Build-A-Computer Contest!

[ev1]

Alright ladies and gentlemen!

It's that time of the year again, Americans get their tax returns and spend it instantly.

I'm a professional web developer and graphic designer, yet when it comes to hardware I'm a complete dunce.

I need your help! Head to your favorite online computer hardware store and make an account. Build a dream computer with the shopping cart function OR make a list with a grand total and links to the items. Just PM me with the credentials of the account you used to build the shopping cart. Please limit it to one website. Just reply on this post that you PM'd me so we can keep track of the contestants.

PRIZE:
How does 1 month of gametime on any gaming platform you choose ($15 max limit).

What i'm specifically looking for is BEST Performance and cheapest cost. I have around a $1100 budget (that includes me paying someone to build it when all the parts arrive).

I don't need the extra accessories ie: mouse, keyboard, monitor and other things.

Goodluck and thanks for helping me

WINNER WILL BE SELECTED BY ME BASED ON PRICE AND QUALITY (i'll have my nerdy tech friend have a look)
Contest ends March 9th, 2012

[Zoidberg]

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant


CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($193.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital RE4 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($127.99 @ Adorama) OR Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($83.30 @ B&H)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($279.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($86.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222AL/BSBS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1008.42
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

Buying from different sites instead of just one site will save you over $100.

(I wish I could buy this computer for this price in my country...)

[Freefall552]

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

Motherboad: Newegg.com - ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (Alt Newegg.com - ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard)

RAM: Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX

PSU: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M700 RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

GPU: Newegg.com - EVGA 025-P3-1579-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) HD 2560MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

HDD: Newegg.com - HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721050DLE630 (0F1317 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

DVD: Newegg.com - SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - CD / DVD Burners

CASE: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case

Fan for side panel (To cool the graphic card): Newegg.com - COUGAR CF-V12HP Vortex Hydro-Dynamic-Bearing (Fluid) 300,000 Hours 12CM Silent Cooling Fan with Pulse Width Modulation

Total price: 1108.91$ (1033.91$). Insted of paying 75$ to have your computer built, I could guide you through it! But if you don't want that, just go with the alternative motherboard.

This build is identical to one I built for a friend. He's now playing Bf3 on ultra with 1920x1080 resolution and x2 AA and doesn't drop below 45 fps on big multiplayer maps.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

[2dgreengiant]

Looking at what you said I assume you don't care if you have a big case so I have tried to make it as limited as possible with the best specification

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

Motherboad: Newegg.com - BIOSTAR T5 XE CFX-SLI LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

GPU: Newegg.com - XFX HD-687X-CNFC Radeon HD 6870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

DVD: Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc 24X DVD Burner, Bulk Package 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model AD-7280S-0B - CD / DVD Burners

CASE: Newegg.com - Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

$867.92 Can always upgrade the gfx if you want.

[frallan123]

Looking at what you said I assume you don't care if you have a big case so I have tried to make it as limited as possible with the best specification
CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

Motherboad: Newegg.com - BIOSTAR T5 XE CFX-SLI LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

GPU: Newegg.com - XFX HD-687X-CNFC Radeon HD 6870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

DVD: Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc 24X DVD Burner, Bulk Package 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model AD-7280S-0B - CD / DVD Burners

CASE: Newegg.com - Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

$867.92 Can always upgrade the gfx if you want.

Just so you know that motherboard does not support that CPU. Sandbridge is 1155 and not 1156. Anyhow I saw that you're a graphic designer in that case I would suggest an i7 2600k. Or if you can wait untill end of march when IVY bridge comes you should go with those instead. Anyway here's my list for you.
GPU Amazon.com: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 02G-P3-1568-KR: Computers & Accessories

CPU Amazon.com: Intel Core i7-2600K Processor: Electronics

RAM Amazon.com: Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B: Electronics

Motherboard Amazon.com: ASUS LGA 1155 - Z68 - SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 - ATX Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 Intel ? LGA 1155 Motherboards (P8Z68-V LE): Electronics

PSU Amazon.com: Corsair Professional Series 650-Watt 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel and AMD Platforms - CMPSU-650HX: Electronics

HDD Amazon.com: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s with NCQ 32MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Bare Drive ST31000524AS: Electronics

Total Price : 1080$ and if you wish you can add a GTX 560 later on to run them in SLI.

