Building a new rig

[MagGnome]

In light of recent events (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=2488), I'm going to start looking into building a new gaming rig. I was going to do this next spring, but now I'm hoping to build one in January.

I've never built a system before, so I'm going to need plenty of help and advice. For now I'm looking to get an idea of how much I'll end up spending. What parts would you guys recommend, and how much should I plan on spending?

Keep in mind that I have NO parts that I can carry over to a new rig, as my current system is an iMac and my last PC was a Dell laptop.

I guess I do have one thing - a monitor. I'm hoping to use my Samsung HDTV as a computer monitor.

[Ancalagon]

I've heard $1000 thrown around as a good point for a decent gaming computer, sans monitor.

I mean, I guess you can only tell when you start looking at components and what you actually need, but I'd say $1000 should get you something nice.

Waiting till January sounds like a good idea - both Core i7 and Phenom II should be out then.

[Norse]

You know PC hardware needs replacing almost as often as the 360, don't you? ;)

[MagGnome]

You know PC hardware needs replacing almost as often as the 360, don't you? ;)

I was planning on building a new rig regardless, as I really enjoy playing computer games.

I'm not planning on building a rig that will bite the dust in less than 15 months. :p

[Rogue_hunter]

$1000 can get a good system, assuming you're carrying over a monitor. HDTVs are nice and all, but don't always have the resolution of a regular monitor.

I priced out a build just last weekend, and have started getting the parts. I just picked up my case today, the Antec P182 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025). Nabbed it for $99 at Fry's Electronics, even though their site has it priced for $159. Nice case, but obviously expensive.

For my components, I used LiquidRain's Recommended PC Hardware thread on PlayItReviewIt (http://www.playitreviewit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=200). Really, it's up to personal preference on parts. I'm going with the Gigabyte DS3L motherboard, Intel Core 2 Duo E8500, 4 GB of OCZ RAM (performance RAM, meant for gaming PCs more than a general PC), a Gigabyte ATI HD4870 1GB graphics card, a Corsair 550W power supply. I snagged a 1 TB Samsung SpinPoint HDD yesterday at Fry's for $109 because they're on sale this weekend, and am grabbing a 160GB and a 500GB from my current system, as well as the DVD drive and Creative Audigy 2 soundcard.
This (http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=9858046) is what my system looks like with all the components, but again, I'm scavenging stuff from my current system, so it's actually cheaper.

For my system, I'm looking to upgrade the processor to a Core 2 Quad and changing the GFX card in 2+ years. Your mileage may vary though, depending on what you want to do.

Feel free to PM me, or contact me via AIM or gtalk. LiquidRain is also a guru, as is Pathmaster. You can also join us in the IRC channel, I've been discussing my build with everyone in there.

[MagGnome]

Thanks for all of the info Rogue!!

[Seika]

That's one kick-ass build Rouge.

My recommendations would equal most of what Rouge has, like:

CPU: Core2Duo E8400, E8500, E8600.
MotherBoard: Depends on what you get for the other components, and the features you want extra.
GPU: GTX 260 or 4870.
Memory: 4 GB DDR2 (so cheap right now).
PowerSupply: At least 600W, or Cross-fire/SLI ready.

Case: P182 (because I have it, and I love it!).
Heatsink: Whatever you like.
HD: At most a 320GB just for the OS.

That's pretty much Rouge's PC... :)

Also TomsHardware seems to agree with me, their latest MidRange Guide (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/system-builder-marathon,review-31399.html) is very comparable. They went with a Core2Quad and Liquid Cooling instead for extreme overclocking, but you don't have to worry about that, the current top of the line Core2Duo's are more than enough for gaming.

Ohh, also check out ExtremTech's Bang for the Buck PC (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2330583,00.asp) (Video (http://zdpub.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ziffdavisplayer/flvplayer2.html?show=ET&movie=ET_bangPC)), to give you some ideas. That one comes in at 1200 without monitor/speakers, and looks pretty good too.

[MagGnome]

I forgot all about heatsinks. Do you still have to buy those, and that gel crap?

