First PC Build.

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

Hey all ^_^.
I'm building a PC for the first time, and this is what I've settled on.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6/TB4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($179.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($18.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($18.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial V4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($93.67 @ Amazon)
Case: Athena Power CA-GSB01DA (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($31.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cougar 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX Power Supply ($74.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $709.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 13:04 EDT-0400)

Can y'all tell me what you think about it? I'm currently in doubt with the PSU, do I need 600W? Will 300W do? Oh, and is that Motherboard okay? Or is there something more value for money out there?

P.S. I want to save money, but I don't want to majorly bottleneck that CPU. But I don't plan on overclocking if this thing is fast enough for let's say.... Splinter Cell Blacklist & maybe an occasional Photoshopping session?
Of-course, any other suggestions and/or comments are welcome!
I have all the other stuff (i.e. mouse, keyboard, monitors, etc.).
Although shaving some weight off of that bill would be nice

Thank You!

larrym · Mar 14, 2013

Don't get two ram modules separately, get a ram kit that include two modules that are tested together. Also, get a quality PSU from seasonic, corsair, xfx, or antec. 600 watts will be ok, I would not go below 500 though. Remember, the psu powers your entire system, if it goes it can take other parts with it. Check this list..

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

Edit: Dont forget a video card!

zolton33 · Mar 14, 2013

Is this a gaming pc mainly? And what is your max budget?

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

zolton33 :

I'm actually going to use this for school and surfing the net & downloading stuff, so it's gonna stay on atleast 4 hours a day. And 4 days in a week I'm probably gonna leave it on overnight, so I just wanted to make sure if there are any parts that can't take that type of load. Gaming and Photoshopping will be occasional, and not very high on my priority list.

And money wise, even the current setup is a little on the high side for me. Gotta save up!

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

larrym :

Ah, yes. I wanted to know how good the integrated graphics are. I mean, are they passable or pathetic? And do you have any cards in mind?

barto · Mar 14, 2013

You need a video card. If you aren't serious about gaming, get a 650ti or a 7770.

g-unit1111 · Mar 14, 2013

DarkIceDragon :

If it's only going to be occasional gaming but other tasks you don't really need that high end of a CPU. I also agree that it's not a good idea to buy separate RAM modules, and that original choice of case and PSU are both junk, I wouldn't trust it. And you definitely need a GPU - the onboard video is meant to only handle basic functions and that is it, it's not meant to be a substitute for a dedicated one. Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($175.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($76.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.45 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($70.17 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $732.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 13:26 EDT-0400)

larrym · Mar 14, 2013

DarkIceDragon :

They are ok for school stuff and web surfing..but not very good for gaming. You could also save money by getting a h77 board and a 3470 CPU. You wont need that cooler either, as the stock one will do fine. If you want a video card, since you wont game much, something like AMD 7770 will do you fine.

zolton33 · Mar 14, 2013

If you do not plan to over clock an aftermarket cooler is not needed and neither is a k series cpu. Right there can save you money alone. Some swear by over clocking but it puts a lot of stress on a system for in my opinion very little gains. You have not included a gpu so i'm guessing you plan to use the on board gpu built into the cpu right? And if you do not plan to do sli or crossfire you can save some cash on the motherboard by doing away with the crossfire/sli option as boards without that are a lot cheaper.

BigBAWZ · Mar 14, 2013

Even if your not going to game a whole lot, its still worth it to buy a GPU like the 7770 or even the 7750. I dont know what your budget is, but i would make a GPU fit into the budget somehow.

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

g-unit1111 :

DarkIceDragon :

If it's only going to be occasional gaming but other tasks you don't really need that high end of a CPU. I also agree that it's not a good idea to buy separate RAM modules, and that original choice of case and PSU are both junk, I wouldn't trust it. And you definitely need a GPU - the onboard video is meant to only handle basic functions and that is it, it's not meant to be a substitute for a dedicated one. Here's what I would suggest:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3350P 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($175.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z75 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($76.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.45 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($70.17 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $732.55
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 13:26 EDT-0400)

Thanks for the suggestion. But I don't plan on upgrading for a while to come. I want this as a lasting system, so I thought a high end CPU would be a bit more future proof. Same with the Mobo. I could always upgrade GPU's & stuff.

zolton33 · Mar 14, 2013

Future proof on 1155 socket? That cpu will have to last a long time intel's new cpus will be 1150 if i remember correctly. So you will be stuck with that one. The k series is only needed for overclocking and a non k series will perform just as well as the k series when not over clocked. They to are high end cpu's. What sets the k series apart is the ability to over clock them. Otherwise they are only slightly better then the non k series in the same group. As then it comes down to other factors.

So a non k series will last as long as the k series provided the k is not over clocked. Both perform well. What we are trying to tell you is that a non k series cpu will do you just as well as a k series cpu that is not over clocked. And if you never plan to sli or crossfire having a motherboard with those options on it serves you no real purpose. So you can go cheaper and get a discrete gpu that will give you a more better performance boost.

loops · Mar 14, 2013

An i5 of any kind with a 660 or 7850 for about 700 bucks is doable. I'd aim for that. OC the cpu is not going to make a whole lot of a difference. It also adds the cost to MoBO and aftermarket CPU cooler.