[Dombo]

I'm a professional web developer and graphic designer, yet when it comes to hardware I'm a complete dunce.

You're probably looking for a Mac.

Dem haters.

[myran2]

I just took a screenshot of the build because I made it in a guest account. Hopefully that's alright.
imgur: the simple image sharer

You can save $20 by dropping the i5 2500k to an i5 2500 if you don't plan on overclocking.
Also, I'd suggest picking your own case that's in the $70-100 range.I put the one I use in the build, but it's really up to you. You're the one living with it, not us. Just make sure the case is for ATX motherboards and you should be fine. (Coolermaster, Lian-Li, Antec, and Silverstone all make nice cases).

I also added an SSD in there for really fast boot-times, read times, and write times. If you aren't interested in an SSD, PM me and I'll drop the SSD and re-distribute the $100 into the rest of the build.

[ev1]

Things are looking really awesome so far, enjoying this contest so far! Keep it up

[2dgreengiant]

Just so you know that motherboard does not support that CPU. Sandbridge is 1155 and not 1156. Anyhow I saw that you're a graphic designer in that case I would suggest an i7 2600k. Or if you can wait untill end of march when IVY bridge comes you should go with those instead. Anyway here's my list for you.
GPU Amazon.com: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2048 MB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 2DVI/Mini-HDMI SLI Ready Graphics Card, 02G-P3-1568-KR: Computers & Accessories

CPU Amazon.com: Intel Core i7-2600K Processor: Electronics

RAM Amazon.com: Corsair Vengeance Blue 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Dual Channel Memory Kit CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9B: Electronics

Motherboard Amazon.com: ASUS LGA 1155 - Z68 - SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 - ATX Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2200 Intel ? LGA 1155 Motherboards (P8Z68-V LE): Electronics

PSU Amazon.com: Corsair Professional Series 650-Watt 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Intel and AMD Platforms - CMPSU-650HX: Electronics

HDD Amazon.com: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s with NCQ 32MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Bare Drive ST31000524AS: Electronics

Total Price : 1080$ and if you wish you can add a GTX 560 later on to run them in SLI.

ah yeah ill correct that in a bit ty

[raceboy404]

Qty.	Product Description		Savings	Total Price
1		LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 Item #: N82E16827106289 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy		$17.99
1		Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Item #: N82E16811133094 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$2.00 Instant $10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card	$49.99 $47.99
1		EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support FPB Video Card Item #: N82E16814130604 Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy	$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card	$249.99
1		CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply Item #: N82E16817139021 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$35.00 Instant $10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card	$139.99 $104.99
1		CORSAIR XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 Item #: N82E16820145324 Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy	$20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card	$47.99
1		ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS Item #: N82E16813131790 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$15.00 Instant	$219.99 $204.99
1		Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K Item #: N82E16819115070 Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy		$324.99
1		COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible V10 Hybrid TEC RR-B2P-UV10-GP 120mm CPU Cooler Item #: N82E16835103056 Return Policy: Standard Return Policy	-$20.00 Instant	$129.99 $109.99
1		Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JB 250GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 / ATA-6 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive Item #: N82E16822136096 Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy	-$25.00 Instant	$64.99 $39.99

$1,148.91

Weak point is the Hard drive.

Top of the line processor and Gfx card

Motherboard allows another gfx card for SLI or Crossfire.

2 slots for ram are open, so you can upgrade later.

HUGE CPU cooler for the UNLOCKED turbo boost on the i7 to work wonders.




P.S. Put it together yourself and learn something. It's not as hard as you may think, but it makes you feel like a bad ass when you're done.



