It looks like a few of us on Cain’s Lair are thinking of doing the same thing- so let me share my process. (thanks for those who have already posted here)
I’m by no means a pro- this will be like the 4th gaming PC I’ve build from scratch, for myself. I’m not talking upgrading processors or harddrives, or even throwing in extra memory and another video card for SLI- from scratch. So take my guide with a grain of salt. I enjoy building these…
History:
1996, summer I build my first PC. I remember it being a 200Mhz CPU, and putting a 33.3k modem in it. I killed at CyberStrike on AOL.
yes- I'm OLD.
Did another for Unreal Tournament, then another for Unreal Tournament 2004- I can’t remember the specs…
2007, September I build my latest (and current) PC for Unreal Tournament 3. Had to move to MW2 due to bugs with the game. (My post on Epic Games Forums here: http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...ght=uncledumpy
) had breathed life into the pc by: adding another 8800GTX VC for SLI, doubled memory, added SSD HD, and Overclocked.
Original Specs:
Case= Antec Nine Hundred
Power supply= Enermax Infiniti 720W
DVD /play/ burn= LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R
OS= Vista 32-Bit Home Premium System Builders Single Pack DVD
Hard Drive OS= Raptor WD1500ADFD
Hard Drive Storage= 300 GB (extra from Nicole's PC, will go with a TB in a month or so)
Memory= CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel (OCed at 900Mhz)
Motherboard= EVGA nforce 680i Socket 775
CPU cooler/thermal paste= Zalman CPU Cooler COOL-CNPS9500-AT (I got Arctic sliver 5 from Frys a couple weeks ago)
CPU = Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Kentsfield 3.0GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor (OCed @ 3.33Ghz)
Video Card = XFX GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB DDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI HDCP
Mouse = Logitech MX510
Keyboard = Saitek - PC Gamers Keyboard
Monitor = Dell UltraSharp 2407FP, Wide Flat Panel w/Height Adjustable, 24 inch
Current Specs:
OS= Windows 7 32 bit Home Premium
Hard Drive OS: 32Gig SSD, 2 1TB HDs
Video Card: 2 8800GTX for SLI
Memory: 4GB PC2 8500
It looks like I spent about $2,700- Which I when top of the line at the time. I won’t be doing the same this time around….
My overall Philosophy:
I try to do a “from scratch build” every 3 years. Ironically I did this back in Sept 2007 for the long awaited Unreal Tournament 3.
The reason behind this is that the technology typically has leap fogged or is significantly better and the next technology is “cheaper” then the old about every 3 years.... For example, DDR3 is cheaper than DDR2.
Don’t go low, medium, or top of the line. Shoot for 2nd best or “upper-upper middle”. This is typically where you will find the best bang for your buck. Your machine will be easy to upgrade “add faster memory, faster processor, etc.”
It’s tough to set a price point, since there’s a lot of “parts” you can re-use. For example, I won’t be upgrading my mouse, keyboard, speakers, or monitor.
Always start with the Processor- this will drive the most important thing, the MotherBoard. You want a solid, dependable MB since EVERYTHING flows though it… and if it fails it’s a nightmare to replace. My order:
1st – Processor
2nd - Motherboard
3rd – Video Card
4th - RAM
5th – Hard Drive
Do your homework- The more I read, the more I will learn. For example, while researching which MB to use after I had decided on a Core i7-2600 LGA 1155, while reading more about this on MaxiumPC, best of the Best Motherboards (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea..._washes_ashore ) , I found that the LGA 1156 is the newest socket and ISN’T backwards compatable. I’ll need to take that into consideration while I pick my parts. I’m sure the decision will be cost vs. upgrade “ablilty”.
Live close to Fry’s Electronics? Or Microcenter? I’ve had a bad experience at MicroCenter so I won’t focus on them, but if you live close to a Fry’s Electronics its worth your time to check out the weekly ad and see what they have in stock. When price shopping, it might be worth the extra $10 to get it a Fry’s in the event you need to return something. I personally hate doing RMA’s….
