Very First Gaming PC Build Help ($1000 Budget)

[ojb100]

EDIT: This was a build suggestion from another forums and was the only suggested build I got. My knowledge of PC equipment is pretty low and the only thing that has given me enough courage to build a PC (without too much fear of messing it up) is that there are many step by step guides for it.

So basically I will have to rely heavily on others suggestions.


Orignal Post:

So far this is the only pc gaming build that has been recommended to me. Is there any reason for me not to get started on this right away?


CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD4H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($193.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($72.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $993.89

EDIT:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. Gaming

2. What YOUR budget is. $900-1,000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. United States


5. IF YOU have a brand preference. No preference

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. No existing parts

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Had no idea what overclocking was until Googling it, don't think i'll be overclocking.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? 1080p?

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? Around June 1 if not sooner


X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows? Yes, I'll need Windows. I'm told that Windows 7 preferably for gaming

I live in Florida. Doesn't look like there is a Microcenter in the state

 

[Sleepingforest]

The motherboard and RAM look a little expensive, and the video card is a bit weak. Look at this build guide for an idea of what a $1000 build should look like (drop down to the 7950 he recommends).

 

[riversend]

When you say the only recommendation, what exactly do you mean? Also, please fill out this sticky to give us an idea of what you want the system to do.

Also, I will ask the obligatory "do you live near a Microcenter" question. Except without the question mark.

 

[ojb100]

Provided more info in my original post, thanks.

 

[lehtv]

modified mfenn build:

i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Extreme4 + Corsair DDR3 1600 8GB combo $328 AR
Sapphire 7950 3GB $290 AR
Sandisk Ultra Plus 120GB $95
Seagate 1TB $71
Lite-ON DVD Burner $15 AP
Rosewill Hive 650W $50 AR AP or XFX 650W semi modular $70 (supports crossfire/sli, as does the mobo)
NZXT Source 210 $25 AR
Windows 8 $95 or Windows 7 $90

$964 - $989

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Had no idea what overclocking was until Googling it, don't think i'll be overclocking.

Everyone who ever overclocked used to be like you at one point in their lives. So that's no obstacle - it doesn't take much effort to learn the basics of CPU and GPU overclocking, it's so simple with today's hardware. And it's very rewarding as well. With a $30 aftermarket CPU cooler, you can improve your 3570K's performance by about 15-20% by just adjusting two settings in BIOS - clock speed and core voltage. The 7950 can usually be overclocked to 1050-1150MHz from the stock 850MHz, and again you only need to adjust core clock speed (and possibly voltage, if the card allows it) using some overclocking software. I recommend using RadeonPro for stock voltage overclocking

 

[mfenn]

modified mfenn build:

i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Extreme4 + Corsair DDR3 1600 8GB combo $328 AR
Sapphire 7950 3GB $290 AR
Sandisk Ultra Plus 120GB $95
Seagate 1TB $71
Lite-ON DVD Burner $15 AP
Rosewill Hive 650W $50 AR AP or XFX 650W semi modular $70 (supports crossfire/sli, as does the mobo)
NZXT Source 210 $25 AR
Windows 8 $95 or Windows 7 $90

$964 - $989

:thumbsup:

OP, the basic idea for a gaming build is that you want to spend as much of your budget on the GPU as is feasible. 30-40% is totally reasonable.

 

[biostud]

If you wait a couple of weeks intel's next generation processors will be launched.

 

[monstercameron]

I would replace the i5 with a 8320 $219-175
Going to amd mobo from intel z77, get Gigabye ga 990fx $150 - $137
Go down a level from the gtx660 and get a gtx 650 ti boost $192 - $169
Replace DVD with bluray drive $19 - $40
Get a 128gb ssd and a 500gb HDD. Samsung 840 $99 and a WD 500gb $50

Almost works out to the same moneys....but now you can hook it up to a TV and watch bluray, 4 more threads for heavy multitasking - frapsing , lost like 5fps going gtx650 -cut down 660, now you have an ssd that will speed up win7 boot.

 

[TY-1]

I would replace the i5 with a 8320 $219-175
Going to amd mobo from intel z77, get Gigabye ga 990fx $150 - $137
Go down a level from the gtx660 and get a gtx 650 ti boost $192 - $169
Replace DVD with bluray drive $19 - $40
Get a 128gb ssd and a 500gb HDD. Samsung 840 $99 and a WD 500gb $50

Almost works out to the same moneys....but now you can hook it up to a TV and watch bluray, 4 more threads for heavy multitasking - frapsing , lost like 5fps going gtx650 -cut down 660, now you have an ssd that will speed up win7 boot.

