A fresh new year for fresh new beginnings, so how about a new shiny PC build this 2013? I have been running the Gaming PC Builds of the Month column here on Newb Computer Build for now for over a year and a half and I have enjoyed doing it every month, so I will continue to do so!
In the last year or so we have also added in an additional PC Builds section thanks to a new individual here at Newb Computer Build – Obit’s AMD Builds. We have not created an official landing page for his builds yet, hence why I didn’t link anything here, but you can keep checking back monthly for his builds as well this year for all of you AMD enthusiasts.
I have also had several requests to do more, such as a gaming laptops column, or a peripherals column. I believe these are great ideas and will try my hardest to try and fit some time in to start doing this, however it may take a couple of months, but keep your eyes peeled. Perhaps there is a reader out there who would be interested in contributing to such a column? If there is I would love to hear from you.
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Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $513 ): January 2013
(Game at Smoothly with Medium – High settings at 1920X1080 resolutions)
The same build – a lower price point. The $500 pc build is pretty solid and the same as it was previous with hardly any hardware releases and minimal price drops or increases between December and now. You still get a wonderful Intel i3 3220 processor, a GTX 650 Ti and a full 8GB of memory; really one cannot complain getting all of this in a $500 budget range.
You will be able to play most of all games and get pretty decent performance playing Medium to Higher settings at a resolution of 1920X1080.
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.
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. The best in its class in my opinion, especially if you are not into overclocking. A second recommendation here could be the AMD route, where you can purchase an AMD FX-4170 for the same price, and overclock the heck out of it.
A very affordable motherboard perfect for the Intel i3 3220 processor and has nothing more then what you need. 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.
New from last month the GeForce GTX 650 Ti graphics card is as good as it gets for around $150. With its low power demands and amazing performance its the perfect card for a $500 builds to keep performance up and power demands down.
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
The usual well priced 2X4Gb 8GB package of RAM and I have decided to go with the very well priced Kingston Technology HyperX RAM for yet another month.
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
500GB for a budget build seems to be a good amount of space. Need more later because you hoard tons of music, movies and other sorts of media? Then by all means, just connect another hard drive later on, or find one that goes spontaneously on sale, but for now a nice solid 500GB hard drive should do the trick.
Performance Details From Western Digital’s Website:
Performance Specifications
Rotational Speed
7,200 RPM (nominal)
Buffer Size
16 MB
Load/unload Cycles
300,000 minimum
Transfer Rates
Transfer Rate (Buffer To Disk)
126 MB/s (Max)
Physical Specifications
Formatted Capacity
500,107 MB
Capacity
500 GB
Interface
SATA 6 Gb/s
User Sectors Per Drive
976,773,168
Metric
Height
26.1 mm
Depth
147 mm
Width
101.6 mm
Weight
0.69 kg
Temperature (English)
Operating
32° F to 140° F
Non-operating
-40° F to 158° F
Temperature (Metric)
Operating
-0° C to 60° C
Non-operating
-40° C to 70° C
Electrical Specifications
Current Requirements
Power Dissipation
Read/Write
6.80 Watts
Idle
6.10 Watts
Standby
0.70 Watts
Sleep
0.70 Watts
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.
The usual not so special optical drive at a decent price. Generally all I use my DVD optical drives for these days is to install my OS and maybe backup a few older CDs and games. So there really is no reason to go all out here and the Lite-On drives have yet to disappoint me.
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
Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $938): January 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Capability: Game with Extreme settings at 1920X1080 resolutions and even High Settings in some games at 2560×1600
Another pretty static build this month – The $1000 gaming pc build is built to the nines, with the very overclockable Intel i5 3570K, a solid Radeon HD 7870 Graphics Card and the new Cooler Master HAF 922 Mid Tower case.
Also, the price for the overall build has lowered to a very affordable $944 US! So there it a little wiggle room to upgrade what you like, such a up to 16GB RAM, or a 1.5TB hard drive?
$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
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.
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!
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.
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
The same as used in the $500 build both this and last month, but 8GB is a good fit for the $1000 build as well. This package of Kingston 8GB RAM still holds this spot because it is still at the exact same price as last month – holding at $39.99. Last month his package was chosen for its strong Kingston brand name as well as the most affordable price point for a package of 8GB RAM – so here it is again!
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
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.
Swapping this Corsair Enthusiast PSU for the previous Modular Series this month since you save about $40, which is pretty significant. You may go back to December’s builds and purchase the 750W Modular version if you like, but it’s up to you. In my opinion this is far more worth the cash for what you get.
