Advice for buying a gaming PC!

Here are two examples:

Example 1:

1 x Sapphire Radeon GPU, Double Dissipation Edition GeForce GTX Series 933M
1 x Intel Core i7 Processor 3.5GHz, 16MB, 125W
1 x MSI Motherboard, AM3, AM3+, Intel 970, SB950, BUS 5200 MHz, DDR3
1 x NVIDIA Kepler Architecture cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
2 x DDR3 4GB RAM (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x Fortron 600W Power Supply, Hyper, PPA6003302, 12cm fan
1 x Kingston Fury SSD 120GB, 2.5", SATA 3 6G

Total:$1656 Free assembly and shipping via local retailer!
It’s a solid setup—you've got a decent graphics card, an eight-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and a reliable power supply. Plus, the 120GB SSD ensures macOS runs smoothly and games boot up without the usual wait. The best part? You can just drop these parts right into your existing case. It gives you a great foundation; down the road, if the GPU starts feeling a bit sluggish, you'll only need to swap that one component out.

Quote : Timothy Kim60

dustyskipper77 said:Intel Core i7 Processor
MSI Motherboard
I've been looking into the Spire NVIDIA Kepler Architecture cooler—specifically the Rev. 2 version.
Corsair Vengeance, 1333MHz, 8GB (1x8GB)
EVGA Power Supply, 550W, 80+ rated.
Seagate BarraCuda 1TB SATA 3 Hard Drive
EVGA Radeon GPU

Newegg listing for Gigabyte Radeon

Look, my suggestion is this—keep your current case, but sell off everything else. If you go with the build I’ve put together for you, it’s going to hold up for years. Plus, that specific processor and motherboard combo gives you plenty of headroom if you ever decide to drop in a beefier GPU or get into some stable overclocking down the road...😉

The only issue is that the graphics card won't actually fit in his case.

You could also present it this way, using a colorful chart:

Second example:

1 x Intel Core i7 Processor
1 x MSI Motherboard
1 x Noctua CPU Cooler
2 x 4GB RAM
1 x EVGA Power Supply
1 x MSI Gaming Trio GPU

Total: $1754 Futura IT—assembly and shipping are on the house!
Just toss an SSD in there and you're good to go!

It looks like a case swap isn't even necessary.

I'm not sure how much breathing room you have left inside your chassis, but I can tell you that my MSI Gaming Trio GPU measures 305mm, and it fits in my Cooler Master Case without any issues at all. Even though the official specs claim a maximum limit of 263mm.

It’ll definitely fit, I used to have a Cooler Master Case myself. They claim it fits up to 10.4", but honestly, you can squeeze even more in there...

Check this out from an old forum thread:

"Yeah, you should be fine. It supports cards up to 12 feet, though you might need to shuffle your hard drives around a bit to make room, but it'll fit."

Timothy Kim60 said:It looks like he might not even need to swap out the case.

Here is a build list from the local electronics shop—just make sure you explain how to snag that extra 3% discount. I listed an XFX card just to put his mind at ease regarding fitment, since it isn't quite as massive as the MSI Gaming Trio GPU:

1xXFX Sapphire Radeon GPU, 4GB
1xIntel Core i7 Processor, 3.5GHz - 16MB Cache - 125W BOX
1xMSI Motherboard
1xNoctua CPU Cooler
2x8GB RAM, 1600 MHz, CL11
1x600W Power Supply

Total: 5 $41 and if you factor in that 3% discount, $1656 Timothy Kim60 can tell you exactly what this setup ends up costing. Free assembly and shipping via the local shop!

What kind of mess is he going to make of his setup? 😁

Robert Ortiz58 said:And what exactly is he going to be confused about there? 😁

If he had actually known the context of this thread from the start, he would have known 😛

I've been following this thread from the jump, and honestly, I have to ask: you tell this guy he can get these parts delivered and assembled for free, but what are they actually going to put them in? Is he supposed to just use a shoebox or something? Your recommendations are a total nightmare; it feels like you aren't even reading the specs, let alone putting any actual thought into this.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions—as for the wiring, it’s no big deal, I can easily handle the setup here in Indianapolis. No need for any tension—I'd honestly just say it was a little "slip of the pen" on Dennis Carter3's part.

Robert Ortiz58 said:I've been following this from the jump—the guy has his own case, and you're telling him someone will just assemble and deliver it for free. So, I'm wondering, what are they going to build it in? A shoebox or something? Your recommendations are a total disaster; it's like you aren't even reading the posts or using any common sense.

Look, when I mentioned free assembly and delivery, I just meant for informational purposes—I certainly wasn't implying they'd be building the PC right there on his doorstep. And as for my suggestions being "bad," if you think you have a better way to go about it, feel free to provide an example. I offered three different builds from three separate retailers, and honestly, they're all perfectly balanced configurations.

