$1000 excellent gaming PC?

Think twice that money for a top system (3-4 times for the best of the best).

duckman

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Hi, I was wondering if you guys have any idea for building the best PC with some new gaming features within the amount of $1000. What kind of expansion card could there be?

Here's a very nice can capable budget PC ofr around $1000.00

A8N SLI or A8N_E

7600GT (eVGA for the warranty)

Antec LanBoy case

Audigy 2 ZS

160 Gig Seagate 7200.9 HDD (SATA)

BenQ DVDRW

Antec 550 power supply (24 pin)

Samsung 19" LCD with 6MS RT @ 1280x1024

Junior Poster

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pretty useless without a CPU and RAM :)
The screen will cost almost half the $1000 budget already, CPU and RAM together will fill the rest.
That videocard will set you back about $250, the drive about $75, the case $150 or so.
Don't know the prices of those mobos and soundcard, but you'd end up paying at least about $1500 total, probably closer to $1700, for that config.

duckman

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pretty useless without a CPU and RAM :) The screen will cost almost half the $1000 budget already, CPU and RAM together will fill the rest. That videocard will set you back about $250, the drive about $75, the case $150 or so. Don't know the prices of those mobos and soundcard, but you'd end up paying at least about $1500 total, probably closer to $1700, for that config.

You 're light years off on your pricing ($1500.00 to 1700.00? :eek: ). Not even remotely close.

Just for starters nearly any 7600GT can be had for under $200.00 easily (are you getting a 7600GT confused with a 7900GT's pricing?). For example, the very first 7600GT on a search at newegg is a mere $169.99 US$ retail, and with the $30.00 rebate it's $139.99. Those parts i linked is with the assumption that a budget CPU would be used - like a 3500 Venice which is easily overclocked to FX 57 speeds on that motherboard.

Here's the exact part list at newegg.

PNY 7600GT PCIe $139.99 AR (169.99 before)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133150

1GB of Kingston PC32000 2x512 $94.00 (we'll call it $100.00)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820144114

SAMSUNG 913V-Black 19" LCD Monitor $268.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824001192

Antec SuperLanboy $80.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129145

Asus A8N-E $88.99 (we'll call it $90.00)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131530

Antec TruePower 550 $79.99 After $10.00 rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103931

Seagate 160GB HDD $63.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148105

BenQ DVD-R-RW $33.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101010

3500+ venice AMD $113.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101010

Samsucg Floppy $8.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16821103203

Audigy 2ZS soundcard OEM $75.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102178

XP Home (OEM) $90.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059

----------------------------------------------------

From bottom to top_
$90.00
$8.00
$113.00
$33.00
$63.00
$80.00
$90.00
$75.00
$80.00
$268.00
$94.00
$140.00
----------------------
$1134.00

Add $50.00 for shipping = about 1174.00. Take out a few rebates i didn't mention and it's around 1150.00 - change the brand of LCD to Acer then it's a cool $1100.00 for the complete system. If you really wanted to go budget here you could forgo the Audigy 2 ZS and it's suddenly around $1000.00 for the entire system shipped? Not quite $1700.00

Junior Poster

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I think the config you posted is pretty great, but I think it overlooks the fact that you could scrimp on the monitor, and get a faster CPU.

I'm no big fan of overclocking-- I picked up a used 19" Dell Trinitron for $70 shipped on eBay. The display is PERFECT-- no problems with it whatsoever. So, I could save $169 on the monitor, and either beef up the CPU (no longer need to OC), Graphics, or add more RAM. Or, that would take me just under the $1000 threshold for your price :D

alc6379

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No, I didn't get the prices wrong...
That same hardware would cost upwards of €1500 here, which when converted to dollars comes nearly at $2000.

duckman

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No, I didn't get the prices wrong... That same hardware would cost upwards of €1500 here, which when converted to dollars comes nearly at $2000.