It's been a long time since I looked into this stuff. :o

[Mr. Murphy]

Man, I built a rig for 550 in 2005 to play Doom 3, and with one video card upgrade it's still playing new games. I can't play anything on 'high', but it's almost four years later, so...

I'm just saying, spending $1000 on a top of the line isn't going to get you that much more time at the top than spending 700 or so. You don't really want to be cutting edge, because you aren't going to stay there no matter what. Just my two cents.

I priced one together for about 600 that will play Crysis on high, supposedly. Haven't gotten any parts to put it together and try it, but that was my target point.

Edit: Another point I should have made is, how many games are really going to take advantage of the extra power that last couple hundred bucks will give you? If you can build a system now that plays all your favorite games on high right now, is it worth another $300 just to play one or two more games on high before the technology gets to the point that you need to upgrade again anyway? There's only so many games a year that really push the envelope of what your comp can do.

[Rogue_hunter]

Tom's Hardware midrange guide could use some upgrades but overall good (they should be smacked for recommending a Cosmos 1000 though, overkill for a "midrange" system), and ExtremTech's build is pretty nice, almost as if they ripped me off... ;)

Right now isn't exactly the best time to buy processors/motherboards thought, as the Intel Core i7 line is coming out Monday. Though, that means that the current crop is gonna drop. Though, from what PathMaster told me in IRC, the Core i7 uses a different pin grid for the CPU, and that means I can't upgrade to those in my future.

And as Ikkir says, motherboards are all based on what options you want/need. Though the more picky you get, the less options you end up having. At one point, there was only one motherboard that fit what I wanted on newegg, and that cost ~$320.

Although I won't be getting one, the Western Digital 640 GB drive (WD6400AAKS) should be your main system drive. Tons of storage space for the OS and games, and equivalent performance of a 10,000 RPM drive with more than double the space. But hard drives are also random chance like the RRoD. Sometimes you can get a drive from Brand X that fails outright, or one from Brand Y that lasts years, yet someone else can have the opposite experience. Seagate/Maxtor, Hitachi and Samsung are solid choices for hard drives.
Antec, Cooler Master, Corsair, PC Power and Cooling, Seasonic and Enermax all make solid power supplies.
OCZ, Corsair, and Mushkin are the trusted performance RAM brands I trust, with Crucial and Kingston offering great value.
SLI is never a good idea, but having a power supply that is SLI ready is good because it will have the necessary power without leaving too much overhead wattage.
ATi and nVidia are the graphics chipset manufacturers, but there are several companies that are licensees. Radeon vs. GeForce, and this current cycle, Radeon wins, but the GeForce 8800 models are still great. eVGA, XFX, BFG, Sapphire, and Gigabyte are great graphics card brands, but warranties and service vary between brands.
Sound cards are almost rendered moot by Vista's use of software mixing. But most integrated sound processors on motherboards are Realtek, which cheat to get results for EAX mixing. Creative really dropped the ball with X-Fi and drivers in Vista, so it's mostly a crapshoot there.
Antec, Cooler Master, Lian-Li and Thermaltake all make great cases.
For mice/keyboards, Razer kicks ass for mice. Saitek and Logitech make great keyboards. Microsoft also makes some of the best pieces of hardware you can get, the Intellimouse was the mouse to get a few years ago. But again, this is also all preferential, as you're the one that's gonna be using the stuff.

Avoid anything branded with "FaTal1ty," the guy is a tool, and the parts are aimed at taking advantage of people who see that the stuff is connected to gaming, but don't know that it's overpriced crap. All the stuff is also garish, and the mice, keyboards and headsets are extremely uncomfortable for a normal person's use.

Regarding heatsinks, a retail processor comes with the heatsink/fan, as well as the thermal paste.

Really, this post glosses over a majority of what LiquidRain has in the recommended hardware thread. Go read that, start picking parts, then we can pick apart your choices.

[MagGnome]

Wow, thanks Rogue! That's a lot of info to digest.

I'll definitely check out LiquidRain's post as well.

Rogue - How do you feel about me using my LCD HDTV as a computer monitor?

