Building a $1000ish gaming rig with a Thunderbolt monitor

[radsmith2]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I have a 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display, and I'd love to play some games on it. In particular, I'd like to play BioShock Infinity, Guild Wars 2, DotA 2, and Skyrim. I will ONLY be using this PC for gaming. I do everything else on my MacBook Air.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
The most I'm willing to spend is about $1,200 with tax and shipping.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Lake Worth, FL, USA.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word
"Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, RAM, case, motherboard, SSD, PSU, GPU, heatsink/fan for OC.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be buying everything new.

6) Will you be overclocking?
I've done it before and I don't mind doing it again, but only if it makes a significant difference in performance and remains stable. I don't feel a need to push the limit of the hardware.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
It's a 27" with 2560x1440 resolution.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I get the parts figured out.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
The only strict requirement is that there's a Thunderbolt port so I can use Virtu MVP with it. Also onboard audio. I am only going to be using this PC for gaming so everything else is optional.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have a 64bit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition.

---

Since there are only a few motherboards on the market that support Thunderbolt, it looks like this is a good option to start with:

$150 - MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt

However, I'm a little bit lost on where to go next. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[IllegalEagle]

I've heard that Thunderbolt + PC for monitors just doesn't work. Anyone confirm that?

 

[atom]

I have never even heard of Thunderbolt. A quick Google reveals that its pretty much pointless for a PC and is intended as a convenience for laptops. That monitor also has a 12ms response rate, which is horrible. The type of motion provided by games like Bioshock: Infinite are going to make the screen a blurry mess. It would probably be ok for Dota but thats it for your list. Furthermore, you need your video card to support thunderbolt, not the motherboard.

 

[radsmith2]

There's software called Virtu MVP that allows you to use the motherboard's integrated graphics and a dedicated graphics card at the same time, routing the video out through the Thunderbolt port:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5829/a-first-look-at-thunderbolt-on-windows-with-msis-z77agd80/2

If you Google around some more, there are reports from people using the same setup. It's not perfect, but it works:

http://jsndev.net/199/custom-gaming-pc-build-with-apple-thunderbolt-display-and-discrete-gpu/

To say that a 12ms response time means it's no good for gaming is a huge exaggeration. I used to play a lot of competitive TF2 on an aluminum 20" Cinema Display, which has a 16ms response time. This is the first time I've even bothered to look up the response time on that monitor.

Worse cast scenario I'll waste a little money on the motherboard and I'll have to hook it up to my TV until I can buy a gaming monitor. However, I'd like to try out my current monitor first.

 

[radsmith2]

It seems like the best GPU for the money at this price range is the R9 280X / HD 7970. Here's one I found that seems to be pretty good:

$300 - SAPPHIRE 100363L Radeon R9 280X 3GB 384-bit GDDR5

I realized that the Z77 chipset is last year's, and we're now on Z87. Unfortunately the Z87 motherboard with Thunderbolt is a little more expensive:

$230 - ASUS Z87-EXPERT

If I'm going to overclock, it seems like the 4670K is the best value for the money:

$220 - Intel Core i5-4670K

This puts me at $750. I don't have my heart set on overclocking -- are there significant gains to be had here, and is it worth the potentially extra money for a different processor and quality heatsink, as well as time spent?

 

[Dangman]

It seems like the best GPU for the money at this price range is the R9 280X / HD 7970. Here's one I found that seems to be pretty good:

$300 - SAPPHIRE 100363L Radeon R9 280X 3GB 384-bit GDDR5

I'd only go with Sapphire if your budget is extremely tight. Otherwise, you're better off from a customer support and warranty standpoint with Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI.

I realized that the Z77 chipset is last year's, and we're now on Z87. Unfortunately the Z87 motherboard with Thunderbolt is a little more expensive:

$230 - ASUS Z87-EXPERT

There were many Z77 motherboards with Thunderbolt earlier this year. However, thunderbolt equipped motherboards tended to cost the same price as higher quality motherboards. In some cases, they costed significantly more than a higher quality motherboard. So that pretty much sealed their fate and a factor in why barely any Z87 motherboard have Thunderbolt.

In this case, there are indeed far better quality motherboards for the same or lower price as that $230 Asus Z87-Expert. So is your desire for Thunderbolt that great that you're willing to pay the same price for a leser quality motherboard but with Thunderbolt over a significantly better or equal quality motherboard but without Thunderbolt?