If the OP gets a Blu-Ray drive instead he'll also have to buy playback software which is at minimum $50 since blu-ray requires separate software to do playback. This is mainly because of Sony's tight ownership on blu-ray. There are a few blu-ray drives that come packaged with software, but more often than not that software is a limited trial edition and you have to pay for the blu-ray playback feature later on.

 

[monstercameron]

If the OP gets a Blu-Ray drive instead he'll also have to buy playback software which is at minimum $50 since blu-ray requires separate software to do playback. This is mainly because of Sony's tight ownership on blu-ray. There are a few blu-ray drives that come packaged with software, but more often than not that software is a limited trial edition and you have to pay for the blu-ray playback feature later on.

Videolan.org

 

[Sleepingforest]

I would replace the i5 with a 8320 $219-175
Going to amd mobo from intel z77, get Gigabye ga 990fx $150 - $137
Go down a level from the gtx660 and get a gtx 650 ti boost $192 - $169
Replace DVD with bluray drive $19 - $40
Get a 128gb ssd and a 500gb HDD. Samsung 840 $99 and a WD 500gb $50

Almost works out to the same moneys....but now you can hook it up to a TV and watch bluray, 4 more threads for heavy multitasking - frapsing , lost like 5fps going gtx650 -cut down 660, now you have an ssd that will speed up win7 boot.

So you want him to drop from a 7950 (recommended in another build) to a 650ti Boost so he can get an overly expensive motherboard and Bluray when he's said he just wants to game? You say that a 8320 is a good ide for FRAPSing and then want him to record to a slow mechanical drive? Where's the balance in that?

 

[monstercameron]

So you want him to drop from a 7950 (recommended in another build) to a 650ti Boost so he can get an overly expensive motherboard and Bluray when he's said he just wants to game? You say that a 8320 is a good ide for FRAPSing and then want him to record to a slow mechanical drive? Where's the balance in that?

Maybe he isn't an fps maniac... But the ti boost is very close to the 7950 in a few benches, the mobo is cheaper than the z77 in his post, bluray gives him more options when/if he decides to attach to a TV...its only an few dollars more, also one can get a 7200rpm drive for low frequency software and the ssd for higher frequency software(like caches, browsers a few games)

My build is more balanced for games, multimedia and productivity.

 

[Termie]

Videolan.org

I see nothing on the site you posted about playing Blu-Rays for free, and I highly doubt that such a free utility exists, because if it did, it would likely violate licensing requirements.

Maybe he isn't an fps maniac... But the ti boost is very close to the 7950 in a few benches, the mobo is cheaper than the z77 in his post, bluray gives him more options when/if he decides to attach to a TV...its only an few dollars more, also one can get a 7200rpm drive for low frequency software and the ssd for higher frequency software(like caches, browsers a few games)

My build is more balanced for games, multimedia and productivity.

Sorry, but the HTPC build above, while OK, is not what the OP is looking for. And no, the Ti Boost is not even close to the 7950 in any bench.

 

[monstercameron]

I see nothing on the site you posted about playing Blu-Rays for free, and I highly doubt that such a free utility exists, because if it did, it would likely violate licensing requirements.



Sorry, but the HTPC build above, while OK, is not what the OP is looking for. And no, the Ti Boost is not even close to the 7950 in any bench.

www.videolan.org/developers/libbluray.html

And the 7950 is at best 30fps higher and at worst 10fps while the gtx 650 to boost is half the price.

He would have to sacrifice, bluray, ssd, ram size/speed and processor form the 7950...too imbalanced, I am sure he'll do than just game on a $1000 PC.

 

[Torn Mind]

Balance matters for saving money and making sure parts are not bottlenecked and hence underutilized. Otherwise, balance is absolutely worthless and interferes with optimizing the build for its primary goal, which in this case is gaming.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

If you are waiting till June 1st why not wait until you see the performance of Haswell?

And do you live by a Micro Center, btw?

pardon's if this has been answered already...

