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Newcat · (This post was last modified: 07-23-2011, 04:29 PM by Newcat.)

Never built a PC before, so just want to get some confirmation that this will all be compatible, and that there are no better options before I pull the trigger.

(DVD drive - $20) ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD

(Case - $70) Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

(HDD - 1 TB - $60) SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

(GFX - $175) SAPPHIRE 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

(PSU - $55) Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

(RAM - $30) G.SKILL NS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory

(MB - $100) BIOSTAR TZ68A+ LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

(CPU - $125)Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor

total: $645

This is all tier 3 except for the motherboard that I upgraded a bit. This will be a 100% gaming rig. Budget is $700~. Is this even worth getting or should I just wait until I can spend like 1500?

Brian · 07-23-2011, 04:38 PM,

No. It's definitely worth it. It should be able to play most games at max settings at 1080p.

**MathieuB** · 07-23-2011, 04:45 PM,

I'm just curious as to why you've upgraded the motherboard?

There's no reason to go with a Z68 motherboard (which allows for overclocking and onboard GPU usage) if you go with a completely locked Core i3-2100.

Other than that, you're good to go.

Newcat · (This post was last modified: 07-23-2011, 04:51 PM by Newcat.)

Not sure really, had some extra budget money to spend and it seemed like a nice upgrade for $25 more. (my inexperience shows right here lol)

Thanks for the fast replies guys.

Also, i've been using XP for the past forever. Would you reccomend Windows 7 for this?

**MathieuB** · 07-23-2011, 05:00 PM,

Windows 7 is the way to go for compatibility with video card drivers, recent games, etc. The OEM (for system builders like you) Home Premium version goes for $100 or so, there's a link to it in the article.

If you have extra money to spend, here's what I'd consider, in the following order:

CPU upgrade +$85: A Core i5-2500 will improve performance right away and will be much more future-proof than the Core i3-2100, thanks to the its quad-core nature.

Consider the Core i5-2500K (Unlocked multiplier) if you intend to overclock in the future.

RAM Upgrade: +$28: 2x4GB (8GB). Not necessary at the moment, but a wise upgrade to make your PC more future-proof.

CPU Cooler: ~$30 A Corsair A50 or a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus will considerably drop the temperature of your processor and will be less noisy than the stock Intel CPU Cooler.

**Andrew J** · (This post was last modified: 07-23-2011, 05:00 PM by Andrew J.)

Yes for Windows 7, XP is over 10 years old and is an outdated operating system.

Newcat · 07-23-2011, 05:11 PM,

(07-23-2011, 05:00 PM)MathieuB Wrote: Windows 7 is the way to go for compatibility with video card drivers, recent games, etc. The OEM (for system builders like you) Home Premium version goes for $100 or so, there's a link to it in the article.

If you have extra money to spend, here's what I'd consider, in the following order:

CPU upgrade +$85: A Core i5-2500 will improve performance right away and will be much more future-proof than the Core i3-2100, thanks to the its quad-core nature.

Consider the Core i5-2500K (Unlocked multiplier) if you intend to overclock in the future.

RAM Upgrade: +$28: 2x4GB (8GB). Not necessary at the moment, but a wise upgrade to make your PC more future-proof.

CPU Cooler: ~$30 A Corsair A50 or a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus will considerably drop the temperature of your processor and will be less noisy than the stock Intel CPU Cooler.

I'm just gonna pick up the cooler and i think i'll be good from there. As long as this can play games with no/few problems in the next couple years, i'm super happy. I'm not afraid of upgrading in the future. In fact i'm kind of looking forward to it, as I see building PCs quickly becoming a hobby of mine.

**MathieuB** · 07-23-2011, 05:46 PM,

Considering that the Core i3-2100 only has a 65W TDP and outputs relatively little heat, the stock cooler for it is probably just fine. I'd get the extra RAM personally.

Garfeild14 · 07-25-2011, 09:24 AM,

I have to agree with the 8gb of ram... Never thought it necessary until I got it. Now I will never go back!

Newcat · (This post was last modified: 07-26-2011, 04:15 PM by Newcat.)

(07-23-2011, 05:00 PM)MathieuB Wrote: If you have extra money to spend, here's what I'd consider, in the following order:

CPU upgrade +$85: A Core i5-2500 will improve performance right away and will be much more future-proof than the Core i3-2100, thanks to the its quad-core nature.

Consider the Core i5-2500K (Unlocked multiplier) if you intend to overclock in the future.

RAM Upgrade: +$28: 2x4GB (8GB). Not necessary at the moment, but a wise upgrade to make your PC more future-proof.

CPU Cooler: ~$30 A Corsair A50 or a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus will considerably drop the temperature of your processor and will be less noisy than the stock Intel CPU Cooler.

So after hours of research I decided get all of that. Also did the MB upgrade, PSU upgrade to 620W, and a better case (COOLER MASTER HAF 922). Also got a cheap ($99) 20" lcd monitor. Can't wait till I get to play some games on this thing lol. Thank you all for your help.

BTW, I don't know a thing about overclocking. I'll do some google searches, but can someone briefly explain what it does and how to do it?

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