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After pricing out $1000 and $1500 gaming systems, we wanted to go a bit on the high-end and see how we would configure a $2000 gaming PC. $2000 may be more than a lot of you are willing to spend on a new home-built PC, but there are plenty of people out there who spend more than $2000 on custom-designed boutique systems from OEM builders. And for those fat-walleted gamers, this article will show that you can get a whole lot more if you build it yourself (though putting the pieces together is another matter). Just as with the $1500 PC, this build leans heavily on the CPU and GPU side to optimize the rig for high-res gaming, though it'll perform more than admirably with video encoding and other productivity tasks. And as always, we write this with a disclaimer that your own personal configurations and preferences may differ from ours, which does not make them any less valid. In fact, we encourage you to use our guide as a template so you can create your own spreadsheet to swap out the parts we chose with what may suit your needs and budget. Leave your feedback in the comments section to get the conversation started!
All prices found on newegg.com, as of April 15th, and do not include mail-in rebates (unless indicated), tax, or shipping.
Of course, we started filling out our Excel sheet by choosing the most important part of any gaming PC: the videocard. In this case, we knew that with a $2000 budget, we could afford more than one videocard, and go the SLI or Crossfire route. Last year's Dream Machine, for example, was outfitted with dual ATI 4870X2's in a Crossfire configuration. The fastest single-slot card available now is Nvidia's GTX 295, but with the cheapest 295 priced at $520, we really didn't want to use half our budget on videocards. So we opted for dual GTX 285s in SLI mode.
The GTX 285 is an updated version of the already speedy GTX 280, and represents the fastest single-GPU graphics card for sale today. Two 285's absolutely stomp the GTX 295 (and dual 4870X2s, for that matter) in performance. BFG is also offering a $30 rebate on their 285s priced at $330, so our decision was simple. Of course, if you wanted to save some cash (and power), a lone GTX 295 will run most games at 1900x1200 with all settings maxed out at 30+ frames per second (yes, even Crysis).
For a $2000 gaming PC, it's once again a no brainer to go with Intel's Core i7. Nehalem is pretty much the only choice for a top of the line processor, since AMD's Phenom II has been relegated to compete at the mid-range level. The only real decision in this category was which Core i7 SKU to use. We have no qualms going with the 2.66GHz 920 part, even if it represents the "budget" end of the Core i7 lineup. The 920 performs tremendously well compared to even the best Core 2 CPUs, and smashes Phenom in most of our benchmarks. It's also very easy to overclock, so you can stretch your investment a long way. One thing to note: the Core i7 920 has gone up in price since we last recommended it in our $1500 Gaming PC guide, from $280 to $289. Just another example of Keynesian economics at work. When demand is high, prices go up!
Since our configuration uses Nvidia SLI, we needed a compatible X58 motherboard. The Asus P6t fits the bill, with both Crossfire and SLI (up to 2 PCI-E cards) support. Earlier X58 boards only supported Crossfire, but most newer (and more pricier) models -- including Intel's own motherboards -- work with the Nvidia multi-GPU standard. The P6T has 3 Dimm slots that with recognize up to 12GB of DDR3 memory, onboard RealTek surround sound audio, and your typical suite of USB, Firewire, and network ports. Asus also sells a Deluxe version of the P6T (reviewed here) for $40 more that is the same as the P6T but offers 3-way SLI support, overclocking tools, as well as better quality on-board sound. Since we don't plan on using 3-way SLI, the vanilla P6T will suit us just fine.
Our dual-GTX 285 setup is going to be very power hungry, so we had to make sure that we chose a power supply that not only could handle the energy demands, but also sported enough PCI-E power connectors to funnel power to our GPUs. A good reference is Nvidia's SLIZone website, which lists approved power supplies for different Nvidia videocard configurations. Luckily, our current go-to PSU, the Corsair HX1000, has been deemed worthy for this setup. Your power supply options greatly diminish if you're going the Tri-SLI route or try to shove two dual-GPU cards in one system. For ATI fans, AMD has set up a similar PSU certification website to list all approved power supplies. And yes, the Corsair HX1000 will work with all the newest ATI cards too.
No surprises here. With RAM prices continuing to stumble, we see no reason why you shouldn't buy 6GB of memory for you next gaming PC. 6GB runs on three dimms in tri-channel mode on X58 motherboards, and OCZ's DDR3 series delivers exactly what you need for gaming at a great price. These sticks run with 7-7-7-20 memory timings, and should be stable at the stock voltage settings. You can go with other brands as well: Corsair, Crucial, and Patriot all make reliable DIMMs and are competitively priced. Of course, you'll need a 64-bit OS to make use of all this memory. We get to that on the next page.
Comments are closed on this article
tomastaz
May 30, 2009 at 5:42pm
Nice, I'm getting that, as soon as the retail version of Windows 7 comes out, because I personally dislike vista.
SPasse
April 18, 2009 at 3:55pm
My New Work PC
I spend 8+ hours at work using a PC so I wanted a killer PC for business applications. I am also my company’s hardware architect so I wanted a PC that was a “conversation piece”.
