Gaming Computer Suggestions Budget $1200 roughly

ignatzatsonic · 03 Oct 2014

Intel® Core™ i7-4790
Cooler: Enermax ETS-T40-BK Black CPU Cooler w/PWM 120mm
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z97-D3H ATX w/ Realtek GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 3 PCI,
Memory: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory (ADATA XPG V3)
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5
Power Supply: Corsair CX600 600W
HD: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s
SSD: 128GB SanDisk SATA III 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive: LG 14X Internal Blu-ray Burner
Windows 8.1 (64-bit Edition) + Office 365 FREE 30 Days Trial

Why the Enermax cooler? It adds circa $50.

Nothing wrong with it, but the stock Intel cooler is fine for a non-overclocked system.

You don't need the Z97 board with a non-K 4790, but it's certainly OK if no other decent choice is available.

Other than that, looking pretty good. I have no idea about the case, but it's got a side window and a bunch of LEDs, which you may require.

How much would you save by dropping back from a 4790 to a 4690 as Wishmaster suggests?

Might get you under $1300 if you can do it and you'd likely never notice the difference.

Summerbear5 · 03 Oct 2014

The Enermax has pretty blue LEDs hahaha, but yes I could change that.
The case does have a window with pretty blue LEDs hahaha
Z97 board is the only selection

$1234 with cheaper air cooling fan and the lower processor. Do you think this lower processor will last threw the years? Like 6 years from now I'm still able to play new release games?

ignatzatsonic · 03 Oct 2014

Summerbear5 said:

$1234 with cheaper air cooling fan and the lower processor. Do you think this lower processor will last threw the years? Like 6 years from now I'm still able to play new release games?

That's with the stock Intel cooler and 4690? Or 4690K?

Six years from now, if you feel things are "too slow", I seriously doubt that having the 4790 rather than a 4690 would make you think otherwise.

Six years in technology is a long time, too difficult to accurately predict. Who knows what games will require by that time? The differences between those 2 processors, particularly for gaming purposes, are quite small.

If you were making a living with the PC, and doing something that could take advantage of the hyper-threading in the 4790K, then you'd probably go for that processor. But I don't hear you say that's what you're going to be doing.

Any 6 year old PC is likely to be a candidate for an upgrade--and having the 4790 rather than a 4690 isn't likely to eliminate that need.

You quite possibly could better put the money toward a new monitor or a nice evening out on the town.

Of course, if that last 100 bucks doesn't mean much to you, then go for it. I'm just thinking about your budget.

Summerbear5 · 03 Oct 2014

Thank you

rvcjew · 03 Oct 2014

best one i could make in 1400 budget you have to really sacrifice for some cruddy spec/choices of brand they have for lower imo. You can go lower for some specs but a Bluray drive and such is overrated, to play bluray on a pc it requires software which currently like four companys make and it will run you another 100+ for that software. I would not get any brand ssd that they are offering but samsung. You could pick a cheaper case too. Also I did not pick a mouse so idk why one is on there.
*BASE_PRICE: [+885]
BLUETOOTH: None
CABLE: None
CAS: Corsair Carbide 300R w/ USB 3.0
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified) [-56]
CS_FAN: Default case fans
DOCKINGSTATION: None
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler w/ PWM fan - Efficient Cooling Performance [-3]
FLASHMEDIA: None
FREEBIE_CU: Intel Back-to-School Ultimate System Giveaway Coupon
FREEBIE_VC1: FREE! NVIDIA Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel Game Coupon [+0]
GLASSES: None
HDD: 128GB Samsung 850 PRO Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 550MB/s Read & 470MB/s Write [+91] (Single Drive)
HDD2: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+64] (Single Drive)
HEADSET: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1866MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance [+14])
MIR_VCSSD: NONE
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOPAD: None
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS Z97-K ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI, 1 x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gb/s [+3]
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NFC: None
OS: Microsoft® Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit Edition) + Office 365 FREE 30 Days Trial [+135]
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: 650 Watts - Corsair CSM Series CS650M 80 Plus Gold Certified Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply [+64]
RUSH: Standard processing time: ship within 5 to 10 Business Days
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: EVGA ACX Cooler NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Maxwell) [+219] (Single Card)
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1416)
_view_: {0035236E-73B8-469D-BF56-C1886B8DB462}
_load_: 10/3/2014 8:19:28 PM

kbrady1979 · 04 Oct 2014

I browsed through this thread, which gave me a headache, so I will give some good advice which may or may not have been offered already.

When you build a PC yourself, you will almost always get more out of it than buying one from HP, Dell, etc. There are expenses you pay for that adds no value to the machine when you buy pre-built. Also, when you build a PC you get EXACTLY what you want and don't have to compromise because a manufacturer doesn't offer something you want or need.

If you are only going to game with this machine, then you can tailor your components for gaming and save some money, or spend more on components that really matter.

Stick with Intel CPU's......more powerful, more efficient, less heat output, require less power. Those reasons alone make Intel CPU's, while a bit more expensive, the best choice across the board. Also, you said you probably weren't going to overclock, but I can tell you quite a few games benefit from raw clock speeds. A "K" series processor can be easily overclocked 20-30% and last for years with good cooling. There are tons of guides and plenty of people here to help walk you through it. Something to think about.

For gaming, you don't really need the Intel Core i7 CPU I've seen mentioned in this thread. The Core i5 CPU runs games just as good, if not better actually. Put the money you save in a better graphics card.

I don't know how much RAM you've decided on but 8GB is more than enough. A couple of years ago when RAM was cheap, it was easy to get 16GB and call it a day. Now, with DDR3 prices through the roof it is better to be sensible when buying RAM. 8GB of Corsair or G.Skill RAM is perfect for a gaming rig.

Always, always, always try to budget for an SSD in your system. I don't care if it's for gaming, editing, web surfing or HTPC use......just get one. Hands down the best money you will ever spend on your PC.

It's perfectly fine to be nervous about building your own system. I get a little edgy still because I know the risks involved when putting sensitive components together. There are detailed videos on YouTube that show you how to build, and like I said before.......the members here are more than happy to answer any questions you may have about building. If you still don't feel comfortable, ask for help. I'm sure you have a friend or acquaintance that can build a PC or point you in the direction of someone who can.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

RoasterMen · 04 Oct 2014

lol HP gaming computers and Alienware Desktop is too expensive. I'd pick the parts that suits the $1200 budget and buy the parts and build them.

Wishmaster · 04 Oct 2014

kbrady1979 said:

Always, always, always try to budget for an SSD in your system. I don't care if it's for gaming, editing, web surfing or HTPC use......just get one. Hands down the best money you will ever spend on your PC.

So, So True.
It's one of those things, IMO, you have to experience to really believe it. And after a short period with one, you will certainly know when a system is on a mechanical drive. And, you'll never want to put an OS on a mechanical again.

It is probably is the most ... scratch that .. it IS the most significant single upgrade I have ever made. The results were immediately apparent.