Recommended Highend Gaming Rig

So Saman wanted to know what I would call a highend gaming rig, so here goes.

Component	Suggested part	Price (US$)
CPU	Intel Core i7 3770K	339.99
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Silver Arrow	84.09
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5 TH	249.99
RAM	Samsung MV-3V4G3D 2x4GB kit (x2)	89.98
Video Card	Gigabyte GTX670 2GB Windforce3	399.99
Sound Card	Asus Xonar Phoebus	199.99
Hard Drives	Samsung 830 series 256GB	229.99
	Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB (data)	179.99
	Western Digital Caviar Red 3TB (backup)	219.00
Case	Coolermaster Storm Trooper	139.99
Power Supply	Corsair AX750	169.99
Total		2302.99
Peripherals
Display	Samsung 27” S27A950D	609.99
Mouse	Logitech G500	57.99
Mouse Pad	Razer Sphex	14.99
Keyboard	Logitech G510	64.99
Headset	Corsair Vengeance 2000 (wireless)	119.99
Speakers	Corsair SP2500	199.99
Webcam	Logitech C910	87.99
Total		1155.93

Ok, I do agree that is a looooot of money. Where can we improve on?

From the above list, I would keep the following components.

• CPU (pretty much the highest-end gaming CPU)
• CPU Cooler (pretty much the highest-end air cooler)
• RAM (yes they are CL11, but you can overclock and overvolt the heck out of them)
• Video Card (pretty much the best graphics card with best bang for buck in the higher end)
• Case (pretty much the best, feature rich case for the price)

Mid-range gaming rig 2012-June(estimated price: $1000)

In the previous post, I discussed about a decent gaming PC but when we calculated the price, it was a bit on the expensive side. So I thought of recommending some alternatives to the cut cost. This is what I come up with.

List of alternatives

CPU: Intel Core i5 3450 ($199.99: $30 saving)

Since all the none-K models have a locked multiplier, which maxes out at 37 with the Core i5 3450, you won’t be able to break the 4GHz mark. But with some luck and testing, you might be able to reach 4GHz if your CPU can handle a decent BCLK overclock. You need 108MHz BLCK for 4GHz, which is not impossible, but improbable. But you should be able to get to 106MHz-ish BLCK, because IvyBridge isn’t as restrictive as Sandybridge was. All in all, you will be able to get close to 4GHz with this chip, which is only 10-15% slower than the 3570K @4.4GHz.

CPU Cooler: Stock Intel cooler ($0: $34.99 saving)

You can try the stock cooler for now, but if it is getting too hot, go with the original Hyper 212 Evo cooler because it is pretty much there at the top when it comes to delivering the most bang for the buck.