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Noobie's First Low-Mid Build

Carbuncle

Carbuncle

Junior Member
I'm excited and scared at the same time. This will be my first time building my own system and this is my first ever forum post. I apologize in advance for any errors due to my noobness. 😉 I'd greatly appreciate any input!
To follow the posted directions, it will mostly be used for mmorpgs including raids. My current system is 7 or 8 y/o and I'm playing Runes of Magic which is 6 y/o at the lowest resolution(800x600.) 🙁 As u can tell, I need an upgrade that will be OK for current mmorpgs at a reasonable resolution and will allow me to run multiple clients and teamspeak. I do not expect to build a beast, just make my gaming life better and easier.
Budget is up to around $750. Everything will come from US and a microcenter is nearby. As far as brands, I'm impartial except I would like to know more about the reliability of different brands of video cards that offer the same technology.
I'd like to start building ASAP. Current 2 builds only differ in video card:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q27CkL
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/G7hjCJ
Is PowerColor reliable? Sapphire was recommended to me and I only found an overclocked one. Which would be the better buy or is it really worth the big jump in price to go up to 280x? Same goes for the cpu. Is the i3 4160 still decent for low-mid gaming?
For operating System, I need to know if 8.1 full retail can be used on 3 separate systems or just one system 3 times? That is a crucial factor. Please advise!
As for hand-me-down parts I'm considering giving to this build from my pile of well-loved machines:
Case. Is there truly a difference in top mounted and bottom mounted psu? I only have cases with top mounts.
PSU?-I currently have an Eagle Voltas X 600w http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817193070 not in use. Should I take my chances with this to save money in the short term? If not, I had my eye on the Antec BP550 Plus http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016.
I know this is a huge post so thanks for any input you may have!
~Carbuncle
 
Since you have a MicroCenter nearby and a reasonable budget, I think it makes sense to take advantage of their CPU+mobo combo deals. For example:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97-HD3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($30.00)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 280 3GB Dual-X Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit) ($101.79 @ Amazon)
Other: Existing Case ($0.00)
Total: $688.74
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-24 23:09 EDT-0400

Windows 8.1 retail is good for a single system at any given time. You can move it around between systems as much as you want, provided it is only installed on one system at a time.

Top mount versus bottom mount power supply doesn't matter too much. Neat cabling is usually easier in a bottom mount, but it's not a huge deal for your first build on a budget.
 
mfenn,
Thank you so much! After many, many hours of research since your reply I did indeed decide to go with everything you recommended save the power supply. I'm going to see if the thermaltake tr2 600w that I have currently is enough. Unfortunately, it is not modular which is not ideal but hopefully zip ties and twisties do the job. Half the parts are ordered and the other half are coming from a microcenter trip tommorow. Thank you for helping me start my first build!
~Carbuncle
 
How old is the Thermaltake? It's not that it's a bad power supply but as power supplies get older they tend to be less efficient.
 
Carbuncle said:
mfenn,
Thank you so much! After many, many hours of research since your reply I did indeed decide to go with everything you recommended save the power supply. I'm going to see if the thermaltake tr2 600w that I have currently is enough. Unfortunately, it is not modular which is not ideal but hopefully zip ties and twisties do the job. Half the parts are ordered and the other half are coming from a microcenter trip tommorow. Thank you for helping me start my first build!
~Carbuncle
Click to expand...

The TR2 is an "OK" unit. It's not great but it should be good enough.
 
Success! After alot of research I built it almost exactly as mfenn suggested except I used the crucial mx100 and kept the power supply. I am shocked at how awesome it is. In the mmo I play I've got from 10-20 fps to 100 fps+. I love it so much. I was not expecting the performance to exceed my expectations this much on such a low budget. I want to thank you for your help and giving me guidance in my first build!!!
~Carbuncle
 
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