Build a Gaming PC 2012 - Best Custom Gaming Computer Builds
Building a Gaming PC in 2012
So you want to build a gaming computer, but you are on a budget. Where should you spend your money for maximum bang for your buck performance without leaving out any crucial details?
In this article we're going to assume that you are going to build your gaming computer for under $1000, we've listed several options for each category you'll come across. This way you can pick and choose where you'd like to spend your money. Depending on the options listed below you can build a gaming computer for between $688-$1423.
*Building Tip - Building your own gaming computer for the first time can be intimidating. If you know someone that has done it a few times, then I would recommend you ask if they can help you out for a few hours. If not, then don't be afraid to try it out yourself. We've listed some great compatible options that should make for a great gaming pc. Once you've put one together, the next one should be much easier for you to grasp. Each part that you order will give you instructions on where to put it. If you pay attention to your motherboard's instructions, then it won't be long before you are up and running.
 | Standard Video Card for use with light gaming. Because of it's low price and high functionality this card has been in the bestseller's list for nearly 3 years. It's still the bestselling card as of this date. Amazon Price: $79.99 |
 | In the $150 range choose between the HD 6850 and the GTX 460. Amazon Price: $149.98 List Price: $185.99 |
 | Great Video Card Amazon Price: $222.80 |
 | Best Video Cards around $300 Your choice here is between the GTX 470, GTX 560, HD 6950 (upgrade the bios to HD6970), and the GTX 560. Amazon Price: $299.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $250.30 List Price: $254.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $393.90 |
 | Extreme Performance Card - now you are just showing off... Amazon Price: $269.99 List Price: $354.99 |
 | Not Necessary, but it's great if you're a performance junky Amazon Price: $439.99 List Price: $509.99 |
Best Gaming Computers Under 1000 2012 - Custom PC Builds
Where should your money go first?
Best Video Cards for Gaming
You can have a beefy machine, but if your video card isn't up to par, then it doesn't really matter. It's not going to run what you want it to run. A nice video card should be a good percentage of your overall budget. I would recommend between 15-25% of your money go towards this. You'll see that I also recommend you spend around the same amount on your CPU. This way you can avoid the bottleneck that can sometimes occur if you spend too much on one or the other.
Top Rated Cards Under $300
Updated 1/2/2012: When it comes to the best gaming video cards around $300, I recommend going with one of two GPU; the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 TI, or the Radeon HD 6950 for good quality, durability, and bang for your buck. The rumors are true about the HD 6950, you can upgrade it for free to a 6970 with a flash to the bios (voids your warranty).
Don't Just take My word for it:
What Gamers are saying about the EVGA GeForce GTX560 Graphics Card:
"I upgraded from an EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 card to this GTX 560 and the improvement in performance is as expected, very good! For the price, you are getting alot of horsepower in this card. It's fairly quiet, smaller than my GTX 260, and uses less power. What more can you ask for?"
"Just got my GTX 560 Superclocked. Had 2 5770 on crossfire, and let me tell you, this is way better, even if the performance is similar, this card is solid and of course you gain a lot of FPS on non SLI / CROSSFIRE compatible games or applications."
Radeon vs. GeForce
Although others make good video cards, I've used GeForce graphics cards in the past and they are simply the ones I prefer; however, many of my gaming buddies swear by Radeon cards so I generally recommend you go with first a top rated card (see customer reviews), second performance, and third preference.
*Tip - These featured video cards are PCI-Express so you shouldn't have any trouble fitting them in your case just check your cases product specifications. I find this easiest to do at NewEgg although I'll generally purchase at Amazon if given the choice because I can usually find a low manufacturer price.
I recently updated my gaming rig with the EVGA GeForce GTX470. You can see pictures from my PC to the right; however, in 2012 this card is already somewhat out of date and you'll want to upgrade to the 560 TI or better.