[Gitaroomaan]

Something to keep in mind, particularly if you're looking to "future proof," Intel's new Core i7 processors come out tomorrow (though available on NewEgg now). They use Intel's new Socket, LGA 1366. Even the cheapest one, the Core i7 920, benchmarks higher than Intel's fastest Core 2 Quad (link) (http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/31/intel-core-i7-benchmarks-make-core-2-extreme-look-like-a-washed/).

[Wackman3000]

Personally if you haven't built yet, I would hold off a couple more months if you really can. I bet we see the LGA775 stuff really start to bottom out in prices as the new socket sets in.

[Rogue_hunter]

Rogue - How do you feel about me using my LCD HDTV as a computer monitor?

Me personally? You'd be better served using an actual monitor. I'm assuming your TV is 720p, so at most your resolution is 13xx x 768. And most TVs only have the analog hookup, whereas most videocards have DVI, so the cable switcher + analog cable degrades the video signal. And depending on the size of the TV, the difference in resolutions that you can have on the actual monitor versus the TV is dramatic.

Better illustration:
a 1024x768 monitor provides DVD resolution (720x480)
1280x1024 provides 720p HD resolution (1280x720)
1920x1200 provides 1080p HD resolution (1920x1080)

Now, if you have a 40+ inch 1080p set, fine, go with it, and look for a videocard that offers an HDMI adapter

[Grifter]

I use my Toshiba 42" (1920x1080 native res.) as my primary display and I love it. I grabbed a $6 HDMI to DVI cable from Mono price and everything looks beautiful. Make sure to check your displays native resolution. Also keep in mind that the higher the resolution the more expensive the video card will be for gaming if you want max settings in most of your games.

I actually just finished building a system on Newegg that came to $1,155 after shipping (before MIRs) that should handle pretty much anything at my native res with **max settings...for a few months anyway. ;)

Gimme a sec and I'll post the component list.
*Tower (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160)
*Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171032)
Mother Board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131297)
Processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036)
Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166)
Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130398)
Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319)
Optical Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135168)

Keep in mind the above is my personal choice based on my own research, experience and personal taste.

*Make sure to add them as a combo to save $90

**My idea of max settings does not take into account anything above 8xAF or 4xAA and I rarely use AA at all so most of my personal builds are pieced together with that taken into consideration.

[LiquidRain]

I'd recommend you wait for Phenom II and whatever Intel's desktop chips are going to look like. No, not the Core i7. Wait for the desktop chips. Core i7 is a server chip - you will be paying a high premium on everything to get a Core i7 in your desktop now, and the market demand for these are going to be crazy and drive prices high. (remember when the 45nm E8400 launched? $220 MSRP turned into $300 at retail for the first 1 or 2 months)

Also, Core i7 benches the same or worse in games (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3448&p=19) than Intel's current lineup. Which is what I'm assuming you're buying this PC for.

Core i7 is a bad buy right now if you're looking for a game rig. You're locked into a server socket (which historically always have more expensive chips), $200-$250+ motherboards (X58 only!), and you're buying DDR3. Preferably 3 sticks to take advantage of the 3 channel path the i7 provides. That ain't cheap. You'll be paying a very large premium to "future proof" your PC.

There's nothing wrong with LGA 775 (Core 2 Duo/Quad) right now. In fact, an E8500 is more than enough for any game these days. If you want to future proof, wait until March, when Intel rolls out LGA 1156 and whatever they'll call their desktop chips, and when AMD rolls out AM3/Phenom II.

Don't get me wrong - Nehalem is an amazing CPU. Just not for gaming. The benchmarks back me up.

[Grifter]

I'd recommend you wait for Phenom II and whatever Intel's desktop chips are going to look like. No, not the Core i7. Wait for the desktop chips. Core i7 is a server chip - you will be paying a high premium on everything to get a Core i7 in your desktop now, and the market demand for these are going to be crazy and drive prices high. (remember when the 45nm E8400 launched? $220 MSRP turned into $300 at retail for the first 1 or 2 months)

Also, Core i7 benches the same or worse in games (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3448&p=19) than Intel's current lineup. Which is what I'm assuming you're buying this PC for.

