First Gaming PC Build

[Dr. Steve Brule]

Hello there, friends! Firstly, I have some questions about a gaming computer setup that I have in mind. I've been browsing AnandTech for a few weeks now, and it seems like an excellent place to gather information. I plan on referring to this site for my future PC needs and interests, so any helpful information would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

So anyway, here's the info about my potential system:

1. Primarily Gaming, with the occasional schoolwork (Mainly Office Programs)

2. I'm shooting for at least $1300

3. U.S.A.

4. Nope, just the U.S.A.

5. I have no bias towards any brand, I'm simply looking for quality and a reasonable price.

6. No, I have no current parts that will contribute to my build

7. I don't plan on overclocking, I'm too much of a "weenie"

8. Now I'm running a 1680x1050, but I plan on gaming in 1080p. I plan on adding a second monitor

9. I plan on purchasing the parts and building before the end of the month (February 2013).

10. I've got to purchase Windows 7 but I'm disregarding that from the total price of all the parts.

So, here's the build I've got so far (all of the parts are from Newegg):

Case: NZXT Source 220 CA-SO220-01 Black Steel / Aluminum-like finish ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $49.99

HDD : Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s $99.99

SSD : SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III $109.99

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz $229.99

Motherboard: BIOSTAR TZ77B LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS $99.99

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 [FREE, with the purchase of my Motherboard] $47.99

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W $89.99

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB $389.99

Disc Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM $17.99


Now, I have a few questions about some parts that I may/may not need:

1. I would like to either have a motherboard with an integrated WiFi card, or simply a WiFi card, but I'm unsure whether one would fit on my selected Motherboard above.

2. Would the single GTX 670 be able to support two Monitors well?

3. Should I purchase a third Party CPU Cooling Fan? What about a thermal spread?

4. Are these parts compatible? And will I have room for SLI expansion? (I plan on possibly adding a second GTX 670, after more research of course) PSU Voltage?

5. Will my chosen case allow reasonable airflow, and be able to fit my parts?

That concludes the PC noobfest of my first post here on AnandTech. Thank you all for all of your time, and I apologize for the length and my ignorance about the PC world. Any help is greatly appreciated! 😀

 

[mfenn]

The build looks fine in general, but you could save some money and/or get better performance here and there:

- HDD : WD HDDs are overpriced compared to others. This Toshiba 1TB drive is $75. There isn't a statistically significant different in reliability.
- GPU: A GTX 670 isn't a good deal compared to the 7970, and I wouldn't touch and EVGA card because they all have loud blower coolers.

As for your questions.

1. Just add a PCIe WiFi card like this Rosewill.

2. Yes, any reasonable GPU can support multiple monitors. For gaming performance, I would recommend the 7970 above over the GTX 670.

3. You don't need to get an aftermarket HSF if you're not going to overclock.

4. Yes, all the parts are compatible. The TZ77B is not an SLI board, so no o you wouldn't be able to add another card. You don't need to do that for 1080p anyway.

5. Yes, it is plenty big enough.

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

Alright! Thank you kind sir!

 

[Sleepingforest]

Here's a question you need to ask yourself: are you too much of a weenie change a few UEFI settings (literally changing a number from 34 up to about 44 in increments of one), pay an extra $25 for a cooler, and $20 for insurance? That's right: Intel will give you an absolutely question free CPU replacement if you break it within 3 years (okay, no crazy lapping or delidding).

I mean, you already have an appropriate CPU and mobo. Might as well spend an extra $50 for a 33% clock boost. If you choose not to, you can save a significant chunk of cash by going with an H77 board ($70AR) and an i5-3470 ($190 off Amazon).

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

Now, I'm not opposed to overclocking, (Warning: Noob overload incoming) under what circumstances would overclocking be useful? I've thought that stock performance would be suitable for most contemporary games, and I don't imagine myself stressing my system too much.

 

[Termie]

Now, I'm not opposed to overclocking, (Warning: Noob overload incoming) under what circumstances would overclocking be useful? I've thought that stock performance would be suitable for most contemporary games, and I don't imagine myself stressing my system too much.

Very good advice above so far, and very good questions from you.

For your current needs, I wouldn't worry too much about overclocking your CPU. That being said, given that you have an interest in it, stick to the z77 board - you can then choose to overclock in the future if you find that your CPU is beginning to hold back your gaming performance. For most current games, a stock 3570k will not be a bottleneck even to a stock HD7970. If you were to start overclocking any of the top-end GPUs, then the stock performance would hold back the performance a bit, but it doesn't sound like that's going to be a concern for you now.

So just stick with your current build, with mfenn's tweaks.

 

[Dr. Steve Brule]

Terrific! Thank you very much!