Need a new gaming rig $1000 budget. Critique my build.

Also if you need windows that is going to hurt, I dont think you can even go Intel in that case. Here is one if you have to buy windows.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks


CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($119.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($175.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.97 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $700.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-26 21:25 EDT-0400)
 
... I assume this is for gaming primarily.
I run off a chromebook right now. I will be using it for PRIMARILY* gaming. but I will be using it for work as well. So I will invest in Windows 8 (therefore Windows 8 does not include in the 700$ range)

I don't really have a predisposition to intel. I've had success using both AMD and intel. no prob.
Also, wholly wow ewoks! this is more than I could've asked. I might play around with this a little but the AMD one looks pretty good for me.
 
Last edited:
Well it really wasn't much work. :) If you like one of these builds we can spend some time tweaking one to be better. For those I listed, I just used http://www.choosemypc.net/ which has a build generator that I have come to love as a starting point.
 
I run off a chromebook right now. I will be using it for PRIMARILY* gaming. but I will be using it for work as well. So I will invest in Windows 8 (therefore Windows 8 does not include in the 700$ range)

I don't really have a predisposition to intel. I've had success using both AMD and intel. no prob.
Also, wholly wow ewoks! this is more than I could've asked. I might play around with this a little but the AMD one looks pretty good for me.

This may have been stated elsewhere but why win 8? I have it on my laptop that I dual boot 7 and 8 and I can't tell you the last time I used 8. The menu system is completely different. You have to create shortcuts just to shutdown or restart the computer. Granted that is easy but you have to find/search your way around everything. If you plan to get a touchscreen monitor, it would work great but as far a desktop application, I would stay with 7. Just my opinion though.
 
If you have a copy of Win7 that will activate, by all means stick with Win7 but if this is a new build with no previous Keys available, I would recommend Win8. It is the future and you will be better served with being current. Plus there are some great simple apps to get you the start menu back and other tweaks to make it more like Win7.


quote from a gaming build site I love,
If you are buying this new, you will want Windows 8. If you don't like metro disable it with Start8. Although this will cost you an extra $5 it is a fantastic tweak and essentially gets it back to Windows 7 with all the cool features. Classic Shell is a free alternative too
There is a large stigma with Windows 8 from it's launch, with the backlash against metro - which I totally agree with. But if you are buying a new build, unless you want to try to 'take a stand' against Microsoft on this one, Windows 8 is the better OS (especially with the start menu tweaks if you prefer having that).
 
Last edited:
If you have a copy of Win7 that will activate, by all means stick with Win7 but if this is a new build with no previous Keys available, I would recommend Win8. It is the future and you will be better served with being current. Plus there are some great simple apps to get you the start menu back and other tweaks to make it more like Win7.


quote from a gaming build site I love,

hm. will have to look into changing it to look like win 7. I gotta hand it to them that it is quick though. That is something I noticed. I will look into the tweaks though and hopefully learn more. Thanks ewoksrule.
 
I few reasons - the simple fact that I see that as the future and I want to learn it. I will inevitably get frustrated and turn it back (shoot, I modified vista to look like xp). but it is important to learn to tweak it. secondly, I am also moving to a Windows phone. windows phone runs 8 as well. Both my comp / phone can synergize easily with 8 on both
 
.............I would recommend Win8. It is the future and you will be better served with being current. Plus there are some great simple apps to get you the start menu back and other tweaks to make it more like Win7.

Gaming nerd here. Win 8 is NOT the future for gaming rigs. A bunch of my other gaming nerd friends also think that after the test of time Win 8 will only slightly be less hated than Vista. A jump will be made that will mirror the XP --> Win7 that many did, including myself.

this
this
and this
Plus many more articles if you keep looking.
 
Those are all old articles.
Recent test have been showing that performance in games is increased in Win8.
Also the boot time alone makes it worth it.
I will go find some benchmarks give me a bit.

Gaming nerd here. Win 8 is NOT the future for gaming rigs. A bunch of my other gaming nerd friends also think that after the test of time Win 8 will only slightly be less hated than Vista. A jump will be made that will mirror the XP --> Win7 that many did, including myself.

this
this
and this
Plus many more articles if you keep looking.
 
