$800 - $900 Gaming Rig (FIRST BUILD)!

[EvilOzzness]

I’m looking to build my first gaming rig, nothing too fancy or too shabby for an absolute maximum of $900, $800 or less being preferred and I need some suggestions and some help with filling in the gaps.

Need to know info:

When?: Early 2011 (I know this is a bit premature, but would like a head start)
Box/whole enchilada: Box
Overlocking: not likely, but a plus
CPU: AMD (only because of price)
X86/x64: x64
SLI: Ready preferred (for upgradability)
CFX: No
Games: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY with Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine (primarily), TS2 and TS3, WoW II .BNE and WoW III (generally inexpensive, dated games). However, I would like to be able to run Oblivion on max settings without causing system meltdowns lol.

What I have in mind so far:

CASE: ThermalTake Armor+MX ATX Mid Tower $129.99 ($99.99 after $30 rebate)

MOBO: MSI NF750-G55 AM3 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
RAM: 4GB Corsair Dominator PC10666
COMP USA MOBO+RAM BUNDLE: $209.99

GPU: EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ $134.99 ($104.99 after $30.00 rebate)

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition HDZ555WFGMBOX $99.00

PSU: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W $139.99 ($129.99 after $10.00 rebate)

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 $54.99

DVD/CD R+RW Combo: Sony Optiarc Black 24X $24.99

CURRENT TOTAL: $723.94


AS FOR THE OPERATING SYSTEM

Here’s the deal. I was upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate x64 for free (by a legal license holder who is a builder) on my other system, an Acer Notebook. I have ALL of the Home Premium and Ultimate Windows 7 ISO files (not on an OEM disk, legally) and I was thinking that I could, since I own the license to Home Premium and am not using it, transfer it to this new build. However, I do not know if this would work owing to the fact that this was an OEM license and with an OEM key. Does anybody know if this would be possible, or if I would have to instead take the Ultimate (NOT OEM) off of the Notebook (by using the image restore with the original OS) and then put the Ultimate onto this new rig?

I ALSO have a license for Windows XP (x32 bit) on my dead Dell. Would it be possible, should I aquire the XP ISO, if I could also use that license (which, again, I LEGALLY own) on this new build (in x64) if I don’t like W7 on my gaming rig due to its resource hungry bloatware? I realize that if this is possible, that XP requires a Floppy drive and I’m sure I could pick one up somewhere for about $5 to $10. Not a problem.

I have absolutely no problem calling MS to have them take the "tie" out of these systems for both operating systems (if possible as I am a license holder) so I can use one or both on the new build, if that's what it would take.

And IF both are possible, without using the OEM disks (as THAT is what prevents the OS being installed via the disk checking the BIOS) I’d like to dual-boot. Just for the hell of it, because I like W7 for everything OTHER than gaming – XP is still the gamer’s king!

AS FOR PERIPHERALS

I have an old 17” Dell LCD monitor. It’s nothing fancy, but I’m planning on using it until I can afford to replace it with a nice 19” WS one.

I also have a wireless USB mouse, wireless USB keyboard and a Logitech speaker system which I plan on using as well (all currently used with my Notebook which has been the desktop replacement).

Thank you very, very much for any advice, suggestions and help!


EDIT: Figured out the PSU and CPU, came in under budget! Please comment!

[orbrit]

OEM licenses are for the original machine on which it was installed. You may own it, but it is not transferable to another PC. Add to that Dell OEM media is also Dell motherboard specific and won't work on a non Dell PC.
PSU, Corsair 650TX (or HX if you want modular) will work and allow for second video card later.
CPU, either the Athlon II x2 255 3.1ghz is good bang for buck.

I'd advise saving for a monitor capable of 1080p resolution. A 19" WS is kinda small and crappy!

[EvilOzzness]

Right, I know about the OEM thing somewhat and that's only if you are using the OEM disk (the one they send you, or which you have to burn with that OEM computer) to install it because the OEM disk checks the BIOS version to make sure it's a Dell. Same with Acer and all other OEM prebuilts... however, that has no baring on the actual activation/license key as I understand it - JUST the supplied OEM disks. So, I should be able to transfer that license to another PC using a burned ISO, and possibly calling MS to explain I need to reinstall blah blah blah.

