How is my first computer build?

[cl93088]

Hello everyone.
So I am going to attempt to build my very first computer. :biggrin: I was hoping you guys could tell me if my build is good or not. I will be using this computer mostly for gaming.

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 with Window Titanium Grey Silent ATX Mid Tower Case

CPU : AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8350FRHKBOX

Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

Video Card: GeForce GTX 770 2GB OC 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 SLI Support Video Card

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive

Power Supply will be either a 650W or 700W.

 

[Blain]

Hello everyone.
So I am going to attempt to build my very first computer. :biggrin: I was hoping you guys could tell me if my build is good or not.

We cannot do that, since we don't know how this PC will be used.

 

[cl93088]

Oh sorry. it will be used mostly for Gaming.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Most would tell you to use an SSD unless your budget is severely restricted.

 

[wabbitslayer]

Use an SSD unless your budget is severely restricted. :biggrin:

Srsly...looks good to me, although you do need to see if you can go SSD instead of a platter drive. (If ssd is out of the question b/c you need the space, I'd see if I couldn't find a WD Black hard drive).

Also...I know it isn't as sexy as the GPU or other things, but don't skimp out on the PSU. Do some research and read up on whatever PSUs you are looking at, jonnyguru has a bunch of PSU reviews, as well as the ones here. A PSU that claims it delivers 700watts still isn't much good if that 700 watts is only for ten seconds in a freezer at -10 celsius.

Also...what are you using as cpu cooler? OEM or aftermarket?

If you're thinking money for an ssd, psu and cpu cooler (if you need one) aren't in your budget, you might want to consider stepping down to a gtx760 (IDK if that would save you enough cash to cover the other things or not)

 

[mfenn]

A $200 AMD FX processor and a $185 motherboard is significantly worse performance than a $240 i5 4670K and a $105 ASRock Z87 Killer, which would cost less money to boot.

The lack of an SSD is also questionable, but we really need to know your overall budget before we can decide whether or not the SSD fits in.

 

[cl93088]

My budget is around $1300. The budget will include a monitor as well. I am still trying to figure out a good one to buy. I have never had an AMD before so I wanted to try it. I will look into putting a SSD into the mix. I am not sure which one will be good though. I have no experience with using a SSD.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Do you have any problem with having 2 drives: an SSD for the OS and most or all apps and a standard HDD for everything else (data)?

Or do you insist on a single hard drive, regardless of whether it is SSD or HDD?

The motherboard appears to be $184 at Newegg. I'd think you could cut that back to help fit an SSD into the budget unless you have an over-riding need for all the features on that particular board.

How much space do you require, other than Windows itself?

SSD--look at Samsung Evo series and Crucial, to name 2 top choices. You can get a 120 GB SSD for well under $100.

 

[cl93088]

Would this be a good SSD for my build? SAMSUNG 840 EVO MZ-7TE120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yeah, that's a good choice assuming the size is OK. Have you found it for $85 or less?

 

[cl93088]

Yep it is currently on newegg for $82. I was planning on using it for my OS. Hopefully the deal lasts for a few days. I was planning on ordering everything at the end of the week.

 

[escrow4]

$1300 and FX is laughable. You want an i5 minimum as mentioned earlier. And yes, FX really is that bad for gaming compared to an i5.

 

[cl93088]

What is a good motherboard to go with an i5 processor?

 

[wabbitslayer]

That ASRock mentioned above looks pretty good for the price, although it seems to have gone up to $119 now. Definitely worth looking for some reviews on. From my prior shopping, the ASRock extreme4 and extreme6 have gotten great reviews. I was going to go with an extreme6 for my current build (until a last-minute decision to splurge just b/c I always wanted an asus ROG mobo).

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Hello everyone.
So I am going to attempt to build my very first computer. :biggrin: I was hoping you guys could tell me if my build is good or not. I will be using this computer mostly for gaming.
.

It's a good first effort but, for the budget you have set forth ($1300), not nearly as good as this: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841


Welcome to AT

 

[wabbitslayer]

dat ain't too shabby :awe:

 

[cl93088]

Thanks everyone! You all helped out a lot. This is my first build so I was a little clueless with a few things. What makes the i5 better then the 8350?

 

[Skillz]

Clock for clock the Intel is much faster at gaming than the AMD. Since most games don't scale all that great the extra 4 cores on the AMD don't make up for the lack of IPC the Intel CPU has over it.

With that kind of budget I too would go with an Intel i5 setup with ~$100 motherboard.

A quality 750W PSU is a little overkill for that build as well. 550W should be plenty, assuming it's a good quality unit.

 

[mfenn]

It's a good first effort but, for the budget you have set forth ($1300), not nearly as good as this: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841


Welcome to AT

I agree.

The leftover cash can be used for the monitor. Something like this ASUS VN248H-P IPS panel for $160 AR is a good balance of quality, price, and size.