Apr 18, 2010

Build the Ultimate Gaming Computer for Under $800

In the last article, we discussed how to build a gaming computer for under $500. That setup featured a Radeon HD 4850 GPU and a Phenom II X2 555be. Upon testing that system, I was able to run Crysis Warhead on a mix of Enthusiast and Gamer settings at about 20-25 Frames per second. In other words, almost any game would run very smoothly at max settings without anti-aliasing cranked up too high. This time, we're looking to get a little more juice out of the system. For a little more of a premium, you can basically build a future proof computer that can be easily upgraded over time. The budget has increased to $800, and as you would expect will be put to all the best bang for the buck components out there.
*Be aware that prices of products in links will fluctuate, but the price listed can easily be found at other online retailers.
Antec is known to provide good looking cases that offer supreme cooling options. Because this system is more powerful, it will also create more heat. Therefore, a good case can't be overlooked.
The power supply is another one of those components that many people overlook. If you don't have a sufficient power supply, it will fail, along with many of your components. We wouldn't want to waste $800 now, would we? Not to mention, this specific PSU is 80 Plus certified and has more than enough power to support any future upgrades.
The Phenom II X4 Black Edition is currently AMD's most powerful processor, and in terms of gaming performance, is equivalent to a mix up of the Core i7 processors. Yes, it may seem crazy that you can get $300 worth of performance for $179.99, but that's what AMD brings to the table. Great values for custom builders.
This card offers unbelievable performance for a very low price. The Radeon 5770 supports DirectX 11, and offers some seri This version of the 5770 packs even more punch, with slight upgrades from XFX. It should be powerful enough to run the latest games for a few years. Even better, put this beast in CrossFire with an upgrade in the future, and max out any game thrown at your system. Not to mention, low power consumption. If you're lucky, you can find this card for less than the listed price.
This board supports all of the components listed in this article, plus two PCI-e 2.0 x16 slots for future CrossFire or SLI configurations. Remember that CrossFire can only be run with two identical graphics cards.
You may be able to find memory for less online, but for purpose of reliability, a well established brand would be better in order to avoid problems. 4GB should be plenty enough for a while, and the prices on memory are going to drop massively once DDR3 becomes more powerful. By the time you need to upgrade to more memory, it should be almost half the price.
Nothing special here, just a simple DVD reader and burner with solid performance for a low price. Blu-ray is still rare in computers, and isn't of use in gaming, so that money is best used elsewhere.
I'm honestly not even sure if this much storage is needed, but for $5 less, you drop down to about 640GB, so we'll take it. You should be able to store your life on this drive. Really. I'm talking hundred of games.
Conclusion
This is the part where you realize you have a great system on your hands. It's powerful, power efficient thanks to AMD's cool running components, and fully upgradeable in the future. You've probably saved about $400-500 by purchasing these parts yourself. By no means the most powerful build available, but only people who wipe it with $50's are going to buy a $4,000 PC anyway. You and I, on the other hand will be enjoying our gaming experience for years to come.
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