Please TWEAK - Gaming rig <$1000

Y

Yoma44

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
132
I'm going for a gaming rig/photoshopping PC that is on a low-mid budget.

Someone else very kindly suggested this build from a different forum, but I'd like to bat the idea around in here before pulling the trigger. I'm also interested in case ideas. I hear Lian Li is good, though I don't know much about the brand. I like slim stylish stuff, but if I have to work in a case I don't like getting my hands cut and cramped.

Some changes: This was based on an $800 budget including the case. What if I bumped that up to $1000? I'm also probably going to pay a local PC shop to assemble it for me unless it's really a snap to do.

(I just ordered a DoubleSight DS-263N monitor from newegg)

$120 (-$20 MIR) Gigabyte EP35-DS3R
$84 4GB DDR2 800
$60 (-$30 MIR) 430W Antec
$60 250GB hard drive
$24 DVD burner
$130 Intel E7200
$140 (-$20 MIR) Geforce 9600 GT
$100 Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit

Subtotal: $718
Shipping: Would be around $12.
MIR: -$70
Grand Total: $660. Now just pick out a case.​

Games to Play:
WoW
Diablo 3
Crysis
Age of Conan
StarCraft II

Apps to run:
Photoshop
Painter
Sometimes Maya
 
The Corsair VX 450w Power Supply ($71 - $15 MIR + FREE Shipping) would be a much better power supply.

The Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM is a faster drive, as it uses the new 320GB platter.

The Samsung S203N is a very good drive, and much quieter than the Lite-On (which is a good drive, but loud).

The VisionTek 900241 Radeon HD 4850 512MB ($190) is more expensive than a 9600GT, but will run rings around it, and last much longer for playing future games. You'll get MUCH better framerates in some of your current games, too.

As for cases, I like Antec (as you can see from my sig).
 
tisb0b said:
Get the $100 Corsair VX550W: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004 that will give you some extra flexibility in the future as well as being a higher quality PSU.

Spend an extra $20 and get a Samsung 500gb hard drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152098&Tpk=samsung+500gb

For longevity I'd spend the extra cash and get a 4850 as it runs rings around the 9600GT and for those games you'll need the extra power.

Rest looks ok to me.
Click to expand...
Definitely swapped in the 500gb HDD and also put in the Corsair Power.

Do I need a cooling unit?

As for the Radeon 4850 -- I have a superstitious resistance to getting an ATI card based on some past experiences. Is it a close call here? What would be the nVidia equal? I wouldn't mind spending another 50 to 100 to get a stable, long lasting card.
 
Yoma44 said:
Definitely swapped in the 500gb HDD and also put in the Corsair Power.

Do I need a cooling unit?

As for the Radeon 4850 -- I have a superstitious resistance to getting an ATI card based on some past experiences. Is it a close call here? What would be the nVidia equal? I wouldn't mind spending another 50 to 100 to get a stable, long lasting card.
Click to expand...

The Radeon 4850 is a great card, the only card "equal" to it would be Nvidia 9800GTX but in most cases the 4850 is superior to it. Because currently for new video cards ATI is the only option atm.

For any modest overclock the intel stock cooler should be fine as you can get away with undervolting it.
 
After reading a little more, some people say that in the next couple weeks ATI would release the 4850X2 which may drop the price in the 4850 or 4870. So maybe I should revisit the idea of the graphics card then?
 
Yoma44 said:
After reading a little more, some people say that in the next couple weeks ATI would release the 4850X2 which may drop the price in the 4850 or 4870. So maybe I should revisit the idea of the graphics card then?
Click to expand...

Its a 4870X2 and I doubt it will greatly affect the prices of the 4850 or the 4870.
 
I thought there was a 4850X2 as well? ok

About ATI cards:
Are they as compatible with Intel chipsets as nVidia cards are?
Are they good for 3D apps like Maya, or 2D Photoshop, and Corel Painter?
 
Yoma44 said:
I thought there was a 4850X2 as well? ok

About ATI cards:
Are they as compatible with Intel chipsets as nVidia cards are?
Are they good for 3D apps like Maya, or 2D Photoshop, and Corel Painter?
Click to expand...

Any motherboard with 1 pci x16 slot will handle either brand of card. When you run SLI you've got to use an nvidia chipset although crossfire works with intel chipsets which is irrelevant here.

I honestly don't see why they wouldn't be and those apps are more cpu dependant than anything else.
 
2 Months later---
Does this build still look good? I never came to a decision before, so I'm still looking. Plus I was wondering if anything else would have come out to change things.

I'm thinking of revisiting this idea. The problem is I also like the MAC interface for organizing (iCal, Omnifocus, etc), so I wish I could have the best of both worlds here. Not sure what can be done about that. I'm thinking of maybe getting a nice gaming setup and then getting a mac mini or something with a switch.
 
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