Extreme Performance:
If you'd rather use a single card (vs. SLI or Crossfire), then take a look at the GTX 570 and 580. which right now are the best cards in that $350-$500 range. In the $500 range you could also consider dual HD 6950s.
 | Good Gaming Processor Amazon Price: $119.98 List Price: $154.70 |
 | Great Gaming Processor and a great value. I can't imagine you'd notice much of a difference between the 2500k and the 2600k for gaming. Amazon Price: $204.97 List Price: $279.90 |
 | Best 1156 Gaming Processor (under $300) Amazon Price: $331.46 List Price: $695.00 |
 | Best 1366 Gaming Processor (under 300) Amazon Price: $299.00 List Price: $319.99 |
 | Because of the all new Sandy Bridge technology and turbo boost technology 2.0 the i7-2600k is the most popular and best rated CPU of 2011. Amazon Price: $282.00 List Price: $408.40 |
 | If you don't want to wait for the Bulldozer to come out and you are an AMD fan, then it's hard to ignore the Phenom II X6 which has come down in price (again). 6 cores of performance for a fraction of the price. Amazon Price: $221.44 |
 | A great value/budget option - compare it with the i3-2100 Amazon Price: $198.00 List Price: $139.99 |
Best CPU for Gaming 2012 - Custom PC Builds Under $1000
Another 15-25% of your money should go to your processor. Intel certainly has the edge over AMD at this point for single threaded gaming performance.
Manufacturer's Product Description of the i7 (emphasis added):
"Check out the most significant architectural change in the x86 architecture in 13 years, the Intel Core i7. Intel has completely reinvented their CPU design, removing the antiquated Front Side Bus and replacing it with the new Intel QuickPath Interconnect, delivering up to 6.4 GT/s. Also new to the Core i7 line is the integrated memory controller, supporting Triple Channel DDR3 Memory allowing for more maximum memory, up to 24GB on some boards, and faster access times. Located directly on the CPU die is 256KB per core of L2 cache and 8MB L3 cache shared across all four cores means the CPU can do more without having to access the main memory, further increasing performance."
In Depth Reading: Best Gaming CPUs for 2011.
i5-2500k or i7-2600k?
*TIP - At this point in your build if you are serious about staying under $1000, then consider going with the Intel Core i5-2500k. You can get most of the performance that you'll receive from the i7-2600k, and spend only about 60% of what you would for the i7-2600k.
See Customer Reviews for the Intel Core i5-2500k.
*Update 8/2/2011 - If you are thinking about going with the 1366 socket CPU, it's probably just as economical at this point to go with the new 1155 socket and sandy bridge CPU. The only real reason we see for using a 1156 or 1366 CPU at this point would be to upgrade an already existing system or rig.
CPU Benchmarks:
Want to see benchmark data for all of the CPU we have listed below? Check out CPUbenchmark.net.
Best Gaming Ram Under 100
 | Amazon Price: $53.98 List Price: $142.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $94.99 List Price: $170.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $42.00 List Price: $89.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $43.69 |
Building a Gaming PC - Best Gaming Ram 2011
Less important than your video card and processor, but still crucial is your ram. Right now if you want to game, then I recommend a minimum of 4 Gigs and 8GB for high level gaming. Remember, more ram is always a good thing.
Having the right speed of ram can also reduce load times and keep all of your applications running smooth. Since you are going to need more than 4 GB eventually, it's very tempting to go with the 8GB right out of the gate on this one. If you simply don't have the money, then try to stick with the same ram down the line.
Tip for Purchasing Ram/Memory
If you're looking to purchase ram, then make sure you do it all at once so that you get the benefits of dual or multi-channel compatibility.
8/2/2011 Update:
Prices are constantly changing. When looking for Ram/Memory I recommend you look at capacity, timing, speed, and price, and then go with the Corsair XMS3, Corsair Vengeance, Kingston Hyper X, or the featured G. Skill Ripjaw ram.
 | Yep, this is the one you're looking for. The all new Z68 chipset motherboard from Asus. Z68 chipsets combine the best of the P67 and H67 allowing you to overclock your CPU and efficiently switch between integrated and dedicated graphics. Oh yeah, Intel Smart Response Technology also allows you to dedicate a portion of your SSD to "Cache" give you SSD-like performance for your hard drive. Amazon Price: $228.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $222.99 List Price: $231.59 |
 | For use with the all new Sandy Bridge Processor from Intel Amazon Price: $189.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $140.99 |
Best Motherboard for Gaming - 2011 PC Builds
For motherboards just make sure that whatever you purchase matches and the sockets fit. For example 1156 1156 or 1366 1366. If you stuck with a processor that is the 1156 socket, then you will be able to save quite a bit of money here by choosing the first motherboard.
