I'm looking to build a gaming rig that will last me a few years (3-5?). But I want to do so for ~1000$. I looked at the most recent build, for guildwars 2 and I'm just not sure if that system will last long at all with the 6870 card and I don't really know much about that CPU.

I have some technical knowledge, as in I passed my A+ cert after going to a technical school, so I know a lot about the parts. I just never applied the knowledge I have to the gaming world. I've seen a bunch of other threads about first time budget builds for around 1000, I just want to get one a little more directed towards me, you know?

I'm not picky when it comes to brands, just gaming performance. I'm not looking to be an "enthusiast" I just want a system that I can turn on bf3/black ops/Skyrim/Diablo 3 all at max settings (1980x1020 native monitor resolution) and also be able to handle some of the graphic intense games in the future ... even if it would be mid-high instead of max settings.

I read that games aren't utilizing any more than 2 cores of a processor, or atleast fully. So I guess I don't need the i7 6 core processor? ... I really don't know where to start. I think I keep going way to overkill getting the 7970 video cards and stuff on newegg and my carts always ~1800-2100.

The guildwars 2 build looks tempting...I'd wanna add a SSD for booting, and I keep a bunch of TV shows on my computer so I'd need a HDD with 1TB (ths 500gig I have now is almost always maxxed out)

Any help? Suggestions?

Whoops, and I noticed the motherboard for the guildwars 2 build doesn't have any PCI 3.0 slots, How long before those are fully taken advantage of anyway? Would it be worth the extra money for a board with pci 3.0 slots for future expansion?

$1000 is a very reasonable price for your expectations. That system was intended for builders who are specifically playing Guild Wars 2 (in which case it will last for the life of the game), but if you are the type who likes to have a bit more future-proof-ness, $1000 is definitely a great range to work in.

Everything you want is fairly realistic, so I think we can pull this one off nicely

What you read is correct: Many games do not use more than 2 threads efficiently at the moment, but it the industry is beginning to trend heavily toward quad-core CPUs. We've stopped recommending anything less than quad-cores simply because we sense the industry's change in direction and want to ensure our readers are able to stay on top of it.

In terms of PCI-e 3.0 slots: That's tough to answer. I've done a lot of research on the subject and have mostly come up with the decision that it's not a concern -- and here's why: Any build in your range (or the over-$700 range in general) will come equipped with PCI-e 3.0 and will also be the first builders (due to money) able to afford future cards that utilize the full throughput; budget builds (like the GW2 system) don't need to worry about it due to the nature of being budgeted heavily. But in the $1000 range, we'll end up with PCI-e 3.0 no matter what, so don't worry too much.

Here's what I'm thinking for your build:

- $150-$180 mobo
- $130 SSD (120GB)
- $70-$80 PSU
- $90 - $120 case
- $100 HDD
- $15 optical
- $300 GPU
- $250 CPU

That's what I'm thinking. Look this post over and give me any thoughts you have -- if you like the direction, I'll start helping you find specific components

I'd actually love your help, and that break down sounds perfect. I do have a LITTLE more money to play with but I also will need some peripherials because I will be converting this system into the household computer for my family. So I'd need monitor, mouse, keyboard also. Playing around on Newegg, I've built this but it's a coming in a little too high and I'm not really sure where to trim down.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2550K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Without IGP BX80623i52550K
Mobo: ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
^^^Combo'd^^^ (CPU/Mobo Combo)

GPU: GTX 670 (GPU)
Case: Rosewill R5 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Case
PSU : Rosewill HIVE Series HIVE-650 650W
^^^Combo'd^^^ (PSU/Case Combo
)
HDD: Seagate 1TB (HDD)
SSD: Scandisk 120gig (SSD)
RAM: Corsair 8gig (Ram)

Prices:
CPU/Mobo = 413$
GPU = 400
Case/Psu = 135
HDD = 100
SSD = 125
Ram = 49
Total = 1222$

I also added 73$ razer naga mouse (looks awesome), and combined a monitor and decent keyboard for 293 as well as a copy of windows 7 64bit home for 100. Grand total being 1688. I'd love to cut down to 1500 and still keep some growing power if at all possible. I'm currently using a cheapo mouse cause my mx518 cord recently broke or I'd cut that down to 10$ walmart mouse. I'd like another gaming mouse. I'm debating on a cheap CRT monitor for the home computer and saving 200$ that way, but idk kinda mean seeing as this computer isn't TOO horrible. (athlon x4 620 2.6GHZ with a radeon HD 4650).

Razer mouse
Monitor keyboard combo

Thanks for everything. You guys really know your stuff and are very VERY helpful.

Well, with quite a good deal of work, I think I was able to make the GTX 670 work within your budget (I was about to give up and go to the GTX 570, but stuck with it and am pretty happy with the build).

It comes down to around $1150-$1200 after instant discounts, but has a an Ivy Bridge CPU and modular PSU (which costs you about $20 extra, but IMO is worth it). I'm not sure how you feel about rebates - everyone's had a different experience, so keep in mind that it's not "guaranteed" money (I've always received mine, but plenty of people haven't) and it's definitely not a fast return... with that said, this setup has about $70 in rebates, which brings it closer to your range.

I think that cuts it down to your $1500 limitation... but I'll find that out after I type out the list

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837 - $145 ($125 after MIR).

