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Welcome to the last set of gaming PC builds of the month for 2012! It has been an exciting year and we will be back for the 2013 edition of the Gaming PC Builds of the Month. This month I decided to include a little treat with the inclusion of a $2000 build just as an end of the year treat and due to a small request made.
Next year, Intel is supposed to release their new Haswell?processors?which are supposed to slash power consumption and are based on the current line of Intel?s Ivy bridge processors. Other then that keep checking back in the new year if you are wanting to build a new gaming PC or just keep up to date with the latest builds.
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(Game at Smoothly with Medium ? High settings at 1920X1080 resolutions)
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com ? You Can also try ??Amazon.ca?(CANADA) ??Amazon.co.uk?(UK)?Newegg.com?(US) ??Newegg.ca?(CANADA) ?Scorptec.com.au(AUS) ?pccasegear.com?(AUS)?to shop for these parts. ?| Estimated Price: $ 528.15? |
The $500 build for December is actually priced at $528 as of December 1st, 2012. I have it a little higher this month to?accommodate?a few changes that if I were to build a $500 gaming PC this month, I would personally consider important. This month we have the addition of the new GTX 650 Ti graphics cards which took place of the previous Radeon 7770, which should warrant a considerable performance increase all while using much less power; as you can see below in the ?$500 Build Performance? when compared to last months $500 build, there is a significant increase in performance when using the GTX 650 Ti.
As for the rest, we have included the Intel Core i3-3220 processor again as the $500 build processor, and get kept everything else except for the PC case the same. The NZXT PC case was chosen since its reputation precedes last months case and it was only about $3 more in December.
$500 Build Performance -
Here are the 3D Mark 7 benchmarks using the Intel i3-3220 processor and the GTX 650 Ti?graphics card -?http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/5104887
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Upgrade suggestions for the $500 Gaming PC Build:
The hardware below are all moderate increases from the hardware listed in the main $500 build and they can all be considered?compatible?with one another.
If you are ever stumped or have any questions as to the?compatibility?of any hardware please get in contact with me or leave a comment below and I will try to respond as soon as I can.
Want other suggestions? Then leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.
This Intel Core i3-3220 is the perfect choice for a budget gaming PC build and when paired with the GTX 650 Ti graphics card this month, you may be surprised at the amount of performance this?gaming?PC will be willing to squeeze out.
| Intel i3-3220 | 2 cores | 3.3GHz clock speed | 4 threads |
Technical Details:
- L3 Cache
- Ivy Bridge
- Socket 1155
This motherboard was chosen last month for its affordability and to?accommodate?the new Ivy Bridge i3-3220 processor. At a price point of only $59.99 it has pretty much anything you will need in a build at this price ? a couple of RAM slots with enough room to double the amount of RAM included in this build (8GB), 1x PCI Express 3.0 port for your graphics card, and some USB 3.0 ports.
Technical Details:
- CPU: LGA1155; Supports 3rd Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium/Celeron Processors
- Chipset: Intel B75
- Memory: 2x DDR3-1600/1333/1066 DIMM Slots, Dual Channel, Max Capacity?of?16 GB
- Slots: 1x PCI-Express 3.0 x16 Slot; 1x PCI-Express 2.0 x1 Slot; 1x PCI slot
- SATA: 1x SATA3 Port; 3x SATA2 Ports
- Ports: 8x USB 2.0 Ports (4 rear,?4via headers); 4x USB 3.0 Ports (2 rear,?2via headers); 1x PS/2 Mouse Port; 1x PS/2 Keyboard Port; 1x VGA Port;?1x HDMI Port; 1x RJ45 LAN Port; Audio I/O Jacks
- Power Connector: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector, 1x 4pin ATX 12VPower Connector
The very new GTX 650 Ti graphics card is a significant jump from the previous Radeon 7770, and you will notice the performance increases! The only downfall is that I had to push the total price for the $500 build to around $528 to fit this bad boy in ? but I would not have done it if it was not worth it.
