Final opinions on $1200 build.

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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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Approximate Purchase Date: This week

Budget Range: I would like to stay as close to $1200 as possible

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Almost purely gaming but with some media too such as internet

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: Complete new build

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I like newegg and amazon but just want the best deals

Location: Lexington Kentucky

Parts Preferences: None really

Overclocking: Yes, but in the future when I have enough to buy a decent cpu cooler

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, in the future when my system becomes lacking I will probably just add another one for crossfire.

Your Monitor Resolution: I want at least 1080p 1920x1080

Why Are You Upgrading: Want a gaming pc to invest in instead of the ps4


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

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)

Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver Arctic Alumina 5g Thermal Paste ($5.10 @ Amazon)

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LE PLUS ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.50 @ Newegg)

Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.98 @ Outlet PC)

Power Supply: Corsair Builder 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($63.98 @ Newegg)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)

Monitor: Asus VS238H-P 23.0" Monitor ($149.99 @ Newegg)

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($59.99 @ Amazon)

Mouse: Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse ($39.99 @ Amazon)

Other: TRENDnet TPL-306E2K Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit Up to 200Mbps ($45.00)

Other: WD WD Blue WD5000AAKX-FR 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($40.00)

Other: Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows ($13.00)

Graphics Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($250.00)

Total: $1239.49
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-25 20:31 EDT-0400)

I feel like im getting an awful lot for a fairly good price, this is absolutely everything so some of the little things are a little irrelevant, but this will be my overall cost. I want to make sure I'm not making any mistakes or stupid investments or anything.

Im not sure about the quality of the monitor and if anyone who owns it could recommend it that would be great. Also I at last second changed from the Asrock extreme4 to the Asus P8Z77-v LE plus since it seems like a higher end board but I can get it at an equal price

Id like to also mention I already bought the case and graphics card but I would'nt care to send them back to get a better deal.
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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Overall it looks like a very nice build. Only thing I see is thermal paste and no aftermarket cooler. If you plan on overclocking your 3570k you will need an after market cooler. No sense in getting thermal paste otherwise. I would also recommend getting 2 4GB sticks of RAM instead of the 1 8GB. You cannot run dual channel with 1 stick of RAM.
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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I would also try down grading a few parts in-order to make room in your budget for a decent SSD. Personally I would downgrade the gaming keyboard and mouse to make way for the SSD, but that may be of greater importance to you and your needs. You could also do the non K version of the 3570 to save a few bucks (I wouldn't, but if you have no plans to overclock in the future)
 
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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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Ya the thermal paste I forgot about adding, Ill just add that when im going to get an aftermarket cooler, since I don't want to half way do it, I'm just gonna save up for the h100i so i can overclock all I want and itll be quiet, when I decide to buy it.

As far as the ram, its the same price to buy one 8gb as 2x4gb but it gives me more avalability to upgrade in the future especially since that should be an easy and cheap upgrade pretty soon. I didnt think it was much of a difference in performance to not use that dual channel until I had the extra cash, plus it gives me the ability to go to 64gb instead of 32, although Im pretty sure theres no way I would ever use that.
 
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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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I would definitely like to have an SSD in that lineup but I just dont see how I could fit it in that budget for all the crap Im getting, the keyboard I would be willing to go cheaper on but it sounds like having the laser percision for the mouse makes a huge difference especially since I will be playing alot of fpshooters. But I would really like to try to fit an SSD in there if I could.

For $5 the K version is well worth it, since I will overclock just not yet because of the added expense of an H100i.

Also I upgraded my laptop to windows 8 a while back, and I still have that cd. Could I use that cd to install windows 8 on my new desktop and then I buy a product key from inside there or something or is the only option I have to buy OEM windows 8
 
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jnkweaver

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Well don't buy an 100i right away. The Hyper 212 EVO is like $30 and can usuall get you to 4.2-4.5GHz.

I like your setup. Depending on your electricity costs you might want to spend the extra money and get a Gold PSU. It will draw less electricity because it is more efficient.
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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64 or even 32GB of RAM for gaming will be overkill for the next 10 years. But I understand your stance on the RAM situation. But currently anything over 8GB is a bit overkill for gamin , but it certainly won't hurt anything. A good 120GB SSD can be had for under $90 right now and I would never do a new system build without one, but the smallest SSD I would be comfortable with would be 64GB. You could get lucky and find a really good sale. The SSD would easier to add at the beginning.
 
