"Budget" gaming and streaming build help

[Techhog]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Gaming, streaming games on Twitch.tv, college work (word processing and basic programming mostly), media

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
I want to keep it below $1100.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
US

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from.
We can't be expected to scour the internet on your behalf, chasing down deals in your specific country... Again, help us, help YOU.
N/A

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
I'm not a fanboy, but I think that Intel is overall better for me due to streaming.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have no existing parts to use.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I want to overclock the graphics card, and I want to be able to OC the CPU just in case I need a little boost for streaming a certain game.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?
Aiming for 1920x1080 or better

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.
I'll need to order everything by the end of next month. I know that's a long time, but I need to plot out this build budget-wise so I have a general idea of the overall cost and if I need to save more.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?
Yes, I need Windows.



Here's what I have right now: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1DSQH

Mainly, I'm concerned with the case, the monitor, the power supply, and the motherboard right now. If you feel the need to make a case for changing anything else right now, go ahead. Suggestions on thermal paste and case fans are appreciated as well.

 

[lehtv]

CPU Good
Cooling Good. Comes with thermal paste, you don't need to buy it separately.
Mobo OK but you should be able to buy the mobo and CPU in a combo
RAM Expensive for what it is, a decent kit costs less than $60. You might also consider 16GB
Storage WD Blue WD10EZEX is cheaper and faster and just as reliable. WD black has long warranty. I woudl buy the cheaper and faster Blue.
GPU Good
Case Good but lacks USB 3.0. As for case fans, if you want more than just the one, I'd recommend getting a case with that comes with 2-3 fans.
PSU Should be able to find a 5 yr warranty PSU with higher quality capacitors for roughly the same money
OS Sure you don't want Windows 8.1?
Monitor I would aim for 23-24", even at the cost of some other component

Have you considered microATX? There's a nice deal on a Cooler Master N200 $30 AR AP, comes with two fans. A microATX motherboard would also save a bit of cash, e.g. this combo deal: 4670K+Gigabyte Z87M-D3H $325.

If you have a microcenter nearby, ATX is probably the way to go. You can get a 4770K + MSI Z87-G41 for $345

 

[Techhog]

CPU Good
Cooling Good. Comes with thermal paste, you don't need to buy it separately.
Mobo OK but you should be able to buy the mobo and CPU in a combo
RAM Expensive for what it is, a decent kit costs less than $60. You might also consider 16GB
Storage WD Blue WD10EZEX is cheaper and faster and just as reliable. WD black has long warranty. I woudl buy the cheaper and faster Blue.
GPU Good
Case Good but lacks USB 3.0. As for case fans, if you want more than just the one, I'd recommend getting a case with that comes with 2-3 fans.
PSU Should be able to find a 5 yr warranty PSU with higher quality capacitors for roughly the same money
OS Sure you don't want Windows 8.1?
Monitor I would aim for 23-24", even at the cost of some other component

Have you considered microATX? There's a nice deal on a Cooler Master N200 $30 AR AP, comes with two fans. A microATX motherboard would also save a bit of cash, e.g. this combo deal: 4670K+Gigabyte Z87M-D3H $325.

If you have a microcenter nearby, ATX is probably the way to go. You can get a 4770K + MSI Z87-G41 for $345

I don't think I can afford a larger monitor I'm afraid. I'll switch to the Blue HDD though. Also, any specific recommendations on RAM and PSU?

I'm usually good with computers, but I don't fully understand mATX vs ATX. Could you explain it briefly?

Unfortunately, the nearest Microcenter is over an hour away.

As for Windows 8, I really don't like it much. I haven't used it extensively, but the lack of a start menu makes it seem so clunky. I know there are third-party apps, but why waste time and computer resources on that when there's another OS that works just fine without modding? I also feel that Microsoft adding the start button back only to make it lead to the Metro start screen is really dumb, and I don't know if I want to support such bad decisions. I also don't see what I gain from switching to 8/8.1. I'm open to trying it (especially since I do kinda need experience in multiple OSes), but I'm iffy on it.