Product Details:
According to Corsair.com –
The Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 power supply delivers 750W of clean, stable, continuous power, making it a great choice when you need an affordable, premium quality, and energy-efficient power supply for your high-end gaming rig or workstation. For systems with even higher power needs, there is also an 850W (Model TX850V2) version available.
I chose this new Cooler Master HAF XB – Lan Box this month because it looks pure awesome – and the reviews having been coming in pretty positively, especially for great airflow. Plus, you can put it right on your desk and still have everything fit very nicely.
And yes – this will fit the Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler as it supports heights of coolers up to 180mm.
Technical Details
Direct front to back airflow over CPU and mainboard for extreme cooling performance
Supports 240mm radiators with extra clearance for thick, high performance radiators or push-pull fan configurations
Supports tower CPU coolers with a height up to 180mm and up to 334mm long high-end graphics cards
Motherboard tray can be removed to install, remove, or swap components
The first case that quickly and easily transforms into a Test Bench – ideal for enthusiasts and overclockers
Dual USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports and X-Dock slots at the front panel for lightning fast plug-n-play I/O
The usual not so special optical drive at a decent price. Generally all I use my DVD optical drives for these days is to install my OS and maybe backup a few older CDs and games. So there really is no reason to go all out here and the Lite-On drives have yet to disappoint me.
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
$1000 Gaming PC Build Additions / Swap Suggestions
Note: Prices are in additional $ amounts…These additions are to act as additional or supplemental hardware the the Gaming PC Build Recipe Above
Add a Blu-Ray Optical Drive: LG Electronics WH12LS30 12X Blu-ray SATA Writer Drive = + $79 – Perhaps you are a movie buff? or need to Backup Media etc. Then swap this for the optical drive and you can add blu-ray burn / read functionality!
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.
Monthly Gaming PC Build ( $1478 ): January 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Game with Extreme settings at resolutions of 2560×1600 – How perfect is that!?
A slight upgrade in motherboard to help afford upgrades in the future and a nice change in case to a sleek Corsair Obsidian Black. The $1500 will be able to rock any game out there and give you the confidence of doing so for quite some time. One suggestion would be to also always do a quick search for other Radeon HD 7970 cards since you can probably get its price down to about $400 saving you an easy $20 or so.
$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
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!
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!
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; such as the GTX 680. 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
I have switched the RAM package to a G Skill one this month due to price fluctuations on generally all RAM in the 16GB realm. G Skill just happened to be the most affordable quality package. Have used it in the past and have been very pleased.
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.
This Samsung 840 SSD is a great deal for only $175 – 250GB space is amazing at this price point with the following Reading / Write speeds and power consumption –
The Corsair Enthusiast Series ModularPower 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.
A sleek case with soft silicon sound dampening ready to fit everything you throw at it. There is great airflow, and you can easily hide your cables without any hassle.
Product Details
Six tool-free hard drive trays with integral SSD support and soft silicon sound dampening
Four tool-free optical drive bays
Front panel USB 3.0 connectors and audio connectors
Cable routing cutouts with rubber grommets
Removable, reversible front panel
Eight expansion slots for multi-GPU compatibility
Three 120mm fans
Top panel is compatible with 240mm radiators for dual-radiator Hydro Series CPU coolers and liquid cooling systems
The usual not so special optical drive at a decent price. Generally all I use my DVD optical drives for these days is to install my OS and maybe backup a few older CDs and games. So there really is no reason to go all out here and the Lite-On drives have yet to disappoint me.
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
$1500 Gaming PC Build Additions / Swap Suggestions
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.
Ultimate Gaming PC Build ( $2002 ): January 2013
Gaming PC Build Recipe:
Game with Extreme settings at resolutions of 2560×1600 and HIGHER – How perfect is that!?
Ok, so I did say the $2000 build was primarily for December, however due to a couple requests I have included one again with a couple of fine tunes upgrades – such as a 1.5 TB Hard Drive, an AsRock EXTREME6 motherboard and a Full Tower Cooler Master HAF X PC Case. I will try to do the $2000 build once in a while depending on time restraints and demand, so please let me know what you guys want as it really helps with the direction of these articles.
