Budget: $1000 || Gaming PC || Need Your Help

[GeekPlaya]

Latest specifications: GeekPlaya's Latest Specifications - $1,000 Budget

I know the majority of this forum knows more about hardware that I do, so I figured rather than going on a limb and getting bad equipment, I'd ask some more informed people, such as yourself

Anyone willing to help me?
Thanks in advance.

[ShyguyXPC]

The #3 is just too, its got a crappy $50 or lower GT 520 in it. NOT a gaming PC at all, and certainly not at a $1000 price tag.



The Acer has a GT 530, which is nothing more than a Rebadged GT 430 (2 generations old already, and a $50-60 card)

its more than double the performance of the 520, but still pales in comparison to a REAL gaming card and has no business being in a $1000 range gaming PC PERIOD!!!



Funny, the same systems, and budget for systems, are the same ones, one of the guys I know from work are looking at, and have inquired with me on what to get, look for, etc.



Last system he was looking at had a Radeon 6850 in it.


but like I told him, and most everyone here will agree too, is self built is the way to go, and get more for your money.


Newegg.com - NZXT Source 210 Elite White Steel with painted interior ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Black Front Trim

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Newegg.com - Wintec One 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 3OH16009U9H-8GK

Newegg.com - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems


not including mouse, keyboard or speakers, comes to just under $1000.

Shipping adds another 13-15 bucks more, but its more hardware and power than you can put together with any custom prebuilt like iBuypower and other system builders.

Subtotal: $997.92


There's a $20 Mail In Rebate Card on the video card.

So technically factoring that in, your under 1 Grand. but it could be months before you got that Rebate card.


its not hard to build a PC, just need to be able to read directions and follow instructions.

Right now is a bad time for anyone to be building a gaming PC, mainly because AMD's 3rd current gen series of Graphics cards. First was the top end 7900 series, a few weeks back was the lower end 7700 series, and sometime next week or so, should be the 7800 Series, which is what I'd go for with your budget, and replace the GTX 570 in the list with, the Radeon 7850 should be able to match or beat the 570, and runs at significantly lower power requirements. That 620W Antec PSU in the list should be able to run Two 7850's, heck even two 7870's would run on it.

both cards should match or beat the prior gen 6900 cards. Initial estimates on Power consumption for the 7800's is 130W and 175W for the 2 models. vs 200+ for the 6900's.

Add to that next month Nvidia should be releasing their new "Kepler" GTX 600 series cards, which are rumored to beat even AMD's cards or at least match them, the lower end GTX 660 should be able to match and beat the 570 as well, use less power, and cost less also, should be starting at the $250 range.


So if you can hold out another month for the build, that is what I would do, then look at your GPU options and see if you can get one of the 7800's or GTX 660 range cards.

if anything the new GPU replacements might drop prior gen upper end cards down in price, allowing you to get something good for less as well.

[GeekPlaya]

The #3 is just too, its got a crappy $50 or lower GT 520 in it. NOT a gaming PC at all, and certainly not at a $1000 price tag.



The Acer has a GT 530, which is nothing more than a Rebadged GT 430 (2 generations old already, and a $50-60 card)

its more than double the performance of the 520, but still pales in comparison to a REAL gaming card and has no business being in a $1000 range gaming PC PERIOD!!!



Funny, the same systems, and budget for systems, are the same ones, one of the guys I know from work are looking at, and have inquired with me on what to get, look for, etc.



Last system he was looking at had a Radeon 6850 in it.


but like I told him, and most everyone here will agree too, is self built is the way to go, and get more for your money.


Newegg.com - NZXT Source 210 Elite White Steel with painted interior ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Black Front Trim

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Newegg.com - Wintec One 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 3OH16009U9H-8GK

Newegg.com - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems


not including mouse, keyboard or speakers, comes to just under $1000.

Shipping adds another 13-15 bucks more, but its more hardware and power than you can put together with any custom prebuilt like iBuypower and other system builders.

Subtotal: $997.92


There's a $20 Mail In Rebate Card on the video card.

So technically factoring that in, your under 1 Grand. but it could be months before you got that Rebate card.


its not hard to build a PC, just need to be able to read directions and follow instructions.

Right now is a bad time for anyone to be building a gaming PC, mainly because AMD's 3rd current gen series of Graphics cards. First was the top end 7900 series, a few weeks back was the lower end 7700 series, and sometime next week or so, should be the 7800 Series, which is what I'd go for with your budget, and replace the GTX 570 in the list with, the Radeon 7850 should be able to match or beat the 570, and runs at significantly lower power requirements. That 620W Antec PSU in the list should be able to run Two 7850's, heck even two 7870's would run on it.

both cards should match or beat the prior gen 6900 cards. Initial estimates on Power consumption for the 7800's is 130W and 175W for the 2 models. vs 200+ for the 6900's.