 

[Techhog]

Any more help? I especially need the case figured out right now.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I don't think I can afford a larger monitor I'm afraid. I'll switch to the Blue HDD though. Also, any specific recommendations on RAM and PSU?

A good choice for a PSU is the Corsair CX-series, either the CX430 or CX500 would be a good fit for you. Be careful as you can sometimes get the CX500 cheaper then the CX430.

For RAM, I recommend either Kingston, Crucial or Samsung (not necessarily in that order). You should look for a 1600MHz/1.35V kit.

I'm usually good with computers, but I don't fully understand mATX vs ATX. Could you explain it briefly?

The difference between ATX and mATX is physical size and nothing else. You can fit an mATX board in an ATX case, but not the other way round. By the way, mATX is pretty much the de-facto standard today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX#Variants

Hope it helps.

 

[mfenn]

MicroATX is smaller than ATX, that's about it. What that means practically speaking is that a MicroATX board has fewer PCI(e) slots than a full ATX. That's not a big deal for a normal single GPU system IMHO.

Especially keeping in mind that this is a college environment, going smaller seems prudent. Lehtv's recommendations are solid IMHO. The N200 is a good case for $30 AR AP and the 4670K + Gigabyte MicroATX board combo save you $20 off the normal prices.

As for the rest:
- RAM: Here's an 8GB DDR3 1600 kit for $53
- XFX: Lehtv was probably referring to this XFX Core 550W for $60 AR. It's build by Seasonic and has a 5 year warranty.

 

[Techhog]

A good choice for a PSU is the Corsair CX-series, either the CX430 or CX500 would be a good fit for you. Be careful as you can sometimes get the CX500 cheaper then the CX430.

For RAM, I recommend either Kingston, Crucial or Samsung (not necessarily in that order). You should look for a 1600MHz/1.35V kit.



The difference between ATX and mATX is physical size and nothing else. You can fit an mATX board in an ATX case, but not the other way round. By the way, mATX is pretty much the de-facto standard today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX#Variants

Hope it helps.

MicroATX is smaller than ATX, that's about it. What that means practically speaking is that a MicroATX board has fewer PCI(e) slots than a full ATX. That's not a big deal for a normal single GPU system IMHO.

Especially keeping in mind that this is a college environment, going smaller seems prudent. Lehtv's recommendations are solid IMHO. The N200 is a good case for $30 AR AP and the 4670K + Gigabyte MicroATX board combo save you $20 off the normal prices.

As for the rest:
- RAM: Here's an 8GB DDR3 1600 kit for $53
- XFX: Lehtv was probably referring to this XFX Core 550W for $60 AR. It's build by Seasonic and has a 5 year warranty.

Thanks guys! Yeah, that should be fine except... Does the N200 have enough airflow? Since I want to overclock it a bit (with little to no voltage tweaking), I'm not sure if that case has the space for it.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks guys! Yeah, that should be fine except... Does the N200 have enough airflow? Since I want to overclock it a bit (with little to no voltage tweaking), I'm not sure if that case has the space for it.

It's got a 120mm intake and a 120mm exhaust, which is pretty much standard for <$80 cases, ATX or MicroATX. It's fine for stock volts OC, but you'd need to add a fan the side panel position for a monster GPU OC.

 

[Techhog]

It's got a 120mm intake and a 120mm exhaust, which is pretty much standard for <$80 cases, ATX or MicroATX. It's fine for stock volts OC, but you'd need to add a fan the side panel position for a monster GPU OC.

That's fine. Fans are cheap anyway. One last thing; what about CPU thermal paste?

 

[lehtv]

I was referring to Windows 8.1. It has a start menu, sorta. Amongst a lot of other improvements. It will be released in 1 month

 

[Techhog]

I was referring to Windows 8.1. It has a start menu, sorta. Amongst a lot of other improvements. It will be released in 1 month

I know. From what I've heard, the start button just leads to the start screen. Is this incorrect?