*Tip - Make sure that your chipset is p55 for the 1156 socket motherboards.
In Depth Reading: I've written a hub entirely devoted to the best gaming motherboards. You can find it here: Best Gaming Motherboard CPU Combo.
*Sandy Bridge - Since the Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs require a 1155 socket, you'll need a 1155 socket motherboard. Since they are more of a "new release" the motherboards that are compatible with the new sandy bridge technology from Intel are quite a bit more expensive. Still, if you are thinking about a 1366 motherboard, consider the 1155 as an alternative as prices are similar for now.
Z68 P67 or H67?
Chipsets can get confusing. In general a P67 motherboard is for those looking to use a dedicated graphics card. P67 boards do not carry support for integrated graphics. H67 motherboards allow for integrated graphics but do not allow overclocking for your CPU. The Z68 allows for both integrated graphics and CPU overclocking as well as a few new features that Intel has released. In general, it's worth paying a small premium to get the new Z68 motherboard.
See the All new Asus P8Z68-V PRO.
 | Amazon Price: $110.00 List Price: $169.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $79.99 List Price: $147.19 |
 | Amazon Price: $117.57 List Price: $169.99 |
Best Gaming Hard Drive 2012
Hybrid Gaming Hard Drive
For a little bit more you can try out Seagate's new Hybrid Drive or read my hub on the best solid state drives for 2011.
Sata III Hard Drive (Sata 6Gb/s)
If a solid state drive is still out of your price range, then consider a SATA III or SATA 6Gb/s HDD which will provide you with much faster reading and writing speeds. Seagate has mentioned that SSD will not come down in price until production of NAND flash memory is increased - so it's definitely a good idea to upgrade to Sata III for your larger drive.
Also, I've listed some great gaming pc towers below, but I have a hub entirely dedicated to pc gaming cases. If you want some in depth reading for picking out your gaming case, then you'll find what you're looking for there.
Power Supply
 | Most Higher end video cards will require a power supply with 550-Watt + Power Amazon Price: $99.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $142.66 List Price: $108.99 |
 | I like this PSU because it's modular and it has several rebates available right now. Get it while you can for 57.69 at Amazon and it's Up to 86% energy efficient. Amazon Price: $79.99 List Price: $119.99 |
Disk Drives
 | Amazon Price: $24.99 List Price: $47.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $76.99 |
 | This is a great blu-ray player if you're not concerned about writing blu-ray discs. It can still write DVDs and it's super fast at a decent price. Amazon Price: $71.42 List Price: $90.00 |
Gaming PC Towers/Cases
 | Probably the bestselling PC case of the year but it's somewhat barebone so plan accordingly. Amazon Price: $39.98 List Price: $54.99 |
 | A solid product at a good price. Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $74.95 |
 | If you want your case easy-to-use and ready to go then go with the Haf 932. It's one of my personal favorites. Amazon Price: $146.67 List Price: $159.99 |
OS
 | Amazon Price: $162.95 List Price: $199.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $245.50 List Price: $319.99 |
Building a Gaming PC 2011 - Best Gaming Computer Builds
I hope you've enjoyed my hub on building a custom gaming computer under $1,000. If you have, then please leave a comment below.
If you would like me to feature another item on this hub, then leave a comment below and I'll try to feature it.
Gaming PC Builds
If you'd like to take a look at some gaming PC builds broken down in price range check out this website completely devoted to the best gaming pc builds. While it's relatively new it has a few great articles which this website keeps current.
Comments
@Spajje Good point, I will be looking for an inexpensive one to put up. I hadn't put it up previously because of the one I featured is 4 times the space for $20 less, but I could see where some would find it attractive.
