New guy, building a computer for the first time

plnunn

Junior Member
Dec 16, 2012
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I know y'all probably get tired of these threads but if anyone is willing to give some advice I'd appreciate it. I'm looking to build a gaming/multi-media PC to hook up to my TV in the living room, hopefully running games like BF3 in 1080p. My budget is around $1000-1200, but preferably less than a grand. I'm not factoring mouse, keyboard or operating system into the total, or monitor obviously. I'm looking to build in the next 3 months, so not in a huge hurry. And will be purchasing parts online, I live in the US.

Here's what I've come up with so far, but would just like a little input. If it's terrible let me know, you won't hurt any feelings.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sMEi
 

Ken g6

Programming Moderator, Elite Member
Moderator
Dec 11, 1999
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For gaming, don't get AMD, and certainly don't get Bulldozer. (Piledriver is a little better.)

Mfenn has [thread=2192841]a standard $1k build[/thread]. His build also has drives. ;) I'd see if you can fit a GTX 670 in there ($340AR!), as I hear evidence is building that nVidia is smoother than AMD even at lower framerates.

On the other hand, if you want to wait, Intel's Haswell processors are coming, probably in 3-5 months.
 

plnunn

Junior Member
Dec 16, 2012
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0
0
Definitely not in a hurry. I ordered the case, ram, network and sound cards but will wait until the last second for the motherboard, processor and graphics card.

Thanks for the advice, it's mind numbing researching this stuff. Too many choices, variables and brands.
 

Sleepingforest

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2012
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I'd see if you can fit a GTX 670 in there ($340AR!), as I hear evidence is building that nVidia is smoother than AMD even at lower framerates.

There is also some evidence that it is easy to smooth out a Radeon's framerates. Evidently, you just get RadeonPro (a free tool) and set a profile for each game. This is supposed to allow your card to enjoy "much smoother sailing."

Also, for pushing games at 1080p, 670 vs 7970 (and even 660ti vs 7950) supposedly doesn't make that much of a difference. The only thing you have to worry about is memory for AA. For this reason, I wouldn't go for the 660ti.

I would suggest a much smaller and quieter build using mATX or mITX (provided you are willing to return your case).

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sR9A
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sR9A/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sR9A/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($117.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1061.01

This build allows for some overclocking. If that's not your thing, you could save some money by going with a $200 i5-3570 and dropping the aftermarket cooler, a savings of about $50. If you don't think you need much storage, you could drop the conventional hard drive and use only a SSD for another $50 off (but I wouldn't recommend it).
 
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mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
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www.mfenn.com
Definitely not in a hurry. I ordered the case, ram, network and sound cards but will wait until the last second for the motherboard, processor and graphics card.

The case is unlikely to be defective, so that's OK to order early. I wouldn't get any add-in cards or RAM though unless you have a way to effectively test them.

For $1000 w/o OS and monitor, you can definitely do better than a GTX 660 Ti and an AMD CPU. See my build thread that Ken linked for ideas.
 

Sleepingforest

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2012
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Haswell will open up a few extra options when it comes out in March/June (it's a range). Current CPUs, which are by no means bad, will get cheaper as the new generation comes out, and the new generation will consume much less power.

Also, the case I recommended is kind of tough to build in--I just did, it definitely takes some time and thinking to make it work, but the results are great. If you want something easier, you can drop down to mITX in size (the mobo will cost you more) and go for the nicely sized Bitfenix Prodigy (which costs a bit more with shipping than the case I rec'd). The advantage is that the case is pretty big for the size of components you'll use, so it's somewhat easier to work with. The disadvantage is that it's twice of most mITX cases (the Prodigy is about two shoeboxes, one on top of the other).
 

bononos

Diamond Member
Aug 21, 2011
3,883
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Definitely not in a hurry. I ordered the case, ram, network and sound cards but will wait until the last second for the motherboard, processor and graphics card.

Thanks for the advice, it's mind numbing researching this stuff. Too many choices, variables and brands.

You probably won't need to get a network/sound cards since motherboards have built in lan and sound as well. Integrated audio is already pretty good.
 