Technical Details:
- Core Clock: 1071
- Memory Clock: 5400 MHz
- Cuda Cores: 768
- PCI-Express 3.0
- 1024MB GDDR5 128 Bit
- Microsoft DirectX 11, NVIDIA PhysX Technology, NVIDIA 3D Vision Ready, NVIDIA CUDA Technology, PCI-Express 3.0 Support, OpenGL 4.3 Support
- Nvidia SMX Engine, NVidia Adaptive Verticle Sync, Nvidia Surround, Support for Concurrent Displays, Nvidia PhysX, Nvidia 3D Vision Ready, Nvidia SLI Ready, Nvidia CUDA Technology
A well priced package of 8GB RAM, you cannot go wrong and this will probably be the maximum amount of RAM you will ever need for this $500 build, so no worries here. And if you ever want more in the future, you can get up to 16GB.
Technical Details
- 8GB Kit including two 4GB modules of 1600MHz Class 9 DDR3 Desktop Memory
- Utilizes HyperX module with faster latency timing for higher performance and speed
- Specifically designed and tested for compatibility in various makes and models of desktop computers
- From the industry leader in PC memory
- Non-ECC Low-Latency 240-pin unbuffered DIMM type
- Model: KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX
- Item Package Quantity: 1
- RAM Memory Technology: DDR3 SDRAM
- Memory Storage Capacity: 8.0 GB
- Memory Speed: 1600 MHz
- Warranty: Lifetime
Western Digital 500 GB Caviar Blue
I keep the $500 with a 500Gb hard drive, because I believe it is a nice sweet spot for a gamer looking to purchase a PC on a budget. 500Gb is plenty of space for many many a game. So without overshooting too much, I have again included the 500Gb Western Digital Caviar Blue hard drive.
Performance Details From Western Digital?s Website:
Product Details
- WD Caviar Blue hard drives have a multitude of features to deliver rock solid performance and ultra-cool and quiet operation.
- 3rd generation SATA interface for 6 GB/s maximum data transfer rates.
- WhisperDrive technology minimizes noise to levels near the threshold of human hearing.
- 500 GB capacity holds up to 100,000 digital photos, 125,000 MP3 files, and 60 hours of HD video.
- Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
- 3rd generation SATA interface for 6 GB/s maximum data transfer rates
- 500 GB capacity holds up to 100,000 digital photos, 125,000 MP3 files, and 60 hours of HD video
- WD Caviar Blue hard drives have a multitude of features to deliver rock solid performance and ultra-cool and quiet operation
- WhisperDrive technology minimizes noise to levels near the threshold of human hearing
This Antec power supply proves a continuous power of 450W ?with many positive reviews and a price point of about $35 bucks for a PSU there was no reason not to include it. Also to note, this PSU has a continuous power rating of 450W, which means that it will always give out a continuous?amount?of 450 watts ? in?other?words this power supply unit is a fantastic deal and will run all of the required hardware in this build perfectly.
Technical Details:
- 450W of continuous Power!
- Dual +12V rails ensure greater system stability
- ATX 12V version 2.3 compliant
- 120mm fan delivers quiet, reliable cooling
- Black exterior complements any system
Last month I used more of a generic Apex PC case, which is actually priced great for what you get, however this month I thought since this reputable NZXT case was only $4 higher in price to just go for this one. That way you can be further assured you will have a nice safe house to store all that hardware in based on a reputable brand.