*I added the Seagate Momentus XT
I wish I had been able to get the i7, but alas I could only afford the i5 which was still a great upgrade for me.
For video cards is better to get two gtx460 1gb each, and they cost less than $300 and is much faster than the gtx470.
@prometheus - thanks for your comment and idea. I'm sure some would agree, but I'd prefer not to cross and the 2 460s would be $330 while they 470 only costs $256.
Great article! once i get moved and settled i plan on building myself a desktop finally! i wasnt aware the i7 went down in price that much! very happy!
Is this fersurwpe the best gaming computer for 2011? Because I want it too run the fallout series for years too come and I don't wanna crap my money into another computer that will constantly lockup when I run fallout new Vegas on ultra resolution.
Shayne if you don't overclock, then you are good to go. Most gamers overclock their computers way too much and then run into problems. If you get the 950 CPU or 2600k CPU with the GTX 470 or HD 6870 gaming video cards you'll be gtg.
Whats the best way to cool your desktop down... best gaming desktop would love to build one want to know exactly what i should get all in one :)
Dam this is a nice hub. Very thorough. But I like AMD more then Intel :)
Awesome job!
Would you be willing to do the same thing for an AMD build?
Great hub - I'm thinking of building a new PC as my current one is really beginning to creak.
Some good information in here - thanks
hello brandon, can you tell me wether i should go for ati or nvidia, ati have better clock figures than nvidia at the same price, so that makes ati cheaper, so do they differ on performance than promised
Well if you can get a good deal with a Ati card then go for it. Consider the HD6950 which can be flashed for free to a HD6970.
good information provided.........
Hi Brandon, here is my build, help me out if this is ok.
CPU: i7-2600; mobo: gigabyte p67a-ud3-b3; VGA: gt 430 2gb ddr3; ram:2gb ddr3 x 2pcs; power supply-gx550w; casing-Cooler master HAF 912 advance
Lionel what games do you plan on playing? If you only have a certain budget, then you might want to go with the 2500k save your self $100 and then go with a better video card. For $100 more than the GT430 look at the HD 6850 or GTX 460.
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for the info^_^
My budget is at $1000, but I'm more to watching/downloading movies, multitasking, online and some light gaming such as dota/rpg games. Maybe in future I'll add on a second VGA card. I'm worried bout my mobo, coz I'm looking at long-term. I would prefer to have i7 with a reliable mobo for my 1st build, then slowly add more high end parts. Any suggestion or do I stick with my spec on my previous post.
My only real suggestion was the video card, but if it's more of a media center, then I think you've got a great build. Your motherboard is USB3.0, DDR3 DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 compatible, and you even get a couple of Sata 6Gb/s connectors so I think you've found a great deal there.
Thanks for the info^_^ will be getting it tomorrow
I am planning to buy a new graphic card at the moment as I am using the motherboard's built in graphic chip. I could really use your detail information here. Thanks a lot, very useful hub.
At the same time, I am planning to upgrade my processor. It's a LGA775 motherboard. I wonder if it will worth the upgrade or I should just save some money and change the motherboard, processor and ram instead.
Nice article. I bookmarked it as a reference. I am planning to build a gaming rig and this just the thing for me. I am planning to invest at extreme performance but that may take a while for me to raise that kind of budget. It's better to invest more on the latest parts. You will be sure that in sometime in the future your rig can still be upgradeable in the next 3-6 years. It's worth the investment.
Hello there.
Is this build anygood for gaming?
Case-COOLER MASTER HAF 932
Mobo-ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
HDD-Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
CPU-Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
Video Card-EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
RAM-G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Oh and here is a question can you tell me which power supply should i take.
ImmorTaliS - that looks like a solid build - In fact, it's very similar to another build that I'm considering with the i5-2500k, GTX 560, and the P8Z68. My build from last year incorporates a 1366 motherboard, i7-950, and GTX 470.
As far as power supplies are concerned I recommend the Corsair Enthusiast Series 650-Watt PSU for your build. Here's a site that I like that's somewhat rudimentary (but helpful) when looking for PC hardware. This article highlights top rated PSU - http://www.gamingreviewguide.com/top-10-best-selli
Hello again!
