Buying a gaming rig

[Floyd]

Just for giggles, I took a kind of low-mid range build they had...this one to be exact: [URL]http://www.digitalstormonline.com/compload300R.asp?id=676262&price=%241%2C397[/URL] and compared prices for the same (exact same on most items) parts with what Newegg was charging. To be honest, I was quite surprised.....

While this is not necessarily precisely the exact rig that I would recommend, I was trying to see find one that was close to the price and feature range of the one in your OP. Its not a bad rig, tbh. But what surprised me was how close to the "build your own" price they were.

For example (all US $ from New Egg):
Exact CPU: $229
Exact M/B: $129
comparable memory: $54
Exact Power supply: $139
Comparable hard drive:$ 90
Comparable DVD: $20
gtx 6660Ti: $300
Comparable water cooler: $80
Windows 7 Home premium OEM version: $100
Exact Case: $80

Add it all up and you come up with: $1221
The comp from Digital Storm: $1397
Only $175 difference..... I was surprised
Probably have to add shipping to that as well.

I'm not endorsing Digital Storm. I know nothing about them or their computers. I was just curious......

 

[=GG= Mr Moe]

Just for giggles, I took a kind of low-mid range build they had...this one to be exact: [URL]http://www.digitalstormonline.com/compload300R.asp?id=676262&price=%241%2C397[/URL] and compared prices for the same (exact same on most items) parts with what Newegg was charging. To be honest, I was quite surprised.....

While this is not necessarily precisely the exact rig that I would recommend, I was trying to see find one that was close to the price and feature range of the one in your OP. Its not a bad rig, tbh. But what surprised me was how close to the "build your own" price they were.

For example (all US $ from New Egg):
Exact CPU: $229
Exact M/B: $129
comparable memory: $54
Exact Power supply: $139
Comparable hard drive:$ 90
Comparable DVD: $20
gtx 6660Ti: $300
Comparable water cooler: $80
Windows 7 Home premium OEM version: $100
Exact Case: $80

Add it all up and you come up with: $1221
The comp from Digital Storm: $1397
Only $175 difference..... I was surprised
Probably have to add shipping to that as well.

I'm not endorsing Digital Storm. I know nothing about them or their computers. I was just curious......

Actually that is interesting. Didn't think it would be so close.

Still, with all the options available with building your own, I'm sure you can find specials on similar items that would lower the costs even more.

 

[mouseM]

Isn't building computer too hard for someone who doesn't know anything about that?

 

[YoYoBatty]

Built my own last year around christmas. Specs:
Win 7 Pro
16gb DDR3 RAM by GSkill (4x4gb)
i5-2500k 3.3ghz, turboboost to 4.2ghz on stock cooler (this processor has ****ing unbelievable overclocking capabilities)
2x XFX Radeon 6850's in Crossfire (btw, SLI is for Nvidia cards, Crossfire is for AMD cards)
1tb 7200rpm HDD
120gb SSD
750 Watt PSU
Coolermast CM 690 II Case
P8 Z68-V Pro Motherboard

 

[=GG= Mr Moe]

Isn't building computer too hard for someone who doesn't know anything about that?

It could be.

You can get comfortable with it a bit by replacing parts or adding new hardware to an existing computer. If you can't handle that, best just to buy one.

 

[mouseM]

I think i have to do it. My PC is very old and nowadays - if you want to play some new games, you have to have the newest computer.

 

[GRIZZLY]

Bought a computer from Digital Storm. Just arrived here today. It's a beast of a machine*, and seeing the way they wired everything - I would have NEVER been able to do it on my own. I feel safe knowing that I spent a few hundred extra dollars to save the headaches of building it, get professional assembly, a warranty, and access to American based customer service.

If I have a negative experience, I'll post it in here... but for now I'm stoked Ro2 is about 70% downloaded - I'll see you all out there :IS2:

* i5 3750k - overclocked to 4.2
ASUS P8Z77-V LX (Intel Z77 Chipset)
8GB DDR3 1600MHz Corsair Vengeance Series
600W Corsair GS
1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB
and 4 big *** fans that run quiet as a mouse

 

[Gudenrath]

My gfx card violently died on me a couple of days ago (it took my PCI adapter with it in death). And since my rig is several years out of date (I had to run RO2 on below medium video settings), I have decided to build a new one, using the cabinet of my old one, roughly based on the equivalent of a "gamer unit" rig I have seen for sale.

