Attention Mid-Range System Builders - Updated 08/01/2015

[krnmastersgt]

Would like to note the 200R in the build is now 30 AR, 50 base price.

 

[krnmastersgt]

A nice deal that's gone now, back up to $60 with no rebates.

Also the 7970 is sitting on $380 with no discounts as well.

Time for someone to do some deal hunting again!

 

[Revolution 11]

Would one of the Xeons like the Xeon E3-1245V3 be a good alternative choice for gamers who don't want to overclock but might want more threads? You might want to include that in the next build.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116909

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Would one of the Xeons like the Xeon E3-1245V3 be a good alternative choice for gamers who don't want to overclock but might want more threads? You might want to include that in the next build.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116909

Its more expensive than the i5. Plus this is specifically for gaming so no need

 

[mfenn]

A nice deal that's gone now, back up to $60 with no rebates.

Also the 7970 is sitting on $380 with no discounts as well.

Time for someone to do some deal hunting again!

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

 

[mfenn]

Its more expensive than the i5. Plus this is specifically for gaming so no need

I tend to agree here. Adding even $40 to the CPU is not really an option because it would mean cutting out a more important piece.

 

[mfenn]

New build, mostly deal chasing on the HDD and SSD.

 

[Trevelyan]

New build, mostly deal chasing on the HDD and SSD.

What video card would you recommend if I want to step down to a ~$200 range?

 

[mfenn]

What video card would you recommend if I want to step down to a ~$200 range?

Either one of these would be good:

There is a dual-fan 7850 2GB available for $175 AR and a dual-fan 7950 3GB available for $280 AR if you want to spend less but still get very good gaming performance

 

[24601]

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/cpu-cooler-2011/compare,2890.html?prod[5742]=on&prod[5740]=on

Thermalright True Spirit 140 is better than the Xigmatek SD1283 Night Hawk Edition in your build for the same price.

Load CPU Temperature above ambient
Full Load
(Delta-T [K] - less is better)
Score in Kelvin

Thermalright True Spirit 140 - 23.50K

Xigmatek SD1283 Night Hawk Edition - 23.70K


Sound Level Measurement
In full load state
(In dB(A) - less is better)
Score in dB(A)

Thermalright True Spirit 140 - 35.10 dB(A)

Xigmatek SD1283 Night Hawk Edition - 48.20 dB(A)


You should either list both or just list the Thermalright True Spirit 140.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-T...dp/B00629G1PG/

By the way, its always this price. This is not a "sale" price.

 

[mfenn]

You should either list both or just list the Thermalright True Spirit 140.

http://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-T...dp/B00629G1PG/

By the way, its always this price. This is not a "sale" price.

Thanks for your input. I have shied away from 140mm coolers because of potential clearance issues in the smaller cases that I recommend. I also like to keep the build to a single vendor.

 

[mfenn]

New build, minor changes to the SSD, GPU, and RAM.

 

[Torn Mind]

If folks are going to opt for the 7850, perhaps spending a little more for the Rosewill Capstone 450 is worth it. The warranty is longer, the ever-so-less power eventually makes up for the higher upfront cost, and there is no risk of having a rebate not granted.

 

[mfenn]

If folks are going to opt for the 7850, perhaps spending a little more for the Rosewill Capstone 450 is worth it. The warranty is longer, the ever-so-less power eventually makes up for the higher upfront cost, and there is no risk of having a rebate not granted.

Good point. A 650W PSU is way overkill for a 7850.

 

[Tailback]

Hey folks, I'd like to thank mfenn for the work on this thread. I'm ready to take the plunge to replace my system from around 2008 or so.

I have a little more wiggle room money wise. I could probably go up to $1,200-$1,350 and I don't need a storage HDD. I bought a 1TB Seagate a couple months ago when my current system started getting unstable.

What I'm thinking of is getting the current suggested mid-range but upgrading to a 256Gig SSD and 16 Gig of RAM instead of 8. If any of you have some other slight tweaks let me know. My desire is to run Skyrim on this new system. I don't need a monitor, keyboard, storage drive (as noted above), or mouse.

Also, I know this is a hot potato topic, but what OS should I use? Windows 7 or 8? I surf the internet and play some games. I'm not a photo/video editor. Simple is better for me.

I have some older games I love to play. Any advice?

Ready to buy half the parts today, the remainder in 2 weeks.

I appreciate the assistance and hard work that goes into this thread.

 

[TheStu]

Hey folks, I'd like to thank mfenn for the work on this thread. I'm ready to take the plunge to replace my system from around 2008 or so.

I have a little more wiggle room money wise. I could probably go up to $1,200-$1,350 and I don't need a storage HDD. I bought a 1TB Seagate a couple months ago when my current system started getting unstable.

What I'm thinking of is getting the current suggested mid-range but upgrading to a 256Gig SSD and 16 Gig of RAM instead of 8. If any of you have some other slight tweaks let me know. My desire is to run Skyrim on this new system. I don't need a monitor, keyboard, storage drive (as noted above), or mouse.

Also, I know this is a hot potato topic, but what OS should I use? Windows 7 or 8? I surf the internet and play some games. I'm not a photo/video editor. Simple is better for me.

I have some older games I love to play. Any advice?

Ready to buy half the parts today, the remainder in 2 weeks.

I appreciate the assistance and hard work that goes into this thread.

Create a new thread, and copy/paste in your answers to this 'form'

 

[mfenn]

Create a new thread, and copy/paste in your answers to this 'form'

:thumbsup:

 

[aferrick]

There's a Sapphire Vapor-X 7970 GHz for $349 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=7034161&SID=

 

[lehtv]

Very nice! Possibly the best 7970 GHz version.

 

[aferrick]

I just checked the NewEgg link for the regular Sapphire 7970 on the front page, and it's listed for $299.99 :OO Holy crap these are great deals.

 

[lehtv]

Well.. yeah I'd rather buy the regular one for $300 and just OC that

 

[mfenn]

New update, taking advantage of some super nice deals on CPU+mobo, GPU, and PSU. I would have included the 7970 non-Ghz for $300 AR, but it is sold out.

 

[daraksharnah]

I just got the vapor x 7950 at 280 AR, shoulda waited 2 more weeks. Oh well, I <3 my card, so no other regrets :3

 

[Torn Mind]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-20313355-L09C

Seems like this RAM pair is only $45 after promo, and the promo will last until the 27th unless it gets sold out.

 

[vailr]

Assuming that these 1.35 volt memory sticks are compatible with the motherboard, my preference would be for 1.35 volt (vs. 1.50 volt memory), even if the cost is a few dollars extra:
Crucial Ballistix Sport Very Low Profile 8GB Kit (4GBx2) DDR3-1600 1.35V
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A14ZT6U
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148662