Building A New Machine...1st Time

[Makonnen91]

Hello Everyone,

I recently decided to build my own gaming rig and I recently compiled a shopping cart list on newegg.com to gauge exactly what I need and how much I will be spending. Before I order anything I will check other sites if I can save a few dollars here and there if its worth it, but my real concern is QUALITY.

Budget-In the range of $1500
Parts-Buying from the U.S
Usage-Gaming
Resolution-Further Assistance needed
Brand Preference-None
Build Time-Next 1-2 months if not sooner

CPU-Intel Core i5-3570k. Ivy Bridge. 3.4GHz(3.8GHz turbo) ($215)

MOBO-GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ($190)

GPU-EVGA GTX 670 FTW 2GB ] ($410)

SSD-Western Digital Hard Drive WD Black. 1 TB ($109)

Power Supply-Corsair HX series 850W ATX12V 2.3 ($170)

RAM-Corsair Vengeance 16GB(2 X 8GB) ($75)

Cooling-GELID Solutions GC-VGA02 ICY Vision ($54)

Monitor-Asus VH236H 23" Full Widescreen LCD ($169)

I didn't list peripherals because I am more concerned with the guts right now.
I want to run recent titles on max settings without a hitch or hiccup if possible. I added in the peripherals and the total was $1400 give or take. (that included the case)

Another concern of mine was somewhat future proofing the machine as much as needed.

How do you guys think this build would hold up? Suggestions, tweaks, amendments, critique is all welcome. I appreciate it all.

 

[DSF]

It looks like you're planning to play at 1920x1080. That's good, it'll let you get away with one graphics card without any issues. With that in mind, here are my thoughts:

CPU: Great.

Mobo: Overpriced for what you need. Since you're running a single-GPU setup, look for a board from a reputable manufacturer that has all the features you need at the lowest possible price. That will probably end up being something like an Asrock Pro4 or a lower-end Gigabyte/MSI Z77 board. If you aren't going to be overclocking you can go even cheaper and not get a Z77 chipset.

GPU: No need to spend $410 here when there are other GTX670s or HD7970s available for less than $380 after rebate. Other than that, your inclination to spend more on the GPU than CPU for a gaming rig is a good one.

SSD : The drive you picked out is not an SSD, it's a conventional hard drive. On your budget I would recommend getting the best 128GB or 256GB SSD you can afford (like an Intel 330 or Samsung 830). If you need more space than that, get a large hard drive like the one you chose.

Power supply: Way overpowered and overexpensive for your needs. A quality 500W PSU would have plenty of power for this build. You should be able to spend less than $100 here without sacrificing quality or reliability.

The best way to future proof is to avoid unnecessary expenditures now, and bank the savings for future upgrades.

 

[tracerbullet]

^^^ My thoughts exactly, beat me to it.

You can save on the motherboard, unless it has some feature you must have. Also on the power supply, read around and you'll see that you don't need that much power nor to spend that much on it. Don't skimp on these things, but you can go cheaper here and not lose anything.

Get an SSD as well as that HDD with what you save. Then start reading up on installing O/S's with 2 drives (O/S on the SSD, the HDD for the data storage).

You could go into detail and nitpick things but it looks solid overall. Remember to price shop. I love Newegg and always have but you may find Amazon, MicroCenter, or others w/ the same things for less. Especially this time of year.

 

[Makonnen91]

Thanks a lot for the responses. So it seems as if my core is a good one to build around. As stated its my first time building a computer so I may have picked the overpowered and overpriced items just to be safe so thanks for the heads up on that front.

I'll definitely do some price shopping to save some coin where I can. Do you guys/girls have any experience with the products I listed?

I just do not want to be limited in what games I can play and would rather sacrifice too much in the way of graphics. I should clarify why I want a gaming PC as well I suppose.

I had an old gateway laptop a few years back and I was enjoying Civ 4 on it. It soon died on me and I just stuck to my 360 ever since. I have no qualms about my console, but I just miss being able to play strategy games in general. (RTS & TBS) I have never been a graphics crazed individual, but there is no denying that I am itching to play many games on PC to experience the quality.

So in building this machine I want the best without going overboard( if that makes sense:hmm


***EDIT
Removed Caviar Black HDD($109)----Added Samsung 830 SSD($135)
Removed Corsair Vengeance power supply 850W($170)----Added Corsair Vengeance power supply 600W ($70)
Removed Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA Z77($190)----Added ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ($160)

 

[tracerbullet]

I like the changes mentioned just above. Granted that's not the last word on it but FWIW I like them.

