Tips for building a Gaming PC ~1200$ budget

[jonathan1107]

I'm thinking I might go with this case:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_631&item_id=061602

obviously I'd have to change the mobo for a mini-itx one...
I'm trying to figure out which way would be the best for CPU cooling with that case. Would it be with a big heatsink and a fan? if so, which FAN config? Fan pulling or fan pushing?
through side or top?

 

[GhostRyder]

about the cheaper mobo: do u mean that with that mobo it would be "impossible" to overclock or just that the mobo doesn't have any "overclock pre-sets" ? like boost mode or whatnot?
I'm not familiar with the mobo "needing to be unlocked"... isn't the CPU the one that needs to be unlocked in order to overclock?
(K-processors that is...) usually, a non-"K" processor can't be overclocked and a "K" processor can ... correct?

Normally it has gone like this with Intel, if you wanted to overclock a CPU you need a z series board. You needed a combination of both to do some overclocking. Recently with the inclusion of the new Pentium Anniversary some of the lower chipset boards were unlocked by manufacturers, however not all were done and it was supposed to be for the anniversary chip. I would not recommend even if you could because they won't handle the higher wattage very well.

 

[jonathan1107]

Still a few questions about the prodigy case:

obviously I'd have to change the mobo for a mini-itx one...
I'm trying to figure out which way would be the best for CPU cooling with that case. Would it be with a big heatsink and a fan? if so, which FAN config? Fan pulling or fan pushing?
through side or top?

--- If I were to go with an all in one liquid cooler (dual radiator mounted beneath the top end of the case) then I wouldn't have ROOM for a Disc Drive correct? (at least that's the conclusion I've drawn from watching videos and pictures)

So if I wanted a disc drive, I would either have to go with a single radiator/fan config or just a big Heatsink/Fan config Correct ??

 

[jonathan1107]

And how much performance drop can I expect from going with this GPU instead of the gtx 460?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125491&cm_re=r9_270-_-14-125-491-_-Product

 

[GhostRyder]

Still a few questions about the prodigy case:

obviously I'd have to change the mobo for a mini-itx one...
I'm trying to figure out which way would be the best for CPU cooling with that case. Would it be with a big heatsink and a fan? if so, which FAN config? Fan pulling or fan pushing?
through side or top?

--- If I were to go with an all in one liquid cooler (dual radiator mounted beneath the top end of the case) then I wouldn't have ROOM for a Disc Drive correct? (at least that's the conclusion I've drawn from watching videos and pictures)

So if I wanted a disc drive, I would either have to go with a single radiator/fan config or just a big Heatsink/Fan config Correct ??

The Bitfenix prodigy can support a top mounted 120mm-240mm Radiator however if you do a 240mm you cannot have a dvd Drive. I have built a couple machines in the past in that case and honestly its an easy case to work with. If you do something like an H80i for instance you will get great overclocking (Probably 4.5ghz on whichever chip) and you can have a CD drive.

And how much performance drop can I expect from going with this GPU instead of the gtx 460?
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125491&cm_re=r9_270-_-14-125-491-_-Product

I am assuming you meant GTX 760, well the R9 270 and 270X are very much alike. The major difference is that the 270X are higher binned chips that allow for higher overclocks and start at a higher core clock. Comparing a 270X to a GTX 760 comes to about a 5-10% performance difference depending on the title while a R9 270 is about 10-15% depending on the title. Still one of the best value cards on the market overall for a 1080p screen.

Depends on how much of the budget, if your looking to save on room I can suggest this card which they also have in both flavors of cards your looking at. Good space savers and great video cards.

 

[jonathan1107]

The Bitfenix prodigy can support a top mounted 120mm-240mm Radiator however if you do a 240mm you cannot have a dvd Drive. I have built a couple machines in the past in that case and honestly its an easy case to work with. If you do something like an H80i for instance you will get great overclocking (Probably 4.5ghz on whichever chip) and you can have a CD drive.


I am assuming you meant GTX 760, well the R9 270 and 270X are very much alike. The major difference is that the 270X are higher binned chips that allow for higher overclocks and start at a higher core clock. Comparing a 270X to a GTX 760 comes to about a 5-10% performance difference depending on the title while a R9 270 is about 10-15% depending on the title. Still one of the best value cards on the market overall for a 1080p screen.

