Hey guys, need a little bit of help here as I have been out of the game for quite sometime now with computers.  My current build is currently 5 years old and is running a E8500 Intel Core Duo with 4GB of Ram and a Nvidia 9800 GTX+.  The reason I want to upgrade is that newer games can't keep up on this PC and also because I like to flightsim every now and then.  I'm looking at a 1500$ budget for my new computer and something that will last me for the next 4 to 5 years as this one did.  I have an old creative audigity sound card as well because I have a nice set of Logitech 5.1 speakers so would you suggest I get a new sound card or is onboard sound improved?  Also do you suggest going with cyberpowerpc?  Also I need some sort of wireless/bluetooth card.   It's been awhile and I'm not sure if I'll be able to build a computer in my spare time.  Thanks for your help guys.  

 

Robert

You must beware when using CyberPowerPC ... they do have a 1 year labor and 3 year parts warranty but in order for them to work on it you have to send it back to them with insurance (I just did that and it cost $118 to return my PC). 

 

CyberPowerPC starts their configurators with the most basic PSUs and motherboards ... you MUST upgrade those two components immediately.  If you take the time to read their forums it is rife with complaints about the substandard PSUs and the problems they can cause.

 

CyberPowerPC also gives you the opportunity (at no cost) for engraving ... DO NOT take advantage of that ... it voids the 30 day return policy.

 

Do not get a bunch of custom add ons (like professional wiring and additional packaging, etc.) they cannot be refunded if you return the PC for a refund.

 

Game coupons appear to cost you nothing ... but if you take advantage of the 30 day return policy each one you get will cost you $19.99 off the refund you'll get

 

All of these lessons where hard won.  While CyberPowerPC seems to be a great deal ... they actually are not as you can get components that are twice the quality at the same price from Newegg (see recommendations in my signature).  Here is the letter I wrote to them justifying my desire to return my PC before the 30-day warranty was up.

 

In my signature there are 4 recommended builds for MSFX (which adheres to this website's hardware and software guide for MSFX PC).  Those spreadsheets took me three days to perfect.  They are NOT supposed to be the cheapest machines you can get but to be the cheapest you can get with the highest quality parts available.  These are parts that I would be comfortable with if I built PCs for people and offered a 1 year warranty on said machine.

 

To use those Excel spreadsheets to your advantage, the link under Component directs you to the Newegg page where you can purchase the part.  The link under Mfgr. Part Number takes you to the page of the manufacturer so you can read the tech specifics of the part at your leisure.

 

If you are not comfortable with or do not have the time to build your own machine, order the parts from the specified vendors and take them to a local PC shop for assembly.  You will not be disappointed.

 

Your $1,500 budget fits nicely into the GAMER BASIC OC recommendation.  Although, my recommendation to you is to save about $500 more and look at the GAMER XLS OC.  That machine will undoubtedly last you for years and remain powerful enough to handle most of everything you will throw at it.  Notice that the chip on that rig is a i7 4670K ... it has a little smaller cache and no hyper threading but these drawbacks are not game changers as far as MSFX is concerned.

 

Hope this helps,

 

C. T.

 

PS:  Also note that I stayed with air cooling ... however, water cooling is also an alternative ... check out the Corsair Hydro Series H100i  ... (CW-9060009-WW) ... it is a good solution and does not take up half the room of the massive air cooler that I have in those cases.  Of particular note is the "Corsair Link" which allows you to monitor coolant temperature and adjust cooling performance directly from your desktop (very slick).

 

PSS:  The audio on the ASUS MAXIMUS VI family of motherboards is TOP notch.  Read the specifications on their website ... the RFI from the mobo is shielded from the audio components on the board by design.

 

PSSS:  Read through this entire post so you can see the history behind the spreadsheets.

If your interested Id be happy to talk you through a PC build Ive built 7 so far that way you can get more bang for your buck and you can have the bragging rights of saying you built it yourself. Pm me if you want help.

I think you should build your PC. I know you said you dont have much free time but it doesnt take long and ill be happy to find the right parts that you will need. 

 

P.S   With a  1500$ budget, you can build a beast of a machine if custom built.

I agree with them ... there are a ton of videos on Youtube now that teach you how to do the whole thing:

 

PC Build Series - Video 1 - Introduction

PC Build Series - Video 2 - Cooler Master HAF 922 Case Features

PC Build Series - Video 3 - Installing the Asus motherboard & Intel Core i7 CPU

PC Build Series - Video 4 - Installing Crucial Ballistix Triple Channel Memory Kit

PC Build Series - Video 5 - Installing Corsair CMPSU-850HXUK Modular PSU

PC Build Series - Video 6 - Installing LG BluRay Drive & Samsung SATA Hard Drives

PC Build Series - Video 7 - Installing Asus HD 5870 ATI Radeon Graphics Card

PC Build Series - Video 8 - Connecting all the cables

PC Build Series - Video 9 - RAID set-up - Installing Windows 7 + Benchmarking

PC Build Series - Video 10 - Motherboard & Device Connections Close-up

 

Enjoy ... there is nothing like putting your own machine together and have the knowledge to fix just about anything that goes wrong with it in the future.

 

C. T.

 

PS:  There are also some tricks to do to minimize your chance of frying the components ... for example, don't just install the PSU and then plug in all components and push the button.  Plug your PSU in first, before plugging everything in, there is always a remote chance that you got a crappy powersupply that it is going to smoke as soon as it receives power.

 

As everyone knows, electronics runs on smoke ... as soon as you let the smoke out they don't work anymore. :lol: