Buying a new computer

PloxBox

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So, i've saved up roughly over $1500, and i'm in dire need of a new computer. Problem is, I'm not exactly tech savvy. My dream is to be able to play games like BF3 on Ultra settings. Could you guys possibly come up with a build for me?

I don't mind going up to say, $1700, i'd just need to get my next paycheck first.

I'd prefer it to be a desktop, but if you find a laptop that's just as great, awesome.
 
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Desktop will definitely get you the most for your money. Are you going to need peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse? Do you need a monitor (preference such as size)? Do you have the OS already or can you get it cheap (such as from a school)? Finally, how soon are you looking to purchase?

Also, a great store which has some awesome deals on the cpu/mobo I would recommend is Microcenter. Do you by any chance have one of these near you?
 
I have windows 7 home premium, I don't need a monitor, I could use a new mouse and keyboard, but it's not an absolute must. I dont know about the micro center, I'll check in the morning. I can hold out for a while, I need to see how my paychecks look when I start college ( less hours most likely). I'm guessing around Christmas time is when I'll get it.
 
I would really recommend building your own computer; you feel a great sense of accomplishment from it, you learn a valuable skill, you save a lot of money on assembly fees, and you get the best bang for your buck. It really isn't as hard as some people make it seem; it's literally plugging things in where they belong.

Here's a quick comparison of Prebuilt versus DIY:

Digital Storm is reputed to make very high end gaming machines, and here's one I found at your budget: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/compload550d.asp?id=676460#tab2

Here's a parts list I assembled that you can build yourself for a little more: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dt1e

Compare them and you'll see that everything on the DIY build is better, has room for upgrades/expansion, and you can even cut the price a bit by downgrading/getting rid of things you may not need, such as a soundcard.


Just food for thought...
 
We also need to know your experience when it comes to building computers. We understand that you want pretty much top of the line graphics & your price range, but what we really need to know is your preference. Do you prefer AMD over Intel? Are you wanting to get more than 1 video card so you can go SLI/ Crossfire? Are you wanting to get a sound card (yes believe it or not sound cards can make a difference in the gaming experience)? Also you need to make sure that your copy of Win7 Home Premium has both a 32-bit & a 64-bit version dvds. This would be known as the retail version. OEMs just give you 1 or the other. You will easily figure this out by the packaging. The fact that you already have Win7 will save ya some $$.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to hit us up. We want to make sure you have the most banging gaming machine for your buck! I personally wanna try & create a wishlist for you for around $1k & see whatcha think.
 
We also need to know your experience when it comes to building computers. We understand that you want pretty much top of the line graphics & your price range, but what we really need to know is your preference. Are you wanting to get more than 1 video card so you can go SLI/ Crossfire? Are you wanting to get a sound card (yes believe it or not sound cards can make a difference in the gaming experience)? Also you need to make sure that your copy of Win7 Home Premium has both a 32-bit & a 64-bit version dvds. This would be known as the retail version. OEMs just give you 1 or the other. You will easily figure this out by the packaging. The fact that you already have Win7 will save ya some $$.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to hit us up. We want to make sure you have the most banging gaming machine for your buck! I personally wanna try & create a wishlist for you for around $1k & see whatcha think.

I currently have an AMD, I've never owned an Intel. Which would you say is best for gaming, from your personal experience (I read that AMD usually is best for gaming, but i'd rather hear it from someone other then an online article)?
I have both the 32bit and 64 bit Windows 7 (came together). I'm not sure what SLI is, but I've heard of crossfire before, having something to do with maximizing performance in gaming.

And yes, please add a sound card, I would love to actually be able to hear the game.
 
I currently have an AMD, I've never owned an Intel. Which would you say is best for gaming, from your personal experience (I read that AMD usually is best for gaming, but i'd rather hear it from someone other then an online article)?
I have both the 32bit and 64 bit Windows 7 (came together). I'm not sure what SLI is, but I've heard of crossfire before, having something to do with maximizing performance in gaming.

And yes, please add a sound card, I would love to actually be able to hear the game.

AMD is a lower-end, budget CPU. Intel is far better if you can afford it. AMD CPUs tend to overheat a LOT unless you have a great aftermarket cooler+heatsink.

You're definitely going to want to use the 64-bit Version of Windows.

Intel's and AMD's methods of teaming multiple graphics cards are SLI and Crossfire, respectively. It's really expensive, and honestly, a single, decent GPU will usually do the job perfectly.