$2000 Build Performance –
Here are the 3D Mark 7 benchmarks using the Intel i7-3770K processor and the (2X) Radeon HD 7970 graphics cards – http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4303530
Concluding January 2013’s Gaming PC Builds:
The end to the first Gaming PC Builds of the Month
Yeah i got more into the reading and it seems SLI more for those triple Monitor setups and what not. I Really appriciate the list above, and for you taking your time and looking it up for me I couldnt figure it out. Althought I guess if I ever want to SLI later with the 680 It would be alot better for future proof eh? Thanks again Ill def, give you a link to pic when finished. I like the builds you make by the way can’t wait for next months. You should shot me your email so i can send some pics when im done.
No problem and you are right about the multiple monitor setup etc. Also, having the potential for SLI is most def. a future proof opportunity. You may also contact me via the contact form page at the top right menu under “contact me” and that will shoot straight to my e-mail
Hey Corey is it Possible to build a EVGA GTX670 in SLI with the 3750k Intel Under 1700$?
Monitor included in price. (1080p)
If soo.. I will Kudos you, PayPal Style ^.^;
Dosen’t have to be exact 1700$ But around there.
Bit of a tough one but you can do it (and no need for financial Kudos haha). And depends on the monitor size you like, is 23″ ok? Also I have attached a build similar to the as per usual $1500 build, however without the Solid State Drive and a nice NZXT Phantom Case. As the recommended parts do slightly go over $1700 you could also skip the cooler for now, or leave out the optical drive if you are hard on cash and still get the same baseline performance.
However, one caveat to this build and an opinion of mine. You might be better sticking to the one GTX 680 you have in your previous build as I think you may find you will get amazing performance on a nice 1920×1080 monitor with just that card as opposed to SLI GTX 670’s. So if that saved on you money in the end and you were ok with just the GTX 60, I would opt for that (plus your last build was quite good).
My Idea For my build any suggestions of a case that will fit the h80i or h100i?
And is this all compatible with each other? First time building soo… Thanks for help Corey
Think this will be a good build as well if it is all compatible?
Plus for the case I’m going for blue/Black look so blue LED or what not.
Looks like you’re going all out, I like it! I am curious as to how it looks after with the fan controller / the LED lighting. Everything you chose is perfectly compatible and all great choices.
For a case to go with the Corsair H100i or H80i, you should not have to worry too much about space since most Mid Towers should be able to fit them. I would however like to recommend an NZXT case, which could favor the theme / feel you are trying to achieve.
You will want a case where the front 5.25″ drive spaces are visible so that you can easily see that stylish NZXT Sentry 2 display (at least I would). Something like the NZXT SWITCH 810 case may look really nice when paired with your accessories. It would have a nice front area for the fan controller, sleek look, comes in white or black etc. (Take a look at the produce gallery here: http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/switch_810 )
I am not sure how much you were willing to extend your budget, so if the above case is too expensive you can ask for a few other recommendation as well. I find some nice sleek cases that look good with blue LED as well are Zalman.
Thanks for the Quick Response Corey.
I appreciate the feedback and yes, I want a machine that can run pretty much everything.
And I added a few things like the Hyper x Blue Ram Fan for looks basically and you cant argue with more fans I Suppose lol. WIll need it for my Fan Controller anyways lol.
Well all ports are ordered when built and set up ill post you a pic mate Good day!
Indeed it did! You are correct as it is mostly based on price considerations here. They are both reputable and in the end will boil down to a supply / demand price comparison, however I will also compare against others recommendations and reviews Although, it does look like the similar Gigabyte one has gone down in price recently.
Hey Aedan! How nice of you to stop by for a quick hello haha 🙂 I am quite well, how have you been lately? Obit has actually been off vacationing this month hence why there was no January AMD builds, but he has said he’s back for next months!
No problem man.. 😀 I am doing good too.. 😀 You see, I am a college student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Comp. Sc.. & this is one of the reasons I am really into computers and tech.
It was by mere chance that I was searching for websites that did monthly builds of gaming computers coz I read a lot of tech mags and the builds they prescribe always lack in the graphics dept. Some mags even after the launch of Nvidia 600- series still recommend the older 500- series cards. While they certainly have more vfm rating I believe the performance diff doesn’t justify that aspect.. 🙂
It was then that I stumbled onto your website and fell in love with it coz this is what I was searching for.. Builds that make sense and give you a computer that will easily last 3 yrs without an upgrade.. 😉 🙂
All I wanna say man, is you are doing a great job! Keep it up.. 😀 Maybe one day, I could help you guys out.. 🙂
Good to hear! And awesome, respect for you doing Comp Sci 🙂 I should have done a Comp Sc. degree, although got my B.Sc in Psychology haha. And I agree the tech mags are usually lagging and perhaps this may be due to the hardware technology industry accelerating faster and fast; the mags just cant keep up!! My biggest two concerns when trying to keep the builds up to date is to try and provide recommendations that are supposed to last the longest possible and at the best cost, so I am glad you appreciate this. And you can definitely help out sometime if you find the time and have a suitable idea.