Add to that next month Nvidia should be releasing their new "Kepler" GTX 600 series cards, which are rumored to beat even AMD's cards or at least match them, the lower end GTX 660 should be able to match and beat the 570 as well, use less power, and cost less also, should be starting at the $250 range.


So if you can hold out another month for the build, that is what I would do, then look at your GPU options and see if you can get one of the 7800's or GTX 660 range cards.

if anything the new GPU replacements might drop prior gen upper end cards down in price, allowing you to get something good for less as well.

Since that's a lot of writing, I will do all the reading when I get home.

However, are you certain that building 100% from the scratch with someone who has little experience with gaming hardware is a better alternative than the last link I provided? The last link sure provides copious customization and even gives a meter of how well X game will run with the setup provided.

[ShyguyXPC]

you can't build something like I listed on that last link with out going over the budget.

Besides self built you LEARN about your PC what goes where, how to fix/replace things when that eventually happens, etc.

Whats the point of owning a "Custom" gaming PC if you aren't going to learn anything about it?

and like I said, its easy to build a PC these days, if your capable of using Lego's Duplo Building blocks to make something, your capable of building a PC. Just follow directions closely, and have some patience.


To be honest, some of iBuypowers options are overpowered pieces of crap...

For example the Power supplies, most of the no name models, I wouldn't even touch, then you add the name brands, which is HIGHLY Recommended, since this is The single one part you should never skimp on in a PC, they charge WAY too much for those options.


For the list I made up top, you'd have to spend nearly $1300 to get that much performance.


Case 1 x CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case-Black

Case Lighting None

iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None

iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion None

Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i5-2500 Processor (4x 3.30GHz/6MB L3 Cache)

iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None

Processor Cooling 1 x Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink

Memory 1 x 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-G.Skill Ripjaws X

Video Card 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 - 1.2GB - EVGA Superclocked - Core: 797MHz-
Single Card

Video Card Brand 1 x Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA

Motherboard 1 x [SLI] ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 -- 2x PCI-E 3.0 x16

Intel Smart Response Technology None

Power Supply 1 x 650 Watt - Corsair CMPSU-650TXV2-Free Upgrade to 750 Watt Corsair CMPSU-750TXV2 ($20 Savings)

Primary Hard Drive 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive

Data Hard Drive None

Optical Drive 1 x 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive-Black

2nd Optical Drive None

Flash Media Reader / Writer 1 x 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer-Black

Meter Display None

USB Expansion None

Sound Card 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

Network Card 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

Operating System 1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes
basic versions of Word and Excel)-64-Bit

Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard

Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse

Monitor None

2nd Monitor None

Speaker System 1 x iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System

Video Camera None

Case Engraving Service None

Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service

Rush Service 1 x Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee)-No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days

Subtotal $1,289.00

All your getting for this $300 is the standard 3 Year warranty that was already on the system before customizing, and a crappy iBuypower Mouse, keyboard and basic speaker system.

Going with the NZXT 210 Source case (basic version with out USB 3.0 front panel ports, which is the one I listed above), drops your build list price to $1250, but still well over your budget.


Even Dropping the i5 2500 to the i5 2400 I have in my list, only knocks $30 off the price to $1220.

Fact is, you can't get anywhere near as much as you can, going self built.

If your willing to sacrifice some GPU performance, you could go with this

Case 1 x NZXT Source 210 Gaming Case-White

Case Lighting None

iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None

iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion None

Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i5-2400 Processor (4x 3.10GHz/6MB L3 Cache)

iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None

Processor Cooling 1 x Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink

Memory 1 x 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-A-DATA Gaming Series

Video Card 1 x AMD Radeon HD 6870 - 1GB-Single Card

Video Card Brand 1 x Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA

Motherboard 1 x [SLI] ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 -- 2x PCI-E 3.0 x16

Intel Smart Response Technology None

Power Supply 1 x 750 Watt - Thermaltake TR2 TRX-750M-Free Upgrade to 850 Watt
W0319RU ($20 Savings)

Primary Hard Drive 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive

Data Hard Drive None

Optical Drive 1 x 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive-Black

2nd Optical Drive None

Flash Media Reader / Writer 1 x 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer-Black

Meter Display None

USB Expansion None

Sound Card 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

Network Card 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

Operating System 1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes
basic versions of Word and Excel)-64-Bit

Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard

Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse

Monitor None

2nd Monitor None

Speaker System 1 x iBUYPOWER 2.1 Channel Stereo Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker
System

Video Camera None

Case Engraving Service None

Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service

Rush Service 1 x Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee)-No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days

Subtotal $1,007.00

But I would not go any lower in dropping options.

Sadly, this is NOT a $1K System with a $150 video card, and 4GB RAM...

The PSU options are lame, I opted for the Thermaltake 750W to drop it $2, and they offer a free 850W upgrade, the 750W was already MASSIVE over kill for the system, with just one card, even if you ran 2 of those 6870's, it would still be over kill, just a single 500W PSU would be more than enough for the listed system, however they don't offer any quality 500W PSU's.

