First Time Build Advice

[CPReilly]

My laptop from college is on its very last legs and thus it seemed like the time to try building my own PC for the first time. I used to be a big gamer but haven't played much since prior to college, mainly due to my computer not being able to handle it. With my new computer, I would like to start again. I am looking to be able to play any game but feel no need to max all settings ect. I will likely start playing one of the MOBAs and would like my computer to max all of those. As stated below, I have a pretty flexible budget of $1200. My current plan is to pretty much copy next week's midrange builders guide part for part, but I'm curious if that system will be overkill with my resolution ect.

Secondly, I live in a small apartment and therefore would like my computer to be as unassuming as possible, which means small, quiet and clean/simple design (no lights or crazy cases). I'm flirting with the idea of a mITX build and was looking for advice on how much more difficult they are to build, how much more expensive of a build it would be, and how hard it is to keep it quiet.

The rest of the info can be found below.


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Casual gaming, remoting into servers for work, basic internet surfing/video streaming.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Roughly $1200 including software. I would love input about whether this is overkill though.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA, likely Newegg. I live very close to a Microcenter, but I also live in a metropolitan area with no car. Therefore, while it is quite easy to get to Microcenter, getting parts back is a bit tricky. I can buy select parts from Microcenter when appropriate but would be unlikely to buy all parts from Microcenter unless it resulted in a significant discount to warrant multiple trips.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
None.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have an old monitor and TV I will be using. Also have keyboard and mouse.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Default speeds. I could be talked into overclocking if it’s simple enough but have no experience and would keep it very conservative.

8. What resolution will you be using?
Two monitors at 1680*1050. I have no problem disconnecting one when gaming.

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 am planning on purchasing parts in the next week or so and building in approximately 2 weeks.

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


Thanks for your help and I am just trying to get a lay of the land. If you guys think $1000 dollars without software is the sweet spot and a mITX case is more trouble than it’s worth, feel free to be blunt and just tell me to follow the midrange guide.

 

[Termie]

Welcome to the forums, CPReilly!

It sounds like you have put a good amount of thought into your needs, so we can give you solid advice.

Due to also living in a small urban apartment, I recently went through much the same process you did in thinking about building a small, quiet, powerful gaming system. I ended up with a micro-ATX system, but I also built an ITX system for non-gaming use.

Here's what you should know:
- Building a mini-ITX gaming system is tricky. Many ITX cases won't accomodate ATX power supplies or dual-slot graphics cards. All of those cases are immediately out of the question, in my opinion.

- Building mini-ITX comes at a cost premium, both in terms of the cases and the motherboards. If you want a performance ITX system, you want to go with an Intel z77 motherboard, and there are only a few out there, starting at upwards of $100.

So with those caveats in mind, here's the list of components:

(1) Silverstone Sugo SG-05 with 450w PSU ($120): http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-SG...verstone+sg-05

This case used to be sold without the PSU, which would allow you more flexibility, but honestly, it was only $20 cheaper, so this is still a fine deal. If the PSU is too loud for you, you can install the full-size ATX power supply of your choice.

(2) AsRock Z77 ITX motherboard ($150/$105MC): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157312

This is pretty much the unanimous choice for high-end ITX builds. Hint: It's going to be much cheaper at MicroCenter, so picking it up with the CPU (below) is going to be worth your time and effort. Link: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/f115d278#/f115d278/28

(3) Intel 3570K CPU ($220/$170MC): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116504

Newegg link supplied, but just buy it at Microcenter for $50 less.

(4) Samsung 2x4GB RAM ($35): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147096

This is a sleeper hit - they have modest specs but overclock to the moon. Also will fit in any case. That's why I used them in my ITX build and my compact mATX build.

(5) Slim-line DVD with SATA power adapter (~$25): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151261

This is an annoying part of building with the SG-05...you can't use a standard DVD burner. If you need the link to the SATA adapter, I'll look it up.