Depends on how much of the budget, if your looking to save on room I can suggest this card which they also have in both flavors of cards your looking at. Good space savers and great video cards.

no I'm not looking at saving room with a smaller graphics card.
I'm trying to chip away some $$$ because with my current rig setup, I go beyond the planned budget a bit...

That's why I was considering the R9 270 at 209$ instead of gtx 760 at 279$. This said tho... I really don't like AMD for graphics card lol... but since its not for me but for my friend... maybe he won't be dissapointed the way I was... he doesn't have my perfectionism character traits lol...

As for the case, it'd be tempting to sacrifice the Optical Drive knowing almost everything is now digital ... but he'll probably want a disc drive so...
I'm prob gonna go push pull config with 1x radiator if that is possible. What would you advise for lighting in the case??
I intend to use green lighted fans... (some are transparent with LED, others are Black Frames with LED green light)
As for lights, some are cathod lights, others are LED strips with lights in em...
any advise on how to set up a decent looking evening lighting effect (green that is of course)

Trick question here:

Which is better:

A) i5 4460 with gtx 760?
or
B) i5 4690k Overclocked at 4.5 ish ghz with R9 270 ?

 

[LaytonJnr]

Hello,

I hope to answer some of your questions in a bit, but here's a suggested case which in my opinion has better compatibility with high-end parts than the Prodigy, and still lets you use a green m-ATX Gigabyte motherboard.

http://www.aerocool.com.tw/index.php/chassis/ds/78-case/ds/1186-dead-silence-green-edition-gallery

Thoughts?

Layton

 

[GhostRyder]

no I'm not looking at saving room with a smaller graphics card.
I'm trying to chip away some $$$ because with my current rig setup, I go beyond the planned budget a bit...

Ah I see

That's why I was considering the R9 270 at 209$ instead of gtx 760 at 279$. This said tho... I really don't like AMD for graphics card lol... but since its not for me but for my friend... maybe he won't be dissapointed the way I was... he doesn't have my perfectionism character traits lol...

I'll let that comment slide...

You can get a 270x for 200 and a 270 for 180. The one I showed you (the msi tiny one was 189 and comes with a higher stock clock.

As for the case, it'd be tempting to sacrifice the Optical Drive knowing almost everything is now digital ... but he'll probably want a disc drive so...
I'm prob gonna go push pull config with 1x radiator if that is possible. What would you advise for lighting in the case??
I intend to use green lighted fans... (some are transparent with LED, others are Black Frames with LED green light)
As for lights, some are cathod lights, others are LED strips with lights in em...
any advise on how to set up a decent looking evening lighting effect (green that is of course).

H80i would work fine, I had a decent amount of clearance with an h100i from the motherboard. As for fans I can say I like my sickleflow fans. For lighting I'm guessing first of all your getting the green prodigy with a side view? If so assuming you get the side view I would say if you want a darker look get led strips over cathodes because generally my cathodes give off a lot more light. You maybe better off just doing a good number of green led fans and rolling with the green glow.

If you want to do strips, get Velcro strips because they allow for easy swapping and removal if need be and are tough.

Trick question here:

Which is better:

A) i5 4460 with gtx 760?
or
B) i5 4690k Overclocked at 4.5 ish ghz with R9 270 ?

Depends, if were talking sheer performance at the moment then A. If were talking about which will last longer and be better for expansion B. Personally I would select Option B as having a strong CPU is a good way to guarantee a machine will last for quite some time especially the way things are going.

 

[RCoon]

Double post, triple post, QUADRA POST, M-M-M-MONSTERRRR POST

I'll say it before a mod comes in here and gets mad at you. Use the edit button, instead of posting 4 posts in quick succession

 

[jonathan1107]

Double post, triple post, QUADRA POST, M-M-M-MONSTERRRR POST

I'll say it before a mod comes in here and gets mad at you. Use the edit button, instead of posting 4 posts in quick succession

Ok lol.
Sorry bout that. All my questions have been answered. Thank you guys very much !

 

[jonathan1107]

Ok guys, Just spoke with my friend, we ordered everything but we found out his monitor is not HD.

So do you guys have suggestions for a gaming 27inch monitor?
1x 60hz and 1z 120hz so we can compare prices.