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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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Well if I didn't have to spend that extra $100 on the OS I could easily fit it in there and replace the regular hdd with that and by the time I fill that up I would have saved enough to buy more storage, so if anyone could help me out with that sitiuation I would be so thankful.

And by the way thanks for all the help guys.
 
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smeezekitty

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I agree with the others. Try to go dual channel if possible as performance will be a bit better.

2x4GB would be fine in most cases but if you do not want to worry about upgrading, go with 2x8gb.

16 gb should keep you covered for the life of the components.
 
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Greatatlantic

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Mar 17, 2013
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SLI or Crossfire: Yes, in the future when my system becomes lacking I will probably just add another one for crossfire.
Click to expand...

Bad idea. This almost never happens. The reason to get get SLI/Crossfire is the need for more performance NOW. considering your target resolution, you don't need more performance now. In the future, that card might not be available. Even if it is, you are almost certainly going to get a bigger performance bump (for the money) by buying a more modern single card solution. In the interim, you've spent more money on motherboard and PSU. Speaking of which, your motherboard has 2 PCI-e slots. You are paying for those in the sticker price.

Here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130653 . EXACT SAME CHIPSET, Reputable brand, $50 in your pocket. It also comes with MSI's "1 second overclock," which can overclock a CPU for you, albeit conservatively.

Your Monitor Resolution: I want at least 1080p 1920x1080
Click to expand...

This won't be a problem.

Why Are You Upgrading: Want a gaming pc to invest in instead of the ps4
Click to expand...

Not to pick on words, but either is going to be a terrible investment. Build a PC because you want to game on one. Which I am sure is what you meant.

As for the parts themselves...

SSD. Get one. Even if it means scaling down on the GPU. It won't boost gaming performance, but it will make the PC itself much faster.

I already discussed the motherboard. I maintain if you don't plan on using Crossfire within a month of the build, you won't use at all. If your target is 1920x1080, you really don't need it.

I also think gaming is better with a wireless mouse. It has a bit more lag, but unless you want to play FPS or RTS games at a very competitive multilayer level its not a big deal. Getting the cord wrapped around your bottle of Mountain Dew... can be a big deal. Logitech makes the best wireless mice, and have a very wide variety.

Meanwhile, I've owned my share of "gaming keyboards," and for the most part you'll never use the vaunted features. Really, you just want a reasonably tacticle feedback, and one that feels comfortable in your hands. I recommend you shop for one at a brick and mortar store (ditto with the mouse). These are the components you will actually be interacting with and its nice to get a feel for them beforehand, even if you turn around and order them online afterwords.

As always, my opinions our my own, they've all been formed with firsthand experience on gaming PCs. I hope they help inform yours.
 
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smeezekitty

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SSD. Get one. Even if it means scaling down on the GPU. It won't boost gaming performance, but it will make the PC itself much faster.
Click to expand...
For gaming, I strongly recommend NOT cheaping out on the GPU to get an SSD.
Sure, you get faster load/boot times, but is it worth the framerate hit?
Remember different types of speed is not always important to different people.
 
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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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Alright thanks for the great info! First off ya thats what I meant, just bad wording. Although I would like the ssd I already got a really good deal on my graphics card so even if I got a lesser one, it wouldnt end up being that much cheaper if at all. As far as the motherboard and crossfire goes, that makes perfect sense, I was always kind of skeptical on the choices I should make for a motherboard. And also I have heard people say that crossfire isnt that helpful after a while, but I definitely wont be doing it right now so saving that money on the motherboard would be great. Would that be the best investment in a motherboard for my needs, although I do still want to be able to overclock a fair ammount so I wouldnt want bad overclocking.

Also on the keyboard and mice, the keyboard as I said, I don't really know any other alternatives, and I also understand wireless would be convenient, for $40 it seems like a pretty good deal at not much of a loss and few little extras. But I am very open to these changes so all of this is already so helpful!

 
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Greatatlantic

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YES, YES, YES, YES it totally is worth it. Its not like the mid range card's can't carry some serious weight, its really only at the highest settings of demanding games that they stutter, and the slight visual differences isn't going to rob anyone of their enjoyment of said games.