 

[TY-1]

Videolan.org

I had heard that VLC was going to try and incorporate Blu-ray playback, but didn't think it would work out considering how tightly Sony was holding onto the rights for Blu-ray. The only issues I see is the note they put in on their libbluray page about how most commercial Blu-ray is protected by AACS or BD+ (Sony protecting its rights to Blu-ray) and how libbluray won't be able to playback discs using those protections. There does seem to be a way using VLC to bypass AACS, but BD+ is still an issue. Given that BD+ is still an issue you would still need to purchase additional playback software to play Blu-rays protected by it and if you are purchasing such software then you are probably purchasing a full software suite for Blu-ray playback anyway.

My original contention still stands.

 

[mfenn]

But the ti boost is very close to the 7950 in a few benches,

Uh, no it isn't.

The OP came in here asking for a gaming rig (see first post), and you're suggesting that he compromise that for other features that aren't even on his radar? That makes no sense.

 

[ojb100]

I appreciate the replies. In the future I may update to a bluray drive but at this time it is not a priority for my computer and prefer not to spend the extra money on something I probably wouldn't use much at this time.

Today I started talking with a Best Buy Employee who loved building computers and eventually he was compelled to start putting a build together for me.

Your thoughts?

Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Unbeatable Gaming Case
Item #: N82E16811129100
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$167.99
Subtotal: $167.99


SAMSUNG DVD Burner SATA Model SH-224DB/BEBE - OEM
Item #: N82E16827151266
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$18.99


Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Item #: N82E16822148321
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
Recover Your Data(expand for options)
$79.99


ASUS SABERTOOTH 990FX R2.0 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #: N82E16813131877
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$189.99
$179.99


Thermaltake SMART Series SP-750PCBUS 750W ATX 12V 2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power ...
Item #: N82E16817153174
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$99.99
$89.99


Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound AS5-3.5G - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Item Refund Only Return Policy
-$4.00 Instant
$11.99
$7.99


Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap
Item #: N82E16899261005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$1.00 Instant
$5.99
$4.99


Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model PV316G160C0K
Item #: N82E16820220690
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$127.99


AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8350FRHKBOX
Item #: N82E16819113284
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$199.99


ASUS HD7770-2GD5 Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 2GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Item #: N82E16814121642
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$15.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$149.99
1

AMD Gift FARCRY3 Blood Dragon & FARCRY 3
Item #: N82E16800995154
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$59.99 Saving
$59.99
$0.00
Subtotal: $859.91

Shipping: $6.76

Grand Total: $1,052.65

 

[Torn Mind]

I personally am of the opinion that folks should get an external DVD drive because all you need is one for all of your boxes and laptops instead of getting a separate drive for each rig.

 

[Sleepingforest]

No. That build is awful--an overly expensive case and motherboard ($100 more than you need each), a far overspec'd PSU (only 500-600W necessary) and a positively anemic graphics card. The RAM is also about $30 overpriced for 16GB, and you only need 8GB anyway. It has no SSD, and there is thermal paste thrown in for literally no reason.

Lehtv's build is FAR, FAR superior. I think that Best Buy employee is trying to nab a hefty commission off you.

 

[ojb100]

Lehtv's build is FAR, FAR superior. I think that Best Buy employee is trying to nab a hefty commission off you.

Hah, ok well that build is completely scrapped, thanks for the insight.

 

[Torn Mind]

990FX is usually not worth it over a 970 chipset board. Sabertooths, especially, are more advertising than substance.

FX-8350 is not bad, but the 6350 should perform just as well in most games, with the exception being games like Crysis 3 or BF3.

Also, if you are going to pay for a godly case, then the NZXT Phantom 610 is a better performer, although the aesthetics might or might not be appealing to you.
And the 7770 does not compare with the 7950. The 7950 is much more powerful, as indicated by the second number from the let in the numerical part of the name.

 

[riversend]

Absolutely concur that lehtv's build is much better. You want a gaming rig so GPU power is the priority. If you need to compromise, drop some CPU power but not GPU.

I may have missed it, but do you need to get a monitor and other peripherals with your $1000 budget?

 

[ojb100]

I still need a mouse, keyboard, and monitor but I'm not including that in the budget, I plan to just use a cheap version of those items and upgrade the very next chance I get.

I'm trying to do research and learn the importance of each part as I go but at this point the best I can do is go off the suggestion of a build and compare them to other builds (which is why I'm constantly suggesting builds).

I'm not disregarding earlier builds you guys have mentioned and it seems like Lehtv's build has gotten the most thumbs up so I'm heavily leaning towards that build so far.