Game PC - 1000$ what would you buy

[nl 986]

I have a maximum of 1000$ to spend on components and will assemble them myself. I am aiming for a mid-range to high-end gaming system that will get me through the next 5 years or so.

I will re-use my current pc case (Cooler Master HAF 922 and it's fans), my 650 Watt Antec Power supply and DVD player, and SSD/HDD, also mouse, keyboard and monitor will be re-used.

I want Intel and NVidia, ATX form factor. (let's not have an AMD/ATI discussion)

So what I need to buy for these 1000$ are:

• CPU (+ better than stock cooler) (at least i5)
• GPU (at least 6 GB)
• MoBo (OC capability would be nice but no must) (minimal 4 RAM slots),
• RAM (16 GB minimum)

Any hardware suggestions from experienced builders / gamers?

 

[Red_Ensign 990]

I'd spend good money getting quality motherboard, psu and processor, and for the time being use the old video card I have on hand.  then upgrade the video (and add ram) when money permits.  that way I'd end up with quality on all the important things and no corners cut (and not need all the money at once).

Edited August 5, 2017 by Red_Ensign

[nl 986]

11 minutes ago, Red_Ensign said:

I'd spend good money getting quality motherboard, psu and processor, and for the time being use the old video card I have on hand.  then upgrade the video (and add ram) when money permits.  that way I'd end up with quality on all the important things and no corners cut (and not need all the money at once).

Well, I don't need to replace the psu, my old one seems good enough for now.

The way I figure this:

CPU circa 250 - 300

GPU circa 400

MoBo circa 120

Ram circa 180

That would be about 1000 and I figure I can get decent hardware within these ranges.

[HaseDesTodes 315]

1000$ ~ 850€ (since you're from NL)

CPU:

A: Intel Core i5-7600K, 4x 3.80GHz, boxed ~ 220€

B: Intel Core i7-7700K, 4x 4.20GHz, tray ~ 320€

+ Cooler for about 40€ (anything in that range should do fine, even when you go OC)

+Mobo and matching RAM:

Gigabyte GA-Z270P-D3 ~ 100€

Corsair Vengeance LPX red DIMM Kit 16GB, DDR4-3600, CL18-19-19-39 (CMK16GX4M2B3600C18R) ~200€

 

GPU (both have dual fans):

1.Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 Windforce OC 6G, 6GB GDDR5 ~ 290€

2. Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Windforce OC, 8GB GDDR5 ~ 440€

 

So option:

A1=850€

A2=1000€

B1=950€

B2=1100€

 

Specific hardware is just an example on what i have found searching for the cheapest prices, i didn't research on compatibility (exept for the RAM, which is listed in the official OVL) or bad reviews. Prices are based on what i found in germany.

 

i don't really know why you don't want an AMD CPU, but that's your choice. i would buy an AMD Ryzen if my CPU broke today.

[nl 986]

Thanks for the effort @HaseDesTodes ! That is a nice list I can use to start from.

I actually have a max of 1000 euro to spend, I thought 1000$ made a nice round figure.

My judgement of AMD may well be outdated. It's just that I have always used Intel and was always happy with it while AMD people around me were complaining about performance, heat production and longevity. Like my current i5 750 which has been running since 2009 without a hickup, even overclocked. I just feel Intel is more of a sure bet. Same with NVidia, more developers seem to optimize games for them. But again, maybe this is all no longer true, I would have to do more research.

[larky2k 9]

AMD have come along way in the last few years. Going with Ryzen CPU would be a good choice and very good CPU for the cost. Iv always been AMD just for cost to performance. Why spend that money on Intel for and extra 10fps in a game when you could spend half the money and get similar performance. Once developers get over the Multicore bump i do feel AMD will overtake Intel. 

[BCO Games 11]

Kijk op https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/ of bij hun buren https://nl.hardware.info/prijsvergelijker

Je kunt over meerdere hardware categoriën vergelijken (vergelijk meerdere componenten, heb je gelijk alle prijzen in een overzicht en kun je zo je set samenstellen.)