I've pieced together systems for people on this forum before, with more power than this, for 2/3's and 3/4's the price of this.

[GeekPlaya]

...

Would you say the specs you provided from NewEgg.com are capable of running Crysis and Battlefield 3 pretty well?

What would they max out at and what do you think the FPS would be?

What do you think of this case: Amazon.com: Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case External 3 X 5.25; Internal 6 X 3.5 2*Usb2.0: Electronics ? I'd use NewEgg's, but they price it at $60.

You're right. I'd learn more if I built it myself, and iBUYPOWER does overprice everything.

[ShyguyXPC]

the Antec case is fine, it has no USB 3.0 front ports, but if you don't care about that, then its fine.


Otherwise, this Coolermaster Case for $50 and free shipping is a good one too.

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

This is another cheap case, that looks decent (also have this one too, as does JP Miller and a couple others here)

Newegg.com - HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Chassis Gaming Case w/ Front Blue LED 120mm Fan & Top 120mm Fan

Its about the same price with shipping as the Coolermaster above, its not entirely tool free, but its pretty light weight, has that nice big open grill mesh panel, and just using the stock fans, its pretty quiet.

I've got a lower end "test" system in it right now, Celeron Dual Core, 2GB DDR2 800MHz, Antec 400W PSU, 500GB HDD, DVD Drive, and a Radeon 4870. Had a GTX 260 in it, and the system was pretty quiet most of the time, even with the GTX 260 running at load, the GPU was the loudest part of it.



As to the games, yes, the list I built would run all those games, you can run those games on $100 GPU's these days, but BF3 will run pretty well on the GTX 570.

as to what they max out and FPS they would get, I can't say for sure, but I'd suspect around 40FPS at least on BF3. more than enough to play it online. It really depends on the Resolutions, and In game settings your running. But anywhere from 40-60FPS I would suspect.

The i5 2400 is the lowest Quad core I would put in the system though, I'd rather put in a i5 2500K myself, but the 2400 is still more than capable for gaming.


but if you were able to hold out for another week or so, Wait for the Radeon 7800's to come out, then I would look at getting a 7850 or 7870 in the list if possible instead.

A review on the 7800's to read and digest to get an idea on how they will perform:

AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked : Radeon HD 7870 and 7850: A Paper Launch by Any Other Name

Unfortunately, although we’re able to talk about the performance of Radeon HD 7870 and 7850, you won’t be able to buy the card until at least March 19th, AMD tells us. The company says that, because CeBIT and the Game Developers Conference fall so close to the official launch, it’d be difficult to keep information about the cards under wraps.

but looking at the benchmarks you can see where the 7850 lies compared to the GTX 570. their pretty close.

The added benefit of the 7850 using much less power, and able to run 2 of them on a lower power PSU, helps save some money down the road as well.

Crysis 2 Bench: Benchmark Results: Crysis 2 : AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked

Metro 2033: Benchmark Results: Metro 2033 : AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked

[GeekPlaya]

the Antec case is fine, it has no USB 3.0 front ports, but if you don't care about that, then its fine.


Otherwise, this Coolermaster Case for $50 and free shipping is a good one too.

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

This is another cheap case, that looks decent (also have this one too, as does JP Miller and a couple others here)

Newegg.com - HEC Blitz Black Steel Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer Chassis Gaming Case w/ Front Blue LED 120mm Fan & Top 120mm Fan

Its about the same price with shipping as the Coolermaster above, its not entirely tool free, but its pretty light weight, has that nice big open grill mesh panel, and just using the stock fans, its pretty quiet.

I've got a lower end "test" system in it right now, Celeron Dual Core, 2GB DDR2 800MHz, Antec 400W PSU, 500GB HDD, DVD Drive, and a Radeon 4870. Had a GTX 260 in it, and the system was pretty quiet most of the time, even with the GTX 260 running at load, the GPU was the loudest part of it.



As to the games, yes, the list I built would run all those games, you can run those games on $100 GPU's these days, but BF3 will run pretty well on the GTX 570.

as to what they max out and FPS they would get, I can't say for sure, but I'd suspect around 40FPS at least on BF3. more than enough to play it online. It really depends on the Resolutions, and In game settings your running. But anywhere from 40-60FPS I would suspect.

The i5 2400 is the lowest Quad core I would put in the system though, I'd rather put in a i5 2500K myself, but the 2400 is still more than capable for gaming.


but if you were able to hold out for another week or so, Wait for the Radeon 7800's to come out, then I would look at getting a 7850 or 7870 in the list if possible instead.

A review on the 7800's to read and digest to get an idea on how they will perform:

AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked : Radeon HD 7870 and 7850: A Paper Launch by Any Other Name



but looking at the benchmarks you can see where the 7850 lies compared to the GTX 570. their pretty close.

The added benefit of the 7850 using much less power, and able to run 2 of them on a lower power PSU, helps save some money down the road as well.

