Now You Can Have a $1250 Gaming Computer Ready for Today’s Games and Ready to Upgrade for Future Games
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Cooler Master HAF 932
Ready For Today’s Games?
Equipped with:
- Intel’s latest Core i5 processor
- The world’s fastest single-GPU video card
- 1TB (1000 GB) of storage
This PC is ready for today’s most-demanding games.
Ready For Future Games?
With a:
- Full-size tower (pictured to your right)
- A powerful 750W power supply (80 PLUS Certified, so it’s efficient meaning that you pay less on your electric bill and that it’s more silent)
It is ready to receive a second Radeon 5870 for a mind-blowing Crossfire setup in the future if you need it. Or today, if you just want the best now.
Definitely Ready For Overclocking For Even More Performance!
Did I mention that the case comes with not one, not two but three massive 230mm case fans (along with a 140mm fan as well) to keep this system cool and ready for overclocking?
While I recommend the stock CPU cooler to keep costs down and because it’s good enough for most, if you’re into overclocking, you can get an after-market and overclock the processor to your heart’s desires.
Sounds good? Keep reading to see the configuration that I recommend for this mind-blowing $1250 Gaming Computer. You can scroll down a bit if you want to get straight to my recommendations.
What if I never built a PC before?
Make the jump. Do not be afraid. Seriously, building a computer has never been more simple. While the whole process may look overwhelming, if you look at it one part at a time, you’ll realize how simple it really is.
There are countless resources on how to build a computer, which you can find by doing some research on Google.
Here are two guides on how to build a computer that I recommend:
This one, from DriverHeaven.net: http://bit.ly/4bhlwb
This one, from maximumpc.com: http://bit.ly/1TgR7X
If you take your time, are careful and follow guides/videos:
You’ll end up with a fully functional computer, at a lower cost than a comparable Dell PC, with the best parts that your money can buy, instead of “ok” parts chosen by Dell. The best part? You’ll be proud of a job well done 
What if I get stuck or need help?
Simply drop a comment at the end of this post and either a helpful member of this community or myself will answer you. You can also Contact me directly for some assistance. While I’m pretty busy, I’ll try my best to answer you quickly.
What if I’m outdated on what are the current best parts or simply don’t know which parts to pick?
If you don’t have the knowledge or time to choose your parts, simply stick to my recommendations below (In Bold) and you’ll be more than happy. That’s my promise.
Who are you to tell me which parts to choose?!
My name is Mathieu Bourgie, a computer expert with nearly a decade of experience in building the best computers for a given price. If you are so inclined, you can read opinions and comments about me and Hardware Revolution, left by my readers on the Testimonials page.
My goal?
Help you figure out what are the best parts for a particular type of computer at a given price, so that you get the best value, or as I like to put it: Get the Best Bang for your Buck
What if I don’t agree with your choices?
That is the great part of building your own computer(s), you can customize it to your taste, instead of getting what the manufacturer wants you to get with a pre-built computer. If you have the knowledge and/or the time to learn, you’re free to use my recommendations as a base and then to customize any build just how you want it.
$1250 Gaming Computer:
Hardware Parts Recommendations, Short Version:
In Bold, you’ll find my recommendations, which offers the best performance possible for a price that fits the overall budget. All parts have been verified by myself, so they are all compatible with each other and only parts proven to be reliable have been hand-picked by me.
What if I want more performance than this build has to offer?
No problem; Included in Italic are the best possible upgrades. They are still priced reasonably in regard to the budget and are all compatible with the rest of the system. (You’ll find the price difference over my recommendation in parentheses).
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are other upgrades, but I focused on telling you which ones offered the most value for your money
In simple terms, if you want a more powerful CPU or video card, simply pick it from the list of recommended upgrades that are in Italic.
If upgrades just don’t cut it, check out the other custom Gaming PCs builds that I offer.
Is this the right type of PC for me?
If you’re looking for a PC to play video games, you’re at the right place. If this is not what you’re looking for, check out our other Computer Systems instead.
$1250 Gaming Computer:
Hardware Parts Recommendations, Detailed Version:
Motherboard: ASUS P7P55D EVO Intel P55
A nice, solid motherboard, that is a full sized ATX motherboard based on Intel P55 chipset. Features eight USB ports, two PS/2, FireWire , dual LAN, 8 channels HD audio and 1 x Optical, 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF outputs and E-SATA.
Three PCI-Express 16X slots (The two first running at 8X 2.0 and the last one at 4X 1.0), two PCI-Express 1X and 2 PCI slots, six SATA ports and the usual IDE port, etc. Note that there is no floppy connector, if you still use one of those.
LGA 1156 socket, DDR3 RAM and Crossfire Ready, so it will last and be ready to upgrade in the future if you want.
Recommended upgrades:
- ASUS Maximus III Formula Intel P55 $250 (+ $61) If overclocking is your thing, the Maximum III is the motherboard that you should consider. Not to mention that comes with a dedicated audio card, the SupremeFX X-Fi.