Net als HaseDesTodes een snelle keus gemaakt, ff > €1000: https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/compare/701515;699793;554301;492649;420410/

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by BCO Games

[nl 986]

13 minutes ago, BCO Games said:

Kijk op https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/ of bij hun buren https://nl.hardware.info/prijsvergelijker

Je kunt over meerdere hardware categoriën vergelijken (vergelijk meerdere componenten, heb je gelijk alle prijzen in een overzicht en kun je zo je set samenstellen.)

Net als HaseDesTodes een snelle keus gemaakt, ff > €1000: https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/compare/701515;699793;554301;492649;420410/

 

 

 

Will answer in English for the others :)

Thanks! Yeah I know tweakers. The pc I built in 2009 (see signature) was actually mostly a copy of a system they assembled and tested, it's been a great system all this time. But nowadays they don't make and review custom systems as much as they used to which is a pity really. I understood they will publish another around september, not sure I can wait that long ;)

[BCO Games 11]

Haha, just checked - their best buy guide for July was AMD spec'ed, better hope they do an Intel one in September, or just start clicking and order parts and have a decent Intel build by Wednesday ;) GL

 

[emuthreat 2837]

Given the case you have, I would say that a Corsair H75 would fit nicely on the rear fan opening in a pull-push intake configuration.  You will need longer screws than stock to mount one fan outside the case, though.

The rest of it seems like a no-brainer.  Intel does better for performance on DayZ, but I'm not sure how much better Ryzen is than older AMD stuff.  I have an FX 8370, and am only marginally happy with it.  Really, I was just trying to squeeze more life out of my AM3+ motherboard.

There are plenty of competitive options in about the same price range for what you are looking for.  At this point, I'd recommend nothing less than a 1070, but the bitcoin bubble has driven up prices and put many good GPUs on backorder.  Pick your card, and an acceptable price, and shop daily for deals until you get a hit on your desired card at an acceptable price.

[nl 986]

I don't think I want water cooling on my CPU. I have used a Hyper TX for a long time and was very pleased with it's cooling ability and noise production, my cpu never went over 52 Celsius. I have no reason to change anything about my cooling, with this case and 200 mm fans the system is quiet, just a low humm. Of course when the game is demanding the fans will spin up but I hardly hear that due to in-game sound. Also, water cooling complicates stuff, increases risk of damage (leaks) and because it still uses fans there's no advantage noise wise.

Yeah, seriously looking at 1070, there's just so many variations these days of the chipsets.

[sneakydude 480]

18 degree here, to 29 degree are you sure you don't like liquid cooling?

[nl 986]

33 minutes ago, sneakydude said:

18 degree here, to 29 degree are you sure you don't like liquid cooling?

That's a nice temperature range but 52 degrees max like mine is well below limits and I don't think it really makes a difference for the longevity of the cpu. Mine has been running fine for 7 years now, often running at max performance.  But I am good at keeping the fan and heatsink clean and every 2 years or so I give it new thermal paste. I also do this with my GPU / videocard. I think liquid cooling is the right choice when you start overclocking (a lot) or when you have a case that has trouble getting rid of the hot air, I have a high airflow case and I don't (or rarely) overclock. I may consider it in the future when I have some extra funds but for now I am not going to spend money on it because I don't think I have a problem to fix that warrants it. BTW how do you get 18 degrees when ambient temps are probably higher? I assume the liquid does not get cooler than room temperature?

Edited August 6, 2017 by nl

[nl 986]

Prizes and availability of video cards are pretty much fucked up at the moment due to cryptocurrency mining...

[nl 986]

Still doubting about the videocard / CPU combination.

I can either get a 1070 and i5 or 1060 and i7, I think I will go for the last option.

[HaseDesTodes 315]

4 minutes ago, nl said:

Still doubting about the videocard / CPU combination.