I chose with an Antec Skeleton Case so I could show off the hardware.
I went with the EVGA X58 motherboard, the 920 i7 processor, and 6GB of RAM.
I chose 2 10,000 RPM 300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor hard drives, configured as a RAID 1 array. These drives are pretty much as fast as SCSI drives. I have more or less unlimited network attached storage for file storage so "only" 300GB is not a limiting factor. Having really fast local storage (for the apps) was what I was after.
I bought two GeForce 9500 GT as “place holder” graphics cards until I could decide what graphics cards that I would ultimately go with. I run a 3 monitor system with a 24” monitor in the center, flanked by two 19” monitors to the right and the left.
As the 9500s don’t pull all that much power, I went with a 680 watt power supply. I chose the APEVIA ICEBERG as this supply looks especially cool in the Skeleton case. If I upgrade to better graphics cards in the future, I may have to upgrade to a 1000 watt power supply.
I had an issue with the 1st motherboard being DOA and I also had an issue with some unstable drivers. But after I corrected the driver issue and flashed the motherboard with the latest BIOS, my system is rock stable.
When I initially bought this system, I was thinking about overclocking but all my apps are running so fast (even Autodesk Inventor 2009) that I am not sure I am going to explore overclocking.
My total system came in at around $1500.00. (Not including the monitors)
Pball1224
April 16, 2009 at 5:59pm
I can vouch for most of that setup!
I don't do much gaming, so I got a video card off a friend thats a couple years old. That then allowed me to use a Corsair 650W Power Supply for $99, which is still strong enough for a moderate video card upgrade should I ever decide I need it. I also got a slightly lower priced case, the Cooler Master Centurion 590 for $69. Other than those 3 substitutions, I am now using said machine OC'd to 3.6 Ghz, and it's unreal!
digital demon
April 16, 2009 at 11:11am
That's very similar to the build I have in my Newegg wish list right now. Only differences are the mobo (EVGA X58), video card (one 285), hard drive (WD 1TB...still leery of Seagates even though I'm a fan), cooler (Noctua NH-U12P SE1366...still researching coolers), case (Silverstone FT-01) and I've got a power supply (Thermaltake 750), burner (Plextor 716SA) and sound card (X-Fi Elite) already.
Like someone else said, I'm gonna wait for DX11 cards to hit the market before I really consider buying anything. I'm also waiting to see what the Core i7 revision is going to look like price/performance wise.
Kaldor
April 16, 2009 at 7:42am
Decent system. A few things though
Good:
6 gigs of ram - I prefer Corsair or Mushkin but OCZ is fine. 6 gigs is plenty at this time.
Corsair 1kw PSU- I own one of these, its rock solid. I do wish PCP&C would build a nice 1kw PSU for around $250 though.
Vista 64 - People need to dump the crap 32 bit OS crutch and move forward
Bad:
Mobo - Im kind of meh toward ASUS anymore. They are not nearly
the leader they were 3 years ago. I Gigabyte makes a far nicer board
and IIRC Gigabyte outsold ASUS last year.Video - 2 285's? A par of Nvidia 275s or ATI 4890s would be a much better choice for less money. They will give near the same performance at common resolutions like 1680X1050 or 1920X1200.
Case - If you are building something this nice why use such a cheap case. Invest in a nice Coolermaster, Silverstone, Lian Li or something. Spend a couple hundred for a nice case.
CPU Cooler - Why do you guys keep recommending the Zalman coolers? 3 years ago they we great, now they are average. Look at a TRUE, Prolimatech Megalems, Thermolab BARAM, Coolermaster V8, Xigmatech 1283/84, or any number of choices that are FAR superior.
The rest:
Intel 920 - standard
Seagate HD - Now that Seagate has the bugs worked out, no issues there
DVD Burner - I like Pioneer drives. Just glad you didnt recommend Plextor. All 3 of the Plextors Ive boughten have died an early death. Will never buy another from them again.
You guys need to start looking beyond hardware that you review for your sources for stuff like this. Its a very narrow scope you use when you do that when there are far better options out there then what your suggesting.
AzMonguse
April 18, 2009 at 12:09pm
Well I spent somewhaere around $200 - $300 for my case about 4 years ago and it is an all aluminum and hold 6 interanel drive and has room for 4 externat dvd, etc and a place for 2 3.5" devices and has 7 case fans. I have upgrade twice now and this case is stillworking just fine - it did come with a 650W p/s as well. At this time I am thinking of spending $599.00 for a new case that is a newer full tower case like mine but comes with water cooling.. In my view a good case is never a waste and for $69.00 that is a junk case in my view. My current case and the one I'm looking at are made by Thermail Take. Good cases in my view. And if that $69.00 case has a p/s installed it was at most a 350W one and I'd bet a low-end one that I would not want to trust with my stuff.