(6) SSD/HD storage ($160-180)

You'll want a small SSD for the OS and applications, and a hard drive for data. No hot deals right now on any particular drives, but I've given you a price range on what the two should cost together. If you can find a Samsung 830 128GB SSD, grab it. Best I can do for you right now is a fast Plextor SSD for $110: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820249024

(7) HD7850 2GB Graphics card ($175AR): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131473

For your uses (and for your small case), this is the best option. Not ultra-powerful, but a good value. Want 20% more power? Go with this HD7870 for $220AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131466

(8) Windows 7/8 ($100)
Your choice on this one.

So, the total comes to $910 (or $955 with the upgraded graphics card). Leaves you a little breathing room to upgrade other components, but honestly, this should suit you just fine. For reference purposes, if you were to build a full-size ATX system with the exact same capabilities, it would be about $100 less. Just food for thought. I personally think the $100 is worth spending in your situation since you have the interest in ITX and the budget for it.

 

[mfenn]

:thumbsup: on Termie's ITX build if you decide to go that route. You can also do my midrange build, but that of course comes in an ATX case. I don't pick out huge cases, but they are definitely bigger than ITX. It basically comes down to whether or not you want to get a smaller machine or a more powerful one.

No matter what you do, buy the CPU and mobo at MC, you'll save a ton of money. You can also get the to pricematch Newegg on common components like SSDs and HDDs. You should have no trouble fitting a CPU, mini-ITX or MicroATX mobo, SSD, and HDD in a normal backpack.

 

[CPReilly]

Thanks for the build Termie and the input mfenn. I just have a few questions about the mITX. The extra $100 doesn't concern me to too much, but how much harder is it to build in such a small case? Is it something a first time builder should be fine with? Also, do I need to be concerned with the GPU clearance in the case (how much will it limit me in future upgrades)? I was also looking at the BitFenix Prodigy but I wonder if at that point it might be better to just go with a small ATX mid tower.

 

[mfenn]

ITX cases do generally take some more planning and patience because everything is much tighter. The general idea is the same, you just have to be more willing to finagle cables and cards.

An SG-05 can take up to a 10" GPU. That means that you could fit anything up to an AMD 7870 or an Nvidia GTX 680 in there.

IMHO, if you were looking at a large ITX case like the Prodigy, then you might as well just get a MicroATX tower. MicroATX boards area lot cheaper than mini-ITX and a MicroATX tower isn't that much bigger than the Prodigy.

 

[Termie]

ITX cases do generally take some more planning and patience because everything is much tighter. The general idea is the same, you just have to be more willing to finagle cables and cards.

An SG-05 can take up to a 10" GPU. That means that you could fit anything up to an AMD 7870 or an Nvidia GTX 680 in there.

IMHO, if you were looking at a large ITX case like the Prodigy, then you might as well just get a MicroATX tower. MicroATX boards area lot cheaper than mini-ITX and a MicroATX tower isn't that much bigger than the Prodigy.

This. The Prodigy is popular, but mostly for its looks, IMO. Just jump straight to mATX if you're going to go that big. You'll have much more flexibility with motherboards.

Now, that being said, be very selective with mATX cases - many are barely smaller than small ATX cases like the Core 1000 (which I'm not a huge fan of, by the way - it's is very stripped down). I chose the awesome but puzzle-like Silverstone Temjin TJ-08E, which is WAY smaller than standard ATX cases.

Basically, it's a slippery slope - once you get into larger ITX, it's very close to mATX, which in turn is very close to ATX. That's because some components, like the PSU, hard drives, and DVD drives are all standard sized.

In your case, I'd recommend you go all in with the SG-05, or just go with a compact ATX case. The Corsair 200R is an absolute steal right now at $30AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139018

 

[mfenn]

The Corsair 200R is an absolute steal right now at $30AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139018

Hot damn! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Spoiler

That's including both thumbs and my big toes.