We really can't proceed far until we can figure out what motherboard and platform you want to go with. With that said, take a look at these cases for now and see which ones you like:
$90 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK White Full Tower ATX Case
$100 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$110 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$125 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-W ATX case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$150 - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D ATX Case
$170 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$170 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower ATX Case
$170 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Full Tower ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B-USB3.0 ATX Case
$250 - Silverstone FT02S-W-USB3.0 ATX Case
$245 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW ATX Case

I don't have my heart set on overclocking -- are there significant gains to be had here, and is it worth the potentially extra money for a different processor and quality heatsink, as well as time spent?

If you have the budget for an overclock capable setup without compromising on other parts, then yes, go for overclocking capable parts. With that said, if you do end up going with that Aus Z87-Expert, you basically have to overclock. Otherwise, the cost for that motherboard is completely unjustified even with the Thunderbolt requirement.

 

[radsmith2]

In this case, there are indeed far better quality motherboards for the same or lower price as that $230 Asus Z87-Expert. So is your desire for Thunderbolt that great that you're willing to pay the same price for a leser quality motherboard but with Thunderbolt over a significantly better or equal quality motherboard but without Thunderbolt?

Unfortunately the only way I can use my current monitor is using Virtu MVP with a motherboard that has Thunderbolt support. I'm considering just using this PC with my TV instead. How much would it cost to instead use a motherboard without Thunderbolt? It seems like around $80 for no overclocking or $150 for a good overclocker?

 

[Quartz-1]

All the info you need is here. This guy has already done it and lists the components and techniques he uses.

 

[Dangman]

Unfortunately the only way I can use my current monitor is using Virtu MVP with a motherboard that has Thunderbolt support. I'm considering just using this PC with my TV instead. How much would it cost to instead use a motherboard without Thunderbolt? It seems like around $80 for no overclocking or $150 for a good overclocker?

Yup, those are right ballpark prices. What's the resolution on your TV?

All the info you need is here. This guy has already done it and lists the components and techniques he uses.

Problem is that the motherboard that person is using isn't widely available anymore or at a reasonable price.

 

[atom]

Ok, you sold me on your plan.

Motherboard- $150: MSI Z77A-G45

CPU - $220: Intel Core i5 4570k

Ram - $67: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR3 1600

GPU - $309: ASUS Radeon R9 280X 3GB

SSD - $160: SanDisk 256gb

PSU - $65 Rosewill Hive 650W

HS - $35: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

NewEgg total: $626 + Amazon Total: $377 = $1,003 Leaving money for your case and shipping costs. I picked everything for quality and price. The only thing I don't know about is the ram as I have never used Crucial. The SanDisk SSD isn't a fancy brand but I have the 128gb version and I have no complaints.

 

[doubletake]

Since you're going with a z77 motherboard, you'll have to get an i5 3570k, not a 4570k, as z77 is Ivy Bridge (core 3000) and core 4000 processors are Haswell. They use a different socket (1155 vs 1150).

 

[atom]

^ Thanks for the info. I am more of an AMD guy and didn't realize the difference.

 

[ekiro]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I have a 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display, and I'd love to play some games on it. In particular, I'd like to play BioShock Infinity, Guild Wars 2, DotA 2, and Skyrim. I will ONLY be using this PC for gaming. I do everything else on my MacBook Air.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
The most I'm willing to spend is about $1,200 with tax and shipping.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Lake Worth, FL, USA.

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word
"Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU, RAM, case, motherboard, SSD, PSU, GPU, heatsink/fan for OC.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be buying everything new.

6) Will you be overclocking?
I've done it before and I don't mind doing it again, but only if it makes a significant difference in performance and remains stable. I don't feel a need to push the limit of the hardware.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
It's a 27" with 2560x1440 resolution.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
As soon as I get the parts figured out.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
The only strict requirement is that there's a Thunderbolt port so I can use Virtu MVP with it. Also onboard audio. I am only going to be using this PC for gaming so everything else is optional.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have a 64bit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition




---

Since there are only a few motherboards on the market that support Thunderbolt, it looks like this is a good option to start with:

$150 - MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt

However, I'm a little bit lost on where to go next. Anyone have suggestions?

Dude the monitor is 100% of your budget.

 

[Dangman]

Wait, is atom and radsmith the same person?