Looking at the prices posted by vicec64, I don't see any discrepancy. Where are you getting your prices from? vicec64 was using Newegg.

alc6379

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He gets his local prices, I get my local prices. Of course mine include our skyhigh VAT, which US online retailers don't charge (as under US law interstate mailorder sales aren't taxed and salestax in most US locales is far lower than our VAT anyway).

duckman

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He gets his local prices, I get my local prices. Of course mine include our skyhigh VAT, which US online retailers don't charge (as under US law interstate mailorder sales aren't taxed and salestax in most US locales is far lower than our VAT anyway).

Sorry there i didn't realize you were where you are and you're right it is much tougher to get a deal where you're at but in the US a very good sub- $1200.00 USD rig is easily attained if you're willing to build it. In fact i would leave out the Audigy card and upgrade to a 20" wide screen monitor, or a 7900GT vs 7600GT - lots of combinations are there. UK i know is much tougher to get decent prices.

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I've never heard of an excellent $1000 gaming machine. My monitor and CPU were both about $550 a piece.

Postaholic

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I just listed a 'good' gaming PC above for no much more than $1000.00'?. What you have to sacrafice if that you would probably need to build it yourself, and get no more than a 19" display. You have to know where to shop (in the US anyway) to get these prices. Sometimes you have to sacrafice things like no seperate sound card. One large HDD and n raid to start with, possibly a lesser processor to start with. Maybe 1 gig of ram instead of 2 to start with. In effect what would cost you $1100.00 to build in my list would cost you $1500-1700 at Alienware or some other botique builder. You simply need to be able to build it yourself.

For instance. If you live in the US you can get Fry's Electronics motherboard CPU bundle deals regularly. You can get a 3500+ Venice bundled with an ECS 939A PCIe mainboard for $135.00-$155.00. In the hands of someone that knows what they're doing that's an instant 2.6 Ghz easily (FX55 speeds and beyond) and although ECS boards are typically not know for super reliability - those of us that actually have built in mass production know this to be a myth (leaky caps in the past aside). What it's about are less options on the motherboard and not quite as many options in the bios, that no one besides and absolute expert will use anyway (like 4-6 SATA ports or a more advanced realtek codec for onboard sound or 5 seperate paged for timings and overclocking settings like a DFI motherboard). You could always swith out the motherboard later to an Asus, or MSI etc...if need be.

What you are seeing with rigs above $1000.00 are rigs that have more than a current mid range video card (more than a 7600GT or X1800GTO), more than 1-2 HDD's, a seperate sound card (usually), and then you pay about $400-500 or more extra to have someone build it and warrant it. That's the difference.

If you already have a monitor you can use - i can put together 10 or more different configs for 'good' gaming system that are under way under $1000.00 as long as you don't need to add a monitor. They may not have SLI or crossfire, and no more than an X1600XT or 7600GT but it will play any game out there. Maybe not at 1600x1200 with max AA-AF but it will play them at 1280x1024 or 1280x960 maxed (for most games).

So_ 've never heard of an excellent $1000 gaming machine. My monitor and CPU were both about $550 a piece.

I just listed a good CPU and monitor above your post for $390.00. If i were to take advantage of the Dell discount coupons, and rebates i would have a 21" WS LCD for $250.00, then i would get a CPU/mainboard bundle deal at Fry's for $135.00 (3500+/939a). Still way under $500.00.

Junior Poster

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I just listed a good CPU and monitor

I've heard of a good $1000 PC, but not an EXCELLENT $1000 PC.

Postaholic

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I've heard of a good $1000 PC, but not an EXCELLENT $1000 PC.

Give me your technical definition of an excellent $1000.00 PC.

Junior Poster

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Give me your technical definition of an excellent $1000.00 PC.

There's no such thing. You can't build an excellent gaming pc for $1000.
I've been saying that for the past two or three posts so I don't know if you're just ignorant or having trouble understanding simple concepts.

Postaholic

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-1

Really?. In actually own and operate a very high end repair/build shop. High volume too.