Core i7 is a bad buy right now if you're looking for a game rig. You're locked into a server socket (which historically always have more expensive chips), $200-$250+ motherboards (X58 only!), and you're buying DDR3. Preferably 3 sticks to take advantage of the 3 channel path the i7 provides. That ain't cheap. You'll be paying a very large premium to "future proof" your PC.

There's nothing wrong with LGA 775 (Core 2 Duo/Quad) right now. In fact, an E8500 is more than enough for any game these days. If you want to future proof, wait until March, when Intel rolls out LGA 1156 and whatever they'll call their desktop chips, and when AMD rolls out AM3/Phenom II.

Don't get me wrong - Nehalem is an amazing CPU. Just not for gaming. The benchmarks back me up.

I Agree completely unless of course you have $1700 to blow on a rig and you don't care about price to performance ratios. As a gamer you are much better off spending the money on a fast dual core CPU and a top of the line video card and saving your self $400 to $500.

I have to say though that some of those X58 boards are damn sexy, especially the MSI Eclipse and the ASUS Rampage 2.

[PathMaster]

Just beware of using TV's with PC games, their input lag could be a detriment to your playing.

I am looking at the BenQ G2400WD or the BenQ FP241VW, but I want something for PC use, and console gaming in one. Try this thread over at Anandtech (http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206&enterthread=y).

Take a look at Ars System Guides (http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200809.ars). Theirs and Liquids are very similar, but they offer Budget, Hot Rod, and God Box versions.

[PathMaster]

First double post...ever...

I like Pie, all kinds of pie. I also like cake, all kinds of cake. I think Lasagna is the best though.

[MagGnome]

Wow, okay...

So the TV is probably a no-go then. It's a 32" Samsung 720p set. The problem with buying a monitor is that my desk is taken up by my iMac. Plus I don't want to spend the money on yet another screen. I might have to though. :/

This may turn out to be a lot more expensive than I thought. I won't be doing this until January at the earliest, but I may have to wait a couple months past that so that I can afford to do this.

[PathMaster]

Wow, okay...

So the TV is probably a no-go then. It's a 32" Samsung 720p set. The problem with buying a monitor is that my desk is taken up by my iMac. Plus I don't want to spend the money on yet another screen. I might have to though. :/

This may turn out to be a lot more expensive than I thought. I won't be doing this until January at the earliest, but I may have to wait a couple months past that so that I can afford to do this.

Might be better if you waited. Prices should drop and the desktop version of the Core i7 might be out or soon to be out, giving you another option. On the LCD side of things, there is no reason to go big, like my above ideas, you can go much cheaper and work out really well. A nice Acer TN panel might suit you well and only cost a few hundred dollars.

[LiquidRain]

A lot of monitors these days have input lag as well. Dell's 2407fpw has over 45ms input lag. Decent TVs with gaming mode enabled have equivalent lag to monitors.

[Grifter]

I haven't had any issues at all and I do all my PC gaming on my TV.

Mags, if you have a friend with a PC see if they would be willing to bring it by so you could test it out. Just make sure that if your TV has and HDMI port that your friends system has DVI out and grab a HDMI to DVI cable. You may be surprised at the quality and with a max resolution 1280x720 you are not going to need a power house video card to run everything at max settings.

If it's possible test the tv out before you write it off.

[MagGnome]

Alright. I don't think I'll be able to test out the TV as you guys suggested, but I am going to keep it open as an option. Maybe I'll start with the TV, and if it really doesn't work I can always buy a monitor later.

[rahsoul]

I priced out a build just last weekend, and have started getting the parts. I just picked up my case today, the Antec P182 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025). Nabbed it for $99 at Fry's Electronics, even though their site has it priced for $159. Nice case, but obviously expensive.


I just built a system very similar to yours, Gigabyte board and E8500 (got my p182 from Fry's too). Can't really recommend all the parts yet as it has only been running for a weekend and I need to overclock it first. :)

I can't say enough about the cable management system, though. Everything looks extremely clean and sexy from the front, I can't imagine where all the cables would have gone otherwise.

[LiquidRain]

You'll be fine on your TV. I know plenty of people who do it and I've been contemplating it myself. Enable gaming mode if it has one, that's all you need to worry about.