I can either get a 1070 and i5 or 1060 and i7, I think I will go for the last option.

since you only have a full hd monitor i don't think you would benefit much from the 1070. A suitable one should be the Zotac GeForce GTX 1060 AMP!, 6GB GDDR5 (300€ in ger), it has a dual fan layout and shouldn't be to loud.

it seems like you have decided for an intel CPU, go for the i7 7700k. it has the highest clock + hyperthreading. so even if multi-threading gets more important for games in the next years (might not happen) you should be fine for the time you plan to get it for.

i would reccomend getting the fastest ram you can get. a working combination would be the MSI Z270 Gaming M7 (7A57-001R) (220€ in ger) MOBO with the G.Skill Trident Z silber/rot DIMM Kit 16GB, DDR4-4133, CL19-21-21-41 (F4-4133C19D-16GTZA) RAM (210€ in ger).

from what i have read, some games (like Arma3) highly benefit from improved Ram clock (and better timings). i don't know how it's with DayZ, but i think it should. So having 16GB ram at 4133MHz should be ideal.

 

only problem would be that you would get over your budget (german prices) 310€ (i7)+ 220€ (mobo]+ 210€ (ram)+300€ (GTX1060 6GB) + cooler (40€) = 1080€ + shipping costs (i guess like 40€ for everyting to the NL).

i have tried searching for a website for price comparizon in the nl (googled: "prijsvergelijking") but didn't find a good one with cheap hardware, so either the sites i found weren't good, or prices in the NL are just really high.

if you are interested in what i have found (GPU and cooler as examples):

https://geizhals.de/zotac-geforce-gtx-1060-amp-zt-p10600b-10m-a1478147.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

https://geizhals.de/msi-z270-gaming-m7-7a57-001r-a1557601.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

https://geizhals.de/intel-core-i7-7700k-cm8067702868535-a1554068.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

https://geizhals.de/g-skill-trident-z-silber-rot-dimm-kit-16gb-f4-4133c19d-16gtza-a1463458.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

https://geizhals.de/scythe-ashura-scasr-1000-a910518.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

you should be able to get 4/5 at Mindfactory, so you could save some money for shipping)

[nl 986]

@HaseDesTodes this is the hardware list I think I will buy, what do you think?

BTW, if I am correct I should be able to re-use my CoolerMaster Hyper TX 3 (2009) cpu cooler, it seems to also fit the 1151 socket. (currently on a 1156 socket)

List below comes to just over 1000 €

 

RAM
https://azerty.nl/product...e-lpx-ddr4-16-gb-2-x-8-gb
16 GB: 2 x 8 GB - DIMM 288-PIN - 3000 MHz / PC4-24000 - CL15 - 1.35 V - niet-gebufferd - niet-ECC

135,76 €

MOBO
https://azerty.nl/product...71aPdbYYdmMIaAqZvEALw_wcB
MSI Z270 SLI PLUS

147,09 €

CPU
https://www.alternate.nl/...ssor/html/product/1305350?
Intel® Core i7-7700K, 4,2 GHz (4,5 GHz Turbo Boost) socket 1151 processor(FC-LGA4, "Kaby Lake-S", Unlocked, WoF)
349 €

GPU
https://www.alternate.nl/...aart/html/product/1288946?
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1060 G1 Gaming 6G, Grafische kaart(DVI, HDMI, 3x DisplayPort)

374 €

Edited August 8, 2017 by nl

[HaseDesTodes 315]

@nl

it should work.

i still think the ram is a bit "slow", but that's all up to you.

the GPU is faster than what i suggested (and one of the few alternate.nl has on stock). i don't know how much you will notice that, but if you really intend to keep the GPU for the full 5 years, faster should be better.

 

PS: your links are broken (alternate still works though)

[nl 986]

1 minute ago, HaseDesTodes said:

@nl

it should work.

i still think the ram is a bit "slow", but that's all up to you.

the GPU is faster than what i suggested (and one of the few alternate.nl has on stock). i don't know how much you will notice that, but if you really intend to keep the GPU for the full 5 years, faster should be better.

