the cheapest true Quad Core in Intel's range.

You saw that model of CPU sold used... Do you know how many hours it has on it? Do you know if the previous user overclocked it? Do you know if the temperature sensors on it aren't completely stuffed and therefore won't stop the CPU from melting? Do you know if the CPU is still capable of being seated in a new Motherboard (Crucially important on socket 1155/1156 CPUs)? No. You don't. The CPU should be the most expensive part in your PC and you should be making your choices based on how long you can leave it alone because it's also probably the fourth hardest part in your computer to replace (Behind the Case, PSU and Motherboard).

The best processor for a Single-Threaded program would be one of the Pentium D processors, not one of those Quad Core Core processors.

  Edited May 19, 2012 by jdenm8  

[GMT 389]

1. Hyperthreading is bad.

not at all.

consider it about as bad as rock n roll music was back in the 50s

2. I saw that model of CPU sold used for $100. The other things cost $250 combined. Therefore, the cost would be under $500.

like jdenm8 said already.

buying a used cpu is pretty much like buying a used car without ever seeing it. you don't know the mileage driven, how hard it was pushed, how bad it was maintained, ...

3. The games I run are all single threaded. What is the best processor for a large Single Threaded game, like Cities XL, Tropico 3, The Sims 2, etc? Of course it would need to be compatible with my previously mentioned motherboard.

you can run single threaded programs on virtually any cpu, from singlecore to 12cores, there's easy ways to override the hyperthreading if programs don't do it on their own, starting from command line parameters to 3rd party software.

if you are really certain you don't need this at all, now and in a few years time, I can only second what jdenm8 suggest, altho this would leave you with a dual core... you're trying to buy nostalgia here...

but keep in mind that it's - for the sake of reliability - pretty much essential to go for a new one and not a used one.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

OK, does the Intel® Core™ i5-2380P Processor work with the motherboard I mentioned?

[Han Solo 34]

OK, does the Intel® Core™ i5-2380P Processor work with the motherboard I mentioned?

The motherboard you mention "Motherboard: Intel BOXDP45SG LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX", wouldn't be compatible. The socket that the processor sits in on a motherboard is called an LGA socket. As you can see by the motherboards name, it is an "LGA 775" motherbaord. The i5-2380p is LGA 1155. If you post your budget for the CPU and what you want to use it for primarily, I'd be happy to give you some recommendations.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I guess I will just stick with my own CPU for now.

[GMT 389]

newegg has 1155 socket motherboards for less than $100, not top noth but a worthy price for what you get. plus the $189 for the mentioned cpu (that comes with fancooling already). depending on what you go with beyond this (graphics, drives, hdd, ram) you can easily end up with a pretty decent middleclass system for about $500

[Ocram's Razr 964]

The cheap motherboard is now out of stock so I would like a recommendation for a new motherboard and a 4 core, non-hyperthreaded processor that is at least 3GHz fast.

The other components cost a total of $180 and the power supply I previously mentioned has a capacity for 600 Watts.

CPU: Please Recommend

Motherboard: Please Recommend

Graphics card: XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16

RAM: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model MD8192KD3-1333

Power Supply: Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready

[m1n3rs1m 4]

I don't want to start talkin' tech (I'll never stop) If you're looking 1-2 year old equipment you said you didnt want the latest, you're looking at $1000-$5000 Its a long range, I found a thread for you here

[Han Solo 34]

I don't want to start talkin' tech (I'll never stop) If you're looking 1-2 year old equipment you said you didnt want the latest, you're looking at $1000-$5000 Its a long range, I found a thread for you here

$1000 maybe but $5000?

Anyway, my first thought would be an i5 2500K... accentually, scratch that, I'll look for something more suited to your needs. As for motherboards, I've heard a lot of good stuff about Asus but again, I'll do a bit more digging to get something more suited to your needs.

[GMT 389]

The cheap motherboard is now out of stock so I would like a recommendation for a new motherboard and a 4 core, non-hyperthreaded processor that is at least 3GHz fast.

The other components cost a total of $180 and the power supply I previously mentioned has a capacity for 600 Watts.

CPU: Please Recommend

Motherboard: Please Recommend

Graphics card: XFX HD-667X-ZHF3 Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16

RAM: PNY Optima 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model MD8192KD3-1333

Power Supply: Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready

how much you wanna spend for the cpu and motherboard?

here's some combos at newegg to consider

http://www.newegg.co...st=Combo.910211

http://www.newegg.co...st=Combo.911207

http://www.newegg.co...st=Combo.911797 out of budget

http://www.newegg.co...st=Combo.911840

  Edited May 24, 2012 by GMT  

[Ocram's Razr 964]

My budget is $500 so $320 combined.

[GMT 389]

well you can revolve around the 3 remaining combos above, they all fit into your envelope. feel free to check other shops aswell.

but keep an eye out for packages that already include a cpu cooling. most do anyway, but sometimes they dont. I myself got a friend who was pretty happy to find a great offer for his money a while back and in the end it turned out the great deal didnt include a cpu cooling unit so he had to blow his budget... yeah I know that's just a matter of a couple bucks but annyoing nonetheless

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I have a computer. I am keeping the case, Hard Drive, and possibly CD Drive (unless incompatible). Therefore, I only upgrade the components. My friend is going to install the new components and put the old components in another computer.