I need help building a computer...

[Ωmega]

You guys aren't helping...I need a list of good parts. That chart doesn't really help much because I fail at charts (I'm a list kind of guy...), so I'd prefer it if someone gave me a list of parts that, when the prices are added together, fall into the $1500 range and can play high-end graphics games at near-max capacity.

Also, just a side note, I'm getting a 24" LCD. :D

 

[donavannj]

You guys aren't helping...I need a list of good parts. That chart doesn't really help much because I fail at charts (I'm a list kind of guy...), so I'd prefer it if someone gave me a list of parts that, when the prices are added together, fall into the $1500 range and can play high-end graphics games at near-max capacity.

Um... you've gotta learn to read charts, since, when you're in the working world, they aren't gonna convert a chart into a list for just one person because they don't know how to read it. :\

 

[twocows]

You guys aren't helping...I need a list of good parts. That chart doesn't really help much because I fail at charts (I'm a list kind of guy...), so I'd prefer it if someone gave me a list of parts that, when the prices are added together, fall into the $1500 range and can play high-end graphics games at near-max capacity.

Also, just a side note, I'm getting a 24" LCD. :D

Spinpoint F3, $70
G.SKILL 6GB RAM pack (DDR3 @1600), $150
CM690 II Basic, $70
CMPSU-750TX, $110
Radeon HD 5870, $380 (sale price, ends soon), drivers (requires registration, use these instead of any bundled CD; only for this specific card)
i7-930, $290
GA-X58A-UD3R, $210
Essentials total: $1280

Optional components:
DVD RW drive, $24 x however many you get
19" monitor, $120 (sale price, ends soon)
Optional total: $144
Grand total: $1424

Notes:
Sound cards are pretty useless. On-board sound is almost always sufficient.
You can shave off about $100 by getting an HD 5850 instead of an HD 5870 and not lose too much performance
Solid state drives aren't worth it yet, especially for gamers.
Case really doesn't matter, the one I recommended is big, has good airflow, and isn't absurdly expensive.
You can safely get 1333 RAM instead of 1600 and not notice much of a difference, despite what a lot of people will tell you.
The WD Caviar Black hard drive is rated for 6GB/s but does not actually reach that rate most of the time, so you are paying a premium for nothing. It is still a good drive, but I find the Spinpoint F3 to be superior.
Power supplies are tough. Modular supplies are far more manageable, but non-modular PSUs are very slightly more efficient. Single rail is better unless you don't have a life. Bottom-mounted is best. The one I recommended is non-modular, single-rail, and bottom-mounted.
The i7-930 costs a bit more than the i7-920, but it has turbo enabled, which is important for overclocking. If you won't be overclocking, you can get the i7-920 and save a few dollars.
The brand of the DVD drive doesn't really matter, though the one I recommended is an ASUS, which is my favorite brand. You might wish to get more than one, it can be convenient to have two DVD drives. If you want a Blu-Ray capable drive, you'll have to pay a premium.
The monitor I recommended is an ASUS 19-inch. It has a VGA plug and a VGA male to HDMI female adapter, so it should work with the card, which only has HDMI ports. If it doesn't come with the adapter, they cost about $2 at Radio Shack or any other hardware store. If you want a bigger monitor, you can try looking at what's recommended here.
Get Windows 7. Google "Windows 7 repository" and take the first link. Follow the guide.

EDIT:
If you need a keyboard, the ABS M1 is a great, low-price keyboard, but it's out of stock on Newegg, the only place it was being sold. You might want to try craigslist or eBay. If you're willing to pay a premium, this is a good choice.
As for a mouse, I recommend the Logitech MX-500.

 

[Archer]

I can't see any issues with twocows' build - it's great. The only thing I want to ask is: do you need a keyboard and mouse? If you're gaming, then normal hardware simply isn't going to cut it.

 

[Ωmega]

twocow's build is just what I need (though I'm still gonna use 1 TB hard drives in RAID 1). As for keyboard and mouse, I don't need to buy one. My friend has a spare mouse and keyboard lying around somewhere that he said I could have. :D

 

[TheAppleFreak]

twocow's build is just what I need (though I'm still gonna use 1 TB hard drives in RAID 1). As for keyboard and mouse, I don't need to buy one. My friend has a spare mouse and keyboard lying around somewhere that he said I could have. :D

I agree; twocow's build is very, very good. However, unless the keyboard/mouse are specifically geared towards gaming, it might not be the best thing for your needs.

I think that a Logitech keyboard/mouse combo is pretty good; from my own experiences, their build quality is not surpassed by many. This one keyboard seems pretty good; it has the highest rating out of their lineup, but it might blow the $1500 budget by about $20 if you go with twocow's complete package (and it's probably cheaper on Newegg or TigerDirect or some other reseller). As for a mouse... well, I'm not really sure. Try going with the MX-500 like twocows said. Overall, not including tax and shipping, it should come out to a little more than $1560.

 

[Archer]

I agree; twocow's build is very, very good. However, unless the keyboard/mouse are specifically geared towards gaming, it might not be the best thing for your needs.

I think that a Logitech keyboard/mouse combo is pretty good; from my own experiences, their build quality is not surpassed by many. This one keyboard seems pretty good; it has the highest rating out of their lineup, but it might blow the $1500 budget by about $20 if you go with twocow's complete package (and it's probably cheaper on Newegg or TigerDirect or some other reseller). As for a mouse... well, I'm not really sure. Try going with the MX-500 like twocows said. Overall, not including tax and shipping, it should come out to a little more than $1560.