Other thoughts - Need a DVD drive to load things from (may be a peripheral you were thinkign about later), add about $20. GPU cooler - might be overkill, someone that knows mroe about video would have to say for sure. If it's in the budget get the SSD and the HDD both, not just one or the other. And don't forget a CPU cooler, search on "Hyper 212 Evo" for a good starting point. And you're pretty much done except for mouse, keyboard, speakers / headphones, maybe a printer or something.

 

[Makonnen91]

Thanks again. I am really ready to get the ball rolling. I will be able to get both the SSD and the HDD and will swap out the GPU cooler for a CPU one that you suggested. I saw the Hyper 212 Evo on newegg and it looks as if is widely used with rave reviews.

 

[mfenn]

I agree with DSF. One thing that I should point out is that modern PC games are BIG, so the usual recommendation is to get an SSD for the OS and most applications and an HDD for big games.

 

[Makonnen91]

^Definitely going to go with that advice. I also believe I am set on the following components:

1. i5 3570k CPU
2.GTX 670 FTW GPU
3.AsRock z77 Extreme4 MOBO
4.Corsair PSU 650W
5.Seagate Barracuda HDD & Samsung 830 SDD (if still in stock)
6.CPU cooler Hyper 212 EVO

How do you guys this will fare in terms of performance, upgradability, and stability?

I am just about ready to begin ordering if all is well.

 

[DSF]

If you're about to start ordering, this PSU deal is ridiculously good:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371031
I don't think it'll be there tomorrow though.

If noise is of any concern to you (or put another way, if reducing noise is of any interest to you) those EVGA cards are not likely to be particularly quiet.

 

[Makonnen91]

Noise isn't a concern for me really. I am already used to the sound of eating gravel when my 360 is running games haha. And I have some gaming headphones that i'll definitely be using for this machine.

 

[Makonnen91]

1. i5 3570k CPU
2.GTX 670 FTW GPU
3.AsRock z77 Extreme4 MOBO
4.Corsair PSU 650W
5.Seagate Barracuda HDD & Samsung 830 SSD (if still in stock)
6.CPU Cooler Master Hyper 212

Okay after one more small tweak(the aftermarket cooler) I think I have my core complete. Any input on the final core?

 

[Termie]

1. i5 3570k CPU
2.GTX 670 FTW GPU
3.AsRock z77 Extreme4 MOBO
4.Corsair PSU 650W
5.Seagate Barracuda HDD & Samsung 830 SSD (if still in stock)
6.CPU Cooler Master Hyper 212

Okay after one more small tweak(the aftermarket cooler) I think I have my core complete. Any input on the final core?

This all looks good, but honestly, the 670FTW is overpriced. I own one, I like it, and I'd never pay $410 for it today. The PNY GTX680 is available for $400AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133469

If you must go nVidia, that's a much better buy at ~$400. But I'd say the HD7970 is the way to go today at $360AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202008

 

[Makonnen91]

Point taken. I see many on these forums with Radeon 7970's in their build. Does it matter that I am only going for a one-card machine? Of course options for it will always be there if the situation dictates, but for my first build I will only do one.

 

[Termie]

Point taken. I see many on these forums with Radeon 7970's in their build. Does it matter that I am only going for a one-card machine? Of course options for it will always be there if the situation dictates, but for my first build I will only do one.

Actually, Radeons are very good as single cards. It is when it comes to dual cards that AMD Crossfire may be less desireable than Nvidia SLI due to a perceived lack of smoothness and lack of scaling with new games.

 

[Makonnen91]

So either the Radeon 7970 or the GTX 670 will fit my needs I assume? I just want reasonably priced, high-end, stable card that will allow me to play current titles at high settings and future games at reasonably high settings as well if possible. I'm just ready to pull the trigger on this project, but I have the newbie paranoia I guess.

 

[tracerbullet]

For comparing cards:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2012-vga-gpgpu/benchmarks,135.html

If you know of a game or two that you expect to play, see how the cards in consideration compare to each other.

 

[Makonnen91]

Ok, both cards look to have their own pros and cons so with that being said I will go with my gut instinct which happens to be the GTX 670 FTW.

I am not totally graphics crazed, but needless to say I am excited to see the improvement from consoles. I just want to play a wider spectrum of games on a high level. +/- 5-10 frames here or there is not my ultimate concern.

 

[Termie]

Ok, both cards look to have their own pros and cons so with that being said I will go with my gut instinct which happens to be the GTX 670 FTW.

