Fox needs halp. Can you supply it? Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help me build a gaming rig! My price point is approximately 1200$USD, although I'm willing to spend a little more if it is worth it. I figure it is about time I had something, anything dedicated to gaming, especially since I haven't really bought any computer hardware for 2 years (except my 2tb external drive a year ago). I am going to need literally everything to build a computer - from the PSU to the thermal paste.
Requirements:Quad-core processor (at least i5, ivy bridge) 16gb RAM-ishShould not require special cooling rigI want a relatively small-to-mid sized tower -no behemoth that I can't move around if I wantWill need a monitor and keyboard/mouseDoesn't have to be cutting edge, but ought to be able to play recent games on high settingsI'm also plan on sort of using it as a NAS/server for streaming and maybe hosting some stuffI won't need to purchase an OS because I've got a Win7 Ultimate license.Seeing as I am terrible with hardware, I leave it up to you. Wander over to Newegg, and assemble parts that you think make the cut. Then we shall choose - via group consensus! Discussion and debate! All out brawling! Duels to the death! How you decide is up to you, just please help ;_;Sorry, derp. No money left over :<
So the rig I would build if I were to make a computer ended up being around $1,400 before adding a case or an optical drive (windows disk?). So I went back in and cut some costs and came up with this:
CPUGPUMemoryMoboStorage DriveOS DrivePSUCaseOptical DriveSo the case I just threw in there as a point of reference for cost. That's really the most personal choice you can make with your rig, so that should be something you choose. Antec is just a brand I personally like. This totals out to $1,209.91 (before tax I believe), and it's just the box itself. I'll probably poke around with it some more and see if I can include the monitor and peripherals for a similar cost.Edit:Also, I personally like AMD GPUs, but I most people I come across seem to prefer nVidia (which is why I put an nVidia card on the list). Meh, at least you get PhysX.They can also have poor ventilation. I can kind of understand where you're coming from though, as a full tower can be a pain to transport or even move from one side of the room to another.
I've done my fair share of mucking around with the internals, but it has been a while.
I'm not looking for something overpowered, and am willing to sacrifice a portion of power for a smaller form factor. That being said, I only desire a smaller form factor - if I can't get what I want in the size I want, I'm willing to step it up. A case along the lines that TDOT posted is acceptable in size. I mean, I'd love to have a tower with a case sized similar to this but I know I'm going to have difficulty fitting it all inside.My problem in selecting all of this stuff is I don't know how to check to make sure that it actually fits AKA compatibility.I got this from someone on the 64d facebook page: pcpartpicker.com
It only lets you pick parts that are compatible with each other - aka no ATX w/ microATX case or power supplies that won't have enough cables for your parts.It also checks out online retailers to make sure you get the best price for that part.That's how I built my budget rig for under 600.http://pcpartpicker.com/p/BSc2
That would be my build for you, in your price range with all of the parts you need.Edit: DesertFox, do you have a linkedin?@sirxemic - that, I rather expected. I was speaking more along the lines of 'how do you tell if it physically fits', moreso aimed at the case/psu/mobo/gfx-card aggregate.
@Acid - alas, no linkedin. I'm curious as to why you asked?Also, slight note I already have Win7 Ultimate (currently installed as dual-boot on my macbook), so an OS purchase is not necessary.Edit: Acid that site is incredibly useful. I think once more people suggest parts, I'll assemble a list of likely candidates and see what I can Frankenstein/blend together. I'll definitely get multiple opinions on any build before I actually purchase, of course.I just wanted to add some people I see as professional networking opportunities.
You seem to be doing pretty well, and I'm impressed with the work you do at your job.Also, I have the Asus DVD drive he picked and it's fantastic. You don't need more than that unless you want a bluray player.I'm honored! I don't have a linkedin, but I'm decently well placed in the mobile world. Also, Forbes recently ranked our company as being the #61 of the Top 100 Most Promising Companies :D
If you're ever looking to get into the mobile world, I would be happy to try and find an entry point.Alrighty, some poking and prodding, and here is what I have. I modified Acid's list to fit in a different tower. I like the cubic shape because it is more stable gravitationally.
Feel free to shred my dreams and tell my why that rig is terrible :DAlso I know nothing about the various GPUs anymore, so that's just one I picked because it seems reasonable (and I like ATI).