Technical Details:
- Bottom Mounted PSU ? Positioned for the most effective PSU ventilation
- Wire Management Support ? 20mm space for a neat and easy build
- Aluminum Textured Panel ? Accents the chassis for a clean, modern look and feel
- Dual 120mm Front Intake ? Takes advantage of front facing HDD bays for excellent airflow
- CASE TYPE Mid Tower Steel / FRONT PANEL MATERIAL Plastic / Aluminum-like finish /DIMENSIONS (W x H x D) 195mm x 440mm x 495.5mm
- COOLING SYSTEM FRONT, 2 X 120mmREAR, 1 X 120mm @ 1200rpm (included)TOP, 1 X 140mmBOTTOM, 1 x 120mm
- DRIVE BAYS 3 EXTERNAL 5.25? DRIVE BAYS 8 INTERNAL 3.5? HDD Drives / WEIGHT 6.5kg /MOTHERBOARD SUPPORT ATX, MICRO-ATX
- VGA Clearance Maximum 230mm w/ hard drive, 330mm w/o hard drive /CPU Heatsink Support 160mm / Wiring Space 20mm
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Optical drives have now dropped back down in price by $8 or $7 which is good. The Lite-On series of optical drives is never a bad choice and a current drive I use myself without any troubles.
Technical Details
- Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS124-04 BLACK/BULK (Black)
- 6.7 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches ; 2 pounds
- Interface: SATA; Buffer Memory: 2 MB
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Capability:?Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 resolutions and even High Settings in some games at 2560?1600
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com ? You Can also try ??Amazon.ca?(CANADA) ??Amazon.co.uk?(UK)?Newegg.com?(US) ??Newegg.ca?(CANADA) ?Scorptec.com.au(AUS) ?pccasegear.com?(AUS)?to shop for these parts. ?Not too many notable changes for the $1000 build once again, but I did make a couple of changes to take in account for?price changes. I have switched to a Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 graphics card , added in the popular Cooler Master HAF 922 PC case and with an extra $30 or so to spend, I have now included the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler in both the $1000 and the $1500 build this month.
$1000 Build Performance -
Here are the 3D Mark 7 benchmarks using the Intel i5-3570K processor and the Radeon HD 7870 graphics card ? ?http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4093212
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Like most processors this month, the Intel 3570K processor still holds strong as the processor of choice for Medium to High end gaming PC builds.
This is the current mainstream high end gamer processor. The Intel 35070K is included in both the higher end and mid range gaming pc builds of the month. This processor is easily overclocked and perfect for all hardware enthusiasts and gamers alike.
The Intel Core i5-3570K has four cores and an unlocked multiplier that allows you to freely adjust the frequency ? overclocking made easy! Note: if you plan on overclocking please consider buying an after market CPU cooler such as the Cooler Master Evo 212 included in the Hardware Suggestions section for this $1000 build.
| Intel Core i5-3570K | 4 cores | 3.4 GHz clock speed (3.8GHz Turbo) | LGA 1155 Socket |
Product Details: *From Intel
| Essentials | |
| Status | Launched |
| Launch Date | Q2?12 |
| Processor Number | i5-3570K |
| # of Cores | 4 |
| # of Threads | 4 |
| Clock Speed | 3.4 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency | 3.8 GHz |
| Intel? Smart Cache | 6 MB |
| Bus/Core Ratio | 34 |
| DMI | 5 GT/s |
| Instruction Set | 64-bit |
| Instruction Set Extensions | SSE4.1/4.2, AVX |
| Embedded Options Available | No |
| Lithography | 22 nm |
| Max TDP | 77 W |
I have used the Cooler Master 212 EVO CPU cooler for months because it is still a basic well rated and performance CPU cooler that is priced very cheap when compared to others of its?caliber. Yet another month with a slight price drop in the Cooler Master hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler!
Product Details:
| CPU Socket | Intel Socket:LGA 2011 / 1366 / 1156 / 1155 / 775 *AMD Socket:FM1 / AM3+ / AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 |
| CPU Support | Intel:Core? i7 Extreme / Core? i7 / Core? i5 / Core? i3 / Core?2 Extreme / Core?2 Quad / Core?2 Duo / Pentium / CeleronAMD:FX-Series / A-Series / Phenom? II X4 / Phenom? II X3 / Phenom? II X2 / Phenom? X4 / Phenom? X3 / Athlon? II X4 / Athlon? II X3 / Athlon? II X2 / Athlon? X2 / Athlon? / Sempron? |
| Dimension | 120 x 80 x 159 mm (4.7 x 3.1 x 6.3 in) |
| Heat Sink Dimensions | 116 x 51 x 159 mm (4.6 x 2.0 x 6.3 in) |
| Heat Sink Material | 4 Direct Contact Heat Pipes / Aluminum Fins |
| Heat Sink Weight | 465g (1.03 lb) |
| Heat Pipes Dimensions | ?6mm |
| Fan Dimension | 120 x 120 x 25 mm (4.7 x 4.7 x 1 in) |
| Fan Speed | 600 ? 2,000 RPM (PWM) ? 10%600 ? 1,600 RPM (PWM) ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Airflow | 24.9 ? 82.9 CFM ? 10%24.9 ? 66.3 CFM ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Air Pressure | 0.3 ? 2.7mm H2O ? 10%0.3 ? 1.7mm H2O ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Life Expectancy | 40,000hrs |
| Fan Noise Level (dB-A) | 9 ? 36 dBA9 ? 31 dBA (EU Version) |
| Bearing Type | Long Life Sleeve Bearing |
| Connector | 4-Pin |
| Fan Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Fan Rated Current | 0.22A0.19A (EU Version) |
| Power Consumption | 2.64W2.28W (EU Version) |
| Fan Weight | 104g (0.23 lb) |
- Well-balanced cooling performance provides fin optimizations with perfect balance between high and low speed operations.
- Wide-range PWM fan with unique wave-shaped blade design for excellent airflow.
- 4 Direct Contact heat pipes with the patented (Continuous Direct Contact) technology ? creating a perfect, sleek surface for heat conduction.
- Versatile all-in-one mounting solution supporting the latest Intel LGA 1366 /1155 and AMD FM1 / AM3+. Includes the LGA 2011 mounting bracket.
The AsRock EXTREME 4 motherboard is being used for both of the $1000 & $1500 PC builds. This is because this motherboard will easily overclock your Intel 3570K and comes with all the features you will most likely need. By including this very affordable AsRock Motherboard, I am able to allocate more money towards the graphics cards to further gaming performance potential.
Interested in reading a nice review ? Check out the overclockersclub review
Product Details:
- Premium Gold Caps
- Digi Power Design, 8 + 4 Power Phase Design
- Supports Dual Channel DDR3 2800+(OC)
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX?, CrossFireX? and NVIDIA?Quad SLI?, SLI?
- PCIE Gigabit LAN
- Supports Intel??HD Graphics with Built-in Visuals
- Multi VGA Output options : DVI-D, D-Sub, HDMI
- Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.)
- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio?
- Supports ASRock XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB, OMG, Internet Flash, No-K OC, Dehumidifier, UEFI System Browser
- Supports Intel??Smart Connect, Intel??Rapid Start, Lucid Virtu Universal MVP
- Free Bundle : CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite
I have switched to the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 graphics card this month due to some price increases. This card is the number one purchased and best value graphics card in the $200 ? $300 price ranges. This Gigabyte card in particular comes with a great array of connection ports too ? 2 mini display ? HDMI and a DVI port.
You will be able to play most if not all games at max settings at 1920?1080 resolutions and will even play well if you have a super high resolution monitor at 2560?1600.
Technical Details:
- Ultra Durable VGA Components ? GPU Temperature 5%-10% Down ? Overclocing Capability 10%-30% Up ? Power Switching Loss 10%-30% Down
- WINDFORCE 3X Anti-Turbulence Cooling with New Triangle Cool Technology
- Gold Plated HDMI for optimum signal transfer between connections
- Features DVI-I/HDMI/2x mini-Display port outputs with HDCP protection
- Supports AMD Eyefinity/Eyespeed/CrossFire/Avivo HD Technologies
- Minimum Recommended Power Supply 500W or greater with 2x 6-pin VGA power connectors
1TB of hard drive space is a good amount of hard drive space for a $1000 build and the newer line of Western Digital hard drives is a quality drive to takes this place.
Product Details
- WD Caviar Blue hard drives have a multitude of features to deliver rock solid performance and ultra-cool and quiet operation.
- 3rd generation SATA interface for 6 GB/s maximum data transfer rates.
- WhisperDrive technology minimizes noise to levels near the threshold of human hearing.
- 1 TB capacity holds up to 200,000 digital photos, 250,000 MP3 files, and 120 hours of HD video.
- Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
This 750 watt solid PSU is a great choice for this $1000 gaming pc build. It will support all of the hardware no problem and allows plenty of room for adding hardware later on.
Product Details:
- 80PLUS Bronze certified, delivering up to 85% energy efficiency at real world load conditions.
- A dedicated single +12V rail offers maximum compatibility with the latest components.
- Exceptionally low noise level by varying fan speed in response to temperature.
- Over-voltage and over-current protection, under-voltage protection, and short circuit protection provide maximum safety to your critical systems
- Universal AC input from 90~264V. No more hassle of flipping that tiny red switch to select the voltage input!
- A five year warranty and lifetime access to Corsair?s legendary technical support and customer service.
- An ultra-quiet double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow
- The latest ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards and it is backward compatible with ATX12V 2.2 and ATX12V 2.01 systems.
The Cooler Master HAF 922 Mid Tower PC case is one of the most purchased and popular cases for a long time now. This is most likely due to its reputation of being a quality material and built case as well as the case have a great gaming PC case look. Plenty of room for all the hardware included in this build, great cooling and more.
Technical Details
- Extreme cooling performance that support up to seven cooling fans top to bottom as well as accommodates three 200 x 30mm fans at minimized noise
- CPU Cooler retaintion hole cutout design for quick CPU Cooler installation.
- LED ON/OFF switch for front 200x30mm fan. Black interior
- Patented button design for easy maintenance of 5.25? drive devices.
- I/O panel offers two USB 3.0 ports, one 3.5 mm headphone input, one 3.5 mm microphone input, and one eSATA port
Optical drives have now dropped back down in price by $8 or $7 which is good. The Lite-On series of optical drives is never a bad choice and a current drive I use myself without any troubles.
Technical Details
- Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS124-04 BLACK/BULK (Black)
- 6.7 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches ; 2 pounds
- Interface: SATA; Buffer Memory: 2 MB
Note: Prices are in additional $ amounts? These additions are to act as additional or supplemental hardware the the Gaming PC Build Recipe Above
Additions / Part Swaps Overview
If you are thinking of upgrading your system?beyond?the basic $1000 build, then the?recommendations?above may be for you. If you have any further questions regarding upgrades or suggestions please leave a comment below the article.
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Game with Extreme settings at resolutions of 2560?1600 ? How perfect is that!?
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com ? You Can also try ??Amazon.ca?(CANADA) ??Amazon.co.uk?(UK)?Newegg.com?(US) ??Newegg.ca?(CANADA) ?Scorptec.com.au(AUS) ?pccasegear.com?(AUS)?to shop for these parts. ?The least changed build of the month is the $1500 one. There have been no notable hardware releases in the higher end of hardware and prices have been pretty stable. I did however switch the case up to a Corsair Carbide Series White 500R
$1500 Build Performance -
Here are the 3D Mark 7 benchmarks using the Intel i5-3570K processor and the Radeon HD 7970 graphics card ? ?http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4792768
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Intel Core i5 3570K Processor
It has been said that the Intel 3570K is the best price per core performance gaming cpu with the ability to overclock unsurpassed in this range. Want to read some benchmarks on the Intel 3570K? ? Then check out some of?techradars?benchmarks.
I have included an aftermarket CPU cooler ? the Cooler Master EVO, which will make overclocking a simple feat while keeping temperatures under control. I dare you to try overclocking up to an easy 4.8GHz!
| Intel Core i5-3570K | 4 cores | 3.4 GHz clock speed (3.8GHz Turbo) | LGA 1155 Socket |
Product Details: *From Intel
| Essentials | |
| Status | Launched |
| Launch Date | Q2?12 |
| Processor Number | i5-3570K |
| # of Cores | 4 |
| # of Threads | 4 |
| Clock Speed | 3.4 GHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency | 3.8 GHz |
| Intel? Smart Cache | 6 MB |
| Bus/Core Ratio | 34 |
| DMI | 5 GT/s |
| Instruction Set | 64-bit |
| Instruction Set Extensions | SSE4.1/4.2, AVX |
| Embedded Options Available | No |
| Lithography | 22 nm |
| Max TDP | 77 W |
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
I have used the Cooler Master 212 EVO CPU cooler for months because it is still a basic well rated and performance CPU cooler that is priced very cheap when compared to others of its?caliber. Yet another month with a slight price drop in the Cooler Master hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler!
Product Details:
| CPU Socket | Intel Socket:LGA 2011 / 1366 / 1156 / 1155 / 775 *AMD Socket:FM1 / AM3+ / AM3 / AM2+ / AM2 |
| CPU Support | Intel:Core? i7 Extreme / Core? i7 / Core? i5 / Core? i3 / Core?2 Extreme / Core?2 Quad / Core?2 Duo / Pentium / CeleronAMD:FX-Series / A-Series / Phenom? II X4 / Phenom? II X3 / Phenom? II X2 / Phenom? X4 / Phenom? X3 / Athlon? II X4 / Athlon? II X3 / Athlon? II X2 / Athlon? X2 / Athlon? / Sempron? |
| Dimension | 120 x 80 x 159 mm (4.7 x 3.1 x 6.3 in) |
| Heat Sink Dimensions | 116 x 51 x 159 mm (4.6 x 2.0 x 6.3 in) |
| Heat Sink Material | 4 Direct Contact Heat Pipes / Aluminum Fins |
| Heat Sink Weight | 465g (1.03 lb) |
| Heat Pipes Dimensions | ?6mm |
| Fan Dimension | 120 x 120 x 25 mm (4.7 x 4.7 x 1 in) |
| Fan Speed | 600 ? 2,000 RPM (PWM) ? 10%600 ? 1,600 RPM (PWM) ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Airflow | 24.9 ? 82.9 CFM ? 10%24.9 ? 66.3 CFM ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Air Pressure | 0.3 ? 2.7mm H2O ? 10%0.3 ? 1.7mm H2O ? 10% (EU Version) |
| Fan Life Expectancy | 40,000hrs |
| Fan Noise Level (dB-A) | 9 ? 36 dBA9 ? 31 dBA (EU Version) |
| Bearing Type | Long Life Sleeve Bearing |
| Connector | 4-Pin |
| Fan Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Fan Rated Current | 0.22A0.19A (EU Version) |
| Power Consumption | 2.64W2.28W (EU Version) |
| Fan Weight | 104g (0.23 lb) |
- Well-balanced cooling performance provides fin optimizations with perfect balance between high and low speed operations.
- Wide-range PWM fan with unique wave-shaped blade design for excellent airflow.
- 4 Direct Contact heat pipes with the patented (Continuous Direct Contact) technology ? creating a perfect, sleek surface for heat conduction.
- Versatile all-in-one mounting solution supporting the latest Intel LGA 1366 /1155 and AMD FM1 / AM3+. Includes the LGA 2011 mounting bracket.
The AsRock EXTREME 4 motherboard is being used for both of the $1000 & $1500 PC builds. This is because this motherboard will easily overclock your Intel 3570K and comes with all the features you will most likely need. By including this very affordable AsRock Motherboard, I am able to allocate more money towards the graphics cards to further gaming performance potential.
Interested in reading a nice review ? Check out the?overclockersclub review
Product Details:
-
- Premium Gold Caps
- Digi Power Design, 8 + 4 Power Phase Design
- Supports Dual Channel DDR3 2800+(OC)
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX?, CrossFireX? and NVIDIA?Quad SLI?, SLI?