 

[CPReilly]

Hey guys, thanks again for the build advice. I ended up pushing back the build in order to build it in my days off before the holidays, so I am about to start buying this week. My current plan is to pretty much follow the newest midrange guide (I decided to go for ATX with a mid ATX tower). I will be buying the majority of parts from newegg tomorrow night and going to micro center for a few choice parts this weekend. Now, I just have two questions remaining:

What parts does microcenter typically sell for much cheaper and are worth waiting to buy there? I know CPU and Motherboards are cheap but are any other parts typically discounted? I also plan on buying a SSD there since my local one has the Samsung 830 in stock.

Do you guys have any recommendations for a PCIe wifi card?

Thanks again for all the advice, and I'll be sure to check back in once I'm building.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Termies build looks very good but if that powercooler 7850 does not look all that interesting,i would highly suggest a good look at the msi tf3 7850.

The msi tf3 7850 is what i have,it's slightly shorter at 7.76''being the shortest 7850,better overall cooler,higher stock clocks of 900 versus the 860 and its a respectable overclocker.

Not sure if the $15 premium might be worth it but i would give it a good look
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127663

Got mine at 1050/1450 and that apparently is a dud of a overclock,get a good chip and i bet its gonna hit 1200+ core easy.

 

[mfenn]

Hey guys, thanks again for the build advice. I ended up pushing back the build in order to build it in my days off before the holidays, so I am about to start buying this week. My current plan is to pretty much follow the newest midrange guide (I decided to go for ATX with a mid ATX tower). I will be buying the majority of parts from newegg tomorrow night and going to micro center for a few choice parts this weekend. Now, I just have two questions remaining:

What parts does microcenter typically sell for much cheaper and are worth waiting to buy there? I know CPU and Motherboards are cheap but are any other parts typically discounted? I also plan on buying a SSD there since my local one has the Samsung 830 in stock.

Do you guys have any recommendations for a PCIe wifi card?

Thanks again for all the advice, and I'll be sure to check back in once I'm building.

CPU and motherboard are the main thing that you're going to get a good deal on. However, they will pricematch Newegg on the exact same SKU, so you can get Newegg's pricing on any items that they happen to have in stock.

As for PCIe wireless cards, I've had luck with this Rosewill (note the big antennas).

 

[CPReilly]

Thanks again for the advice, I placed my order going pretty strictly off of the Mid-range Builder's Guide and will be building this weekend.

My brother actually got jealous enough of the new computer that he went ahead and matched my order and built one for himself. He just got it up and running but found out that his two old monitors that he had sitting in storage had died since the last time he used them. He is currently hooked up to his tv, but I was thinking of getting him a new monitor for Christmas. I am looking to spend $200-$300 (hopefully much closer to the $200 mark) on a monitor and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Asus VE 248H About 187.00 at Amazon Check out Newegg too

 

[mfenn]

Thanks again for the advice, I placed my order going pretty strictly off of the Mid-range Builder's Guide and will be building this weekend.

My brother actually got jealous enough of the new computer that he went ahead and matched my order and built one for himself. He just got it up and running but found out that his two old monitors that he had sitting in storage had died since the last time he used them. He is currently hooked up to his tv, but I was thinking of getting him a new monitor for Christmas. I am looking to spend $200-$300 (hopefully much closer to the $200 mark) on a monitor and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions.

Thanks.

Let us know how the build goes!

As for the monitor, I would recommend the AOC I2367fh for $180. It's a 23" IPS panel for a good price. Just don't be fooled into thinking that it has a true "bezel-less" appearance.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Let us know how the build goes!

As for the monitor, I would recommend the AOC I2367fh for $180. It's a 23" IPS panel for a good price. Just don't be fooled into thinking that it has a true "bezel-less" appearance.

AOC got one egg on Newegg. Cheap IPS panel. I am also looking to buy a monitor, and have narrowed it down to the Asus or for IPS Dell U3412M which is 300.00. Since my build will be strictly for gaming, I am leaning towards Asus (less lag and less $).

 

[mfenn]

AOC got one egg on Newegg. Cheap IPS panel.

Did you even read the 1-egg review before spouting that nonsense? The only reason that person gave it 1-egg is because they expected it to have zero bezel. I specifically addressed that in my post.