Gaming PC

[RoflboatCaptain]

So I want to build a gaming pc that can play at least oblivion (graphics wise). I don't know what to buy because I have never built a pc before and am asking you guys what I can get with about 1, 700$ including keyboard but not the mouse. Also, was wondering if I can get liquid cooling for that price since it seems to be worth it.

[Cricket]

Are you looking to build a AMD or INTEL computer?

Would the $1700 include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and OS? Or just for the computer itself?

If this is your first build I wouldn't bother with water cooling.

:) Cricket

[RoflboatCaptain]

Well I was looking into intel. The price would include a keyboard, maybe speakers and os. It is my first time but if water cooling is worth it then i'd like to get that. I have friends though that can help with the installation but they say that the water cooling installation is tricky.

[jer888]

Get the build up and running, then if you're really interested in water cooling then do it.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115003) =
$222.90
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MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P5B LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131030) =
$116.99
3 Business Day Shipping $6.13
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POWER SUPPLY: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002) = Original Price: $189.99
You Save: $20.00
$169.99
($149.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
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MEMORY: CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145098)
$64.99
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HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140) =
$79.99
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OPTICAL: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106057) =
$37.99
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VIDEO CARD: EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130072) =
$559.99
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Roughly $1250. You still need to pick a case, mouse, and keyboard. If you don't have a nice large LCD moniter, this build isn't going to shine like it would if you did.

[RoflboatCaptain]

This is MUCH appreciated. What kind of a case would be needed for that build? Also, how much would water cooling cost if I wanted to add it? if I were to get a liquid cooling system would http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835108082 work? and if so what case would that fit in.

*edit* Do all these parts fit together without any external addon?

[Alaron]

Any case would work, they are personal preference really. Take a look at Antec cases, they are particularly well made.

Water cooling, done right, is upwards of $200-300. That link you have is a pump only, you would need lots of other parts for a full system. I would hold off on water cooling, its just not necessary.

jer's list is solid. You'll only need a case and peripherals.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Thanks A LOT guys!!! Well, I was reading reviews on some cases and found a lot of cons about the cases. If anyone could link me to a good case it would be much appreciated.

[Jimmy0]

Check out the Antec P180, it is a good case. Just make sure your PSU has long cables so it can reach.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129154

[andper10]

Don't bother with water cooling. The main reason that it is used is for extreme overclocking and your PC will be fast enough that you won't need to overclock it. Overclocking voids warranties and can kill components. I would avoid it, at least until you have more experience. But if you must overclock, then you will need some DDR2 800 Ram for it to be worthwhile:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231087
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565

As far as cases go, here are a few good ones that have a "gamer feel" and they also have very good cooling so that you could OC fairly well without Water Cooling if you want to OC:
$139.99 - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Or Frys.com has it cheaper ($89.99) (but they do charge tax for some areas since they have stores in some states): http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4991611?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

$169.00 - Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133021

[jer888]

Really, unless you are overclocking, don't worry about water cooling. And even if you are, wait until you get this up and running. Your money would be better spent on a new moniter, or an upgrade in a couple years.

As long as the case supports ATX motherboards, then its fine.

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025)

[RoflboatCaptain]

Thanks a lot guys! If I have any more problems when I get the parts I'll be posting here lol.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Anyone know if there is a better motherboard than the one listed because I read some reviews and some people had trouble with it. I think its a good motherboard but I don't know if its worth the risk...

[Mr.Ferrari]

Can you please list the final specs?

[jer888]

if your talking about hte P5B its one of the most stable motherboards out there, but there is no computer part that NEVER has problems, even from the reputable companies. If there is a problem with it you can RMA it to Newegg

[RoflboatCaptain]

Ok, i stil havnt bought the parts because I have been pretty busy, but I was wondering if tehre are better parts now on the market. Also, could someone list the final specs because I am getting a little confused because some people are saying to change while others are saying to keep... Also, since like its been a long time that oblivion has been out, and since I dont want to make a new thread, I was kinda wondering if this would be able to run Crysis with a pretty good framerate.

Any tips for headsets and monitors would be appreciated!

[glc]

Yes, some of those parts are now obsolete. Look at the E6750, Asus P5K-E, and DDR2-800 ram.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Can somene make a new list for me? Because I don't really know much about computer parts but the V-cards and ram and HDD's... PLus I would like to know the best stuff I can get on this budget, I will be ordering this stuff on the weekend if someone can make me a new list or something.

[flanzig1]

Aside from the changes GLC suggested, the parts from jer888 list early in this thread are still valid(video card/PSU/DVD drive).
If looking to add a LCD monitor, would look for one in the 22" widescreen range.

[shadowpr]

Refer to post 4.

I would change the following.

