Need Help Building $1,000 Gaming PC

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Hey,
I'm new to the whole pc building world, and also to the Tom's Hardware forums. So please bare with me here. Firstly, thank you for reading this. I know it's a lot. I am looking to build myself a $1,000 custom pc this summer mostly for gaming. However I'd like it to be a good all around computer that could serve me for years to come. I've already done loads of research, and I get the gist of putting together a pc. The hard part for me is choosing which parts I should use. I have listed below a few ideal things I would like in my pc. If you guys could help me choose hardware that fits this criteria, I would appreciate it a LOT!

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Approximate Purchase Date: This Summer

Budget Range: About $1,000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Watching videos, Surfing the web.

Are you buying a monitor: No, I have a 23" 1920x1080p monitor.

Parts to Upgrade: I don't really know what this means... I'm building it from scratch. That's why I'm posting this...

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, amazon.com

Location: New Milford, CT, United States

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, The Phantom case by NZXT (Here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068 I'd also consider this case: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004351H9G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pcgamsim-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004351H9G)

Overclocking: No.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080p

Additional Comments: Please read the below section.

Why Are You Upgrading: I would like to have a nice new pc that will server me for many years to come. I would like to have better warranty, a system I can build up on, and something that would better suit me for gaming.

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Here are a few more input fields that will help me get my question across...
Here is some general usage information: Games I like to play include Battlefield 3, Call of Duty, as well as some strategy games like the Total War series, Civilization V, and etc.. I would like my computer to be powerful enough to play all these games, and future games very well for years to come. If I need to upgrade the GPU in the future, I would like to have a motherboard that could support it. I don't really do much video editing or other extreme processes like that. However, I'd like an all around good pc regardless. I use one 23" 1920x1080p monitor.

What I'd like (VERY IMPORTANT):
-Good GPU
-Intel Processor that can run very long. A good processor
-8gb RAM should be good.
-Nothing OC, I don't want to be messing around with stuff like that.
-A nice stable motherboard
-A WIRELESS CARD! I cannot go hardwired for various reasons. I currently have 50mbps Upload, 5 mbps Download. It should be able to support these speeds and more!
-If budget allows it, an SSD to put my OS on
-I only need a 500gb Hard Drive.
-The hard drive and everything should be quiet. I hate computer noise :p
-Casing wise, I've already found one that I really, really like. The NCX Phantom, found here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068 I really like everything about it. I'd also consider this case if the budget comes very tight http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004351H9G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pcgamsim-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004351H9G

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With all this said, I just want to wrap things up by giving my sincere thanks. I am aware that this may be a repost, however I after hours of searching, I found nothing with my specifications. I really hope I get a few responses! If what I have listed above can't be implemented, please still give me your suggestions!
 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($84.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($319.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($24.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $956.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-13 01:46 EDT-0400)
 
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Overall that looks like a really, really great build. Thank you so, so much. I would like to make a few of my own edits to that though, could you please tell me if the following would be correct and good alternatives? Firstly, the CPU looks great. I was looking at that before. Thank you for not picking the OC edition... you actually have read my post :D. The motherboard also looks really solid. The memory is the brand/type I was looking at also. Now here is where my little edits are going to come in. I can salvage a 1tb WD Blue from my Dell XPS 8500. With the money I am going to get a nice 64-120gb SSD. Video card wise, that looks like the top of the market. I really am happy that you were able to put that in there. However, will the rest of the build bottleneck it? Or will it be fine with the motherboard, CPU, etc.. Optical Drive wise, I'm probably just going to buy the cheapest thing that is on the PCPartPicker. I am also going to add a networking card and the OS. Overall it will go a bit over $1100, but I really think it is worth it. Thanks for your help! I'm going to wait a few more hours to get more responses and then I'll choose you as the best answer (if nobody beats you :p)
 
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Also... do I need a CPU cooler? Isn't that pretty important? Or will the stock cooler be fine?
 