 

[pcsavvy]

If you can get your monitor up to 24 inch, it makes it more enjoyable to watch tv shows and movies. With the bigger screen you can sit or lounge further back to watch shows or movies especially if you like to watch subtitled programs.

 

[Techhog]

If you can get your monitor up to 24 inch, it makes it more enjoyable to watch tv shows and movies. With the bigger screen you can sit or lounge further back to watch shows or movies especially if you like to watch subtitled programs.

I'm considering this Asus 23" monitor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236175

That's definitely the upper limit of my budget, though.

 

[lehtv]

I know. From what I've heard, the start button just leads to the start screen. Is this incorrect?

No, there will be an option to make it pop up a menu that lists applications. Also it will be possible to boot directly to desktop instead of the start screen

 

[Techhog]

No, there will be an option to make it pop up a menu that lists applications. Also it will be possible to boot directly to desktop instead of the start screen

Hm. Well... I'll think about it. For my purposes, it just seems like a harder to use Windows 7, so I'm not sure that I see the benefit of it.

 

[lehtv]

It's more secure than Windows 7. Startup is faster. It uses less system resources.

As for usability, I think Windows 8 is actually easier in some ways. The search function is in particular very useful - just hit the Windows button, type, and it shows you all the results for what you type in real time, and sorts them to apps, settings and documents. Searching in Win 7 doesn't feel as intuitive.

I'm not sure what the complete Windows 8.1. update will contain apart from the start menu, you can google that if you're interested.

 

[Techhog]

It's more secure than Windows 7. Startup is faster. It uses less system resources.

As for usability, I think Windows 8 is actually easier in some ways. The search function is in particular very useful - just hit the Windows button, type, and it shows you all the results for what you type in real time, and sorts them to apps, settings and documents. Searching in Win 7 doesn't feel as intuitive.

I'm not sure what the complete Windows 8.1. update will contain apart from the start menu, you can google that if you're interested.

Well, maybe I'll get it. I wish Microsoft's student discount applied to the OEM version. Heh.

Also, I'm beginning to wonder if the 7950 is a bit overkill for 1080p...

 

[lehtv]

Definitely not overkill, it's spot on and actually the best bang for buck gaming card for that resolution. Most games run at smooth 60fps on the highest settings, but many demanding titles require a bit of tweaking even if you overclock. E.g. Witcher 2, CoH, Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinity.

 

[Techhog]

Definitely not overkill, it's spot on and actually the best bang for buck gaming card for that resolution. Most games run at smooth 60fps on the highest settings, but many demanding titles require a bit of tweaking even if you overclock. E.g. Witcher 2, CoH, Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinity.

I see. I'm scared for next gen. :/ lol.

 

[frozentundra123456]

It's more secure than Windows 7. Startup is faster. It uses less system resources.

As for usability, I think Windows 8 is actually easier in some ways. The search function is in particular very useful - just hit the Windows button, type, and it shows you all the results for what you type in real time, and sorts them to apps, settings and documents. Searching in Win 7 doesn't feel as intuitive.

I'm not sure what the complete Windows 8.1. update will contain apart from the start menu, you can google that if you're interested.

The search function is the one thing I hate about Win 7. I actually prefer the "advanced search" function in XP. Seems much easier and more intuitive for those not really knowledgeable in the search syntax.

 

[Techhog]

So, I might know someone who can get me parts from Microcenter! I'll need an ATX case now though.

 

[mfenn]

No, there will be an option to make it pop up a menu that lists applications. Also it will be possible to boot directly to desktop instead of the start screen

I hadn't heard that before. Link?

 

[mfenn]

The search function is the one thing I hate about Win 7. I actually prefer the "advanced search" function in XP. Seems much easier and more intuitive for those not really knowledgeable in the search syntax.

What syntax? You type what you want and it appears.

 

[Techhog]

Nevermind on the Microcenter thing lol. So, looks I probably have this all figured out!

 

[s2ta]

Nevermind on the Microcenter thing lol. So, looks I probably have this all figured out!

Nzxt tempest 410 would be a pretty decent case for you (not the elite version its more money)