My first time building a high end gaming PC.

[Demure]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to say hello and that I found this website to be very helpful and wanted to know if you could give me some tips on building my first gaming PC. I have helped others build PC's before so I won't be a total noob but I was hoping you guys could help me choose the hardware I should buy. I have $1,500 to spend on this project and any direction would be great! I haven't really been keeping tabs on the latest and best hardware to buy.

P.S. You can factor out the monitor because I already have one.

Thank's,
Demure

 

[Rob Williams]

First off, welcome to the forums!

$1,500 is a great price-point. The first thing I need to ask is... can you wait until the end of the month before jumping into a build? The reason is because Intel's new Quad-Core processors should be out by the end of the month and improve on current-gen processors all around.

My other question is.. what resolution do you plan to play games at, and how powerful do you want the machine to be? Do you want to have a GPU powerhouse and sacrifice some parts, or have it as well-rounded as possible?

 

[Demure]

First off, welcome to the forums!

$1,500 is a great price-point. The first thing I need to ask is... can you wait until the end of the month before jumping into a build? The reason is because Intel's new Quad-Core processors should be out by the end of the month and improve on current-gen processors all around.

My other question is.. what resolution do you plan to play games at, and how powerful do you want the machine to be? Do you want to have a GPU powerhouse and sacrifice some parts, or have it as well-rounded as possible?

Thank's for the welcome! Yes, I can wait until the end of the month I'm not in any paticular hurry. My usual resolution is 1152 x 864 and I want it to be as powerful as it can be for my price range because I plan on having this computer for a long while. As for the last question I'm not sure... What would benefit gaming more?

Right now I'm playing on quite an old rig. an AMD Athlon XP 1900+ 1.46Ghz. I have another question. Is overclocking hard? I've never done it before.

 

[NicePants42]

Overclocking is the easiest thing in the world nowadays with any halfway decent motherboard and an Intel Core2 CPU.

Forgive me for saying so, but your gaming resolution is pretty bad - maybe it'd be better to ask what the native resolution of your monitor is? (crosses fingers)

Since the 8800GT and 3870 were released, $1500 is plenty to get a great gaming experience at resolutions of 1920x1200 and up. Waiting until the end of the month for a better CPU should also allow you to choose from nVidia's latest refresh as well - if what I've read is true, it doesn't sound like we'll be seeing incredible performance gains, but lower power requirement and new silicon are never a bad thing.

 

[Demure]

Overclocking is the easiest thing in the world nowadays with any halfway decent motherboard and an Intel Core2 CPU.

Forgive me for saying so, but your gaming resolution is pretty bad - maybe it'd be better to ask what the native resolution of your monitor is? (crosses fingers)

Since the 8800GT and 3870 were released, $1500 is plenty to get a great gaming experience at resolutions of 1920x1200 and up. Waiting until the end of the month for a better CPU should also allow you to choose from nVidia's latest refresh as well - if what I've read is true, it doesn't sound like we'll be seeing incredible performance gains, but lower power requirement and new silicon are never a bad thing.

I really didn't think resolutions mattered for gameplay. The highest I can get on my monitor is 1280 x 1024 right now. I don't really know how getting higher resolutions work? Do you need a better monitor for higher res and what is Native Res?

 

[Demure]

Sorry. Double Post.

 

[b1lk1]

I really didn't think resolutions mattered for gameplay. The highest I can get on my monitor is 1280 x 1024 right now. I don't really know how getting higher resolutions work? Do you need a better monitor for higher res and what is Native Res?

What you need to know is the maximum resolution your monitor can handle. If you list the model of your monitor, it would help alot. Ideally, you'd want to run 1280X1024 or higher. I would personally make room in the budget for a better monitor if yours is old because technology has come so far that you would be depriving yourself the best possible gaming experience by using a 4+ year old monitor with a screaming fast new PC. You can easily build a very strong PC for $1200 or so and leave yourself $300 for a nice new 22" widescreen LCD that would rock your world.