Thank you very much for the guide and the answer which i must say came alot faster than i expected.
Oh and one more question i looked at the site you provided and i think i will still choose your recommendation than look for the best at their site but i must ask i have looked at their "Top rated gaming computers of the year" and i must say i am supprised that at the second place there is a PC which costs 530$ on amazon well in my opinion i think it's a bit low. So i came to ask you if you could check it out and tell me what do you think. Im asking these questions becouse this is my first time building a PC so im not very well informed about this.
They base that off of which one is the "bestselling" and "top rated" rather than which one is the best (it also looks like that info is pretty old - they update every couple of months). I recommend you build a PC yourself that way you know exactly what you are getting. It also makes it easier to upgrade in the future.
And again thank you for the info.
Great article! It was very helpful in my choices for my next system build. The information I got here and from reading other articles and reviews. I have put together what I think is a really good gaming system that will last a good few years or more. One thing I'm not sure is the CPU cooling. Would you have any recommendations? I'm not looking to OC but would like to have a cooler if I did in the future it would keep up.
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
2x CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (system drive)
Intel 510 Series (Elm Crest) SSDSC2MH120A2K5 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (game drive)
Thermaltake XaserVI case
Thermaltake Toughpower 750W PSU
Feel free to comment on the rest of it. :D
John,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I've always used Zalman CPU Coolers in the past and for that build I would recommend you purchase a separate CPU cooler (other than the stock one).
Here's a few good ones:
Hey Brandon! Stumbled upon your post here and i think you did great.
Now i was wondering what you would recommend in a build since i'm a noob at this.
Planning to play SWTOR//League of Legends... Just a few and i was wondering if you could give me some recommendations!
Build it for what you would think would be a great comp! not over $1000 if possible if not i might have to make a sacrifice =P!
Thanks BRO YOU ROCK!
Alright did alittle bit of picking myself =). Tell me what you think.
GeForceX 470 Superclocked
Debating on I-5 2500K or I-7
RIP JAWS
The WESTERN
I have a power supply i bought, Just wondering how much Watts would i need for this build?
Throw some Fans and disk drives and it should be almost complete.
First time building a computer, and have a pro helping me (been building computers since he was 12). Before i ask him, i wanted to see other peoples opinion.
I need a case, is the one i want going to be too small? i doubt it but need a second opinion. and i need a power supply. And should i get extra fans or cooling sinks etc? Here is what i have-
Case - Antec Twelve Hundred
MoBo - ASUS LGA 1155 SATA 6Gbps USB 3.0 Supported Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2400 Motherboards P8Z68-V PRO
Processor - Intel Core i7-2600 Processor 3.4GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1155
Graphics - EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card
Ram - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
Drive - Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST2000DL003
Does this work? Same questions at beginning of the comment and also, would it be worth it getting more Graphics cards? ive seen people with 7 graphics cards and was wondering what that would do.
Thank you so much for your post! Fantastic help! :)
@Jaime although you'd probably be alright with 550, I would suggest 650 watts for a single GPU build.
Thermaltake has a great calculator for power usage:
http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/index.jsp
You might consider the GTX 560 as well - I've seen a few of them lately for a great price.
If you need to stay under $1000, then really consider going with the i5-2500k and save yourself over $100(unless you use your computer for photo editing or something where you will be doing a lot of multi-tasking.)The biggest difference there is 6MB L3 cache vs 8MB and hyperthreading... I don't think you'll even notice a difference while gaming. You can also check out cpubenchmark.net if you really want to see a performance differential.
@Ariscov - Congrats - that looks like a great build.
Case - I love the antec twelve hundred - comes with lots of cooling options and fans so you're probably good there... I believe you can add a few additional 120mm to the side and middle if you need it, but my bet is you won't - and you can always add more later.
I would recommend purchasing a CPU cooler. I prefer using Zalman, but Cooler Master makes some great inexpensive ones as well.
GPU - What will you be playing? If you are a first time builder, then it might be easier to stick with a single GPU. I generally purchase a nice GPU around $300 and it plays how I want it to for a couple of years and then I'll replace it again. Look at the GTX 560 or HD6950.