SaurusX

Senior member
Nov 13, 2012
993
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CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($117.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1061.01

Holy crap. This is the exact machine I just got parts for. Well, except for the graphics card, which I decided to wait on. Guess I did pretty good. :thumbsup: I also got it cheaper as I waited until almost everything was on sale or had a rebate.
 

plnunn

Junior Member
Dec 16, 2012
6
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CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($117.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Hive 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS29 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1061.01

I think I'm going to return the case and other stuff and do this build. Do you have any recommendations for a cheaper case? Or would you definitely stick with that one? If I could shave $100 or $150 off it would help with the wifes approval.
 

Sleepingforest

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2012
2,375
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I think I'm going to return the case and other stuff and do this build. Do you have any recommendations for a cheaper case? Or would you definitely stick with that one? If I could shave $100 or $150 off it would help with the wifes approval.

I don't have that much knowledge of mATX other than the comparatively excellent performance of this case. You can use some larger cases which cost less, such as the 200R or the Antec 300. As I said previously, you can drop to a 3570 (non-K version) which does not overclock and drop the aftermarket cooler to save about $50.

I'll just put this here for you to mess around with (its almost at $1000 flat or just under): PCPartPicker

Make the compromises you would be happy with.
 

plnunn

Junior Member
Dec 16, 2012
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0
That's pretty good. I'm curious, if I'm not planning on watching movies on this do I need the blu-ray drive? Do games/or will games start coming out on blu-ray? And what are the pro's of a solid state disk combined with a hard drive? Can a capable gaming rig use just the hard drive or is it better to have both?

Thanks for the posts, they're a huge help!
 

DSF

Diamond Member
Oct 6, 2007
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Games are increasingly going the way of paid downloads. I don't think I've bought a physical game in a couple years at least. If you aren't planning on putting Blu-Ray movies into your computer I wouldn't buy a drive right now.

If you ever decide you need one you can always buy it later, and the price can only go down.
 

Sleepingforest

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2012
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You will not need the Blu-ray unless you actually have a collection of Blu-ray disks. I'm no expert in CDs, but they're generally on the way out EXCEPT for movies. Most games are digital downloads.

So unless you have a huge Blu-ray collection or anticipate getting one, it's not worth it. You can drop to this drive safely and save around $10.

The benefits of the SSD is how much faster it reads and writes data. The machine will boot up faster, and any programs you put on the drive will load up faster too. You would put the OS and things like iTunes or games you play most often onto the SSD, and the game save files, mp3s, and photos onto the HDD.

In short, you can drop the SSD, but the preformance gains of keeping it are tangible.

Popular, reliable SSDs include the Samsung 830/840 Pro (840 Pro, not plain 840), Crucial M4, Intel 330, and OCZ Vertex (some forumers will disagree on this last one).
 
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mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
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www.mfenn.com
Haswell will open up a few extra options when it comes out in March/June (it's a range). Current CPUs, which are by no means bad, will get cheaper as the new generation comes out, and the new generation will consume much less power.

More like July-September. June is for the very first mobile chips. Intel isn't going to be shipping desktop chips in quantity until much later in the year. This is unfortunately what happens when AMD is on the ropes.
 

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
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www.mfenn.com
You will not need the Blu-ray unless you actually have a collection of Blu-ray disks. I'm no expert in CDs, but they're generally on the way out EXCEPT for movies. Most games are digital downloads.

So unless you have a huge Blu-ray collection or anticipate getting one, it's not worth it. You can drop to this drive safely and save around $10.

The benefits of the SSD is how much faster it reads and writes data. The machine will boot up faster, and any programs you put on the drive will load up faster too. You would put the OS and things like iTunes or games you play most often onto the SSD, and the game save files, mp3s, and photos onto the HDD.

In short, you can drop the SSD, but the preformance gains of keeping it are tangible.

Popular, reliable SSDs include the Samsung 830/840 Pro (840 Pro, not plain 840), Crucial M4, Intel 330, and OCZ Vertex (some forumers will disagree on this last one).

:thumbsup: You can also save a good amount of money by foregoing the option to overclock the CPU.

i5 3570 $200
ASRock B75M $65

Personally if I had to choose between an overclocking-capable machine with no SSD and a non-overclocking machine with an SSD, I would choose the SSD every time.
 

Sleepingforest

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2012
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Taking mfenn's suggestions into account:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sZXX
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sZXX/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B75M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($72.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($112.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($307.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $902.02
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

You can switch back to the Silverstone Temjin case for $50 more. The biggest advantages will be the size and quietness. Otherwise, you look all set!
 
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