looking at a new computer

[rpm]

All the ones I spec out with a Z77, 3770K, 7770 and 16G of ram (gotta have it for 64 bit from what I read) are $1200 +/-. That's $2-300 outa my price range.
Looks like I can step down to the i5 or wait it out and hope my pc lasts until a sale comes along. I'm having a hard time justifying spending a grand. All I use my pc for is AH,watch Hulu and do my bookwork. If it will run AH smooth, the rest shouldn't be a problem. That shouldn't cost anywhere near $1000.

[dhaus]

You need 16gig of ram for what 64 bit?  If you want to take advantage of 16 gig of RAM, you need Win 64; but you don't need that much ram to run Win 64. I'm doing fine with 8 gigs of ram on Win7 64 bit.  I'm not an expert, so maybe you're talking about something else?  Secondly, the i5 3570K cpu will run AH very nicely (at least it does on mine so far).  Most places were saying that the i7 for gaming was overkill (as was the 16 gig of ram).  If one can afford it, I'm sure the i7 and more ram is better, but not necessary.  But I was trying to keep my build at $900.  Also, someone here HIGHLY recommended looking up a MicroCenter.  MicroCenter's in store prices on the i5 3570K in combo with the Asrock Extreme4 (Z77) beat newegg's price for both by $90.  I also found my case there for $15 cheaper than Newegg.  I had to go in the store to get those prices.  But that is if you can build your own.  Finally, nothing magical about modular power supplies.  It is a big help in cable management - keeping your case as clean as possible of extra wires to promote air flow - but that can be done with a non-modular psu in a decent case.  I was able to use my existing monitor and keyboard so my final price was just at $900 with Win7 (64 bit).  As far as the ready built, not sure you'll get much cheaper than the $1200 even with the i5 and 8 gig of ram.  You can run AH on a computer that is way less than $1000, or so I understand.  Give folks here a budget and they can give you specs that will run the game for close to that budget, or tell you no way.  You might have to give up the hi-res pack and nice eye candy, but the game plays.  I never could run that stuff until this build.

[rpm]

I hear ya dhaus. I was just trying to spec one like Bizman originally quoted. If the i5 will run Win8 64 bit at 8G then that's good news. Also seeing lower prices for nVidia cards with 2G onboard. The builder page was saying it had to have 16G for 64 bit. I understand this should smoke AH, just thought the RAM was necessary for the OS.

I specced this one out at $880.

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Gamer_Paladin_D827
3750K, 8G DDR3, GeForce GT 630 - 2GB, Z77, liquid cooled, 1TB, onboard sound.

and this one at $890.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gamer_Xtreme_2000
i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB, Z77, 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz,  Radeon HD 7770, 800W ps, 2TB HDD, onboard audio, liquid cooled.

Either of these should handle whatever HTC has to throw at it for a few years, right? Think I'm going to go with the Cyberpower.

[dhaus]

I  would suggest you take each component you have a name for in those builds,  look it up on newegg and read the reviews. The generic video cards (nvidia/radeon) you can find comparisons of on the net.  You might want to consider a specific power supply you can look up rather than a generic "major brand name."  A 750w power supply by Seasonic may be better than an 800w made by someone else.  And Seasonic just may have made some of those supplies stamped Corsair or something else.  Again, you can find that out on the net.  Can't speak about water cooling.  After you have your info on the components you can adjust as necessary. Oh, did I mention the wifeack actually accused me of obsessing over my build?!!!  The nerve!  

[guncrasher]

I hear ya dhaus. I was just trying to spec one like Bizman originally quoted. If the i5 will run Win8 64 bit at 8G then that's good news. Also seeing lower prices for nVidia cards with 2G onboard. The builder page was saying it had to have 16G for 64 bit. I understand this should smoke AH, just thought the RAM was necessary for the OS.

I specced this one out at $880.

http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Gamer_Paladin_D827
3750K, 8G DDR3, GeForce GT 630 - 2GB, Z77, liquid cooled, 1TB, onboard sound.

and this one at $890.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Gamer_Xtreme_2000
i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB, Z77, 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz,  Radeon HD 7770, 800W ps, 2TB HDD, onboard audio, liquid cooled.

Either of these should handle whatever HTC has to throw at it for a few years, right? Think I'm going to go with the Cyberpower.

both need an upgraded power supply and the video card is on the low end, I believe.  but it is a good start.  just make sure you switch your os to win7 or be ready for a big surprise trying to work with win8 as it is annoying as heck.


midway

[Bizman]

Rpm, don't take my advice as God-given. What I suggested was a long time investment which I knew would go well over $1000. If you're like me, you can achieve the same result by getting a good base to start with and upgrade when you can get the high end components cheaply as second hand.

The main problem with your candidates is the video card, just as Guncrasher/middy/semp said. Again, look at wikipedia articles, e.g. this one about GeForce 600 series.. What you want is something in the highest quarter. There's similar tables for each GeForce generation as well as for AMD Radeons. For both, the first number tells the generation, although if you have a long time perspective the numbering isn't logical. Again, Google and Wikipedia are your friends. There's a bunch of articles of both GeForce and Radeon and in-depth reviews for each generation. The Radeon HD 7770 being mid class is more tempting than the GeForce GT630 which is in the lower third of its class.