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Hmm, this is getting a bit expensive, I like your build bigcyco1, however I also need an SSD, Windows 7, and a good network card. According to ARICH5, I also need another PSU... If I were to downgrade from the Radeon HD 7970 to the 7870 would I see dramatic FPS decrease? Would I still be able to play BF3 on Ultra, and possibly BF4 (When it comes out) in medium/high? Or is it essential in a "future proof" pc?
 
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Hmm according to the website, it has more than enough Wattage:
Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor 9W - 77W
ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard 17W - 70W
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory 9W - 9W
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive 4W - 20W
Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card 50W - 200W
Total: 89W - 376W

Should I still downgrade the graphics card? Or is it really an essential part?
 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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It would be fine no bottlenecks to worry about there no single card that will bottleneck a i5 that i am aware of.As far as switching out the hard drive for ssd goes that's fine as well.And no you do not need a aftermarket cpu cooler that's for overclocking the stock cooler is fine.

 
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Ok, thanks for all the answers. I think we're pretty much wrapping things up here. I have edited your build coming up with this: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Jo9j It's about $70 above my price point, however the prices of the parts will probably change during the summer. I think I'll stick with the GPU. It's worth the extra money. The only last question I have is regarding the sound. If I were to plug in my speaker system, would that work? Or do I need a sound card?
 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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Buying Considerations

Like most tech products, graphics cards are segmented by price. Expensive cards tend to be more capable; and less expensive ones usually offer lower performance, consume less power, and are smaller in size (and so fit into a greater range of PC cases).

$400 and Up

The highest-priced cards deliver the strongest graphics performance, but they're also more power hungry. Both Nvidia and AMD have released a new generation of GPUs that are more power-efficient than their predecessors, but you'll still want a good 550-watt power supply to run these types of cards. At the extreme high end are dual-GPU cards, such as Nvidia's GTX 690. You can expect to spend close to $1000 for one of these.

One Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 or AMD Radeon HD 7970 should be able to run most games at high frame rates on 1080p monitors with settings at very high. Some games may show frame rate stuttering at ultra detail levels, so you'll need to test each game. If you have a high-end, 30-inch display running at 2560 by 1600, you'll need to manage your detail settings more carefully, unless you have a dual-GPU card, like the GTX 690, or are willing to install two discrete graphics cards.

$300 to $400

Cards in this category include the Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 and the AMD Radeon HD 7950. They offer performance that is nearly as good as that of the high-end models, but at a more modest price. If you stick with a 1080p or 1920 by 1200 display with one of these cards, you should be in good shape.

$200 to $300

At this level you may have to start making some sacrifices in detail settings. For GPUs such as the AMD Radeon HD 7870, that means running at "high" rather than at "very high" detail level, and it almost certainly means disabling antialiasing.

 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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It should work

 
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Yep, I'll probably add that to my build. I need the sound :p Hopefully the prices of everything will fall to around $1000 by summer.
 
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Would this work? It's a bit cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132020&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
I think it may be a bit cheaper if I got a better motherboard with the sound and the wireless built in. The wireless card is $40, and the sound is $30. Bringing us up to $70 + the motherboard at $80. Are there good motherboards with both of these features under $140?
 
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ARICH5

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a sound card largley depends on your speakers. if you had a 300$ sennheiser set youd notice a difference in bass and treble and surround quality. other than that you dont need a sound card to plug in speakers...your mobo has a input for that.
 
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Ok great! Yep, I don't play on putting in a fancy speaker system. Like I said before, I'm really new to pc's so I have no clue if I really need it or not. I am planning on getting a Siberia V2 Headset as well.. it's USB, hence I'm guessing that the sound card will not be needed whatsoever.
 
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bigcyco1

bigcyco1

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You honestly do not need a sound card just forget it to make things cheaper if after you buy it your not happy with the sound you can always buy a sound card later down the road. ;)

 
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