Buying a Gaming Computer, Spending 2000$! Please help me out :D

[McGee]

So, are you going to build it yourself? Get an Intel i7 920 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 ram (anything more is unnecessary), this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049) EVGA mobo, and a GTX 295 card.

 

[randomsix]

Make sure you get a solid state capacitor motherboard (those things will last you ages, unless of course a fucking power surge fries both your power supply and motherboard... >.<)
A Decent mid-range/affordable videocard would be the Nvidia Series 9800 GT.
Very nice graphics/affordable price. Quad core is obviously a no brainer. I myself am a fan of Intel, but if you like AMD, they also develop some pretty sweet tech too.
Personally, as Windows XP only allows you 3 gb of RAM, and Vista is a ram hog, but a pos OS (operating system). If I were you, I'd hold out until Windows 7 gets ironed out. It can run both 32 and 64 bit programs (depending on your preference). What this all means, is you will have an easier time trying to get System Shock 2 to run on Windows 7, than you would on Vista.
Try to imagine how much hard drive space you think you'll need, and then double it.
1 Tb is roughly about $300 these days, from what I've seen.
Bide your time for a few months. If you can hold out, you won't regret it.

I hope that helps. Happy rig building.

Listen to some of what this guy says

and listen to what I say
Get an 800 watt power supply
Get two EVGA GTX 280's and set them up in SLI (or get 2 285's)
Get two 750 (or larger) hard drives and set them up in raid 0 (2 750's costs about $150)
Get a core I7 mobo that can support SLI
If gigabyte has a UD3p that supports I7, I would go for that
Get a nice sound card
Get 6-8 gigs of DDR3 ram
Get an Intel I7 chip (EDIT: 920 is probably the best you would have to worry about.) (screw quad core. I7 has 4 native cores and is 20% faster than quad clock for clock)
Get a serious heatsink. You might consider something like the I7 compatible coolermaster v10
(on a side note, my ocz vendetta has been working quite well for me, so you might not have to spend so much)
I like my CM 690 case, but with your budget, you might want to get something classier, like a Lian Li
but remember: NEWEGG IS YOUR FRIEND. Google it if you don't know what it is.

EDIT: and if graphics bother you, I only have an ATI radeon 4870 graphics card and I pull around 25-30 fps on crysis with full settings)

 

[Daedalus1942]

Make sure you get a solid state capacitor motherboard (those things will last you ages, unless of course a fucking power surge fries both your power supply and motherboard... >.<)
A Decent mid-range/affordable videocard would be the Nvidia Series 9800 GT.
Very nice graphics/affordable price. Quad core is obviously a no brainer. I myself am a fan of Intel, but if you like AMD, they also develop some pretty sweet tech too.
Personally, as Windows XP only allows you 3 gb of RAM, and Vista is a ram hog, but a pos OS (operating system). If I were you, I'd hold out until Windows 7 gets ironed out. It can run both 32 and 64 bit programs (depending on your preference). What this all means, is you will have an easier time trying to get System Shock 2 to run on Windows 7, than you would on Vista.
Try to imagine how much hard drive space you think you'll need, and then double it.
1 Tb is roughly about $300 these days, from what I've seen.
Bide your time for a few months. If you can hold out, you won't regret it.

I hope that helps. Happy rig building.

Listen to some of what this guy says

and listen to what I say
Get an 800 watt power supply
Get two EVGA GTX 280's and set them up in SLI (or get 2 285's)
Get two 750 (or larger) hard drives and set them up in raid 0 (2 750's costs about $150)
Get a core I7 mobo that can support SLI
If gigabyte has a UD3p that supports I7, I would go for that
Get a nice sound card
Get 6-8 gigs of DDR3 ram
Get an Intel I7 chip (EDIT: 920 is probably the best you would have to worry about.) (screw quad core. I7 has 4 native cores and is 20% faster than quad clock for clock)
Get a serious heatsink. You might consider something like the I7 compatible coolermaster v10
(on a side note, my ocz vendetta has been working quite well for me, so you might not have to spend so much)
I like my CM 690 case, but with your budget, you might want to get something classier, like a Lian Li
but remember: NEWEGG IS YOUR FRIEND. Google it if you don't know what it is.

That's all good and well, but I doubt he's going to know what your talking about (seeing as though he's never built a gaming computer before), now you've rattled off that page of specs. Maybe you would care to dumb it down for him, as I did?

 

[Loky111]

2K would get you an awful lot of cornettos

So far the only useful post in this thread, but really if your not comfortable enough around computers to make the decision for your self just get one pre-built, the warranty is nice and your paying for the piece of mind.