CPU: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 95W
When we get to this level of performance, Intel clearly leads the way with its Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Unfortunately, the Core i7 processors and motherboards are very expensive, even for a $1250 budget, so my recommendation is to go with the i5-750 Lynnfield.
What about AMD? Well, let me put it this way: In three out of four gaming benchmarks, the 2.66GHz Core i5-750 comes ahead of AMD’s fastest processor, the Phenom II X4 3.4GHz, while using 35W less. Yes, despite a 0.76GHz disadvantage!
For more details on the Core i5 architecture and performance, I recommend to you this article from AnandTech:
Intel’s Core i7 870 & i5 750, Lynnfield: Harder, Better, Faster Stronger
Recommended upgrades:
- Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 95W $290 (+$90). While the i7-860 is only .14GHz faster than the Core i5-750, the biggest improvement is that it features Hyper-Threading, effectively letting use up to 8 threads at once. Highly recommended if you intend to do a lot of Video/3D conversion/work.
Video Card: XFX RADEON HD 5870 1 GB
The best video card on the market right now: The Radeon HD 5870. For more details on it, see this article from AnandTech.
Unfortunately, the Radeon 5870 has some availability problems due to the huge demand for it, so here are a few links where you can/might find in stock.
My recommendation? Get it from Amazon, where you can place your order even it is out of stock and they will deliver it to you once it’s available. They won’t charge you until they ship it to you and that way, you won’t have to check the page all time in the hope of getting one, not to mention that you’ll be in line to get one already
Amazon:
- Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 1 GB
- Diamond Radeon HD 5870 1GB
- XFX RADEON HD 5870 1 GB
- Visiontek Radeon HD 5870 1 GB
NewEgg:
- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5870 1GB
- HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB
- POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 5870 1GB
- DIAMOND Radeon HD 5870 1GB
Upgrade:
Simple enough. Get two Radeon 5870 and Crossfire them for a out of this world performance. Only recommend if you intend on playing on multiple monitors or have a 30″ monitor.
My recommendation?
One Radeon 5870 should be enough for the vast majority of you right now, but in a year or two, you can easily add another Radeon 5870, which should be less expensive by then, to upgrade the performance. The rest of the system is ready for the second video card.
RAM: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600
4GB of RAM is pretty much mandatory to handle the latest video games along with Windows and background background such as your anti-virus, web broswer, music/video player, etc.
DDR2 vs DDR3 debate
Now that DDR3 prices are on-par with DDR2, the debate is pretty much over. DDR3 consumes less power, runs cooler and offers some performance advantages in some situations. Besides, Intel and AMD future platforms will use exclusively DDR3, so it no longer makes sense to buy DDR2 RAM for a new system.
Considering the ever-expending memory usage of games and programs, 4GB of high-speed DDR3 memory is a no-brainer as a minimum/recommended requirement.
Recommended upgrade:
- If you plan to do a lot of photo/video editing and/or simply want to be future-proof, 8GB of RAM could be a good idea. Simply get two kits of A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 for a total of 8GB (4 x 2GB). Cost of $160 (+$80).
Hard Drive: Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black SATA II 3.0Gb/s
A SATA II hard drive, that offers 1TB (1000 GB) of storage, plenty enough to handle your video/music collection and all your games. This is the Black series from Western Digital, their best and fastest hard drives with more cache (32MB) and a 5 years warranty instead of 3.
Recommended upgrades:
- OCZ Agility 2.5″ 60GB SATA II MLC (SSD) If you want more performance, the Solid State Drive (SSD) is the way to go. While storage are still low and prices high, you can get 60GB to install the OS and your favorites games and programs for much faster loading and transfer rates.Team this with a regular hard drive for your main storage.Required for SSD:
ICY DOCK 2.5″ to 3.5″ SSD Converter: Note that this is required to install a SSD in a 3.5″ hard drive bay, as SSDs are 2.5″.
Optical Drive: Sony Optiarc Black 24X SATA DVD/CD Burner
Seeing as my previous recommendation is now getting poor feedback, it’s time for a new recommendation, of a higher quality. The Sony Optiarc is a 24X DVD/CD Burner, with a SATA interface.
This drive is able to read and burn CDs and DVDs. Silent, compatible with all major formats including DVD-RAM.
Also, seeing as DVD Burners often go out of stock, here are a few alternatives that you can use to replace the Sony one. All are SATA based and compatible.
- Sony Optiarc Black SATA CD/DVD Burner w/ LightScribe
- LITE-ON Black 24X SATA CD/DVD Burner
- HP Black 24X SATA CD/DVD Burner
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932
The Cooler Master HAF 932. This is a full-size case equipped with not one, two, but three massive 230mm fans. One in the front, one on top and one on the side and finally one 140mm case fan in the back, making this case perfect for cooling this powerful gaming PC.
With six 5.25″ expansion bays, five 3.5″ drive bays and the fact that this is a full-size case, you’ll have plenty of space to customize it, upgrade and install BIG 2 video cards if you wish to.
The front panel comes with four USB ports, one FireWire and one E-SATA, letting you plug whatever you need to.