(PS. Sorry for the comment system – saw your double post I am seriously getting frazzled over the comment system I have in place, I need to seriously find a fix for how its been acting; yikes!).
We’ll wait and see if it holds! I actually just finished the article and going to post in a bit. Was just thinking over some ideas for a video this month as I wanted to do a voice over one, however not exactly video savy and am low on time. We’ll see!
Yeah no problem man.. 😉 Its nice to hear from you too.. You see, I am a college undergrad pursuing a degree in Comp Sc. Everything about computers gets me excited and it was my good luck that I stumbled upon your awesome website.. 😀 😀 The builds offered by many tech mags that I read never satisfied me enough but when I saw your builds I said to myself man, THIS is the computer I would loooove to own.. 😀
You are correct the Radeon HD 7970 requires a minimum of 500 watts, however this does not mean in whole or double in requirement in crossfire. I would advise a minimum PSU of 750 watt (as included in the build) and a little more wattage cannot hurt, say if you were going to overclock.
Hi Corey. Like everyone else, I have to thank you so much for this website so we can more easily traverse the name and number games when we don’t live and breathe bus and socket specs. I’ve got questions, if you’ve got time.
I’m researching your build for $1000, and I love the sexy case. Do I need to purchase additional fans, or does that lan box come with sufficient fans? TigerDirect claims a single 120mm comes with.
I was considering maxing out the RAM eventually. Is anything over 8GB really overkill? Does it make a difference if I go with 2x4GB or 1x8GB? Should I just get out of the kitchen and let the cooks do the cooking 😉 ?
Also, since I haven’t done a cooling tower before, the question is somewhat moot since I’d use the horizontal lan box but still… do those things cause a lot of stress on the mobo if they have to travel sideways? Is the tower only really necessary for overlockers and otherwise I should use the stock cooler?
Do you really get bang for your buck doing Crossfire/SLI?
Just got your e-mail I believe? And as per before I am still having trouble receiving comments properly on the site, which I apologize for since I appreciate when someone takes the time to comment only to have the system ‘eat it up’.
I am with you, I love that case too and you should be fine with the fan it comes with. I generally advise that fans are such an easy purchase, so if you find later on you want to add one you can spend the few bucks and do so, but I wouldn’t worry about it
lol @ the get out of the kitchen comment. You will want to do the RAM in pairs, which is best for dual channel. So yes a 2x4GB is best, or a 2x8GB etc. The motherboard has 4 slots of up to 32GB so there will always be room for more. Is 16GB overkill? Well, some may say so, however you may find it useful come a year or so as has always been the trend with memory. 8GB right now though is just fine though.
As per the last comment on the cooling, did you mean is the Cooler Master Evo cooler only necessary for overclocking? If so, yes I would advise so. Would a horizontal cooler case stress on the CPU – I have never came across this question, but I wouldn’t think so.
And “Do you get bang for your buck doing crossfire / SLI? Yes! as some combinations of cards can sometimes output more juice then say a really high end card etc. Although is it always useful? Well if you are going to game at super high resolutions like 2560×1600 or on three monitors at a time then a Crossfire 7970 might be worth it.
Could you link me the detailed scores for the upgraded processor and graphics card for the $500 build. The i5 processor and the 7850 IceQ. Thanks so much for these builds its really making an easier time for my first PC build
No problem and sorry if you had any troubles posting a comment, the systems been a little messed up. Here are the comparisons of the Upgrades to the $500 build (Intel i5 3450 + AMD HD 7850) with the original build (Intel i3 3220 + GTX 650 Ti) – http://www.3dmark.com/compare/3dm11/3563555/3dm11/5104887
The first score are the upgrades and the second being the original build. Let me know of any more questions you may have 🙂
Hey no problem, it was posted twice. I also apologize as the comment system has been flaky on the site lately (others have ao been double posting). Is it because it takes a while to post? I am also not getting notifications when a new comments come through either hence why I am a few days late responding, sorry!
That combo package is not too bad with the biggest difference being the graphics cards (My radeon 7970 recommendation vs the GTX 660 in your package). The GTX 660 is not a bad card, but not better then the Radeon 7970. That being said it also depends on what your needs are, such as you may get a better frame rate in Battlefield with a Radeon 7970 on ultra settings, however the GTX 660 will still allow you to play pretty well.