 

[Rob Williams]

I agree with Nate and Bill wholeheartedly. You should invest in at least a 20" wide-screen display that's capable of 1680x1050... you will never look back.

The concepts are basic. On 1280x1024, there are 1,310,720 pixels available. Increasing the resolution increases the sharpness of the image on the screen. Bumping up to a larger monitor, like a 20" capable of 1680x1050 would increase your viewing-area to 1,764,000 pixels... allowing much more desktop space and even better-looking games.

Overall, the larger the resolution, the more stuff can fit on your screen. You will have a bigger desktop with much more room for anything you do. In the case of games, the higher the resolution, the sharper the game looks.

I couldn't recommend upgrading that monitor any more... you are using a resolution that was becoming outdated at the turn of the century (I know I was using 1280x1024 in 2001). So, you can make a budget for that separate, or increase the budget for the entire machine and include that monitor in there.

Let us know what it will be ;-)

*gives Demure no other options*

 

[Demure]

Thank's guys I guess I'm living in the prehistoric ages . My monitor is a LiquidVideo No: E19LCD1. I don't think it's that old of a monitor but if I have to get a new one then I will just dish out some extra money. BTW, Thank's for all the help. This place is very friendly.

 

[Rob Williams]

I haven't heard that monitor brand before... whereabouts did you purchase it? I don't doubt it's quality, but it's strange when I haven't heard of a monitor brand at all.

I assume your monitor is small, so just picture it taller and wider. You should go to some B&M store and take a look at their monitors there, and see the difference. Don't buy from there though, since you will only get hassled to up your purchase, purchase extra warranties that they won't honor, etc. Purchasing online is almost always the way to go.

 

[Demure]

I haven't heard that monitor brand before... whereabouts did you purchase it? I don't doubt it's quality, but it's strange when I haven't heard of a monitor brand at all.

I assume your monitor is small, so just picture it taller and wider. You should go to some B&M store and take a look at their monitors there, and see the difference. Don't buy from there though, since you will only get hassled to up your purchase, purchase extra warranties that they won't honor, etc. Purchasing online is almost always the way to go.

Doing a little research I found this from another forum: "CSR at a Circuit City store says that it is made by a company in Canada called "Nexx". Said also that the screen itself inside is made by Hitachi." My father got this for me about two years ago I think it was for a Christmas present. It look's like Circuit City sells these things exclusively. It's a 19inch LCD screen so do you think it will be good enough or do you recommend something better?

 

[NicePants42]

Thank's guys I guess I'm living in the prehistoric ages . My monitor is a LiquidVideo No: E19LCD1. I don't think it's that old of a monitor but if I have to get a new one then I will just dish out some extra money. BTW, Thank's for all the help. This place is very friendly.

The Google results suggest a generic panel distributed by Circuit City as early as 2004.

I'd say a good monitor is more important than a good video card any day of the week. With a cursory glance I see that Newegg's got some nice Samsung 22" panels for just under $300. I suggest you keep an eye on your favorite hot deals forum.

 

[Rob Williams]

You are using such a small resolution in such a large monitor... so I am guessing you like to have huge icons and text. Moving up to a 20" or 22" with 1680x1050 is going to be somewhat of a shock for you, since the icons and text will be a lot smaller. It only makes sense to upgrade, but just be warned in knowing that it will be a far different experience.

In general, you should always max out the resolution of any display you purchase. You said yours does 1280x1024... is there a reason you don't use it?

 

[Demure]

You are using such a small resolution in such a large monitor... so I am guessing you like to have huge icons and text. Moving up to a 20" or 22" with 1680x1050 is going to be somewhat of a shock for you, since the icons and text will be a lot smaller. It only makes sense to upgrade, but just be warned in knowing that it will be a far different experience.

In general, you should always max out the resolution of any display you purchase. You said yours does 1280x1024... is there a reason you don't use it?