[harle]

Case + power supply: Antec 900 computer case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021) + Antec NeoPower 650W power supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371010) ($180 as a combo deal)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358) ($100, free 2GB memory stick)
Power Supply:
Ram: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820227267) ($30)
Video Card: Asus Radeon 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16814121272) ($129.99)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037) ($165)
Hard Drive: Western Digital 640GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218) ($75)
Optical Drive: Samsung DVD/RW drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171) ($25)
OS: Vista Home Premium (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488) ($99)

Total: $639 (after rebates, combos, and coupon codes)

[Wackman3000]

***OFF TOPIC***

My question to you PC TV gamers is are you sitting on a couch with your kb/m? How to you manage to get comfortable and what do you rest your mouse on?

I'm in the market for an HDTV and I know I will eventually want to do some PC gaming on it while sitting in my leather lounger.

[MagGnome]

How does harle's system stack up? That seems like a great price - are those all good parts? Obviously it wouldn't be top of the line, but I can't afford top of the line. :p

Wackman - I'm going to be sitting in my deskchair, and I'll probably get some kind of lap board. Then again my TV is in my room, and that's where my computer will be as well.

[Rogue_hunter]

Harle's build stacks up nicely, and still allows you to drop in a Core 2 Quad at a later date. And the motherboard and processor are only gonna get cheaper in the coming months because of the Core i7's release. It will also allow you to upgrade to faster RAM in the future, and upgrading graphics cards are easy as cake (or pie, depending on your preference).

Although, he didn't include an operating system. Vista Home Premium OEM is $99 on Newegg. At the earliest, I could see Windows 7 in the fall, and even then, it wouldn't be marked down as much at release, even as OEM.

[harle]

Harle's build stacks up nicely, and still allows you to drop in a Core 2 Quad at a later date. And the motherboard and processor are only gonna get cheaper in the coming months because of the Core i7's release. It will also allow you to upgrade to faster RAM in the future, and upgrading graphics cards are easy as cake (or pie, depending on your preference).

Although, he didn't include an operating system. Vista Home Premium OEM is $99 on Newegg. At the earliest, I could see Windows 7 in the fall, and even then, it wouldn't be marked down as much at release, even as OEM.Good catch on me missing the OS. :) Several sources are saying that Windows 7 will probably hit mid next year.

The build I made was with the budget gamer in mind. Since he did not specify a price, I tried to get a good rig built for under $600. The OS puts it $40 over, which is not bad.

[MagGnome]

That's not bad at all. I could install XP on the machine, or spend the $99 for Vista.

I'd probably just do XP and then upgrade to Windows 7 when that hits.

[PathMaster]

Case + power supply: Antec 900 computer case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021) + Antec NeoPower 650W power supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371010) ($180 as a combo deal)
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358) ($100, free 2GB memory stick)
Power Supply:
Ram: OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820227267) ($30)
Video Card: Asus Radeon 4850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16814121272) ($129.99)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037) ($165)
Hard Drive: Western Digital 640GB (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218) ($75)
Optical Drive: Samsung DVD/RW drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171) ($25)
OS: Vista Home Premium (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488) ($99)

Total: $639 (after rebates, combos, and coupon codes)

Damn nice build. Throw in a better video card and it could be even better. I would also go with a different case, but that would ruin the price I imagine. ;)

[MagGnome]

I really do like that rig that harle configured. Between him, LiquidRain, Rogue, and the rest of you guys, I have tons of ideas now. :)

[harle]

Damn nice build. Throw in a better video card and it could be even better. I would also go with a different case, but that would ruin the price I imagine. ;)Both would ruin the price, unfortunately. :) I agree with a few people in here that the P182 is a great case (I got it on a deal for $55), but the lowest I can find it for lately is $130. The next step up in video cards is a GTX 260, and the lowest price I can find for that is $220. I actually saw a 4870 512mb for $190 last week, but the deal has since expired.

[biosc1]

Good catch on me missing the OS. :) Several sources are saying that Windows 7 will probably hit mid next year.