Crysis 2 Bench: Benchmark Results: Crysis 2 : AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked

Metro 2033: Benchmark Results: Metro 2033 : AMD Radeon HD 7870 And 7850 Review: Pitcairn Gets Benchmarked

Wow, those benchmarks were impressive!

I like the Coolest Master Elite 430 more than the original case, and it seems like a good deal. I don't mind about the USB 3.0.

I think a week's wait is fine.

You've really proven to be helpful. I really appreciate all that you're putting into this.

[ShyguyXPC]

Thanks, No Problem.

[GeekPlaya]

Thanks, No Problem.

What do you think of:

• Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
• Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
• Newegg.com - IN WIN BUC Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX 12V, PSII Size, Not Included Power Supply
• Newegg.com - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
• Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
• Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
• Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

109.99+44.99+89.99+69.99+244.99+219.99+137.99 = $918

[ShyguyXPC]

Why spend more for slower RAM? The Wintec I listed is fine, its a good brand, its 1600MHz Rated (though you would have to set it for 1600 in bios, but it should run at 1066 or 1333 stock), it runs at 1.5V at 1600MHz, the Corsair you selected is 1.5 to 1.65V, DDR3 standard is 1.5V.

Case is overpriced. the cases I listed will more than suffice and perform just as well, for less in cost.

Keep in mind your on a budget, case looks are something that can be sacrificed.

The motherboard Costs more, and is not needed, the Asrock board is plenty, and cheaper, Asrock is Also OWNED by Asus, so its the same parts more or less.

The Asrock comes out about the same as the Asus board after shipping, but the Asrock is better spec'd.

The PCI Express x16 Slots are rated for PCIe 3.0 with use of Intel Ivy Bridge CPU's, once those come out, the Asus isn't. The Asrock has better PCI Express x16 bandwidth per slots than the Asus. x8 x8 when 2 cards used, where as the Asus is only x16 x4.

For higher end video cards, the Asrock's layout is better, x8 x8, or x16 x8 or x16 x16 is preferred.

The Asus Board ONLY Supports AMD Crossfire, the Asrock Supports Crossfire and Nvidia SLI.


Its just a better board all around.



For the GPU, you could go with the 560 Ti, but if your willing to shell out $250 for the GPU, you might as well get one of these that are clocked higher.

Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1563-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

another $50 and your in the GTX 570 range.


But if your going to wait a week or so for the 7850's to come out, those might be worth it, since they're supposed to be in the $250 range.




The Hard drive you chose isn't that much less than the one I chose, the extra 32MB cache will help the drive run just a bit faster, for $5 less its not worth the price to cut the 64MB model out of the list

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive



as to the CPU, the only reason I said I would put that in, is because its a "K" Model thats meant for Overclocking, the "K" models just have an Unlocked Clock Multiplier to allow for better OCing options, the non K models can be OC'd as well, just one less feature is all.

Otherwise like I said, the i5 2400 is still plenty fast for any gaming these days.



Add to that, since I'm a bit more savvy with doing these build lists, if I were doing this for myself, I'd be hunting the Refurbished and Open box Items and saving tons there allowing me to put a GTX 570 and i5 2500K into the list.

For new users, unless they're on a tight budget I usually don't add in Open box and refurb items into lists.

Mainly because of their limited warranties, usually 30 to 90 days.




But if you want the BEST bang for your buck, shopping the Refurb/Open Box Items...


Look at this list.

OS: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400

Mobo (Open Box, bit older chipset, but still quite capable, however no Dual GPU Card capability): Newegg.com - Open Box: MSI P67S-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: Newegg.com - Wintec One 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 3OH16009U9H-8GK

PSU: Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-500D Green 500W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

GPU (Refurbished, and one of the most powerful cards on the market still, at least for a few more weeks): Newegg.com - Refurbished: EVGA 015-P3-1580-RX GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

HDD (Refurbished, also faster than the Seagate drives linked): Newegg.com - Refurbished: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FAES 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

DVD Burner: Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners

Subtotal: $993.91

Shipping: $0.96 (almost everything is free shipping except the DVD Burner)

Grand Total: $994.87


Your not going to be able to get much better than that.

best of all, even though its a Single Graphics card system (it can still run a Dual GPU graphics card though, just not dual Cards), the Power supply is only a 500W unit, but it should be able to run the card and system as is, though I wouldn't run anything else in the system with it.

About 95W for the CPU, and 244W for the Video card, leaves just over 150W for the rest of the system (444W total on the +12V Rail, which the GPU and Hard drive/DVD Drive use, the CPU and RAM use it also, but can tap into the 3.3 and 5V rails as needed for power)

But the CPU is more than enough to run that GPU with games.

Pretty much its the best your going to get with $1000 budget.

This is the kind of shopping I do on newegg, looking for deals with Open Box, Refurbished and Reduced or Free Shipping Costs, as well as Promo Codes...