I am not totally graphics crazed, but needless to say I am excited to see the improvement from consoles. I just want to play a wider spectrum of games on a high level. +/- 5-10 frames here or there is not my ultimate concern.

EVGA is a great company and has great service - that's the only reason I don't think you're making a completely wrong decision here.

But the truth is that by your own account, you don't care about "+/- 5-10 frames", so why are you even considering spending $400 on a video card?

For your purposes and budget, this HD7950 for $280AR will perform exactly the same function as any $400 card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202006

It will come within 10% of the GTX670 FTW, and if you overclock it, it will beat any stock card out there. The only reason to buy a 670, 680, or 7970 is to get "+/- 5-10 frames," so by your own logic, all of them should be out of the question.

I think part of the issue here is that you set up a $1500 budget for a proposed system that doesn't cost $1500. A top-flight 1080p gaming system shouldn't cost more than $1200 including the monitor.

 

[Makonnen91]

That makes sense. I guess since this is my first time building a machine I did not want to short change myself on performance. So I chose a high performing card, but with an equally high price tag. I will definitely look into the card(s) you mentioned. I just do not want my machine to be unable to play games a few months down the road.

 

[Makonnen91]

After researching and reviewing the Sapphire 7950 card I will be going with that one. OC'ing has the ability to increase performance as well. I believe I will be fine. I hear the Total War series (especially Shogun 2) is very much a resource sapper, but from what I have read this should still hold up fine.

*On another note I fell in love with a beautiful although expensive tower.

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($180)

Its large,tool-less, and the I adore the aesthetics. I could possibly save another $100 buy downgrading, but I really do like this one.


***BTW thanks Termie for pointing out my illogical logic! I needed a reality check.

 

[Broheim]

After researching and reviewing the Sapphire 7950 card I will be going with that one. OC'ing has the ability to increase performance as well. I believe I will be fine. I hear the Total War series (especially Shogun 2) is very much a resource sapper, but from what I have read this should still hold up fine.

*On another note I fell in love with a beautiful although expensive tower.

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($180)

Its large,tool-less, and the I adore the aesthetics. I could possibly save another $100 buy downgrading, but I really do like this one.


***BTW thanks Termie for pointing out my illogical logic! I needed a reality check.

I have that case and I love it, one thing you should do though is cut out the mesh in front of the 200mm front intake fan, it creates audible turbulence and you can't see the cutout because there's another mesh in front of it but enough space so it wont create turbulence.

 

[Makonnen91]

I have that case and I love it, one thing you should do though is cut out the mesh in front of the 200mm front intake fan, it creates audible turbulence and you can't see the cutout because there's another mesh in front of it but enough space so it wont create turbulence.

Thanks. Will definitely keep that noted. What are your other system components and how do you like it?

 

[Termie]

After researching and reviewing the Sapphire 7950 card I will be going with that one. OC'ing has the ability to increase performance as well. I believe I will be fine. I hear the Total War series (especially Shogun 2) is very much a resource sapper, but from what I have read this should still hold up fine.

*On another note I fell in love with a beautiful although expensive tower.

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($180)

Its large,tool-less, and the I adore the aesthetics. I could possibly save another $100 buy downgrading, but I really do like this one.


***BTW thanks Termie for pointing out my illogical logic! I needed a reality check.

You are more than welcome - thanks for viewing my comments in a constructive way.

On the topic of cases, there are five criteria that I believe should be considered when selecting a case for a build:
(1) aesthetics (color, size, design)
(2) noise
(3) cooling ability
(4) ease of assembly
(5) cost

You can't have it all, but if you are in love with the 600T's design, then that's really all that matters, as long as you recognize that it may or may not be the quietest, coolest, easiest to assemble case out there (and I have no evidence that it's not). Note that it's currently $140AR/FS at Newegg, which is a very good deal: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-pla-_-NA-_-NA

For more information on the case, read this review: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/05/02/corsair_graphite_series_600t_midtower_case_review/

By the way, since this is your first build, you may find this how-to article (published today) very helpful: http://techreport.com/review/23624/how-to-build-a-pc-the-tech-report-guide

 

[Makonnen91]

Thanks that review was very informative.

As for my other parts I believe I will spot check my component list one last time then actually purchase. From what I have read and the tips given it seems to be a solid quality build.

 

[Raincity]

As already posted by Termie, The 7950/70 is excellent value right now and the added 3 games are just gravy for it. Also if you want to save some more cash and downgrade the case. The Fractal R-4 is on sale right now http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687 and seems to be a pretty good deal.