The term excellent is very subjective for gaming PC's. I could use "Extremely High End" and a myriad of other terms to describe what you really mean. When i think "excellent" to me it means excellent PART selection AND a good balance of CPU/GPU combination. I'm assuming your not to much of a moron to understand that not everyone uses a 24" wide screen monitor that requires at least 2 7900GT/GTX to drive the newest games at respectable framrates for widescreen resolutions.

In effect excellent can be a system with an A64/3500 with a 7600GT as long as the person is using a monitor that will scale (CRT) or a 19-20" LCD with 1280x1024. If you're thinking that for a gaming machine to be called "excellent" that it needs an A64 4000+/4400X2/2HDD's/X1900XTX or 7800GTX2 - well your wrong. It doesn't - again, that would be called a "high end" system, and possibly excellent depening on the quality of parts chosen and how well it's put together.

If a monitor itsn't needed i can put together a PC that is close to high end for around $1000.00 (4000+-7900GT-X1800XT-X1900XT (not XTX) and excellent too. Quite Easily.

Junior Poster

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I've been saying that for the past two or three posts so I don't know if you're just ignorant or having trouble understanding simple concepts.

Cut the insults, keep the argument technical/using facts, and refrain from mudslinging.

Thanks :-|

'Stein

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Really?. In actually own and operate a very high end repair/build shop. High volume too.

The term excellent is very subjective for gaming PC's. I could use "Extremely High End" and a myriad of other terms to describe what you really mean. When i think "excellent" to me it means excellent PART selection AND a good balance of CPU/GPU combination. I'm assuming your not to much of a moron to understand that not everyone uses a 24" wide screen monitor that requires at least 2 7900GT/GTX to drive the newest games at respectable framrates for widescreen resolutions.

In effect excellent can be a system with an A64/3500 with a 7600GT as long as the person is using a monitor that will scale (CRT) or a 19-20" LCD with 1280x1024. If you're thinking that for a gaming machine to be called "excellent" that it needs an A64 4000+/4400X2/2HDD's/X1900XTX or 7800GTX2 - well your wrong. It doesn't - again, that would be called a "high end" system, and possibly excellent depening on the quality of parts chosen and how well it's put together.

If a monitor itsn't needed i can put together a PC that is close to high end for around $1000.00 (4000+-7900GT-X1800XT-X1900XT (not XTX) and excellent too. Quite Easily.

Here's a definition for you:

Excellent:Of the highest or finest quality; exceptionally good of its kind.

So if 'high end' means something even higher, then how is it possible to get higher than the highest quality?

Postaholic

2,111 posts since Jun 2004

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Cut the insults, keep the argument technical/using facts, and refrain from mudslinging.

Thanks :-|

Well, I'm getting sick of arguing about something very simple and he's already starting to go through threads I've created along time ago and trying to disprove me in those.... very annoying.

Postaholic

2,111 posts since Jun 2004

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Well, I'm getting sick of arguing about something very simple and he's already starting to go through threads I've created a long time ago and trying to disprove me in those.... very annoying.

Disprove? No. But when you thread crap with yourself having very little actual hardware knowledge i'll be sure to make sure you see the light.

Don't worry. This will be my last post here at Daniweb. I have a few other forums where hardware is a mainstay that i post in (and actually do some of the reviews), and consequently you wouldn't last a day with your attitude coupled with your lack of knowledge. Being this is indeed my last post feel free to thread crap further it's about the only way your going to make your thread crapped argument look good (to yourself). By the way - this Friday i deliver with a system with a Biostar T-force S939/3700+/200 gig WD/7900GT that will be under $1000.00. Bet you would like to game with it? Especially since it comes with a 2 year total system comprehensive warranty by me. Bet you would consider it excellent for gaming. Migh not be high-end but it'shigh-middle, but excellent nontheless. Maybe when the customer shows that She's happy when She can actually play Oblivion well that her PC isn't excellent for gaming?

/feel free to thread crap @ will ;)