 

PS: your links are broken (alternate still works though)

Yeah of course I could get faster RAM but it all comes at a price...trying to stay in budget here. I expect the videocard to be replaced in 3-4 years, hoping the cpu will still be powerful enough by that time. I can always upgrade RAM at that moment.

I will take another look around to see what faster RAM would cost me.

[HaseDesTodes 315]

2 minutes ago, nl said:

I will take another look around to see what faster RAM would cost me.

i don't think there is anything reasonably priced for that MOBO that's also listed in the memory QVL.

they have the CMK32GX4M4B4000C19R tested at 4GHz, but thats a 4x8GB kit and costs around 500€. simmilar kits like the CMR16GX4M2F4000C19 (260€ at alternate.nl) are not listed in the memory QVL, so i wouldn't guarantee that they work at fast speeds. so i can't recommend it.

finding the ideal combo can be so annoying sometimes.

 

[nl 986]

Just now, HaseDesTodes said:

i don't think there is anything reasonably priced for that MOBO that's also listed in the memory QVL.

they have the CMK32GX4M4B4000C19R tested at 4GHz, but thats a 4x8GB kit and costs around 500€. simmilar kits like the CMR16GX4M2F4000C19 (260€ at alternate.nl) are not listed in the memory QVL, so i wouldn't guarantee that they work at fast speeds. so i can't recommend it.

finding the ideal combo can be so annoying sometimes.

 

Yeah, when I look in the specs of the MoBo I see: 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 2600 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3800 MHz (O.C.), does this suggests that speeds higher than 2400 will only be achieved when I overclock the RAM in the BIOS? I don't plan on overclocking for at least the first years so I guess I could simply buy RAM at 2400 mHz?

 

BTW thanks again for the help Hase! Much appreciated!

[HaseDesTodes 315]

42 minutes ago, nl said:

Yeah, when I look in the specs of the MoBo I see: 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 2600 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3800 MHz (O.C.), does this suggests that speeds higher than 2400 will only be achieved when I overclock the RAM in the BIOS? I don't plan on overclocking for at least the first years so I guess I could simply buy RAM at 2400 mHz?

 

BTW thanks again for the help Hase! Much appreciated!

everything above 2400 is "OC" because it's over the normal DDR4 specifications afaik. i don't think this affects the warranty if the manufacturers sell it at higher clocks. never really thought about that and never researched on the warranty topic.

overclocking should be really simple by because the settings are saved in the XMP. you just need to select the one you want.

[St. Jimmy 1631]

If possible go for used GPU. At least prices for used one here are:

1070 8GB - 400€

980Ti 6GB - 350€

980 4GB - 250€

 

Everyone of those are better than 1060 except they take bit more power. Just if you want to save some money in there because of the mining influence on pricing.

[nl 986]

1 hour ago, St. Jimmy said:

If possible go for used GPU. At least prices for used one here are:

1070 8GB - 400€

980Ti 6GB - 350€

980 4GB - 250€

 

Everyone of those are better than 1060 except they take bit more power. Just if you want to save some money in there because of the mining influence on pricing.

Thanks for the tip but a used GPU seems risky to me. They may have been used for mining and been working at 100% for months, maybe with good cooling, maybe not. Even if not, you know nothing about its past and most likely won't have warranty. Also, it's kinda hard to decide because everybody has their personal point of view. For now my reasoning is I will get a reasonably priced card (but still good) which I expect to upgrade in about 3 to 4 years. I think a 1070 won't last me that much longer and if it does it will probably have cost me about as much per year as the 1060 and the 1060 will be good enough for 1920x1080 gaming. For now, since I am on a budget I choose to buy a fast CPU because I expect to not have to upgrade it in 3-4 years. Of course an i7 and 1080 or 1070 would be best but I can't afford it right now.

[BCO Games 11]

On a different note, what OS will you be using, it seems Kaby Lake processors do not support < Win10, however, some users report they were successfull running Win7 on Kaby Lake processors. Sky Lake will be fine if you run Win7 and above.

 

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3320827/kaby-lake-windows-thread.html

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-7-wont-work-intels-current-next-gen-cpus/