~$1000 PC biuld

[FierceDeity]

Alright, here's what I plan to buy. Tell me if there is anything I should change about this setup -

That's what I've come up with. I might go with 2 gtx 460's SLI in the future, but for now I'll go with one. I'm also getting Windows 7 with it for $100 more

Suggestions?

 

[J.D]

I would spent the extra money to get 6GB of RAM and triple channel it. If your mobo supports it.

 

[XCVG]

Sandy Bridge does not support triple channel RAM. Only LGA1366 Nehalem based platforms support it. Motherboard has nothing to do with it either, the memory controller was moved ondie with Nehalem.

I would change two things in your build. First, go to a cheaper case, like a V3 or 300. Go with an i5-2500K rather than a vanilla 2500 or you will NOT be able to overclock. If you can swing it, go to a 560 Ti, if not, the 460 is no slouch.

 

[bentomo]

He's doing sandy bridge so no triple channel.

two things with your build,

Get the 460 from EVGA, they're selling off their old stock and it's cheaper.
2 spring the literal few extra bucks for the 2500k, they overclock so nicely and get a chunk of more performance out of them.

Oh and a surprise third.

Pick a different case, I'm assuming you picked the 900 because it was the highest rated case on newegg. Get a different one, it's overrated by now, it was the best at it's time but there are better cases now, and cheaper, you can spend around $50 on a case if you want even, mine was $50 and I love it. NZXT M59

EDIT: dang XCVG beat me to it.

 

[J.D]

Ah. I got my computer build like the day before Sandy Bridge came out

 

[Mako321]

Get a good Win7 resold student discount and you're good.
What do I win?

If you want to spend less on a card, get a 6950, there's an open box Direct CUII for 220 right now.

 

[XCVG]

Problem with both the HAF and the NZXT is that they're *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing ugly. The Nine Hundred actually looks somewhat decent. Lian Li makes some really nice cases, but they are really expensive. If you roll that way, though, there's nothing technically wrong with either case.

I wouldn't go with Mako's rig. It's kind of unbalanced, sacrificing other parts for a fancy video card. That being said, fancy video cards are lovely. I would go with nVidia personally because of some fringe features, but ATI AMD isn't as bad as some would make it seem.

 

[Zero]

I wouldn't go with Mako's rig. It's kind of unbalanced, sacrificing other parts for a fancy video card. That being said, fancy video cards are lovely. I would go with nVidia personally because of some fringe features, but ATI AMD isn't as bad as some would make it seem.

Not really. Besides maybe replacing the HDD for a WD Black, I'd say Mako's build is a much better choice. Go with something similar to that since it falls in your price range.

 

[Mako321]

I wouldn't go with Mako's rig. It's kind of unbalanced, sacrificing other parts for a fancy video card. That being said, fancy video cards are lovely. I would go with nVidia personally because of some fringe features, but ATI AMD isn't as bad as some would make it seem.

Not really. Besides maybe replacing the HDD for a WD Black, I'd say Mako's build is a much better choice. Go with something similar to that since it falls in your price range.

Spinpoint F3s are quieter and just as, if not more reliable than WD Blacks.
Also, if you've seen a HAF 912, you'd agree that this thing is AMAZING for its price. It's got a load of features that you don't see on cases this cheap that'll make your life a Heck of a lot easier in the long run.

 

[bentomo]

Problem with both the HAF and the NZXT is that they're Linking ugly.

Well that's your opinion. I THINK MY CASE IS BEAUTIFUL!

NZXT still makes quality stuff, and when it comes down to it, quality matters most of the time over looks.

 

[XCVG]

I respectfully disagree. The case is the part you're going to be saying. That being said, how a case looks is pretty subjective. I love the look of my 300, but I'm sure a lot of people would find it too bland. Bottom line to the OP- don't take any case suggestions. Pick one that you like. If you like the HAF, go with the HAF. If you like the 900, go with the 900.

Mako's rig lacks an optical drive, has a cheaper motherboard, and a lower power power supply. Looking at it again, though, it actually seems alright. I'm not sure if the OP rig was overbuilt or if Mako just exploited sales and such, but it seemed weird having a more powerful rig at the same price point.

 

[Mako321]

I'm just good like that.

 

[Zero]

Mako's rig lacks an optical drive, has a cheaper motherboard, and a lower power power supply. Looking at it again, though, it actually seems alright. I'm not sure if the OP rig was overbuilt or if Mako just exploited sales and such, but it seemed weird having a more powerful rig at the same price point.

Power supply should be more than fine, and if not the OP could go back to using his original power supply choice for $5 more. Motherboard also seems fine, and honestly, I don't think many people will need more than that. Plus, the benefit of being able to include a much better video card makes it all worth it.

 

[FierceDeity]

Ok, made some changes

I'm going with the 560 ti instead of the 460, the Coolermaster HAF, the i5-2500k, and the ram Mako had. I love the way the antec 900 looks, but I guess for the price, the HAF is better and it looks pretty good too. I can fit in a 560 ti, so I'm going with it. I don't really wan't a radeon, because I personally like Nvidia better and PhysX looks pretty cool, while I'd never buy 3 monitors for eyefinity.


Also, since when did AMD buy ATI? I have never heard of this until now.

 

[J.D]

About a year and a half ago, AMD acquired ATI.

And you're smart going with Nvidia/Intel, I commend you for that.

 

[FierceDeity]

A year and a half ago? Wow I feel stupid, I mean I usually look a Nvidia's cards but still.

 

[Zero]

And you're smart going with Nvidia/Intel, I commend you for that.

That's usually right for going with Intel CPUs vs AMD, but in terms of GPUs, both AMD and Nvidia make great GPUs with each edging each other out at different times, and its worth dropping brand preference to find the best card for you.

 

[Twilight Wolf]

I'm pretty sure ATI has been a part of AMD for quite a while now. They just began phasing out the ATI name in favor of AMD fairly recently.

 

[J.D]

Ah, T_W is right.

The acquisition of ATI in 2006 was important to AMD's strategic development of its Fusion generation of computer processors, which integrate general processing abilities with graphics processing functions within a single chip. The ATI brand name was discontinued from AMD's graphics processor products in 2010

 

[Mako321]

I'm pretty sure ATI has been a part of AMD for quite a while now. They just began phasing out the ATI name in favor of AMD fairly recently.

As of AMD's Radeon HD6000 series video cards, the ATI name has been phased out altogether.