 

[PauL o_O]

Right now, this looks best:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4517071&Sku=SYX-1014

 

[randomsix]

snip

Important things:
CPU: Intel core I7 920
Motherboard: something that supports I7 and the graphics card configurations SLI and Crossfire (along with enough slots for the ram and other peripherals that you want)
Ram: 4-8 gigs of DDR3 (make sure to get all the same kind so there are no compatibility issues)
Power source: I would go for 800+ watts to ensure enough power
Hard Drives: 2 separate (but identical) drives adding to the amount of memory you want
Graphcs: 2 of either EVGA 295 or Radeon 4890
note: EVGA cards do SLI. Radeon cards do CrossFire. Ensure Motherboard compatibility.
Sound: If you buy (or have) a speaker system, you will want a sound card that will be able to make the best of it. I'm not very knowledgeable about sound cards, so I defer advice to someone else.
Computer Case: Something big enough to fit what you want in it. I would advise either a Mid or Full tower size.
CPU fan: If you are even thinking about overclocking (you should be) you should get a new heatsink+fan. Peruse the customer reviews on NEWEGG and decide which one is right for you.
CD/DVD/Blu ray drives: definitely read customer reviews to gauge reliability

 

[Daedalus1942]

2K would get you an awful lot of cornettos

So far the only useful post in this thread, but really if your not comfortable enough around computers to make the decision for your self just get one pre-built, the warranty is nice and your paying for the piece of mind.

The only useful post huh?
You think you can build a better affordable computer than me arsehole? Then fucking do it!

 

[Watcheroftrends]

Go to Tiger Direct or New Egg. Tiger Direct is my personal favorite of the two.

Start by searching for a case. You'll likely want to go with a full tower style. Many of the newer graphics cards are pretty massive, and having the extra space to work in is really convenient. The HAF 932 by Cooler Master is likely the highest quality case you'll get for the money. A friend of mine has one, and he loves it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
$140 (Tiger Direct doesn't have it available at the moment)

As far as a Power Supply, I recommend at least a 1000 Watt unit. This one has gotten many great reviews, and should work fine for any single Graphics card setup.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4494091&Sku=A406-1116
$110

Next, look for a hard drive. These may seen cheap, but make sure to check reviews, Many turn out to be faulty. You'll probably want about a Terrabyte. This one looks alright.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4034139&CatId=139
$100

You might want to consider getting two smaller drives for certain issues.

From here, you'll want to choose an OS. Go with a 64 bit; this allows greater memory values in your computer to be registered. Tiger Direct will give you a free upgrade deal from Vista to Windows 7.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/sectors/campaigns/include/windows7main.asp?srkey=Windows%207
Will run about $240

Next is the tricky part. Your total so far would be around $600. You need a Motherboard, Processor, and RAM. Core i7 is definitely the way to go at the moment.

This motherboard/Graphics card combo should dominate any game out there.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.252389
$705

For RAM, this stuff looks pretty good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224
$200

Last, but not least, a processor. This one should be plenty fine.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
$280

Total build: Around $1785.

I just pulled together this setup in a few minutes, so don't hold me liable if you happen to be crazy enough to just go buy this stuff without double checking that it'll all work. I hold no liability.

The only thing I'd consider is a faster processor. I also have no clue if you need a monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc. I hope all this helps though.

The hardest part in assembly is in connecting the motherboard cables to the case. You'll have to follow the mobo manual carefully when dealing with those. Also, you might want to consider a static band to prevent any damage to your parts while handling them. Enjoy building a kickass PC.

 

[Watcheroftrends]

One thing about my build; it can't do full SLI. If you get a second card, it will only run at half the bandwidth of the first.

About Randomsix's recommendations, it seems like you'd go over budget under his guidelines. Then again, shopping around helps. He is right with everything he wrote, but I'm worried you'd have trouble keeping things from getting too expensive. (Two 295's would run you over $1000 alone).

With the extra money left from mine, you might consider getting some overclocking stuff like Randomsix said. That would also remove the problem of the processor I chose being a little weak.

 

[2wenty6ix]

First tip: don't listen to all the trolls who will inevitably come in the thread and tell you they put together a top of the range gaming PC for $500.

How is that trolling? It's the truth. With $2000, you aren't getting a top of the line PC, you're getting a supercomputer with a a theater level speaker system.

why would that be a bad thing

 

[Erana]

Just one thing...

Make sure your hardware is compatable with your motherboard.
That's all I can say.

 

[AbuFace]

why would that be a bad thing

Because after a certain point, you start getting less and less value for your dollar. Moving your budget from $500 to $1000 will get you a lot of extra power. Going from $1000 to $1500 gets you even more, but it's not as big of a jump as the first increase, and $1500 to $2000 doesn't really get you a whole heck of a lot.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-builder-marathon,2315-8.html

If you look at graphs they have there, it shows a $625 PC, a $1250 PC, and a $2500 PC. The "Average Performance Difference" graph is quite telling. The $1250 PC doesn't quite perform twice as good as the $625 PC, even though twice as much money was spent on it. The $2500 PC cost four times as much as the $625 PC, but it barely gets double the performance. Unless the OP has a lot of extra money laying around, or he really wants to spend that much money on his computer, it is my opinion that the OP is better off exercising some frugality and spending ~40% less money while only sacrificing 10-15% performance.

Edit: After reading Emphraim's next post, I misread his first post and thus my post here is awkward and out of place. Nevertheless, as unnecessary as my post was, I still believe I have a valid point to be considered.

Edit 2: Notice how overclocking the $1250 PC made it as powerful as the stock $2500 PC. No, you shouldn't go willy nilly changing all of your settings and then blame me when it breaks. If you're willing to take the risk and wondered what the benefits were, there's a good illustration.

