Maximum PC

Hey there,

I've always preferred PC but stuck console for convenience. i've had bad experiences with 'retail' pre build gaming PCs in the past. I need help with components. Budget is under 1 grand. Cheaper the better, i can cut corners on keyboard and mouse, HD, and disc drives. No monitor needed.

I'm looking for smooth performance like a console. I don't need mind melting graphics, on par with console is fine. Main game would Skyrim with mods, non graphical. Diablo 3 and GTA4 with mods I assume can be played? I'm satisfied with something that can run 720p resolution without a hitch. Also, something that can hold up hardcore sessions, few hours at a time. ventilation? case? thanks for helping a newbie out.

Here's my recommended build for you

i5 3570k $229.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116504

8GB of Corsair Dominator DDR3 RAM $57.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145313

EVGA 660 Ti $299.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130810

NZXT 410 $99.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811146093

WD 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive $84.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822236339

Power Supply Corsair CX600 $69.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 9020048-NA

Heat sink Hyper 212 $29.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103065

Windows 7 Home Premium OEM $99.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116986

Optical drive LG 17.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827136247

Optional is an SSD which will make your boot times faster, but you won't see any performance boost in frame rates and you'll fork out an extra $100

Kingston Hyperx 120GB SSD $99.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820239045

Total cost $990.91 without SSD

With SSD $1090.90

Anything NEAR $1000 does not come close to a $300 console bub. You've seen what a 2005 era console's guts look like, right?

i3 3225, iTX H77 board, 8G ram, slim DVD drive, pick your drive, Antec ISK150-300...done.

Har har!

720p = 1280 x 720 resolution, which would be I guess the equivalent to a 19-inch panel at 1366 x 768. Any decent $1k gaming build will run decent FPS at 1920 x 1080 resolution, so you should have no worries. And since you've made the decision to custom build instead of prefab buy, you won't regret it!

Overall, chriszele has a decent build imho. I would tweak a couple parts though:

- Get cheaper RAM. If you are interested in overclocking, then I could suggest some fantastic RAM that is still cheap. Otherwise, you can do something like this Kingston set for $36

- Unless you specifically desire/need the reference design GPU, I'd suggest an aftermarket GTX 660 Ti, as performance and cooling will generally be slightly better. Here are two goodies:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

- Get a 1.5 TB or 2 TB HDD (better GB per dollar value)

- Do get an 128 GB SSD for about $80 for your OS and select programs. The speed boost will amaze you.

- Have fun

So your requirements are FAR lower than $1000. Normally, I would say if you have a $1000 budget, you need to spend it...but here's a build that should fit your needs:

OS: Win 7 Premium 64 bit $100
Case: Three Hundred Two $68
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 3.4GHz $100
CPU Cooler: Artic Cooling Alpine 64 $16
Mobo: MSI 970 AM3+ $87
GPU: eVGA 550 Ti $115
RAM:Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600 $40
PSU: Corsair 430W Builder Series $45

Total: $571 (includes shipping, but I did not discount any rebates)

Few notes:
**The CPU is an older generation, but more than capable for your wants; the motherboard is capable of handling the FX series in case you decide to upgrade the CPU later.
**You can stick with the stock cooler, but the Artic Alpine is an extremely quiet cooler and very capable.
**I don't see a need for an SSD - especially since you're trying to keep the costs down.

According to your post, you already have keyboard, mouse, HDD, DVD & monitor so the components above should do it.

Hope this helps.

Edit - I don't know why, but I forgot a PSU in my original post. I've updated to include.

I'd go with the second post. you want a rig that you wont have to upgrade for a while

If you want to save more money and you really aren't that needy for fastest performance ever, then you can go with a Core i3 setup instead. Any modern video card you can purchase today will smoke any console in both graphics and performance. And probably even future consoles.

Thank you for all the responses. I will definitely do my research on the suggested builds. I am excited about building it. Thanks again!