Don't cheap out on your CPU, Motherboard and GFX. Those are the heart of your gaming and will ALWAYS be the most expensive to upgrade.

[XinuX]

You should wait 1-2 months and get a ivy bridge CPU and a nvidia 670.

If you really want to buy a new rig right now, the best performance/price ratio would be:
GPU: GTX 560 Ti
CPU: i5 2500k
RAM: 2x4GB DDR3
MB: ASRock Extreme3 Gen3
PSU: Any good rated 80+ certified 600w+
Case: I'd recommend Corsair 400R, or you could get the cheapest thing you find, depending on how much you care about noise
HDD: Any good rated 1TB+ 7200rpm

This would total ~850$
If you want an ssd, ~1000$
You really don't need any extra fans, possibly a cheap Cooler Master CPU fan if you, again, care about noise

[1337pyro]

Hey! The prices for HDDs are relatively high... so I suggest buying a SDD. I made two ~250€ systems. And I always use SSD from now on. It is worth it. 120GB are enough for the OS if many programs are installed. (and cost ~150 USD) And I think you have an old PC with at least one big HDD. This HDD you can use for your documents/music/photos in your new PC.

I would built the system around this CPU "Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz"(325 USD)... I think it has a good price/value. Get a 1155 Socket Mainboard with SATA 600 (your SSD wil thank you)(more or less 150 USD). Get a GTX560(150-200 USD) or two or three (you may buy it later). Get Kingston ValueRam 1333 2x4GB (70 USD). Get a decent 450/600/750 Watt Powersupply (< 90 USD) (get more if you want to buy additional graphic later)

At this Point we are at ~1000 USD (one graphic card)... 100 Bucks to get a nice Case and someone to built it for you.

I will not give detailed Product names.... because i just sort by price and get the cheapest with best reviews. but I am Kingston fan boy when it comes to RAM and OZC when I am looking for SSD. But in your case I would buy a ADATA SDD it's cheapest with better performance and better reviews.

[ev1]

Winner will be announced tonight 11pm EST

[Vyre]

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K - $324.99
CPU Cooler: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 - $29.99
Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $159.99
Memory: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M4A1600C9B - $94.99
Hard Drive: Newegg.com - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - $179.99
Video Card: Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - $254.99
Case: Newegg.com - Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $139.99
Power Supply: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650M 650W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular High Performance Power Supply - $109.99

Total: $1295

This is what i'm currently using, i just bought it around 1 month ago or so, and if you want something cheaper you can ofcourse swap out the SSD, or get the i5 core instead, if the pc is just for gaming, i only get the i7 because i'm also using it for video editing, 3D etc..

If you're only photo editing, and playing games, i suggest you get an i5, because games can't handle it properly anyway, so an i7 would honestly just be a waste of money, the i5 is the best price/performance you can get, and i'll get a link for you if you're interested.

Also, afaik the new generation of intel CPU's is coming out pretty soon, this month or the next (I might be wrong?), which will make everything cheaper, and you could ofcourse also just buy the new stuff, but that will probably be a bit too overkill, so if you're not in that big of a hurry, i'd suggest waiting, because you'll save a lot (I didn't wait only because i didn't have any other computer available).

This build should also allow you to overclock to around the 4-4,5 ghz with this setup, though it's not really needed yet, but can be done later on, the cooler is maybe a bit overkill if you're not intersted in overclocking, so you can skip that if you aren't intending to do that.

You could also cut down on the ram, though it's so cheap anyway, so i wouldn't worry about that.

I just put in a tower there, in case you didn't have one, and it's the one i'm using. It's really fantastic!

You can just pm if you got any questions, and good luck finding a build that suits you.

(prices might have varied a little amount, though i could only think it has gotten cheaper, since this is the prices i bought it for 1 month ago! )

[CuT]

Go with Corsair or Cooler master for PSU, everything else craps out after a good handful of years.