Well the icons being really small is kind of annoying to me that's why I don't use it. Thank's for all the help regarding the monitor. I will pinch out some extra money to buy a new one. As for everything else what do you guys suggest for my budget? I hope I can really build a great gaming computer for $1,500.

 

[Rob Williams]

I am kind of strapped for time right now, but I can lay out the system I would buy for that price point later this evening.

As for small icons, you can increase the DPI settings for those on a larger monitor. If you are really uncomfortable with a larger resolution, you could turn it down during normal use, and increase it for gaming (since it looks far sweeter). But if you don't plan to use a high resolution at all, that will change how the system should be configured.

If you pass a B&M store, I still recommend checking one out and see how you like it. Chances are you will get used to the differences fast.

 

[Demure]

I am kind of strapped for time right now, but I can lay out the system I would buy for that price point later this evening.

As for small icons, you can increase the DPI settings for those on a larger monitor. If you are really uncomfortable with a larger resolution, you could turn it down during normal use, and increase it for gaming (since it looks far sweeter). But if you don't plan to use a high resolution at all, that will change how the system should be configured.

If you pass a B&M store, I still recommend checking one out and see how you like it. Chances are you will get used to the differences fast.

I will definitely be using the highest res I can from now on. I'm sure I can get use to it just fine. Thank's for all the help you have given me.

 

[Rob Williams]

Sorry for the slow response. Here's one system I built:

Intel Q6600 2.4GHz Quad-Core: ($255)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

ASUS P5K Deluxe (WiFi): ($195)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131182

eVGA 8800 GT: ($230)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130318

OCZ 4GB Reaper: ($95 After MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227284

Seagate 500GB 7200.11: ($120)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288

Lite-On DVD-RW x 2: ($50)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106228

Corsair 550W PSU: ($85 After MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

Antec P182 Chassis: ($140 After MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025&Tpk=Antec%2bP182

Once said and done, that system would cost $1,170 before taxes and shipping, and kicks ass. Now, the chassis is of course your decision... get what looks good, read reviews on it, and then go with it. I just happen to like the P182 because it's professional-looking and intuitive. Some people think it looks plain, though.

If you have cash left over, you could do a variety of things. You could put in a second hard drive, second video card (would require a different motherboard), or get a bigger power supply (550W is enough for this though, but a second GPU should have at least a 650W or higher).

If you plan on getting a fresh copy of Windows, you could just pick up an OEM version of Vista Home Premium... that should suffice:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Windows+Vista+Home+Premium+OEM&name=Microsoft

 

[Demure]

Awesome! Thank's a lot Rob you are amazzzingg *swoons*
Anyway, I think I may add the extra GFX card with the left over money and
of course buy that new monitor. As for Windows Vista I hear people have a lot
of problems with it but I'm guessing it's because they are running it on an older type computer.
I should really pick it up shouldn't I? Right now I'm using XP. What is the difference between
64-bit and 32-bit?

 

[NicePants42]

I should really pick it up shouldn't I? Right now I'm using XP. What is the difference between
64-bit and 32-bit?

XP is fine if you've already got a copy. If you need to buy a new OS, Vista's pretty much your only option for gaming.

64-bit operating systems can address more than ~3Gb of memory, so if you're planning to use 4gb, you'll probably want a 64-bit OS. Also, being able to process 64-bit commands should greatly increase software performance, provided that the software is written in 64-bit. Realistically, you probably won't see a difference because 32-bit software is still most common.

 

[Rob Williams]

Aye, like Nate said, the lone difference that most people will notice is the ability to use more than 3GB of RAM. It won't make a huge difference overall, but if you are planning to use the same copy of XP you have now, you could stick with it and see how you like it. Perhaps upgrade to Vista down the road at your convenience.

Make sure you get an SLI motherboard rather than the one I listed then. Anything with the 780i chipset should treat you well, but there are others as well. You could go old-school and pick up a 680i board, but it might be a good idea to stick with what's current.

So change the board, throw in a second GPU and you'll have a seriously powerful gaming machine.