PSU - as I mentioned in my comment above get a PSU of 650 watts if you're using a high-end single GPU build and if you're using multiple GPUs, then use Thermaltakes calculator to get a good estimate.
@Brandon
Thanks for your input! I'm a heavy gamer, designer, and programmer. So i play almost every game i can get ahold of haha. Hoping for Skyrim maxed out when it is released.
So i should get a new Graphics card? or is mine fine for a single unit? I have someone helping me and i guess he will help me with multiple i need it. What does having multiple Graphic cards do to performance for gaming? Or would i be able to even tell?
I was thinking about getting a CPU cooler and i'm not sure if I should get a Noctua NH-D14 or a ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX
Samgonz - Those are both great choices - the Noctua NH-D14 has incredible ratings across the board and it's "cool" because of the Dual NF-P14/NFP12 setup, but the Zalman is cheaper, was Top Rated by Maximum PC, and should give you a similar result... will just come down to whether you want to save money and personal preference.
Thanks for the input on the CPU cooler! Now what I'm wondering about is the case. I've seen that the Antec Twelve Hundred has gotten great reviews but its a little dated and i'm not sure if it supports USB 3.0. So i was wondering if there are any newer cases that would be better or if you can confirm the Antec Twelve Hundred features.
Samgonz - it appears that way 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 (Front ports) - if you're looking for cases check out this post - it has the top 50 http://www.squidoo.com/gaming-cases
ok so im very new to building a computer and i wanted to run this build by someone before i actually bought any of the parts so here goes:
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K Sandy Bridge
MotherBoard: Biostar TPG 7XE (b3)LGA 1155 intel p67
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2x2GB) 240-pin DDR3
Graphics Card: PNY GeForce GTX 560 ti (fermi) 1GB 256-bit
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 HDIo35J 1TB
Optical Drive: LITE-ON black IDE DVD-ROM drive
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 380B 380W ATX 12V Plus Bronze Certified
Case: Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-BA-WOPSU black steel ATX Full tower
ok so thats my build i hope to use it as a gaming computer and i would prefer not to spend that much over 1k
Hey Brandon! Was wondering if you could help me with another thing. I want to do 3D gaming and watch movies in 3D but i'm not sure what special things i need like a special GPU. Hope you know about this stuff.
What about running a SSD for your OS and key programs and a HDD for your other stuff? Can you do that?
mike - that is what i was thinking about doing and i would strongly agree because that way if you get a virus only your OS will get damaged and not all your important files. plues having your OS running on an SSD which is much faster helps.
You can do that; however, I would certainly rather use Intel Smart Response Technology and have it working on my entire computer. You'll still get similar start times but load times on everything else will be better. Intel knew this was ideal when they designed the Z68 board.
Hi Brandon.. Great post.. very informative and very helpful. I am building my PC for hardcore gaming purpose. Below is the config that i have come up with, but am not able to decide on a graphics card. Could you please have a look and suggest any better alternatives ?
Mobo-ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
HDD-Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s
CPU-Intel Core i7-2600k Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
RAM-G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
I have a GForce 9800GT with me.. can i use it along with any new cards ?
Regards
Rakesh.V
Rakesh,
The build is fine. What PSU do you have?
I have seen some incredible deals on the GTX 560 Ti - look at the Asus or EVGA ones. I've been finding them around $200. I have yet to find a game that needs more than that but if you need something better you could look at the GTX 570 superclocked.
Hi! Great article!
I was thinking about upgrading my pc (for the upcoming battlefield 3). Now it runs on:
intel Q9400 2.66GHz
asus p5q3 deluxe
2x2gb Corsair 1666MHz
ati radeon HD4870 1GB
power supply Corsair realpower 650W
And i chose the following:
Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz Socket 1155
Mobo Asus P8Z68-V PRO Socket 1155
VGA Palit GeForce GTX 570 Sonic Platinum Core 800MHz 1280MB
My question is: will the 650W power supply be enough to feed this monster?
hello guys,
any AMD gaming rig budget range 400-500$ excluding LCD/LED..
thanks in advance..