Doubt that...it hasn't even been released for MSDN subscribers yet. If it follows the same release plan as Vista, I wouldn't expect it until January 2010.

I just want to put a good word in for the ATI 4870 1 GB edition...it is a very, very, very nice card...it handles everything I've thrown at it so far in 1920x1200. I thought I could at least make it cry with Crysis or STALKER...no such luck...

Basically, the suggestions in the PIRI thread should be followed. Make sure you get a nice big case so it gives you room to move around.

I'd also like to make the comment that it's pointless to "wait until such-and-such comes out to get a price drop". No matter how long you wait, the moment you purchase something, it will lose value. You will always see something cheaper in the following months, but something newer and better (and more expensive) will be out. Just bite the bullet and enjoy the machine today. Tomorrow you can always build another one.

[KingGorilla]

Must resist temptation to buy 4870 X2, you assholes will ruin me.

[LiquidRain]

Just a note: the recommended hardware thread I run is now here at COG. :)

[MagGnome]

I saw your recommended hardware thread here LiquidRain. I bookmarked it for later perusal.

Keep in mind that I won't be building these system for at least two months, likely longer. By then new parts will be out, and all of the parts mentioned so far will have come down quite a bit.

I'm most likely going to build something closer to mid-range, such as harle's example, but with enough flexibility that I can upgrade it more later. I don't want to get a super cheap motherboard, for example, if it means that I'll be SOL as far as upgrading goes. I'll probably go for 4gigs of RAM, although I might go for 2 initially and add more later. I'm looking to save money initially so I don't have to wait too long to do this, but I don't want to go so cheap that I end up with junk.

Edit - As long as it runs Peggle in 1900x1200 with 8XAA at 340 FPS I'll be good. ;)

[harle]

I saw your recommended hardware thread here LiquidRain. I bookmarked it for later perusal.

Keep in mind that I won't be building these system for at least two months, likely longer. By then new parts will be out, and all of the parts mentioned so far will have come down quite a bit.

I'm most likely going to build something closer to mid-range, such as harle's example, but with enough flexibility that I can upgrade it more later. I don't want to get a super cheap motherboard, for example, if it means that I'll be SOL as far as upgrading goes. I'll probably go for 4gigs of RAM, although I might go for 2 initially and add more later. I'm looking to save money initially so I don't have to wait too long to do this, but I don't want to go so cheap that I end up with junk.

Edit - As long as it runs Peggle in 1900x1200 with 8XAA at 340 FPS I'll be good. ;)Whenever you decide to get the parts, start a thread and I will be sure to build you another rig. :)

Really, though, the components I linked to are definitely above mid-range. I would say with 100% being the best parts on the market today, they are somewhere in the 85% range. It is going to handle almost any game at high settings on your TV (the resolution is 1366 x 768 since it is a 32", right?). You should definitely start with 4GB of ram. It is so cheap these days.

[MagGnome]

Whenever you decide to get the parts, start a thread and I will be sure to build you another rig. :)

Really, though, the components I linked to are definitely above mid-range. I would say with 100% being the best parts on the market today, they are somewhere in the 85% range. It is going to handle almost any game at high settings on your TV (the resolution is 1366 x 768 since it is a 32", right?). You should definitely start with 4GB of ram. It is so cheap these days.

4GB it is then. I've been meaning to add more RAM to my iMac (it has 1GB), but I'll hold off and put that money into the new rig instead. The iMac will probably become my media center.

I'd love to be able to run newer releases at high settings. Sins of a Solar Empire looks beautiful on my computer now, but Left 4 Dead looks very dated. It's awesome that I can run it, but I want it to be a little higher res.

[Vandabo]

***OFF TOPIC***

My question to you PC TV gamers is are you sitting on a couch with your kb/m? How to you manage to get comfortable and what do you rest your mouse on?

I'm in the market for an HDTV and I know I will eventually want to do some PC gaming on it while sitting in my leather lounger.

This is how I do it...

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w286/vandabo/desk.jpg

Shitty picture (took it a few months ago for an Evav thread), but it illustrates my setup. When I play a FPS or something that is keyboard intensive, I just slide the keyboard tray in front.