When shopping- ping pricegrabber.com. some shady on-line stores come up, but it gives you some options.
Resources:
You can’t go wrong with Tom’s Hardware and Maximum PC’s Best of the Best, but you need to do some forum trolling and look at what your community is staying. Good post here: http://www.cainslair.com/showthread.php?t=19398. I’ll have windows open at tomshardware.com, newegg.com, hardocp.com, and maximumpc.com. On newegg.com, get to the part options you like, then sort by Most Reviews and Best Ratings. Then cross reference with tomshardware, maximumpc, hardocp.com , and other community forums…
What I like to do is use a spreadsheet which lists the “Parts”. I then start cutting / pasting what I find on line- prices, location, brand, notes, etc.. I’ll do more “tabs” on the spreadsheet to keep my thoughts findings organized.
My last trick is to check out what the large boutique PC builders are using- they seem to know what they are doing and do it for a living. Check out ibuypower.com and cyberpower.com. Hint- you can also benchmark your build against one of theres….
2011 PC build Philosophy:
My goal is to stay around $1,200 this time around. Why $1,200? Well, I told the wife I wouldn’t spend more than $1,000.
Honestly, I did a quick look before doing this post and I feel you can build a pretty good gaming PC at this price point. With BF3 coming out its time to build a PC from scratch. However, I won’t be upgrading / replacing the following, I’ll be recycling my current PC: (this will help the $1,200 budget)
Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, DVD Drive, speakers, power supply or case. Oh, and the 2 1TB Hard Drives will stay.
I’m a little worried about the power supply (Enermax Infiniti 720W ) but since I won’t be starting with 2 Video Cards I should be ok.
2011 Gaming PC project:
Ok. Let’s get started. We’ve got the budget ($1,200), we’ve got the Resources & Philosophy (above), and reason (BF3). While I’m typing this up I’m doing the research. Hopefully this post remains coherent and brings value…
Processor: Core i7-2600 LGA 1155
Why? And things to consider…
• Around the $300 price point. Next step up doubles the cost.
• Still one of the best performing processors on Toms Hardware (I use the 3DMark11 Overall)
• Lots of MB support LGA 1155
• On Maximum PC’s best of the best (Mid-Range)
• Con: No more overclocking
• The dilemma of LGA 1155 vs. LGA 1156. . On newegg.com right now (9/20/2011) there’s 26 LGA 1155’s and 16 LGA 1156
MotherBoard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe LGA 1155
Why? And things to consider…
• This was a tough one between the ASRock P67 EXTREME4, MSI P67A-GD65, and ASUS P8P67 DELUXE. I’ve used ASUS MB’s before….
• The dilemma of LGA 1155 vs. LGA 1156. On newegg.com right now (9/20/2011) there’s 222 1155’s and only 47 1156s MBs…
• Benchmarking against ibuypower.com and cyberpowerpc.com they are using GigaByte Z68 and Asuse Z68, but upgrades are for the Asus P8P67 and MSI P67A
Video Card: XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970
Why? And things to consider…
• Looks like AMD (ATI) is a better bang for your buck.
• Started with Tom’s Hardware (always with VC’s) – 2011 Gaming Graphics Charts, then “Index of Gamer Enthusiast”
o Most are SLI / Crossfire in the top.
o Usually the top 2 are out of the price range- HD 6990 and GTX590
• Then looked at HardOCP – HD 6970 and GTX 580 were top. HD 6950 and GTX 560 were #2
• Earlier research had me looking hard at the AMD Radeon HD 6870… but I’m worried I would want to upgrade this sooner then later…
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X + Turbulence II Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9D-8GBXLD
Why? And things to consider…
• From ASUS PBP67 memory standard : DDR3 2133/1866/1600 MHz frequency as default
• Always check the manufactures Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists) on RAM… you don’t want to be surprised.
• Do as a say, not as I do, I couldn’t find these on the QVL list on support.asus.com for this MB… keep your fingers crossed.