My old cabinet is a microATX so I had to conform the parts to that, and I unfortunately don't have unlimited funds, so it's going to be an i7 intel CPU, with a MB with DDR3 slots so my 8GB ram can be re-used. The gfx card will be a geforce GTX 680. I have lots of HD space so they will be reused.

The only problem is that I recently purchased the Windows 8 upgrade license, and that can't be installed unless an older version of Windows is present on the HD. I am hoping I can find an old XP dvd I have laying around somewhere to make a basic install and then upgrade it to Windows 8.

 

[Floyd]

Bought a computer from Digital Storm. Just arrived here today. It's a beast of a machine*, and seeing the way they wired everything - I would have NEVER been able to do it on my own. I feel safe knowing that I spent a few hundred extra dollars to save the headaches of building it, get professional assembly, a warranty, and access to American based customer service.

If I have a negative experience, I'll post it in here... but for now I'm stoked Ro2 is about 70% downloaded - I'll see you all out there :IS2:

* i5 3750k - overclocked to 4.2
ASUS P8Z77-V LX (Intel Z77 Chipset)
8GB DDR3 1600MHz Corsair Vengeance Series
600W Corsair GS
1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB
and 4 big *** fans that run quiet as a mouse

Well?
How do you like it?

Awsome graphics in RO2 aren't they?

 

[GRIZZLY]

Well?
How do you like it?

Awsome graphics in RO2 aren't they?

Totally awesome... totally smooth with everything on Ultra :IS2:

 

[Gudenrath]

Totally awesome... totally smooth with everything on Ultra :IS2:

Nice. I am looking forward to that as well. That and seeing foilage for the first time.

 

[Cyper]

I bought my computer for roughly 1576,29 U.S dollars in June 2012. I simply went to my local microshop (any other will do) and spoke to them and gave them a paper of the components, and then they ordered all the parts and built it together. Luckily, many of the parts I wanted was already in stock. Other parts were changed.

This is was my custom computer plan. I spoke to a guy at BIS board and he helped me with it. He recomended parts and I looked them up on the internetz. Maybe you could do something similar. Talk to an expert (e.i not me) and search the net for cheap parts. Now these specs are not identical to the ones that I have now. Certain things were changed for various reasons. For instance, microshop had better parts in stock for a better price.

Processor
Developer: Intel
Modell: Intel

 

[Gudenrath]

Omg the graphics. The Asus Geforce GTX 680 Directcu II Top is a godlike gfx card. The details, and the card barely breaks a sweat. Jeez. First time since my Amiga 500 days I experience the feelings of having a real gaming setup.

 

[Zakarro]

Hey guys. Disclaimer : I don't know what I'm doing - you probably all know a lot more than I do about hardware.... So, I'm biting the bullet and dropping some cash on a new computer. I'm too dumb/scared to put together my own parts without a warranty or any help from experts. I'm looking at some cites like IBuyPower.com, which seem to have favorable reviews and a warranty (might be a bad idea??).

I'm looking to spend under $1.5k. I'm going to be running anything and everything on as high of settings as possible for the foreseeable future. Gaming is my only concern (besides Google Chrome and iTunes).

I've been looking at an Erebus GT-FX1 (AMD processor) on IBuyPower. With a few minor upgrades (Processor, RAM, GPU, & power suppley) I have a pretty beastly system as far as I can tell....

I could get an AMD FX-8120 CPU (8x 3.10GHz/8MB L2 Cache), 16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module (GSkill Ripjaws X), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti - 3GB - EVGA Superclocked - Core: 980MHz and a 750 Watt - Corsair CX750 for about $1,300.

This seems like a good machine - but I'm sure I could do better if I were privy to some hardware insight. For instance - I'm not sure how SLI graphics cards work (I know they're very useful in some contexts and fairly useless in others)... There are a lot of comparions online where an HD 7850 just narrowly loses to a 660 Ti - So if I got two HD 7850s in SLI for a bit more than the price of one 660 Ti would it definitely be better economically..... or just different/possibly some of the time? Also - no idea about the difference between 16GB RAM with DDR3-1600 vs the negligibly more expensive 16GB RAM with DDR3-1866 or DDR3-2133.... CPUs and power supplies seem more straight forward so long as I don't get bad ones (the site gives a warning message if you have too weak a power supply).... Any other upgrades pose significance?

Anyway..... help please

You could build something like that for half the price with those parts from newegg. Don't waste your money on pre built.


Btw those of you recommending intel monopoly garbage let me enlighten you on a little known fact, Intel is in bed with the US military industrial complex, do not give them your money, stick with AMD or wait till ARM starts making home products.