I used to sit in basically a recliner and do the same thing, except I would just put the keyboard in my lap.

I don't have any problems playing games on this setup, no noticeable lag or ghosting or anything.

[PathMaster]

What TV are you running though? I am looking for a screen for PC/360 use and have been mostly looking at LCD monitors, I would love to throw a bigger screen into the mix.

[KingGorilla]

For those of you wondering about Living-Room PC gaming. Wireless mice and keyboards combined with a "hospital" style Laptop table would work wonders.

Something like this http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/bizchair1_2028_2828866030
http://www.google.com/products?client=opera&rls=en&q=laptop%20table&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=if

A simple lap table, like one may expect with breakfast in bed, can work as well. I, personally, have use lapboards when using a notebook in a chair, or a media center style PC. Toss in a Wireless Gamepad, and you have all you would ever need.

[Rogue_hunter]

Follow my blog (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?u=36&blogcategoryid=118) as I build my awesome system!

Mags: I'll be including pictures when I get to the point of actually putting it all together, sort of a step-by-step. Though, that might not happen until Thursday because of my school schedule.

[MagGnome]

Follow my blog (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?u=36&blogcategoryid=118) as I build my awesome system!

Mags: I'll be including pictures when I get to the point of actually putting it all together, sort of a step-by-step. Though, that might not happen until Thursday because of my school schedule.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

[Vandabo]

What TV are you running though? I am looking for a screen for PC/360 use and have been mostly looking at LCD monitors, I would love to throw a bigger screen into the mix.

Assuming this was directed at me, I use a 37" Dynex 720p TV. I got it January at Best Buy for about $600, it has worked flawlessly ever since.

It works well for me, since my PC isn't very up to date, and I wouldn't be able to run games well at higher resolutions anyway.

It's great flipping back and forth between the 360 and PC on different inputs, and since I watch all my media on my PC, I get to watch it all on the big screen.

[Rogue_hunter]

OK, this took me forever to finally do, but I did it. Here is Rogue's quasi step-by-step guide to building a PC!
A guide in 4 parts, with 3 parts to the first part, 3 parts to the second part, 2 parts to the third, and a wrap-up fourth part.
Check my blog, or this multitude of links!
Unbox 1 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=572)
Unbox 2 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=573)
Unbox 3 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=574)
Build 1 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=575)
Build 2 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=576)
Build 3 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=577)
Install 1 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=578)
Install 2 (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=579)
Wrap-up and after (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=580)

[Seika]

Sweet stuff Rouge.

I can't tell if you're using the middle hard-drive cage, do you really need it?. I would remove it and install an extra fan there for better air flow, since you have two on the other side of the case sucking out air.

[MagGnome]

Thanks Rogue! I'm still a few months out from building a rig, but I'm definitely going to peruse your guide. I've got a lot to learn.

[Rogue_hunter]

Sweet stuff Rouge.

I can't tell if you're using the middle hard-drive cage, do you really need it?. I would remove it and install an extra fan there for better air flow, since you have two on the other side of the case sucking out air.

I could take it out, but I have nowhere to put the cage, and airflow is just fine right now. Right now it's providing support for the power cables for the videocard.

Mags, when you do, let us all know. We can definitely help you out with any problems.

[Jackel]

Damn. I almost wish I had tracked my build as much as that.

edit: I guess I could, just might not have so many pictures lol.

[Rogue_hunter]

Damn. I almost wish I had tracked my build as much as that.

edit: I guess I could, just might not have so many pictures lol.

I didn't really track my build too much, as you can see, most of my pictures were from the unboxing, and very few once I got the CPU installed.

[PathMaster]

Congrats on the build.

[itchyeyes]

Thanks Rogue! I'm still a few months out from building a rig, but I'm definitely going to peruse your guide. I've got a lot to learn.
Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but keep your upgrade path in mind as you're building this machine as well as your budget. You do not need a Core i7 CPU, PCI Express X16 2.0, or DDR3 memory capable motherboard to build a decent gaming machine today. However, these will become standards in the future and if you intend to upgrade this machine at all, it may be worth spending the extra money on, what may seem like unnecessarily high end parts today.