Robert Ortiz58 said:What kind of confusion is he going to cause there? 😁

Just put it on the table. Airflow is perfect if you just open a window, short the power pins with a screwdriver, and everything works fine.

Forget the case.🙂

Trying to overclock an Intel Core i7 is just a fool's errand, but hey, if you want to go down that rabbit hole, be my guest!!! With those kinds of graphics cards, you might actually get some decent gaming performance, though you'll certainly see a spike in your utility bill. On the bright side, you could probably ditch the space heater in your room during the winter since the rig will act as a furnace—just take off the side panel of the Cooler Master Case.

Thinking about it more, it isn't a bad trade-off. You pay more for electricity, sure, but you save on heating costs.

Trying to overclock an Intel Core i7 is just pointless, but hey, go ahead if you must!!! Using those kinds of graphics cards for gaming... honestly, they'll just end up with a massive electricity bill from the utility company. On the bright side, maybe he can take the radiator out of the room during the winter since the PC will act as a space heater—just pop the side panel off the Cooler Master Case.

When I really think about it, it’s not a bad deal. You pay more for power, sure, but you save on gas or firewood.

mellowtiger83, man, it's been ages since we saw you! 😁
etheralknight/GTXgeforce/Dennis Carter3 are back in the mix too—cheers to that. Third time's a charm.

By the way, mellowtiger83, you're spreading nonsense again:

1. Thank goodness an aftermarket cooler is always used on an Intel Core i7.
2. Just look at the temperatures for Haswell on stock coolers, like this i7 click
3. And finally, regarding that "massive electric bill" argument click

Those are all just urban myths and legends; real-world practice tells a completely different story.

Oh sure, everyone should just go out and grab an i7 or an i5 and call it a day. Who cares about Intel and their "best buy" eight-core processor for $333 😛
...

Quote : Timothy Kim60

Timothy Kim60 said:mellowtiger83, man, it feels like it's been ages since we last saw you around here. 😁
And etheralknight/GTXgeforce/Dennis Carter3 will be back too—cheers to that. Third time's a charm.

By the way, mellowtiger83, you're talking nonsense again:

Thank God we don't have to rely on the stock coolers that come with the Intel Core i7. An aftermarket cooler is always the way to go.
Take a look at those Haswell temperatures on stock, for instance, the i7. click
3. And finally, regarding...Looking at that massive electricity bill from the EPA." click

Those are all just urban myths and legends; reality is something else entirely.

Based on his math, once we factor in our own pricing, we’re looking at a ten-year difference. $433 More on VT and NT. $283 Let's go with an Intel build this time—something a bit more unique to shake things up. $333 It might take fifteen years to see any actual return on that investment... Honestly, the i7 4770k is definitely overpriced. But when you weigh it against something like an i5 4670K—especially considering you'd have to shell out for an aftermarket cooler just to keep an Intel Core i7 running smoothly—it’s not as if things are all falling in favor of Intel. Of course, the average user isn't going to see much of a saving on paper. For most people, the upfront cost is what really matters. We can figure out the electricity bills later, but if you're running a business—say, a local gaming lounge with ten workstations—then those initial costs become a much bigger conversation.

It appears my sarcasm has been universally embraced by the general public🙂

David Sanders4 said:Based on his math, once you factor in our local prices, the difference over ten years means $433 both the VT and NT $283 favor Intel when looking at the total cost of ownership. It’s basically like saying $333 it would take about 15 years just to break even on the investment. While the i7 4770k is definitely pricey, if you compare it to something like an i5 4670K—especially considering an Intel Core i7 requires an aftermarket cooler while an i7-4770 needs extra hardware—the advantage isn't all on Intel's side. Of course, a casual user won't see any real savings on paper; for them, the upfront cost is what matters most. They'll worry about the electric bill later, but if you're running a business, like a gaming lounge with 10 rigs, then it becomes a different story entirely.

i5 3570K vs i7-4770 (power consumption - USA)

Forget those long-term projections. You should just take his formula from that first link by Jay, plug in the current EPA rates, and call it a day (calculating 4 hours of full load every single day). Honestly, we're talking about pocket change on an annual basis, and let's be real: hardly anyone pushes their CPU that hard every single day.

Timothy Kim60 said:i5 3570K vs FX 8350 (power consumption - USA)

Forget those age-based charts; you just need to take his formula from that first link by Jaya, plug in the current rates from Exelon, and call it a day (assuming a 4-hour full load every single day of the year). Honestly, we’re talking about the price of a candy bar on an annual basis—besides, hardly anyone actually pushes their CPU that hard

That’s exactly how I calculated it, using Exelon's rates along with VT and NT. But there’s another factor to consider: when you're gaming and the GPU is pulling a full load, the CPU isn't even hitting half that much; it really depends on the card. So, the daily difference is roughly 20-25 cents, which works out to about $2.50 per month or roughly $30 annually. In short... if you go with AMD, you'll just have one less coffee to buy each month.🤣