Pball1224
April 16, 2009 at 6:10pm
Can someone please explain why so many of you insist on spending so much money on a case? This is the first time I've seen MPC reccomend a case that under $150 and even still I think it's way too much to spend on a case! I begrudgingly spent $69 and feel like I got an excelent case.
Kaldor
April 17, 2009 at 7:42am
Because its the kind of thing where you buy one case and you use that case thru several builds. Some people, myself included, are constantly tinkering, whether its overclocking, changing parts, adding water cooling, and the list goes on.
If your spending $2k why not buy a nicer case?
joeyjr
April 15, 2009 at 9:11pm
joeyjr
Since this is a guide or template to buid a 2000 dollar Gaming PC, I have started to tweek the specks a little for my own needs. I already have a few parts that I can reuse from other builds leftovers. Such as an Antec 900 case (which is a real pane but has great cooling), 2 300G raptors (unused), 1TB WD Black HD(unused), old DVD RW. and a few others I have been working on a new design it since the 1000 dollar budget came out. I was hopping you would pick the ASUS motherboard. I like the ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 model for 289.99 which has a bunch of combo deals right now on Newegg. If you check the support page at ASUS http://support.asus.com/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.aspx?SLanguage=en-us. This can help with the power supply minimum requirements for the configuration you might use or have in mind to upgrade too. Beleive it or not for this 2000 $ PC this is a good place to be with a 1000w model. Just remember that a power supply shouldn't be max'ed out and 70 - 80 % usage is better (check miths about PS at PC Power & Cooling Web site. I might get the newer version of the 285 with the 55 nm process, but its 50 70 $ more I think, but only get one for now. 12g OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 for 109.99 per set, which also has part of the combo deals. ZALMAN CNPS9900LED 120mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler - Retail $60 now if I was to over clock it. Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail for $90. Maybe even a Blue Ray ROM combo drive for a $110 or so. when I am finished I will post
fspikec
April 15, 2009 at 7:23pm
Not bad. Going with anything other than 920 no matter your price range is just silly. The overclock-ability of it makes it #1.
But Seagate? Really? Sorry, but I won't use a Seagate hard drive again even if it is free.
Keith E. Whisman
April 15, 2009 at 11:25pm
I've got two Seagate 7200.11 drives a 1.5tb and a 500gb drive. Both have been rock steady. You just gotta quit hating.
fspikec
April 16, 2009 at 1:11pm
Quit hating? I quit hating when they stop releasing garbage. They are as bad as maxtor. Heck they even bought maxtor.
457R4L
April 15, 2009 at 7:16pm
I would use a Rampage II GENE, same price and better onboard audio. As far as the video seems like overkill. should've left out the SLI and put a display monitor choice. Personnally I don't think the time is right to build right now... motherboard, processors, and memory are all great but if I were going to build, I would want a graphic card that had full dx11 support and windows 7. just my 2 cents.
Bender2000
April 15, 2009 at 6:54pm
So how does this compare to the Max PC Zero Point system? It looks a lot like the Gateway PC in last issue, so I guess it performs similarly. I'd like to know how much we're gaining relative to the lower cost builds. Is this the PC Nathan ordered in the podcast?
MRSENDER38
April 15, 2009 at 6:40pm
I'm buiding a similar gaming pc with the VelociRaptor and one NVIDIA 285. It"ll be easier (and cheaper) to add another 285 later rather than the harddrive. Isn't a 1.5TB just too big for the main harddrive?
devin3627
April 15, 2009 at 6:36pm
what if you dont want to go with the most expensive ddr3? would waiting for 2gb video cards be better?
maniacm0nk3y
April 15, 2009 at 6:29pm
With a $2000 price point, this is the first build I am very surprised and almost disappointed.
I would go with the Deluxe version-and it DOES NOT support 3X SLI. Only 3X Crossfire with single cards.
The CPU, and Zalman are on par.
Memory should be more along the lines of 1333MHz, but still hold the 6GB. Only $50 more, with a decent performance boost.
The GPUs are always a hot topic...I would go with a single 285 or even a single 295.
Drop the PSU to a 750 PCP&C or other respectable brand. Maybe go up to 850W.
The case..with this type of hardware I would of expected a full-tower, not like a Silverstone or Lian-Li but maybe a Cooler Master or something else like that.
Hard drive could stay, or maybe just go with a 1TB. I still don't trust Seagate with their TB drives, but it's just a personal opinion.
Optical drive and OS are standard fare.
It's a decent build, but I feel you guys could do better.
hentaiboi
April 15, 2009 at 6:27pm
personal changes to the list above:
additional ram 6GB = 12GB
additional 1.5 TB seagate raid 0
sound card creative X-fi titanium pro fatality
Keith E. Whisman
April 16, 2009 at 1:04am
Actually I've heard that the 1.5Tb HDD's don't do to good in a raid array. Because of their shear size or something. It may have been that stupid firmware problem and they actually do fine in Raid. I haven't heard anything bad about 1.5TB in raid lately. Maybe it was just the firmware issue.
