Journey to Building a Budget Gaming Monster [Computer]

This is my starting Point 

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2580461&Sku=B69-1412

A few pages down, you can see my end point, Bowei has taken a screen shot from HP with the price they charged to build our Rig, and I'll get one from Dell [Alien Ware] with their price! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowei006 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.944720

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017&Tpk=600W%20OCZ

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.948276

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150521

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266

 

Da glory combo

 

 

and hahah guys  :) I would have been the same

 

$909 total remember that I included the $18 DVD drive in the total.

Indeed, your spot on. I have a good number of people tell me to get AsRock for SLI/CX but in all honesty, if I wanted to do that I would be buying a system on a whole other level. 

Still though [this is for my mom more than anything]

Let's take a look at other gaming pc's at the same price as mine 

 

Alienware X51
	Date   5/19/2012 3:55:39 PM Central Standard Time Catalog Number   29 Retail 19 Catalog Number / Description   Product Code   Qty   SKU   Id Alienware X51: Alienware X51   AAX51H   1   [225-2461]   1 Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English   W7HP61E   1   [331-4881][331-5149][420-9691][421-0092][421-4652][421-7589]   11 Processors: Intel® Core™ i3-2120 3.3GHz (3MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading Technology   AI32120   1   [317-8911]   2 Memory: 6GB (1x2GB, 1x4GB) DDR3 at 1333MHz   6G1332D   1   [317-8904]   3 Optical Drive: Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)   DVDRWRX   1   [318-1480]   16 Monitor: DELL UltraSharp™ U2212HMC 21.5" Monitor   U2212   1   [320-2733]   5 Keyboard: No Keyboard   NKYBD   1   [331-6350]   4 Mouse: No Mouse   NM   1   [330-6517]   12 Chassis Color: Matte Stealth Black with Dark Chrome Accents   MSB   1   [331-5150]   9 Video Card: 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545   GT545   1   [320-2928]   6 Hard Drive: 1TB SATA 3Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cache   1TBS   1   [342-3806]   8 Wireless: DW1502 Wireless-N WLAN Half Mini-Card   DW1502   1   [430-4478]   19 Adobe Reader Software: Adobe® Acrobat® Reader   AAREAD   1   [410-0547]   15 AlienFX: AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue   AXCQSBL   1   [313-8750]   14 Factory Installed Software: Steam and Portal™ Factory Installed   STMSW   1   [421-1443]   73 Hardware Support Services: 1 Year Basic Service Plan   S1OS   1   [421-1721][906-5260][935-6657][939-3911][950-3337][950-9797]   29 Power Supply: 240W External Power Supply   240WPS   1   [331-5844]   20

 

... let's analyze why the Mshenay/Bowei/Hybrid MONSTER, is better and cheaper

Notice the crummy little i3 processor for starters, next take a look at the 6gb of 1333mhz ram, in addition please note the HDD with only 32mb cache, also take note of the Last Gen gfx card... I couldn't even find a price for it!

Now let's see what it would cost to buy my system from Alien Ware! 

Well at $1208. I can get a Sandy Bridge i5, and 8gbs of 1333mhz ram, were getting close ^^ 

There's still the last gen Gpu in that $1200 one, as well as the slower HDD, well I went to the Auroa unit which starts at about $1500, it was a +63 dollar upgrade for the HD 6870 So it's about $1800 for a Quad core i7 with 8gb's of 1600mmhz Ram and that HD 6870 card, the only real improvement dell offers is that i7 Quad, 

[OMG I got a guy on LIVE CHAT TROLOLOLOLO time, I'm sure he'll catch on to me after a while but he's a good sport for offering his assitance]

So far, Alienware is about $800 more for the system we've built [-200 since I'm sure that CPU is expensive] 

Next is Digital Storm [I might actually post this some where elese later] 

They have an i5 3570 Ivy Bridge set for about 1299, much better than the AlienWare by far, and it has a much nicer Gpu [nicer than the one I'm getting]

So it's better than Alein Ware,

SO the point is, at the most exetreme my bare bones is a $750 pc that I could have paid around $1200 for. Hopefully my mom will get off my tail now -.-

Lastly, my step dad has Silver Thermal Paste [in fact I think he;s got the stuff you recommneded as it looks farmillar] 

My chat with teh Dell guy was enjoyable, he's knew a good bit

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowei006 

 

HP's have less quality but it is almost there. Yes the CPU is better but upgrading the CPU to that from the 3550 is not a lot.