The 3570 will probably be able to feed any current video card with sufficient speed for now, concerning AH. If you definitely aren't into overclocking, you can save a two digit sum by dropping the "k" off.

Another saving point is the water cooling. A good case should have sufficient air flow to keep the processor temperature well within limits even with the standard cooler. Plus there's no fear for leaks with a fan and a heat sink...

Don't save on the power supply. About 700W is enough, but I recommend a good quality one. Seasonic seems to have the best reputation these days. You're free to choose another brand, too. Japanese capacitors, 80+ Gold certification, extended warranty time etc. are good signs for longevity.

[Gman]

Good advice again from Biz.  Get a Seasonic or Cosair PSU, you can get one for 100$ for what you need.  Regarding the case if you choose to build, I recommend finding a deal on a Corsair case.  I've used many types in the last 2 years, and they've always been among the better, if not best.  I found a C70 case, on of their new ones, for 75$ on sale, regular 140$.  I actually prefer it over my d650 and d800 cases, one of which is 300$.  It has the best cooling and circulation I've found in a sub 100 dollar case, and cleanable removable air filtersx3 in it.  It's solid as a tank, with rubber carry handles on the top in order to move it around easily, something most cases do NOT have.  I can help you find it cheaply if you want as well, PM me any time.

The advice on the 3570k or not k is pretty decent, however I recommend overclocking the K, it'll really give you the best value with almost no risk with a decent air cooler.  I recommend air too btw, I know so many guys that say go with the corsair 60 or 100 water coolers, but I still do not trust them, and most builders don't give you a  system warranty if you put one in, so draw your own conclusions from that.  (I'm talking memexpress, ncix, etc up here in Canada, I'm not sure about US builders on this score).  I'm using a Noctua D14 for the socket 2011x79 platform with an overclocked 3930 chip that's at 4.6, and never once had it lock or fail me.  It even runs at the same temp as what the factory non custom water guys are getting (ie the corsair or whoever brand sealed h2o units).  That all said, a 3570 without the k will run most of the cards up to their potential in your price range, you'll just lose maybe 10-20 percent on the frames per second on some games, it'll vary greatly, some you may not see any difference at all.  Either way, have fun.  I would take that advice about that system you suggested RPM, that video card just won't cut it for long imo.  I had a 7770 in my old i7 920 box, and it couldn't run AH2 at anything near max, but it would get by ok with some stuff turned off.  It also "got by" with every game out there, but getting by won't cut it for long.  Any 600gt class card is a very cheap card, if you pick any of those systems at least get the 7770, but for your money you can do SO much better.

[dhaus]

I'd like to repeat the advice to go with Win7 over Win8.  I'm using 7 on mine and the Hausfrau has 8 on her laptop.   I can't stand 8.  It really is designed for touchscreens.  You should also look for scuzzy's comments on win8.  Other than the touchscreen feature, I just don't see what advantage 8 has over 7 other than selling blood pressure pills.

[rpm]

I ordered the Cyberpower, but it will have Win8 Pro. I already ordered it before your pleas of Win 7. I expected to have Windoze problems. There's always Windoze problems, yet everything is tailored towards the new platform eventually or we'd all still be running Win98.

i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB, Z77, 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz,  Radeon HD 7770, 800W ps, 2TB HDD, onboard audio, liquid cooled.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[titanic3]

Good luck with Cyberpower...that's all I have to say...

Anyways, just curious, how much for that PC? Because if it's anything around $900, you could've built a better rig for the same amount of money.

[dhaus]

Good luck with the new computer!! 

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I ordered the Cyberpower, but it will have Win8 Pro. I already ordered it before your pleas of Win 7. I expected to have Windoze problems. There's always Windoze problems, yet everything is tailored towards the new platform eventually or we'd all still be running Win98.

i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB, Z77, 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz,  Radeon HD 7770, 800W ps, 2TB HDD, onboard audio, liquid cooled.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Ignore the alarmists. Just install 'startisback' or similar add-on to Win8 and you'll barely notice it's not Win7. In fact it's better than Win7 with faster file copies, more informative task/resource manager etc. Even without startisback right clicking in the left low corner will give you a menu of often required functions which is very well thought:

Programs and Features
Power Options
Event Viewer
System
Device Manager
Disk Management
Computer Management
Command Prompt
Task Manager
Control Panel
File Explorer
Search
Run

i.e. pretty much all the common functions you're going to need when administering the computer.

[rpm]

Good luck with Cyberpower...that's all I have to say...

Anyways, just curious, how much for that PC? Because if it's anything around $900, you could've built a better rig for the same amount of money.

$890 But as I said, I did not want to build it myself. Nor do I have a local guy that can build one. This works just dandy for my needs, it's got a warranty and if there's a problem UPS knows where I'm at.

[Krusty]

Ignore the alarmists.

You ignore everyone that uses windows far more than you and has a differing opionion, then you dismiss them as being alarmist.

There's a difference.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

You ignore everyone that uses windows far more than you and has a differing opionion, then you dismiss them as being alarmist.

There's a difference.

Your hate is blinding you. Get over it, seriously.