PS. If you go with the combo package, remember to still purchase a hard drive and if you need it a DVD drive.
Awesome site! I used to keep up with the new tech coming out but I don’t have the interest or time for it anymore. But, I still like to build my own PC to save money. Your website helped me build a computer that fit my daughter’s needs (GW2 and Minecraft) and saved me a lot of time since I didn’t have to do a lot of research.
Thanks for such a positive comment and for taking the time to show your appreciation. I hope your daughter enjoys her new PC. I have never thought about putting up a donation option, but thank you very much for the notion.
An awesome start to the new year! 😀
Once again a solid job across the builds, Corey.. Really good ones. Infact, I was just reading up on the HAF XB yesterday and felt like this could earn a recommendation in your builds.. But lo, you already added it to your $1000 build.. 😀 😀
Kudos man! 😀
Looking forward to Obit’s builds too.. 😀
Thank you so much again. I was rather impressed after reading on the HAF XB as well and am more then tempted to get one to use myself, so glad I’m on the right track 🙂 Obit has said that his builds will be ready for mid January this month, so keep an eye out then. Once again, thanks!!
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. The best in its class in my opinion, especially if you are not into overclocking. A second recommendation here could be the AMD route, where you can purchase an AMD FX-4170 for the same price, and overclock the heck out of it.
A very affordable motherboard perfect for the Intel i3 3220 processor and has nothing more then what you need. 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.
New from last month the GeForce GTX 650 Ti graphics card is as good as it gets for around $150. With its low power demands and amazing performance its the perfect card for a $500 builds to keep performance up and power demands down.
The usual well priced 2X4Gb 8GB package of RAM and I have decided to go with the very well priced Kingston Technology HyperX RAM for yet another month.
One of the most possible budget cases and with good reason. The NZXT Source 210 PC case looks good and is quite affordable.
The usual not so special optical drive at a decent price. Generally all I use my DVD optical drives for these days is to install my OS and maybe backup a few older CDs and games. So there really is no reason to go all out here and the Lite-On drives have yet to disappoint me.
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.
This Gigabyte card in particular comes with a great array of connection ports too – 2 mini display – HDMI and a DVI port.
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.
Swapping this Corsair Enthusiast PSU for the previous Modular Series this month since you save about $40, which is pretty significant. You may go back to December’s builds and purchase the 750W Modular version if you like, but it’s up to you. In my opinion this is far more worth the cash for what you get.
I chose this new Cooler Master HAF XB – Lan Box this month because it looks pure awesome – and the reviews having been coming in pretty positively, especially for great airflow. Plus, you can put it right on your desk and still have everything fit very nicely.
Add a SSD Boot Drive: OCZ Technology 128GB Vertex 4 Series SATA 6.0 GB/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive (SSD) With Industry’s Highest 120K IOPS And 5-Year Warranty – VTX4-25SAT3-128G = + $109
Do CROSSFIRE with another Gigabyte AMD Radeon HD 7870 2 GB GDDR5 DVI-I/HDMI/2x Mini-Displayport PCI-Express 3.0 Graphic Card GV-R787OC-2GD = + $239.99
Liquid CPU cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 120M – Liquid CPU Water Cooling Kit with Pre-filled Coolant and Copper Heatsink = + $69.99 A small adaptable liquid CPU cooler should do the trick!
Tons of expansion capability for more graphics, ram, peripherals and more.
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; such as the GTX 680. This card will have you playing any game without any problems at Max Settings with resolutions soaring up to 2560X1600 easily.
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.
This Samsung 840 SSD is a great deal for only $175 – 250GB space is amazing at this price point with the following Reading / Write speeds and power consumption –
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!).
A sleek case with soft silicon sound dampening ready to fit everything you throw at it. There is great airflow, and you can easily hide your cables without any hassle.
Diamond AMD Radeon HD 7970 PCIE 3G GDDR5 Video Graphics Card 7970PE53G = + $457
Better CPU Cooler (To Overclock Intel 3570K): Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H100i = + $119.99
Crucial 512 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT512M4SSD2 = + $399 (512 GB of pure Solid State Drive – You may even be able to skip and go with just this if you do not need the extra room!)
CPU Cooler (For OverClocking): 
Motherboard: 
RAM: 
Hard Drive: 
Power Supply: 
Computer Case: 
Optical Drive: 
Comments 32
This page was VERY helpful in helping me make my build. I took most of the suggestions, changed only a couple of things. Thanks so much!