He also needs a 5.1 speaker setup for gaming. I don't know much about PC 5.1 kits

EDIT: Can he use a 5.1 surround speaker kit on this mobo:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128674
??

or does he need a soundcard?

 

[LaytonJnr]

Ok guys, Just spoke with my friend, we ordered everything but we found out his monitor is not HD.

So do you guys have suggestions for a gaming 27inch monitor?
1x 60hz and 1z 120hz so we can compare prices.

He also needs a 5.1 speaker setup for gaming. I don't know much about PC 5.1 kits

EDIT: Can he use a 5.1 surround speaker kit on this mobo:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128674
??

or does he need a soundcard?

I personally think 1080p loses quality above 24in, and the build we suggested is perhaps better for a 1080p resolution. Would you rather we suggest 24in 1080p 60/120Hz for better pixel density?

Also, I think there is no need to have a 5.1 Surround setup for gaming, but your friend may just want one for the novelty. I prefer using headphones, but that motherboard comes with 8 channel audio, so in theory should be compatible, but I don't really do speaker setups.

Layton

 

[jonathan1107]

I personally think 1080p loses quality above 24in, and the build we suggested is perhaps better for a 1080p resolution. Would you rather we suggest 24in 1080p 60/120Hz for better pixel density?

Also, I think there is no need to have a 5.1 Surround setup for gaming, but your friend may just want one for the novelty. I prefer using headphones, but that motherboard comes with 8 channel audio, so in theory should be compatible, but I don't really do speaker setups.

Layton

You are indeed correct

We decided to opt for a gaming headset, the Tiamat from Razer (7.1 true surround)
we also got the naga mmo wireless mouse and the mouse pad (vespula) along with the razer mechanical keyboard (he went over his budget lol)

And he's sticking to his 27inch monitor idea. We could indeed go 120hz but I think the GPU we are shooting for won,t always push the frames so... and he's not that much into 3d... so I went for an asus 2ms monitor...

I'm down to the last piece we need to order, the wi-fi network card. he needs one cause he'll be in the basement (away from the router)
any recommandations for a good wi-fi network card? or other solution you'd recommend?

 

[GhostRyder]

You are indeed correct

We decided to opt for a gaming headset, the Tiamat from Razer (7.1 true surround)
we also got the naga mmo wireless mouse and the mouse pad (vespula) along with the razer mechanical keyboard (he went over his budget lol)

And he's sticking to his 27inch monitor idea. We could indeed go 120hz but I think the GPU we are shooting for won,t always push the frames so... and he's not that much into 3d... so I went for an asus 2ms monitor...

I'm down to the last piece we need to order, the wi-fi network card. he needs one cause he'll be in the basement (away from the router)
any recommandations for a good wi-fi network card? or other solution you'd recommend?

Unless your grabbing a real high card, 120hz is wasted because hitting it is hard even for the highest cards (well and being stable at least). My advice is to grab a good asus 24-28inch LCD IPS panel with a low response time 3 and below.

For wifi, it depends how much you want to spend. A good dual band will ensure max wifi speeds and range so long as it is a good brand.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...320181&cm_re=Wifi_card-_-33-320-181-_-Product

That one is a very good one for a gamer, I've seen one at a LAN party and it seemed pretty good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...127460&cm_re=Wifi_card-_-33-127-460-_-Product

Here is one that would be a better price. One thing though is depending on how far from the router he is (or how much concrete/wood there is) he may need some better antennas.

 

[jonathan1107]

Unless your grabbing a real high card, 120hz is wasted because hitting it is hard even for the highest cards (well and being stable at least). My advice is to grab a good asus 24-28inch LCD IPS panel with a low response time 3 and below.

For wifi, it depends how much you want to spend. A good dual band will ensure max wifi speeds and range so long as it is a good brand.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...320181&cm_re=Wifi_card-_-33-320-181-_-Product

That one is a very good one for a gamer, I've seen one at a LAN party and it seemed pretty good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...127460&cm_re=Wifi_card-_-33-127-460-_-Product

Here is one that would be a better price. One thing though is depending on how far from the router he is (or how much concrete/wood there is) he may need some better antennas.

thank you very much

 

[rtwjunkie]

I'm down to the last piece we need to order, the wi-fi network card. he needs one cause he'll be in the basement (away from the router) any recommandations for a good wi-fi network card? or other solution you'd recommend?