Hard Drive: SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive
Why? And things to consider…
• Solid State Drives are crazy fast. I had upgraded last year to at 32GB Corsair and was amazed at the speed. The limited space became quite a pain… hence the larger size. Note I’ll be keeping my 2 1TB data drives
• Started with maximumpc – OCZ Vertex 2 100GB is there recommend… but SATA II?
• Jumped over to TomsHardware – SSD Charts 2011. I used AS-SSD Overall Total Score. The OC Vertex is barely in the upper middle of the pack. One thing to notice is theres a big jump from upper middle to top. This is where you might find the cheapest top SSD. Note they all are SATA 6.
• Made sure the MB supports SATA 6.
OS: 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium
Why? And things to consider…
• Its time to make the 64 bit leap…
• Not sure why I need Ultimate… maybe an upgrade down the way.
• Since I’m a student I get the OS for free.
And here’s the summary:
Guts Price Shipping Item
Case recycle
Power supply recycle
Hard Drive - Data recycle
mouse recycle
monitor recycle
MotherBoard $ 215.00 $ 5.00 ASUS P8P67 Deluxe
CPU $ 300.00 $ - Core i7-2600 LGA 1155
RAM $ 160.00 $ - G.SKILL Ripjaws X + Turbulence II Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9D-8GBXLD
Hard Drive - OS $ 200.00 $ - SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (after $20 mail in rebate)
Video Card $ 320.00 $ - XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ( with $20 rebate)
Total (with shipping) $ 1,200.00
Right at $1,200.
Wish List (but had to cut it to stay under $1,200)
DVD / Blue Ray player: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Super Multi WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEMWhy? And things to consider…
• This will be the first thing to cut to meet the budget, I can recycle my old DVD player…
• Good community reviews, good price
• I really want to move into using my PC for Blu-Ray, so why not…
NIC: VisionTek Killer 2100 128 MB DDR2 PCI Express Gaming
Why? And Things to consider…
• Does it really help your ping? Heck I’m a network geek, lets find out.
Ok, I haven’t made a SINGLE purchase- just wanted to get this post out.... I’m hitting Fry’s after work tomorrow, then I’ll go shopping- I’ll update then. Happy building!
I’m by no means a pro- this will be like the 4th gaming PC I’ve build from scratch, for myself. I’m not talking upgrading processors or harddrives, or even throwing in extra memory and another video card for SLI- from scratch. So take my guide with a grain of salt. I enjoy building these…
History:
1996, summer I build my first PC. I remember it being a 200Mhz CPU, and putting a 33.3k modem in it. I killed at CyberStrike on AOL.
yes- I'm OLD.Did another for Unreal Tournament, then another for Unreal Tournament 2004- I can’t remember the specs…
2007, September I build my latest (and current) PC for Unreal Tournament 3. Had to move to MW2 due to bugs with the game. (My post on Epic Games Forums here: http://forums.epicgames.com/threads/...ght=uncledumpy
) had breathed life into the pc by: adding another 8800GTX VC for SLI, doubled memory, added SSD HD, and Overclocked.
Original Specs:
Case= Antec Nine Hundred
Power supply= Enermax Infiniti 720W
DVD /play/ burn= LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R
OS= Vista 32-Bit Home Premium System Builders Single Pack DVD
Hard Drive OS= Raptor WD1500ADFD
Hard Drive Storage= 300 GB (extra from Nicole's PC, will go with a TB in a month or so)
Memory= CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel (OCed at 900Mhz)
Motherboard= EVGA nforce 680i Socket 775
CPU cooler/thermal paste= Zalman CPU Cooler COOL-CNPS9500-AT (I got Arctic sliver 5 from Frys a couple weeks ago)
CPU = Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Kentsfield 3.0GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor (OCed @ 3.33Ghz)
Video Card = XFX GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB DDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI HDCP
Mouse = Logitech MX510
Keyboard = Saitek - PC Gamers Keyboard
Monitor = Dell UltraSharp 2407FP, Wide Flat Panel w/Height Adjustable, 24 inch
Current Specs:
OS= Windows 7 32 bit Home Premium
Hard Drive OS: 32Gig SSD, 2 1TB HDs
Video Card: 2 8800GTX for SLI
Memory: 4GB PC2 8500
It looks like I spent about $2,700- Which I when top of the line at the time. I won’t be doing the same this time around….