Author
Hello Jesse,
Of course, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me so! Have fun building and I hope it all goes smoothly.
Yeah i got more into the reading and it seems SLI more for those triple Monitor setups and what not. I Really appriciate the list above, and for you taking your time and looking it up for me I couldnt figure it out. Althought I guess if I ever want to SLI later with the 680 It would be alot better for future proof eh? Thanks again Ill def, give you a link to pic when finished. I like the builds you make by the way can’t wait for next months. You should shot me your email so i can send some pics when im done.
Author
No problem and you are right about the multiple monitor setup etc. Also, having the potential for SLI is most def. a future proof opportunity. You may also contact me via the contact form page at the top right menu under “contact me” and that will shoot straight to my e-mail
Hey Corey is it Possible to build a EVGA GTX670 in SLI with the 3750k Intel Under 1700$?
Monitor included in price. (1080p)
If soo.. I will Kudos you, PayPal Style ^.^;
Dosen’t have to be exact 1700$ But around there.
Author
Hey William,
Bit of a tough one but you can do it (and no need for financial Kudos haha). And depends on the monitor size you like, is 23″ ok? Also I have attached a build similar to the as per usual $1500 build, however without the Solid State Drive and a nice NZXT Phantom Case. As the recommended parts do slightly go over $1700 you could also skip the cooler for now, or leave out the optical drive if you are hard on cash and still get the same baseline performance.
However, one caveat to this build and an opinion of mine. You might be better sticking to the one GTX 680 you have in your previous build as I think you may find you will get amazing performance on a nice 1920×1080 monitor with just that card as opposed to SLI GTX 670’s. So if that saved on you money in the end and you were ok with just the GTX 60, I would opt for that (plus your last build was quite good).
Case: NZXT Crafted Series ATX Full Tower Steel Chassis – Phantom White
Monitor: ASUS VH236H 23-Inch Full-HD 2ms LCD Monitor
Graphics: 2x EVGA GeForce GTX670 2048MB GDDR5 256bit, 2x Dual-Link DVI, HDMI, DP, 4-Way SLI Ready Graphics Card (02G-P4-2670-KR)
PSU: Corsair Enthusiast Series TX 850 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Bronze (TX850M)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10)
Optical Drive: Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive – Bulk – IHAS124-04 Version C (Black) –
Hard Drive: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA III, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO – CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan (RR-212E-20PK-R2)
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155 – BX80637I53570K
My Idea For my build any suggestions of a case that will fit the h80i or h100i?
And is this all compatible with each other? First time building soo… Thanks for help Corey
Think this will be a good build as well if it is all compatible?
Plus for the case I’m going for blue/Black look so blue LED or what not.
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core LGA 1155 – BX80637I53570K
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5, DVI, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort, 4-way SLI Ready Graphics Card Graphics Cards 02G-P4-2680-KR
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B
Motherboard: Gigabyte Intel Z77 LGA 1155 AMD CrossFireX/NVIDIA SLI W/ HDMI,DVI,DispayPort Dual UEFI BIOS ATX Motherboard GA-Z77X-UD3H
CPU FAN/HEATSINK:Corsair Hydro Series Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H100i/H80i
HD: WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM, SATA III, 64 MB Cache – WD10EZEX
SSD: Crucial m4 128GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2
PS: Corsair Professional Series HX 750 Watt ATX/EPS Modular 80 PLUS Gold (HX750)
BR/CD: ASUS BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS 12X Blu-ray Internal Burner Drive with Disc Encryption – Black – Retail Box
ACCESSORIES:
NZXT SENTRY 2 Accessories 5.25-Inch Touch Screen Fan Controller (Black)
NZXT Sleeved LED Case Light Kit (Blue) 2 Meter CB-LED20-BU
Author
Hey William,
Looks like you’re going all out, I like it! I am curious as to how it looks after with the fan controller / the LED lighting. Everything you chose is perfectly compatible and all great choices.
For a case to go with the Corsair H100i or H80i, you should not have to worry too much about space since most Mid Towers should be able to fit them. I would however like to recommend an NZXT case, which could favor the theme / feel you are trying to achieve.