Last edited:
http://gizmodo.com/5937590/youre-being-lied-to-windows-8-isnt-bad-for-gaming
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2011...on-windows-8-a-hard-data-analysis.html?page=3

Don't fall for the hype. Win 8 is great and its great for gaming. Indie developers are having a harder time with game distribution but the actual performance is better for a majority of games and with time will be significantly better. This is no Vista situation here. The guts of win8 are still win7, that was not the case with xp->vista.

Win8 is very fast and stable. It is the interface that makes you go...WTHeck? Luckily that is easily modded and you are back to a Win7 look with Win8 speeds


So funny that people are coming up with such cleaver apps to get this horrid metro interface off. http://www.stardock.com/products/mo...IXTXT&utm_campaign=Modern+Mix+GA+Announcement
 
Last edited:
unfortunately the ui is the killer for win8. Win9 will be the end of the desktop from ms..that much is a near certainty...if you don't write for metro(which means it's an app NOT a full application) you're screwed..unless you have the balls of valve who is now seriously writing for linux. win8 is bad for gaming as you and i know it and is a large step backwards for gaming to be sure.
 
Except that you can already ditch metro and spend all your time on the desktop like win7, the UI is a non-issue. How is gaming companies writing for linux a step backwards?
 
I read the Kotaku article that Cowrocket posted and the most striking thing that hit me was this:

Kotaku said:
It's great that I can see that my friend has a beacon set for Mass Effect 3 multiplayer on her Xbox, but that does me absolutely no good if I am running the game on Windows through Origin. Rather than having a useful social connection, we're staring at each other through unbreakable glass.

No matter how good Windows 8 is, and no matter how it runs and supports games, this barrier is very likely going to outlast Windows 8's lifespan. While this ability is definitely ground-breaking and very cool, there is no point in having it if it a) doesn't work very well on PCs, and b) does not allow you to play with your friends because you're on different platforms. If it won't allow you to play with your friends, then it mustn't be a very good social media, huh.

I think that, while innovative, touch screens are more of a novelty than a revolutionary means by which you can control your computer. We already have advanced, accurate means by which we accomplish this - we call them "mice." Can you imagine how cramped your body would be if you were hunched over your computer desk with one hand on the keyboard and the other touching the screen controlling your character in your favorite MMO?

Besides, the showcase of Windows 8 - Metro - is just a sort of console port from their tablet division!

Without a doubt, Windows 8 is definitely an advancement in OS technology. I just doubt that it is the step forward gamers needed. And most certainly, if the social aspect of being able to chat with friends on XBL won't let me play games with them, what's the point? That is the most appealing Windows 8 item to me. It's a shame it's completely worthless.
 
Last edited:
I would just love to play PS3 games with people on XBOX and vice versa and we can't ever have that thanks to MS and Sonys rivalry.
 
You're definitely right about the rivalry, but Microsoft is supporting the Xbox and Windows. Same company.
 
Double post!

I just thought about it.

Either Microsoft is preventing Xbox players from playing with PC gamers because everyone knows PC is > to consoles in the realm of most games because keyboard+mouse trumps all. Or, Microsoft is tempting its PC gamers to go and buy an Xbox by dangling their friends in front of them as if they are carrots.

Hmmm. Hmm indeed.
 
Last edited:
Double post!

I just thought about it.

Either Microsoft is preventing Xbox players from playing with PC gamers because everyone knows PC is > to consoles in the realm of most games because keyboard+mouse trumps all. Or, Microsoft is tempting its PC gamers to go and buy an Xbox by dangling their friends in front of them as if they are carrots.

Hmmm. Hmm indeed.

This could very well be a possibility. If you have a game that is a "Games for Windows" it puts you onto Windows Live...which is the same as xbox live. I have Dirt3 on pc and it is one of those games as well as Dirt2. Well, one day I went to play Dirt3 through Steam and because it is a Windows Live game, it signed me into Windows Live. I got a message from my cousin, who was on xbox live asking if I wanted to play a game with him that I have on xbox but not pc. I can see my entire list of friends I have on xbox when signed into windows live. It's the same system.
 
Can anyone attest to the major practical differences in the graphics cards 7850 to the 7950 incrementally? obviously I can read up on these and see reviews.
But, what I am wondering is strictly the practical differences from people who have used them. I am a gamer who normally turns down the graphics settings for faster performance, anyways. Graphics isn't that big for me. Does the 7850 really limit you that severely? Does the 7870 or 7950 give you that pristine quality?
Obviously there is something to be said about buying a graphics card that will actually last for a few years. any thoughts?
 
Back
Top