Actually going with this combo deal (which is the same case and DVD Burner I selected individually), you save some money

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

With that combo deal your total is

Grand Total: $988.87



The i5 2400 also has a Promo Code to use:

$10 off w/ promo code EMCNGJE28, ends 3/21

So thats another $10 knocked off the budget at check out.

Popping this Corsair 600W PSU in there instead, using that Promo code for the CPU,

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Drops your total budget to: Grand Total: $1,010.80 (minus the $10 Promo Code), your 80 cents over budget, Definitely worth it if you can afford that.

You end up with a more capable PSU with more power under the hood to handle the card, the system, and some extra's later on, like hard drives, or add in cards.

[GeekPlaya]

Why spend more for slower RAM? The Wintec I listed is fine, its a good brand, its 1600MHz Rated (though you would have to set it for 1600 in bios, but it should run at 1066 or 1333 stock), it runs at 1.5V at 1600MHz, the Corsair you selected is 1.5 to 1.65V, DDR3 standard is 1.5V.

Case is overpriced. the cases I listed will more than suffice and perform just as well, for less in cost.

Keep in mind your on a budget, case looks are something that can be sacrificed.

The motherboard Costs more, and is not needed, the Asrock board is plenty, and cheaper, Asrock is Also OWNED by Asus, so its the same parts more or less.

The Asrock comes out about the same as the Asus board after shipping, but the Asrock is better spec'd.

The PCI Express x16 Slots are rated for PCIe 3.0 with use of Intel Ivy Bridge CPU's, once those come out, the Asus isn't. The Asrock has better PCI Express x16 bandwidth per slots than the Asus. x8 x8 when 2 cards used, where as the Asus is only x16 x4.

For higher end video cards, the Asrock's layout is better, x8 x8, or x16 x8 or x16 x16 is preferred.

The Asus Board ONLY Supports AMD Crossfire, the Asrock Supports Crossfire and Nvidia SLI.


Its just a better board all around.



For the GPU, you could go with the 560 Ti, but if your willing to shell out $250 for the GPU, you might as well get one of these that are clocked higher.

Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1563-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

another $50 and your in the GTX 570 range.


But if your going to wait a week or so for the 7850's to come out, those might be worth it, since they're supposed to be in the $250 range.




The Hard drive you chose isn't that much less than the one I chose, the extra 32MB cache will help the drive run just a bit faster, for $5 less its not worth the price to cut the 64MB model out of the list

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive



as to the CPU, the only reason I said I would put that in, is because its a "K" Model thats meant for Overclocking, the "K" models just have an Unlocked Clock Multiplier to allow for better OCing options, the non K models can be OC'd as well, just one less feature is all.

Otherwise like I said, the i5 2400 is still plenty fast for any gaming these days.



Add to that, since I'm a bit more savvy with doing these build lists, if I were doing this for myself, I'd be hunting the Refurbished and Open box Items and saving tons there allowing me to put a GTX 570 and i5 2500K into the list.

For new users, unless they're on a tight budget I usually don't add in Open box and refurb items into lists.

Mainly because of their limited warranties, usually 30 to 90 days.




But if you want the BEST bang for your buck, shopping the Refurb/Open Box Items...


Look at this list.

OS: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400

Mobo (Open Box, bit older chipset, but still quite capable, however no Dual GPU Card capability): Newegg.com - Open Box: MSI P67S-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: Newegg.com - Wintec One 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 3OH16009U9H-8GK

PSU: Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-500D Green 500W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

GPU (Refurbished, and one of the most powerful cards on the market still, at least for a few more weeks): Newegg.com - Refurbished: EVGA 015-P3-1580-RX GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

HDD (Refurbished, also faster than the Seagate drives linked): Newegg.com - Refurbished: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FAES 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

DVD Burner: Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners

Subtotal: $993.91

Shipping: $0.96 (almost everything is free shipping except the DVD Burner)

Grand Total: $994.87


Your not going to be able to get much better than that.

best of all, even though its a Single Graphics card system (it can still run a Dual GPU graphics card though, just not dual Cards), the Power supply is only a 500W unit, but it should be able to run the card and system as is, though I wouldn't run anything else in the system with it.

About 95W for the CPU, and 244W for the Video card, leaves just over 150W for the rest of the system (444W total on the +12V Rail, which the GPU and Hard drive/DVD Drive use, the CPU and RAM use it also, but can tap into the 3.3 and 5V rails as needed for power)

But the CPU is more than enough to run that GPU with games.

Pretty much its the best your going to get with $1000 budget.

This is the kind of shopping I do on newegg, looking for deals with Open Box, Refurbished and Reduced or Free Shipping Costs, as well as Promo Codes...

Actually going with this combo deal (which is the same case and DVD Burner I selected individually), you save some money

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

With that combo deal your total is

Grand Total: $988.87



The i5 2400 also has a Promo Code to use:

$10 off w/ promo code EMCNGJE28, ends 3/21

So thats another $10 knocked off the budget at check out.