The G15 is a waste of time if you don't need the screen. A lot of people complain that the buttons are too deep, so it's not the sort of thing you want to buy unless you have the chance to try it out somewhere. On the other hand, the Logitech Illuminated is supposed to be awesome for most things. Not surprisingly, it lights up in the dark, by the way. Not as fast as a gaming board, but you need something that's nice to type with, nonetheless.

Mice, on the other hand. It is vital to get a gaming mouse for any sort of gaming. Otherwise, it's like playing PS2 with a TV remote. Many people will suggest the MX518. I can't personally say I'm a huge fan of the shape or glossy finish, but I'm picky. I'd look into it or a Microsoft Sidewinder X3 for a beginner's gaming mouse. You may also want to look at el-cheapo brand gaming mice, which are better for gaming than a high-end non-gaming mouse. Just make sure that they have 500MHz or 1000MHz polling rate or 1 or 2 millisecond response time. A DPI sensor that is at least 1600 is a good idea, although look for one that is adjustable. At the very least, go with a Wired mouse, unless it's a Razer Mamba or Microsoft Sidewinder X8

The tl;dr version is: Get a gaming mouse, get a comfy keyboard. Good luck.

 

[twocows]

I agree; twocow's build is very, very good. However, unless the keyboard/mouse are specifically geared towards gaming, it might not be the best thing for your needs.

I think that a Logitech keyboard/mouse combo is pretty good; from my own experiences, their build quality is not surpassed by many. This one keyboard seems pretty good; it has the highest rating out of their lineup, but it might blow the $1500 budget by about $20 if you go with twocow's complete package (and it's probably cheaper on Newegg or TigerDirect or some other reseller). As for a mouse... well, I'm not really sure. Try going with the MX-500 like twocows said. Overall, not including tax and shipping, it should come out to a little more than $1560.

I am a "hardcore" gamer. The keyboard and mouse I recommended are more than sufficient for gaming.

twocow's build is just what I need (though I'm still gonna use 1 TB hard drives in RAID 1). As for keyboard and mouse, I don't need to buy one. My friend has a spare mouse and keyboard lying around somewhere that he said I could have. :D

The drives listed are both 1TB drives.

 

[Archer]

I am a "hardcore" gamer. The keyboard and mouse I recommended are more than sufficient for gaming.

That's why I said that keyboards are more of a preference thing any decent keyboard shouldn't conk out with 3 simultaneous keypresses.

It's important to get a mouse that is up to scratch though, and the MX500 is really old. The MX-518 is fine. It has faster polling (the 500 and 510 were 8ms response time...) and a better sensor. If the MX500 had the same feet as the 510, they're pretty poor. The idea behind a gaming mouse is (within reason) for the gamer to be the skill bottleneck, and not the mouse. This means that adjustable DPI and ultrapolling are a VERY goo idea. You might be fine with the mouse you currently have, but I know that I couldn't go back to a standard polling mouse with a locked crappy sensor and worse feet. See if you can pick up a G5, most retailers are trying to get rid of them, for the G500.

The drives listed are both 1TB drives.

Yeah, he might have been referring to getting two and putting them in Raid1, rather than having an issue with your choice. :D

 

[twocows]

That's why I said that keyboards are more of a preference thing any decent keyboard shouldn't conk out with 3 simultaneous keypresses.

It's important to get a mouse that is up to scratch though, and the MX500 is really old. The MX-518 is fine. It has faster polling (the 500 and 510 were 8ms response time...) and a better sensor. If the MX500 had the same feet as the 510, they're pretty poor. The idea behind a gaming mouse is (within reason) for the gamer to be the skill bottleneck, and not the mouse. This means that adjustable DPI and ultrapolling are a VERY goo idea. You might be fine with the mouse you currently have, but I know that I couldn't go back to a standard polling mouse with a locked crappy sensor and worse feet. See if you can pick up a G5, most retailers are trying to get rid of them, for the G500.


Yeah, he might have been referring to getting two and putting them in Raid1, rather than having an issue with your choice. :D

I believe one of the keyboards I linked has NKRO and the other can handle ten simultaneous key presses. Both are silent mechanical switch keyboards (as opposed to mechanical click), which are very high quality. Here's what I usually use for reference on keyboards.

I recommended the MX-500 because I thought it was basically the same as the MX-518 except minus the glossy finish (which is my only complaint about mine). If it's significantly different, I guess that's a different story.

 

[Archer]

I believe one of the keyboards I linked has NKRO and the other can handle ten simultaneous key presses. Both are silent mechanical switch keyboards (as opposed to mechanical click), which are very high quality. Here's what I usually use for reference on keyboards.

I recommended the MX-500 because I thought it was basically the same as the MX-518 except minus the glossy finish (which is my only complaint about mine). If it's significantly different, I guess that's a different story.

Yeah, the MX500 is slower and has a low DPI sensor. It's no different to your normal Optical mouse of today.

The G5 has a laser sensor with a higher DPI than the MX518 and has a really nice rubber finish. That's what I hated about my MX510, aside from the same problems as the MX500 (crappy feet, low DPI, slight lag).

After a while (and I'm not a hardcore gamer, although I do play CS:Source online) you can really tell the difference between 8ms and 1ms sensors. If not, you aren't getting enough frames, and that's hurting your gaming ability.

Cheers.

 

[Cidun]

If you're going to play any recent games, definitly invest in a semi-decent gfx card