 

[Emphraim]

First tip: don't listen to all the trolls who will inevitably come in the thread and tell you they put together a top of the range gaming PC for $500.

How is that trolling? It's the truth. With $2000, you aren't getting a top of the line PC, you're getting a supercomputer with a a theater level speaker system.

why would that be a bad thing

That's my point. It's not a bad thing. I have no idea why harhol made it sound like a bad thing that people built gaming pcs $500. Spending $2000 is a bit excessive though.

 

[Watcheroftrends]

Very good point. In fact, I'd wholeheartedly back your idea of frugality. I mean, you've gotta have something left over to pay for your reoccurring WoW subscription, right?

Hehe, but seriously, listen to Abu. The tricky thing is that core i7 is still pretty new, so it would be difficult for me to tell you to go with anything less, what with no backwards compatibility of the slot type. Maybe knock down the graphics card a bit, go with 4 gigs of memory instead of six, spend the extra on some goodies like a new mouse and keyboard? Can't tell you how much of a difference those little things make in your game.

 

[tsolless]

why would that be a bad thing

Because after a certain point, you start getting less and less value for your dollar. Moving your budget from $500 to $1000 will get you a lot of extra power. Going from $1000 to $1500 gets you even more, but it's not as big of a jump as the first increase, and $1500 to $2000 doesn't really get you a whole heck of a lot.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-builder-marathon,2315-8.html

If you look at graphs they have there, it shows a $625 PC, a $1250 PC, and a $2500 PC. The "Average Performance Difference" graph is quite telling. The $1250 PC doesn't quite perform twice as good as the $625 PC, even though twice as much money was spent on it. The $2500 PC cost four times as much as the $625 PC, but it barely gets double the performance. Unless the OP has a lot of extra money laying around, or he really wants to spend that much money on his computer, it is my opinion that the OP is better off exercising some frugality and spending ~40% less money while only sacrificing 10-15% performance.

Those graphs aren't about how well the computer can run things but rather on energy efficiency...

 

[randomsix]

One thing about my build; it can't do full SLI. If you get a second card, it will only run at half the bandwidth of the first.

About Randomsix's recommendations, it seems like you'd go over budget under his guidelines. Then again, shopping around helps. He is right with everything he wrote, but I'm worried you'd have trouble keeping things from getting too expensive. (Two 295's would run you over $1000 alone).

With the extra money left from mine, you might consider getting some overclocking stuff like Randomsix said. That would also remove the problem of the processor I chose being a little weak.

You're right. I was thinking the 280 or 285. 2 295's would be just gratuitous.

 

[Watcheroftrends]

Didn't you scroll down? I think it lists the performance differences lower on the page. Looks like an overclocked $1250 would be the way to go.

 

[randomsix]

why would that be a bad thing

Because after a certain point, you start getting less and less value for your dollar. Moving your budget from $500 to $1000 will get you a lot of extra power. Going from $1000 to $1500 gets you even more, but it's not as big of a jump as the first increase, and $1500 to $2000 doesn't really get you a whole heck of a lot.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-builder-marathon,2315-8.html

If you look at graphs they have there, it shows a $625 PC, a $1250 PC, and a $2500 PC. The "Average Performance Difference" graph is quite telling. The $1250 PC doesn't quite perform twice as good as the $625 PC, even though twice as much money was spent on it. The $2500 PC cost four times as much as the $625 PC, but it barely gets double the performance. Unless the OP has a lot of extra money laying around, or he really wants to spend that much money on his computer, it is my opinion that the OP is better off exercising some frugality and spending ~40% less money while only sacrificing 10-15% performance.

Edit: After reading Emphraim's next post, I misread his first post and thus my post here is awkward and out of place. Nevertheless, as unnecessary as my post was, I still believe I have a valid point to be considered.

I also should remind myself that the law of diminishing returns does apply. There is a point at which your system will be able to run the best games at the best settings and get the 30-40 fps it takes to make lag invisible to the eye. Spending the extra $1000 will get your framerate up to 60, but you won't be able to tell the difference.

 

[Slayer_2]

First tip: don't listen to all the trolls who will inevitably come in the thread and tell you they put together a top of the range gaming PC for $500.

Actually I bought one from a guy who builds computers for some side money while he goes to university. $550 CAD, about $500 USD. I bought it a year ago and it's still what I'd call top of the line. Crysis Warhead runs at 1280x1024, no AA and everything else on highest.

Sure it's not stuffed with 8GB of RAM, a Quad core and 3 GPU's, but don't be stupid and say those are necessary for current software requirements.

Clearly you either have no idea what you're talking about, you're a troll yourself or you got ripped off by Dell or Alienware and you're feeling a little jealous of smarter people. I think option #2 is the most likely one. GO back to your Xbox.

To the original poster: I'd recommend you build a computer yourself, or if you aren't experienced enough to do that (like me), look around and find some local who'll do it for you. Save yourself $1250, maybe $1500. Just test it thoroughly BEFORE you buy. I've never been ripped off, but I wouldn't want anyone else to be either... be cautious.