Since you asked for any other solution, I'm going to suggest that no matter how good the wifi, it will never reach the speed (and I would argue now, the streaming reliability without interference) of a good gigabit speed LAN. Since he's in the basement, logically a small hole in the floor from the router would allow for connection by CAT 5 or 6 cable.

I know my suggestion would be in the minority, since wireless is all the rage, but if you take a little time, you can nicely wire connections throughout the house for better reliability and speed.

 

[RCoon]

Since you asked for any other solution, I'm going to suggest that no matter how good the wifi, it will never reach the speed (and I would argue now, the streaming reliability without interference) of a good gigabit speed LAN. Since he's in the basement, logically a small hole in the floor from the router would allow for connection by CAT 5 or 6 cable.

I know my suggestion would be in the minority, since wireless is all the rage, but if you take a little time, you can nicely wire connections throughout the house for better reliability and speed.

Alternatively, Powerline Adapters can be used. I get my 84Mb broadband over my Powerline units up stairs and into my bedroom.

You are indeed correct

We decided to opt for a gaming headset, the Tiamat from Razer (7.1 true surround)
we also got the naga mmo wireless mouse and the mouse pad (vespula) along with the razer mechanical keyboard (he went over his budget lol)

And he's sticking to his 27inch monitor idea. We could indeed go 120hz but I think the GPU we are shooting for won,t always push the frames so... and he's not that much into 3d... so I went for an asus 2ms monitor...

Sounds like your friend is more interested in looks and big numbers than actual performance of anything at all

 

[rtwjunkie]

Alternatively, Powerline Adapters can be used. I get my 84Mb broadband over my Powerline units up stairs and into my bedroom.

Yes, you are quite correct! I forgot all about Powerline Adapters being a great alternative.

 

[jonathan1107]

Yup originally that young man asked me to build him a 1500$ budget PC (including the monitor) so ... 1200$ for the PC...
And we end up with a 2.3k$+ build lol...

We'v went Black and Green theme like crazy...

Again, thanks for all the help

 

[LaytonJnr]

Yup originally that young man asked me to build him a 1500$ budget PC (including the monitor) so ... 1200$ for the PC...
And we end up with a 2.3k$+ build lol...

We'v went Black and Green theme like crazy...

Again, thanks for all the help

You're welcome. I hope your friend is pleased

Layton

 

[micropage7]

Yup originally that young man asked me to build him a 1500$ budget PC (including the monitor) so ... 1200$ for the PC...
And we end up with a 2.3k$+ build lol...

We'v went Black and Green theme like crazy...

Again, thanks for all the help

yeah you can spend all of that if you buy all the highest, but building a pc is return to what you need
so know what you need first

 

[jonathan1107]

Quick question about the mobo. I got he G1Sniper B5 mobo.
It says it supports 7.1 surround sound...
I got the Tiamat 7.1 Headset (from Razer) for my friend. And we've started hooking up everything... But the Tiamat is analog... and the mobo doesn'T have enough audio jacks to support the 7.1 sound... I,m confused here...

Do I need to purchase a soundcard?

 

[Arjai]

Plug it in and listen.

 

[GhostRyder]

Quick question about the mobo. I got he G1Sniper B5 mobo.
It says it supports 7.1 surround sound...
I got the Tiamat 7.1 Headset (from Razer) for my friend. And we've started hooking up everything... But the Tiamat is analog... and the mobo doesn'T have enough audio jacks to support the 7.1 sound... I,m confused here...

Do I need to purchase a soundcard?

I am confused because looking at the board it comes with the standard 5 gold jacks for surround Analog...

Or am I looking at the wrong board and wrong Headset because according to Razer there are 5 3.5mm jack hookups and the board has 5 as well?

 

[jonathan1107]

I am confused because looking at the board it comes with the standard 5 gold jacks for surround Analog...

Or am I looking at the wrong board and wrong Headset because according to Razer there are 5 3.5mm jack hookups and the board has 5 as well?

The mobo indeed has 5x jacks...

1 for the front speakers
1 for the mic
1 for a LINE IN
1 for the center/sub channel
1 for the rear channels

the 1x LINE IN should be SIDE SURROUNDs instead...

mischose my mobo I guess... no biggie tho... my friend just gonna use 5.1 instead I guess. Otherwise he'll get a soundcard..