You will want a case where the front 5.25″ drive spaces are visible so that you can easily see that stylish NZXT Sentry 2 display (at least I would). Something like the NZXT SWITCH 810 case may look really nice when paired with your accessories. It would have a nice front area for the fan controller, sleek look, comes in white or black etc. (Take a look at the produce gallery here: http://www.nzxt.com/new/products/crafted_series/switch_810 )
I am not sure how much you were willing to extend your budget, so if the above case is too expensive you can ask for a few other recommendation as well. I find some nice sleek cases that look good with blue LED as well are Zalman.
Thanks for the Quick Response Corey.
I appreciate the feedback and yes, I want a machine that can run pretty much everything.
And I added a few things like the Hyper x Blue Ram Fan for looks basically and you cant argue with more fans I Suppose lol. WIll need it for my Fan Controller anyways lol.
Well all ports are ordered when built and set up ill post you a pic mate Good day!
Author
I look forward to it!
ACK! My comments actually went through. Oh well. More questions if you aren’t sick of me yet.
Between the jump from 7870 and the 7970, why the switch to Diamond over Gigabyte. Purely a price consideration at the time?
Author
Indeed it did! You are correct as it is mostly based on price considerations here. They are both reputable and in the end will boil down to a supply / demand price comparison, however I will also compare against others recommendations and reviews Although, it does look like the similar Gigabyte one has gone down in price recently.
Whats up guys? How are you doing? 😀 😀
Author
Hey Aedan! How nice of you to stop by for a quick hello haha 🙂 I am quite well, how have you been lately? Obit has actually been off vacationing this month hence why there was no January AMD builds, but he has said he’s back for next months!
No problem man.. 😀 I am doing good too.. 😀 You see, I am a college student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Comp. Sc.. & this is one of the reasons I am really into computers and tech.
It was by mere chance that I was searching for websites that did monthly builds of gaming computers coz I read a lot of tech mags and the builds they prescribe always lack in the graphics dept. Some mags even after the launch of Nvidia 600- series still recommend the older 500- series cards. While they certainly have more vfm rating I believe the performance diff doesn’t justify that aspect.. 🙂
It was then that I stumbled onto your website and fell in love with it coz this is what I was searching for.. Builds that make sense and give you a computer that will easily last 3 yrs without an upgrade.. 😉 🙂
All I wanna say man, is you are doing a great job! Keep it up.. 😀 Maybe one day, I could help you guys out.. 🙂
Author
Good to hear! And awesome, respect for you doing Comp Sci 🙂 I should have done a Comp Sc. degree, although got my B.Sc in Psychology haha. And I agree the tech mags are usually lagging and perhaps this may be due to the hardware technology industry accelerating faster and fast; the mags just cant keep up!! My biggest two concerns when trying to keep the builds up to date is to try and provide recommendations that are supposed to last the longest possible and at the best cost, so I am glad you appreciate this. And you can definitely help out sometime if you find the time and have a suitable idea.
(PS. Sorry for the comment system – saw your double post I am seriously getting frazzled over the comment system I have in place, I need to seriously find a fix for how its been acting; yikes!).
Congrats man! I think you got over the comments problem.. 😀
Looking forward to February 2013!.. 😀 😀
Author
We’ll wait and see if it holds! I actually just finished the article and going to post in a bit. Was just thinking over some ideas for a video this month as I wanted to do a voice over one, however not exactly video savy and am low on time. We’ll see!
Yeah no problem man.. 😉 Its nice to hear from you too.. You see, I am a college undergrad pursuing a degree in Comp Sc. Everything about computers gets me excited and it was my good luck that I stumbled upon your awesome website.. 😀 😀 The builds offered by many tech mags that I read never satisfied me enough but when I saw your builds I said to myself man, THIS is the computer I would loooove to own.. 😀
Thanks for this site Corey. I really can’t gush enough about it.
The GPU’s page says it requires 500 watts. If I wanted to Crossfire the $1000 as suggested, would I need a beefier PSU?
Author
You are correct the Radeon HD 7970 requires a minimum of 500 watts, however this does not mean in whole or double in requirement in crossfire. I would advise a minimum PSU of 750 watt (as included in the build) and a little more wattage cannot hurt, say if you were going to overclock.
Reference: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/amd_radeon_hd_7970_review,8.html
Hi Corey. Like everyone else, I have to thank you so much for this website so we can more easily traverse the name and number games when we don’t live and breathe bus and socket specs. I’ve got questions, if you’ve got time.
I’m researching your build for $1000, and I love the sexy case. Do I need to purchase additional fans, or does that lan box come with sufficient fans? TigerDirect claims a single 120mm comes with.