My overall Philosophy:
I try to do a “from scratch build” every 3 years. Ironically I did this back in Sept 2007 for the long awaited Unreal Tournament 3.
The reason behind this is that the technology typically has leap fogged or is significantly better and the next technology is “cheaper” then the old about every 3 years.... For example, DDR3 is cheaper than DDR2. Don’t go low, medium, or top of the line. Shoot for 2nd best or “upper-upper middle”. This is typically where you will find the best bang for your buck. Your machine will be easy to upgrade “add faster memory, faster processor, etc.”
It’s tough to set a price point, since there’s a lot of “parts” you can re-use. For example, I won’t be upgrading my mouse, keyboard, speakers, or monitor.
Always start with the Processor- this will drive the most important thing, the MotherBoard. You want a solid, dependable MB since EVERYTHING flows though it… and if it fails it’s a nightmare to replace. My order:
1st – Processor
2nd - Motherboard
3rd – Video Card
4th - RAM
5th – Hard Drive
Do your homework- The more I read, the more I will learn. For example, while researching which MB to use after I had decided on a Core i7-2600 LGA 1155, while reading more about this on MaxiumPC, best of the Best Motherboards (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea..._washes_ashore ) , I found that the LGA 1156 is the newest socket and ISN’T backwards compatable. I’ll need to take that into consideration while I pick my parts. I’m sure the decision will be cost vs. upgrade “ablilty”.
Live close to Fry’s Electronics? Or Microcenter? I’ve had a bad experience at MicroCenter so I won’t focus on them, but if you live close to a Fry’s Electronics its worth your time to check out the weekly ad and see what they have in stock. When price shopping, it might be worth the extra $10 to get it a Fry’s in the event you need to return something. I personally hate doing RMA’s….
When shopping- ping pricegrabber.com. some shady on-line stores come up, but it gives you some options.
Resources:
You can’t go wrong with Tom’s Hardware and Maximum PC’s Best of the Best, but you need to do some forum trolling and look at what your community is staying. Good post here: http://www.cainslair.com/showthread.php?t=19398. I’ll have windows open at tomshardware.com, newegg.com, hardocp.com, and maximumpc.com. On newegg.com, get to the part options you like, then sort by Most Reviews and Best Ratings. Then cross reference with tomshardware, maximumpc, hardocp.com , and other community forums…
What I like to do is use a spreadsheet which lists the “Parts”. I then start cutting / pasting what I find on line- prices, location, brand, notes, etc.. I’ll do more “tabs” on the spreadsheet to keep my thoughts findings organized.
My last trick is to check out what the large boutique PC builders are using- they seem to know what they are doing and do it for a living. Check out ibuypower.com and cyberpower.com. Hint- you can also benchmark your build against one of theres….
2011 PC build Philosophy:
My goal is to stay around $1,200 this time around. Why $1,200? Well, I told the wife I wouldn’t spend more than $1,000.
Honestly, I did a quick look before doing this post and I feel you can build a pretty good gaming PC at this price point. With BF3 coming out its time to build a PC from scratch. However, I won’t be upgrading / replacing the following, I’ll be recycling my current PC: (this will help the $1,200 budget)Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, DVD Drive, speakers, power supply or case. Oh, and the 2 1TB Hard Drives will stay.
I’m a little worried about the power supply (Enermax Infiniti 720W ) but since I won’t be starting with 2 Video Cards I should be ok.
2011 Gaming PC project:
Ok. Let’s get started. We’ve got the budget ($1,200), we’ve got the Resources & Philosophy (above), and reason (BF3). While I’m typing this up I’m doing the research. Hopefully this post remains coherent and brings value…
Processor: Core i7-2600 LGA 1155
Why? And things to consider…
• Around the $300 price point. Next step up doubles the cost.