@Alex - If you're using just one GPU you should be fine with 650W. Use Thermaltake's PSU calculator if you really want to make sure. I've been looking at some OCZ modular power supplies that were super cheap and the difference between the 600W and 700W was minimal. Right now they have some great rebates as well. Look for the OCZ ModXStream Pro 700 W PSU. It's Bronze Certified and really a great value for the price.
khang - that's a difficult price range. Try this article - http://www.gamingpcbuilds.com/gaming-pc-builds/bes
Hi Brandon.. Thanks a lot for the quick response... the PSU i was looking at was Cooler Master PSU(SMPS) Extreme Power Series 700 . Is this going to be fine ? Also, do i need additional fans or cooling for the setup ?
Should be fine for a single GPU setup.
As far as fans - what case do you have, how many fans etc...? I do recommend a CPU cooler.
The case is Cooler-Master-Chasis-CM-690-II-Plus-ADVANCE. For the CPU cooler - Cooler Master CPU Fan - Hyper TX3 is this fine ? Else could u suggest something better ?
hi brandon, im just wondering, do you think the evga gtx560 ti superclock price will drop any soon?maybe at the end of the year.i have been searching for good deal for it but its no good. price range below 250. the build i looking was in hardware revolution. pretty awesome site.
@noobgamer - it's funny that you ask this question. I actually purchased the 560 ti last weekend for around $200 from Newegg. It was the Gigabyte model with 2 fans.
Hi guys i need help building a computer Maining for Gaming and one with some value i don't want to upgrade it for another 2 years =D
i need i7/and GPU 570 the rest is a blur and if it stays under $1000 would be alot more helpful =D
first of all, sorry for the previous comment. on most of the forum sites you need to register first, before you can leave a comment, so I wasn't sure about this.
second,I am thinking of upgrading my computer, which is already giving me a headache, although it was a good PC at it's time.
actual config ( bought 3 - 4 years ago ) :
asus p5kpl mobo
intel Q6600 2.6 quad core CPU
4GB Samsung DDR2 RAM
n-vidia gt8800 graph card
750 WD SATA II HDD.
I am not a heavy gamer, but I would like to play some 3D games, and maybe watch some 3D films too. Also,I don't want to have to upgrade again for the next 2 - 3 years . Bear in mind, that this would me my first build ( from scrap ). I've done upgrades before, but never started from zero, so this is really huge for me.
I am thinking (already started ) to upgrade to :
Antec nine hundred two V3 case ( due to space limitation, would have wanted the twelve hundred , but was too big ) - already bought
Antec 900 high curent gamer PSU - already bought
ASUS P8Z68V-PRO mobo - already bought
Intel i7 2600K sandy bridge CPU or any cheaper suggestions, but to still be OK for the next 2 - 3 years, and for 3D gaming
EVGA NVIDIA GTX 570 (1280MB) - same as the CPU
8 - 16 GB DDR3 RAM ( brand suggestions please )
I don't know if I need any additional cooling for the CPU, although I saw that ZALMAN CNPS9900MAX is at a pretty reasonable price ( around £30, I'm from UK ).
It would also be a great help if you could suggest what would be the best SSD for the OS, as I am thinking to keep my current HDD for the rest.
And of course, any other suggestions, and improvements would be more then welcomed.
My budget is somewhere between $1000 - $1200 ( or £650 - £ 800, of which I already spent £31o on the mobo, PSU and case )
Thank you very much, and I am looking forward for your reply.
Hi again.
Just went through my comment, and realized, that in choosing the Graph card, an important thing would be to have the HDMI v1.4 to be able to watch the 3D movies on my Samsung series 7 3D LED TV.
Regards,
George
George,
It really all depends on your budget. For CPU you could certainly go with the i5-2500k unless you needed the hyperthreading. That would save you quite a bit.
GPU - What games are you trying to play? The EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked 012-P3-1572-AR is probably your best option with the HDMI v 1.4 you wanted. I currently use a Gigabyte GTX 560 ti. I was able to get it with a rebate for about $220 and it works great for BF3. I'll replace it again here in a couple years.