Popping this Corsair 600W PSU in there instead, using that Promo code for the CPU,

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Drops your total budget to: Grand Total: $1,010.80 (minus the $10 Promo Code), your 80 cents over budget, Definitely worth it if you can afford that.

You end up with a more capable PSU with more power under the hood to handle the card, the system, and some extra's later on, like hard drives, or add in cards.

I'm iffy about that board... not many reviews to go off of.

[ShyguyXPC]

Its an Open box item, thats why there's no reviews


Look up the normal version of the board (non open box)

Newegg.com - MSI P67S-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard


Besides newegg reviews you have to take with a grain of salt, a lot of idiot users that claim to know what their doing, or they give bad reviews on things that were their fault, or they bitch about not getting their rebates in the mail, and give a bad review of the actual product, etc etc.


So many reviews need to be taken with caution.

[GeekPlaya]

Its an Open box item, thats why there's no reviews


Look up the normal version of the board (non open box)

Newegg.com - MSI P67S-C43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard


Besides newegg reviews you have to take with a grain of salt, a lot of idiot users that claim to know what their doing, or they give bad reviews on things that were their fault, or they bitch about not getting their rebates in the mail, and give a bad review of the actual product, etc etc.


So many reviews need to be taken with caution.

Latest setup with a bit of research:

MOBO: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 - $129.99
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) - $219.99
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 - $41.99
GPU: MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti - $244.99
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache - $129.99
PSU: CORSAIR Gaming Series GS600 600W - $89.99 (changed from Builder to Gaming; +$20)
---
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 - $49.99
Extra Fan: Rosewill RFA-120-K 120mm Case Fan - $4.99
Disc Reader/Burner: ASUS 24X DVD Burner - $20.99 (changed to Asus from LG; +$4)

Subtotal: $932.91

[ShyguyXPC]

No sense in getting the "K" model i5, if your going with 1333MHz DDR3. save a few bucks and get the Non K Model then.

You Keep forgetting to add the Operating System, which is another $100.

The Motherboard costs more, though is a good board for SLI and Crossfire dual card operations and PCI Express 3.0 support when used with an Intel Ivy Bridge CPU.

Not sure why you added a more expensive PSU, AND DVD Burner, as there is nothing wrong with the LG Brand one that I listed earlier. And the Antec PSU and Corsair 600W were plenty... why the more expensive GS model?

And then you dropped to a Lesser video card as well...?

[GeekPlaya]

No sense in getting the "K" model i5, if your going with 1333MHz DDR3. save a few bucks and get the Non K Model then.

You Keep forgetting to add the Operating System, which is another $100.

The Motherboard costs more, though is a good board for SLI and Crossfire dual card operations and PCI Express 3.0 support when used with an Intel Ivy Bridge CPU.

Not sure why you added a more expensive PSU, AND DVD Burner, as there is nothing wrong with the LG Brand one that I listed earlier. And the Antec PSU and Corsair 600W were plenty... why the more expensive GS model?

And then you dropped to a Lesser video card as well...?

Why drop the K model?

Noted.

Asus had better reviews for little more, and the PSU is more ideal for my setup.

I'm fine with that graphics card. What do you have against it?

[ShyguyXPC]

For your list minus the OS, I'm showing Grand Total: $925.36

Grab the LG DVD drive instead: Grand Total: $921.36


(Asus DVD Drives are just rebranded, Asus doesn't actually make the drives, so its a Rebranded LG, Samsung, Lite-on, who ever makes it for them)

Since you changed the RAM to slower normal speed DDR3 1333MHz, there's better cheaper stuff than the G skill kit you added.

Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996995

Newegg.com - Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model TED38192M1333HC9DC

Using the Team Elite stuff: Grand Total: $916.36

Going with the Non K 2500: Grand Total: $906.36

This Rosewill fan instead with free shipping: Grand Total: $904.51

The Seagate Drive I originally suggested: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Grand Total: $891.67


Or keep the 1TB WD Black series and change it back to the 600W Corsair I listed above instead of the pricier and NO different performing GS Series.

Grand Total: $886.44

In any case, its enough to add the OS now.

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems

Grand Total: $986.43



Once the OS was added, was able to retweak the list back up to a couple better parts again.

DVD: Newegg.com - LG DVD Burner 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model GH24NS70 - CD / DVD Burners

Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

GPU: Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

RAM: Newegg.com - Team Elite 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model TED38192M1333HC9DC

Mobo: Newegg.com - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

OS: Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems

Extra Case Fan: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm Blue LED Case Fan

Grand Total: $999.43



Using this Combo Deal instead of the Case and DVD Separate: Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

Drops the total down some more.

Grand Total: $993.43

Change up the 1333Mhz Team Elite RAM to this Mushkin 1600MHz RAM:

Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996995

Grand Total: $996.43

And call it a day.






I've only been doing this for 14 years now, so I have a little experience, you could say, with build lists.

