It's that time again (upgrade!)

[ripklawe]

Hello All,

Long time reader, first time poster. Would like to first start off by saying I love the content on this sight. I enjoy reading it and find it informative.

That being said, I am looking to build a new system. I have a $1000.00 budget and would like that to include monitor. The system does not have to wash the dishes in addition to everything else. I just need it to be able to play World of Warcraft at max settings with 60fps+ at all times. Would also like it to be able to play Diablo 3 when it comes out.

I have been an AMD and ATI user in the past but there is no real reason for me to not consider Intel and Nvidia so I would like any and all views. I have a mouse and keyboard so those do not need to be included. I will also be using Windows 7 64bit.

I have been looking around but it seems the game has changed a bit since the last time I built a system (2003). Could some kind people please throw up so parts lists for me to mull around and see what I can get going?

Thank you in advance ;-)

[ripklawe]

So, I did a little more research while waiting for replies and here is a system I threw together. I bumped the budget up to $1500 or so and here is what I came up with:

Processor
=============
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
Model #:BX80605I5750
Item #:N82E16819115215
$194.99

Motherboard
=============
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard w/ USB 3.0 & SATA 6 Gb/s - Retail
Model #:GA-P55A-UD4P
Item #:N82E16813128409
$184.99

RAM
=============
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - Retail
Model #:F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ
Item #:N82E16820231225
$164.99

Video Card
=============
SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video ... - Retail
Model #:100281SR
Item #:N82E16814102856
$409.99

Monitor
=============
SAMSUNG Toc T220HD Rose Black 22" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor - Retail
Model #:T220HD
Item #:N82E16824001278
$229.99

Case
=============
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:Twelve Hundred
Item #:N82E16811129043
$159.99

Power Supply
=============
Antec EarthWatts EA750 750W Continuous Power ATX12V version 2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC ... - Retail
Model #:EA750
Item #:N82E16817371026
$104.99

Hard Drive
=============
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:WD6400AAKS
Item #:N82E16822136218
$69.99

CD/DVD
=============
LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
Model #:iHAS124-04
Item #:N82E16827106289
$26.99

Grand Total
=============
$1,546.91

So there it is. Can I get some feedback? Anything look like it could use improving? As I stated earlier, it has been sometime since I build a system and I want to make sure I have all my "i"'s dotted and "t"'s crossed ;-)

[Steve R Jones]

While you're waiting for feedback - you might want to read the the large number of threads on the exact same subject

[ripklawe]

While you're waiting for feedback - you might want to read the the large number of threads on the exact same subject

Thanks for the response. I did read some of the other posts but everyone is different. What some people might view as fine for them could be unacceptable for myself. I realize I did post a bit prematurely and should have had my list when I made the first post but I was kind of on a time crunch. Now that people have had time to take a look at the list I threw together, is there any comments about it? Parts I could change out that might be cheaper yet still quality? Perhaps a different bran name on some items? Things I may be missing? RAM and CPU look like they will work with that board. My worst thought on the matter is that I may be overkilling for my needs. I really just need to be able to run WoW, Diablo 3 and perhaps some FPS such as Modern Warfare 2.

Thanks in advance ;-)

[OS-Wiz]

I've no problem with your selections, seem well thought out. I prefer ASUS mobos and Corsair memory over Gigabyte and G.Skill, but to each his own.

[ripklawe]

I've no problem with your selections, seem well thought out. I prefer ASUS mobos and Corsair memory over Gigabyte and G.Skill, but to each his own.

May I ask why that is? Could you list some alternatives with your brand choices? I am always open to trying brands that are proven with others. ;-)

[fluffmonster]

I tried a pair of Gskill sticks...the PCB was thinner than Corsair sticks, i think there might have been contact problems with them. I went right back to Corsair.

[PointlesS]

Looks pretty solid to me. Though I think you could go to something like an i7 860 with a few adjustments. Unless you really need that specific board, you could drop down to a Gigabyte P55-USB3 (Unsure how good/bad this board is though) and a $100 case like the Lian Li K7B. With that you could get the 860 at around the same overall price as the 750.