For SSD (today as it changes often) I like the Crucial CT064M4SSD2. Just large enough to use Intel Smart Response or Install your OS and favorite game on it.
Do you plan to OC your CPU? I personally believe way too many people don't use the stock CPU that comes with your CPU simply because of looks. Remember Intel made the i7-2600 "k" to be overclocked and they provided the cooler for it - so it'd better work in most instances even when using turbo boost technology. If you are a performance enthusiast first, then ignore everything I just said. As far as your cooler, that is a good option. This might be especially important with your budget as I just spent around $1400 on my build (around $300 for the monitor)and I was cutting it close with less than what you have. As far as ram, find some good DDR 3 gaming ram at NewEgg that's currently on sale or has a rebate. I prefer Corsair (XMS3 or Vengeance - I just picked up Vengeance) if it's all the same but in the end go with what's cheapest, and has the best performance.
Thank you very much for your very valued input. you really helped me a lot, in making my decision.
Regards,
George
Hi Brandon,
Sorry to be a pest, but at the RAM , what is the difference between buffered and unbuffered if there is any?
I noticed that some of the more expensive ones have the " unbuffered " next to them
Regards,
George
@alien 5
You'll want to avoid buffered ram for a gaming computer because it has an extra controller chip which adds latency. Those are general for servers/workstations.
Thank you very much for your fast reply m8! I really owe you a lot for this.
Those prices you gave me from the USA are madly cheap.
Here iin UK are a lot more expensive, at least time and a half. I realy had to cut down from the i7 to the i5, and still think i'll bevor the budget. Cheapest GTX560 TI I can gind in here is £ 170 / $274, compared with the $220 you gave me from NewEgg. I hate this :)
Regards,
George
Hi man! Thanks for your nice helpful post! Can you please let me know if i have a nice setup here to run all the games out there?
-APEX TX-381-C Black Steel Micro ATX Tower Computer Case 30$
-BIOSTAR A880G+ AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard 60$
-Asus 24x DVD±RW Drive DVD-RAM/±R/±RW 24x 8x 16x (DVD) 48x 32x 48x (CD) Serial ATA Internal OEM DRW-24B1ST 21$
-APEX AL-D500EXP 500W ATX12V Power Supply 50$
-AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Processor, Black Edition (HDT90ZFBGRBOX) 170$
-Corsair Vengeance 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB ) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) 240-Pin DDR3 Memory Kit for Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and AMD Platforms SDRAM CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 47$
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA/300 7200RPM 16MB Hard Drive (i found a refurbished one on amazon for 50$ let me know if it isn't a good idea)
-EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Superclocked 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card - Lifetime Warranty 01G-P3-1563-AR 260$
All that will cost me around 700$ with the shipping wich is quite cheap! Let me know if u got any other suggestions.
Thanks!
Zion Predator case is really pretty nice for the price @ Newegg ($70 - $20 rebate = $50)
You are going to need CPU cooler (~$50 for a good one) and OS (~$100) so your build is more like $850...
HDD prices have spiked lately but you can still find a new Samsung Spinpoint F3 (or F3R) 1TB for ~$75. Those are RAID / enterprise class drives and they are fast too.
From what I have read conventional HDDs cant even transmit data at full SATA 2 speeds so an SATA 3 HDD is pointless.
SSDs can utilize the extra bandwidth but even they arent maxing it out... yet. :)
The Momentus XT is a nice option if you only have $100 and your motherboard doesnt support drive caching but if you have an H67, P67, or X68 chipset you are better off with a cheap 20-60gb SSD drive (cache) and a conventional HDD (or 2 in raid 0 or 0+1 is even better). If you catch them on sale you could probably get them both for around $140.
Very good article though. I have it bookmarked for refrence.
Hi guys I'm building my first gaming computer, already bought a monitor and haf x case have no limit on money want to know the best possible gaming computer I could build but I need help please
spajjie 16 months ago
Just curious but I was thinking that maybe a Hybrid HDD (half SSD and half HDD) drive would be a good thing for a gaming computer.