I've never owned a Prebuilt PC in all that time either.

Have always picked my parts and had someone build it for me in the beginning and for the past 10-11 years now, building for myself. (along with friends, family and coworkers PC's)



Honestly if you want the most bang for your buck, my list above with the GTX 580 in it, is the best deal.

if your skittish about Refurb or Open box items (and you really shouldn't be, aside from Warranty length), then the list above would be best deal.



Just so you know, my current i7 920 based System, the Motherboard is Open Box, Both Video cards are open box, and have always ran strong. Both video cards were practically brand new in box, just opened is all, had everything in them.

My Newer Core i7 System, the i7 940 I bought used online on another forum, previous owner barely used it, and had it overclocked to 3.9Ghz before (stock clocks are 2.93GHz). My Motherboard is Recertified (EVGA), the Video Card is Recertified (EVGA), the case is Refurbished (Coolermaster), the 750GB Western Digital Black Series 32MB Cache drive is Refurbished, the 74GB Western Digital Velociraptor 10,000RPM drive is Refurbished.

The extra Geforce 9800GT that I will be using in it for an extra card for Folding@Home and Nvidia PhysX for some games, is Used (Bought from Whir, one of the Mods here at TIMO, just last week).

I've owned Countless other Refurbished and Open Box MSI, EVGA, Coolermaster and other brand items from Newegg, and even bought from EVGA's website (Where I got the Mobo and video card), Coolermasters Website Store (where I bought the latest case, plus one other in the past, along with a couple CPU Heatsinks), Thermaltakes Website Store (some CPU Heatsinks), and other sites like Directron.com, and Geeks.com.

In all that time I have only ever had one defective product. It was the 2nd Item I ordered from Newegg, back in 2004, a Geforce 6800GT that was open box, but was dead on arrival, returned it and got something else instead.

[ShyguyXPC]

Why drop the K model?

Noted.

Asus had better reviews for little more, and the PSU is more ideal for my setup.

I'm fine with that graphics card. What do you have against it?

The Asus also add $5 in shipping beyond the price increase.

There's nothing wrong with the LG, I have used all of the brands they sell, and nothing wrong with LG, Samsung, Asus, Sony, etc. some brands might have some lemons, but its not like the items are plagued or anything.

like I said some reviews on newegg you have to take with a grain of salt.


Your new at this, so no offense, but you have no idea what your talking about with the Power supply.

The setup you have listed will perform just as well on the CX 600 as it will on the GS 600.

The GS 600 will help, if you add a 2nd GTX 560 Ti down the road, but aside from that, the system as is, the CX 600 will be more than enough.

Here's the down side... The GTX 580, that was refurbished from earlier, for $360, its Refurb, but has a 90 Day warranty.

it draws 244W of power, from the +12V Rail. the CX600 has 40A total (480W), leaving 236W for the rest of the system, as well as being able to tap into the 3.3V and 5V rails as needed. (600W - 244W = 356W, plenty left over).


Now you go with a GTX 560 Ti now. Later on, you add a 2nd, combined their at least 170W a piece, 340W Total from the +12V Rail.

the CX600 might have some trouble with that. the GS600 with its 48A Rail, has a bit more power to play with. 576W on the 12V, minus 340W, again 236W left over on +12V. same scenario as with the GTX 580 and CX600.

here's another thing, the GTX 560 Ti in SLI (2 cards), should perform as well if not slightly better than the GTX 580... assuming all the stars, planets, moons, etc line up (DirectX, GPU Driver support, Game settings, etc) You pay $360 for the 580, or possibly $470 for two GTX 560 Ti's? (granted the price will come down soon on left over stock, but you will still shell out AS MUCH if not more for 2 Ti's in the long run.

Imagine the Ti's drop to $150 in 6 months once the new Radeon 7800's are out in a few days, and Nvidia has their new 600 series well into the market.

you paid $235 for the first 560 Ti, and $150 for the 2nd.. thats still $380+, more than it would of cost for the single GTX 580, that isn't that much less in performance.

in my case, my first GTX 560 Ti I paid $180 for Recertified straight from EVGA.

if I picked up a 2nd one right now its $190. that $370, about $10 more than the GTX 580. Though I plan on trying to find one a bit cheaper once I have the money, but either case, its about the same as the GTX 580 recertified price.

And I already have a 750W Corsair And a 750W PC Power & Cooling PSU, so I can afford to play with/gamble with the options a bit more than you can right now.



Anyways, in regards the to GS 600, there are better options for less.

This was one: Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

gets its full 650W Rating on the +12V Rail, VASTLY superior to the GS 600.



Newegg.com - Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply

Same output as the GS600 but $5 cheaper.



With shipping costs, price is same, 52A on +12V (624W): Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply




The best deal so far, Corsair TX650 650W Enthusiasts Series, Same price, 53A +12V Rail (636W),

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

Add to that, $15 off w/ promo code EMCNGJE23, ends 3/21

So in the end, its actually $15 cheaper at Check out.