 

Granted you will start seeing higher powered rigs but just know that they look like crap inside and burn and die like the crap they are.

Yea, I say we should make this thread the BUY THIS not THAT, with pictures. Yea buying from HP DELL and other reputable places is gonna cost you like $1500

Buying from paces like iBuyPower CyperPowerPc and Digital Storm will cost you about $1200

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowei006 

 

Oh and here is some experience. 

 

Mark down your temperatures. Idle and load for CPU, motherboard, and GPU. Further down the road you will(most) get to a point where the temps are making you a bit queasy and you need to refer back to when you first got it to see if it's too high or what happend or if it's supposed to be that hot. Happens to all of us really.

Good point I do need tips on maintance and cleaning for my new system, We've got some non carpeted area's in our house as well that would serve as a good place to clean it from time to time. Or I could just get a big Plastic mat on my floor so avoid the static when cleaning and yea a wrist band is a great thing to have! I'll proably get that Artict Stuff soon, [Post the link here again]

Exactly, save money have the fun of doing it yourself! Plus it's good to develop habits of checking and cleaning things. Maintance is the key to keeping any big purchase for a while q.Q 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowei006 

I forgot the OS for that build. It's $104 for the OS from them. So make that $1350 now :)

Indeed you did, why don't go also go ahead an repost your directions for applying thermal paste to the CPU/Heat sync while we are here as well as where you can find your Idle and Load temps

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowei006 

I didnt watch the video's but don't go crazy on the Thermal paste. There are instructions all over the net but bascically get a pea size drop on the center of the CPU's metalic top. Not the sides. Right on the center. Then with a flat business card spread it around and smooth it. Get within about 2mm from the edge on all sides. To do this make it nice and equal so a little square shape so there is a space of about 4mm from the side on all sides of the square. Then slowly move the paste and expand it so it reaches the 2mm point from the edge. Going and aiming for the 2mm point right at the get go for newbs makes them overshoot and push it off the edges(personal experience). My experiene shows that first make it ready and level at 4mm from the edge and then move it to the 2mm mark. Then instal the cooler! :) If your pea size drop is too small squeze a tiny bit more onto the card but don't overshoot. A THIN layer but not too thin is enough. 

 

 

 

 

You need an external program to do that. Well...it's arguable but a program bascically. It may come with Gigabyte's suite but they are all over the net. Real Temp, speed fan, etc etc. 

I've got a program call ed CPU-Z

and yea I'll watch the vids

Quote:

Originally Posted by RexAeterna 

building a computer is all color coordinated. so easy a monkey can do it. it's like legos for adults. what resolution do you plan on playing. just casual gaming? what do you want out of it? resolution and your preference is most important to get most out for your money.

Hey rex good to see you,

1920 x 1080 is the max res of the Monitor I'm getting, I've only played at this res once and that was 2 years ago with an OLD dell Laptop and it was cool as crap! So once again 1920x1080 will be much nicer than my current 1024x768

I'll be a casual gamer really. I'd like the best gfx I can get in al honesty but as I've said my current system lags with lowest, and I once played Vindictus [on low] at 32 fps with a laptop... so anything that can run ANY game at 60+fps on low is meh, but to be able to run 1920x1080 at Mid Level+ is what I aim for [and I'm confident this set up will do just that]

BOWEI, the interwebs video suggests that you use the "grain of Rice - Pea" size method... the guy just put on the Artic Silver in a small dot then stuck his Heatsink RIGHT ontop, he said that since the artic Silver is on the liquid size gravity and Burn-ins will distribute just fine!