Swordkd · Mar 14, 2013

If your main usage for the PC isn't gaming, don't bother with using an Intel cpu. Save some money and get something else.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($79.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $567.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-14 14:08 EDT-0400)

That CPU will be more than capable, and since you aren't pairing the CPU with a near top of the line video card, I doubt you'd notice a difference between the two. The Ram is 1866(which isn't needed), but it's the cheapest option out right now for 2 x 4gb sets. The PSU is plenty for your needs, from a quality brand. Swapped out the Video Card for a 7850.

You can even add an aftermarket cooler down the road, and OC the CPU for a nice price per performance jump. Hopefully this fits your budget a little better.

g-unit1111 · Mar 14, 2013

DarkIceDragon :

There's no such thing as completely future proofing a build. No matter what you buy there's always going to be something newer and better coming along. If you buy with that in mind you will never be satisfied with what you have or what is out currently. My advice is to never plan for later. Plan for now with the ability to expand and evolve your build as you go along, that's the only way to completely ensure longevity of a system. Don't limit yourself to what hardware you are able to buy. Don't buy junk cases or power supplies either - you will be reusing those as you upgrade and expand your system.

That CPU will be more than capable, and since you aren't pairing the CPU with a near top of the line video card, I doubt you'd notice a difference between the two. The Ram is 1866(which isn't needed), but it's the cheapest option out right now for 2 x 4gb sets. The PSU is plenty for your needs, from a quality brand.

The Radeon 7850 is far better than the GTX 650 for the same price.

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

Swordkd :

Hmm.. this certainly does fit the budget part. But My current one is an AMD, and I've always heard that "Oh.. an intel is so much better than AMD.." and all that. So I just wanted to try it out. Of-course, my processor is no where near the top of the line ones. (An AMD Phenom II X2 550). I reckon anything recent would be better than that. What would be the life-span of this build?

jesot · Mar 14, 2013

3350P is the best CPU if you aren't going to overclock. You can add a 6670 which is a few steps above an HD 4000 (integrated video from 3570k) and still save money.

For you, I'd go with g-unit's build but swap the GPU he has for a 6670 and save $160. Throw a CX500 in there instead of the Seasonic and save another $30.

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

zolton33 :

Future proof on 1155 socket? That cpu will have to last a long time intel's new cpus will be 1150 if i remember correctly. So you will be stuck with that one. The k series is only needed for overclocking and a non k series will perform just as well as the k series when not over clocked. They to are high end cpu's. What sets the k series apart is the ability to over clock them. Otherwise they are only slightly better then the non k series in the same group. As then it comes down to other factors.

So a non k series will last as long as the k series provided the k is not over clocked. Both perform well. What we are trying to tell you is that a non k series cpu will do you just as well as a k series cpu that is not over clocked. And if you never plan to sli or crossfire having a motherboard with those options on it serves you no real purpose. So you can go cheaper and get a discrete gpu that will give you a more better performance boost.

I was thinking about OCing... but I'll probably never have the guts to do it without watercooling, so I think I'll downgrade on that.

Swordkd · Mar 14, 2013

The Intel Cpu's are certainly better for gaming right now. They also cost more. Regardless, without making any major changes to either of these builds, I'd say that you could probably game on them for a couple of years at medium to high settings on new games. Of course, gaming is really the only reason to upgrade a pc. Unless you are doing some massive rendering, any fairly good pc build in the last 7 years will work just fine for you.

If you go with the 3350p CPU, it will work very well with a new video card for the next 2 years at least. That would save you some money down the road. The fx6300 does better in multi-threaded applications, and luckily, it looks like PC games are going to be programmed with more of that in mind.

Honestly, I'd go for the 3350p CPU, stick with an H77 chipset motherboard and you are only 50 dollars or more over the AMD option.

DarkIceDragon · Mar 14, 2013

g-unit1111 :

Yup, Technology is increasing by leaps and bounds. But I want this rig to last at-least a year and a half. Preferably 2 or even 3 years. But I think that's stretching it, considering how we're progressing.

zolton33 · Mar 14, 2013

The amd vs intel debate will go on forever. Both deliver great performance and either could be used for some nice systems. Intel has the edge right now do to intel cpu's being much better at single threaded apps which is what most games are encoded in. That is the edge intel has along with less power consumption and lower temps. But both are capable of gaming well (intel does live a slight edge here though) and both run very well. But also intel is a lot more expensive over all then amd. So for that edge in gaming it comes from your pocket a lot more.

Low budget builds amd is perfect.

Mid to high level builds both have options but amd is cheaper.

high level builds again both do well although intel has the edge in best performance but that also comes with a higher price tag.

so in short:

lowend price is the issue

mid to high end price is still an issue but not so much

high end price is not the issue it comes down to performance and preference.

I try not to go into the "this cpu maker is better then that one". They both have their strength weaknesses and uses. Its best to go with what will best serve your needs. Not with "that is flashy new and cool i want that". There is new products coming out all the time and trying to stay at the top of all those products is an impossible expensive pipe dream.

g-unit1111 · Mar 14, 2013

Swordkd :

The bad thing about AMD is that their motherboards and chipsets are aging very rapidly and unable to keep up with the current set of CPUs. That was the biggest failure of the first generation of FX. The current generation is getting better but they're still a long way off.

Yup, Technology is increasing by leaps and bounds. But I want this rig to last at-least a year and a half. Preferably 2 or even 3 years. But I think that's stretching it, considering how we're progressing.

The rig I posted will last you at least two years before you'll consider upgrading. The motherboard has all the support for the latest technologies so you can add SSDs, newer video cards, and things like that as you go along.

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