Want more power for that $90 price tag...?

Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts Series EA-750 Green 750W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Continuous Power Supply

Full 750W Rating on +12V Rail, and $5 cheaper than the GS 600.

Clearly the best deal out there, as far as this thread goes.




Another decent Choice: Newegg.com - Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Bronze W0382RU ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

672W on the +12V rail, still a better choice than the GS 600.

[GeekPlaya]

The Asus also add $5 in shipping beyond the price increase.

There's nothing wrong with the LG, I have used all of the brands they sell, and nothing wrong with LG, Samsung, Asus, Sony, etc. some brands might have some lemons, but its not like the items are plagued or anything.

like I said some reviews on newegg you have to take with a grain of salt.


Your new at this, so no offense, but you have no idea what your talking about with the Power supply.

The setup you have listed will perform just as well on the CX 600 as it will on the GS 600.

The GS 600 will help, if you add a 2nd GTX 560 Ti down the road, but aside from that, the system as is, the CX 600 will be more than enough.

Here's the down side... The GTX 580, that was refurbished from earlier, for $360, its Refurb, but has a 90 Day warranty.

it draws 244W of power, from the +12V Rail. the CX600 has 40A total (480W), leaving 236W for the rest of the system, as well as being able to tap into the 3.3V and 5V rails as needed. (600W - 244W = 356W, plenty left over).


Now you go with a GTX 560 Ti now. Later on, you add a 2nd, combined their at least 170W a piece, 340W Total from the +12V Rail.

the CX600 might have some trouble with that. the GS600 with its 48A Rail, has a bit more power to play with. 576W on the 12V, minus 340W, again 236W left over on +12V. same scenario as with the GTX 580 and CX600.

here's another thing, the GTX 560 Ti in SLI (2 cards), should perform as well if not slightly better than the GTX 580... assuming all the stars, planets, moons, etc line up (DirectX, GPU Driver support, Game settings, etc) You pay $360 for the 580, or possibly $470 for two GTX 560 Ti's? (granted the price will come down soon on left over stock, but you will still shell out AS MUCH if not more for 2 Ti's in the long run.

Imagine the Ti's drop to $150 in 6 months once the new Radeon 7800's are out in a few days, and Nvidia has their new 600 series well into the market.

you paid $235 for the first 560 Ti, and $150 for the 2nd.. thats still $380+, more than it would of cost for the single GTX 580, that isn't that much less in performance.

in my case, my first GTX 560 Ti I paid $180 for Recertified straight from EVGA.

if I picked up a 2nd one right now its $190. that $370, about $10 more than the GTX 580. Though I plan on trying to find one a bit cheaper once I have the money, but either case, its about the same as the GTX 580 recertified price.

And I already have a 750W Corsair And a 750W PC Power & Cooling PSU, so I can afford to play with/gamble with the options a bit more than you can right now.



Anyways, in regards the to GS 600, there are better options for less.

This was one: Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

gets its full 650W Rating on the +12V Rail, VASTLY superior to the GS 600.



Newegg.com - Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply

Same output as the GS600 but $5 cheaper.



With shipping costs, price is same, 52A on +12V (624W): Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply




The best deal so far, Corsair TX650 650W Enthusiasts Series, Same price, 53A +12V Rail (636W),

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

Add to that, $15 off w/ promo code EMCNGJE23, ends 3/21

So in the end, its actually $15 cheaper at Check out.




Want more power for that $90 price tag...?

Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts Series EA-750 Green 750W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Continuous Power Supply

Full 750W Rating on +12V Rail, and $5 cheaper than the GS 600.

Clearly the best deal out there, as far as this thread goes.




Another decent Choice: Newegg.com - Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Bronze W0382RU ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

672W on the +12V rail, still a better choice than the GS 600.

I just can't bring myself to go over $1,000 with the GTX 580 quite yet. You're very convincing, but a budget is a budget..

Here's what I got:

Mobo: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB DDR3 1600
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB
GPU: GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi)
PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit

Case + DVD Player/Burner: Combo - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 + LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS70
Extra Case Fan: COOLER MASTER R4-L2R-20AC-GP 120mm Blue LED Case Fan

121.99
7.87
219.99
129.99
234.99
69.99
1.99
99.99
60.98
7.99
39.99_________________

Grand Total: $995.76

How's that look?

[ShyguyXPC]

For all brand new in Box, it looks fine.

[GeekPlaya]

For all brand new in Box, it looks fine.

How well would it run BF3? Would it be able to edit and render in Sony Vegas fast and smooth? What FPS do you think I'd get on BF3?

Also, would I be able to watch YouTube in false 1080p (as my monitor wouldn't be HD) without any lag? I noticed my Macbook Pro lags when I watch in 1080p, and a bit in 720p.

On a scale of 1-10 on gaming performance, how would you rate it? 1-10 scale for it's price as well?

Sorry, just want to get your input as you seem very experienced with hardware.