- PCIE Gigabit LAN
- Supports Intel??HD Graphics with Built-in Visuals
- Multi VGA Output options : DVI-D, D-Sub, HDMI
- Combo Cooler Option (C.C.O.)
- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio?
- Supports ASRock XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB, OMG, Internet Flash, No-K OC, Dehumidifier, UEFI System Browser
- Supports Intel??Smart Connect, Intel??Rapid Start, Lucid Virtu Universal MVP
- Free Bundle : CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 Trial, ASRock MAGIX Multimedia Suite
Used again this month and even a nice drop in price by about $10. Even the main models of the Radeon 7970?s have the capacity to be pretty overclocked easily, which makes the value of the Radeon HD 7970 comparable to any of the $500 graphics cards (ex: GTX 680 used last month for the $1500 pc build). This card will have you playing any game without any problems at Max Settings with resolutions soaring up to 2560X1600 easily.
Product Details:
- Play the latest PC games supporting DirectX 11.1
- Work and Productivity Application
- Video playback and editing
- HD video playback (Blu-ray and HD DVD) and editing
- Everyday home computing applications with Windows7
- GCN Architecture
2x 8GB = 16GB RAM kits have been dropping in price month to month and are?becoming?so increasingly affordable there really is no reason not to get 16GB of RAM in a build in this price range.
Product Features:
- 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 for AMD and Intel Dual Channel processors
- Speed: 1600MHz
- Timing: 10-10-10-27
- Pin Out: 240 Pin
- Voltage: 1.5V
- Density: 16GB (2x8GB Module)
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
The newer version of the Western Digital Blue series of hard drives, this 1TB drive will have plenty of room to store a ton of gaming media.
Performance Details:
- WD Blue hard drives have a multitude of features including third generation SATA interface with 6 GB/s transfer rate, plus rock solid performance and ultra-cool and quiet operation.
- WhisperDrive technology minimizes noise to levels near the threshold of human hearing.
- SoftSeek technology streamlines read/write seeking algorithms, resulting in more efficient operation.
- 1 TB capacity holds up to 200,000 digital photos, 250,000 MP3 files, and 120 hours of HD video.
- 2 year limited warranty.
Solid States drives are so much affordable now and with 240GB of space sto store your operating system and a bunch of most played games is perfect. This is a well performance Muchkin Chronis SSD that will have you loading your OS and games amazingly fast!
Technical Details
- Max Sequential Read Up to 560MB/s and Max Sequential Write Up to 520MB/s
- Up to 90,000 IOPS Random 4KB Write
- SATA 3.0 (6Gb/s) interface (backwards compatible with SATA 3Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s)
- TRIM support (OS/driver support required)
- 3.5? desktop adapter bracket included
- Access Time <0.1ms
- Built-in BCH ECC (Up to 55 bits correctable per 512 byte sector)
- High speed MLC NAND
The Corsair Enthusiast Series Modular Power Supplies are at similar prices as the non-modular versions, so pick it up quick. 850 Watts is plenty of wattage for this hardware with so much more to spare for additions of hardware in the future (or now if you choose too!).
Product Details:
- 80PLUS Bronze certified, delivering up to 85% energy efficiency at real world load conditions.
- A dedicated single +12V rail offers maximum compatibility with the latest components.
- An ultra-quiet double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow at an exceptionally low noise level by varying fan speed in response to temperature.
- Over-voltage and over-current protection,
- Universal AC input from 90~264V. No more hassle of flipping that tiny red switch to select the voltage input!
- A five year warranty and lifetime access to Corsair?s legendary technical support and customer service.
- The latest ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards and it is backward compatible with ATX12V 2.2 and ATX12V 2.01 systems.
- Under-voltage protection, and short circuit protection provide maximum safety to your critical system components.
- Brand Name: Corsair
- Model: CP-9020003-NA
This is one of the first Rosewill cases I have included in the monthly builds. The THOR V2 case is very pleasing on the eyes, built solid and comes with all the extras one could possible want (screw less design, dist filters, USB 3.0 connectors etc).