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570k (Ivy Bridge); use code EMCNDHB34 at checkout for $15 off - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504 - $230 - $15 = $215

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600MHz memory - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345 - $50

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular PSU - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018 - use EMCNDHA22 at checkout - $90 - 15% = $77 ($47 after MIR)

Case: Zalman Z11 Plus - us.ncix.com/products/?sku=69199&vpn=...ECH&promoid=1223 - use 69199-1223 at checkout - $70 ($60 after MIR).

HDD: WD 1TB HDD - us.ncix.com/products/?sku=58881&vpn=...0WD&promoid=1223 - use 58881-1223 at checkout - $88.

SSD: 120GB FORCE - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233206 - $115.

Optical: I'm hoping you have one of these from an old machine that you could re-use, but if not - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 - $18

GPU: GTX 670 - www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787 - $420 ($10 after MIR).

Comes out to ~$1198 before rebates. Somewhere around $1150 after. Add the $73 mouse, monitor + keyboard at $293, and Win7 64bit for $100, that puts you at $1614.

So how do we come down a little more? Well... I think I can figure that out, actually, but give me until tomorrow - I need to sleep at some point tonight

Here's what I'm thinking to cut prices:

1. See if you can locate an optical drive that's not in use in an older PC. Make sure the optical drive is compatible with SATA.

2. We can cut the CPU to an i5-2500k, which won't be a massive difference in gaming, but will save $30 if we use MicroCenter.

3. If you have the time to do it, check the above products against MicroCenter's pricing (sometimes they only offer the excellent prices in-store, so check for that - unless you're near one).

4. We could drop the GPU a bit, though I want to try and keep it.


The case, though, is the best deal I've found through this whole search. It's the weekly deal, so we might have another few days to decide, but if you aren't opposed to the exterior looks of that case, it's tough to beat for $70. That said, if you like the R5 (I have a review sample next to me this second, actually, and I quite like it), stick with it.

I'll re-convene when I awaken

Dude, you're awesome. Thank you so much, You really did put a lot of effort into that search. You manged to find me some better deals than I did, and even manage to upgrade the CPU and Mobo for me. Very very much appreciated.

It may be a month, maybe two before I actually order everything and put it together. I'm not picky about style/design of the case, so when I do put it together I can look for a different or better deal on the case.

With that being said, I only have one question, albeit a rather tough one

- How long into the foreseeable future can this machine last me? Does the CPU have good overclock capability and operating ranges? The GTX 670 should last awhile, and I know I can overclock or SLI that if I had too ... I'm thinking that system can last 3-5 years, would you agree?

As for optical drive .. yah, I have 2x blue-ray burners and a basic dvd+rw drive in this system as well as an external 4 DVD+RW drive bay (You know...burning movies and games for some extra cash) so I wasn't too worried about that.

Again, thank you so much. As soon as I finish doing some work on the house I just bought and after I finish moving into it, I will be ordering everything you listed (even if prices change), and I'm going to definitely post pictures...boxing and completely built. I'm also going to promote this site to people I know who are looking to build some new rigs, or just general information. You're AWESOME!

Yes he is, he has taught me all I know, and I'm awesome too!!!!!

W00T Looks like I might be building this badboy sooner than I thought. I finally had the contractor come out and do the estimates on the house I just bought. I was planning on spending around 10k for the kitchen, bathroom, new piping (someone stole all the copper while the house sat), and carpet/paint. Looks like i'll really only be spending 5k. So I could technically up the limit on my build but I think I'm comfy the budget I set on the PC and what I'll get for it.

Umm crap. Case and HDD aren't on sale anymore. So I'm going to use newegg, I'll pay a little more on the HDD but i'm not really worried about that. What kind of specs are important when picking a case though? Some quick help would be really awesome right now.


www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147061 - Will that work?

Damn, last min looking around...the powersupply you picked out says it has 1 6pin, and 1 6pin+2 pci connectors. The gtx560 requires 2x 6-pin...will that work??

Great news on your budget! This should allow you to really get a dream gaming rig. When it comes to picking out a case the main thing is size and airflow. You want plenty of large fans keeping your components cool. You want a larger case to allow better airflow and hold all the parts without clearance problems for things like the CPU heatsink and longer graphics cards. THIS GUIDE is great to better inform you on picking out the right case for you. To me it is also about style, and about special features for things like cable management and ease of access to bays and the sorts. I love the NZXT Tempest 410 Elite and Phantom 4100 myself. They give you so much in the before mentioned features. Find a pretty case, that is large and has plenty of room for fans, and fill them fans up! The bigger the fan the better (quieter and more airflow). Like a nice 200mm fan or two, no smaller than a 120mm fan setup that should be <20 decibels.

other Cases I recommend:
Rosewill Blackhawk
CoolerMaster HAF 922
Zalman Z11 Plus HF1
Corsair 400R

As long as the PSU says SLI or CrossfireX ready it means it comes with two 6 pin connections. As long as your GPU does not require two 6+2 pin connections you should be fine. The one listed has two 6 pin cables, it is just that one has the extra 2 pin adapter that you would not need.

With your recent budget increase I would upgrade a few things. You mention HDD, find a Sata 6.0 7200 RPM HDD for storage, and then pick up at least a 120GB Solid State Drive for the OS and games. The only bottlenecking you should see would be in the HDD, so the SDD would make a noticeable difference. I would also upgrade to the best GPU you can afford, this would help your system last for years to come, beasting every game out there. You want to have the best gaming experience, and these improvements would def leave you with no buyers regrets!

If you have any questions, please ask them. I could also help you pick out other parts with more suggestions! It is what we do, it is what we love!