I was considering maxing out the RAM eventually. Is anything over 8GB really overkill? Does it make a difference if I go with 2x4GB or 1x8GB? Should I just get out of the kitchen and let the cooks do the cooking 😉 ?
Also, since I haven’t done a cooling tower before, the question is somewhat moot since I’d use the horizontal lan box but still… do those things cause a lot of stress on the mobo if they have to travel sideways? Is the tower only really necessary for overlockers and otherwise I should use the stock cooler?
Do you really get bang for your buck doing Crossfire/SLI?
Author
Hey Jason!
Just got your e-mail I believe? And as per before I am still having trouble receiving comments properly on the site, which I apologize for since I appreciate when someone takes the time to comment only to have the system ‘eat it up’.
I am with you, I love that case too and you should be fine with the fan it comes with. I generally advise that fans are such an easy purchase, so if you find later on you want to add one you can spend the few bucks and do so, but I wouldn’t worry about it
lol @ the get out of the kitchen comment. You will want to do the RAM in pairs, which is best for dual channel. So yes a 2x4GB is best, or a 2x8GB etc. The motherboard has 4 slots of up to 32GB so there will always be room for more. Is 16GB overkill? Well, some may say so, however you may find it useful come a year or so as has always been the trend with memory. 8GB right now though is just fine though.
As per the last comment on the cooling, did you mean is the Cooler Master Evo cooler only necessary for overclocking? If so, yes I would advise so. Would a horizontal cooler case stress on the CPU – I have never came across this question, but I wouldn’t think so.
And “Do you get bang for your buck doing crossfire / SLI? Yes! as some combinations of cards can sometimes output more juice then say a really high end card etc. Although is it always useful? Well if you are going to game at super high resolutions like 2560×1600 or on three monitors at a time then a Crossfire 7970 might be worth it.
Let me know if this helps!
Hey Corey,
Could you link me the detailed scores for the upgraded processor and graphics card for the $500 build. The i5 processor and the 7850 IceQ. Thanks so much for these builds its really making an easier time for my first PC build
Author
Hey Nick,
No problem and sorry if you had any troubles posting a comment, the systems been a little messed up. Here are the comparisons of the Upgrades to the $500 build (Intel i5 3450 + AMD HD 7850) with the original build (Intel i3 3220 + GTX 650 Ti) – http://www.3dmark.com/compare/3dm11/3563555/3dm11/5104887
The first score are the upgrades and the second being the original build. Let me know of any more questions you may have 🙂
Thanks so much and yeah the comment was a little messed up the other day sorry about the double post!
I was wondering what your thoughts were on the linked combo package when compaired to your $1000 build.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1069078
sorry if this gets posted twice
Author
Hey Richard,
Hey no problem, it was posted twice. I also apologize as the comment system has been flaky on the site lately (others have ao been double posting). Is it because it takes a while to post? I am also not getting notifications when a new comments come through either hence why I am a few days late responding, sorry!
That combo package is not too bad with the biggest difference being the graphics cards (My radeon 7970 recommendation vs the GTX 660 in your package). The GTX 660 is not a bad card, but not better then the Radeon 7970. That being said it also depends on what your needs are, such as you may get a better frame rate in Battlefield with a Radeon 7970 on ultra settings, however the GTX 660 will still allow you to play pretty well.
PS. If you go with the combo package, remember to still purchase a hard drive and if you need it a DVD drive.
Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Awesome site! I used to keep up with the new tech coming out but I don’t have the interest or time for it anymore. But, I still like to build my own PC to save money. Your website helped me build a computer that fit my daughter’s needs (GW2 and Minecraft) and saved me a lot of time since I didn’t have to do a lot of research.
You should have a paypal option available btw.
Thanks and keep it up!
Author
Hello Jeff,
Thanks for such a positive comment and for taking the time to show your appreciation. I hope your daughter enjoys her new PC. I have never thought about putting up a donation option, but thank you very much for the notion.
Best of luck!
An awesome start to the new year! 😀
Once again a solid job across the builds, Corey.. Really good ones. Infact, I was just reading up on the HAF XB yesterday and felt like this could earn a recommendation in your builds.. But lo, you already added it to your $1000 build.. 😀 😀
Kudos man! 😀
Looking forward to Obit’s builds too.. 😀
Author
Hey Aedan 🙂
Thank you so much again. I was rather impressed after reading on the HAF XB as well and am more then tempted to get one to use myself, so glad I’m on the right track 🙂 Obit has said that his builds will be ready for mid January this month, so keep an eye out then. Once again, thanks!!