Product Details
Named after a powerful but arrogant warrior, the Rosewill THOR V2-W gaming ATX full tower computer case has a stately aesthetics and functional design for enthusiasts and hard-core gamers. Spacious interior with E-ATX / XL-ATX motherboard support, tremendous air flow and rock solid construction are the main appealing features. Also included are other advanced features such as advanced cable management, screw-less design for 3.5-Inch/5.25-Inch drives, bottom-placed PSU design with dust filter, water cooling support making the Rosewill THOR V2-W a second to none choice for your next PC. Two USB 3.0 connectors and one eSATA port at top of the chassis enable blazing fast data exchange with the latest digital devices.
Optical drives have now dropped back down in price by $8 or $7 which is good. The Lite-On series of optical drives is never a bad choice and a current drive I use myself without any troubles.
Technical Details
- Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS124-04 BLACK/BULK (Black)
- 6.7 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches ; 2 pounds
- Interface: SATA; Buffer Memory: 2 MB
Note: Prices are in additional $ amounts?-?These additions are to act as supplemental or swaps for the hardware in the $1000-$1500 Gaming PC Build recipe above
If you have some extra cash to spend or want ideas of what else you could add /swap in?place?of what is already included in the $1500 gaming PC build, then you may be interest in the above ideas. The Intel i7-3770K may be of interest to someone wanting to splurge a tad more on an i7 processor; this may be good for someone that does much more than gaming. Or perhaps you want to really get the most graphics power you can, then perhaps going CrossFire and?purchasing?two 7970 cards (great idea for future upgrade perhaps?). Or, perhaps you want to go with just a Solid State Drive so purchasing a 512GB SSD would make sense as to?utilize?its as a main drive.
?(A $2000 PC Build as an additional special build treat for December!)
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Game with Extreme settings at resolutions of 2560?1600 and HIGHER ? How perfect is that!?
All hardware is linked to Amazon.com ? You Can also try ??Amazon.ca?(CANADA) ??Amazon.co.uk?(UK)?Newegg.com?(US) ??Newegg.ca?(CANADA) ?Scorptec.com.au(AUS) ?pccasegear.com?(AUS)?to shop for these parts. ?The first month ever to include a $2000 build of which I am assigning the Ultimate Build title. I thought that as a special end of the year treat I would include this $2000 build for anyone wanting to go all out. What you may notice is that allot of the hardware used is similar to that of the other builds and this is only because I like to recommend hardware that I would?personally?use, so there is not much point in switching up things like hard drives or RAM if there is no reason to increase their sizes etc.
First off, I have included an Intel i7-3770K. Some may debate me on why I would do this in a gaming PC build ? to which I would respond ? why?wouldn?t?you if you are spending $2000 plus on a PC. Some may still opt for an Intel i5 3570K and pump the rest of the cash into perhaps a GTX 690 (priced at about a $1000), but in the end you are probably going to geta ?nice solid over all performance out of two already great graphics card ? The Radeon 7970 and an i7 3770K.
All I had in mind when thinking of what I would put into a $2000 build was what would create the most powerful PC possible ? not how can I afford the most expensive PC case, how much can I spend on higher inflated SSD?s, or even splurging on 32Gb of memory, which would warrant no performance gains in comparison.
Have questions on a specific peice of hardware that you would change or add, then please leave a comment below.
$2000 Build Performance -
Here are the 3D Mark 7 benchmarks using the Intel i7-3770K processor and the (2X) Radeon HD 7970?graphics cards ? ?http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4303530
A great end to?the?2012 year of monthly gaming pc builds and I look forward to continuing them throughout the 2013 year, so please keep checking back.
I hope you enjoyed what has been done so far and I hope to further increase the site in any way possible, so if you have any input on any types of articles or features you would like to see on Newb Computer Build, then please let me know!!
Happy holidays,
Corey @ Newb Computer Build
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Source: http://newbcomputerbuild.com/newb-computer-build-home/december-2012-gaming-pc-builds/
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