If you really want to get a prebuilt, here is a fantastic one:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229311


Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz 8MB L3 Cache

Memory: 16GB DDR3 1333 (4x4GB)

Hard Drive: 2TB SATA-III 7200RPM

Optical Drive 1: 24x DVD+/-R / +/-RW Dual Layer Drive

Graphics: Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 2GB VRAM

Audio: Sound card - Integrated

Ethernet: Onboard 10/100/1000 mbps

Power Supply: 1000 Watts

Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Case: NZXT Tempest 210
 
I would still choose my suggestion (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229311) over your friend's (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229323). His suggestion is okay, but I really think that the AMD FX series is utter garbage. No programs are really optimized for 8 cores yet, so the performace is meh. The Radeon 7850 is a great card, but it is outclassed by the GTX 680. Lastly (and the thing that worries me the most), the power supply on your friend's suggestion is only 700W. A power supply makes or breaks your computer. Why not go pro? 1000W ftw.
 
Well, the one emaster posted destroys the ones you linked to. AMD unfortunately cannot compete with intel's latest cpus, so the 3770k is about as good as it gets before you get to intels $550 plus monsters. The gtx 680 is also LIGHTYEARS ahead of the 7850. It even comes with more ram, though at a slightly slower speed, but even 8gb is overkill for most situations. Still, for all the extra you are getting, it is definitely worth the extra money. The case is not as nice, but that is something you can forgo to get the upgrades you would be receiving with the more expensive one which will last you a lot longer than the other unit.

As for the power supply, both the 700w and 1000w are likely to be junk oem units that ibuypower includes just as any other company (dell, hp, etc.) would include. They will not actually put out their rated wattages, but that is likely fine since the unit will not pull close to that amount.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229341

This would be another good option. Slightly cheaper as it uses a slightly slower cpu. However, the benefit of the more expensive cpu is lost on most users since few programs or games can benefit from 8 threads. 7970 is also comparable to the 680, though I think the 680 is the better card as well. Still a great build, though not as good of a deal as the other system.

I would actually just configure my own system from ibuypower:

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Intel_Z77_Core_i5_Configurator

This allows you to choose some better equipment for the price, especially a quality power supply.

Doing a quick configure with:

3570k cpu
asrock extreme 4 motherboard
2x4gb ddr3 1600 ram
120gb ssd
2tb 7200 hdd
750W corsair TX V2
gtx 670
CoolerMaster Haf 922

The addition of an ssd is a great upgrade which vastly speeds up the system in load times and responsiveness. The biggest single upgrade you can make to any system using a mechanical hard drive.

A gtx 670 and a 3570k really are all you will need for performance. The additional cost of the 3770k and 680 is not worth the increased performance.

The 750W TX V2 from corsair is a great unit that will be a HUGE improvement over the junk psu in those prebuilts on newegg. There is a reason that it costs $20 more than ibuypowers standard 1000w unit.

The motherboard is likely a big improvement with additional features such as more usb 3.0 ports and sli support. You may not need it, but it doesn't hurt to have. It also a better motherboard and highly recommended at its price point.

I put in a solid case, but the site gives you some decent options to choose from. Have a look at what peaks your interest. You could even go with a budget case like the NZXT Gamma which will shave another $40 off.

The way I configured it, it came in just over $1400.
 
I agree with pretty much everything huckleberry said, except maybe the case part. Cooler Master HAF series cases are great, but the 922 is a mid tower ATX, and those parts (specifically the gpu) are packed super close, which can lead to bad airflow, overheating, etc. It's better to get a full tower case, like the CoolerMaster HAF X or the HAF 932.
 
First off, soilingbasher1, please don't make a post for the sole purpose of promoting another thread.

Second, I would agree with what a couple of others have said and recommend building yourself. You have a much wider range of options for every component than what a site like CyberPower or iBuyPower would give you. And as emaster showed, you can get a lot more for less. Here's a rig I've come up with that I may end up going with. It does include monitor and keyboard, so it may end up being less than what the listed price is: http://www.overclock.net/lists/display/view/id/4458288. This should fit what you're looking for. Although I think if you have the money, for more a PSU with more juice than what I have here.
 