CPU - E6750

MB - P5k-e

Ram - Corsair 2x1gb ddr2 800.

Video Card - 8800gt

[RoflboatCaptain]

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029)
Original Price: $194.99
You Save: $5.00
$189.99

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196)

POWER SUPPLY: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick - Retail = Original Price: $189.99
You Save: $20.00
$169.99
($149.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
Free 3 Business Day Shipping
(Not available in HI, AK and PR)
In Stock

MEMORY: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145034)
HARD DRIVE: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM =
$79.99
Free 3 Business Day Shipping
(Not available in HI, AK and PR)
In Stock

OPTICAL: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner - Retail =
$37.99
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VIDEO CARD: MSI NX8800Ultra-T2D768E-HD-OC GeForce 8800Ultra 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127288)


CASE: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)

Refer to the big post with the list for the other item links.

Would this work though?

Planning on getting Vista or Media center.... dunno which

Also, anyone know of any low price but high quality gaming headsets?

Also, one last thing, can this run Crysis at all with good framerate?

[shadowpr]

Looks good.

I would just change the ram to one that has a cas 5.

And look at the evga brand of video cards.

That would all work well together and be a nice system.

If you get Vista, then you will be able to enjoy dx10.

[doubledragon5]

If your talking case, yes I currently use it and it provides plenty of cooling...

[andper10]

Don't mess with the 8800Ultra. An 8800GTX would be plenty, an 8800GT would be good too and much cheaper than an 8800GTX or 8800Ultra.

[liambl]

You could get a Radeon HD 3870. It performs just like an 8800gt, costs less, is newer, consumes less power and is quieter. There may also be a performane increase as newer drivers are developed.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Here is my updated list:


Update
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: Nine Hundred
Item #: N82E16811129021

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$139.99 -$20.00 Instant $119.99

Update
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: P5K-E/WIFI-AP
Item #: N82E16813131196

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$149.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.99

Update
EVGA 768-P2-N835-A3 GeForce 8800GTX Superclocked 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 768-P2-N835-A3
Item #: N82E16814130307

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$589.99 $589.99

Update
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: CMPSU-520HX
Item #: N82E16817139001

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$139.99 -$15.00 Instant $124.99

Update
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6850 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6850
Item #: N82E16819115028

Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

In Stock
$289.99 $289.99

Update
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail
Model #: TWIN2X2048-6400C4
Item #: N82E16820145034

Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$87.00 $87.00

Update
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3320620AS
Item #: N82E16822148140

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

Out Of Stock
ETA: 12/3/2007 8:49:00 AM
Auto-Notify
$84.99 $84.99

Update
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S - Retail
Model #: LH-20A1S
Item #: N82E16827106057

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$34.99 $34.99
Subtotal: $1,471.93



So, I got the 8800 Superclock just because it came with Crysis, so I am assuming that it is capable of running Crysis. Please comment and tell me some improvements! I need this list ready ASAP! ALso, someone told me to get a Cas 5 Ram but all the 2gb rams didn't have Cas 5.. Unlesss im looking in the wrong spot heh...

[shadowpr]

Looks like a good build.

Here is the cas 5 ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145590

[RoflboatCaptain]

Thanks for the link to the ram! Apparently the MoBo I want, well the same line of pke-5 mobos have a problem with room when using a big 8800 graphics card... A lot of people sad that the SATA wil be blocked by the card if i use hte 8800.. dunno if that really matters or if I should get a differnet MoBo

[shadowpr]

That MB has 6 sata ports. From the looks of the picture, the 8800 might go over 2 of them, but if you need those ports, you could probably be fine if you got a sata cable with a right angle.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Thanks very much for the help. So this build will work, correct? Also, will this build be able to run games with high graphics card needs such as Crysis? ALso, can you recommend a good headset and maybe an extra monitor considering I have one already?



*EDIT* Ok, I found a 4gb ram, better for gaming, dunno if its compatible with this set up though: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145176

Also, what is the difference between

EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130072)

and

EVGA 768-P2-N835-A3 GeForce 8800GTX Superclocked 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Couldn't find the link for that one lol

Also, any recommendations for a screen or improvements so I get hte most power for my $$ are appreciated!

[shadowpr]

That ram will work.

The system should be able to play crysis nicely too.

Someone else can recommend a headset, I don't use them.

For a monitor, depends on the size and price you're looking at. Samsungs make good monitors.

Since you're getting 4gb, get vista 64.

[RoflboatCaptain]

Ok, so I added some things to my list, (Keyboard, headset, audiocard etc..) Now I am looking for last minute improvements and tips, dunno if I'll need a better PSU because I am adding a soundcard and whatnot.. Also, can someone recommend me a cheaper soundcard and/or monitor? But make sure the monitor doesn't ghost?