• Still one of the best performing processors on Toms Hardware (I use the 3DMark11 Overall)
• Lots of MB support LGA 1155
• On Maximum PC’s best of the best (Mid-Range)
• Con: No more overclocking
• The dilemma of LGA 1155 vs. LGA 1156. . On newegg.com right now (9/20/2011) there’s 26 LGA 1155’s and 16 LGA 1156
MotherBoard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe LGA 1155
Why? And things to consider…
• This was a tough one between the ASRock P67 EXTREME4, MSI P67A-GD65, and ASUS P8P67 DELUXE. I’ve used ASUS MB’s before….
• The dilemma of LGA 1155 vs. LGA 1156. On newegg.com right now (9/20/2011) there’s 222 1155’s and only 47 1156s MBs…
• Benchmarking against ibuypower.com and cyberpowerpc.com they are using GigaByte Z68 and Asuse Z68, but upgrades are for the Asus P8P67 and MSI P67A
Video Card: XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970
Why? And things to consider…
• Looks like AMD (ATI) is a better bang for your buck.
• Started with Tom’s Hardware (always with VC’s) – 2011 Gaming Graphics Charts, then “Index of Gamer Enthusiast”
o Most are SLI / Crossfire in the top.
o Usually the top 2 are out of the price range- HD 6990 and GTX590
• Then looked at HardOCP – HD 6970 and GTX 580 were top. HD 6950 and GTX 560 were #2
• Earlier research had me looking hard at the AMD Radeon HD 6870… but I’m worried I would want to upgrade this sooner then later…
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X + Turbulence II Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9D-8GBXLD
Why? And things to consider…
• From ASUS PBP67 memory standard : DDR3 2133/1866/1600 MHz frequency as default
• Always check the manufactures Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists) on RAM… you don’t want to be surprised.
• Do as a say, not as I do, I couldn’t find these on the QVL list on support.asus.com for this MB… keep your fingers crossed.
Hard Drive: SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive
Why? And things to consider…
• Solid State Drives are crazy fast. I had upgraded last year to at 32GB Corsair and was amazed at the speed. The limited space became quite a pain… hence the larger size. Note I’ll be keeping my 2 1TB data drives
• Started with maximumpc – OCZ Vertex 2 100GB is there recommend… but SATA II?
• Jumped over to TomsHardware – SSD Charts 2011. I used AS-SSD Overall Total Score. The OC Vertex is barely in the upper middle of the pack. One thing to notice is theres a big jump from upper middle to top. This is where you might find the cheapest top SSD. Note they all are SATA 6.
• Made sure the MB supports SATA 6.
OS: 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium
Why? And things to consider…
• Its time to make the 64 bit leap…
• Not sure why I need Ultimate… maybe an upgrade down the way.
• Since I’m a student I get the OS for free.
And here’s the summary:
Guts Price Shipping Item
Case recycle
Power supply recycle
Hard Drive - Data recycle
mouse recycle
monitor recycle
MotherBoard $ 215.00 $ 5.00 ASUS P8P67 Deluxe
CPU $ 300.00 $ - Core i7-2600 LGA 1155
RAM $ 160.00 $ - G.SKILL Ripjaws X + Turbulence II Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9D-8GBXLD
Hard Drive - OS $ 200.00 $ - SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (after $20 mail in rebate)
Video Card $ 320.00 $ - XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ( with $20 rebate)
Total (with shipping) $ 1,200.00
Right at $1,200.
Wish List (but had to cut it to stay under $1,200)
DVD / Blue Ray player: LG Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 10X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Super Multi WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEMWhy? And things to consider…
• This will be the first thing to cut to meet the budget, I can recycle my old DVD player…
• Good community reviews, good price
• I really want to move into using my PC for Blu-Ray, so why not…
NIC: VisionTek Killer 2100 128 MB DDR2 PCI Express Gaming
Why? And Things to consider…
• Does it really help your ping? Heck I’m a network geek, lets find out.
Ok, I haven’t made a SINGLE purchase- just wanted to get this post out.... I’m hitting Fry’s after work tomorrow, then I’ll go shopping- I’ll update then. Happy building!
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