Compared to what I configured, when you factor in the price of windows 7 home premium, I've got a similar system at $1500 shipped buying the parts separate from newegg. Thus, ibuypower isn't actually that bad of a deal. And they do offer some specialized parts such as for mobo and psu. And these are actually quality parts that I would recommend regardless. So it isn't actually that bad of a deal. I wish they offered some better ssds, but even a cheaper ssd is a big upgrade.

Emasters original build with separate parts wasn't anything spectacular and had a really weak gpu with a likely wasteful cpu that will provide little real world benefit. It also comes in at over the price of the custom prebuilt I configured.

And Plox, as far as a sound card, you can include one with the custom configuring that I linked too, but it will likely make little real world difference. If you have a headset that is usb, it will make no difference at all. You also may not be aware that motherboards come with integrated audio so it isn't actually required.
 
Alright, i like what i'm seeing. Another friend mentioned this.

Case 1 x Chimera Inferno 4SE Gaming Case-Flame
Processor 1 x Intel? Core™ i5-3570K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/6MB L3 Cache)-Intel Core i5-3570K
Motherboard 1 x ASUS P8Z77-V LX
Memory 1 x 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module-Corsair or Major Brand - FREE Upgrade to G.Skill Ripjaws
Video Card 1 x AMD Radeon HD 7950 - 3GB - HIS IceQ - Cooler, Quieter-Single Card
Power Supply 1 x 750 Watt - Thermaltake TR2 TRX-750M-Free Upgrade to 850 Watt W0319RU ($20 Savings)
Processor Cooling 1 x Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1155]-Standard 120mm Fan
Video Card Brand 1 x Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA
Primary Hard Drive 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s-Single Drive**Free Upgrade to 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Single Drive**
Data Hard Drive None
2nd Optical Drive None
Optical Drive 1 x 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD?R/?RW + CD-R/RW Drive-Black
Sound Card 1 x 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Speaker System None
Network Card 1 x Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)
Monitor None
Keyboard 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Keyboard
Mouse 1 x iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Mouse-Blood Red
Operating System 1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel)-64-Bit
Warranty 1 x 3 Year Standard Warranty Service
Rush Service 1 x Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee)-No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days
Video Camera None
Meter Display None
Flash Media Reader / Writer None
2nd Monitor None
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion None
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None
USB Expansion None
Intel Smart Response Technology None
Case Engraving Service None
Subtotal $1,292.00
 
7950 is good, but not as good as the 670. They also charge more for the newer amd cards than the nvidia ones compared to the price difference you find on newegg. If bf3 is a main focus, then nvidia and the 670 are the way to go.

For mobo, I would upgrade to the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H. Better feature set which could be useful in the future.

PSU is better than the oem ones, but there is a reason I recommended corsair one. It is not even a comparison between the two.

Beyond that, it looks like an okay case was chosen if that is one you like.

And while your friend may not know about ssds, they are something you could never live without if you got one.
 
this is my setup that i would use

Feel free to give suggestions




Intel Core i7-2600K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 Ghz 8 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80623I72600K-intel -$289.99


Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B - Corsair -$89.99



ASUS LGA 1155 - Z68 - PCIe 3.0 and UEFI BIOS Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 LGA 1155 Motherboards P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 - Asus -$208.77



Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower Case with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (RC-932-KKN5-GP) - Coolermaster -$145.32



CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX 12V 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply - CMPSU-750TXV2 - Corsair
-$106.98



Arctic Silver 5 Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound Paste 3.5g - Halnzyie -$6.75



Corsair Cooling Hydro-Series All-in-One High-Performance Liquid CPU Cooler CWCH60 - Corsair -$60.24



Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB GDDR5 DVI-I/HDMI/2x Mini-Displayport PCI-Express Graphic Card GV-R795WF3-3GD - Gigabyte -$349.99



Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive - WD5000AAKX - Western Digital -$69.99



Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black) - Asus -$19.99



Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 - Logitech, Inc -$59.99



Razer Vespula Dual-Sided Gaming Mouse Mat (Dark Grey) - Razer USA -$27.99



Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700 - Logitech -$72.99

Subtotal: $1,508.98
 
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Coupons:

$5 off w/ promo code EMCNCGJ43, ends 8/6 for the ram

$15 off w/ promo code EMCYTZT1979, ends 8/2 For the case

70$ in male in rebates and then 20$ off in coupons if bought today.
 
@ soling: it looks like a nice build, minus the keyboard and mouse. I have those already. @ muffs: I won't be getting this computer for about 2 months, so I can't use those codes
 

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