That's what I have heard anyway, and it makes sense. The license keys have nothing to do with barring the type of machine they can be installed on, that's all between an OEM disk and the OEM BIOS and so a burned ISO bypasses that without checking the OEM computer, because it's not an OEM disk at all.

In reasonable theory, anyway.

If not, no big deal. I can call MS, tell them I don't want Ultimate on my Notebook anymore and that I instead want to transfer it to another PC, restore OEM Windows Home Premium to that machine and then install the Ultimate I have (which again is NOT OEM) to the new build.

I just don't want to pay MS another $100 for yet another OS when I already own $300 worth of licenses. That's just ridiculous!



Thank you for the suggestions, will check those out.

EDIT: I think the PSU needs x4 of PCIe for the 9800 GTX+ GPU, if I ever wanted to link two of them together, right? That one only has 2...

[Computer Hobbyist]

Have you read Drisley's sticky thread on building a gaming rig?

Building a Gaming Rig 101

If this is your first build do yourself a favor and buy all new parts and software. It doesn't sound like you have much you would want to use in a gaming rig anyway. Don't jack around with this license on this system you aren't using or that license on another system you aren't using. The darn OEM disks probably won't work even if you could come up with a legal licensing scheme. Windows 7 premium is only about $100 anyway. One Seventy Five or so for the Ultimate version in 64 bit. By the way Flash doesn't work in 64 bit so you will be running 32 bit browser software anyway. Buy a decent monitor.

[EvilOzzness]

Yes indeed I did. I'm just looking for some supplemental feedback with these already set specific hardware components, to make sure I didn't miss anything critical (i.e. this wouldn't work with that etc.) and to figure out the last two pieces to the puzzle, for the finished product.

I'm not jacking with the licenses at all. They're all legally bought and paid for and there's nothing illegal in reinstalling them if they're not in use by anything other than 1 PC which will be the case here. Burned intact and completely legal ISO files (which are not "cracked") are also not illegal, so I'm safe.

I plan on buying a decent monitor when able, that's definitely not going to be right now unless it's a tiny and $100 one. I'm going to save up and deal with the fairly decent Dell 17" square one until then. It's really not that bad, it's just not "eye-popping".

[orbrit]

The newegg link only shows a single 6 pin PCIe power connector for the 9800 GTX.
Asus makes good quality monitors. Well reviewed with good warranties.

[EvilOzzness]

I figured out the CPU and PSU... tell me what you think!

[glc]

Come back about a month before the build. The market will be totally different by then. In the meantime you are just wasting your time and everyone else's.

[EvilOzzness]

Thanks glc, however I intend to get this exact setup even if the prices dropped 6 months from now. All that would mean for me is that I could throw in a decent HD/WS monitor in the mix for this build. I'm planning ahead on purpose for just this reason, so no time being wasted here at all.

I'm really not one of those people who wants the latest and greatest rig of all time and "right here and now", I'm happy with rigs that can handle yesterday's games because that's what I play and can afford, so a slightly dated system (as this is bound to be then) suits me just fine.

Besides, most of these components haven't been around longer than a year or so so I think I'm safe on the availability of them 6 months into the future.


With that said, I would really like to know people's opinions on how well those components would play together... would really help me out a lot in planning ahead here.

[glc]

The Nvidia 9 series cards were obsolete last year - in 6+ months you won't even find them. We don't recommend Samsung hard drives. The Nforce 750a is an old chipset, AMD has essentially dumped SLI and you should be looking at ATI cards and Crossfire if you want an AMD processor and multiple video cards.

I'm not talking about price reductions - I am talking about stale technology and I'd bet most of the stuff you have listed won't even be available then.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by Computer Hobbyist Have you read Drisley's sticky thread on building a gaming rig? Building a Gaming Rig 101

That is Khalil's sticky thread!!!

The 9800GTX is a bad video card, it was bad when it was released, for that kind of money you can build a much better rig than what you listed above. A week before you are ready to build a gaming rig, come by and let us know, we will guide you on what to buy at the time and get the best bang for your buck!

[EvilOzzness]

Alright... see you guys then.