Another suggestion to save money is to go with a 5850 instead. Assuming you'll be gaming at 1680x1050, the 5850 is more than enough at that resolution, especally for WoW. It averages 94 FPS with 8x AA as seen here: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3650&p=7 - Obviously there's nothing wrong with the 5870, but if you're looking to save money somewhere that's one thing to consider.

[ripklawe]

Looks pretty solid to me. Though I think you could go to something like an i7 860 with a few adjustments. Unless you really need that specific board, you could drop down to a Gigabyte P55-USB3 (Unsure how good/bad this board is though) and a $100 case like the Lian Li K7B. With that you could get the 860 at around the same overall price as the 750.

Another suggestion to save money is to go with a 5850 instead. Assuming you'll be gaming at 1680x1050, the 5850 is more than enough at that resolution, especally for WoW. It averages 94 FPS with 8x AA as seen here: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3650&p=7 - Obviously there's nothing wrong with the 5870, but if you're looking to save money somewhere that's one thing to consider.

Good call on the 5850. The 5870 seems to be more than I need and the $100 does not seem to warrant the performance difference. I have made some other changes as well, bringing the price of the final system down to just under $1300. I will post a list shortly. It will probably be the final list barring any serious issues. I had one question though for those better versed with such matters:

Will I see a real noticeable performance hit by using an i5 over an i7 in gaming? I know the i5 lacks a few of the i7 features such as hyperthreading and was curious if this would be a serious loss to gaming.

[PointlesS]

In terms of gaming, there isn't any difference. Most of it's benefits are just in general multitasking and doing things like video encoding.

[ripklawe]

In terms of gaming, there isn't any difference. Most of it's benefits are just in general multitasking and doing things like video encoding.

Thank you for the quick reply. Well, taking all this into account, this is what I have come up with:

CD/DVD
=================
LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM
Model #:iHAS124-04
Item #:N82E16827106289
$26.99

Case
=================
Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:Nine Hundred Two
Item #:N82E16811129058
$109.95

Hard Drive
=================
Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:WD7501AALS
Item #:N82E16822136283
$79.99

Monitor
=================
SAMSUNG Toc T220HD Rose Black 22" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor - Retail
Model #:T220HD
Item #:N82E16824001278
$229.99

Video Card
=================
HIS H585F1GDG Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card ... - Retail
Model #:H585F1GDG
Item #:N82E16814161302
$309.99

Power Supply
=================
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail
Model #:CMPSU-650TX
Item #:N82E16817139005
$99.99

RAM
=================
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Retail
Model #:F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Item #:N82E16820231277
$104.99

Motherboard
=================
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #:GA-P55A-UD3
Item #:N82E16813128412
$134.99

Processor
=============
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
Model #:BX80605I5750
Item #:N82E16819115215
$194.99

Subtotal
=================
$1,291.87

Almost a $300 dollar difference. The changes do not seem too huge. Change the case. Changed hard drives, lowered the ram from 6 gigs to 4, changed the power supply and of course went with a 5850 card over the 5870. I like this motherboard more than the other one as well. It looks to give me flexibility for the future with a little less of a hit to the wallet. ;-)

[OS-Wiz]

I think ASUS is a tad better than Gigabyte and Corsair is the best memory bar none.

I'm really happy with the following mobo and memory:

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145251

[ripklawe]

I think ASUS is a tad better than Gigabyte and Corsair is the best memory bar none.

I'm really happy with the following mobo and memory:

ASUS P7P55D-E LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145251

The ram is awesome of course but the motherboard is a bit limited. No crossfire or SLI support means I can't really add another video card at a later date. My plan is to buy my original system this year and then upgrade the CPU, memory and another video card next year. There seems to be a crossfire version of the above board but it looks a bit expensive. Not sure which way I am going to go in the end, be it ASUS or Gigabyte. Both seem to have a lot of loyal followers. More study is needed I suppose. Any more thoughts?

[archron]

Since you're building now, and hedging for the future, I'd try to back off on a few other items just to get a good Solid State Disk into the machine as your boot drive.

Keep all your data files - iTunes, videos, etc, etc on the "slow 7200 rpm HDD".

Other than that, sweet. (Even though I'm an AMD fan myself)

[ripklawe]

SSD's are a bit out of my range right now. I can get one later this year or perhaps next year. Is there any performance to be gained in gaming using a SSD btw?