Remember different types of speed is not always important to different people.
Click to expand...

Sure, I can only give my experience. My experience says SSD are the biggest single performance boost a PC can have.
 
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Greatatlantic

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This is my motherboard (which is more expensive then the one I linked to earlier), with which I achieved a stable 4.5 ghz overclock with the 3570K. It splits the difference between the two prices, and I can personally recommend it. The one linked to earlier, might be able to achieve a similar overclock, but I don't own it!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130646&Tpk=Z77A%20G43&IsVirtualParent=1

Here's a mouse I got for my boss for Christmas:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-910-001822-M510-Wireless-Mouse/dp/B003NR57BY . Unless you play a single game a lot, its just to much of a bother to create custom mouse configurations for all those extra keys. This one has a solid, hefty weight to it, and all the keys you need.

For keyboards, I use a Logitech G710+, which is a very premium piece of hardware and I cannot recommend for anyone price conscious. It is fully mechanical and thus very useful for touch typists like myself. Really, a lot of stores sell keyboards, because everyone still uses them. Shop around and just fine one you like the feel of.

As for SSD, hey, its your build and your money. The card is a pretty good punch at that price range, though, so I understand. Maybe some of the cuts I recommended elsewhere can be added up to get one?
 
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smeezekitty

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YES, YES, YES, YES it totally is worth it. Its not like the mid range card's can't carry some serious weight, its really only at the highest settings of demanding games that they stutter, and the slight visual differences isn't going to rob anyone of their enjoyment of said games.
Click to expand...
As I said before it depends on the person
Remember different types of speed is not always important to different people.
Click to expand...

Sure, I can only give my experience. [/quote]
Which is basically my point.

You should try to save on the keyboard, mouse, case and other less critical parts.
Avoid skimping on CPU, GPU and PSU.
 
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XxTyboxX

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Ok so $20 more after rebate for better sound quality and full ATX size is what I picked up out of that, which seems reasonable.

The mouse, I never thought about the fact of the pain of changing hotkeys every different game, and the m510 seems absolutely perfect except for one reason,i have the m310 for my laptop and if they are similar in size it will cramp up my hand so bad. So it looks like I just need to go to a store and try out all of this stuff to make sure i get something comfortable and a little better price. So if I save the $30 for motherboard, $40 for other hard drive for now, and around $20 for mouse, thats $90 which should get me off my feet for a little while on an ssd maybe. If only I could use that version of windows 8 I have, I could get a good sized one.

Thank you so much you have helped me more than I ever wouldve thought.

 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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After its all said and done, your combo of the i5 3570k and 7950 should be able to rock out just about any game not named Crysis 3 comfortably at max settings @ 1080p, regardless of the RAM or SSD. That's the beauty of building your own PC, you can always upgrade whenever you feel the need. There is always going to be something you can improve upon. Enjoy your new PC!
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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Yeah, that SSD seems like a good solution. You may get a bit spoiled running everything from your SSD at first (how fast games load), so just remember to lower your expectations once you get you HDD in your system. But I think this is the correct choice.

You will thank yourself in the long run
 
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XxTyboxX

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Mar 18, 2013
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Alright now that I got all of that settled, what can I do about the windows 8 deal. Like I said I bought it to upgrade my laptop and I burned it to a CD and I still have the CD and everything, so could I just use that and buy a product key for or something that would be a cheaper alternative than to buy an all new OEM disc. As of right now I see that as my only choice to do anything. Do I have any other choices?

Also now, since I have no desires to crossfire, would I be able to go down to a cx 500 watt power supply, it gives me enough for at least 100w extra and its $30 cheaper. Would I be alright with that?
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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If it is anything like Windows 7, you should be able to use your current disc to install the OS but you will need to buy another license key to activate Windows 8 on the new PC. You unfortunately cannot use the same key you used with your laptop. Did you activate Win 8 on your laptop yet? You can buy a keycard from Newegg but it is pretty much the exact same price as getting a new disc.
 
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ryan5609

ryan5609

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You are right at the minimum with that 500W PSU, so you should be good to go, but I would go with a little more power if I were you.

I would personally feel more comfortable with the CX 600, just $10 more on newegg
 
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