Recommended alternatives/upgrades:
- Antec Twelve Hundred $160 (+$20) If you know or have seen the Antec 900, this is big brother. If you like the look the 900, but want more space and ventilation, this is the way to go.
Power Supply: Corsair 750-Watt SLI/Crossfire/80 Plus Certified
Corsair are known for making some of the best, most reliable power supplies on the market. In order to power this system, have overhead for overclocking and to be ready for a Crossfire upgrade in the future, I recommend this 750W model.
Able to deliver nothing short of 60A on the 12V lines, this power supply is ready for SLI/Crossfire setups, for heavy overclocking and is also certified 80% PLUS, making it an efficient power supply that wastes less power, helping you reduce your electric bill.
Recommended upgrade:
- Seasonic 750W Modular Crossfire/SLI/80 PLUS Silver Certified
A definite step-up from the Corsair, in two ways: 1- It’s modular, meaning that you only plug in the cables the you need, reducing the clutter of cables in your case. 2- It’s 80 PLUS Silver certified, meaning that it’s even more efficient and more silent.
- OCZ Gold 850W SLI/Crossfire/80 PLus GOLD Certified Certified 80 PLUS Gold, for 90%+ efficiency at 20%, 50% and full load, this is the best when it comes to efficiency and with 850W, you’ll have more than plenty enough power for pretty much anything!
Cooling: Included Intel Cooler for CPU
Cpu Cooler: I recommend the Intel cooler included with the CPU because it will the job for the majority of people and to keep costs down.
However, if you have any intention of overclocking, I cannot stress enough the importance of a good cooler. The ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler offers great value regarding performance for the price, being one the best heatsink at a great price, it’s really underrated. Best part is that at that price, they even include good thermal grease and a fan controller to adjust the speed so it stays silent as well.
Case fan: You already have three 230mm case fans and one 140mm included with the case. What else could you want?
Sound Card: Integrated 8 Channels Sound
Integrated with the motherboard, this sound card will handle many different sound setups, including headphones, a microphone and more. While integrated audio on a PC used to be absolutely horrible, it has gotten much better in the last few years, thus why I have no trouble recommending it.
However, if you prefer a dedicated sound card, get the motherboard upgrade recommended in this build, higher in this build, as it comes with a SupremeFX X-Fi audio card.
Cost: Free – Integrated
Network: 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN
Integrated with the motherboard, those dual network adapters will allow you to access your local network and Internet by using a Ethernet (RJ-45) cable.
Cost: Free – Integrated
Recommended operating systems:
The operating system cost, if there’s one, is not included in the total cost. The two reason for this are:
- The cost represents only hardware.
- You may re-use a previous license, go with an open-source OS such as Linux or use torrents.
Here are my recommendations if you need an operating system:
Windows 7
Despite Linux starting to support some games, Windows still is the platform of choice for the best performance at the moment. Considering that you’ll have 4GB of RAM and a 512MB Video Card, you’ll need a 64-bit version, as 32-bit is limited to 4GB of memory for the entire system, which is not enough now, nor in the future if you upgrade.
Windows 7 is by far better than Windows Vista, looks better, more functional, less annoying, consumes less resources and brings DirectX 11 to the table.
The retail version is now available for purchase, in three different versions:
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit $110. The basic edition, with all the looks, most of the functionality and DirectX 11.
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit $150. If you want the virtual XP mode, you’ll need at least the Professional edition. Also required if you want to backup to a network, using the built-in backup mode in Windows.
- Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit $190. To help protect data on your PC and portable storage devices against loss or theft with BitLocker and to work and switch between 35 languages.
Linux
A lot of people these days boots more than one OS. Linux is a wonderful choice: powerful, cool, and cheap. Take your pick of distributions and have fun! For Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and Mandrake, try Distrowatch.com, Cheapbytes.com, LinuxQuestions.org or one of the many others.
What about Word processing, Excel and other Windows-based programs that Iyou need? Linux being an open platform, there are many free alternatives that will answer your needs. For Word/Excel and such, try OpenOffice.
Cost: Free
Conclusion
Did you like this computer build? What you would do to improve the build or this article?
I’m always open to your suggestions and ideas to improve this blog, your blog.
If anything, I invite you to comment on this computer build, share your opinions, what you think about it, etc.
Building this system?
Contact me and let me know how it goes, send me your story, pictures and I’ll publish it on the blog, to share with and help bring confidence to others who are thinking of building a computer for the first time.
Did you enjoy this build? Support me and Hardware Revolution
For each article, I spend many hours of research and many hours of writing/editing and I generously offer it to you and everyone else for free. If you appreciate my work, you can help me cover my costs (Hosting, living, etc.) and support our community by making a donation.
How much should you donate?
I suggest $10 because if you think about it, a consultation for a custom computer like the one in this article, from an expert with a decade of experience like me would cost you $50, if not even more.
Have I mentioned all the time and money that I have saved you through this and all of the other articles available on Hardware Revolution?
Obviously, this is a suggestion. Donate what you can to support us. Thank you very much.
